thewrittenword

i have recently been exploring - perhaps re-exploring or even rediscovering completely might be better terminology - the long form written communication technique known as the letter. ok, in actuality i have been using email as form, but substance has all been letter. a friend, one might say my only friend, lives a very long ways away. she has many jobs and also looks after her family. this makes her quite busy. we have communicated off and on for the last several years mostly through IM/chat of various types. however, of late her work situation has made even that infrequent method difficult. i suppose i could call, or she could call me, but international rates still aren't free. there are alternatives, but for some reason we have never tried skype or even the video chat available in google (and no i do not know why; perhaps someday i will avail myself of these options, but not as of now.)
which leaves us with...
the letter. email. long form written communication.
whatever.

surprisingly, i have been enjoying it.
i will admit it is often difficult to get started and i still wonder what to say, but so far, she hasn't been unhappy with the attempt. at least not that she has said to me.
so i will continue to write. erratically. spontaneously. inarticulately.
maybe someday, i will even use (gasp) a pen. and paper.
imagine the horror.
i know.
me too.

try it out. let me know what you think of it.
write me.

out.

ps. i will be reposting this on google+. if you follow both, you can write me twice. or just skip one and see what happens.

post-out.

aida

here i am.

been gone a while.

need to work on that.

again.

still.

just finished designing a production of aida.

for a high school.

so much fun. i mean it.

no sarcasm intended.

the kids were a blast. i forgot how much i like teaching. small groups, not the whole class. but still, when i had a few of them and we were working on something and i could explain what we were doing and why and sometimes even the history behind such things...

too much fun.

tons of work. i think people underestimate how much work goes into a high school production. in fact, one could argue they are harder and more effort than professional productions.

no trained crews, no professional skill sets, teenage angst, etc, etc, etc...

my understanding and appreciation of all those teachers go through has increased. 

the director/drama teacher and the musical director/vocal teacher have put in too many hours to count, sacrificing time, family, food and money to make something the kids could be proud of; should be proud of.

what a fantastic group of young students they have.

this is not an easy show. singing, acting, dancing, costumes, quick changes, props, sound, music, microphones, lighting, spotlights...

as anyone in this industry knows, there are many times many elements in any production, but the big musicals seem to bring them all on at once.

and these kids, these performers and crew, these theatre people make it look easy.

is it perfect? no. 

is it ever?

it is perfect watching a group of students threading the shallow waters on their way into the deep, deep oceans of theatre and performing arts.

it is perfect watching a great show performed by talented people.

every story is a love story.

this is the story of me falling in love with theatre, and the people who make it, all over again.

out.