Thanks for the memories!

Journals for this week:

Grade 8:  No journal, as I won't see you in Drama class after tomorrow!  I have really enjoyed meeting all of you and wish you all the best in Art.  I hope to see you back in the theatre next year -- Drama 9 is a full semester, so there will be twice the fun!  Thank you for working so hard on the Aesop plays -- you did splendidly and I really enjoyed watching them -- I am really impressed with how well you all spoke and how many of you incorporated tableaus, mime and choral speaking in your final project.

Drama 9/10; Theatre Production 11/12

What still needs to be done in your comedia del'arte play?  How do you plan to advance the work of your group?  Who is leading the group (if anyone is)?  Is anyone hindering the progress of the group?  Explain why.

Acting 11/12; Directing and Scriptwriting 12:

What have you accomplished in your reality show?  What needs to be accomplished?  Who is leading the group (explain)?  Is anyone hindering the progress of the group (explain)?

In addition, being involved in Drama means that sometimes you have to move beyond the limits of your comfort zone.  (Think of kids in other classes and how they might have to speak French in front of the class and they feel nervous, or answer a math question and they feel uncomfortable -- that they might be wrong.  Some people are terrified of public speaking.  Most of us in this class have no fears in this regard.)  Yesterday (Thursday), one of your classmates who was leading the warmup asked that each of us dance for eight counts.  Several people felt very uncomfortable doing this (I felt a BIT uncomfortable [remember my difficult tap dancing experience] but I think it's good for people to take creative risks and I wanted to try it).  The people who did do it said they felt good about what they had contributed and that everyone did surprisingly well.  I would like each of you to write your thoughts on what happened.  These are mine: When I don't do something creative because I'm afraid, I always have a sense of regret.  I ask myself what I was afraid of.  I see other people doing the thing that scares me and I think, "gee, they seem like they're having fun.  I could do what they're doing.  Why am I making a big deal about it?  I can do it."   But then sometimes, it's too late to jump in. The people in this class won't mock you.  We're all in the same boat!  If you can't dance, then maybe it's time to learn! I feel uncomfortable in lots of circumstances -- next week, I have to speak in front of the PAC and I feel nervous -- what if I say something silly or forget what I'm talking about or sound foolish?  But I am going to do it -- it will be good for me and good for the drama program at the school and the parents that attend will be interested and happy to hear from one of your teachers.  Whenever I have to do anything sportsy, I feel really uncomfortable and embarrassed.  I'm so BAD at every sport.  But is there shame in that?  No one is good at everything.  One of my big regrets in life is not learning to skate when my mom so wanted to teach me.  She was a terrific skater and she wanted to share her enthusiasm with me and I was embarrassed because I wasn't good at it (of course, I wasn't -- I didn't know how) and I refused.  And now, I see people skating and I long to be able to join them on the ice and I can't.  Just write whatever you think or feel about the issue.

The two parts of this journal will be worth ten marks instead of the usual five.