Piggy Pate' and the Polyester  Purple Pantsuit


The rest of the year with Ms. Piggy seemed to get more and more contentious, but the worst conflict yet was regarding yearbook pictures.  I was, I don't remember how or why, the announcement reader.  Every morning, I went to the office at the beginning of second period to read the announcements over the intercom.  Sometimes I did "specials" which were mini advertisements for the new edition of the school newspaper, or the opening of the plays.  ( My friend Cindy and I got in trouble for some semi-off-color jokes a couple of times, but that another story...)

One day, I saw an announcement for drama club yearbook  photos after school.  Since there was an operetta rehearsal after school, I  figured this was an attempt by Miss Piggy to keep me and the other operetta cast members out of the picture.  I also felt as if setting up yearbook pics was my job as president and that I, at least, should have been told that it was happening.  Thinking about this now, I feel I was clueless, a little arrogant and overstepping my place as a student.  But, at the time. I felt perfectly within my rights to refuse to read the announcement until I had some clarity. 

What I remember about the aftermath is probably  skewed, but, somehow, I  ended up being called in to talk to Ms. Piggy and the other drama club sponsor.  I had an okay relationship with her, although  fraught with exasperation on her part.  She was angry and made the point that she had already set up the pictures and talked to Mr. Burkel to have permission for operetta people to be late.  She was understandably mad and was setting appropriate limits.  But Ms. Piggy made it personal and told me I was not special and that I had always acted too big for my britches.  I think she took out all her frustration with the whole program on me and it felt as if her goal was to break me and "put me in my place". 

Since then, I have had encounters with people who wanted me to feel small or who wanted me to grovel, and although upsetting, I am able to understand and manage such things.   But, as a kid who really felt pretty small and insignificant already, it was very puzzling and devastating.  I think that other kids in high school must have thought that  I had a lot of confidence.  When I look at pictures of myself from that time, I can see that I was pretty beautiful.  I see that I was very visible in school and successful in things like getting into plays or having solos in choir, but honestly, I was always surprised when those things happened.  I didn't see myself as one of the popular kids or as particularly cute.  When Ms. Piggy read me the riot act, it hit on all my worst feeling about myself.

I actually really wanted to write about this, even though I know it is not a funny, light hearted story.  I actually had a hard time remembering this incident, and a difficult time admitting my responsibility for all that happened with Ms.  Piggy.  I had my own "mean girl" moments with Ms. Piggy and wish I had been able to have things be different with her.  BUT, Ms. Piggy handled things poorly, too, and she was an adult. 

That day I went to rehearsal and used my feeling and emotions in my scene where I had to tell my father (Tevye) that I did not want to marry the matchmakers choice for me.  I cried for real and think I freaked Robert (Tevye) out a little.  But it ended up being a really good scene, and I thought about having Ms. Piggy come to chew me out and say mean thing every day before that scene!  No, not really.  If I were a better actor, I would have been able to conjure up those feelings on my own! 

Do you know, that after all that, I still tried out for the Spring play and was surprised that I didn't get in?  Duh!  I wasn't sure what I would do with myself without play rehearsals, but I think I had a pretty good time just hanging out with my friends and (gasp) getting homework completed!


There is one more chapter to the Ms. Piggy story.  Ms.  Piggy, whose last name also started with a P and sounded something like goose liver pate', had the unfortunate habit of wearing a purple pantsuit.  Not a good look...Every year, we had a drama club  awards banquet.  We had nominees ala the Oscars and the drama club voted for their choices for thing like best actor and best student director.  Part of the banquet was a student written skit which was a mash-up of all the years plays. I think we named it something like, the case of the purple pantsuit and made some not to subtle digs about Ms. Piggy.

Now, I think that would be a great title for a short story Piggy Pate and the Polyester Purple Pantsuit...

Fiddler on the Roof

The operetta my senior year was Fiddler on the Roof.  I dreamt about being in the operetta like other kids thought of prom or maybe playing the big football  game. I had journal entries from my freshman year expressing the angst I felt when contemplating not getting into the operetta my senior year!  Somehow, it never occurred to me that anything but more talented students would keep me from getting a part.  I thought hard work would be everything I needed.  Now, I felt a threat from within the judging panel itself!   Never mind that I was pretty sure that the rest of the judges would judge me purely on whether or not I could carry the part!  I just didn't know how much weight each judge carried and what clout Miss Piggy had in swaying the other judges opinion!. 

