Best and Worst...

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Best and Worst* despite it’s almost constitution-like place in Yew Tree often feels a little like Russian roulette… in that I’m never sure what kind of controversy, heartbreak, ridiculousness or inappropriateness I’m going to hear next…

However…I’ll let you into a little secret…although at times I deeply resent the rehearsal time it can take up and despite my occasional hard line approach in terms of late comers not being able to participate…best and worst is an incredibly precious part of my week…

What would life be without Stacy’s music or food check in? A reminder that it’s the little things that can make life feel worth while… or Matt’s eternal optimism, he rarely ever has a worst…then there’s the flicking of Dee’s scarf or hand or…anything really… that can become more than a little dangerous for whoever is sat next to her…there’s the uncertainty of whether Chelsie will be able to string a sentence together or be full of energetic enthusiasm…and don’t even get me started about Ash… The mixture of celebrations, tribulations, ambitions, concerns, anticipations, triumphs and disappointments are a heady cocktail of reality that, through the process of sharing, strengthens the fabric of our community.

Today I experienced a real time best and worst, ironically in best and worst, the significance of which didn’t hit me until I went to get Danny and I’s coffee in the break…my worst was entirely true even in the light of how it was summarily dismissed…I got so involved in listening to your stories I completely forgot to think of something myself…now that’s bad because I can’t lecture others about wasting time if I’m rubbish… then my best “I’m the artistic director of Yew Tree Youth Theatre…” I should have left it there…(I went on to say something about autonomy and being able to do what I want) because that is my best…it is one of my bests all the time as it goes…

After this realisation at the vending machine…I walked back into the room…coffee in my hand and looked at the Gold company… and for a lovely moment I felt like Scrooge on Christmas Morning… in terms of the whole luckiest person in the world thing… members of the youth theatre new and established…visiting and returning…all there together in what looked like an utterly idyllic way to spend a Saturday morning…

So there you go… a half term present…at this moment in time I think my youth theatre is lovely and so I wanted to tell you so…take advantage of it…the impatience, ridiculously high expectations, shouting and sarcasm will kick back in soon…

*For those who have never been to a Yew Tree session the rules of Best and Worst are simple 2 stories maximum…that you are happy to share with the rest of the group…you have to have a best you don’t have to have a worst and if your week has been amazing you can have 2 bests…

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