Journal time!

Make sure you are comfortable with your Shakespeare recitation.  We will be reciting on Wednesday of next week (that's December 2!)

If you haven't done so already, please ask your parents which format they would prefer for Meet the Teacher Night.  I can post a video or we can have a Zoom meeting.  A Block parents would meet from 7 p.m. till 7:15 and B Block parents would meet from 7:15 to 7:30.  The video would be accessible on December 3.  The format will be a presentation about our class and will not be focused on individual students.  Progress reports will be issued on December 17.  Winter break is coming up.  Our last day of class for 2020 is December 18.

If you are interested in helping with "Spoon River Anthology", the fall play presentation, please let me know at my email address.  I will be sure to schedule you in a scene or two.  We cannot have people just showing up at the theatre these days, because of the increase of COVID infections in the province and the stricter rules about people gathering.

Journal #2 - Grade 9

What is the funniest movie you have ever seen?  Give the title and the director.

I think one of my favourite funny movies is "Start the Revolution without Me", directed by Bud Yorkin.  Second place would go to either "Sleeper" (Woody Allen) or "Young Frankenstein" (Mel Brooks).

What is funny about it?

For my choice, I think there are lots of funny elements.  It is the classic story about twins separated at birth and it is so fun to see Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland playing both sets of twins -- one duo is from the lower class and one from the upper class.

What is the plot (two sentences at most)?

The story is set during the French Revolution and two halves of a twin set (the lower class half) are mistaken for aristocrats and become embroiled in the chaos of the Reign of Terror.

Describe one funny scene.

The court of Louis and Marie Antoinette is having a ball.  Marie doesn't care for Louis and wants to humiliate him so she tells him it's a costume party and Louis arrives dressed as a chicken.  He keeps saying plaintively, "I thought it was a costume ball".  There is lots of intrigue and people are passing notes asking other people to kill different leading figures -- "kill the queen", "kill Escargot" (Escargot is a courtier) and the reactions of people as they read the notes is hilarious.

Which actor impressed you the most?

They are all good, but Victor Spinetti is very superior and slinky as Escargot and Hugh Griffith is pathetic and memorable as the King.  Billie Whitelaw is also very nasty (in a good way) as Marie Antoinette.  And Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland play both twins with so much energy and are such a contrast (to themselves, if that makes sense.)

Some of you got to watch "The Gold Rush" (Charlie Chaplin) and "The General" (Buster Keaton) last year during the lockdown.  If you haven't seen them, they are classic comedies and silent films, so perhaps worth a look on that basis alone.

Journal #2 (Grade 8)

On a scale of 1 - 4, with one being "not good" and 4 being "excellent", how would you rate yourself as a group member?  Explain your rating.  What are you good at?  How could you improve?

Are you a good leader?  Explain.

Describe a time when you had to work in a group (it doesn't have to be drama).  What did you learn from the experience?

Journals are due on Tuesday.  If you missed last week's journal, check the previous post and do it and hand it in with this week's journal.