Sheltering

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The plotline: Dr. Stockton has plagued his neighbors with a nocturnal building project, a basement fallout shelter, and by his frequent warnings to prepare for a nuclear attack. When radar detects missiles heading for the U.S., his neighbors wish they had listened; but, since they didn’t, surely Stockton would wish to share his quarters. Not the case. The shelter can only hold three—Stockton, his wife, Grace and their son, Paul. Will his neighbors break down the shelter door? If so, who should be allowed in?

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The Major and the Merchant

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My students were neutral to positive when I announced that we were going to read Major Barbara as our next play. After all, we had done Pygmalion earlier and that wasn’t half bad. At least they could understand most of the dialogue, since thankfully, it wasn’t Shakespeare.

Each year my colleague and I try to read the plays included in the Guthrie Theater season with students and then escort a group to the performances. This year it was to be Major Barbara and The Merchant of Venice. My colleague chose the latter and taught lessons on usury and the status of Jews in Elizabethan England. For the Major, I too started out with context, discussing Fabian socialism and the arms race and secret military alliances in the run-up to World War I.
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High School Testimonial

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by Rosemary Ruffenach, 5/4/07 • Things aren’t going well for the school newspaper staff. The deadline for the first draft of articles for the latest edition has passed, yet only four have been turned in. What to do? Reassign, as usual. Two volunteer writers are recruited from my fourth hour English class, but after scanning the list of proposed topics, they are dissatisfied. They would rather work on articles of their own choosing, not those of others–others who didn’t follow through. “Okay, so fine…” Lisa, the assistant editor, concedes. “What?”

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