The One Where I Tell a Gleeful Little Story
I just now watched last week’s Glee. Omigosh. It was sooo good. I almost gave up on that show early on, but I really am glad I didn’t. The music last week was the best yet.
How can one girl be that talented? I mean she’s got it. She is Broadway. And that dress? Super cute.
And then Mercedes’ “And I Am Telling You” from Dream Girls.
Y’all that is some church right there. I had chills when I saw that the first time.
I love it when they cut to Mr. Schuester and he’s all teary eyed. I taught drama for four awesome years, and I would always sit on the front row and watch my kids during performances and would just randomly tear up at their (in my head) greatness. Especially at the standing ovations at the end. We always did standing Os because 1. They deserved it and 2. I knew some of those kids had never had one, and by dang nobody was leaving my class without knowing what that felt like.
I get asked a lot about my inspiration for my first series, A Katie Parker Production. I’ve said this in a bunch of online interviews before (so skip down if you’ve heard it), but Katie, a foster kid, is based on two students I had when I taught drama. I was working in a small school and we didn’t have a drama program. So I got the privilege of starting one. It was very loosey goosey make it up as you go, but it was still fun and got the job done. My first year I had a student I’ll call Maggie. And one I’ll call Sarah. Maggie had a horrible home life. She was fairly new and she was one tough cookie. She didn’t have any home life to speak of. If I remember correctly, she had one parent in jail and one who didn’t take care of her. Tossed around a lot. She was angry at the world. And with good reason. Maggie got stuck in my drama class, and she was not someone who had a desire to act. She didn’t like it, but to give her credit, she was not a quitter, and she stuck with it. Plus, we never had homework.
Sarah, on the other hand, did have a great family. A good kid. But she hadn’t found her niche yet. She’s wasn’t on the honor roll. She wasn’t a cheerleader. She wasn’t in band or an athlete. She lived in that horrible place of in between. But when Sarah found the spotlight, she found her high school calling. I watched a girl step on the stage and step into confidence. Because she was good. And she knew it. And it was important she knew it.
We performed a play called Fools by Neil Simon. One of his lesser known plays, but I think one of the best simply because I never felt the urge to fall asleep. It was funny, ironic, a true comedy, had dumb humor, and written for entertainment and not for a message. This was the play where one super modest boy had to kiss Sarah, but he never would in practice, so we turned the tables on him and made her kiss him. On opening night she dipped him. And dropped him. I wanted to hand her an Oscar.
The show is over. My kids come out. They’re beaming. I’m beaming. They’re thrilled. I’m thrilled. And they get a standing ovation. (Led by their teacher, but it still counts.) And when the show was over and parents began to claim their kids, I saw Maggie walk out alone. And I asked, “Who was here to watch you?” And she said (and I will never, ever forget this moment if I live to be a hundred) “No one.” No one. She performed her heart out, saw a crowd stand to their feet in her honor, and no one was there to see it. This was basically a metaphor for her entire life. And I remember thinking, “If you get a standing ovation and no one is there to see it, does it even count? Does it exist?”
The happy ending to this story is that later in the year Maggie was taken in by her boyfriend’s aunt. And this woman fed her some home cooking, checked her report cards, showed up for conferences, and loved this girl who had seen more drama than she would ever find in my class. I saw her change into a totally different kid. No longer angry, but still feisty. And she finally had someone to see her standing ovations.
The combination of those two girls became my Katie Parker, and it was a gift to watch both those transformations.
Just felt like sharing. I will bring the snark back on Friday.
JEN
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14 Comments so far
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ok i’m crying…THANKS!
Glee-Yep, I loved it-uh-mazing!! I don’t want to wait til April for more. I think I may cry tonight when it’s not on.
And thank you for sharing that story. I think that’s a great inspiration and I hope those two girls are doing well. I think that’s the best part of working with teens-really getting to know them and see them shine and watch them grow.
what a great story! im really glad there was a happy ending cause i was getting bummed out by maggie. youre such a nice lady!
Such a great story, Jen! No doubt the encouragement of a tender-hearted drama teach aided both of their transformations!
I didn’t know all that about Katie Parker…sniff, sniff, wonderful story.
And why have I not been watching Glee? I’m a self-proclaimed musical geek, raising 4 musical lovers (15 year old got part of Gideon in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers as a freshman, just had to throw that in…) And I tear up everytime my kids perform, except for the last show where they’ve played the same parts for the third year in a row! And my kids know how it feels to have no one (except mom) show up at their shows. They’re used to it, but when someone does show up that they know, you can’t wipe the beam from their face. It really does make a difference. Bravo to you, Jen, for knowing that!
We never know how what difference our kindness makes in the world, but I am fairly confident that you helped to change the lives of 2 people. Thank you for taking care of these girls.
I never knew that story! What a blessing YOU were to those girls, and to the many other students you’ve had/have now. Especially one former blonde who thinks you rock!
It sounds like you were a great drama teacher! And I agree what a blessing you were to those girls I bet they will never forget you, you probably made a HUGE impact in their lives.
I’ve read the background behind Katie Parker before, but I still enjoy reading it. So great to know that you were such a great influence on their lives. And that the books we all love have a true life story behind it. (Kinda like “End of the Spear” or “Blind Side.” Except funnier.)
I have never been so touched in my life. Thank you.
Margaret, Sophie is such a rat. But yeah. I owe you two some books for sure.
Okay — I’ve done been to church and had me a big ol’ crying fit.
First, I gave up on Glee, but I just MAY have to catch up and jump back on the Glee wagon.
Next, I loved the story of Katie. I work with foster children and I spend many days with my heart in my throat.
What a great story, Jen.
Thank you so much for writing about this. It’s very heart warming and I find myself feeling everything you describe. I’ve always wondered where your inspiration for Katie came from and now I know. Love it!
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