Goodbye is Bittersweet

Yesterday was the last day of the school year and I said "goodbye" to students (and a colleague) with whom I had the honor of working these past two years. We've been through some unusual and emotional moments together, most of them Covid-induced, but also that's the nature of doing work in the theatre:

the people you work with become like family.

Saying goodbye has always felt bittersweet; although I think that's only become a recent revelation for me. More often it feels sad and uncertain. I could see that in the seniors as they teared up, or had the first moments of uncertainty as they talked about what lies ahead. Graduation is a celebration of what has been accomplished, but Commencement is the beginning of something totally new. The 8th graders embraced that change as they join a family they've been destined for. The seniors are leaving the nest for things unknown.

One thing that I've found comforting in my "advanced age" is the ability to offer my students the assurance that while leaving high school (and everything they've ever known) can feel sad, there's a whole new world of possibilities waiting for them.

I can't wait to see what they do next.

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What Makes a "Good" School Theatre Program?

The end of the school year is awards season; my relationship with awards is complicated. Before entering the classroom full-time, I ran a youth playwriting competition and adjudicated forensics and dramatics festivals for middle school and high school for many years. My thoughts on the many sides of these experiences is fodder for another post; this is about how a recent awards show has led me to marvel at the culture and consistency within a handful of local high school theatre programs.

Two common things I've noticed are significant student involvement and the presence of a Thespian troupe. These likely go hand-in-hand as Thespians includes a variety of service initiatives and performance festivals to feed hungry theatre students' appetites. Then I wonder about each of those students... what draws them to theatre, or drama club? What is the motivator for putting in so much time and energy to these projects? And then I take a view from the other side: does having so many students involved in a drama club mean it is a "good" one? I'm not normally one for subjective terms like "good" or "bad", but the subjectivity is what is interesting. What makes a theatre program and/or drama club a "good" one for students?

Just the other day, one of the Honors Acting students asked what first got me into theatre. I told the old story about being an 11 year old working with his uncles in summer stock, but then took a moment to really think about why I kept going back. What made me invest so much into the theatre that over 30 years later I'm still so drawn to it and so passionate about it?

It was the one place where I felt like I belonged.

It was the one place where I felt like I was really good at something.

That would be my answer to the student's question, but also may answer my question: what makes a "good" high school theatre program. But is it really that simple? I'd love to hear what you think.

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