Poem – Ode To The Drama Teacher
And as you stand there: Aghast
Because we’re three days from Opening Night and
Ado Annie still doesn’t know her lines and
The Dream Ballet is a Nightmare and
The Light Board Op just got Detention…
Let us now praise You.
You, the Permanently Fatigued.
You, the Loyal-to-the-Point-of-Self-Neglect.
You, the Keeper of a Thousand-and-Eleventeen Secret Dreams.
You are the one who makes it all Look So Easy.
Who would have expected that the most important Skill you learned getting your BA
Was Juggling?
Juggling Paperwork and Personalities and oh, right – weren’t you supposed to have a
Private Life around here somewhere?
But even though you are Sick to Death of
Spoon River Anthology
You still puddle up every time you hear
There’s A Place For Us
No matter how Off-Key.
And while you still remember when you Brought the House Down in
Midsummer
You now love This House.
You have created a House where any child – no matter how Flamboyant, no matter how Shy –
Can embrace their Inner Ethel Merman (and thanks to those English 101 classes you now must teach, you are keenly aware that using “their” in the previous sentence is increasingly considered correct and honestly, it’s really the only sensible answer as writing “his or her” is as damaging to poetry as the participle that dangles.)
And you have created a House where any child – no matter how Flamboyant, no matter how Shy – can dive straight to the Deepest, Darkest, Quietest corner of human suffering and bring a room of teenagers – and yes, you, too – to silent tears.
You have made a Home for the Misunderstood
A Family for the Misfit and a
Safe Spot to land no matter how bad The Mid-Terms are.
Because despite all the Budget Cuts and
The Paperwork and
The Meetings about the Meeting to Schedule the Meetings and
The Truancies and
The Parents
Dear God The Parents and
Did we mention The Paperwork?
Nothing on this Green Earth compares to watching a group of kids
Learn the true meaning of Ensemble.
And nothing compares to the pure joy of watching The Ones whom you knew would Eventually Get It
Finally. Really. Get It.
And nothing nothing nothing compares to The Confidences shared in low tones as they seek you out in Your Office,
The Choir Room
The Front Seat of the Van on the way home from Fullerton.
You aren’t teaching Drama.
You are teaching Life
Which we all know is a Comedy – a Chekhovian Comedy – but a Comedy nonetheless.
And you aren’t teaching Choreography
You are teaching them to Dance.
And you aren’t teaching them how to be a Character.
You are teaching them how to be Themselves.
So here’s to you –
Making room for Art in a world that seems to have no room for Art.
(Because, by the way, that room has been repurposed as the new Standardized Test Prep Center – you don’t mind rehearsing outside, do you?)
And here’s to you –
Scrounging around for new shows that somehow match the sets you already have
Because some Genius on the School Board has
Recently Announced that not only can you not perform Huckleberry Finn
Or Anouilh’s Antigone (probably because he couldn’t pronounce it) and
Given the flap over the
Scene from M. Butterfly last year, I guess
March of the Falsettos and The Vagina Monologues are
Out of the Question for the Spring
So Oh Dear God it looks like it’s going to be
Arsenic And Old Lace one more blessed time.
But that’s OK
I love Arsenic And Old Lace.
So here’s to you –
Making room for another Coffee Mug with those damn masks on them
Making room in the Chorus for Just One More
And
Making room for each and every child
To Be
A
Star.
© 2011 Samantha Bennett
Created especially for the CETA (California Educational Theatre Association) Conference, Asilomar, CA, October 21-23, 2011
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This is so perfect! I have tears in my eyes.
Love and blessings to you, Leta — and please give my love to the great state of Wisconsin : )
Wonderful. Amen!
Thanks, Claudia!
That. Is. It.
Thank you from the bottom of a drama teacher who is just a bit burned out’s heart.
Oh thank you so much for writing, Robin!
For me, burn-out often comes up when I feel like I’m working hard but not seeing any results…
So here’s a little technique I use sometimes: mid-way through a class, I will pause and ask everyone to think of one thing that they learned/experienced today that they think might be useful to them sometime. If the group is small, I’ll have each person share; if it’s large, I’ll have them share in pairs or small groups.
It’s always energizing for me to hear how the work is impacting people, and of course sharing their insights is a great way to cement the learning.
Makes me feel like all my hard work ain’t been in vain for nuthin’ : )
As an old actor with lots of kids who are professional performers,thank you so
much.
Ah, there’s no such thing as an old actor, Marty… just actors who no longer get asked to do nude scenes : )
Or…. just actors who require a little more vaseline on the lens….
Or….just actors who get to start stories with lines like, “Well, as Sandy used to say….”
Or….just actors who’d rather play Polonius anyway….
Gee – this is fun! Anybody else have a punchline handy?
From a theatre teacher of 42 years – this ode expresses what I have felt for years and have shared with others of my ilk: we enable both the creative and the no-so to find the beauty in themselves and the world around them; they leave our sanctuary knowing that they have learned something about making a life – not necessarily making a living. I am honored to be a part of the magic.
Oh Bev – aren’t you wonderful! Thank you so much for your kind words and your lifetime of generous work. xoox Sam.
Love this. Not only for what I do now(in spite of the fact that my jackass guidance counselor told me i could never teach theater as a job!), but for the safety of that chorus room/drama office when I was a kid!
