So for crying out loud...
Here we are. In two days...we won't be.
don't get the heading? google it. :-)
I suppose that I can get something useful done tonight, since the Health Care Bill has been passed in the House and the Senate isn't considering it quite yet. Something. Like maybe watch Rachel Maddow to get her take on yesterday?
:-)
Juniors: Ex Cred from Friday (see Friday's post) is due Wed. Option B must be emailed. For tomorrow: examine Creon's monologue on p.41: what goes wrong? He is thisclose to convincing her to stay. What happens?
Sophs: Scenes tomorrow. Written work before you go. Catcher by the end of break. (No due date set for Catcher journals.)
Drama: Rituals tomorrow. Scenes Thursday.
So it's going to be a snowy, crappy weekend after a (finally) nice week. Maybe a last-minute bit of possible extra credit would be nice?
Well, if you're a junior it's your lucky day!
There are two possibilities here:
Seriously...it's supposed to snow this weekend. (I know: it upsets me too!)
So while we've got it, enjoy it!
HW:
Jrs: final thoughts on Fate on the boards: we are discussing the confrontation in Anouilh tomorrow.
Sophs: work on getting your lines down: at least ten times aloud tonight; work on the books too.
Drama: get as off book as possible so you and your scenemates can block tomorrow
(And I've got the video evidence here!)
Don't forget to sign up for Topham's Annex! It's our newest communications spot. And there are photos and videos not available here! :-)
And now, a few Irish toasts for you:
It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow
than to spend tonight like there's no money!
I drink to your health when I'm with you,
I drink to your health when I'm alone,
I drink to your health so often,
I'm starting to worry about my own!
May you die in bed at 95, shot by a jealous spouse.
May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,
The foresight to know where you are going,
And the insight to know when you have gone too far.
We drink to your coffin. May it be built from the wood of a hundred year old oak tree that I shall plant tomorrow.
May you be in heaven a full half hour
before the devil knows your dead.
May those that love us, love us.
And those that don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he doesn’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we’ll know them by their limping.
May the most you wish for
Be the least you get.
Here's to you and here's to me.
May we never disagree.
But should we start to fight and 'cuss,
Here's to me.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
OK...
Homework time...
E3H: continue the Fate discussion online, but this time bring the Antigones into it...
E2H: work on your DOAS final projects, both the scene and the individual one
Drama: work on rituals if you can; work on memorizing the group scene
and now those promised Irish-flavored videos...
and there may be nothing Irish about them, but what the heck: it's sunny!
Hi, all,
At the request of several folks in fifth period, I have opened a new communications forum: a facebook group called Topham's Annex. I will leave it "open" for a bit so that you all can just join, but later this week I'm probably going to close it to prevent access from people who might disrupt conversation. I'm not quite sure what it will be yet, but I suspect it will evolve as we decide what we need it to become.
:-)
Jrs: On the boards discussion: Do you believe in Fate???
Sophs: Work on your DOAS projects.
Drama: Work on your Rituals.
Today's Missed Conferences:
Tomorrow's Conferences:
(And that's about as involved in the NCAA tournament as I'm likely to get, folks.) ;-)
Sophs: the link is working now, so you can access the scene assignment. Sorry about the problem over the weekend.
So our due dates are, as we have decided:
Yes, this is that weekend! :-)
And while you're at it...
Jrs: look at yesterday's assignment and, if you didn't do it then, do it now!
Sophs: OK, here is the link to the instructions for the DOAS scenes. This is a project for, preferably, groups of two. However, groups of three are permitted in certain scenes. As to the scenes themselves...
Select any scene that you feel is significant thematically to the play. It is not imperative that the characters in the scene be of the same gender as the actors, and there is no necessity for actors to pretend to be other-gendered (unless you desire to and can do so without adding silliness to the effect of the performance). Some basic costuming is, however, useful. Scenes should last approximately 3 pages for a two-person scene and 4-5 for a three-person scene. They may be longer, but not significantly longer. If there is a small "extra" role, you may recruit a classmate to read it without affecting your grade.
Scenes may be presented live or on video. They will be performed either at the end of next week or after next weekend; I'll let you know on Monday.
Meanwhile...
I would like you each also to do the final individual assessment that can be found here. This is due as soon as possible. Question A is due Monday. When you turn it in, please include what you will be doing for the other part of the assessment.
Drama: Ritual scenes! Pick your group and work up a script. Try to get together to plan things out. I'd like this whole project done by the end of next week.
...if there were no such thing as school:
Well, for one thing, no one would know the proper use of the subjective mood in the previous statement vis a vis "if" clauses for statements contrary to fact, so I probably would have written "if there was," which would have been grammatically incorrect, but then how would I have known?
Of course, now that I think about it, if there were no school, I would not be writing this blog anyway, so who really cares?
On to more important matters:
Jrs: Although it had been my intention to move on to the Great Debate tomorrow, I have been considering the matter and I am not sure we are really ready. As I said in fifth period, you all seem to be skimming the surface of the Sophocles. I'd like to dig a bit deeper and see if we can't find something more interesting and worth our time. Thus:
Look through the Sophocles play. Focus on longer speeches, either Choral Odes or monologues by any character. What do these long speeches reveal? Which are not focused solely on plot? Why? (Why, for instance, is there an Ode devoted to Love?) Compare similar scenes in both plays (the Haemon scene, the Sentry scene, the final Antigone scene, etc.) and see if you can detect focus differences beyong the surface level and obvious differences in structure.
