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Advocacy
Summer standards
Now that the classroom door is closed and the stage has gone dark for a few months, you finally have the time to read that guilty pleasure thriller, catch up on your Game of Thrones episodes, or maybe take a real vacation to the beach, mountains, or the Grand Canyon with the kids. But wait—there is meaningful theatre and other arts education homework to be done, and you can do it from a chair on your deck or at the kitchen table on your laptop.
Strut and Fret
'Magic' night in Columbus
Making Magic, Defying Gravity, the musical revue/scholarship benefit/arts advocacy vehicle that has been barnstorming the country along the path of the first national tour of Wicked, rolled through Columbus, Ohio on Monday night.
First-year teacher
Reflection
The final days of the school year have come and gone. It was an absolute whirlwind of exams, grading, luncheons, and hugs. It’s amazing how quickly a year goes. One minute, I’m introducing the syllabus and the next we’re working on our final show. And as I look back at the girl I was when this adventure began, I have to ask myself what all the hand-wringing and self-doubt was about. New things can be scary, but this new thing has been fun.
Critic At Large
Three hats
I’m wearing three hats these days.
Some news from the wearer of the playwriting hat: one and two.
In the Moment
Holding that mirror up to myself
This was a big year for me in terms of creativity and finding new challenges. I took on a role in a mainstage production with my own students, and I co-wrote a play that was produced in a workshop production. Both of these projects were exciting, and a bit scary. Both challenged my safety zone and put me in a position where I could ask myself afresh who I am and how have I changed—two questions that are far less likely to occur when we repeat our usual work patterns year after year. In that play I co-authored, one of the characters observes angrily that no one ever really changes.
Playwright Now
It's fun to connect the dots
This week, our first-ever guest blogger…
Eddie Zipperer is a former Georgia Thespian and award-winning playwright whose youth plays have been performed on five other continents. He received an M.F.A. in creative writing from Georgia College in 2008, and is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. His plays are available from Dramatic Publishing Co., Eldridge Plays and Musicals, and Pioneer Drama.
Thespian Officers
Storytelling
For a long time, I wanted to be a film director. I wanted to lead other creative individuals on a project—direct actors, design shots, and ultimately feel the accomplishment of finishing a film.
Design & Production
Outside the box
Prior to beginning this post, let me assure you that I am not a great user of the latest “catch phrases.” As a high school teacher for twenty-plus years you would think contemporary phrases and terminology would have entered my vocabulary but much to my students’ dismay (and occasional confusion) I still speak like the fifty-four-year-old man I am.
