On the morning of January 20, while Barack Obama was getting ready to be sworn into office, Bob the Builder LIVE! was getting ready to perform at the State Theatre for students and teachers from all over New Jersey. But before the buses arrived, we had some excitement on Livingston Avenue, as right in front of the theater two car accidents blocked the street (Yes, two!). Luckily, there were police officers there to help with the accidents and to help safely guide the buses. It was a little chaotic and it took a while for the accidents to clear out and for us to get the buses where they needed to be, but we did it.
Adding to the confusion was the fact that it had snowed the day before, the streets were a little icy, and as a result, some of the school groups we were expecting were delayed BEFORE they arrived to the mess of Livingston Avenue. So, the show started 15 minutes late, not bad, all things considered.
The show started and you could hear the kids’ excitement from the lobby. During intermission, some little kids were lined up with chaperones to use the bathroom and others were sitting in the lobby having a mid-morning snack. Hearing the students talking about how great the show was is one of my favorite parts of education matinees, especially when the students are very little. They went back into the theater and responded when Bob asked them questions (“Can we fix it?” “Yes we can!”). As the show came to a close, the kids waited to be led out to their buses, getting zipped up, and putting a hand on the rope that a lot of teachers bring to help herd their students. Jumping up and down as they left, it was pretty clear that they had fun watching Bob, and I had fun watching them, and that all of this was well worth it.
—Jennifer Cunha, Education
The State Theatre is located at 15 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, NJ. For information or to purchase tickets call 732-246-SHOW(7469) or visit http://www.statetheatrenj.org/.
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