More Luxurious Self-Indulgence
Miss April’s questions
1. what was your favorite thing about teaching English?
I loved the rare but delicious “Aha!” moments, when an entire class would get involved in a discussion or argument about a key point in a book and something just *happened*. It just sort of hit everybody all at once and they got something. One that comes to mind was when I was teaching Mildred Taylor’s “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” to 7th graders in a small town in Illinois. In this book about a black family growing up in the south during segregation, there was a scene in which the driver of the white kid’s bus splashed the black kids on purpose on their way to school (they didn’t get a bus and had to walk many miles). The white kids leaned out the window and laughed, delighted by the display. My students were mortified by this scene and they couldn’t believe that anyone would behave this way today. Many kids said that they wouldn’t have laughed if they had been on that bus. A young woman raised her hand and said, “We say that now, but it was a different time. It was accepted. We know that it’s wrong now, but maybe if we’d been alive then we wouldn’t have known and we would have done the same thing.” “Good point,” I answered. “Are there any groups of people today who are treated this way...who people often mistreat or make fun of and lots of people act like it’s okay?” They sat for a moment until another young woman raised her hand and said, “What about gay people?” Many people in the room started nodding. “So,” I continued, “If you make fun of gay people, then, are you any better than the kids on that bus?” A silence fell over the room for a moment, and I looked in these kids’ eyes and I knew that, at least for that moment, they GOT it. It was one of the most incredible things that I have ever experienced.
2. What was your favorite thing about being 16?
Theatre-related stuff. I got to be Alice in Alice in Wonderland and I went to sectionals in Speech Team. That stuff meant more to me than anything else at that time.
3. What can I do to make my living with you this summer pleasant and smoooothe?
Don’t be a dumbass (you KNOW what I mean, girlio) :) and be reliable (you know, don’t tell me you’re going to be home at midnight and come home at 4…I’ll freak right out). Other than that, just be your delightful, sunshine self. I can’t wait to have you here!!!
4. What was your favorite play to direct?
Oh, that’s a tough one. There are so many shows that I’ve loved directing for so many different reasons. Two shows pop into my head (though I know that is sort of cheating). 1st is a one-act that Drew & I wrote in college for GLBT awareness week called “…Like That”. There were only six people in the cast and they were all so very fun and wonderful to be around (it included M-A if that tells you anything). We performed the show in the dorms one year, and the following year we toured it to the MBLG College Conference in Wisconsin. Drew and I co-directed the show, and the eight of us just sort of became a family. Plus, it was the first time that I’d ever seen anything that I’d written performed. It was pretty amazing. The 2nd show that comes to mind is this past summer’s production of “Once on This Island.” Seriously, the cast chemistry in this production was so amazing and I love you guys so much. Plus, you took this show that is so beautiful and complex emotionally, visually and vocally, and you made it so powerful. It was just a joy to watch and be a part of. It will be a hard act to follow.
5. What is your favorite thing about Champaign?
I love being in a place where I know people and I know how to get things done. It is very empowering.