Happy Winter Solstice!

This is the shortest day of the year.  It is already dark at 4:12 p.m. and we have heard from the provincial health officer that we are returning to strict rules to prevent the spread of the omicron virus.  I was going to go to the East Van Panto tomorrow night, but the theatre is down to 50% capacity, so I can't see the show in person.  That's okay.  I am glad that people are trying to keep us safe.  The little squirrel on my balcony is happy to eat the seeds I put out before he snuggles down in his drey for a long winter's nap.  I would add his picture, but my new laptop doesn't have a port for the memory card from my camera, so you will have to imagine.

(This is a stock photo of a Douglas squirrel.  Isn't he cute?)

Here is a nice poem for a short winter's day and a long winter's night.  Light a candle this evening and read some poetry.  What a pleasant way to honour the power of nature!

TO KNOW THE DARK BY WENDELL BERRY 

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.

To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,

and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,

 

and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.

 

Happy Holidays!

 Well, the year in school is over and I hope it was a good one for all of you.  We had some difficult times here in BC with the forest fires and the heat dome and then the floods IN ADDITION to the ongoing COVID crisis.  We have also had to deal with far too many people dying of toxic drugs.  I hope that, in 2022, we can think of ways to deal with these terrible situations and make the world a safer and a kinder place than it is now.

We were supposed to get some snow yesterday, but it didn't seem to materialize.  All we had here was dreary rain the whole day.  I watched an old Christmas movie -- "Christmas in Connecticut" with the great Barbara Stanwyck.  It is a silly story about a woman who writes a homemaking column, but she isn't a homemaker at all!  Her publisher is an overwhelming guy (Sidney Greenstreet) who steamrolls her into inviting a wounded soldier (it takes place during World War II) to her "farm" for the holidays.  But she doesn't have a farm!  Luckily her very boring boyfriend DOES have a farm and you can imagine what happens.  It is a silly story, but Barbara Stanwyck makes it all work and I thoroughly enjoy it.  The rest of the cast is terrific and the farm is lovely and the story is lots of fun.  Dennis Morgan plays the soldier and he is very handsome and sings a pretty song ("The Wish That I Wish Tonight").

Barbara Stanwyck as Elizabeth Lane in Christmas in Connecticut

I had a very happy day on Friday playing games with all of my classes, seeing some students from the years gone by and enjoying Breakfast with Santa.  I hope the rest of the holidays are happy and safe and cosy for all of you and that when we return in January (2022!), we will all be refreshed and ready for a strong finish to the first semester and a great start to semester number two.

Stay safe, everyone, and count your blessings!

Journals for December 10, 2021

 Drama 8:

Which fairy tale did you choose?  Why did it seem like a good choice?  What role will you play?  How will you create that character?

Drama 9/10:

Don't forget to write about "Lies, Lies and More Lies"!  Ms. Kosar really wants to know what you thought.  If you were in the play, you still need to do the journal!

Now that we've seen the heritage plays, which one was your favourite?  Explain why you liked it.  Whose performance was the best?  Explain why.  Which story did you like the most?  Explain why.

Senior Drama:

You will be performing your playbuilding project next week.  How are you feeling about it?  What do you still need to do?  Who is leading the group?  Who is hindering progress?  (Be honest.)

English 11:

We will see your Macbeth performances on Tuesday, December 14!.  You need to know your lines and speak with expression and power!  You should have your news story written by then and your costume sketch should be ready by Friday.

Read all of Act 1.

This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill; cannot be good

 If you had all the money and imagination in the world, how would you costume the three witches?  Draw them in their costumes!

Fair is foul and foul is fair

We're starting Macbeth!  I have sorted you into groups and will give you a folder today.  You will want to decorate your folder with images and metaphors from the play as we go along.

Your group should be on the alert for paradoxes throughout the play.  The title of this post is an example.  Be familiar with what a paradox is!

To begin, we will stage the opening scene.  Try to be creative.  Just because there are three speaking witches, doesn't mean you are limited to only three witches.  Think of dramatic ways to present the scene.  Shakespeare chose to start with this scene.  Why do you think he did that?

Your group should keep a diary of your work.  Who does and says what?  Who is contributing?

Your group will have to produce a news story based on the events described in scene 2.  Have a catchy headline, make sure you include the 5 w's (who, what, where, when why) in the first paragraph.  You should also include quotes from the witnesses and a bit of an analysis of what happened.  If you are not familiar with how news stories are written check out the New York Times, the Guardian or an actual newspaper to see. 

Debating wrap up

 Now that we are finished debating, let's assess how we did!

Write about your own part.  How did you do?  Mention your own speech and also how you fielded questions and defended your point of view.

The topics:

(Write one or two sentences about each topic {including your own}).

a) bubble tea/boba

b) cock fighting

c) microtransactions

d) money

e) plastic straws

f) connections class

g) drugs

Also, answer the questions about the play -- "Lies, Lies and More Lies".

“Lies, Lies and More Lies”

 

1.      Is Adelaide Lai evil?  Define “evil” and then say whether you think she fits the definition or not.  Use evidence from the play.

 

2.      What makes Adelaide act the way she does?  Can you empathize with her?

 

3.     What causes all the trouble in the play?  Explain.

 

4.     The play starts with the interrogation and then jumps around, so that the timeline is not straightforward.  Why did Ms. Kosar write it this way?

 

5.     How did you react when the audience called out?  They call Adelaide a “monster”.  Is she a monster?  (Is a monster “evil”?)

 

6.     Do you think the material in the play is appropriate for high school?  (Ms. Kosar has asked herself this many times.)  Explain why or why not.

 

7.      The play is “based on real events”.  What does that mean?  Is it “true”?

 

8.      Have you ever seen a play before?  Why do people still go to the theatre? 

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I gI gave out copies of Macbeth, so if you were absent you need to get a copy.

Journal for December 3, 2021 -- All Drama classes

 This week's journal is about the Drama Club's play, "Lies, Lies and More Lies".  If you cannot see the play, you should look at the program for "Lies, Lies and More Lies" and speak to someone who was involved in the production and write your answer based on what you can glean from those two sources.

1.  What is the play about?

2.  Did you like it?  (Explain.)  What was your favourite part?  What was your least favourite part?

3.  What do you think about the content?  Is it appropriate for high school audiences?  (Explain.)

4.  What did you think of the music?  What about the rest of the production -- acting, set, lighting, organization?

5.  Why would Ms. Kosar write a play like this?  Does it surprise you that she would choose this subject matter to write about?