This week, Ashley’s asking her theatre students to help write her blog.
Greetings, friends! Here’s hoping your week has been full of pie and sans 23 Ides of March stab wounds.
I’ll be honest. I’ve piled my plate a bit too high this year. I mean the Bachelor finale and these Fuller House episodes aren’t going to watch themselves. And between being a mom and working a full time job, I’ve also been busy in rehearsal for Custom Made Theatre’s upcoming production of Middletown (my first full length show since 2013!), trying to be a motivated Maid of Honor for my sister’s upcoming May nuptials, and teaching preschool drama classes on the side.
Because this week was a particularly busy one, I thought I could commission my four year old students to write my blog for me. Their pay? Stickers! Obviously. I’m a pretty generous boss.
So, before we had our warm up and after I had them “shake out their sillies”, I asked my Monday class of five kiddos for their thoughts.
TEACHER ASHLEY: Why do you guys think doing theater is important?
KID ONE: Where are the stickers?
TEACHER ASHLEY: Safe and sound in my bag; keeping my book and my “Jar of Sillies” company. So what do you think? Why do you think drama class is a good idea?
KID ONE: I got new skies! Can I tell you something? I went to Tahoe!
KID TWO: I’m thirsty. I need water!
KID THREE: Me too! (coughs in sudden thirsty despair)
TEACHER ASHLEY: Okay, okay. Let’s take a quick trip to the water fountain. Let’s make a line and pretend we are giraffes! (Kids quickly line up as giraffes and tiptoe to get a drink. Once there, they consume the water in a craze)
KID THREE: I hate seawater!
KID FOUR: Me too! It’s so salty!
KID THREE: I drank seawater! Yuck!
KID ONE: Can I tell you something? I like my skies.
TEACHER ASHLEY: Let’s come back and make a big circle! Let’s see if we can make it look like a giant pizza!
KID FOUR: Seawater is so gross!
TEACHER ASHLEY: C’mon, guys! Let’s see if we can come back to our circle in ten seconds. Remember, if we get through a great class, we can celebrate with some stickers! (Kids immediately run and form a circle on the colorful carpet) Great job! Okay, does anyone else want to share something?
KID FIVE: When do I get to be a mermaid?
TEACHER ASHLEY: You can be a mermaid when we play our storytelling game! Do you think that’s why doing theater is important?
KID FIVE: I’m going to be Ariel. (whispers) And have magic powers.
TEACHER ASHLEY: I can’t wait to see that. Does anyone else want to pretend to a special character today?
KID ONE: Tiger. But this time he really dies.
KID FOUR: Yeah! I’m a tiger too!
TEACHER ASHLEY: Maybe the tigers can fall asleep and wake up with some mermaid magic.
KID ONE: Fine. But then they’re lions.
KID TWO: I want to be a fairy princess baby! And we all go to the castle to watch a movie.
TEACHER: Great! So… is that why theater class is important? Because we get the chance to use our imaginations, work together, and tell stories?
KID THREE: Can I see the stickers?
Pictures by Kid Five and Kid One featuring a magical princess and mountains, respectively.
Ah. Okay. Well, there you go! The kids and I spent the rest of class playing games and making up new stories. I got hugs and laughs and even some drawings to take home! But most importantly, I got a needed distraction and energy boost to help survive these next few weeks with a very full plate. I also learned that maybe money can’t buy you happiness but it can buy you stickers. And stickers pave the way to happy trails.
San Francisco Theater Pub 