The Learned Bro: 2025 edition

Every year, many people post their end-of-year highlights. I’ve done this same thing, in various forms, over the years, dating back to the Tumblr days. However, this past year I’ve read less, I’ve watched less, and I’ve listened to less. But not in a bad way. My high school theatre program is busier and more bustling than ever; I started my graduate work in pursuit of my MFA in Playwriting; and I–in partnership with my incredible wife, known in my writing as The Mrs.–have kept our beloved puppy, Kovu, alive for another year. 

This is is Kovu, and he's happy you're reading this

It didn’t take long into this year where I realized I will spend the next few years not hitting the same numbers I have in years past. I’m a busy bro! #BookedAndBlessed as the super cool #theatrekids call it, right New York Times? However, I’d hate to miss out on the fun of posting about some amazing content I’ve consumed this past year. So, I’d like to introduce a new format for me to highlight what I’ve seen, heard, and listened to with: The Learned Bro. You won’t get the numbers or stats, just a blurb (or more) about what stood out to me in each category of consumption, plus a few things I suggest stay in 2025. Enjoy!

Bro Who Reads:

Book edition-

The Block Party, by Jamie Day

“In some ways, I suppose the neighborhood has never been closer–as if we needed tragedy to become our authentic selves.”

This book is mostly comedy and suspense involving murder in a tight-knit neighborhood, with a multi-POV structure. But the quote stood out to me because it was one of the few moments where Day slows down the rapid, engaging pace to give some poignant commentary on not just the world in the book, but our society at-large. I loved this book, and quotes like this are why.

Play edition-

Richard III, William Shakespeare, Folger’s Library edition

“Why grow the branches when the root is gone? Why wither not the leaves that want their sap?”

I finally read Richard III in anticipation for Chanticleer Shakespeare Company’s inaugural production in Fresno, CA, and the above quote hit me like ton of bricks. Shakespeare knew how to capture the human condition in creative ways, and he did it without apology. I'm glad I benefited from experiencing this text on the page and stage in Chanticleer's terrific adaptation.

I’m in a place where I still have my four biological grandparents, plus three out of four grandparents-in-law, but no parents. I see my grandparents as the roots in our family. I don’t know life without them and, to be sure, I don't want to know life without them. I’ve been blessed with these elders who have been through life and have decided that their role as Grandparent is a promotion. I have grandparents who have worked in city offices, in education, have worked for attorneys, who have graduate and terminal degrees, who have wealth to offer beyond just dollars and cents. These roots are firm, and I'm blessed and grateful to be a branch in their family trees.

Review link here: https://www.theatreteachertalk.com/post/richard-iii-show-914 

(Should you want to follow me on StoryGraph, you can add me at: marcg789)

Bro Who Watches:

Film edition-

Jaws (1975)

Yes, it really took me 37 years of living to watch this film. In fact, it’s been my literal earthly eternity that I assumed I had watched it but long ago and didn’t remember if I had or not. Nope; five minutes in and I knew this was a first-time watch for me. What stood out to me most was Shaw’s monologue on the boat. A well-crafted, naturally nuanced delivery that is a pulsating, intimate deviation from Spielberg’s very organized structure and epically tempered film. I found Jaws to be as impressive now as I’m sure it was for those seeing it in theaters 50 years ago!

(Should you want to follow me on Letterboxd, you can add me at: Marcgtheatre)

Television edition-

Superstore, Season 4 finale episode

Superstore ran from 2015-2021, but didn’t become part of my rotation until this summer, when my friends Mike and Kayla recommended it to me. I immediately began the binge. I found it funny, almost too funny for it's own good. There are many characters, so many jokes, and the show often pushes the boundaries on what a network half-hour comedy program could actually joke about, and I was hooked. 

This particular episode, and specifically when assistant store manager Dina (played by Lauren Ash) realizes she is helpless to help employee Mateo avoid ICE custody. This show was careful to be choosy about when it chose to have moments of serious drama. But the best part about doing comedy well is, when earned, the drama will land hard. This show earned it. Seeing Ash’s despondent look while navigating every security camera in the store to aid Mateo and colleagues in traversing aisles and secure hiding spots until there’s no escape is an impactful, emotional scene. And Mateo (played by Nico Santos) simply accepts his fate with a knowing smile, calm posture, and a brave acceptance that this is what’s happening, there’s no escaping anymore.

