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| The Berlin Schaubuhne is one of six institutions involved in the Prospero collaboration. Photograph: Juergen Henkelmann Photography //Alamy |
Also: Why Don't Theatres Talk to Each Other More?
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January 25, 2012
Can Theatre Save Europe?
ETA: Why Children's Theater Matters
Also: Why Don't Theatres Talk to Each Other More?
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Also: Why Don't Theatres Talk to Each Other More?
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January 23, 2012
Sunday Snippet
Thanks, all, for commenting with support and/or suggestions on last week's dilemma - I don't feel quite so overbearing and obnoxious as I did before. I'm afraid I did run a little roughshod yesterday over the conductor and the person whose job it apparently is to pick the songs - they had their heads together about 30 seconds before the meeting was supposed to start, choosing hymns, when I walked over and told them what we'd actually be singing. I felt badly about it (I still do), but I've now put together a list of hymns I'm willing to play without notice. I've also asked the ward clerk to get us a couple of copies of the Simplified Hymns so that there will be a few more songs to choose from (thank you, Michelle!). If the RS Pres says it's OK, I'll send the list and a much shorter, simpler version of the letter to all the teachers and music people. Hopefully this will be an option that will work for everyone!
* * * * *
Even with all that, church yesterday was really pretty awesome. It was a 'Missionary' Sacrament meeting, and all the recent converts spoke, along with a ward missionary and the sister missionaries. They were all fantastic, even the ones who've only been members a couple of months! The most recent convert, Oliver Bebb (remember that name, I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a GA someday) spoke on 'Faith' and wrote a wonderful analogy.
A man sitting in his car in a queue waiting for a train to pass notices a corner shop selling snacks. Knowing that he shouldn't leave his car in case traffic starts moving again, he gestures to a homeless man standing nearby. Waving him over, he asks the man if he will take some money, go into the shop, and bring him back a cup of soup. The homeless man agrees. He goes to the shop and does just what he was asked, returning with the soup and the change to the car. When he reaches out to hand over the items, the driver tells him to keep the soup for himself. Confused, not by the act of charity but by the way the man went about it, the homeless man asked, "Why did you make me go through all this? Why didn't you just give me the money so I could buy the soup myself?"
The driver smiled at him and said, "It was never about the soup. Today we have both tasted faith, a far more nourishing meal. I trusted you, I gave you money and you were not tempted, you had food and were not swayed. You did not break your word to me. Likewise, you felt the faith that I had in you. I placed this power in your hands and you knew that I trusted your judgement to do the right thing." The driver hugged the homeless man and drove away.
Oliver then went on to talk about how we have all tasted the sweetness of faith, but that it is not enough just to succeed and recognize the fruits of our labo(u)rs. We should also reflect on the journey itself, and ask: 'How did the experience affect me? Did it impact my character? Do I understand myself better?' God knows us, and He knows what we will do. Trials of faith are not for his benefit, but for ours. (Used with permission and paraphrased from a talk by Oliver Bebb.)
Pretty cool, eh?
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* * * * *
Even with all that, church yesterday was really pretty awesome. It was a 'Missionary' Sacrament meeting, and all the recent converts spoke, along with a ward missionary and the sister missionaries. They were all fantastic, even the ones who've only been members a couple of months! The most recent convert, Oliver Bebb (remember that name, I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a GA someday) spoke on 'Faith' and wrote a wonderful analogy.
A man sitting in his car in a queue waiting for a train to pass notices a corner shop selling snacks. Knowing that he shouldn't leave his car in case traffic starts moving again, he gestures to a homeless man standing nearby. Waving him over, he asks the man if he will take some money, go into the shop, and bring him back a cup of soup. The homeless man agrees. He goes to the shop and does just what he was asked, returning with the soup and the change to the car. When he reaches out to hand over the items, the driver tells him to keep the soup for himself. Confused, not by the act of charity but by the way the man went about it, the homeless man asked, "Why did you make me go through all this? Why didn't you just give me the money so I could buy the soup myself?"
