News Item: Two days ago, San Juan Hills High School, southern Orange County, hired a new Drama Director, Sheila Silver, an award-winning teacher formerly — until weeks ago — of Culver City High School.
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Among Culver City friends, members of AVPA Theatre Parents: From left, Liz Kinnon, Jane Niles, Sheila Silver, Marni Parsons, Pam Fader, Susannah Funnell
After a turbulent second year on the Culver High campus when her prize-winning theatrical, student-honored accomplishments generously were interlaced with a community-wide controversy, the bubbly Ms. Silver’s year ended prematurely in the early spring for health reasons.
A whirlwind romance between a special teacher and her drama students crested in January just as the off-stage turmoil was heating up, and it crashed weeks later.
Wouldn’t being unhired, rehired then uncoupled in a single school term spin the strongest stomach into outer space?
What transpired after Ms. Silver went home ill is clouded by a cluster of enigmatic speculation, a circuitous way of saying it rained hard yesterday but today’s sunshine has burned off almost every single lingering negativism.
Effervescently, Ms. Silver, a teacher for three decades who has been emerging from the nightmare this summer, insists that the publicly splayed past of last school year not only has been pronounced dead, she is all the way back to her natural sunny self.
Bad feelings are like the star formation in last night’s brilliant sky — gone, never to be seen again.
“How are you?” seemed an inconspicuous place to begin.
“Compared to what?” says Ms. Silver, and she laughs with a strong thrust. “I’m doing great. To quote a line from “The Music Man:”
“I call myself the sadder but wiser girl.
“I want you to know I have recovered my sense of humor. And I am so happy to have it back.”
One of the most surprising developments in a remarkable private interview was the warm feelings Ms. Silver expressed for Principal Dr. Pam Magee, portrayed as her chief adversary, who also begins a new assignment with the coming school year, in Pacific Palisades.
Ms. Silver, who talks fast and thinks faster, spanned roaming miles of territory as she talked enthusiastically about what is, was and she is pretty sure will be.
With the mercurial speed of old, her zestiness for life bridges the distance between the two of us.
Question: When did you leave the Culver High campus?
“I left, I was ordered out, during spring break (for health reasons).
“I am sorry, too, but this was something I needed to have happen because everything just stacked up.
“I was hopeful…
“I was naïve, let’s say that. I was naïve to think anything really would make a difference. You know the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over ad expecting a different outcome?
“Things were just not going to change.
“It broke my heart.”
(To be continued)