Write yourself notes on this and bring these notes tomorrow. I will collect them.
Sophs: We will continue to discuss our quotations tomorrow, and we will then have a "wrap-up" conversation about themes in DOAS. With a little bit of luck, I'll introduce the Final Project.
Drama: One more monologue (unless Matt is miraculously ready). I'll show you another ritual scene and then give you some time to plan things out. Rituals will be performed or shown next week.
The Ritual Scene
Parameters for scene creation:
Once groups have been selected and a date chosen for final presentation, each group must determine which of Life’s Rituals will be presented. There are few limitations here, all of which involve the boundaries of reasonable taste. A few possibilities:
Hi, all,
Ah, the last of our late start days comes to a close. Must be spring. (I saw a crocus in my yard this morning--more indisputable evidence.)
Here's some stuff for ya:
E3H: We need to talk about the Antigones, and in particular the ways in which the two authors get their messages across. Be ready tomorrow to discuss Sophocles' structures and Anouilh's choral monologues. We'll need Friday to talk about the Anouilh "Great Debate" between Antigone and Creon.
Specific HW: Bring with you...
...for no particular reason.
Sophs: DOAS tomorrow.
JRs: Antigones tomorrow.
Drama: Monologues tomorrow.
:
Congrats to jack Green for getting all of the answers right on the Beat Topham Oscar Showdown! Great job! And what were your favorite moments from the Oscars? Mine had to be Sandra Bullock's speech. Loved it. And I do like those five-person tributes to the Best Actor/Actress nominees. :-)
OK, I will not be in class tomorrow; I have a workshop all day. I'll be in the building, and I might even have the occasion to wander in, but I won't be here. So this is what will occur:
Juniors: I'm copying some of the ESC essays for you to read, or you may have RW. Back to Antigone(s) on Wednesday.
Sophs: There will be a RW tomorrow. DOAS on Wednesday.
Drama: Improv Day!
And now, the Academy Award-Winning Best Animated Short Film, Logorama:
OK, before we get to the important stuff (the Oscar contest), there is a little matter of classwork to take care of...
Juniors: On the boards... In the board "Antigone v Antigone," discuss the openings of both versions of Antigone and how these scenes affect our perceptions of the plays. (If you cannot join the conversation, write a 1-1.5 page essay on this topic.) This is due Monday. RW also on Monday.
Sophs: On the boards... In the board "Specific Scenes," discuss the significance of the following scenes: the Howard scene, the restaurant scene, the Loman family confrontation in Act Two, and the garden scene. (If you cannot join the conversation, choose a scene and write a 1.5 page essay on this topic.)
Drama: Monologue performances on Monday. If I don't have your written work, it is imperative that I get it this weekend. Failure will adversely affect your monologue grades.
And the Oscar will go to...
Who can predict the Oscars better than I can? I'll tell you right now that I'm very likely to be wrong about Best Picture, since I'm going for the huge upset. If you want to join the Beat Topham Oscar Showdown, copy the categories below onto a comment on this or tomorrow's blog post and make your selections. The winner will get bagels for his or her class next Monday and a large bag of M&M's for him or herself.
Rules:
So today was...
Another Wednesday...do you realize that there are only 13 of those remaining in the school year (including Spring Break and exam week)? Who knows: by the time we get there, maybe the snow will have melted...
Juniors: Start thinking about the ESC paper...at least one draft is due before break. Thebes tomorrow, Anouilh Friday. And do I need to order Othello?
Sophs: We're obviously back in DOAS. (Yay us!) And you are buying Catcher. (Yay you!)
Drama: Monologue work tomorrow; performances on Friday.
OK...now what?
:-)
On to the rest of the year!
Juniors: Back to Thebes tomorrow, with a brief stop in ESC-ville, so read the description online of the ESC paper to see if we can get to the bottom of what that assignment is. Don't forget: Anouilh for Thursday. Also: consider the Shakespeare issue: one book or two, Macbeth or Othello, and do you already own them?
Sophs: Back to DOAS tomorrow, so bring your books. And don't forget: buy Catcher this week.
Drama: Memorize!!! (For tomorrow!) And if you have not turned in your written work, it is overdue!
Amazingly cute, with a great final payoff:
Well, I did, but I know a few juniors who didn't...
:-)
They're done!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!
(The "they" in the above sentence, albeit without antecedent, references the junior portfolios, which were of course the primary source of insomnia among procrastinators amid the ranks.)
Juniors: Take a deep breath... Ah..... Feel that? That's the feeling of freedom. Now you merely have to wait. See the Portfolios box to find out whose volume is being read. For tomorrow: more Thebes. For Thursday: Anouilh's Antigone. (Link on E3H page under books.)
Sophs: Read those portfolio requirements (link on left of this page). I'll gladly answer any questions you have. WW tomorrow. Buy Catcher in the Rye. DOAS conversation continues Wednesday, paragraphs are due.
Drama: Teacher Day tomorrow! And how much of your monologues are memorized? (You should have most of them down.)