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Another openin', another show,
In Philly, Boston, or Baltimore,
A chance for stage folks to say Hello!
Another openin' of another show!
A lot of people would say I'm crazy. After all, for about two hundred and fifty dollars a year, I spend about 600 hours a year working as drama club advisor. Which, translated, means I'm the producer: I raise all the money for the productions, since we have no budget. I'm the director: lighting to props, blocking to line delivery, I'm in charge. I'm the costumer, the set designer, the sound effects mixer. The only thing I don't do is act.
Four weeks, you rehearse and rehearse,
Three weeks and it couldn't be worse,
One week, will it ever be right?
Then out o' the hat, it's that big first night!
On top of that, my cast and crew are 6th-8th graders. Most people would avoid this age group like the plague where possible. I willingly spend not only my classroom time, but my after hours time painting, rehearsing, sewing, singing and dancing with the dreaded 11-14 age bracket. And to be completely honest, there's a point in every show where I wonder are we ever going to pull this together.
But then...
The overture is about to start,
You cross your fingers and hold your heart,
It's curtain time and away we go!
Another op'nin',
Just another op'nin' of another show.
The costumes , carefully sewn and purchased from thrift shops go on. The make-up is passed from hand to hand as hairspray flies. The crew areas bustle as lighting techs run their checks and stage hands search for, and place the props. The line forms at the door. One hundred plus expectant eyes turn my way. Pride swells with the nerves . Invariably, someone turns green and has to be told they are NOT going to throw up. The lights dim.
And somehow, every time, magic happens.
The cast hits every line. The scenes change like clockwork. The play that dragged in rehearsals flies in a carefully choreographed rush for the finish. The audience laughs, cheers, calls out. The music swells, and the costumes glitter. Before I can catch my breath, the show is over, and I'm being called into the limelight by my students, who are never content to let me hide in the wings. Hugs and roses from elated young men and women, nerves now forgotten in truimph, are all the payment I'll ever need.
Is it any wonder then, that when naysayers scoffed "You're doing Dinner Theater?? In middle school?" I knew we could prove them wrong?
Gorillas in Our Midst, an audience interactive dinner theater mystery succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. Coordinating dinner service on top of all the other roles I had to fill seemed like it would be insurmountable at times. But the end result was truly stunning.
[Names removed for confidentiality reasons] were just some of the actors who shone brightly in the cast. [Name removed] held everything together as stage manager.
And who really did it? That was left for the audience to guess. One lucky person who guessed correctly won a portable DVD player, provided by Scott, who supports the Drama Club in more ways than I can count.
Most importantly, I learned to never say never when it comes to my drama kids. They can do amazing things, and its my privilege to help them bloom. Whether they continue in the performing arts or not, each and every one of them is truly a star.
Products Used:Karen Foster; Karen Foster, Scrap Essentials, Lil' Davis
Your journaling is making me cry and go all nostalgic (and I've only been out of shows for 3 months and will be doing them again in another 2!). It just brings back so many memories... thank you. Your page is a great reflection of this feeling as well... great job :)
