Monthly Archives: November 2015

The bad news – – acting class takes a bit of a break. The good – no – great news – – I am back to New York City and another intense hit of theatre. What better to give thanks over then the best theatre practiced in the world served with a flood of turkey, carbohydrates and a “fur-sure” nap! Check me out on my sister blog www.nyctheatreaddict.com I’ll be back to the classroom on Tuesday.

One of the recent assignments in Company was a request I made for every member to write a love letter and to bring it with them to class sealed in an envelope. I gave no other direction then it should be a letter of passion. I assured the students of the following:
It would never leave your sight.
It would never be opened.
It would never be collected.

Students were most confused. I do that a lot to them in class . . .Then the questions began . . . Read more →

My Company had a very unusual piece of homework due Friday. During the week, they were asked to do something very specific and very purposeful to benefit their mind, body, and spirit.  At first, I could detect hesitancy in that it was production week for many of them in our school’s big musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. They get all so edgy when it comes to ANY school work during this time period – understandably, I guess. However, I would not bend. I said that self-maintenance was even more critical when life began piling up responsibilities. Read more →

Today in Company we were doing a meditative/yoga exercise know as Sun Salutation. It is a simple stretching, focus, alignment exercise that normally takes about 90 seconds to complete. We have been using it as the predominant warm-up for our work on Viewpoints. It has always been a very effective way to leave the school day behind, take inventory of the body, and be more mindful in the moment for the work of the day. Read more →

The classroom has been facing a battle in recent year. That battle is with technology. The war began with the cell phone. Schools hated them. They banned them from the campus. But  – – the phone won. Then, the school forced the cell phones into the lockers – but phones did not accept the negotiation. Then cells were allowed in the pocket/bag but never to be seen before or after school. This did not make cell phones happy! Then we became okay with allowing them at lunch and for a quick fix between classes. But the cell phone kept vibrating its disappointment and planning its next strategy! Read more →