Arts Education

Part of my job at the Springer is serving as editor of "The Callboard." "The Callboard" is a news publication that we are working on getting out to the high schools here in the Columbus area. Our goal is to becomes the information hub for high schools in the southeast. However, we are starting out pretty small. In each issue we will highlight at least one school and have a calender of all upcoming productions from each school. Also, we will include a list of suggested books and movies, advice from the professionals at the Springer, letters to the editor, etc. We are very excited about this venture and what it can become.

One of the stories that I have been working on for our first issue has to do with obstacles within the schools, especially when it comes to the theater departments. All schools have obstacles of some kind, some more than others, and it seems that the Arts programs suffer the most. In an interesting conversation with a South Columbus teacher, the educator remarked that it was often her class that kids were pulled in order to prepare them for the graduation exam that is required to exit high school. I think that there are several interesting ideas behind this comment. One being the fact that it is necessary to prepare these kids specifically for the graduation test. Another being that these students are pulled from arts classes. Theatre, band, visual art, etc. I am going to have to address these issues separately. I am going to start with the latter.

According to school boards and administrations across the country, theater, visual arts, band, and other Art forms have no place in the public school forum. These classes are the first to have their budgets cut and the first departments to be cut out altogether. In fact, the arts are sooner dropped than any athletic program. Why is it that these classes are considered expendable? A child’s education consists of subjects such as math, science, English, and social sciences, as well as other subjects. There are no options given to students as to whether or not they want to take these courses. However when it comes to the arts, these courses are seen as electives and may be taken or not taken depending on the child. Why is it that we believe that math, science, history, etc, should be required and the arts can be pushed to the wayside?

I believe that Arts Education is vital to a well rounded education because of what the arts encourage and provide in a child’s life. As a student of music and theatre, I appreciate what the arts have done for me as a person. The arts provided a healthy and safe environment for me to grow as not only an actor and musician, but as a person. I learned how to speak in front of people of all ages with ease and comfort; I learned how to experiment with various methods of presentation without fear of failing; I became comfortable making bold choices; and I was afforded opportunities to learn how to lead and follow effectively in a group. I speak from experience when I say that children who experience the arts are better equipped to become the future leaders that our communities and our world so desperately need. Team work, discipline, commitment, and confidence are all a part of an arts education and are qualities that I do not think we can afford to exclude from any child’s educational experience.

Slumdog Millionaire.

I would like to thank the movie making gods for coming up with something that we haven't seen in awhile. While the underdog theme of the movie is far from new, the setting, cinematography, and sub-plots were refreshing to this movie-goer's weary eyes.

While I am not sure that the slums of India are quite as colorful and bright as portrayed in this film, I still feel that directors Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan did a brilliant job of showing a life different that what we know here in the United States.

It has taken me awhile to think about this film and what I actually took away from it. The themes are somewhat obvious to me. Family (and what that word really means), true love, honesty, hope, loyalty, and there is an almost "Robin Hood" theme going on. The idea of stealing to survive. It smudges the lines of right and wrong, black and white, and gives the idea of gray areas something to stand on.



I really loved this film, although there were moments towards the end where I felt that the movie could have ended several times. I, personally, do not enjoy that feeling when watching a movie.

Perhaps it is me being uneducated in regards to India, but I felt that this film showed me a side of that country that I had not thought of or even realized that it existed. I feel good about suggesting this film to older audiences. I would not suggest taking the youngers.

Playing Outside

You are probably sick of hearing me talk about my siblings and how awesome they are.

**I'm so kidding, but if you really are, come back another day.**

However, Caroline (number 2) is an incredible song writer/poet/writer. I got exclusive permission from the author to reproduce some of her work. I think you are really going to like this.

Playing Outside

Why can’t life be defined
By the games we played when we were nine?
The games I played in my head
When I talked my bear and she said,
“I’ll be your friend when you cry
And you can hold me close at night
And we can sleep side by side.”
Every tree was a friend
And the sun smiled and kissed our skin
We named the birds overhead
And never listened to what our parents said
About getting dirty; we played in the mud
And it was so much fun
Life was so simple back in the day
When all we had to do was go outside and play

Dispatches from (A)mended America

Saturday night I was a part of an interview process for a creative media piece called "Dispatches from (A)mended America." I will let you make your own judgment based on their own description of themselves.

