A young, ambitious teacher nurtures the hope of changing the lives of high schoolers by awakening their love in classic literature; however, her innocence causes her to underestimate the rowdiness of her students. Laguna Hill’s production of Up the Down Staircase is a heartwarming play that shows the growing bond between a teacher and her students. This play was made into a film in 1967. Sylvia Barrett is a caring young lady who becomes a teacher in a big city in the hopes of becoming “friends” with her students. Eventually, she decides to leave the school because she thinks she isn’t making of school. With her head bowed, and her hands quietly laid behind her back, Sylvia shuffles into her homeroom, gazing out at the daunting space as if it were filled with poisonous snakes. It is from this weak, almost pathetic child that Sylvia grows alongside her unruly students. As they, the "mob" turn from curious agitation to open hostility towards their oppressive English overlord, so too does Sylvia's innocent nature become calloused with anger and frustration. It is in the wake of Alice Blake's (Megan Crayne Beall) accident, the young girl, who's love struck mind still had time to do the homework Ms. Sylvia assigned her, that the entire class comes together. The student's desks, at first turned away from not only the audience, but also Sylvia, slowly turned to face her, symbolizing not only acceptance, but also a powerful unity created not by discipline or fear, but by love and respect. Sylvia's cold-hearted nature melts away and is replaced by confidence and compassion. No longer does she stay rooted to the front of the class, allowing anger and resentment to grow within her, but she moves about, concern for the future of her students written on every expression, and detailed in all her staging.
Laguna Hills' "Up the Down Staircase" is a captivating story of one woman's compassion triumphing over the ignorance of society. With high energy and phenomenal stage chemistry, the entire cast puts on a show to remember.
by Zach Lilly of Tesoro
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
September 2009. It’s his first day in his new school with his new classmates. After a rough last year due to an unsupportive group of people around him, he is unsure of what is going to happen this year. However, when he looks into his teacher’s eyes and engages into a conversation with her, he knows that this year was going to be the exact opposite rough, and he was immediately happy. Moments like these show how much a teacher can impact a student’s life in a positive way. Everyday, thousands of kids who are neglected by their parents like author Lynda Barry go to school which is more of a home to them due to the amazing teachers and classmates creating a stable and safe environment for them to thrive in. Whether it be comforting a child or…
- 1076 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Lower Richmond is a school that educates from kindergarten to fifth grade. Nothing spectacular comes from this school, as it as just an ordinary elementary school. The school is surrounded by racially segregated neighborhoods. The city is home to many workers. But these workers do not survive off career made jobs, but do off daily tasks. Even though Lower Richmond is trying to thrive, its academic system struggles greatly. The chapter continues to speak of other schools in the area that has predominantly black students. The children do receive aid witch school supplies thanks to help of most teachers from the schools, one being swan school. In conclusion the chapter wraps up by explaining and pushing the importance of Child development. It comes from the adults in their lives. The adults present are what these children have to look up to and with the support of the parents, it could lead to positive outcomes in the children's future…
- 527 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Clara stared the free school because she saw how many kid did not attend school because their families could not afford it. The first day she opened her school only few students show up. At the end of the school year she had over 200 kids. The school did so well that the people of Borden raided $4,000 to make an even bigger school. When the school open Clara wasn’t the principal because the job was thought to be to hard for a women, instead they hired a man who was paid twice as much as Clara. Clara once said "I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if paid at all, I shall never do a man's work for less than a man's pay."…
- 738 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
It is very apparent that Sylvia has a crush on a fellow classmate at her middle school, named Reggie. When Reggie…
- 768 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Sylvia’s initiation in the short story The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara, is striking because Miss Moore gives the opportunity to the children to evaluate the difference between the fifth avenue and their poor neighborhood. However, one of the story’s main themes is that innocence is a handicap and the political and moral innocence that are represented from the beginning to the end of the story brings the main character to many reflections. This idea is revealed as Sylvia’s ignorance towards the different social classes, Sylvia’s questions on the purpose of wealth and the hard realization of the true facts of inequality. Due to the children’s lack of political and moral knowledge,…
- 1096 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Exposition-Kit Gordy, a teenaged girl, is accepted into Blackwood boarding school for girls. The school is miles away from the closest town and is located in a village called Blackwood. When she sees the restored ancient building, Kit senses something evil about the old mansion. In the following days, three other students arrive; Lynda Hannah, her best friend Ruth, and Sandy.…
- 774 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In "The Lesson", Sylvia struggles to overcome obstacles presented by social inequality. When she and her friends are bought to an upscale toystore, they are forced to come to the realization that as uneducated blacks, they are at a disadvantage. Where most of Sylvia's friends are in awe of the toys, Sylvia herself is mostly ashamed to know her family would never be able to "spend on a toy what it would cost to feed a family of six or seven." (223) A bit of anger on the part of Sylvia at this injustice can also be seen when she and her friends are marveling at the price on the fiberglass boat; she says, "We just stare at that price tag. Then Sugar run a finger over the whole boat. And I'm jealous and want to hit her. Maybe not her, but I sure want to punch somebody in the mouth." (222) Sylvia's confusion and anger stems from her pride, but we see that her pride is actually beneficial to her, as it is the key element that enables her to learn the lesson so well. Toward the end, she says, "And somethin weird is goin on, I can feel…
