The Curtain Has Fallen

For the last five days right before my daughter dashed out the door and headed to Hidden Valley's school stage I'd sing..."Overture cut the lights, this is it, the night of nights, no more rehearsing or nursing the part. We know every part by heart..."



After I finished singing I'd call out "Break a leg!" and then mutter under my breath, (don't really break a leg.) I worried if those fragile little legs that have spent the last three summers in an operating room, would hold up as she skipped, ran, danced, climbed and fought as she portrayed a Lost Boy.

Those rag-doll scarred-up legs held out and when tears came into my eyes after watching Peter Pan it wasn't just because it was the best play I have ever seen in Roanoke, it was because I was filled with pride. And not just proud of my daughter's performance, but proud of her determination to overcome her shyness and bone tumors.

Oh sure, she'd come home at night after rehearsals and crumble to the floor in pain, but she refused to let it stop her. She soldiered on, never complaining and never once thinking about quitting. Then the payoff: After the first night's performance she glowed. I have never seen her so happy as she relayed the evening's events. "The audience laughed, the little kids yelled back 'I believe' for Tinkerbell, they clapped and cheered, and at the end we got a standing ovation! And then some little kids asked for our autographs! They were so cute. It was great! I loved it!" Would she do it again? "Without a doubt!"

Ah, there's nothing like the rush of a live audience, hearing thunderous applause and seeing hundreds of folks standing in appreciation. Throw in an autograph and it's no wonder she has been bitten by the theatre bug. She doesn't know it yet, but within a couple of days she will most likely become depressed. The curtain has fallen. The lights have gone out. The action is over. She won't have the camaraderie of her troupe. She will feel empty, as empty as this theatre...



She'll be back to reality...playing school-catch up, trying to make up all the work she got behind in, preparing for a trip to Hampton Roads for Skills USA competition, shooting video for a backlogged assignment, and studying her heart out for the SAT's, SOL's, AP exams -- Nothing as fun as acting. This should be interesting...