Not all Learning Comes from Books

The question last week for the kids on tour with Little House on the Prairie The Musical was how to make learning really, really fun. And, of course, where there’s a will, there’s a way! Not all learning comes from a book--borrowing a line from the play.

Last Friday, the cast and crew from Little House were invited to see the sights at Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL. The school kids got to learn an awful lot through an up close and personal tour “backstage” with the stars of that massive show—the animals from all of the world.

And, the rest of the kids in the play (the cast, crew and chaperones) got to tag along too.

I know that none of us every thought we’d be able to actually pet a porcupine or a baby kangaroo. They (we) learned that a mother kangaroo can have three babies at various stages of growth at one time—one already born and living outside the pouch, one born but still inside the pouch and a third still waiting to be born. At Busch, the baby kangaroos and their “cousins,” the wallabies, live in fabric pouches that simulate their mother’s womb.

The school kids got to meet up close the “actors” in some of the shows at Busch. In this case, it was the birds, dogs, snakes, bears and other animals who are the real stars and their trainers who put them through the paces.

Busch also afforded all of the “kids” a real chance to study, in real time, the forces that you can only read about in physics books--like what does it feel like when you’re dropped off a 200 foot cliff and freefall at a 90 degree angle to the bottom. You have four seconds to contemplate that question before the freefall force took over on the SheiKra ride and our car plummeted to earth before take us on a twisting trail to head toward another similar drop.

There’s just no way any fairly studious person can solve this physics question the first time. There were not many from Little House who was satisfied after one trip. Most of the cast proved that practice makes perfect and it took three, four or even five rehearsals to make sure they had the right answer.

This writer and his charge, granddaughter Taylor Bera, only got in two tries and if the bus wasn't waiting for us to go back to reality, we might still be there.

Tampa was a great change from the wintery climes of the north. It was in the 60s during the day and cooler 40s at night, but still a 30 degree improvement in any case. We’re looking forward to temps in the 70s next week further south in Naples.

The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (in the process of changing its name to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts) is a great complex. It has its own performing arts conservatory for students and five different theaters offering a wide variety of theatrical endeavors from opera to straight theater. For instance, the theater next to ours last night was host to the Miss Tampa contest.

Little House was in the Carol Morsani Hall, a 2,200 seat venue. The sound was great and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. The crowds were very receptive to the show. Season subscribers make up 70% of the audience. Next season, they’ll be treated to shows like Billy Elliott when it starts its road tour.

While the kids have been in school, the grownups in the cast and crew and the kids’ chaperones have found plenty to do in the off hours.

Ybor City is listed as a historical city whose main trade at one time was making cigars. They still do that in many shops but there’s a lot going on there, Helen and I were able to partake of some of the food there plus look on as the city hosted its own version of the Amazing Race TV show---two-person teams in all sorts of costumes raced around the city solving riddles, finding landmarks, taking pictures then racing back to the finish line for a party that didn’t look like it would end any time shortly.

Ditto for the beer tasting charity event that ran for 6 hours or more. I couldn’t try that one because it was sold out with pre-subscriptions before it started. I did get to try some orange-colored local brew appropriately called Shock Top as we sat in a balcony hamburger restaurant overlooking the main drag in Ybor (pronounced “E-Bore.”) From high above it looked like everyone was having a great time. I wanted to go to the party across the street but found out it was a costumed affair for the owner’s daughter and Helen and I couldn’t match the dress of the “Alice in Wonderland and Red Queen” pair, who we saw enter earlier. Guess they were inspired by the movie that just opened.

We’re told that the area really goes wild on most holidays. Locals said St. Patrick’s Day will really be rocking. Others said Halloween is another big favorite along with any other holiday that gives them a good excuse for partying.

All in all it’s been a good week in Little House and Taylor continued to perform in the play at her usual high level. She even got to play the major role of “Carrie” so we were extra thrilled to be on hand. Her other grandfather and grandmother, Joe and Kate Bera, stopped by Tampa after returning from a cruise with two other aunts and an uncle. So they got to see her in the show too.

Taylor actually did the role 2 ½ times---jumping in after intermission for one show, which meant putting in contracts, having her hair put into pigtails, changing her mike and getting a whole new set of costumes. All in about 15 minutes. She loves it though--that’s what actors are expected to do!!

It was an extra special week for us too because the daughter of the best man at our wedding 48 years ago was able to bring two of her children to the show on Sunday when Taylor got to be Carrie. Debi Ferger Fiegle and two of her three children, Alyson and Jason, saw the show. Debi's father and mother, Bill and Janet Ferger, were our good friends in Dixon, Il. Debi lives in the Tampa area.

Pictures from our time in Tampa are at:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=616067573803%3A2118278018

Next stop is Naples.