I'm pretty sure Mr. Burkel picked the shows for operetta based on talent pool.  I think he picked Fiddler for the quantity of good female roles since we had so many talented girls that year and barring a bomb of an audition or a broken leg, he probably had a good idea of who would get cast.  But for an 18 year od with esteem issues, it was a much bigger mystery! 

Miss Piggy was always a surprise to me.  I had not really had issues with a teachers in High School.  Even the Phys. Ed teacher liked me, and it was not because of my great athletic ability!  I'm sure that I was annoying and a little demanding, but basically, I was a good kid who was happy to please adults.  I just couldn't please Ms. Piggy.

I did get a good part in the operetta, despite Ms. Piggy's efforts to keep me out.  I should not have been privvy to certain information about the selection process, but it has been 33 years, and some of the key players aren't even around any more, so I am telling what I know/knew.  (I feel scandalous!)

I guess, Ms. Piggy told the other judges that they should not consider giving me a part, because I would probably be unavailable for rehearsals  due to over-involvement.  She then, unwittingly, listed church choir, orchestra, Jefferson City Symphony and probably something else she thought equally as damning.  Unfortunately, Ms. Piggy had not done her homework. She did not realize that the other judges were also involved in those things.  They had known me since 5th grade, knew my dad, and knew that responsibility to those organizations was a priority.  The 2nd/3rd hand story is that Mr. Burkel said to Ms. Piggy, "Miss Baur has been a responsible member of those organizations for years, and she has never allowed her involvement to interfere with participating in school activities"... Or something like that... Rather than ensuring that I did not get a role, she probably solidified it.

I do not want to give the impression that my involvement in Fiddler was just a way to thumb my nose in the face of Ms. Piggy by getting a part.  Contrary.  Being in the operetta was the high point of my senior year if not most of High School.  Rivaled only by having a solo at Capital Caroling, the operetta was everything I had thought about for the last four years.  I got to hang with my friends. I got to sing.  I got to be part of the lead group and feel special.  I got to flirt with the guys and make new friendships with people I thought were too cool to hang with me.  It was just icing to hear Ms. Piggy mispronounce my character's name in front of the whole cast...

Now that I am an adult and have the opportunity to understand her side of the situation, I can see why I was such a thorn in her side.  At our initial meeting, my agenda was to tell her how to run her program.  I wanted her to do things they way (in my mind) they had always been done.  I was bossy and probably seemed entitled to her.  I would have been amusing to an older, more confident, more seasoned teacher.

As a Play Therapist, I have to set limits on kids behavior.  The way to set limits is called  ACT.  I always call it the ACT formula as if it is a Fluoride rinse.  It is, though, equally as effective so, I think that is okay!  ACT stands for Acknowledge the feeling or intention, Communicate the limit, and Target an acceptable alternative. In setting limits with kids, it would look something like this:  "Eli, I know you like to play "cowboy"[acknowledge the intention], but the dog is not for riding like a horse [communicate the limit].  Maybe you could ask Daddy to be your horse". [target the alternative}.  If I was to go back to that first meeting with Ms. Piggy, I would use the ACT method to communicate.  "Ms. Piggy, " (always use the name to ensure they know you are talking to them), "I know how hard it is to be a new teacher, and I am sure you have lots of plans for this year.  However, I am only here for one more year, and I have been looking forward to this year since I was a freshman.  Maybe we can collaborate to keep the old traditions, and blend in some of your new ideas."

Alternatively,  Ms. Piggy could have said, "I imagine that it must be very hard to lose your drama teachers your senior year and I know how important your traditions have become to you.  But since I am here now,  I would love to start some new traditions and share my ideas for the program.  Maybe we could collaborate to come up with some cool ideas."  That's what she could have said and the year would have gone much smoother.

There is more to say about  both Ms. Piggy and about Fiddle on the Roof.  But that's enough for today!

