I am not a thespian by any stretch of the word... I shutter at the thought of getting on stage to act in any capacity. But, maybe I wouldn't feel this way had I been exposed to it at an early age. My high school theater teacher (required one-semester class) allowed those of us with stage fright to avoid the limelight by hiding off stage under the guise of "set design". So, I was never challenged or encouraged to face my fears. And, to this day, every time I watch adults participating in some silly skit, I marvel at their ability to do it. Particularly those with absolutely no acting ability at all.
It is for this reason that my upper grades perform skits in front of the entire student body. I want them to know the success of working with a team to collaborate, refine and execute their creative ideas. I want them to learn how to loosen up enough to pretend on a stage ... and enjoy it.
I was so proud as I watched every single student participate in Can You Do It? - sharing ideas, volunteering for roles, even advocating in some cases for more time on stage. They worked well together as they rehearsed repeatedly, giving each other constructive feedback and compromising to pull their skit off to the best of their ability. Last year's skit was a commercial of sorts for MOES Good Eatin'. The kids did a great job then, but there were a lot of nerves. The kids went into Can You Do It? with much more confidence and comfort on stage. It is such a blessing to me to get to see their growth and development over time.
This most recent skit didn't clearly define the moral of the story - that it's never cool to be unkind, and that seeking revenge is not okay - but the class was eager to address the student body the following school day to clarify. As I listened to their wise and humbling words, I was reminded again of just how awesome these kids are. Even in missing the mark a little with their skit, the kids learned a valuable lesson and showed tremendous character. I could not be more proud of them.
