Reflexiones territoriales del CPC.

After the first show the make-up teacher asked me into the junior girls’ dressing room.

Teacher D: “I’m really sorry to have to ask you, I know how busy you are – but I’m not sure what to do. One of the students’ faery purple glitter pen has gone missing.”

At the time I didn’t think anything of it. I wasn’t too concerned and if you were standing in that dressing room resembling a bomb scene, you wouldn’t either. Everything had gone to chaos and I was surprised the purple glitter pen was the only item we couldn’t locate. I suggested having the students pick up all of their things and placing them into their bags. All the girls quickly collected items and placed them in their bags. No purple glitter pen was found in the process. The teacher then explained that she suspected that a student had purposely stolen the purple glitter pen and secreted it in her bag.

This was very different to the first statement that we couldn’t find the purple glitter pen. I wanted the child to have the benefit of the doubt and be given a chance to set things straight. I spoke to the girl whose purple glitter pen had gone missing. Martha is an intelligent, mature year 7 student.

Martha: “Miss Schroeter I am sure that Kylie has stolen it.”

To which I questioned, “How?”

Martha went on to explain that Kylie doesn’t have much and she often takes things she wants. The teachers had found her with a student’s phone and once she had taken a twenty dollar note. I asked Martha if she thought it was fair to suspect Kylie based on her past behaviours. Martha immediately agreed that this was unfair and stated

Martha: “I really hope she didn’t take it. Kylie hasn’t got many friends and we had started to like her, doing this production.”

It was at this point, I realised much more than finding the purple glitter pen was riding on solving this issue.

Dealing with specific behavioural issues displayed by students while running a production can be both difficult and rewarding. Kylie had many issues within her classes and as expressed by Martha, Kylie was not highly regarded by her peers for these reasons. These are real life experiences that Martha and her friends were dealing with backstage. Kylie’s behaviour was not new to them, yet they had seen past this while working on the production and accepted Kylie as their friend. When I questioned Kylie initially, she assured me she hadn’t taken the purple glitter pen. However when she was asked to make sure it hadn’t fallen into her bag, along with all the other girls in the dressing room, she excitedly exclaimed,

Kylie: “Oh my goodness! It has, I have it, don’t worry.”

Martha and the other girls grew angry at Kylie and when I asked why,

Martha: “I understand that she has some issues, but surely she can see how nice we’ve been to her. I mean I feel sorry for her and I get that she doesn’t get much stuff, but stealing a purple glitter pen? All that did was stress us out.”

I asked Martha why she felt stressed, and she outlined that she was concerned that the purple glitter pen wouldn’t be there for the next show when she had to go on stage. I decided to buy another purple glitter pen as a backup for Martha. This purple glitter pen wasn’t required however it allowed Martha to relax, knowing that she had a back-up. I also discussed other ways she could have gone about dealing with the issue. The ideas are listed below:

Martha: “I could have just searched her bag, I knew she had it.”

When asked why she didn’t do this,

Martha: “Well I wouldn’t like it if someone did it to me.”

Martha: “I could have been more careful with the purple glitter pen.”

Here we see that she was taking responsibility for Kylie’s actions to a degree.

Martha: “I suppose, what I did – telling a teacher which worked out pretty good.”

Here we see her solution where she asked for help in a situation she wasn’t sure she could handle.

Martha: “I could have gone off and told everyone!”

I asked her why she hadn’t done this and she told me she wasn’t that mean or stupid, she also stated,

Martha: “Kylie couldn’t help it.”

I asked her if she could have helped it, how she would have handled it differently, to which she replied.

Martha: “I still would have asked for help, because that would be pretty nasty if you had no other reason to do it. Knowing that Kylie took the purple glitter pen because she thought it was pretty was ok, like it didn’t hurt me because I knew she can’t help it. But if someone else did it, it would be to hurt me or to play a mean joke or something, it’s just different! When I think about it was pretty lucky Kylie took mine because I know her, if it was one of the other girls then there could have been a problem.”

The Kiss

One night immediately before rehearsal as the actors gathered backstage with Rose and Teacher B, as prompt for the rehearsal, Sarah was reading over her script.

Sarah: “What? They have to kiss?”

Flynn: “Dah, we wrote it in!”

Sarah: “Oh, yeah but I forgot.”

Cherry: “Well I don’t mind. I mean Xavier’s not here yet but we can ask him.”

Rose: “They have to kiss!”

I firmly responded with, “No they do not have to kiss!” This was a misconception that Rose had picked up from her involvement in previous school productions.

Rose: “What’s the point of having a kiss in there if they don’t kiss?”

To which I responded that no one would be made to kiss another person in the play, if they decided to then that would be up to the two people involved.

Rose: “But we’ve had to kiss in past productions.”

To which I responded that just because it was done before it did not apply this year.

Rose: “Ok what’s your reason then?”

I explained to Rose aside that in the first place as a teacher I could not force two people to kiss. And secondly a kiss can be considered a very intimate action. I asked is it fair to impose that on two people?

Rose: “I don’t get it! It’s ok to impose fighting. Like in the movies, it’s ok for little kids to see fighting and stuff but nothing that leads to sex. That’s the same as this!”

I responded with, “I understand that, however this is not the same. The two Students we are talking about are not professional actors. They are school Students performing in a school production.”

Rose: “Yeah I get it, but it’s going to ruin the show if they don’t!”

I said that I didn’t believe that it would ruin the show and suggested that the kiss be implied.

Rose: “Yes! Brilliant! That’s it! Can I direct that scene?”

Sarah: “I don’t get it?”

Flynn: “You use theatrical conventions to imply that kiss is going to happen.”

Rose went on to direct the scene and the scene changed several times. At one point there was a blackout as they leant in, at another an embrace and each night. When performed it was performed differently. Here we see that students feel they have the right to question why? Rose makes

connections to the mainstream movie industry and censorship, only satisfied when offered a solution. Students are explicitly required to think about how they can use the craft that the theatre

offers them to problem solve. It was as if Rose had been given a clue to a game and she couldn’t wait to play it.

The Guys

A conversation in the guy’s dressing room.

Matt: “I wouldn’t come in here if I was you Miss. Someone just farted.”

Flynn: “Someone?” (Pointing his finger back at Matt.)

Roland: “Don’t worry Miss, we’re all decent! Why do girls always take so long to get ready?”

Flynn: “That’s a bit sexist, don’t you think?”

Roland: “No. Not even you take as long as they do.”

Flynn: “What do you mean, they?”

Roland: “Girls!”

Flynn: “So our getting changed rates are based on our gender!?”

Roland: “Well we’re all ready!”

Flynn: “Heaps of girls are too! Just because some have more stuff for their characters, doesn’t mean all women are slower at getting ready.”

Roland: “Whatever - pass the chips!”

Flynn: “Do you like salt and vinegar?”

Roland: “I like chips.”

Flynn: “Take the whole bag, I can’t stand them.”

Roland: “Thanks man!”

The simplicity of this conversation struck me. These two students had just discussed an equity matter and in the same breath taken to eating chips. There was no real disagreement. Flynn is older than Roland by four years, so age may have played a part – but the informal setting backstage added to the conversation. While Flynn was speaking he was diligently folding costume pieces and hanging them up. He picked up rubbish and placed it in the bin. All the while Roland sat upon the mezzanine level where the costumes are stored with his arms and legs hanging through the barrier.