You're a Good Man

Charlie Brown, that is!

Today our dual language (American Sign Language and English) school put on its own version of this Peanuts inspired musical. As all of the 1st through 6th grade students joined together to sing/sign the 'joy through a child's eyes' closing number "Happiness" I became flooded with emotion.

Clearly I am beyond the beyond when it comes to expressing that mixture of pride and power that this small moment in time captured for me. All of my precious little ones were up there happily smiling as they gave their all to the following lyrics:

"Happiness is two kinds of ice cream, knowing a secret, climbing a tree. Happiness is five different crayons, catching a firefly, setting him free. Happiness is being alone every now and then. And happiness is coming home again."

I kinda lost it sitting there in the, not dark enough to hide my tears, school auditorium. Have you ever been so moved by something that you had a visceral connection with that you found yourself sobbing out loud while simultaneously trying to cover the fact that something so seemingly innocuous has moved you to such a state?

But as I watched the faces of these children how could I help but feel?

I have a personal connection with each child up there. For most of them I could tell you what makes them smile or what worries them. I could tell you what they struggle with academically, which books they enjoy and who they prefer to play with during recess.

I am also a huge fan of Theatre for the Deaf or Theatre of the Deaf (the distinction can indicate who is involved in performing/producing). I actually came to teaching through my interest in Deaf Theatre.

One early inspiration was attending a production of 'An Italian Straw Hat' in 1995 performed by the National Theater of the Deaf. Amazing.

And more recently the Deaf West Theatre Broadway production of the Mark Twain/Huckleberry Finn musical 'Big River'. Stunning.

Although the reworking of these previously successful productions have found new audiences by incorporating innovative linguistic features, playing with language onstage does not always prove so successful.

I am referring to an Off Broadway production of 'Tea House of the August Moon' that Joy and I did about 10 years ago. The gimmick (to quote the stripper Mazeppa from Gypsy) was that all of the Japanese roles would be played by Caucasians and vice-verse.

So there you have Joy playing Miss Higa Jiga, yelling in her rather impressive Japanese while I am running around barefoot as Mr. Sumata looking for my shoes.

The best part of this was that during the crowd scenes the director told us to 'ad lib' in Japanese. What? I felt like a total idiot as I repeated my few lines over and over again testing various deliveries, trying to sound authentic.

When my friend James came to see the show all I remember is him sitting out in the audience laughing his ass off every time I opened my mouth. Not the most helpful thing to aid my concentration in my vulnerable state.

Oh the things young actors put themselves through in New York! Of course, I wouldn't change a thing.