DISPATCHES FROM (A)MENDED AMERICA

Background: In the 24 hours following the historic 11PM announcement of Barack Obama's landslide victory on November 4th, I saw a euphoria I had never witnessed before. People were beaming, dancing in the streets, congratulating me, making quiet yet meaningful eye contact with me. Even I -- who was more than skeptical about the likelihood that America would ever send an African American to the White House as late as November 3rd -- even I called my father in tears, held my wife in my arms. "It happened," I said. "We made it happen." "We did it" seemed to be the day's subtext, even among those who didn't vote for Obama. I felt it too. However, I also felt something that lurked behind the euphoria and the historic implications of the election: Now that we've elected a black man as President for the first time, what do we do now? What happens next? Is "the race question" answered? And what are we going to do with all of this hope and optimism and new found civility in American public life? I am curious if other people are having the same feelings of anxiety, confusion, anticipation, and yes, hope that I am. I want to find out how this election has affected the lives of individual Americans. I want to hear the personal stories of Americans as we head into this truly New Age, an age defined, for now, only by its potential.

In the month leading up to the Presidential Inauguration, I will be traveling throughout America with my friend and colleague Brandt Adams to interview Americans about this watershed event. The guiding questions will be: What does the election of America's first African American President mean to you? Has this changed your life and if so, how? Has this changed America? What do we do now? We feel we can best investigate these questions by soliciting real Americans' own stories of the 2008 presidential election through their eyes and in their own words. What are their hopes for the President elected on hope? What suggestions can they give to an Obama administration that would keep them engaged in the governance of our country?

The interviews, which will hopefully be digitally recorded either on audio or video, will form the basis of a documentary theatre piece called DISPATCHES FROM (A)MENDED AMERICA. Brandt and I, two displaced sons of the South, will begin traveling on December 28th along the same routes used by The Freedom Riders in 1960 and then make our way from Mississippi, North toward Chicago, retracing The Great Migration of African Americans from 1910-1940. Finally, we'll make our way eastward through Philadelphia, finally landing in Washington DC on January 19th in time for the Presidential Inaugural Ceremony. We plan to interview people in Farmville, Virginia, home to one of the school districts included in the original five cases comprising Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; Greensboro, site of the first civil rights sit-in at Woolworth's; and Oxford, Mississippi, where James Meredith integrated the University of Mississippi in 1962. The fact that Brandt is a 25-year-old white man born and raised in Virginia and I am a 42-year-old black man raised in Virginia only serves to amplify the resonance of this project to us both personally and politically.

You'll be able to keep track of our travels on our blog, www.dispatchesfromamendedamerica.blogspot.com, where we plan to upload excerpts of some of our interviews and our thoughts on the journey.

The election of Barack Obama has initiated a time of both euphoria and fear. Euphoria at the prospect of America finally living up to the promise of the Declaration of Independence; fear at the immense challenges that lay ahead for our country and our new leader. Halfway between Euphoria and Fear -- what better place to create a piece of theatre?

I have to admit, I was a bit wary going into this interview. I had been asked to do this interview and I wanted to be a part of this project, mainly because I really do think it is a fabulous idea and I am super excited to see where it goes. However, I was aware of the possibility that the guys conducting the interviews already knew a little bit about me because of the connections that we have. Now, let me go ahead and state for the record, that I am not by any means ashamed of what I believe. However, because I tend to be more conservative and am a registered Republican, I was a little scared that I was going to be turned into the angry, white conservative lady that hates black people and "clings to her guns and religion." I know that I am not that, but I also know how these types of things tend to go. I was pleasantly surprised to find my experience to be quite the opposite. I was treated with the utmost respect and was questioned without my feeling that there were ulterior motives. In fact, I really like Godfrey and Brandt. They are pretty neat guys.

I was heavily questioned about my faith. Not in an ugly way, but in a sincerely curious manner. I believe that the best kind of journalist knows how to ask the right questions and then let the interviewee just talk. Brandt and Godfrey are very good at this.

Audio clips will be up soon and I will be following the blog on a daily basis to keep up with these guys. You can follow too with the link above.

I am still formulating thoughts on my experience with "Dispatches from (A)mended America." I will write again soon when I have more structured thoughts and comments. For now, I wanted to share the fact that I was a part of this project and make others aware of the journey that two random guys are making in an effort to make a difference. Rock on.

Nobody Knows It But Me

There’s a place that I travel

when I want to roam

and nobody knows it but me.

The roads don’t go there

and the signs stay home

and nobody knows it but me.

It’s far far away and way way afar.

It’s over the moon and the sea.

And wherever you’re going

that’s wherever you are

and nobody knows it but me.

