Butter For Table Eight

I saw the play, Butter For Table Eight, last night. It's the production of the kids' seminar for acting that Jane participated in this year. This was Jane's first time acting on stage and she loved doing it. But I knew she would. Jane is very much oriented to the social "people" based activities, both in ability and interest. She had a great time rehearsing for the play the two weeks before the production and loved being on stage.
Her role was a smaller one, give that she is a first time actress in this theater seminar, but Jane did well with her lines, looked natural and enthusiastic and showed promise in acting. Perhaps next summer she will have larger part since she is now one of the veterans. Having been a teacher I know kids have amazing abilities and capacities. Last night they proved that again. Their acting was terrific, professional in look. I think kids have so much openness toward the world that they are natural actors and actresses. They do not fear mistakes as adults do, and consequently can throw themselves fully into activities .
The play is a comedy about a group of travelers who are imprisoned in a cheap diner restaurant by a raging rain/wind storm and then later by a funny robber who wants to take their money and jewelry. Jane plays a girl scout in a troop of six who is chased into the diner by the storm and is seated at table two, one of eight tables with people of similar fate, each with a story to tell- an arguing couple on their anniversary, a jokester and his admirers who tortures the waitress with bad and cutting humor, a guy whose only want in life seems to be butter for the crackers he wants to eat at the table, and so on. Each table engages in repartee with itself and with the waitress and other guests of the diner who are not enjoying their impromptu dinner. There is more to it, but that is the gist of it.
I enjoyed the play and so did the rest of the audience but what I enjoy most about it is that Jane seems to have a spark of interest in acting. That's good, because Jane is not a child who has found many interests to pursue that she has become passionate about. She is quite laid back (lazy) and content to skate through most things most of the time. I hope she will throw herself into the possibility of more theater work in the future, as it may motivate her to work harder in other areas as well.
Forgetting fictional diner restaurants and moving to real ones....The world's largest restaurant chain, McDonald's Corp., has been ordered to pay a student 2,200 yuan ($290), allegedly after a rat bit her at one of its outlets in northeastern. Well, some say McDonald's serves food fit only for a rat, so I guess it is fair play for the rats to bite the patrons too.
A local court in Shenyang ordered the payment to the complainant-- covering costs that included $130 for psychological injury -- for the incident last year, the China Merchant Morning Post said. The woman's name has not been identified but the police in Shenyang said she complained that a rat had climbed up her leg and bit her on the thigh while she was eating a meal at the restaurant. The woman had sought 20,000 yuan (about $2,600) in compensation. She said the incident caused her to become frightened by white mice and rabbits. Haha It appears the American suing mentality is universal now.
McDonald's rejected other demands raised by the student, including follow-up medical charges and other fees, saying she lacked proof. The court ruled that McDonald's was responsible for maintaining proper hygiene at its restaurants, in line with "relevant hygiene standards of China", and should compensate the woman for failing to protect customer safety.
Oh my, I thought occasional rats in the kitchen were considered part of China's "relevant hygiene standards".................