A Moose, A Frog, and a Unicorn Walk Into a Bar...well, They Walk Into a Script Exercise in an Undergraduate Shakespeare Course the Day After a Snow Cyclone

The show must go on. Jill Bodach scheduled me to do a writing workshop with 24 undergraduates earlier this semester but the crazy colds going around called for rescheduling. Of course, a snow cyclone also impeded us, but classes were still held at Fairfield University so I was able to do the script-writing exercise with the students to make connections with the playwriting of William Shakespeare, and the agentive practice of being writers themselves.

I'm strategic and asked for the names of the students who would most likely be comfortable dressing up and acting a fool. The plot was whether or not it was appropriate for a Shakespeare instructor to kiss a Frog to turn him into a Prince. Of course, tights and cod-pieces also brought about laughter. 

It's one of my favorite workshops to give and I've yet to see it fail, as I write the entire class into a script so the students only have to participate to get the content. 

Needless to say, I was on campus early yesterday for meetings (ZOOM) to be followed by the class, to be followed to a trip home to walk the dog, to be followed by a turbo section of undergraduate and graduate students at night. I survived, and with more snow this morning, accompanied with delays and cancellation, I know longer have to spend the next two days in schools. I'm free to work on a faculty search, instead. 

I try hard not to lose sleep and to get the stress off my plate so I can rest, but some days and nights are harder than others. Spring Break arrives after next week. I cannot wait. I need a separation from working needing to be done (knowing I need those days to actually get the work done....WITHOUT MEETINGS). 

Happy Wednesday, World. For those of you fasting, hang in there. For those of you praying, I am with you, too. We all deserve so much better.