Pragmatist
Pragmatist

Last night I saw a grade school production of Fiddler on the Roof.  It ran about an hour and 40 minutes, which included stage changes, so you know the show was mostly hilights.  But they were good hilights!

I went because one of my after-school girls was in the play.  She was Yente, and one of my canes was a featured actor.  Caitlin borrowed my beat-up wooden cane to use, because Yente is elderly and needs a cane.   Yente is the Matchmaker.

The girl (yes, girl) who played Tevye was very good.  Her voice projected well, too.  You remember the little dance he does to "If I Were A Rich Man"?  She did that very well.  Amusingly well.  

The drama teacher did the music on a piano set below the stage.  Since I was seated in the front row, he was very much a part of the show for me.  Curiously, he wasn't a distraction.  Besides the music, he gave stage directions from his position. Again, not distracting to me.

Caitlin was cute as Yente.  She was too much aware of her parents, sister and me sitting in the front row.

Golde and the sisters were good.  Female voices don't carry too well, and if any of the girls aspires to the stage as a career, she need to learn to pitch hr voice lower, and learn how to "project."  But that comes with age.  These "actors" were first thru sixth grade children, so a lot of what we expect from theatrical performances was lacking.  But I must say, they did their best, and their best was wonderful!!

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy kids?

I almost missed the performance.  Yesterday, I went to a bar mitzvah, then came home very tired.  Tried to have a nap before picking up my girls, but had an asthma attack instead.  It had been building up since morning, so I guess I should have taken warning and averted it instead of dealing with it when it became full-blown.  But I didn't.  Anyway, when Lynn came home from work (thankfully, early), I desperately needed a nap, and after taking my anti-twitch pills, I was able to relax.  Relax!  I  verily passed out!  If my neighbor hadn't come knocking on my door, I would have slept thru the evening.  The synagogue where the play was presented is about ten miles from here, by busy traffic-light-controlled streets and by freeway.  I left the driveway at 6:43pm, arrived in the hall at 7:01pm.  I was hitting 70 on the freeway.  But do you know how aggravating it is to sit at a seemingly looooong light when  you're in a desperate hurry??!!  Two, such lights.  Then, when I got off the freeway, I managed to get behind a sloooow driver.

So, I made the ten miles in less than 20 minutes.  There was an oops moment just before leaving the freeway.  I noticed a CHP vehicle just ahead and to my right, and I was about to pass him at 70mph.  Turns out he was leaving the freeway at the same off ramp I wanted, and I noticed at almost the last minute that I was there!  I was able to merge over just in time, to scoot down the off ramp, and the cop car was nowhere to be seen.

When I got to the synagogue parking lot it was FULL!  But, glory be, when I got inside the lot, there was one handicap space left, just waiting for me.  So I started late, got there before curtain time, and actually had a front row seat waiting for me.

And I thoroughly enjoyed the play!

Shalom