STRAIGHT A's

I know that the 3 or 4 people that read my blog on a semi-regular basis will find this next fact about me shocking. I was NOT a straight A student. Yes, I did take the SATs in 7^th grade but that was because I scored at a genius level on one of those bubble tests by simply putting down ABBACABDAB. Who knew that I had cracked the bubble test code by being lazy.

So because of that, I was invited to take the SATs in 7^th grade, on which I scored a combined 200, and that was just because I signed my name properly. But that summer I was asked to go to Baltimore for some problem solving math/science nerd fest. The only problem I couldn’t solve was how to get out of going.

Anyway, we were split into groups of 5 and told that we had to protect an egg when dropped into a trash can with a brick at the bottom of it. We were given various materials and a time limit of 10 minutes. So for 6 minutes I sat back and listened to the people a ton smarter than me argue about how to protect the egg. And then it hit me. Why don’t we tape the instruction sheet over the trash can so the egg doesn’t even hit the brick? You would have thought I suggested Einstein was stupid. These kids looked at me like I was nuts. I asked the “professor” and she said she had never heard anyone suggest that solution. She would have to check with her superiors. It’s not like we were going to win any money or get to keep the egg. This was a middle school nerd fest, not MIT.

Well after 15 minutes, the head of this cranium convention came up and asked who had come up with this solution. I raised my hand, silently hoping that I would be kicked out so I could leave. This guy then explained how he was a master at game theory or statistics or something else that was supposed to impress me. He had never met anyone who worked outside the rules like I did and would not allow my solution. The other people in my group starting getting on my case for wasting time and for disqualifying the team, again like there was money involved.

I showed the head honcho the “rules” of the game and asked him to point out where on that sheet of paper it said that the egg HAD to impact with the brick. I also pointed out that the instruction sheet that I was proposing to tape over the trash can WAS part of the materials we were given. He found no fault in my logic. He even said that and I responded, “So, does that mean I am right?”

So after 45 minutes, we were allowed to go with my solution. The egg was dropped, the sheet of paper caught it and it didn’t break. I was even given a special award for creative thinking. Again, no prize money.

The point is this. Just because you think you aren’t the smartest person in the room doesn’t mean you can’t find a solution that works. Our customers, both external and internal, are looking for solutions. If you have an idea, throw it out there. Who’s to say your idea won’t be the next best thing to hit the supply chain since the forklift? If you push yourself, you might find that your best will come through. And if someone says that what you suggested won’t work, make them prove it. Just because you didn’t get straight A’s, doesn’t mean your ideas are stupid.

My evening at the theater

Before diving into my review of the CYT production of The Wizard of Oz, I must first settle my nerves. I need to do this because of the whirlwind emotional roller coaster I have just ridden. From joy to sadness, from anger to madness, the journey that the cast and crew of CYT have just propelled me on needs to be admired and feared at the same time. I have not been this emotionally spent since reviewing Al Pacino’s one man Hamlet show in Montreal where ALL the characters were in Hamlet’s head…

As I settled into my seat, I noticed how full the theater was. My first instinct was that the show was good enough to rate a packed house. But my gut told me that it would now be more difficult sneaking food and drinks to my kids to keep them quiet. Having kids keep Sippy cups on the down low is not an easy task.

As the show opened, I was very impressed by the lighting. I know most people focus on the actors or songs or words, but I like to study how the stage was illuminated. Aesthetic Values are critical to a theatrical performance. Are they using various spots in an overlapping cascade or are they using gas lamps because they love the 1800’s? It is these questions about lighting that keep bringing me back to the theater again and again. It has nothing to do with the fact that at least one to three of my nieces/nephews are in each show.

The performances themselves were very entertaining. The costumes, the songs and the proper lighting made for a very enjoyable first act. There were times when the dancing became too much and the numbers seemed to drag a little bit, but the story of The Wizard of Oz has many complexities that need to be explored. One cannot simply find a country girl from Kansas, throw some expensive looking shoes on her feet and send down a golden highway with three companions and a dog. To truly do the Land of Oz justice, one must be willing to take risks. And once again CYT has pushed the envelope and transported us to a world not of pure imagination, but of pure enjoyment.

For individual performance reviews, I leave that to others. Everyone involved with this production was emotionally invested, and that is what counts. But if I had to single out any performers, I would say that the soldier in the cast showed a dedication to his craft I have not seen since Dawson’s Creek was cancelled. A young actor has an injury, but instead of having his understudy go on in his place, this brave young man pushes through the pain and goes on.

I did leave the performance with some questions. Is the Wizard also Professor Marvel? I realize that the same brilliant young man played both roles, but did Dorothy recognize who the Wizard was? Or what he represented as her way back to home? Were the apple trees, exceptionally portrayed by three young ladies, throwing real apples? These questions and more shall haunt me for a time. But to quote one source of my, who name has been altered to protect his identity. Let’s say his name is Sanderson Spusey. He had only one word to say after the performance. “Wow” was all he told me.

Once again, CYT has shone a small amount of light into our lives through song, dance and some very well painted cornstalks. They took us on a voyage of elaborate costumes, flying monkeys and well-lit scenery. I look forward to their next performance, The Sound of Music, a show that I have NOT seen performed since the fall of 1991 at the Tower Hill School. We shall see if the CYT string of hits continues.