Drama Week

Since last post, fmi, rest, then 7.5 miles (6:49 pace) around the Lake, rest, rest, another 7.7 miles (6:50 pace) around the Lake, rest, and today, 11.1 miles (7:09 pace) around the Lake twice. Right mid/lower shin/calf still sore, felt it every step for the first 5 miles, then either numbed up or stretched out, then cruising, splits: 7:15, 7:09, 7:14, 7:15, 7:03, 7:07, 7:03, 6:50, 7:35 (hill), 6:37, 7:30. Did something new, wired myself up to the iPod while running outside; do it on treadmill regularly, but never outside, totally different experience, actually liked it, but I'll probably limit it to the longer runs, too distracting for shorter/tempo runs.

Probably one or two days rest on the docket. Glad I got the 11 miler in 'cause I was sitting in a theatre seat most of the rest of the long weekend.

And what a weekend, the culmination of six plus weeks of drama camp for the kids. Saw nine shows in four days, Zam (11) and Jem (8) both, multiple times, in two different drama organizations. Both in Damn Yankees, Jem in Emperor's New Clothes, Zam in Cinderella, biggest part ever, nasty step-sister, perfect. And then saw the high school kids in Urinetown. Man, what a load of talent, Broadway's got nothing on them.

How did my kids become such drama geeks, not from me certainly, I'm pratically a Steppenwolf. So glad they have though, such a great group of kids, the whole age range, so passionate, and just having fun, no inhibitions, I'm envious but just glad to be witness to it all.

How times have changed. Having observed the entire drama camp cast over many weeks, a number of the high school cast members are obviously and even almost flamboyantly, gay. These guys would've had the shit kicked out of them in my mid aero-fucking-smith 1970's high school. So glad things have changed for the better in that area.

At one of the drama workshop presentations, one kid, pretty obviously gay, even did a monologue from the Laramie Project, very excellent and pretty intense. Same kid, in Cinderella, a minor-ish role, stuck out his foot, humorously, to try on the glass slipper! Talk about out there, he's only like 14 years old. You go, man!

This ain't no brand name town, no Hamilton, Wellesly, Andover, or Lexington, mostly working class, but there's hell of a lot of passion and commitment to local theatre/drama here. Never had much interest in this before, but so it's so cool my kids are into it. It's all about having fun and being yourself, as well as commitment and passion. And socially, as far as I can observe as an adult/outsider, drugs/etc are not a central part of the scene (unlike my school years.)