May 3, 2018
Art by Celia Bergman
25 years of teaching at KHS
TKC: What are your plans for retirement?
Booth: I am going to buy a building and put in a studio and go be an artist.
TKC: What is your favorite memory at KHS?
Booth: I’ve really liked teaching. That’s been very nice, to have a career that you enjoy and I’ve loved working with the plays. It’s been a great career and there have been so many good memories. I don’t know if I can pull my favorite one.
TKC: What will you miss the most about KHS?
Booth: I’ll miss being in the classroom and teaching because I do enjoy it. I will not miss grading and paperwork and administration things that we have to do and all the other hoops we have to jump through.
TKC: What are you most excited for in retirement?
Booth: My dream in high school, I went to art school, was to go be a working artist and it’s a very hard way to make a living. So, now I get to go do it. I get to go be a working artist, so I’m fulfilling a dream I had at 18 It’s kind of cool.
TKC: How long will you work as an artist?
Booth: Until I can’t.
TKC: Have you been doing art outside of teaching?
Booth: Oh yeah. I had a show in March, my first solo show. That was very successful. I’ve had pieces in group shows and making sets [for KHS plays] is art and I’ve done that for [many] years.
TKC: Have you worked at other schools?
Booth: I’ve worked at other schools as a set designer, but I have not taught at other schools.
TKC: What makes KHS unique compared to other schools?
Booth: Well, I think the tradition of Turkey Day is probably as unique as you get. Every school has their tradition, but that one is unique to Kirkwood. I went to SLUH and [our tradition] was the SLUH v. CBC game, but it wasn’t quite what Turkey Day is.
TKC: What has been your favorite KHS production?
Booth: I have couple [favorite shows], “House of Blue Leaves”, “The Arsonist”, “A Streetcar Named Desire” and when we did “Hamilton.” Those are probably my top shows.
TKC: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Booth: Thank you. This has been a great career for me and I thank Kirkwood.
Your donation will support the student journalists of Kirkwood High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