- 911 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
This story revolves around a trip taken by five young children, accompanied by a woman named Miss Moore, to Fifth Avenue in New York. Miss Moore takes these young children to this precise location in order to teach them a lesson regarding the invisible privileges and vastly greater possibilities of wealthy individuals living in America. Although main character Sylvia does not strongly or outwardly express a will or newfound desire to change her currently low economic status for her future self, the reader is able to interpret by a specific line in this short story that she has undergone a significant transformation. Towards the conclusion on this publication, the reader can observe Sylvia's interest in overviewing what she had learned earlier that day. Sylvia mentally states, “Ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nothin,” which suggests that her stubborn, hardheaded resistance to see the truth in front of her has been transformed. Her transformation will perhaps drive her will to succeed financially in the future. This fiery, young lady certainly seems to be expressing a different outlook not only on the leader of the field trip, Miss Moore, who she formally resented and ridiculed, but also on her future aspirations to become successful. The reader may be able to infer that young Sylvia has learned the lesson of social inequality and her discovery of such an existence, motivates her will to one day become educated and financially stable. Even though the entire short story does not revolve around Sylvia expressing an acceptance or reason to change her once ignorant outlook on society, she certainly gives sufficient reason through her actions and her mental thoughts that she is going to strive to make a difference in her current…
- 834 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
As a new student Gabrielle came into middle school thinking it was better than elementary, that she was going to have many friends and be popular and it would be easy, well she was wrong. It was difficult for her to make friends because she was shy and the main reason was that she was embarrassed because she didn’t have money like the other girls or boys. She dressed different from the rest of the students, she had old shoes and handy down clothes but she…
- 1059 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
After a Fieldtrip reunion with other 5 east LA schools, Paula realizes and recognizes the intense difference between the Hispanic and white schools. After that encounter, Paula becomes involved with a student activism group that demanded equality of all LA schools.…
- 416 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
This theme is demonstrated through the context of hope and a new beginning. After the traumatic experience that Melinda goes through, she is isolated due to her action of calling the police.This puts a negative effect on Melinda’s life and led her towards depression due to her friends and students in her school excluding her. At school, Melinda is faced with many challenges and eventually changes her perspective, and she sees a new beginning including knowing what is wrong and right.…
- 476 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Friendship is something that has been difficult but means a lot to Charlie, ever since his best friend Michael committed suicide. “And I think it’s sad because Susa ndoesn’t look as happy. To tell you the truth, she doesn’t like to admit she’s in advanced English class, and she doesn’t like to say ‘hi’ to me in the hall anymore.” (7). Charlie notices a lot about Susan during his first couple of days of school because she is one of the only people he knows. Charlie seems lonely in the beginning of the school year however he soon makes two very good friends. At one of the school football games Patrick recognized Charlie from his wood shop class and called him over where he met Patrick’s stepsister Sam. Eventually Patrick and Sam became Charlie’s best friends and they even introduced him to other people whom he also became friends with.…
- 596 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In "Up the Coulee," Hamlin Garland depicts what occurs when Howard McLane is away for an extended period of time and begins to neglect his family. Howard's family members are offended by the negligence. Although his neglect causes his brother, Grant McLane, to resent him, Garland shows that part of having a family is being able to put aside negative feelings in order to resolve problems with relatives. Garland demonstrates how years apart can affect family relationships, causing neglect, resentment, and eventually, reconciliation.…
- 936 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
At 1:00 p.m. I entered into Evoline C. West Elementary school on Thursday, July 12 2012 for an interview with Mrs. Yolanda Lawrence. As I entered the classroom, I was greeted by Mrs. Lawrence, the head teacher in this classroom. Mrs. Lawrence has no assistant at this present because of it being in the summer. After I entered into the classroom, the entire class welcomed me with “hello Ms. Flournoy”. It made my day to see all of those smiley faces greeting me. This was a 2nd grade classroom which consisted of 17 students of which 8 were girls and 9 were boys. This interview and observation was a total of 2 hours long. During the observation of Mrs. Lawrence classroom, I noticed how the students flocked under Mrs. Lawrence as she started reading one their favorite books before they did their afternoon lesson. For some reason I got an excitement about doing this interview.…
- 871 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Every teacher’s worst nightmare – that is the setting to which Madame (whatever you do don’t call her Mrs.) Esme Raji Codell stepped into as her first job fresh out of college. In this sink or swim world Esme, unknowingly, became a lifeguard to thirty youngsters, as she seemed the only one who could protect the children from the rough waters that are inner city Chicago. Through studying her very candid and personal diary, I am awe stricken by her extraordinary display of pedagogy as she exemplifies what it truly means to be a teacher. Esme’s proficiency in her dealings with situations surrounding equity, creating a safe, relaxed and positive classroom environment, expectations as a teacher, gender, diversity learning, multicultural competence and accommodation are, at times, straight out of a teacher’s workshop. Some might argue with her protocol, as she is both sharp-tongued and downright stubborn, but none can call to question her motive or incapacity for complacency.…
- 2832 Words
- 12 Pages
Better Essays