The speech therapist gives me a weary look. "Anxiety is the buzz word," she says, in a Bette Davis voice. "You're going to hear about anxiety." And, indeed, that's the topic that the new doctor wants to discuss. It turns out that everything is a function of anxiety: eating, pooping, sleeping. "What can you control, in your early years? What goes into your body, and what comes out. If you're experiencing inner turmoil, you can act out by refusing to use the potty." My spouse and I are referred to a "behavior coach." She seems friendly. On a Zoom call, she offers certain suggestions: "You may not know this, but a child can sometimes imagine all of life is just... No. Stop. Don't. No. Stop. Don't. And it's possible to make a modification. Catch your child being good! Look for chances to give positive feedback! .....Also," she says, "you can teach your other child to advocate for herself. She could say, Please
In 2024, "Maybe This Time" seems cheerfully retrograde; not only does the heroine state that happiness is impossible without a romantic attachment, but she also seems to think that she doesn't have agency. She is like tumbleweed, just blowing in the wind. I wonder if Kander and Ebb studied "Guys and Dolls." Famously, in "Dolls," Guy, the male lead, sees "luck" as a willful sparring partner. If Guy loses all his money at the slots, it's because "luck" has opted not to "be a lady." If Guy sees gambling as a form of romance, then Kander and Ebb see romance as a form of gambling. Sally Bowles has been a "loser" in the game of love, but maybe this time, she will "win." The other thing that I love in "Cabaret" is a classic example of "content dictating form." Kander and Ebb know how to conserve syllables; if they seem verbose, then they are being *deliberately* verbose. So consider t