I really don't get why Grease is still one of the most popular plays performed on the High School Stage (The Educational Theatre Society ranks them yearly and it's still the #2 most performed musical for 04-05). Think past all the good time singing and dancing and remember the closing scene. The gang is neatly resolving all its conflicts--Danny falls for Sandy all over again when she proves she can smoke, wear leather, and bitchslap Patty Simcox (the uppity cheerleader I portrayed in Shawnee Little Theatre's 1992 production) and Kenickie and the gang give a great cheesey cheer when Rizzo shares with the whole group right in the middle of the Burger Palace that they need to stop by the drugstore because "her friend is here". Doody proclaims to everyone that indeed the Mickey Mouse club is right, "it's Anything Can Happen Day"!
And off we dance into the curtain call. Everyone is happy.
I have taught in a school where we've been told not to share anything about sex. We don't talk about religion for fear of how parents will respond, we don't share anything. It's funny that this is the very school in which Grease has been performed twice in the last twelve years, to great success. I tend to believe that it's so popular because so few people see it as what it is-big, broad, satire. We don't like edges to our High School musicals (and that is a topic for a whole other post).
I say all of that to say this: I found myself in the last scene of Grease today. The Saint came by with news. Her friend is here. Woooo!!! Anything Can Happen!!!
Right after we have Ms. Educat's long important talk on birth control.
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Yeah, some of my girls started discussing birth control and how one of them got pregnant. PLEASE! Sista, don't share with me that news! TMI!
I am normally soooo closed mouth on such topics, but when you tell me you're knocked up, we get to discuss birth control.
And I get to walk away a wee bit sicker.
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