The driver smiled at him and said, "It was never about the soup. Today we have both tasted faith, a far more nourishing meal. I trusted you, I gave you money and you were not tempted, you had food and were not swayed. You did not break your word to me. Likewise, you felt the faith that I had in you. I placed this power in your hands and you knew that I trusted your judgement to do the right thing." The driver hugged the homeless man and drove away.
Oliver then went on to talk about how we have all tasted the sweetness of faith, but that it is not enough just to succeed and recognize the fruits of our labo(u)rs. We should also reflect on the journey itself, and ask: 'How did the experience affect me? Did it impact my character? Do I understand myself better?' God knows us, and He knows what we will do. Trials of faith are not for his benefit, but for ours. (Used with permission and paraphrased from a talk by Oliver Bebb.)
Pretty cool, eh?
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January 21, 2012
The Little Big Stuff (I NEED -YOUR- HELP)
I have a dilemma.
It's nothing huge, don't worry... but don't you hate how you agonize over the small things, when you can make major decisions in a couple of blinks? (Or maybe you don't. You probably think the big stuff over for a reasonable amount of time, and then make a well-thought-out decision. This is why I'm coming to you for help.)
The sitch is this: I play the piano for Relief Society. From the very first day I stepped in I've been asking to get the weekly hymns in advance so that I can practice them (so as not to suck). (Sorry for saying 'suck' in a church-y post.) No one seems to plan the hymns in advance (there is a music coordinator, but I haven't seen her at RS for months. I think she's been having some health/mobility issues). Here's the problem: the sitch is making me crazy.
I TOLD you it was nothing huge.
I love the hymns. They are actually a lot harder to play than you might expect, and they're even harder to play when you're trying to follow a conductor while a bunch of people are singing along to what you're playing (or in my case, trying frantically to play). No one will let me know in advance what hymns to look at (at least, not without -me- pulling -their- teeth), they just say 'Oh, you pick - anything you like' two minutes before the meeting starts. So here's my dilemma: How do I tell the teachers and/or RS Presidency that I am not 'down with this' without sounding preachy, petty, whiny, and/or self-righteous? (Point one: It may not be possible, as I could very well be one of all of these things. Unfortunately. Point two: My RS Pres is pretty blog-saavy, and may check in here before I actually decide what to do. She's cool, though, and may have some good suggestions. Hi, Naomi! You rock!)
"Dear wonderful RS teachers:
Thank you so much for your love and work on the lessons! I think you might be missing an opportunity, though, and I'd like to share it with you. The hymns we sing in Relief Society are a chance to both set the mood for your lesson and wrap it up/support it on the way out. I, the pianist, have a very limited repetoire of hymns that I can play well, and I depend on getting a little notice in order to practice them so that I can help your lessons.
Here's the opportunity: I'm playing as a volunteer, not because it's a calling - I haven't been blessed or set apart to have any particular insight into what you'll be teaching. I'm also a student looking at an extremely busy second term. However, I am very willing to do what I can to practice whatever hymns will best speak for your lessons - otherwise, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a list of the songs I actually can play (I think there's about 10) and we'll have to choose from those the day of if there isn't something picked out at least a couple of days ahead of time. You've all been very kind about mentioning how well I play - trust me, I cringe over every wrong note. If I can't practice, I can't improve, and I just don't have time this term to learn ALL the hymns! I want to help, I really do, and a hymn that 1) supports your lesson and 2) helps the sisters learn and become familiar with a wide range of hymns (also known as 'Scripture') can only be a good thing.
I know our Music Coordinator has been dealing with other things and hasn't been around, so I'll make this request one more time. Could you please get me two hymns that you'd like sung with your lesson by the Wednesday before you teach? (Or, do like Amy Hunt did the week before last and give me the song numbers the week before in church! It was awesome.) I will make every effort to practice. I may not be perfect, but I'll feel a lot better about the effort - and that much less stress means I'll be able to enjoy your lessons even more. I do hope you don't mind my asking! If this is too much pressure for you, I understand and I'll get you that list of hymns.
