QUESTION about Hopkins, Blame

[CuriousMe]

1) Did you like it?

<snip>

WHOSE WORDS ARE THESE?

What is shocking is to think that perhaps this text didn't come from the performer's diaries, but from Hopkins' own hand. That is unthinkable. And that management was able to put these grandstanding, fist-waving words into the kids mouths. (By the way, "I believe in Now!" What does that mean?) And that the words put into their mouths were defensive, posturing, pseudo-philosophical, and totally self-absorbed. And that the kids agreed to say them, and in such an angry, posturing way. (Had they all been hypnotized?) And worse, if these words were taken from the kids' performance diaries, who would think these self-absorbed words were suitable for public display? If you're angry, be angry, but don't disguise it as upbeat performance philosophy.

PEFORMANCE COMMON SENSE

The biggest mistake in the selection of words was that the production began without a likeable, self-effacing, modest introduction. Where was the humor? If Hopkins wanted to develop a show where the kids were really addressing the booing issue, really addressing the audience respect issue, and really trying to develop an honest rapport with the audience, then start with a likeable, modest vernacular. Endear the audience to the performer. For God's sake, don't shout aphorisms. (This text might as well have been drawn from a young Evangelical speaker's convention.) Dangerously self-involved, fist-waving, self-righteous and angry-sounding. So very, very wrong. Again, everyone secretly worships the Cadets, and we can't wait to see what they do next year.

<snip>

Wow, I did hear a lot of anger floating around, but not from the members performance. I didn't think the narration was angry at all. Excited, exuberant and funny at times (the comment from the guy who didn't like basics block got a laugh out of me), but not angry.

In regards to the right foot thing, I have no idea when they officially started it (before my time with the corps) but I'm pretty sure they were doing it during retreat in '84. I was marching with a small corps (LIK) and got messed up on retreat every time we marched next to them. :D After the first time, I knew that I was supposed to be opposite of them, but it's just instinct to switch if you see that you're the opposite of someone else. In any case, it caused me to to do the out-of-step-hop around more than one track that summer Later, once I joined ranks of right foot step off, I had great empathy for young marchers next to us as they hopped around the track.

Peace,

CuriousMe