-Patrick O'Leary

The Story behind the poem-

The director was Eric Saarinen. The actress was photographer Sally Gall. James Garner recited the poem. Art Director Brad Neeley had the idea. We shot it in the Yukon and British Columbia. I’m the poet. Yes, it was the poem on that Chevy Tahoe commercial that came out in the fall of 2002. No, you didn't hear it when you were a child. Your Grandmother didn't read it to you. Or your Grandpa or your Dad. But I know what you mean: it was written to capture that childlike carefree sense of wonder and adventure. And Mr. Garner gave it a soothing sitting-on-your-poppa's-lap sort of feeling. People loved the spot. They really loved the poem. They found it hauntingly familiar. Was is Robert Frost? Robert Louis Stevenson? Walt Whitman? They were amazed and skeptical to hear it was written by an advertising copywriter from Detroit. I got dozens of emails and letters and phone calls. So did GM. Newspapers were flooded with queries about the poem. Radio stations, too. For a few months it seemed that everyone in America was wondering about it. What happened next was weird in the extreme. People made Christmas cards of the poem. People put it on their office walls. Sent it as a valentine. Insisted on House Silence whenever the commercial played. It gave a unique comfort to people. Cancer patients read it in the hospital. Lonely people found great solace in the words. A middle-school class memorized it and recited it. Dozens of discussion groups online chatted it up. A grammy-award-winning composer wrote a song to the lyrics. So did a bluegrass band. One woman did a beautiful cross stitch of the poem. It is on my office wall. Today, some five years later I still get the occasional email about it. It’s strange to be swept up in such a cultural phenomenon. It's very humbling to have moved so many so deeply.

Father of the Bride

I'm sitting in rehearsal on a break and I wanted to let you all know that I am still alive. I know that you were all wondering. My blog posts are further apart and I haven't been seen for a few weeks. I've been living at the Springer. Or at least that is what it feels like. In truth, I have just been in rehearsal, going to school, and trying to squeeze in lunch with my mom, a phone call with my dad and siblings, and all my Young Life friends.

Rehearsals are going well. We blocked the show within the first two days. We have been working through since Thursday of last week, which is pretty good. Today, we are working the first act. Stop and start. Stop and start. Stop and start. I love this part because this is when we actually start to talk about the show and what we mean when we say so and so.

As we move further into this process, I will post part of the journal that I am keeping during rehearsal. (That's for you, Ansley!)

Piglet

I need your help. In rehearsal yesterday, Lisa told us to ask friends and relations what their favorite thing about our character is. Pretty simple, right? What is your favorite thing about Piglet?

My Aunt Sandy sent me an email last night telling me that Piglet is her favorite "Pooh" character. She even collects Piglet stuff! Kinda cool. I need to call her this afternoon and get a reason behind the Piglet-mania.



So, leave a comment and tell me why you l-o-v-e Piglet!

"Once more with feeling, please!"

Rehearsal for "Winnie the Pooh" has begun and we are over halfway through the play as far as blocking goes. Blocking, for those who have no clue what I am talking about, is when the director tells you were to go when you say a line. Lisa, the director, has asked us to be off book (completely memorized as far as script goes) by Friday. I think we are all getting there.

The set is adorable and if you want to see a picture click here. My friend, Jeff Holbrook, has pictures up on his blog. Yay for linking! Jeff is playing "Owl" and you will just love him.

More to come on "Winnie the Pooh" coming soon.

Father of the Bride

Last week, as the cast list for "Winnie the Pooh" was finalized, Mr. Ron (my boss) began seriously casting "Father of the Bride."  He asked me to come in and help him read a young man by the name of Ben Reed for the part of "Buckley."  Buckley is the fiance of Kay, the bride.  I read Kay for about twenty minutes before Mr. Ron said he was satisfied with Ben's audition.  I was about to show Ben where the costume shop was when Mr. Ron stopped me and asked me stay behind, he needed to talk to me.  After discussing the show a bit more, he asked me to read again and after breaking to work on some other things, asked me to read once more.  The last scene that we read was a rather emotional scene between Kay and her father.  Mr. Ron was reading the dad and we were both crying.  At the end we were laughing, but it was great audition moment. 

After about a week of a bit of impatience on my part, Mr. Ron offered me the part of Kay on Thursday night.  I am thrilled beyond what I can adequately express though words.  I am so excited about working with the stellar cast and an amazing director (Ron is directing).  I wanted this show from the moment they announced at the end of last season.  I will post more on dates and tickets as the time grows closer.   

