Purpose

I suppose you could say I've fulfilled my purpose here: I was hired to bring theatre back to life at ISU and I believe I have succeeded in that venture. Our production of Romeo and Juliet had the students brimming with excitement, and the seniors wishing I had arrived years earlier so that they could have participated in more shows. Students are playing drama games during their lunch breaks and parents are relaying the message that their kids are excited about performing. The board has agreed to begin building a black-box theatre this summer which I will call home starting in January (if all goes well... remembering that "This is Africa."). I also managed to inspire 6 students to sign up for the IB Theatre Arts course, an intensive two-year study of theatre for grades 11 and 12, which I had hoped to pilot at the school. I've witnessed some profound changes in my students - many who began the year shy have burst forth from their shells with gusto while others who struggle both academically and socially have found their unique skills invaluable on the stage. There have been moments of sheer genius in class: 7th graders transforming into Commedia dell' Arte characters with ease (gender-bending without resistance), 9th and 10th graders furiously writing plays in small groups about relevant social issues, a 4th grade girl doing a priceless imitation of a teacher. At times it's been quite overwhelming, but I've managed to emerge from the darkness of insecurity with some light, some joy, some laughter. Next year should prove more comfortable - I will only be teaching in the Senior School (grade 6-11), I've been promised a permanent classroom space for the Fall and will hopefully move into the black-box mid-year, and above all I'll have my boys by my side (Dan and Bodha). I cannot really imagine calling Africa home, but I know that once I have my family here I will feel the warmth of heart I need to survive.