Night o' Shakespeare

Yesterday i went back to good ol davis high for night of shakespeare. i was in advanced theater last year, and i cant even describe what its like being in that class. i finally found something i could devote myself to in that class, and i found something inside of me that i didnt know was there. so when i walked through those doors and saw the scuffed up black stage that we had splattered paint on so many times, saw the classroom full of black chairs we hauled in before and after every performance, saw the dust swimming around the stagelights.. it tugged at my heart strings a little bit.
There were six 'returners' from our class last year, and i was so excited to see them walk in that door right before that ensemble scene, i couldnt wipe the smile off my face. it was so great to see all the new kids in that class that i dont know, because i remember what it felt like not knowing what that class was gonna do to my life. i couldnt help but sit on the top of my chair so i could see every one of their nervous little faces. i remember walking out the first time on that stage and being so nervous i about peed my pants. i remembered staying up late trying to memorize lines and being exhausted the next day, and i remembered getting pre-show butterflies... when i saw some of the shakespeare costumes, it immediately reminded me of certain scenes from last year.. i could go on and on about this but i wont. this may sound silly to some of you who dont know what im talking about, but after that class ended i was so worried that i'd lose some of the closest friends i'd made...because the friends you make in that 'class' arent just 'school friends'... and lets just say i dont deal well with change. seeing them after the show and hugging them so tight felt so good and i finally was reassured that change isnt always bad.
I know how hard they all worked for this, and i know how stressful it must have been for them and for their director, Andra. i am so proud of ALL of them, even the new students i still dont know and cant wait to watch and grow. i was so surprised at how many amazing, powerful scenes and monologues there were and i was so moved at how much everyone has grown. Even during the dramatic moments, i was smiling and people around me probably thought i was nuts, but i felt like such a proud mother i couldnt help it. I was sitting by my bff amylee, and i turned to her and told her i wished i was able to watch my scenes from last year and see if they could match up to how amazing this year was. this performance really made me dig inside myself and realize things that i hadnt realized before. i think thats what a true performance does to you. it really, truly affects you. and this is one of the strongest, truest performances i've seen and i wish the actors could know that.
I feel like yesterday i got a teenie, tiny glimpse of what it woud be like to be Andra Thorne, their director. I saw the results of what these students had been working on for so long and i couldnt have enjoyed myself more. i wish they all know how proud i am, because i know how hard playing shakespeare can be. i know the frustration and time and effort that goes into this. shakespeare kicks your butt...and highschool kids normally dont get him. but this class does.


ive been procrastinating writing about advanced for so long because i didnt wanna realize that it was over, but yesterday i finally realized that it was okay :)