Charisse"
* * * * *
So, what do you think? Am I really as obnoxious as I'm starting to suspect I am? There's something of a tendency over here to expect other people in the Church to 'take care of' things (and with some validity: I am playing, after all) and I don't want to enable that any more. IT'S SUCH A SMALL STUPID THING, I KNOW, and I am almost as frustrated by the fact that I'm frustrated about it as I am frustrated about the initial... frustration. Sheesh. Do I send (well, Facebook Message) this letter (or some version of it)? Do I shut up and start meditation exercises, and learn two news hymns a week? Do I draw hymn numbers out of a hat and play those, regardless of the lesson topic? (I... actually really like that last one. Hmmm.)
Please help me not go postal on my sweet Relief Society sisters and the generally pretty cool Relief Society presidency. Help me to sharetheloooooove and maketheworldabetterplaaaaaace, instead.
Especially not over 'hymn choice.' Over pornography, smoking in the bathroom*, or the ward Christmas party, sure. Not the hymns.
It's nothing huge, don't worry... but don't you hate how you agonize over the small things, when you can make major decisions in a couple of blinks? (Or maybe you don't. You probably think the big stuff over for a reasonable amount of time, and then make a well-thought-out decision. This is why I'm coming to you for help.)
The sitch is this: I play the piano for Relief Society. From the very first day I stepped in I've been asking to get the weekly hymns in advance so that I can practice them (so as not to suck). (Sorry for saying 'suck' in a church-y post.) No one seems to plan the hymns in advance (there is a music coordinator, but I haven't seen her at RS for months. I think she's been having some health/mobility issues). Here's the problem: the sitch is making me crazy.
I TOLD you it was nothing huge.
I love the hymns. They are actually a lot harder to play than you might expect, and they're even harder to play when you're trying to follow a conductor while a bunch of people are singing along to what you're playing (or in my case, trying frantically to play). No one will let me know in advance what hymns to look at (at least, not without -me- pulling -their- teeth), they just say 'Oh, you pick - anything you like' two minutes before the meeting starts. So here's my dilemma: How do I tell the teachers and/or RS Presidency that I am not 'down with this' without sounding preachy, petty, whiny, and/or self-righteous? (Point one: It may not be possible, as I could very well be one of all of these things. Unfortunately. Point two: My RS Pres is pretty blog-saavy, and may check in here before I actually decide what to do. She's cool, though, and may have some good suggestions. Hi, Naomi! You rock!)I want to help build the kingdom, and I don't want to criticize. I want to be positive and helpful, not all growly and finger-pointy. I also want to define some acceptable limits so that I don't chew down my back teeth. (This is a very dental-adjacent post, for some reason.) So, at the moment I'm thinking of a letter, something like this:
"Dear wonderful RS teachers:
Thank you so much for your love and work on the lessons! I think you might be missing an opportunity, though, and I'd like to share it with you. The hymns we sing in Relief Society are a chance to both set the mood for your lesson and wrap it up/support it on the way out. I, the pianist, have a very limited repetoire of hymns that I can play well, and I depend on getting a little notice in order to practice them so that I can help your lessons.
Here's the opportunity: I'm playing as a volunteer, not because it's a calling - I haven't been blessed or set apart to have any particular insight into what you'll be teaching. I'm also a student looking at an extremely busy second term. However, I am very willing to do what I can to practice whatever hymns will best speak for your lessons - otherwise, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a list of the songs I actually can play (I think there's about 10) and we'll have to choose from those the day of if there isn't something picked out at least a couple of days ahead of time. You've all been very kind about mentioning how well I play - trust me, I cringe over every wrong note. If I can't practice, I can't improve, and I just don't have time this term to learn ALL the hymns! I want to help, I really do, and a hymn that 1) supports your lesson and 2) helps the sisters learn and become familiar with a wide range of hymns (also known as 'Scripture') can only be a good thing.
