Monday, March 31, 2014

Kicking Ass at Being Vulnerable


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                    Kate teaching theater, Bronx Prep, 2003
“What does being brave mean to you?” I ask my high school theater students.
 
It’s fall of 2003, my third week of teaching. We’ve been working on monologues.
 
Things have not been going well. The first two weeks I couldn’t even get a volunteer to stand up and read a single line of text out loud. Improvisation exercises have helped loosen the kids up a little, but now that they’ve got scripts in their hands again, their acting is mechanical and wooden. Kids who swagger through the hallways dripping charisma stiffen up and go dead once they get up in front of each other in class.
 
I’ve been offering steady encouragement, but the kids aren’t fooled. “Miss, don’t sugarcoat it,” a girl named Nina says. “We pretty much suck at this.”
 
So today, I’m taking a different approach. I’m asking about bravery.
 
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Friday, March 21, 2014

DREAMGIRLS at Bronx Prep!

Rehearsals for Bronx Prep's production of Dreamgirls are in full swing, and the cast looks and sounds FABULOUS. I'm so grateful to have the chance to stay involved with the program this year as a mentor to our new director Julie Feltman. She is stepping up beautifully and the kids are shining under her leadership. So proud of everyone. Show runs May 21st-23rd! I can't wait.