We’ve all had a handful of teachers whom we will never forget, right? Maybe that teacher inspired you to pursue what you love, or in the case of Natasha Vaynblat’s class, banging a frying pan to bring order to her students.
After teaching in the public schools of NYC, Natasha was compelled to create a show highlighting her experiences. Vaynblat recalls, “We spent most of the [professional development] session singing a revised version of “So Happy Together” that was supposed to improve our teaching practices. I found the whole event so funny, grown adults forced to awkwardly sing this song together.”
Her one-woman show, performed at Upright Citizens Brigade-Chelsea, is called United Federation of Teachers, and includes a variety of different characters. In between character changes, there is a segment called “Teacher Confessions” during which the audience gets an honest look into the chaotic life of a teacher. Vaynblat’s honest demeanor while discussing how to deal with sleeping students was one of my favorite parts of the show.
While Vaynblat is currently pursing her love of acting and improv, she cannot help but miss teaching as well as the students. She says, “As much as I rag on teaching in the show, I did it for four years because I loved the job. Kids have such a great energy and getting them excited about something or seeing them achieve is hypnotizing. It is its own high, much like performing.”
Be sure to check out her show at UCB:
Thursday, December 11th at 8 p.m. – Tickets are $5
Friday, December 26th at 7:30 p.m. – Tickets are $10
images c/o: UCB theatre