The show played the long game with this plot, establishing in season 1 that Mateo is an undocumented immigrant, and it's a semi-recurring plot point that breaks up relationships, is cause for changes in his job titles, and affects his living situation. But never did I think a comedy as superb as Superstore would actually have him detained. I didn’t anticipate them going there. But they did. And it landed hard. Again, this show was off the air in 2021, and seeing the ICE officers arrest and drive Mateo away in pairing with this watching this year’s images, videos, reports, and discourse of ICE all over the news made it land even harder. 

I commend Superstore for being bold and being aware of when to lean into the drama after such well-earned laughter; that look from Ash and Santos will stay with me for quite some time.

Theatre edition-

Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmie Dean, Jimmie Dean: a New Musical, Theatreworks in Mountain View, CA

I had heard the play title, knew there was a film, but it wasn’t until the musical adaptation made its premiere at Theatreworks that I finally dove into the material. I watched the film and thoroughly enjoyed it, but this musical rocked me. The incredible attention to what style of score best fits such a story and each character, the pacing of the plot-reveals and character developments, and the riveting nature of the performances had me ready to see it again before bows were taken. I’ve come to trust Theatreworks blindly in doing quality theatre, whether it’s a known title or new title. Their belief and support in new works, such as this adaptation, proves why they are among the best in this country. 

Review link here-https://www.theatreteachertalk.com/post/come-back-to-the-5-and-dime-jimmy-dean-jimmy-dean-a-new-musical-show-917 

(Should you want to follow my theatre review blog, bookmark this link: https://www.theatreteachertalk.com/the-road-to-1-000) 

Bro Who Listens:

Music edition-

Orville Peck and “She Knocks Me Out” from Boop, the Musical.

In this case, I simply trust my Spotify wrapped. I had the pleasure of seeing Orville Peck as the Emcee in the now-closed Broadway revival of Cabaret. I’ve been a fan since his debut album, and knew he’d bring something new, daring, and compelling to the iconic host of the Kit Kat Club. I wasn’t wrong. His performance was incredible. Musically, album after album he releases I simply fall into a deeper appreciation of how his voice and interpretation are beautifully suited for his covers and how his timbre is vibrant in his originals. If you haven’t listened to Orville Peck yet, remedy that. And literally, any song works. 

I actively avoided seeing Boop, the Musical when I visited New York over spring break this year. No interest, didn’t hear or read much to convince me otherwise, and I didn’t think much of it. Then, over the summer, I’m outside doing yard work in the Fresno, CA heat and I decided to put on the cast recording in my effort to cannonball cast recordings I haven’t listened to yet. I was so hooked by the opening number (which has tap dancing in it!) that I found more chores to do just so I could keep listening to the album; the summer heat was worth it! Then, in a hugely uncharacteristic move on my part, I immediately re-listened to the whole album. No skips. But “She Knocks Me Out” became the staple song, and my Song of the Summer. The lyrics are a bit silly, sure, but it’s just such a fun bop! And Ainsley Melham’s vocals are stellar. The cast recording, and this song specifically, made me completely regret not experiencing Boop, the Musical on Broadway, with the whole cast singing out and dancing out and bringing this animated character to life. My bad, y’all! But, I look forward to seeing it on tour (and hopefully at a theatre near Fresno…?)

Podcast edition:

The Sam Sanders Show, hosted by Sam Sanders

"Sam Sings! with Celebrity Vocal Coach Doug Peck"

Podcasts are, by far, my top format of consumption. I have been a fan of Sam Sanders since his days hosting NPR’s It’s Been a Minute, and I will follow his voice, opinions, sass, and clarity till the end of days. Hearing this stalwart host get a full-on voice lesson is perhaps one of the most vulnerable audio experiences I’ve ever witnessed.

Sam and Doug don’t just go through warm-ups and exercises, but discuss therapeutic and personal topics which inform and give insight to what a person, who is actively creating and performing, goes through. It's a compelling and enriching episode to listen to, and I’m grateful to Sam for choosing raw over polished in giving us listeners a masterly teaching and learning experience.

