I'm not a Teacher
I spent Saturday as an adjudicator for a semi-local GHSA regional competition. Aside from seeing a few good shows, enjoying some very good BBQ, and receiving a public school compensation check - I realized something. I'm not a teacher. My fellow adjudicators (who I only wish I could have had at my GISA comeptition) spent the majority of their down time talking about curriculum, the PRAXIS, renewing certification, and so on and so forth.
As I get more exposure here in ATL, I'm slowly realizing that there is a major difference between actors, directors, and theatre educators. I think I fall primarily in the first category, some more in the second, and precious little in the third. I don't care about curriculum development...which would explain why God put Jonah here in charge of it this year for NASOTA...I don't care about what a sheet of paper says I can or can not do. I care about what I know I can do.
I also greive over what Christians are doing to theatre. In talking with one of my fellow adjudicators. she was lamenting the demise of Shorter College's Theatre Program. Apparently when it went Baptist again a few years ago, the theatre director was forced to censor certain things and not allowed to mount certain productions so she quit and went to KSU. This is a very personal struggle for me as well. I wrestle with the idea of bringing good, solid, and meaningful theatre for public consumption while not "offending" my brothers and sisters....but what's so eternally frustrating is that the so called "offended" most assuredly have seen, said, and done worse.
While I know that at some point in my life, I'll jockey a pulpit, right now God is allowing me to play in something I love. Theatre. Perhaps while I'm here, I can make a difference...open some peoples eyes somewhere to the beauty of live performance - and that Christians should do it better. I hope he allows me to continue, but I have a feeling he won't. We have that kind of relationship, Yahweh and I.
After all...you can't play all day...eventually the sun goes down and you have to come in for dinner.
As I get more exposure here in ATL, I'm slowly realizing that there is a major difference between actors, directors, and theatre educators. I think I fall primarily in the first category, some more in the second, and precious little in the third. I don't care about curriculum development...which would explain why God put Jonah here in charge of it this year for NASOTA...I don't care about what a sheet of paper says I can or can not do. I care about what I know I can do.
I also greive over what Christians are doing to theatre. In talking with one of my fellow adjudicators. she was lamenting the demise of Shorter College's Theatre Program. Apparently when it went Baptist again a few years ago, the theatre director was forced to censor certain things and not allowed to mount certain productions so she quit and went to KSU. This is a very personal struggle for me as well. I wrestle with the idea of bringing good, solid, and meaningful theatre for public consumption while not "offending" my brothers and sisters....but what's so eternally frustrating is that the so called "offended" most assuredly have seen, said, and done worse.
While I know that at some point in my life, I'll jockey a pulpit, right now God is allowing me to play in something I love. Theatre. Perhaps while I'm here, I can make a difference...open some peoples eyes somewhere to the beauty of live performance - and that Christians should do it better. I hope he allows me to continue, but I have a feeling he won't. We have that kind of relationship, Yahweh and I.
After all...you can't play all day...eventually the sun goes down and you have to come in for dinner.
posted by rOmiLaYu at 4:13 PM
1 Comments:
I would like to think that I, some time ago, gave up caring about who I offend - as long as I do those things to which I sense God calling me and to which I am to be true. Maybe becuase I know that when I do those things, some people will inevitably offended. I would like to believe this. At my core, however, I know that I probably do not have the backbone for it, however emotionally absent I may be. The idea of offense is intriguing...
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