Is Canada "hip"? Apparently, according to the New York Times, it just might be. They credit the election of Justin Trudeau as evidence of our hipness, and also artists like The Weekend, or Justin Bieber or Samantha Bee and especially the coolest of all, Leonard Cohen (who I don't think would have become famous anywhere else! -- not that I don't love "Hallelujah" but he isn't a pretty man and his voice would never win those singing contests like "American Idol". He's really CANADIAN as far as I can define it.)
There is a move to boycott the Oscars. Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith say they won't be going. I wonder what Chris Rock will do. Will he still host it? Or maybe he'll back out, too. Or maybe he'll use it as a platform. It does seem surprising that no actors of colour have managed to be nominated this year, but the problem is bigger than the Oscars. The movie elite doesn't seem to make many movies that feature black actors, especially black women. As I said, I'm not interested in the Oscars much any more, so I will not be watching. It isn't hard for me to boycott the show -- I hate the "who are you wearing" garbage and the slobbering and then the playing the music when people are speaking. I'd rather watch a biography of Marlon Brando or something like that or "The Philadelphia Story" or "All About Eve".
David is casting his play this evening and the cast list will be up tomorrow. I don't envy him the task -- we have a lot of talent at Steveston-London, so he has what we might call "an embarrassment of riches". He has written in a few more characters, so that everyone gets a role, but some are larger than others. I hope nobody is terribly disappointed, because it is going to be a fun show to perform in and I'm looking forward to seeing it. No matter what role an actor gets, he or she needs to make a show of it. Create a backstory for yourself and throw yourself into your role with your whole heart!
Grade 8's: Don't forget to write your last journal -- which "show and tell" speech impressed you the most? Explain why.
Senior Drama: Thanks a heap to Dylan who was great as Mr. Brouwer this morning. I'm looking forward to another class tomorrow with Mr. Swanson!
At the educational facilitators meeting, we talked about running classes outside of the timetable today. The district is interested in helping kids "follow their passion" and still be able to remain at their home school and do a regular academic program. Someone suggested that I run a play production class beginning at 7 and running until 8 every morning. I wonder if that sort of thing could run. It would include kids who were interested in acting or theatre production and would allow kids to do "drama club" as a course with credit, but not have to sacrifice a third science course or something else that interests them. The district people have said that they will consider "anything"! I guess it wouldn't hurt to investigate the idea. I could run it after school, which I think would be more do-able than before school -- I think of how sleepy the kids look at 8:20 -- could they manage 7 a.m.?
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