Operettas

The first Operetta I saw was South Pacific.  I was in 7th grade, and the kids all looked so sophisticated to me.  I think my sister must have been playing flute in the pit., and, although I didn't  know him yet, my future friend, Ray/Eeyore, was one of the French children. 

Mr. Burkel was basically the producer/director of the production, with assistance from the drama teachers and the orchestra director.  This, along with Capitol Caroling was his big achievement for the year.  He knew his talent pool, and picked his show accordingly.  I'm pretty sure he picked South Pacific for the girl who played Bloody Mary because she was amazing,  though, to me, all the kids were as good as professionals! (Stage struck!)

The next year, the show was Music Man.  I actually did know some of the kids who were in the band Harold Hill puts together.  And the following year, I was a freshman!

 We did Camelot and I tried out, of course, but since  so did every other drama/choir geek, my chances were pretty much zero.  My sister got the part of Moran Le Fay and I got to play in the pit orchestra.  A word about the pit;  I don't remember any way to get in the pit besides just crawling down the sides.  Over the years, I came to know that many orchestra pits have alternative methods of entry.  At The University of Missouri in Kansas City, where I when to college, the pit was part of the stage when not in use.  During shows, the motorized floor would lower.  The best use of that pit was during accordion concerts.  UMKC was one of the only places where you could get a degree in accordion.  When the accordion orchestra had concerts, they would start off with the pit lowered.  The musicians would start playing, and, as if ascending from Hell, the whole accordion program would emerge.  This really was something to behold!  Here is a link to a youtube of them:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfx49D_cflc

I remember spending much of my time in the pit attempting so see the show from my really crappy vantage point.  This was especially problematic when I rubbernecked while trying to play!  Intonation be damned, I want to watch the show!  My mom made that Morgan  Le Fay Costume and it got worn for many a Halloween concerts while I was at UMKC.

My sophomore year we did Annie Get Your Gun.  I was pretty sure I would get a part when my Orchestra teacher asked me if I would rather have a  small part on stage or play in the orchestra.  I am sure I disappointed him when I didn't even think about it  and just screamed "Stage!"  So when the cast list came out, I was not that surprised to see my name on it as one of Annie's little sisters.  This was especially apropos since Beth was Annie.  We,were playing a back woods family, so Beths first appearance on stage, was in a gunny sack dress.  Lovely!

 In one scene we were traveling on a ship with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show One of Annie sister's had a line  about playing with the rats below deck.  In another scene, for some reason, my character was not mentioned in the libretto, even though the other sisters were.  During long off-stage breaks, sometimes we would head to Central Dairy.  Since I wasn't in that scene and had awhile until my next appearance, I figured I was due for a junior delight sundae and headed out to Central Dairy.  When I got back, Mr. Bukel said sternly "Miss Baur, you missed your scene."  I was surprised and said, "But I'm not in that scene in the libretto!"  he said, "Well, why not?  Where else would you be?"  And I replied, not even trying to be snarky, "I guess I'm downstairs playing with the rats."  He turned away for a moment, and, at the time, I thought he was angry.   In hindsight, I think he was trying to keep a straight face.  He turned back and said, "Well, I  think you should be in that scene".  Although I was always glad to have more stage time, I did miss my Central Dairy breaks!

The next year we did the  Sound of Music.  I was cast as one of the nuns, and got to sing a little one line solo.  The other nuns and I tried to find the most risqué thing we could to wear under our habits. The other girls always out did me because, the only underwear I had was one step away from granny panties.  I think I borrowed a tee shirt from a friend that said "Bitch" on it and I wore that 'cause I figured that was pretty irreverent for a nun!

That brings us to senior year.  Ms.Piggy (the new drama teacher, not the Muppet) figures in this episode, so I will save it for next time!

Senior serious drama

The saintly, patient drama teachers left the school after my junior year.  I take direct responsibility and blame... No, of course, they needed to move on.  They were a young hip couple who probably found greener pastures.    As the president of the Drama Club (go figure), my goal was to continue to have traditions remain, at least during my tenure!  I asked the new Drama teacher and her assistant to
lunch with myself and the other drama club officers.  I won't mention names here, but the new Drama teacher's name rhymed with Piggy, so I will refer to her as Piggy for purposes of this  blog. 

