Bringing Back Thespis

One of the things that I have been thoroughly enjoying as Carol and I have been diving deeply into the online world of blogs and podcasts over the last several months is the opportunity it has given me to learn in greater detail about the technical aspects of becoming one of the computer and social media cognoscente…

Hah! 

For those of you who don’t really know me very well, allow me this moment to say I DON’T DO TECHNOLOGY! Those who do know me well are still laughing at the large dose of sarcasm in the paragraph above.

However, in keeping with the theme of our website, I firmly believe that I can Grow Me A Story, and part of that story will be learning to use some of the amazing tools available to help us all share the creative gifts we have been given.

I’m sharing another poem I penned several years ago while teaching at Kellogg High School. I’d like to thank Kelton Enich for the opportunity she gave to her students and to the KHS staff to be a part of a poetry reading at Radio Brewing in uptown Kellogg. But just putting this poem onto paper isn’t good enough. “Spoken word” poetry is meant to be heard, so, if all goes well, you can not only read the poem but listen to me read it by clicking on the link in the header. And I promise to do all some of the tech by myself.

Bringing Back Thespis

By Paul Roberts

“I can’t stand the drama,” shouts a teen at a friend,

and a parent at the child, and there seems no end; 

But the phone and the text and the Instagram photo

isn’t the drama that I love and know.

Too much of the drama that we all whine about

is so full of not listening; that’s what makes people shout

‘til we’re just one voice shouting and then no one can hear.

Because all of those voices are chaos - not clear.

So, here is the drama that I love and know.

A dude name of Thespis began long ago 

to try dialogue as a way to get by.

He put it on stage, and you want to know why?

He sensed hearing his voice just wasn’t enough.

On the stage magic happens, some really cool stuff.

He created a place where listening is the key;

where I find that the truth isn’t inside of me but

inside of us all; for the actors on stage 

must hear, clear, each voice that lives on the page.

Actors and audience leave their own tiny world

And live in another’s as the story’s unfurled.

‘Cause when we’re at the theater we all play a part.

One guy on the stage - 

Oh, that’s just the start.

Bring another on stage and the conflict begins;

a rapt audience in the room? Now let’s see which one wins!

But the magic, the miracle is that we all win. You see?

Because drama, the theater, creates community.

The stories are told and - I can’t explain why - 

we laugh through a comedy that makes us all cry.

The stories are told and if we should choose

we live through a tragedy, but no one must lose 

for we learn and we listen to the voices of others

‘til we sense in this world that we live here as brothers

as sisters, as family, as lovers, as friends;

And we sense disappointment when that drama ends.

Can we not call it drama when we shout and we scream

and we fail to listen; that’s a nightmarish dream.

Call it fighting, or whining or a self-centered pout.

But drama, theater? That’s not what it’s about.