Day 597: Fledermaus, Fledermaus, Fledermaus, Katze!

A castle in Germany. A hall. Sixty children. Thirteen adults. Three Fledermäuser, flapping and circling. They really were. Three (whole) bats flitting and diving throughout the morning plenary session. The announcements went unnoticed. Even the rather wonderful catsong* played second fiddle to the dip-diving bats. 

We got to touch one of those bats, who'd hidden in the curtains and had fallen down onto someone's chest earlier in the day. The place was amok with biologists (brilliant Claudia, see below), so they knew what to do so as not to hurt it. It was a little, furry honour, to stroke a bat, and then to see it fly off. Claudia had a bat-listening machine, that could pick up tiny sounds they make and amplify them. Secret batness going on all over that place, there was, just out of sight, just out of ear.

Another day of mask and impro, another new group. This lot are feistier, more confident, have done it all before. At the start of the week, I think this is going to be 'more fun'. By the end of it, I was sapped, drained, filled with new compassion for my mother, all those years a teacher with kids who just didn't really want to be there. How do you teach when discipline, getting stuff to happen, getting them engaged in the first place, is such hard work? How do you get the creative brilliance that you can see in them to be invited out when they're not really up for it? What's the deal? It's got me thinking. 

The first group, who were quieter, less sure of themselves, better behaved, played like absolute hilarity ninjas in their show. They listened to each other; they played big; they were loud and brave and magical. I had a tiny cry, so proud and happy for them, I was. They had such an nice time and made everyone laugh. The second show went down really well too, once it got underway... but that audience hadn't seen the first! 

It wasn't about the quality of the show (good/bad/funny/not) - many of that group were more confident, natural actors - it's about the energy and the level of good time they were having on stage and with each other. 

* Brilliant Claudia on the piano, who 'just wanted to play you all a piece', suddenly joined by adult son Niklas, sheet music in hand, who sang with proper Renaissance aplomb - beautiful melodies, one lyric: miaow) and his call-and-response sister, Miriam, who sang the same, deliciously. I had tears ready when the music started - so moving, it was.. .and then that. Still tears (I'm that way out) but happy ones.