Steeple Chase Raffle Tickets on Sale NOW

Each year the Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens raises money for the Arts in Columbus. As one of the beneficiaries of this fundraising event, the Springer receives over $30,000 each year due to the wonderful effort by the Steeplechase staff and volunteers. This year the event includes a Raffle for a 2009 Acura TL 4 Door Luxury Sedan, retailing at $34,440. Only 1,000 raffle tickets will be sold at $100 each. The Springer is selling 50 tickets towards the raffle. Please give Sara Ketcham a call (see number below) or send me an email if you would like to purchase tickets and spread the word to your friends and family! The car will be on display during the run of Menopause The Musical!

Season Tickets On Sale Now! Call the Box Office at 706.327.3688

Winnie the Pooh

The news is out! The Springer is doing Winnie the Pooh and the cast list is set.

Christopher Robin- Ben Reed
Pooh- Johanna Cabatigan
Piglet- Me and Izzy Brown*
Tigger- Adam Archer
Eeyore- Anthony Jackson
Kanga- Kern Clark
Owl- Jeff Holbrook
Rabbit- Rebecca Woolbright
Roo- Blake Blackman and Nikki Ammerman

Lisa Cesnik is directing and we are all thrilled about that! The show runs October 1st-12th. More details to come!

*Mine and Izzy's class schedules are extremely complimentary. We will be switching off to make the necessary rehearsals and shows work.

Breakfast with Mr. Ron

It's kind of like therapy, Dear Abby, and John Tecsh all rolled into one. That's right, it's breakfast with Mr. Ron.

Morning coffee is the norm when Mr. Ron calls and asks you if want to get together to chat. Actually, he doesn't really ask you if you want to have coffee or chat. It's more like "I still drink coffee in the mornings...", which is when you think "If Mr. Ron didn't still drink coffee at any point during the day, it either means that hell has frozen over or that the world is coming to an end." But what you say is "Want to get together in the morning?" Of course he says yes and of course you set up the time and place. When you arrive at the designated coffee shop, you order a nice, strong cup of coffee and get comfortable. You know that the conversation will entail a variety of topics from politics to theatre to school to life in general.

This morning was no different. I bare my soul. Mr. Ron listens, nods his head, his eyes well up as he feels your pain and joy, and then he offers the advice that you obviously asked for by agreeing to have coffee with him. Today's conversation started with politics and then moved to more personal subjects.

I'm not going to go into the dirty details. But I do want to share some lessons that I learned over the summer that were the discussed this morning.

1. "Just when you thought it was about to work..." I know that reading this, you are thinking that that is a negative comment to make. However, when I hear this and when I say it, it brings a very positive thought to my mind. The best example that Mr. Ron could have set for me this summer was that no matter the situation, he was prepared for the plan that we made to not go as planned. However, until then, we were going to keep on a truckin'. It's that simple.
2. The only constant in life is change. I wanted everything to be the same this summer as I headed back to the Springer for the ninth time. But when I arrived, I found that while the Springer was the same (kids still wearing gray tee shirts, teachers teaching, Mr. Ron giving "Mr. Ron talks"), I was vastly different. As Mr. Ron put it, two weeks was enough time to figure out that my role at the Springer was different, but not enough time to learn what my new role was. I'm not the girl that spent every summer at the Springer. I went away, went to college, came home, got a job, went through some very personal and emotional situations and the girl that existed just two and a half years ago doesn't exist anymore. That sounds hard and it was (and is). However, I am making peace with that.
3. Inasmuch as I thought that I knew myself REALLY well, I don't. I mean, I know me pretty well and there are parts of me that that I can still say I know. This summer confirmed that. However, there were parts of me that I either didn't know at all or was refusing to admit that I didn't know. I learned that I am more of a big picture girl that is unafraid of making big decisions. But I finally admitted that when it comes to smaller pictures, I am so emotionally invested and attached that I have a hard time making those pictures work and am actually afraid of making decisions in those areas. I learned that I can fire someone, how to be a better listener, that I am not a mind reader, how to be a better boss, and I learned that maybe I am not ready for the hat that Mr. Ron asked me to wear this summer.

Mr. Ron offered opinions and advice on my future, my present, and how to deal with the past. Per usual, he told me he was on my team and that he was proud of me. Ahh. Sweet music to my ears. I told him that I was going on an job interview this afternoon and after some pointers from him, I know for a fact that I have never been so prepared for an interview. Ever.

Aside from the great advice, the opportunity to vent, and the feelings of being loved, admired, and supported, I came away with some great one liners and quotes. Mr. Ron is good at that. He's just so darn quotable. And with that in mind, I'm just going to "roll with it", knowing that the plan is "subject to change."