Bright Eyes, Open Minds

The Prop Thtr was the closest thing to "hole in the wall" I have ever experienced. No, seriously. We drove past it twice. But once we went inside, it was evident that though small, the companies that performed there and the stories told were mighty. I was greeted at the ticket booth by two smiling women. When I asked the price of water, they responded that it's a dollar minimum donation and I could take any of the other food on the table too, including baked goods and candy. I donated, grabbed my water, and got ready to watch the show: "Wrecked," an original play written and directed by Sudanese woman Philister Sidigu. Kelsey and I outside the theater before the show. Photo taken by Ava Izenstark It was announced that there we no playbills because they are expensive, and the theatre company is just trying to do its best to keep telling stories. Having seen most of my theatre on Broadway or at GBN (what's the difference) I was not used to such a thing,...

We hopped on the crowded train, bright and early at 7:30am. It was jam-packed with other women and inspiring posters galore. One woman on our car passed around donuts and coffee (yes, to complete strangers). The train conductor didn't charge anyone for the ride, and later announced that this would be an express train due to the high volume of riders. Sarah, Erin, Bryn, and I looked at each other with fluttering excitement, knowing this would not be a day to forget and would go down in history ("This will be an APUSH key term one day!"). This welcoming experience on the train was just the beginning of the pride I felt toward being a woman on this day: January 21st 2017, the day after Donald Trump's inauguration: The Women's March. A foggy morning on the March as we walked to Grant Park. Photo by me on iPhone 6.  Even the trek to the route of the march was full of life. Interesting people of all creeds and colors were walking on both sides of the street, eve...

Over the weekend, I saw Wicked for the fourth time (yes, I know) in New York with my boyfriend Mike. Every other time I’d seen the show, I was reminded of the magic of theatre and drawn in by whimsical costumes. But this time, I noticed something new: a complex conversation about this concept of truth. Different plot points stuck out to me like blaring CST sirens: Glinda proclaims to the Wizard that she’ll tell all of Oz that Elphaba is innocent, but the Wizard reminds her that everyone will only turn against her. Mike and I seeing Wicked together - it's truly the best musical. Photo on iPhone 6 by another theatre-goer.  The Ozians are told by the powerful Wizard and Madame Marrable that everything Elphaba says is a lie. And so the people believe them. I was repeatedly reminded of a question that had stuck out to me since we began reading Enemy of the People: What good is truth without power?  CST is absolutely the main source of my new noticings. I push myself ...