August 12, 2013

You can't stop the beat...


The week that was...



"You Can't Stop the Beat"
August 5 - August 12, 2013
Project 52 (32/52)


My third trip thru motherhood is quite a different itinerary than my first two adventures.  Things #1 and #2 were athletes.  And in the process I became a sports mom.  I can tell ya anything you want to know, or don't want to know, about baseball and swimming.  I can also tell you how to behave, and more importantly now NOT to behave, as a parent of an athlete (THAT is a post for another day!).  But just when I had the whole mom thing nailed down, the heaven's bestowed upon me Thing #3.  And just to completely throw me for a loop, she hates sports...ALL sports. God said to moi "Kath, you shall spread your wings and be a mom to a theatre geek,  sis-boom-bah".   This required a whole new handbook.  The first page clearly states "the term 'theatre geek' is not deragatory, but embraced proudly.  But only if uttered BY a theatre geek or their mom". Okay then.

It's been almost 16 years of learning the performing arts ropes.  I am by no means a "stage mom".  I'm usually admonished to just not get too involved...puhleeze. I drive to dance lessons, I drive to voice lessons, I drive to keyboard and guitar lessons, I drive to various school production rehearsals, I attend all the shows, I do what I am allowed to do.  I'm a great facilitator.  But not real "hands on" because I feel like I'm still a work in progress, a SLOW work in progress.  But I FINALLY felt involved this past week when Thing #3 relented and I was "allowed" to photograph some rehearsals of the show she is currently involved in, "Hairspray".  

I felt as if I had entered the inner sanctum, otherwise known as Thing #3's turf.  And let me tell you, as much as I enjoyed taking photos, I was MORE enthralled with watching these young adults in action with their talents galore.  And finally some of the terminology that Thing #3 throws about at home, the lingo of theatre productions and staging, finally made sense because I saw what she had always talked about in action.  I also saw that these kids work their butts off, and so do the staff who somehow manage to make it all work.  Quite honestly, that is a HUGE undertaking! So yes, I also have a new appreciation and respect for the director and all the other's involved in running the shows.  Kinda makes what a baseball or swimming coach do pale by comparison (sorry Things  #1 and #2).  I also was surprised to see so many people truly enjoying themselves, smiling, laughing, camraderie.  Teams aren't confined to playing fields.  But the joy I saw apparently lives on stages.

I envy ANYONE who has the confidence to get up on a stage in front of an audience to sing, dance, act, heck even talk!  I never could.  Never mind nobody would want me to.  Thing #3 has that confidence on stage.   I admire her.  I don't think I'll ever become a true stage mom.  But I AM a bona fide mom of a theatre geek...and I embrace that proudly (page two of the handbook says I'm allowed to do that).  I'd embrace Thing #3 proudly in public on a stage, if she would let me do that.  But for now, I'll just be satisfied she didn't balk at me taking photographs of rehearsals...sis-boom-bah.







Please join me on Sundays for "Song-ography".
This week's song title is Bruce Springsteen's "Born the Run".


 HT2WSFR2DJV5

17 comments:

  1. First 20 years of my life. On a stage. I wish I had photos that you'd taken of some of my rehearsal days!!

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  2. I was a dancer until college, still miss the stage sometimes!! Great shot!!

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  3. Love the starburst on the shoe. We didn't get a theater geek in the family.

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  4. That's a great photo! I liked to act when I was a child, but it didn't carry over into high school or adulthood. One of my nephews was involved in theatre, and it seemed like a wonderful atmosphere for him to be a part of.

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  5. Love this! Our Thing 1 & Thing 2 are also athletes. Football, basketball, baseball. ALL. YEAR. LONG. They've made me into a sports mom. But our thing 3 is different.. he is so far completely uninterested in sports, and we're cool with that. It pains me to see people force their kids to participate in something they don't enjoy (talking extra-curricular "for fun" activities.. not chores!)
    I've learned that there is no greater thing as a parent than watching your kid do what the love. But it's very painful to watch them do something they're uncomfortable & pained to do.
    So we'll see what our younger Things end up passionate about. I personally would love to have a theater geek! I've always loved theater - but like you, could never have gotten on stage (and I was probably lacking the talent needed to do so.)

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  6. Love this! My life is yours inverted. I was the theater and dance geek. My daughter can.not.dance. Oh the angst. I'm now the soccer mom.

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  7. Love this too! The I Heart Macro link is still open on my blog if you would like to participate this week:-)

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  8. I was a band geek in high school, and we lovingly called ourselves band geeks! I bet it is similar to theater geeks :) I did play in the pit orchestra for a musical and really enjoyed it. I envy people with such confidence that they can get up on stage and perform for lots of people. Your girl sounds like she has really found her place on stage :)

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  9. Oh, I would MUCH rather do the theatre geek mom thing than be outdoors in the heat or cold with bugs and humidity... bleh.... You GO, Thing #3. LOL

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  10. I was definitely a theater geek and my daughter was too...continued on and now a dance teacher/owner of a dance studio. I continually see her on stage enjoying herself, along with my granddaughters. I think stage geeks run in our family since my sweetie was also an off-broadway actor...he LOVED that life. However, son never graced the stage, baseball was his forte.

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  11. Wow...I was never an athlete OR anybody that wanted to be on stage...although I was in Drama and was several plays...but that's before I was wised up! How awesome you have such talent running through your genes.

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  12. I love the little glimmer of light burst on the toe

    Mollyxxx

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  13. My younger child is also self proclaimed theater geek and I've been having so much with it (after her sister had no interest in those things). I agree about all the work that goes into these productions as well as the guts it takes to get up on stage!

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  14. My Thing 1 excelled in soccer and in theatre/dancing. Dancing is still a big part of her life, and also that of Thing 3, a bond that bridges their 13 years' gap. I also prefer that scene to the sports scene. Thing 2, my son, takes after me in being more into music, though dancing is part of my life too.

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  15. What a perfect photo - it embodies that feeling of the stage, the lights, the excitement before a show...I agree with you that I could never perform on a stage with all eyes on me! *shudder* My daughter was a dancer, and I was always amazed to see my quiet, introverted child thrive when on stage performing. She loved it so much. I hope your daughter's Hairspray show was a resounding success! :)

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  16. Hooray! So happy you shared the love up-close with I Heart Macro:-)

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  17. Sadly, my only child does not embrace that theatre geek gene. I don't know how I failed to pass it on. Glad to hear you got a manual on how to be a mom for theatre geek.

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