`Q’ BLOGGERS: Kate Monster

This week is going by too quickly as Theater Dogs welcomes guest bloggers from the touring production of Avenue Q at San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre.Today we hear from Kate Monster, the well-coiffed bundle of fur who has a thing for her neighbor, Princeton, and whose dream is to open a school for young monsters. If you've seen Avenue Q, you know Kate has quite a nasty side (whoa!) and, in her job as a kindergarten teacher's assistant, she does not get along with her primary teacher (and you'll pardon me for using her name), Mrs. Thistletwat."Hello, San Francisco! I am SOOOO excited to be here. While in town, I’m planning on finding a location for the Bay Area Monsterssori School (a school where monsters can learn and grow in a loving, supportive environment). This past week, I had time to visit several neighborhoods around town with my friend Christmas Eve. We have learned SO much about this colorful city! Originally, we looked in Tenderloin. We found it quite interesting. When Christmas Eve’s purse got snatched, I thought we were really on the wrong track, but after further investigation, I realized that I was just being negative. I think that our young, impressionable monster pupils could learn a great deal about achieving their dreams when faced with so much adversity. (I also think that some of the folks down there could stand a little bit more exposure to monsters in general -- you should have seen the way they looked at me -- it was downright offensive). Our second stop was Haight Ashbury. How colorful! I found the spirit of the '60’s quite welcoming toward a monster school! I did, however, become slightly concerned by the vast number of homeless kids and their clever signs harassing tourists for money...I’m not sure I want my young monsters seeing that as a viable alternative to a good education. Finally, the Marina District. Oh! There were some fancy-pants in this neighborhood. I immediately ducked into a boutique to buy a pair of fancy heels -- but they didn’t have any in my size since my fur apparently makes my feet wider than most human feet. I found that the folks here were not so interested in a school for monsters...I think their focus is much less philanthropic. To each his own, right? So far, I’m not sure we’ve found the perfect spot yet...but I intend to keep looking; our next stop is Chinatown. So far, I’ve found San Francisco to be very open to the idea of a school for monsters -- even more so than New York (if you can believe that!) But I did notice some discrimination toward monsters on certain occasions and I’m hoping that my campaign to educate the Bay Area on the integration of people-of-fur will make those instances fewer and farther between!"(Kate Monster is played in the Avenue Q tour by the spirited Kelli Sawyer)For information about Avenue Q visit www.shnsf.com.