On the Road with Taproot Theatre

Jumping Boulders

We stayed in Yakima for two weeklong tours. At the end of each day we were able to go to a hotel room and completely vege for the rest of the night. This was quite appealing at first but soon became constricting. So a few of us hopped into Simone (our van) and headed out into the great orchards and vineyards that populate Yakima's landscape.

We seemed to put any of the gunk of our lives on pause by jumping boulders and breathing in the openness. Quite refreshing.

Labels: Yakima

It's 5:00 a.m. and I'm supposed to catch a bus and be to the theater by 6:30. Now, as a kid I'd get myself out of bed by thinking of breakfast and chocolate milk, in college it was coffee, but those things don't seem to help anymore so I have to work a little harder. I remind myself how amazing it would have been for me (in middle school) to have had someone encourage me to stick up for myself, to think about true friendship, to talk with a trusted friend and ask if they would stop a rumor if it was spread about me or stand near me if I was being picked on. That encouragement would have made a big difference in my life - and it's encouragement like this that I get to participate in everyday. This is what gets me out of bed.

At the end of this long day of performing "Witness" (our secondary education show) a staff member of the school comes up to me and says,
"This was the best assembly I've ever been to. And I've been working in the schools for 30 years."
"Thank you." I say - and think to myself, "This will help me get up tomorrow."

-solomon

By Laura Bannister

There's something about having a disaster/adventure on the way to one of our shows that makes doing the show seem even more meaningful.

Whether it's along the lines of the flat tire we had the other week, or having to leap around puddles in the pouring rain to open a gate, or finding ourselves in a gravel manufacturing lot instead of the school we hoped to find, it is so satisfying to finally perform at those schools! We have never missed a show this year (many of my favorites are the ones we almost missed).

Getting stuck in the snow last Monday was one of these days. Nearly all the schools in and around Seattle were canceled for the day, but our show was up in Ferndale where school was still happening. Four of us were able to get to the theatre in the snow, but Alicia's apartment is in one of the areas that got the most snow and she couldn't make it down to Greenwood. So we headed off to pick her up. Solomon drove, because it seemed wise to have the person from Iowa drive rather than have one of the Washingtonians or the Virginian (me) tackle the snow.

Alicia walked from her house towards the interstate, but when we picked her up and went to turn the van around, we got stuck in the snow. None of us had ever put chains on tires before. Now we know how. The snow was still coming down as we deciphered the pseudo-English instructions for using the chains and wrestled them on the tires. The windshield also picked this day to crack. This proceeded to spread during the day to a giant squiggle nearly spanning the entire windshield.

It was impossible to do our show at the scheduled time, but Adrienne talked with our contact at the school and rescheduled for after lunch.

So we trekked on up towards Ferndale, but realized that we had two extra hours. We wandered about in the mall in Bellingham to stay warm and occupied, then arrived in Ferndale to perform Camp Super Friend.

The kids were very engaged and vocal that day (I always love the suggestions they shout to us during the shows). And it was delightful to know that we had made it through all that snow to their school.

After the show, one of the little girls came up to Solomon and asked him about his speed reading super power. She couldn't quite figure out what was real and what was pretend. Solomon explained how he flips the pages and moves his eyes and pretends to have read the entire book during the sound cue. Finally it dawned on her how this could be possible. She said, "so, the sound is real, but you can't really read books that fast?" I love that the magic of theatre is heightened for the littlest kids.

Labels: bullying, bulying prevention, touring shows, travel

1. After we packed up the van to return back home to Taproot, Adrienne and Alicia headed to the office to purchase school t-shirts. While Daniel, Laura and I stood behind the school next to the van a young lady walked up to me.
"Hey. I go to school here and I just wanted to tell you that I think you guys made a big difference today."
"Thank you" I replied.
"Bullying is a big thing here. I see it everyday. What you guys did today is good for our school. I just wanted to tell you."

2. As I walked to the gym to perform Witness an eighth-grader stopped me and asked what we were going to do for the assembly.
"We're going to do a play about issues at your school."
"Oh, like bullying and stuff?"
"Yeah, like bullying."
Bullying was the first issue that came to his mind. Perhaps he already knew what we were going to do but wanted to ask anyway. But maybe that really was the first thing that came to his mind.

Blessings,solomon

Labels: bullying, bullying prevention, touring shows

by Daniel Stoltenberg

Labels: bullying prevention, teamwork, touring shows

by Alicia Anderson

After returning from a long and adventurous time of Christmas touring, the Road Company is back together and better than ever! Not only in the acting department ;) but technologically as well. When we returned we were greeted with the awesome and totally exciting news that a donor had come on board and blessed us with the most amazing Christmas gift of...

drum roll please...

a GPS!

We were thrilled! We couldn't wait to get in the car and test this new piece of technological genius out. After years of exploring through uncharted areas and guessing on sides streets with no names, we would finally be getting a "cheat sheet" to help us get to our destinations!

Our first time out with it we were excited beyond measurement - not only did we find shorter routes, but the GPS knows everything that's around the area (where to eat, get coffee, etc.) SO we had a lot of fun getting to learn all the ins and outs of this brilliant little piece of machinery. Furthermore, with us being the personal people we are, we had to give the GPS a name. As some of you know, on our earlier blogs we have referred to our giant 15 passenger white van endearingly as "Simone", so what would be a more fitting name for its counterpart than "Pumba". So now when we roll up to your school we are accompanied by the incomparable duo of Pumba and Simone!

Thank you so much to our benefactors who have blessed us so greatly! We love you!

Labels: bullying prevention, GPS, touring shows

by Solomon Davis

Labels: Christmas, performances, touring shows