A FringeNYC Encore: When you teach third grade, you can't tell your students everything. Micaela Blei comes clean about classroom disasters, falling in love, and forging letters from an imaginary Queen.
Read more Show lessSee it if You want to hear a great story about a 3rd grade teacher and her life. You want to be totally immersed in her life. You want to have fun.
Don't see it if You need fancy staging You don't like a one person show. You don't want to laugh, feel sad, and to be entertained by one person.
See it if You enjoy one woman shows, true stories about real life adventures, good writing and good story telling.
Don't see it if You prefer larger productions or musicals. You're not interested in real life stories or the adventures of a teacher.
See it if You'll "Awww" when Michaela tells the audience about how her 3rd graders react to her teaching and her methods. Amusing anecdotes galore.
Don't see it if You don't find kids or self-deprecating humor entertaining. You don't like solo shows. You expect stand up comedy with zingers.
See it if you want to see the world of the third graders from a teacher's perspective, you enjoy funny stories.
Don't see it if didn't enjoy your childhood.
See it if you enjoy great storytelling that is both funny and touching.
Don't see it if you don't enjoy one-woman shows.
See it if You like an engaging storyteller, whose tales of teaching third grade and trying to cultivate adult relationships will resonate with most.
Don't see it if don't like one-woman shows or hate stories about kids.
See it if A really funny and personal moth type one woman show. Very relatable. Highly recommend.
Don't see it if Can't think of any reason not to.
See it if Just see it. Great storytelling. Heartfelt and well written.
Don't see it if you were a bully and dont like kids. Or just don't want to remind yourself about when you were young.
"Micaela Blei tells a story that is not only hilarious and engaging, but also deeply moving…Excellently directed by Catherine McCarthy, ‘Secret Life’ is structured with a schedule on the whiteboard…While I've described how 'Secret Life' is well-written, satisfying storytelling, I can’t really articulate how funny it is...I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud...The hour running time flies by, and by the end, I wanted to know even more about Blei and her adventures."
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"What is most engaging about the performance, though, is Blei herself. You can’t help liking her...She’s a merry prankster and a grand conspirator of fun. She insists on dance breaks during class. At one point, her boyfriend told her, 'I wish you had been my 3rd grade teacher.' Me, too...I am not sure what sort of future this piece has. It could certainly run at festivals for years to come...Blei is a lovely person, a grand storyteller, and plain fun."
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