Drama

Holiday Writing

As I was standing back stage waiting for my cue, the amusement of the crowd through the stage screen eased my nerves, and cooled me down. Moments later my temperature rose up, I felt like a hot kettle. The nerves kicked in as my spotlight moment, came near. All I could do was wait anxiously, hoping I don’t ‘mess the play up.

My name is Ally ferguson, top of the class, straight A student. But there's only one subject I have to ace to graduate from high school. This horrible subject is obviously Drama. Like who needs acting when you can be normal, am I right?. Except for the fact they use acting for movies, programs, plays but really? Drama in high school, I already have enough drama at home.  I’m not just saying that because I can’t act, but coming from the daughter of a famous actor the pressure is much harder on me. Everyone expects me to be like my father, “enthusiastic”. To ace my drama class I needed to audition for the lead role of Romeo and Juliet.

First day of production auditions was a horror. I had to audition for Juliet, which was very hard for me for I have a different personality. I’m computer involved, lover of japanese animation, karate films, in other words nerdy. And Juliet, she’s sweet, gentle and naive. Even though my audition was horrible, my dad payed a lot of money to get me the role of Juliet. Which also mean a whole lot of acting lessons.

I practised a whole line before moving to the other lines in the script. I just couldn’t get over the fact that I was actually going to be in a play, in front of several people. But worse, my drama teacher is grading my performance on how I perform on the day. Though I couldn’t seem to get this one line quite right. 'll look to like, if looking liking move. But no more deep will I endart mine eye. Than your consent gives strength to make it fly’.  As soon as I knew it, I was practising the same line till the day of the production. Even at the rehearsals, I was guaranteed to let everyone down.

As I was standing back stage waiting for my cue, the amusement of the crowd through the stage screen eased my nerves, and cooled me down. I flashbacked to the time where I had let my science team down due to nerves also, but this time I knew I was going to make a change. As Lady Capulet spoke her line before mine I attended the stage calmly with ease. I stepped onto the enormous stage as Lady Capulet finished her sentence off, ‘It is an honour that I dream not of’, and so on I continued acting astonishingly until I forgot the line I had practised continuously. ‘I'll look to like, if looking liking move. Uhh----But no more deep will I endart mine eye. Than your consent gives strength to make it fly.’ I stammered at first but remembered the rest of the line as I looked at the audience, as they watched my every movement  as well as every word that I had spoken.

Indeed I had succeed in conquering a skill which I had  not favoured at first. But from the experience of actually acting I had taught myself to try harder at what I can’t seem to achieve. Also better that, I had received an A+ and along with that marvelous grade, came a Yale scholarship for acting and my academic smarts. Of course I was thrilled with the outcome but relieved that I am proudly following the footsteps of my Dad. As Mandy Hale once said “So you’re a little weird? Work it! A little different? Own it! Better to be a nerd than one of the herd”.  Spoken like a champ.