If you are a teacher and you have a new position replacing a popular teacher, take some advice.  Do not disparage the previous teacher.  Do not change popular traditions, at least not at first.  Get the newer kids on board with your agenda, but please do not get rid of the old guard.  They will graduate soon enough and old traditions will be forgotten.

Miss Piggy did not have such sage advice to follow.  The assistant sponsor was an English Teacher and seemed a tad more savvy.  I did not ingratiate myself with either at the luncheon.  But they, especially Miss Piggy didn't sit well with me, either.  Fasten your seat belts. We're in for a bumpy Senior year!

The Fall play went okay.  We did Cheaper by the Dozen and I actually did not play a maid. We had a good time, and I even hosted the cast party at the parsonage!

Me, my boyfriend, Kent ( who played my brother in the play (eww), and my best friend Cindy in the dining room at the parsonage. See the pocket door behind me?  Love those!

 

 

 

 

 

The problems with Miss Piggy started at Homecoming.  Each club/organization was supposed to put together a float for the Homecoming parade.  Floats take time, and even though I was president, putting together  float was not on my agenda.  I couldn't even ride on it since I had to march with the Jayettes, which was our pep club with uniforms and everything,  The sponsor, who was the PE teacher, liked me for some reason, and I didn't want to tick her off.  Somehow, even though we had meetings about the float and even had a float committee, since I was busy and couldn't attend the actual creation process more than a few times, I took  heat from Miss Piggy for not being involved enough.  The float never got made and just a handful of kids dressed in costumes, carried  banner and marched. 

 

I probably was a terrible president, but it didn't help that the teacher/sponsors were new and couldn't guide me.  I actually take responsibility for many thing, and am aware of my mistakes, but in this case, an adult has culpability for making a relationship with an 18 year old work more smoothly.  That's how I roll now when working with teens,  and I think Miss Piggy could have been A LOT more sensitive. 

 

I think this is a good place to leave you hanging!  Next stop, the operettas... 

 

 

 

Sophomore and Junior Drama

I got some pretty good parts my Sophomore year.  We did She Stoops to Conquer in the Fall, and Beth had the lead (of course).  I got to play the maid.  Hey, wait a minute!  Not so great a part!  Beth took acting seriously.  I wanted to be I plays because we got to mess around and have fun between scenes.  At that stage of the drama game, I was more interested in who was also off stage at the same time. But, I got to use a fake British accent in that show. I had my friend, Christopher Robin...er,  Martin, give me some lessons.  For Evening of drama, I was in Animal Farm and my character was described as a stocky and Matronly.  That was an esteem builder!  I did get to sing, though and that was fun.  Spring play was The Miracle Worker, and Beth was...not in it!  Oh the agony for a budding actor!  I was the old maid aunt and had to wear ugly aging makeup.  More esteem building...

My sister took acting seriously.  She was an artist and being in the plays for her was honing her craft.  For me, it was a way to stay connected with my friends and stay in the public eye! Plus, the smartest, funniest, most creative people I knew were all in drama.  The little theater became  hangout spot.  I even used to sneak down during school because it had a private bathroom I could use.  The girls restroom during breaks, was no place to go if you had to pee!  All the tough girls hung out there and smoked and called "redneck" and "Dork" and worse!  

Beth made up for not getting a part by being a student director.  She actually understood her role and took it seriously.  I didn't get into the fall play my junior year, so did a stint at student directing myself.  The drama teachers must have been saints because, once again they had to put up with my cluelessness! 

The high point of junior year was a play called The Real Inspector Hound. First off, I had a wacky role and actually had a lot of fun.  Secondly, all my best friends were in it, and lastly it's went I started dating my one true high school boyfriend, Kent.  So I managed to combine three of my main reasons for being in high school to that one play! 

Another thing I liked about the Little Theater, was the dressing rooms.  There was an open make-up area and then private dressing rooms for boys and girls.  The one and only time I ever watched the show Dallas, was the "who shot JR" episode.   I don't remember what play that was, but one of the guys had a little black and white tv in the boys dressing room.  Some yelled, "It's on!" , and everyone crammed into the boys dressing room, in various stages of undress, to see who shot JR. 