Michelle, you just made me snorgle my tea…that’s HILARIOUS. And yes – me, too – thank God for the sanctuary of the auditorium, the choir room, the rehearsal studio, the costume shop – oh those sacred places… xoxo S.
You struck a nerve, Thank you for this.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write, Kenneth – you just made my day. — SSB
One of the most moving and truest “testimonts” (spelling?????) I have heard lately!!! My son’s high school drama teacher’s face was before me on each and every line. I must get her to read this! It is her life – as well as every drama teacher in the world – if they are worth their salt! LOVE THIS TRULY!!!!!
Thank you so much, Lydie — I see the faces of my teachers in it too : ) — xo S.
I’ve been a leader of DramaKids for 17 years. Thank you for this wonderful work! I’ve sent it to other theater teachers and former students who are now theater teachers. It’s always nice to know that there are others who feel as I do out there. I will keep this handy for a quick positive reminder when needed from time to time.
17 years! I love the picture of that in my mind – all those kids learning to express themselves and discovering the joys of performing (listening, sharing, being present in the moment) and growing up and taking those lessons out into the world with them. What a beautiful ripple effect! Thanks, Bill! – SSB.
wow…this brought me to tears…thank you for a wonderful piece:)
My pleasure, Abbey — and thank you for sharing your heart. — S.
Very touching – and beautiful.
Thanks!
Oh thank you! I love how this poem just seems to light people up inside… – SSB.
I am a first year teacher, and I am currently riding the show high that comes the day after a successful opening night. As I am sitting here in my room with one of my actresses taking a nap in one corner and another trying to get people to sign a frame for a senior, this poem is just the icing on the cake of where I am right now. Thank you so much for this!
Congratulations to you, your cast & your team, Anna! Isn’t it amazing how each show creates it’s own little family? What a gift! xoxo Sam.
Thank you!!!!! I laughed. I cried. I LOVE this!!!! I have been performing all over the country professionally for several years and teaching private lessons on the side……I realized a while back that I was more fulfilled while surrounded by 8 young actors than I ever was amongst an audience of 1000. Last week I began my first week as a Full-Time Drama Teacher ages K-12! It’s already been overwhelming and tedious and harrowing—-BUT I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Ever. Thank YOU for inspiring!!!!!!!
Amy – what a BEAUTIFUL story! Thank you so much for sharing, and for sharing your gifts with those lucky kids! Let me know how it goes, OK? xoxo Sam.
Today was a day of some kids doing their best and a few newbies challenging my exercises with, “What is that for? Why do we have to do THAT?! I just can’t do that!”
It is good to be reminded of the universality of teaching theatre and the truth that more of these hard nuts will be won over if I just wait and trust the process.
Thank you for this wonderful reminder.
Hooray for your patience and insight, Mark! Just recently I was in a pricey seminar with a VERY well-renowned sales trainer and do you know what his big, super-expensive lessons were? “Learn to be WITH the other person; be comfortable holding eye contact. Keep breathing. Stay grounded. Develop presence. Speak from your diaphragm. Learn to be confident even when you’ve got the jitters…” Seriously – he all but said, “And the show must go on.” I just smiled. People who’ve studied theatre with good teachers have such a huge advantage in the world… – S.
Holy hell, girl. This is AMAZING! As a child in those plays, with a sister next to me in line, and parents beyond proud of our fake tears and homemade animals costumes, I thank you. What a beautiful tribute. I don’t know your history, but I’m quite certain you were up there entertaining. Some things, thankfully, stay the same! Bravo! xo
Thank you, Linda! And yep – I’m an old-fashioned drama geek from waaaaay back. I even went the theatre camp. And now, sometimes, as a special treat, I go see high school theatre productions and I get all weepy seeing those kids up there in their Our Town costumes or their Hello, Dolly get ups looking exactly the way we did way back when. Theatre is good medicine, and drama teachers are healers, indeed.
Thank you so much for writing. (And hey – everyone – if you need a book coach, check out Linda’s site at bookmama.com – she’s all kinds of brilliant : )
Hi, thank you for such a beautiful tribute. It completely says it all. We are half way through our production at the minute and the pride I feel when i look up to the stage and see each student and the journey they have taken through rehearsals, it’s such a super feeling. You’re right too about the family they create, it’s one of the best bits! (well, that and seeing them blossom!!) Keep going to those high school shows, students need people to remember how important an audience can be. x
Thank you, Ruth — I LOVE seeing high school students perform — they are so generous and fun-loving and they remind me why I fell in love with acting to begin with. HOORAY for you and your students. – Sam.
Sara Dempsey this is for you!!!!!
This reminded me why the past few sleepless nights spent finishing set and costumes were worth it. Thank you.
I’m 72 and have been retired from being a drama teacher for many years, but deeply touched my heart.
Wow… Just beautiful. I’m just wrapping up my student teaching and am about to venture out into the world of teaching on my own but I have already felt so many of those things. It’s truly a labor of love that I’m pursuing.
Thank you Ashley! And HOORAY for your new career. You will touch so many young artists…please let me know how it goes for you. – SSB.
I’m so flattered! Thank you so much — and happy new year!