November 3, 2011

The “post-mortem” for Our Town was cancelled moments before it was meant to happen. Cast members think it’s so the department doesn’t have to hear criticism, so it can maintain its old path of oblivious self-satisfaction. I think they’re probably right.

Enraging rehearsal last night. It’s curious how too much effort, wrongly directed, ends up with too little product. Did end the night merrily at Avenue M over drinks, Jake the Actor joining our churchly party. We bitched about everybody, and felt better for it.

Students not doing their work, not reading their assignments, smiling sweetly while you go on about matters about which they are blissfully ignorant, To punish or let pass? Surely I skipped assignments in my day, but I don’t remember, until it came to the 4th Henry James in graduate school. Unlike us, they can’t even rely on a foundation of general knowledge. Discussing Tennyson I would have been happy had they known ANYTHING about the Arthurian tales, but they apparently didn’t, except for some revisionist crap lately on TV.

The antique rose is suddenly, miraculously covered with November blossoms, dusty pink, oblivious to the hour.