This last weekend, I performed in my first high school production; as one of the stars of the show. I played Lilli Vanessi/ Katherine Minola in Cole Porter's "Kiss Me Kate." Up until this point, I had never had any real acting experience and I wasn't a great dancer, but I could sing. I was thrown into the theater community with a few pointers and then *wham* it was opening night, but strangely I wasn't scared. I knew my lines, I knew my songs, I knew where to go when, and I had found that being on strange felt natural. I had my fellow actors around me whom I could depend on to know where they were going and what they had to do, so all I had to do was step into this other part of myself that wasn't really me; it was a 1940's movie star diva with a fiery temper.
Opening night came and went; then Friday, then Saturday matinee, and finally it was the closing show and I wasn't ready to go. I found that I was already dreading the fact that I wouldn't be running down first floor hallway on Monday afternoon yelling "HOLD THAT ELEVATOR!!!" as my friends in the elevator smirked and pretended to close the door; I was dreading the fact that I wouldn't have to sit through an hours worth of notes from the previous days rehearsal as we attempted to get started; I was dreading the fact that I wouldn't have to put on that awful wig again (okay, maybe I wasn't dreading this, but it definately crossed my mind that this was the last time I would have to wear it).
But most of all I was dreading the fact that I would no longer be spending 2+ hours with bunch of my new-found friends every day. I realized that when we got back to the real world and when I didn't have rehearsals with them every day, I probably wouldn't talk to them as much, or laugh with them as much, or spend as much time with them. It's not that I didn't want to, it's just when you're not with someone for a significant chunk of time each day, you suddenly find that you don't have as much to talk about, or that your other friends (who you probably hadn't talked to as much when you were in the musical) had lots to say to you again. I've found this scenario to be true during sports seasons as well. During volleyball, I talk the most with the rest of the volleyball team; during basketball, my team is my family; during soccer, which is a sports team I'm not on, I find that I spend more time with other people who aren't on the soccer team. Nobody does it on purpose, but regardless, it happens.
I suppose that this parting after the musical is especially hard because a majority of these people are seniors who will be graduating in a little over a month. It's sad to think that these wonderful people have been in the same hallways of Uni as I have for the past 4 years, but that I'm just getting to know them as they're about to leave. I'll end this whirlwind of a blog post (from musicals to friendship to partings all in 1 post!) with something that one of these seniors said one time. He said something along the lines of, "Life is a journey, not a destination, so make sure you enjoy it on your way." I guess I'll just have to enjoy them while they are still here!
Peace to all and stay safe!
Opening night came and went; then Friday, then Saturday matinee, and finally it was the closing show and I wasn't ready to go. I found that I was already dreading the fact that I wouldn't be running down first floor hallway on Monday afternoon yelling "HOLD THAT ELEVATOR!!!" as my friends in the elevator smirked and pretended to close the door; I was dreading the fact that I wouldn't have to sit through an hours worth of notes from the previous days rehearsal as we attempted to get started; I was dreading the fact that I wouldn't have to put on that awful wig again (okay, maybe I wasn't dreading this, but it definately crossed my mind that this was the last time I would have to wear it).
But most of all I was dreading the fact that I would no longer be spending 2+ hours with bunch of my new-found friends every day. I realized that when we got back to the real world and when I didn't have rehearsals with them every day, I probably wouldn't talk to them as much, or laugh with them as much, or spend as much time with them. It's not that I didn't want to, it's just when you're not with someone for a significant chunk of time each day, you suddenly find that you don't have as much to talk about, or that your other friends (who you probably hadn't talked to as much when you were in the musical) had lots to say to you again. I've found this scenario to be true during sports seasons as well. During volleyball, I talk the most with the rest of the volleyball team; during basketball, my team is my family; during soccer, which is a sports team I'm not on, I find that I spend more time with other people who aren't on the soccer team. Nobody does it on purpose, but regardless, it happens.
I suppose that this parting after the musical is especially hard because a majority of these people are seniors who will be graduating in a little over a month. It's sad to think that these wonderful people have been in the same hallways of Uni as I have for the past 4 years, but that I'm just getting to know them as they're about to leave. I'll end this whirlwind of a blog post (from musicals to friendship to partings all in 1 post!) with something that one of these seniors said one time. He said something along the lines of, "Life is a journey, not a destination, so make sure you enjoy it on your way." I guess I'll just have to enjoy them while they are still here!
Peace to all and stay safe!
