TS Eliot famously wrote that “April is the cruelest month.” In some ways he is right when it comes to school life, as things tend to amp up a lot this month, and everyone can find themselves dragging a bit. But there is plenty to smile about as well. Along those lines, I wanted to share two thoughts to lighten the mood.

 

When Les Miz hit the CA stage a couple of weeks ago, we were all dazzled with how much the teachers and students involved had done to create such an amazing show. Some of the teacher talk also turned to the subject matter contained in that musical. We mused about how strange it was that someone had an idea to turn a lengthy, ponderous, often depressing 19^th century French novel into a musical. At the center of the musical’s plot is a relatively obscure (historically speaking) uprising that occurred in Paris in 1832. With that as a model, why not turn other large novels or minor historical moments into musicals? We could have Moby! The Musical in which Captain Ahab’s obsessive search for the whale could elicit such memorable numbers as “I Miss My Leg” and “A Whale of a Time.” Perhaps a musical about the Battle of the Alamo? Or the Richmond Bread Riots? In all seriousness, I was surprised to find out that many 19^th century novels have, in fact, become musicals, including Jane Eyre, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, and at least 4 Dickens novels. So there must be something to this!

 

A parent also brought to my attention the creative exploits of a school in New Jersey that decided to adapt the old sci-fi movie Alien into a stage play. The results were so compelling that even the original film director Ridley Scott took note and sent his encouragement. (He also suggested they adapt Gladiator next.) I admire the creativity and perseverance of these high school students and teachers.

 

For me, another go-to place for humor is my Twitter feed. Granted, the majority of what I see and read there is serious news and analysis, but several of the Twitter sites I follow add a laugh to my day, and I notice that my son’s main interest in checking Instagram is to find the funny stuff too. So part of my lesson here is that not everything about social media is negative! Among my favorite sites are the Onion, where no one is safe from the satire; Laughing Squid, a collection of unusual humorous clips; We Are Teachers, often showing the lighter side of education; Endless Screaming, which perhaps speaks for itself; Faces in Things, featuring unusual real-life pictures in which a face is visible; and Wheel of Fortune Answers, in which the puzzles are solved in ridiculous fashion.

 

No doubt there are many other sources for daily internet humor. So what might I suggest for a cruel April? Share a few laughs and hang on until May . . .