You are 15 going on 35

Just got back from my in-class visit. Went to a Junior High School to talk to a class of 9th graders with two of the guys on staff at Arena – Chad, the Education Intern, and Psalm, a Teaching Artist. The kids had seen the show at last Wednesday’s matinee and really loved it.

It was interesting to hear their questions and comments. It was mostly girls with a few boys thrown in so no questions about Brooke – well, actually, I take that back – one kid asked me if I was “uncomfortable with her in her underwear at all?” Interesting. They all asked for autographs so I felt like a real celeb.

Chad and Psalm had an activity for them after the Q&A. They presented an “open scene,” which is a scene or dialogue with two people (A and B). The dialogue is vague and it was the students’ assignment to pick a relationship, a place and write in stage directions for each line (as in the dumb show in Noises Off).

The whole experience was eye-opening. First off, we all had to go through a metal detector when we entered the school. And when the teacher walked us all out after the session, he told us how much it meant to him and the kids for us to come. He said there was a wide range of issues with these kids (including that some of them had babies!!) and that they were in need of school spirit and this went a long way. We were all a bit floored to hear that some of these 14- or 15-year-olds were parents already. Wow! God, now I am going to get political again. No, not now. I am just glad that they were able to see the show and that I was able to meet them today. Arena has an incredible program with some of the D.C. schools where the tickets are only $3 each. For many of them this is their first experience seeing live theater. I think it is SO important to expose kids to art and theater early on. These are the audiences of the future and if we don’t get them started young, we will be in big trouble.

Okay, time to finish my laundry and eat. Then to work. The clock is ticking. Seven left.

-Jay