A Quiet Theatre Kid, A Patient Teacher
While I'm constantly in my teenage music tastes, I rarely think about high school itself. Nothing terribly traumatic happened at my 3,000-population school, but I couldn't wait to leave… to find the people and the ideas that drew me in (and, in kind, were drawn to me). And I did! I found a group of wholesome and open-minded nerds within a month of attending the University of Georgia, which I wrote about after seeing an American Football concert with the person who introduced me to them.
In high school, I would go to punk shows and the very rare party, but spent most of my time at home or church; I couldn't (or wouldn't) take risks. I was a rule follower! (Still am! But with some age and wisdom attached.) I was an observer! (And, yes, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, recommended to me by an English teacher who knew exactly what she was doing, was a pivotal text.) And, yet, that quiet, shy and sheltered kid joined the musical theatre program at Brookwood High School.
If memory serves, I joined theatre because I wanted music to be part of my high school years. I could play an instrument, but didn't want to join marching band. I could sing, but didn't want to join choir. So musical theatre, of which I had scant previous experience and little aesthetic attachment to — the original Broadway cast recording of Rent, for instance, was not in constant rotation — was the only logical choice. Improv Game Fridays were torture as well as memorizing lines and dance choreography, but… I could sing on a stage with other people. That felt good.
In the midst of all of these teenagers were Mr. and Mrs. Lindahl, a married couple who spearheaded the Brookwood theatre program for three decades. (They retired in 2013; the school renamed the performing arts center after them.) She was a rambunctious ball of energy who'd call kids out on their B.S., but would also encourage our most outrageous spirits — you knew when she was proud of you, and it felt damned great. He was the cooler head, in the shadows fixing lights or adjusting stage makeup, but always knew just the right thing to say when it was needed — his movement and words carried weight.
Ken Lindahl — always Mr. Lindahl — died last week. Brent, an old friend with whom I've reconnected in recent years, posted the news. I really like the kicker to his personal remembrance, so I hope he doesn't mind me quoting him: "The generations of kids like myself who may have felt out of place, weird, or lost and found a safe place, a sense of belonging and maybe even some life skills along the way, like how to simulate an electric explosion with a small charge and a spoonful of flash powder."
In the four years that I took theatre, the Lindahls' contrasting-yet-complimentary dynamic didn't inspire me to become an actor, but I did learn the discipline and play of performance, which parlayed into a career on-air and online. (Though, now that I think of it, I am a member of SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents broadcast professionals and actors.) Mr. Lindahl, in particular, was the picture of patience; it was encouraging to see that trait in an adult, how he'd take his time to not only get the best performance out of someone, but also get the best person out of someone. Through scripts, songs, hands-on set design and stage work, the Lindahls just wanted to crack these unruly — and, in my case, quiet — kids wide open. Thanks, Mr. Lindahl. —Lars Gotrich, class of 2001
Stream the Viking's Choice mixtape via BNDCMPR. Follow my Bandcamp collection. Tracklist below:
Peter Lenz, "Breathe"
Mother Nature, "Flower Talk"
Iara Rennó, "Iroko (Axé que vem do Pé)"
Valentina Magaletti & Susumu Mukai, "Ikea Moment"
Maple Fyshh, "君がどんどん離れて行く (You are Leaving My Mind)"
Throwing Muses, "Drugstore Drastic"
Aisha Vaughan, "No Past, No Present, No Future"
Master Yayat & Tedi Kurniadi, "Reundeu"
Sam Amidon, "I'm On My Journey Home"
James Brandon Lewis, "Five Spots to Caravan"
OVA, "Rainforest"
Juana Molina, “Hope”
Two Inch Astronaut, "Check Please"
Mekons, "You're Not Singing Anymore"
Kaatayra, "Valhacouto de Lírios"
perila, "ways"
990x, "Crates"
Julia Holter, "The Laugh is in the Eyes"
Tsuki No Wa, "Air Ship LZ 129"
Colin Self, "respite for the tulpamancer"
Rose City Band, "Seeds of Light"
ZOMIE-CHANG, "イジワルばかりしないで"
Hourloupe, "Old Country Tune"
Vashti Bunyan, "If I Were (Demo, 2001)"
Passepartout Duo, "Kissing in the Park, Briefly"
Anna Ferrer, "Glossa a Menorca"
Saint Etienne, "Half Light"
Sweet Wreath, "Honey Bathing Lemon Rinds"
James Blackshaw, "Unraveling in Your Hands"