Bro Who is Over It:

Below are 3 things I think can stay in 2025 because I, for one (but hopefully not the only one), am over them!

Not Interviewing Primary Sources

I’ve been a dedicated fan of NPR’s It’s Been a Minute since the Sam Sanders days. But, they did an episode titled, “Should we all start locking up our phones?” and I got excited. As a high school theatre teacher, who teaches all the grades, this is a hugely important topic to me. And yet, in a 17-minute episode, not one K-12 teacher or student were interviewed. Instead, listeners heard two collegiate-level researchers discuss cell phone habits and data-driven assumptions about why cell phones should be banned from K-12 schools. However, we weren’t given a voice. In fact, when the topic of cell phone bans in the context of schoolwide lockdowns came up, one pundit gave the response of the students being distracted on their phones and wouldn’t hear instructions from their teacher. I, as someone who has been in several lockdowns that weren’t drills, this pundit is wrong. They’re wrong because in their assumptive-not-reality-based expertise are just wrong. Some things shouldn’t be left to data and pundits, and I expect NPR, of all organizations, to do better. But don’t worry, I’m here to clarify!

When students have access to phones and are in a lockdown,  they begin texting, DM-ing, and posting on social media platforms all sorts of information, often false or hyperbolic. This clutters the local first responders’ feeds from getting and communicating accurate information in real-time. 

So, yes, cell phones are distractions, but when NPR decides to interview students on the effects of the viral trend of “6-7” (yes, that's an episode, too) and not how cell phones can endanger lives of students, I question where NPR puts their efforts in reporting. “6-7” context doesn’t save lives, but ethical cell phone reporting certainly can.

Dear NPR, please interview actual K-12 teachers and students when reporting on K-12 issues, and leave the data analysts to simply analyze the data.

(To be fair, NPR’s The Indicator did an episode titled “Inside the Growing Industry to Defend Schools from Mass Shootings” that is phenomenally reported and worth a listen.)

Assigning Astrological Signs for Your Personality or Behavior

Oh my gosh! I’ve lost tolerance for pundits, students, and peers saying things like, “Well, it’s Scorpio season so you know I’m feisty!” or “I’m a Cancer, so just be gentle.” I’m soooooooo tired of people blaming their astrological signs for behaviors and anticipated reactions that are just…normal ways anybody feels at any time? Just own it. I know plenty of people who are feisty, or lazy, or tender, or flirty and it’s not because of their astrological sign; it’s because they’re humans being human. So just be you and leave a subjective interpretation of the evening’s stars out of it.

Rich (Male) Athletes Being Babies

The NFL and NBA have rewarded grown men, who are being paid in the high five-to-seven-figure-plus salaries to behave like immature divas. Men spitting, pushing, and fighting because the official didn’t grant them their wish, or the ball didn’t cross an imaginary line. It’s a game, with a ball, that you play by choice. And it’s on national television, and social media, which everyone sees. You don’t get a call? You throw up your hands and yell like it’s the actual end of the world. Or you spit your saliva at another grown man. Because….maybe he called you a name? Or because you missed a block or got burnt on a route? Well, be a better athlete.

As a high school theatre teacher who works the sidelines of our football games, our boys see you “men.” They see your talent, your temper, and your actions. They don’t see your philanthropy; they don’t see you holding your mother’s hand while she’s in hospice; or giving a peewee team words of advice and free shoes that often. The NFL and NBA only reward and promote those nice moments when it’s an incentive for ads and revenue. But, you better believe Fox and CBS and Netflix and Amazon Prime will show and replay you punching that linebacker while rocking an “End Racism” sticker on the back of your helmet or “Choose Love” patch on a jersey. You’re the athlete, you’re the professional. And our students are watching. Let’s leave the tantrums in 2025 and encourage our athletes in 2026 to behave, to be competitive with respect, and to not glorify the viral moment over the in-game sportsmanship.

And that’s all I got. I’ve enjoyed becoming a learned bro this year (with thanks to The Mrs. for giving it that title) and I hope something I’ve highlighted interests you enough to give it a listen, or watch, or read. Take care, enjoy any rest this holiday season may bring, and I pray we all have a wonderful 2026.

(Should you want to follow me on social media, you can on Bluesky at: theagelessbro.bsky.social)