Budding Actors

Back in December I got word that the kids' school would be performing Snow White for their winter play. Auditions would be in a few days and I casually mentioned this to Reilly and Jacob. Much to my surprise they both wanted to try out! They had to memorize a poem or limerick in order to try out, which they both did with ease. After months of after school play practice (twice a week) they finally had their two performances (for the school and parents) this past Thurs. I had the opportunity to be at their dress rehearsal on Tues. (yikes!) and went to the school assembly on Thurs. to take pictures and show support. Reilly looked beautiful as one of 6 narrators and Jacob made an adorable dwarf. I was expecting your typical elementary school play, and all the forgotten lines that come with it, but it didn't turn out so great. They had a 7th grader in charge of the sound system and between missing the cues, forgetting the song order, and all together not having any of the kids mikes on it was a mess. The kid would start the dwarf song, signaling the dwarfs to come on stage right as Snow White comes on from the other direction singing her big part. AHHHH! The director even came out on stage at one point and flat out asked him if he needed help with the mikes. "Are they even on?" she calls from center stage. It wouldn't have been so bad, but so many of the kids in the cast were so upset after their performance because the whole school was there to see all the mistakes. Reilly didn't want to see her class after that. We came home and I told them how proud I was of them - I would have had a hard time even getting up on that stage when I was their age and I knew they had worked really hard on their parts. They had a performance for the parents later that night and I stayed home with Evan while Darren, Ryann and my parents went. Reilly and Jacob came home later so excited. They said everything was perfect, the microphones worked and they even had spotlights for the stage. Iwas so glad that they had a chance to redeem what was such a fiasco earlier, and ended their play on such a high note. Both of them said that they wanted to try out for the next play (and everyone after that). All in all it was a good learning experience for them, and for me, and I'm so glad that they want to do it again. No scarring with this ride - woo hoo!