Have spent three lovely weeks in Germany! Enjoyed the castles, the beer, driving on the autobahn, (those last two NOT at the same time...obviously...) the summery weather, and the people. We met some really great new friends and have now been offered places to stay in Italy, Greece, three German cities, England, and South Dakota.
Today we had a SMASH HIT of a show. Honestly, performing is quite low on my list of things that I like about this job, but being on stage with this week's cast was not only an honor, it was a blast! I can't remember the last time I had so much fun.
And tomorrow, at 6:30am, we depart for Belgium! Excited for a homestay this coming week, and the chance to see some family! A favorite aunt is hopping on the train and coming from London to see me! Hurrah!!! And glad prospect of seeing many more familiar faces isn't too far away either...
Well, time to catch a few hours sleep!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Corny but True
Tonight, at rehearsal I played a game with the cast called Pass the Squeeze. Its simple really, they hold hands in a circle and pass the "squeeze" around in absolute silence as quickly as possible. We always challenge them to break the "world record"- a very fast fictional time set some other week in another town by a different cast. And of course, when things are posed as a competition, they get very, very serious. The first time they passed the squeeze, it took 16 seconds to travel around the entire circle. We paused the game when they cut their time by half and asked for ideas why this game would help them have a better show. The first thing they said was teamwork. They also called out focus, ability to stay silent and reaction time. Smart kids. And then they got down to business and managed to pass the squeeze around the circle in just under 4 seconds flat! After the screams of joy died down (I'm not exaggerating when I say they got serious) I told them, in utter seriousness, that they could do anything in the world. This is a group of kids who have struggled to focus all week. But for a few seconds, they were still and listened. And the absolute belief on their faces gave me chills.
We have such responsibility, as adults working with children. They learn so very quickly, and believe so intensely. I am incredibly lucky that I have a job in which I can reach hundreds of children and help them believe in themselves. Every week I have the chance to impress upon them that they can do anything. Because they can!
We have such responsibility, as adults working with children. They learn so very quickly, and believe so intensely. I am incredibly lucky that I have a job in which I can reach hundreds of children and help them believe in themselves. Every week I have the chance to impress upon them that they can do anything. Because they can!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Seeing the World from the Inside of a Fence
Okay, that title sounds a wee bit over dramatic. Gladly, I'm not some animal, or a convict, who lives inside a cage or a cell, I'm simply a traveling Tour Actor, who happens to be working on US military bases around the world.
But from where I'm sitting right now, on a park bench bordering the soccer field near our base hotel, I can see a high metal fence on two sides of me. And I know the other two sides of the fence are there, hidden behind the typical beige buildings all stamped with their four digit label, the drab living quarters, the requisite Burger King. It is great to travel the world, to get to work with children from Texas to Alaska, Germany to Puerto Rico-but it's bizarre to live in these tiny man made Americas wherever I go. Whether I'm surrounded by four feet of snow, or grassy flower-strewn fields, it still feels unnatural to know that there is a razor wire topped fence all around, and guards with strict rules and guns to enforce them.
Why do we even need to be here? Taking up space and throwing our weight around in countries not our own. I am reminded of the former President of Costa Rica (a country with no permanent standing army) - Jose Ferrer- who said that the military should be like a doctor. You don't keep a doctor around the house all the time, you call one when someone is ill. Why keep an army around all the time? Muster one when the need arises. Costa Rica, unlike its neighbors, has not endured a civil war since 1948. The budget in Costa Rica previously dedicated to the military is now allocated to security, education, and culture. Liechtenstein abolished its army because it was deemed too expensive. Only in times of war is an army allowed, but this has never occurred. This makes so much sense to me! In my mind, the military seems outdated, like something that should only be found in black and white movies. In many ways the military seems brutish, unthinking, money wasting, life taking - ridiculous.
Of course the military is made up of individuals, just plain American people, most of whom are pretty darn nice. We meet wonderful kids on every base we go to. And their parents seem to be equally kind, considerate, cool people. Which makes me wonder: why are they a part of something like this? Why are their children sent to the SAS programs for so many hours a day? Why do they live in a place where the only option they have to eat out with their families on their lunch break is Burger King? Why do we have this honored institution that breaks up families for months at a time, that encourages domination of others, not even through intelligent discourse or education, but through brute force? Why do we think it is okay to be trained to kill? ...Are there really answers to these questions?
