Well, dear readers, warning – rants ahead. Rants afoot. Rants aelbow. And now, without further delay – rants. Rant one. Last night they had what they call a gala opening for our show – sold out – for their well-heeled donors and others. I only knew four people in attendance and in addition to those, Sami’s manager was there. Now, we have been very fortunate to have had, thus far, very vocal and appreciative audiences, and even last Thursday’s, which was the least vocal we’ve had, was very appreciative and the applause attested to that. And then there was last night’s audience. I’m of the opinion that there really aren’t bad audiences and that even the most silent are somehow enjoying themselves. However, last night was just about the worst audience I’ve ever been in in all my years of theater attendance. What a crowd. They sat there like a bunch of dead herrings in the moonlight. Yes, there were some truly elderly people there, but I always find elderly audiences a treat – not THESE elderly people, though. I understand that some things will play beautifully for one audience and not another but this wasn’t about that. This was almost willful. There was not one laugh in the entire show, and I think those of you who know me probably know there are at least a few laughs that are foolproof and always land. Not last night, not with those people. Applause was tepid throughout, and the only time it rose in volume even a little was for the tap number. Interestingly, the only performer who the audience seemed to enjoy a little was Sami. Now, maybe they loved it, maybe they just couldn’t show it, even a little teeny-tiny bit, but if I never have to sit with such a dead crowd again that will be a good thing. Amazingly, the cast didn’t let it affect them too much, although a couple of the group numbers got sloppy, staging-wise, and The Candy Man, itself a pretty foolproof crowd-pleaser had multiple problems, from muffed lyrics to some blocking being totally screwy. Therefore, I’ve called an early time for the matinee to work those things, because it’s far too early in the game for any kind of sloppiness. But the cast performed incredibly well for such awful audience energy. Hopefully we’ll have a nice crowd for the matinee. They had a party after, but I did not want to see anyone from the audience, including the person in the front row who took his shoes off and thought it was fine to put his feet up on the stage. Blechhh. End of rant one.
And now – rant two. And this is a long-time bugaboo (oobagub, spelled backwards) of mine, a little something called homework. When I was a wee bairn, we had homework, beginning in about the fifth grade. I hated it. I didn’t think it was right to ask a child to be in school from eight till three and then have to do homework on top of it. Had I known the word reprehensible back then, I would have used it to describe homework. And of course we had it aplenty in junior high and high school. But when I say aplenty I need to be very clear – it was never more than an hour or two of homework and the latter was very rare. I also need to be clear that I never ever did it. I just refused and that’s why my grades were usually C’s, which didn’t bother me one bit. I simply didn’t think that these people had any right to control any part of my day other than actual school hours. Anything outside of that was my time to do with as I pleased.
But today, it’s ever so much worse and I had to deal with it all during our rehearsal period with Sami, because her teachers gave her so much homework that it would have given her no time at all to do anything else, let alone rehearse a show, which is why her mom pulled her out of school for a bit. But I would hear the tales of the mounds of homework, not only hers but from other parents with kids her ages. Hours and hours of homework. And what good is it doing? None. We’re still raising a generation of the most illiterate kids ever. And part of it is because homework makes them HATE school. If school was confined to school hours then they might actually enjoy what they’re learning. But shoving hours and hours of busywork down their gullets and not leaving them any time to go out and play or discover or have fun is just wrong. I’ve been saying that since I was nine and I’m still saying it. Note to board of education: The reason kids are bored of education is because of you and your stupid rules and study plans. I’d like to see a one of you do what is being asked of the students. Wouldn’t happen. Instead of instilling in a child the joy of learning, they instill in the child a hatred of education because the child is controlled and forced to spend almost every waking minute doing homework. If teachers and principals and board members cannot do what need be done in the confines of school hours then they should get out, be fired, or perhaps every parent should home school. Shame on the board of education and the education system, and shame on any teacher who inundates a student with homework. I hope that it will change someday, but it’s doubtful. If I were a student today I would do the same as when I WAS a student – I would refuse to do one iota of homework. I’d fail every class and I would still be smarter than 90% of the other students, because the knowledge I’d want I’d have, the learning I’d want I’d learn – and I never needed school for any of it because I went out and DID things and learned things and read things. Did I care about algebra and geometry? No. Did I even take those classes? No. Has it hurt my life? Absolutely not. Have I EVER needed algebra or geometry skills? Of course not. And math is the worst of it in terms of homework. The WORST. Frankly, I know there are kids who love math and my feeling is that anything beyond high school math, perfunctory math, should be an elective. In any case, if you’ve missed the point, let me reiterate: I HATE HOMEWORK – NOW AND FOREVER, like CATS. I say abolish it now. And you will have much happier and healthier children. End of rant two.
I think two rants is enough for these here notes, don’t you? Yesterday was a day, at least I think it was. I was up early, did a three-mile jog (first time in three weeks), had some bacon, eggs and toast, and no potatoes, picked up one package and no mail, then came home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched another Sherlock Holmes film with Jeremy Brett. I could watch these all the time, if only for Mr. Brett, who is just so interesting as Holmes, with so many weird and kind of brilliant acting choices, unlike anyone else who’s ever played the part. He’s always surprising. I then watched the first hour of Death on the Nile on an import Blu and Ray from Spain. It’s obviously an older transfer done for DVD, wanting in any kind of detail, color that’s not quite right, and contrast that’s a bit milky. I like the film very much and I’m enjoying it but this is the second transfer in this set that’s a fail and I can’t imagine the other two will be any better.
Then it was time to mosey on over to the theater. After the show, as I said I really just wanted to get out of there and so I did. Sami’s mom decided on Jerry’s of all places for her birthday meal, and we took along Christanna Rowader with us. I had my usual cup of chili and a ham and Swiss on rye, and I stole a couple of onion rings and about three fries from Christanna. We all had a very good time and then I came home.
Today, I shall try to do another jog, then Adryan Russ and I will go to the theater for the matinee. Before the performance, we’ll run the two numbers that were sloppy. After the performance I’ll come right home, eat, and then relax.
Tomorrow, I can’t remember all that’s happening, but at three we have a big meeting for the benefit, and after that I’m attending a little Christmas party for Twilight Time, in West LA. The rest of the week is all Kritzerland stuff (the show) and benefit stuff and I’m hoping to get everything done that needs to be done so that the following week and a half is truly my time to do nothing other than what I want to do.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Twist, for today is the birthday of our beloved dear reader ChasSmith, who’s been such a warm and wonderful addition to our family of dear readers. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our beloved dear reader ChasSmith, who’s been such a warm and wonderful addition to our family of dear readers. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR BELOVED DEAR READER CHASSMITH, WHO’S BEEN SUCH A WARM AND WONDERFUL ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY OF DEAR READERS!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, perhaps jog, attend the matinee, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall not do any homework and I’ll have a receptive audience.