Martin and I goofing around in the makeup room.  I was the maid (again!   Type casting?) and he was the debonair Inspector or something like that...

 

Stephanie and Phil (doing his Rex Reed impersonation) in costume.

 

Which brings me to my senior year. I'll save that for later

 

 

 

The Drama

In this case, I don't mean teen drama, although there was plenty of that.  I mean the myriad plays I either had parts in, or some other way got myself involved!

We had four plays every year.  Three were in the Little Theater and one was the big operetta. My goal was to be in all of them!  The first production of the year was the fall play.  My freshman year it was The Lark, a drama about Joan of Arc, and my sister had the lead.  My friend, Jere, Billy's brother, had a major role, too. One of the scenes called for his character to take a big bite out of an onion, as if it was an apple.  The rest of the scene was just Beth trying to remember her lines through a miasma of onion emanating from Jere's person.  I think he smelled like onion for days after, too!  I did not get a part, but put myself on every production committee, Including makeup even though I barely knew a mascara from eye shadow myself!  Ruined a lot of perfectly good make up brushes!  I did much better being an usher and taking people to there seats and handing them a program.

I am going to put the spring Operetta's into their own post, and I am also going to skip ahead and tell you about Spring Play my freshman year.  We did The Apple Tree which is a three part musical with Adam and Eve (Beth played Eve), The Lady or the Tiger, and Cinderella.  When the cast list came out someone told me that I was on the list.  When I saw the list, lo and behold, I was not on it!  (This next part is so embarrassing).  So instead of saying, Oh, bummer! I didn't get in after all".  I just figured a mistake had been made and somehow, I had been left off the list!  I was so convinced that this was true, and I actually repeated the story so many time, that the drama teachers ( A husband and wife team named Mr. and Mrs. Bakewell), actually took pity on me and gave me one line to say in the whole darn thing.  I was never aware of this kindness to a clueless 9th grader and hope they know how grateful and mortified I am!  Being in the play meant I could hang out in the little theater during rehearsals without  just being a nuisance! 

My favorite memory of that is of hanging with Billy.  Billy was also a bit player.  H played a life sized Oscar award.  Really!  He wore a full piece long underwear suit painted gold which meant he wanted to look lean and buff.  He would do sit ups during breaks and had someone feed him an M&M after everyone he completed as incentive!  Talk about defeating the purpose!  I also enjoyed watching Jere sing rock and roll in the Cinderella sequence.   I think that was a pretty serious challenge but he pulled it off through sheer charisma!

 Evening of Drama was another production each year. It was a series of student directed one acts.  There were usually two or three depending on the number of submissions
Kids could pick the play, the cast, and how the wanted the thing to be staged etc.  My  cello stand partner in orchestra was also a theater person.  She was going to direct  The House at Pooh Corner and wanted me to try out.  So I did (and would have anyway) and she cast me as Pooh.  The play took on a life of it's own and JB(she went by her initials which were perfect for a director In the theater "I'm ready for my close-up, JB") got a little carried away.  She named us "The Pooh Company.  She got us t-shirts with our characters names on them (I still have mine!) and she booked us to do performances at the grade schools and for community groups in addition to the actual Evening of drama.  We even went to Six Flags in our t-shirts and got lots of attention there!

My favorite performance was for the Developmentally Delayed adult group.  A story arcs in the play was trying to find Tigger something to eat.  One of the audience member kept yelling out "Eat me!" The funniest part was watching Tigger (Phil) and Eeyore (Randy) try to complete the scene without cracking up!

Here's a pic:  Sitting Roo (Anne), first row Piglet (Kim),Pooh (me), Eeyore (Randy), Christopher Robin (Martin), Tigger (Phil), Kanga (Nancy) Rabbit (Alan). Back Row:  JB, Owl (Michelle) and I think that is our student teacher peeking out from behind.  The funny thing is, that I think our characters matched our personalirties.  Ann was bouncy and curious. Kim was shy but wise.  I was friendly and all about food.  Randy was a little cranky sentimental. Martin was from England, so didn't have to fake the accent.  Phil was frenetic and funny and into everything.  Nancy was like our mini mother. Alan was a curmudgeon intellect.  And Michelle was wise and observant.  I'm  still all about the food, by the way!

