Jo Show

Beyond all expectation is the only way to describe the "Jo Show". That is what Larry and Arminta found when attending the Jo Show at Winterhaven School in Portland on May 12, 2006. The Jo Show was a play, "A Moroccan Midsummer Night's Dream" presented by Wendy Jo's Fourteenth Avenue Players (Winterhaven School students). This was not just another Shakespearean play, but Jo's Master's thesis for Central Washington University (CWU). To produce the show Wendy (Jo) and husband Derek traveled to England and Morocco last summer to research the production of the play. While in Morocco, Jo was able to purchase many of the costumes used in the play, in addition to extensive items found in the Moroccan Market setup around the Brooklyn School Theater.


When we entered the theater we immediately received the sense that we were immersed into a "dream". The entire theater had been transformed into "the set". The stage was all around use, truly unbelievable and it wasn't even Midsummer!!


We arrived about an hour before the play began and all was under control. In fact Jo was actally quite calm for a JUNIOR HIGH teacher about to put on a Shakespearean play with a bunch of EIGHT GRADERS!!! I guess I would be cool if I knew that ever student in the play absolutely adored me and would do anything to make it a success and that hundreds of support hours had been donated by parents to make the play a success. It, of course, helps if the teacher is very organized and everyone knows the script. All the production needs is the teacher, one walkie talkie and you have a play!!!


Wendy's advisor from CWU, Dr. Wesley Van Tassel, also attended the May 12 performance. Wes is a very pleasant professorial type who specializes in Shakespeare, (whoever the heck he is).


The play was wonderful and worth the trip for all the magic of a Midsummer's Night Dream. We are so proud of Wendy and all that she has accomplished. She should receive a Doctorate just for the way she is able to motivate her students, who all love her.

For photographs you can go to this link.

The next day we went shopping with Jo and Amy (longtime friend from high school). I scored a great ski jacket at the Columbia Sportswear Outlet for $49.95. Not bad for a retail price of $175.00. After the outlet store we headed to El Palenque for a Mexican lunch and then back to the townhouse to look at Wendy and Derek's wedding pictures and yack.


That evening we had dinner at Pizza Schmizza with Mike Williams (also a longtime friend from Prescott). We like Mike!!! Why? One of the reasons is that he suggested we head for Applebee's and dessert. Yum! Thanks Mike!


We had a great visit in Portland. Come to think of it, we always have a fantastic visit in Portland.