Museum

Last Thursday night I had the pleasure of watching the J.N. Burnett Theatre Department's Spring performance of the play "Museum" by Tina Howe.  The play, written in 1976, is a satirical look at the world of Modern Art and the characters who often visit art shows.  Set in an unidentified museum in New York, there was a large cast of brilliantly portrayed characters who graced the stage.

The performance was extremely well-received by the "standing-room only" audience of family and friends, who were treated to an inspired and humourous production.  Though each of the actors was outstanding, there are a few that deserve special recognition;  the ever-energetic Moses Caliboso as both Mr. Salt and Giorgio, Jei So as Mrs. Salt and Harriet, Stephanie Wong as Barbara Castle and Zoe and Jessica Wong as Barbara Zimmer and Francoise.  Also deserving of mention was Sharon Mui as Tink Solheim and an elderly parent and, of course, lead actor Justin Wang as the frustrated, in-over-his-head security guard.  Despite singling out only a few, I would be remiss if I did not give out kudos to each of the 31 actors in the show!

The show was directed by Drama teacher, Mrs. Karen McNee.  Tech Education teacher Mr. Bevan, David Tam and Samson Lee helped with set design, and Ms. Jackson, Heidi Ng and Angie Wu from the Textiles department aided with costumes.  There were likely many others who pitched in and I apologize if I missed you!  The cast of 31 actors (playing 40 different characters) and 30 behind the scenes crew (including 4 teachers and a husband) worked exceedingly hard.  No one described the efforts and rewards of the show better than director, Mrs. Karen McNee:

Welcome to the Museum and the last day of the exhibition “The Broken Silence”!

This play focuses on character rather than plot and it caught my attention during my annual play search this last fall.  I had heard much about so when I finally read it, I was really excited that I had found the right one for this year.  I love the range and variety of characters it features and wanted to provide as large an opportunity for casting as I could.  I enjoy the humour that the characters bring, but also the heart.  They represent little bits that we can recognize in ourselves, or in the people we know.  Despite their pretense, there is an honesty that drives each of them.

As you may know, recent events pressured us to either cancel the show or honour all of the work we have put into this since January and get this show up three weeks early.  The students and staff involved collectively decided to proudly present to you all that we had created and do the best we could with the time we had left. The passion these students bring each day have made this process such a pleasure and a joy.

Like I often am, I was amazed by the talents, passion and coming together of the teachers and students when in situations like these.  As mentioned by Mrs. McNee, the performance was bumped up by three weeks for a variety of reasons, among them the uncertainty of teacher job action in the dispute between the BCTF and the Ministry of Education.  Students and teachers alike desperately wanted the show to go ahead, and worked very hard under significant time constaints.  They came together and put on a magnificent show!

Congratulations to all those who contributed to the performance.  You put on an exceptional show and made yourselves and us proud.  Special thanks go out to the teachers who made the project possible.  Well done!

Ride to Conquer Cancer

It has been more than a month since I last posted anything on my blog or Tweeted anything on Twitter.  The break has been necessary.  Among the events consuming my energy in March included the unsettling labour dispute within education in British Columbia, beginning the timetabling process for next September, and the staffing and potential downsizing facing our school for next year.  I enjoyed a very welcomed break from March 10-25th when Spring Break came.  We enjoyed our first-ever cruise as the family (a group of 9 including my wife, our 2 children, my sister and her family and my mother and father) sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas (a ship that only 5 years ago was the largest in the world).  It was a luxurious way to travel the western Caribbean, with stops in Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; Grand Cayman Island and Cozumel, Mexico.  As expected, I enjoyed all that I was supposed to, and the relaxing and eating caused to me feel well-rested and only seven pounds heavier than when I left!!

Having made the decision to lose the seven pounds I gained (plus a few more), I am now turning my attention to getting back on my road bike and training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.  This epic adventure is a two-day ride from Cloverdale, BC to Redmond, Washington scheduled for mid-June.  I rode last summer (check here for the blog about it), and found the experience so rewarding, I signed up to do it again. 

I was inspired to ride last year because my good friend and mentor in my professional life, Lorne Bodin, had recently passed away after a bout with stomach cancer.  He was an avid cyclist who had captained a team in the ride only a year before.  An exemplary human being, I learned a great deal from Lorne, and still think of him everyday.  I also ride for the countless other people whom I know have had their lives negatively impacted by cancer.  Gil Puder and Mike Tinker were two other exceptional people whose lives ended prematurely after battling the disease.  Their families still deal with the loss and the effects cancer has had on them.  We all have stories like these, and in many cases, cancer has hit lives much more directly than it has mine.  Please consider making a donation to the ride or to any cancer fighting cause.  Any amount is hugely appreciated.

I am now actively beginning my fundraising efforts, and need to raise $2500.00 in order to participate.  If you are so inclined, donations can be made on my fundraising page here.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.