I have a dream that one day theatre will not run my life. I have a dream that I will be able to go home at three o'clock sharp with the rest of my peers instead of being stuck in the prison that is Princess Margaret for hours on end. I have a dream that I will not have to suffer the wrath of Mrs. Grant because Grease is not my top priority. That the lines of my character, Marty, will not invade my brain space, taking over my very thoughts. That I will not have to practice redundant dance moves instead of working on my math homework. That I will not have to complete yet another pointless assignment to boost up my theatre troupe average so I can achieve the coveted four credits.
I no longer wish to dedicate my every movement, every thought, every breath to a play. I do not want to memorize every line, every dance move, every note of every song. I long for the day where every costume is fitted, every wig is flattering, every inch of make-up is carefully applied. But alas it cannot be.
For my dream is unreasonable as long as the drama funds are insufficient. My dream is useless as long as the leads remain tone-deaf, uncoordinated nitwits. My dream is ludicrous as long as the play is performed in November because we are unprepared. We are exhausted. We are pressured and worst of all, we aren't even paid!
Yet we will persevere because we love the sound of applause at the end of the show. We will endure the hardships of high school theatre because we love to serenade a crowd. We will pull through because we, unlike paid actors, do it entirely for the happiness it brings us.
I know that one day it will finally be our last performance. I know that one day my friends and I will be the ones performing the grad skit at the cast party. I know that that day is November 23, 2013 and I know that it will break my heart. For all the grief it brings me, for all the endless rehearsals, lectures and arguments about who is in the wrong place, who said the wrong line, who forgot a simple dance move, theatre is the one thing I truly love; and I have a dream that I will be lucky enough to go through the trauma of being in a musical many more times.
Yet we will persevere because we love the sound of applause at the end of the show. We will endure the hardships of high school theatre because we love to serenade a crowd. We will pull through because we, unlike paid actors, do it entirely for the happiness it brings us.
I know that one day it will finally be our last performance. I know that one day my friends and I will be the ones performing the grad skit at the cast party. I know that that day is November 23, 2013 and I know that it will break my heart. For all the grief it brings me, for all the endless rehearsals, lectures and arguments about who is in the wrong place, who said the wrong line, who forgot a simple dance move, theatre is the one thing I truly love; and I have a dream that I will be lucky enough to go through the trauma of being in a musical many more times.
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