I know our Music Coordinator has been dealing with other things and hasn't been around, so I'll make this request one more time. Could you please get me two hymns that you'd like sung with your lesson by the Wednesday before you teach? (Or, do like Amy Hunt did the week before last and give me the song numbers the week before in church! It was awesome.) I will make every effort to practice. I may not be perfect, but I'll feel a lot better about the effort - and that much less stress means I'll be able to enjoy your lessons even more. I do hope you don't mind my asking! If this is too much pressure for you, I understand and I'll get you that list of hymns.
Thank you, ladies -
Charisse"
* * * * *
So, what do you think? Am I really as obnoxious as I'm starting to suspect I am? There's something of a tendency over here to expect other people in the Church to 'take care of' things (and with some validity: I am playing, after all) and I don't want to enable that any more. IT'S SUCH A SMALL STUPID THING, I KNOW, and I am almost as frustrated by the fact that I'm frustrated about it as I am frustrated about the initial... frustration. Sheesh. Do I send (well, Facebook Message) this letter (or some version of it)? Do I shut up and start meditation exercises, and learn two news hymns a week? Do I draw hymn numbers out of a hat and play those, regardless of the lesson topic? (I... actually really like that last one. Hmmm.)
Please help me not go postal on my sweet Relief Society sisters and the generally pretty cool Relief Society presidency. Help me to sharetheloooooove and maketheworldabetterplaaaaaace, instead.
Especially not over 'hymn choice.' Over pornography, smoking in the bathroom*, or the ward Christmas party, sure. Not the hymns.
Thanks. I'll be in the corner, chewing on my fingernails in order to give my molars a break.
Weigh in!**
* Not that anyone I know has ever done this. Particularly not at church. Or during a Ward Council meeting. Allegedly.
** That means 'please comment' and GUIDE MEEEEEEE.
January 07, 2012
Pedestrian Woes
It's actually something of a relief to know it's not just me.
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Also: Zombie, or Not? You decide.
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Also: Zombie, or Not? You decide.
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January 06, 2012
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...
("Twelfth". Such a weird word - you wouldn't think those letters would work together, would you? Maybe it's Welsh.)
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I am 38 years old today. I am 38, single, working on a second Master's degree, broke, have very short hair and a cozy comfy 'Jersey Boys' sweatshirt. Before I turn 39 I'd like to get that second degree, a good job (one that will get me started paying off those two degrees and won't make me want to kill myself), and a date or three. Cheers.
* * * * *
Recent highlights:
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I'm on day 6 of no chocolate, and I'm doing amazingly well. (The milkshake doesn't count - it was British, so it wasn't very chocolate-y, and it was for my birthday.) We'll see how I feel after day 7, and then day 14... this really is the year. I'm finally getting off the stuff!
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Happy 2012!
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I am 38 years old today. I am 38, single, working on a second Master's degree, broke, have very short hair and a cozy comfy 'Jersey Boys' sweatshirt. Before I turn 39 I'd like to get that second degree, a good job (one that will get me started paying off those two degrees and won't make me want to kill myself), and a date or three. Cheers.
* * * * *
Recent highlights:
Canterbury Cathedral for the Christmas Eve Carol Service - Phoebe, her mom & stepdad.
(There's a creche over on the right - apparently when they set it up they left a sheep on the roof and it took half a day before anyone noticed. HA.)
Yorkshire Pudding for dinner - it was better than the roast beef! And then I had apple pie
(or rather, 'apple pie') for pudding. (Or rather, dessert.)
The local outdoor shopping mall had these fun lights up. I just liked them.
My birthday dinner (on the 4th, not today - it's easier to get show tickets mid-week) at Ed's Diner in Soho... it's the closest thing to an American milkshake you can get in this country! And in the back you'll see the marquee for the show I saw after I ate... *happy sigh*
I'll bet YOUR hair doesn't do this immediately after getting out of the shower in the morning! Good times.
* * * * *
I'm on day 6 of no chocolate, and I'm doing amazingly well. (The milkshake doesn't count - it was British, so it wasn't very chocolate-y, and it was for my birthday.) We'll see how I feel after day 7, and then day 14... this really is the year. I'm finally getting off the stuff!
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Happy 2012!
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