The first day of classes at the Arts Camp. The center where the classes are being held is great. Guguletu is a township - a mixture of small cinder block houses and shanty-town tin houses. Kids from this township walked in to the JLZwane center. Kids from EVEY township in Cape Town are attending these classes. They are being bussed in by volunteers from everywhere! There were 57 kids there this morning at 9:00 am. Clearly from all walks of life here in Cape Town. We've been told that there are three levels of education here. Private, middle, and government. Some kids are from middle but most are from government - which only goes to a certain grade.
The kids eagerly grabbed their bright blue BSA t-shirts and their orange juice and cereal bars. Then we gathered as a group and introduced ourselves. Some of the kids are only 7 years old! We split everyone in to four groups and seperated into four rooms.
We had the most amazing assistant S'bo --- who promised to help us if there were any behavior issues or any translation issues. Almost all of the kids speak Xhosa (the language with three different kind of mouth clicks). I tried desperately to learn and pronounce each kids' name correctly - but my eagerness didn't translate well.
They all also speak english very well - and perhaps are confused when I can't click their names correctly.
We played all of the improv and acting games we had planned... and then some.
The kids threw away their inhibitions and played with ambandon! It was A BLAST!
They high-fived us! and hugged us when we all got something right! Some of the kids were so excited that they took the games and began to lead them themselves! Suggesting ideas and ways to improvise!
During the final hour of the day Courtney (my co-teacher) and I were leaading the hardest game of all. The game in which everyone closes their eyes and collectively tries to count to ten without having two people say the same number. It is VERY difficult for ADULTS to do. And no class all say had reached ten. Then finally in the last five minutes of the day... TEN. The class went wild.
Exausted we are now headed home to bed. 11:45pm.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
South Africa day 1
The 18 hour flight was alright. 2 tylenol PM and some red wine were good friends to the flyers. we arrived in Cape Town at 4:30pm on monday. and went to der Waterkant Village. Tracy, Asmeret, Courtney, Steven, Brett and I are staying in a house together... a beautiful house in the center of Cape Town.
We drove past the imfamous shanty- towns. The tin houses. And into the center of town.
We ate an incredible summer feast at Africa Cafe.
So exausted.
We drove past the imfamous shanty- towns. The tin houses. And into the center of town.
We ate an incredible summer feast at Africa Cafe.
So exausted.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Tomorrow I leave for...
...and thus begin my journey with BROADWAY IN SOUTH AFRICA.
I will hopefully be updating this blog with pictures and news as we go along.
Day 1 (January 11) We leave from JFK on an 18 hour flight!!! Stopping only once - in Dakkar Senegal for fuel.
During the first week in Cape Town we will be touring Robin Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) and beginning a week long art intensive camp with kids in Gugulethu.
This past week we have been (rather frantically) putting together a revue of Broadway to be presented in concert in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
As one would expect, I'm nervous and excited!
Thank you to all my friends and family who have contributed to this organization, attended concerts and fundraisers, and offered support of this venture. I am very grateful.
More to follow soon...
The Kennedy Center
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
L o n d o n
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
SEEKING: Vice President (skills needed; ability to reinvigorate the KKK base of voters, general rebel rousing - with emphasis on jingoism)
"Ms. Palin, in particular, revels in the attack. Her campaign rallies have become spectacles of anger and insult. Obama, she says, “sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.” Her demagoguery has elicited some frightening, intolerable responses. A recent Washington Post report said at a rally in Florida this week a man yelled “kill him!” as Ms. Palin delivered that line and others shouted epithets at an African-American member of a TV crew."
-THE NEW YORK TIMES, October 8th, 2008
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/opinion/08wed1.html)
Really? Who was it that recently encouraged people to shout epithets at black people and incited people to the point of homicide? I can't remember. Was it William Joseph Simmons?
Or is that included in the job description for the Vice President of the United States?
-THE NEW YORK TIMES, October 8th, 2008
(http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/opinion/08wed1.html)
Really? Who was it that recently encouraged people to shout epithets at black people and incited people to the point of homicide? I can't remember. Was it William Joseph Simmons?
Or is that included in the job description for the Vice President of the United States?
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