Last Thursday night I stayed after school to do some work, get dinner with another teacher, and go to the school play. This year they did something new — a devised play. The students that were in the cast were given a theme and tasked with writing the play themselves. The result was a series of skits that all tied together by the common theme that was assigned: change.

I loved it! I laughed and cried and saw some of my students in a new light. I was impressed with the depth of some of the issues they addressed. From the hypocrisy of religion to its true meaning, cancer and the concept of our mortality, and the shallow nature as well as the (sometimes unnoticed) compassion of humanity.

There was a scene put to music without any dialogue that really touched me. It was a montage of the life of a man that lead to his homelessness. It showed him being picked up, walked with, then abandoned, pushed down, ignored, and finally looked down upon.

It was by far one of the best plays I’ve seen and I was so proud of all the hard work and heart that went into it. I was sure to tell the students I had in class the next day to go see it. I also made sure to express how much I enjoyed the play to the students who were a part of it. They all seemed very happy to hear that I came to watch.