Emily & James and the Giant Peach

On Friday and Saturday nights, Emily eloquently and animatedly played the Narrator for a local production of Roald Dahl's James and Giant Peach. The director of this small drama group hails from South Africa and is a gem. Emily loves attending the weekly theatre fun and worked hard memorizing her long monologues for this show. The director did an amazing job sewing costumes and painting an enormous peach capable of hiding an adult standing behind it to roll it across the stage and "crush" the evil aunts...it was such a lovely peachy color, just perfect.

David, Jason and I enjoyed our roles as spectators (and throwing streamers over the "ticker-tape parade" in the final scene). We also helped out in the kitchen selling homemade baked goods during the intermission, to help cover the costs of the production. Afterwards we got to use the industrial dishwasher and hand sprayer...have you ever seen those? The kind of dishwasher into which you place a heavy-duty plastic tray full of dishes, closing the lid with a lever, and then about 30 seconds later they are sterilised and steaming? The kind of hand sprayer that dangles handily from above the sink, and can be used to teasingly threaten your kitchen co-workers with a good dousing if they're not working hard enough, or just look too cute?

It was fun to see Jason eagerly run into the kitchen at intermission and after the show, raise the electric rolling window shades to reveal the kitchen counters, and begin hawking his wares. He was a good salesman, and savvy with counting out change while the ladies were cutting up pieces of apple tart, chocolate cake, and strawberry cream sponge.

Yesterday was hot, hot, hot; today is rain, rain, rain. This equates to happy, healthy garden plants. A gorgeous green extravaganza. Speaking of plants, the drama parents all chipped in and we bought the drama teacher a real live peach tree to plant in her garden. I was so impressed with the mother who thought of that. Such insight and creativity. I would never in a million years have come up with ever so appropriate a gift. Fantastic.

Next fall, onwards to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island with the same drama group. Go, Emily!