I love teaching. And I really love my kids. I love when they say ridiculous things that make me laugh. I love when they open my eyes to new points of view by sharing their perceptions of the world around them. I love when they let me be a part of their world. I love when they challenge my mind with their questions, and even when they challenge my self-control with their antics. I love the random teachable moments when they let their guard down and ask for help. They really are amazing. And I love it when they shock me with their brilliance, like they did last Thursday. Last week, an Academy of the Arts team from Taylors, SC came to our school to produce a drama called No Place To Flee. After having spent a couple of weeks memorizing their lines, my students spent four days with a professional drama team, putting together an incredible production. They learned how to act, how to do stage make-up, how to fix hair and costumes, how to set up lighting and sound, and how to pull together to create a fantastic piece of art. The following is an excerpt about the productionfrom the local newspaper:
‘No Place to Flee’
The play chronicles the struggles of living the Christian life in Communist Russia while addressing the challenges of being a Christian in modern-day America.
“It focuses on the persecution of Christians in Communist Russia in the 1920’s,” said Howie Schlichting, team director for the Academy of Arts, the traveling Christian drama ministry assisting [school name] with the play. He said “No Place to Flee,” written by the Academy of Arts’ founder Nicky Chavers, is a collection of true stories of Christians living behind the “Iron Curtain” under Vladimir Lenin’s Communist regime.
“Lenin promised them religious freedom and then when he got in there, he took it away. He took away the freedom of people in general,” Schlichting said. “They had a socialistic mindset with a greedy, power-hungry government.”
Schlichting said he sees parallels between the Russian Communist government and the American government’s current “share-the-wealth” mentality. He said Christians are becoming a minority group and hopes the play will teach the students to stand firm in their faith, as the Christians in Communist Russia did.
“We’re trying to use these examples to show that we, too, can stand for what we believe today, no matter what it costs,” said Schlichting.
The production was brilliant. My students were incredible. I was floored to see my middle and high school students put aside their differences, their dislike for drama, etc, and effectively and touchingly portray the persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union. It was a truly moving production. My kids are brilliant. They amaze me. I love having the privilege of knowing them.