Today I discovered that if I go to the far side of the base, there is a beautiful running trail. It winds away from all the matching buildings, and if I closed my eyes and concentrated, the rush of cars on the autobahn on the far side of the fence died away and all I could hear was bird song. When I opened my eyes though, there was the fence, and I couldn't help but wonder if the wide swatch of stinging nettles growing on both sides of the tall barrier was nature's idea of irony, or a more purposeful design.
Hopefully I haven't offended you, reader. Please know that these words are not intended to be judgments passed, but rather thoughts to be pondered.
But from where I'm sitting right now, on a park bench bordering the soccer field near our base hotel, I can see a high metal fence on two sides of me. And I know the other two sides of the fence are there, hidden behind the typical beige buildings all stamped with their four digit label, the drab living quarters, the requisite Burger King. It is great to travel the world, to get to work with children from Texas to Alaska, Germany to Puerto Rico-but it's bizarre to live in these tiny man made Americas wherever I go. Whether I'm surrounded by four feet of snow, or grassy flower-strewn fields, it still feels unnatural to know that there is a razor wire topped fence all around, and guards with strict rules and guns to enforce them.
Why do we even need to be here? Taking up space and throwing our weight around in countries not our own. I am reminded of the former President of Costa Rica (a country with no permanent standing army) - Jose Ferrer- who said that the military should be like a doctor. You don't keep a doctor around the house all the time, you call one when someone is ill. Why keep an army around all the time? Muster one when the need arises. Costa Rica, unlike its neighbors, has not endured a civil war since 1948. The budget in Costa Rica previously dedicated to the military is now allocated to security, education, and culture. Liechtenstein abolished its army because it was deemed too expensive. Only in times of war is an army allowed, but this has never occurred. This makes so much sense to me! In my mind, the military seems outdated, like something that should only be found in black and white movies. In many ways the military seems brutish, unthinking, money wasting, life taking - ridiculous.
Of course the military is made up of individuals, just plain American people, most of whom are pretty darn nice. We meet wonderful kids on every base we go to. And their parents seem to be equally kind, considerate, cool people. Which makes me wonder: why are they a part of something like this? Why are their children sent to the SAS programs for so many hours a day? Why do they live in a place where the only option they have to eat out with their families on their lunch break is Burger King? Why do we have this honored institution that breaks up families for months at a time, that encourages domination of others, not even through intelligent discourse or education, but through brute force? Why do we think it is okay to be trained to kill? ...Are there really answers to these questions?
Today I discovered that if I go to the far side of the base, there is a beautiful running trail. It winds away from all the matching buildings, and if I closed my eyes and concentrated, the rush of cars on the autobahn on the far side of the fence died away and all I could hear was bird song. When I opened my eyes though, there was the fence, and I couldn't help but wonder if the wide swatch of stinging nettles growing on both sides of the tall barrier was nature's idea of irony, or a more purposeful design.
Hopefully I haven't offended you, reader. Please know that these words are not intended to be judgments passed, but rather thoughts to be pondered.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Another Week, Another Role
Something I really love about this job is how different each week can be! Several weeks ago we were in frigid Alaska and I played the Queen. Now we are in a fully blooming German spring and I get to be part of "Team Bad Guy" yet again as the Magic Mirror!
Of COURSE I didn't break character, but I always wanted to laugh because Erik always made this really funny face whenever he would look into the Mirror...this picture almost captures it!
What fun to be able to play so many different roles! And the kids were just great- because both of us were on stage, we gave the older kids lots of responsibility to keep the little ones quiet backstage and cue them for their scenes. This worked like a charm and we had a great show!
Hopefully we won't have any kids drop out for the rest of tour, and we'll just play Witless for the remaining few weeks, although Erik is still holding out for Snow White, and I have ALWAYS wanted to be a bat......
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Europe Is Beautiful !
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| The Bridge Gate Heidelberg, Germany |
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| Teatro Olimpico- The Oldest Theatre in Italy Vicenza, Italy |
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| Drottningholm Castle Sweden |
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| Church ruins Sigtuna, Sweden |
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| Christ Church Dublin, Ireland |
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| Gamla Stan Old Town Stockholm, Sweden |
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| The Spire Dublin, Ireland |
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| A Favorite Fika stop in Gamla Stan, Stockholm |
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| Main Street Sigtuna, Sweden |
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| The Ericsson Globe- the largest spherical building the the world! Stockholm, Sweden |
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