 

I'll move on to sophomore year next time.  See ya! 

The real reason I went to school... 

In no particular order, I went to school to a).  Hang with my buds, b). Get dates, and c).  Participate in extra-curricular stuff.  If I  was real lucky, all three would converge.  If  I was super lucky, all three would converge and be an academic  class as well ( choir, orchestra, drama.)

Most of my time was spent in the music category.  I was in the junior church choir and graduated to the senior choir.  I was in the orchestra and took cello lessons.  Upon entering High School, I landed in the Jefferson City Symphony (sounds like a bigger deal than it is).  I didn't have room in my schedule during junior high to be in the school choir, but as soon as I could fit it in, I was in the school choir.  I tried out for and got into the Chorale choir my junior and senior year.  Oh, and we had a church handbell choir and I was in that, too.  Makes me tired just thinking about it now!  And that was just the music potion of my schedule!

You may be wondering how I was able to all of that, (plus all the other stuff I did).  Well, my church choir director, the Symphony conductor and the high school choir director were all the same person!  My orchestra teacher was a member of my church choir and the Symphony, too so there was never any cross over. 

Mr. Burkel was something special for Jefferson City (or really any where for that  matter).  His name was Carl E. Burkel and I  think the "E" stood for enigma. We kids referred to him as CEB amongst ourselves, but had way too much respect for him to call him anything but Mr. Burkel or Sir to his face.  He was a true Renaissance man.  Adept at playing the organ, understanding art, conducting vocal and orchestral music and getting us to sound amazing. 

This man went to Europe every year to see the stained glass windows in obscure churches.  He had a Christmas Ornament collection that had to number in the thousands.  One was made from a splinter of wood he had pulled out of his bum after getting skewered while sliding across a bench that Franz Gruber had sat on to compose Silent Night. His ornament collection was so extensive that he had to hang a different set  each year, and even them,  he had to have a rotating tree stand in order for all of them to be seen. 

Burkel inspired awe in all of us. He, along with my equally wonderful orchestra teacher and the band director created a music program that could rival any in the country - as far as I'm concerned anyway!

I am going to write more about our awesome program, but I want to return to the parsonage for a minute.  My room faced toward the church.  I had a wonderful view of the stained glass and the steeple.  On the hour, the bell would ring and a hymn would play on the carillon.  I know it was actually just a tape, but I thought it was great, anyway.  But better still were my own private organ concerts courtesy of CEB himself.  Every once in a while, Mr. Burkel would come to church on Saturday  to practice on the amazing organ.  I know he usually practiced at home on his personal organ or on the harpsichord he built himself.  But once in a while he needed to hone Sunday music  choices on the real deal pipe organ and so would come to the church. 

In the summer, the windows to the narthex  would be open and I could listen to his whole practice session.  The piece he practiced for the most was Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.  You would recognize the Toccata part as the music for Dracula, but the best part of that piece was the fugue!  Mr. Burkel could really get going to that piece.  His fingers would pretzel themselves across the keys while he deftly pulled and pushed the right stops.  His legs and feet got a workout, too as he played the low pipes, sometimes alone and some times in harmony with his fingers.  His organ playing was 1,000 times harder and took more coordination that driving a stick shift car up the big hills in the snow!

I didn't know what an amazing gift I was given in being privy to Mr. Burkel's private practice sessions. Too young to appreciate how rare and wonderful this was!

Mr. Burkel will figure in future posts, but I want to close today with this.  In Dec. of '95 when my son was just four months old, my dad called to tell me that Mr. Burkel had a heart attack and died.  Fatefully, my dad had been in Jefferson City and had been able to see Mr. Burkel and show him pictures of Eli just the day before .  So, now I think Eli has a special place as one of the last new babies to be in Mr. Burkel's life.  I choose to believe Mr. Burkel  is watching over Eli and the rest of us while wailing away on the best organ in Heaven.  And he doesn't even have to practice to get every note exactly right!