The State of Southport

I recently went to Southport State High (SSH) for a one week artist-in-residence program. This was the second time I had been to SSH and the second time I have been totally blown away.

The drama teachers at this school work tirelessly teaching and driving their students to excel. I worked with them on physical theatre and on deepening the work they were doing for their drama festival shows (which by the way is a cut-throat business!). By the end of the week I was sad to leave, it is so enriching to work with such motivated people and dare I say more motivated and less tainted than most 'professionals' out there...It was also great to see teachers that were trying to get top quality training for their students. So many teachers use the same old lessons that have used for decades...a teacher a school I taught at said to me that I was the only teacher he had seen in years actually reading something that pertained to their subject and not "just for a lesson"...I don't know it all, never will, and that drives me to keep learning and interrogating what it is I do. I'm in a Robert Wilson phase at the moment, bloody fascinating...

Where do they go from here? Off to various universities I guess...My hope is to inspire some of them to make great theatre here, there and everywhere they can.

Anyway HURRAH! for SSH!