The curtain rises, the spotlight beams, and the crowd hushes. A sense of peace, confidence, and sheer terror washes over me. The first notes of “Maybe” start playing, and I immediately get into character without thinking. Thoughts start popping in my head as fast as lightning. Have my curls lost their boing? Has my mom made it to her seat yet? I might throw up. The audience is dim since the lights shining directly on me are fiercely bright.
I had done this what felt like a million times before, but it would never get easier. Most of the nerves came from hoping no one in the crowd could tell that the girl in front of them was actually an anxiety-filled, sobbing mess just hours before the show. Although the pressure of being on stage is incredible and the preparation is grueling, somehow, theatre changed me from a shy and anxious girl into a person that could get on stage
From Tears to Triumph!
theatre changed me from a shy and anxious girl into a person that could get on stage as Annie and deliver a performance that would change my life forever.
The day before the big night was intimidating. We had been through months of choreography, singing lessons, and grueling acting workshops to make it to opening night. When final dress rehearsal was upon me, I suddenly felt the ache of being the lead. If I didn’t hit every mark or say every line right, I would be messing up someone else’s performance. But we all hoped we could push through the nerves, and the approval from the director that the show was looking great gave us some encouragement.
The day of opening night arrived, and I felt confident. Directly after school, the whole cast and crew headed over to the first of two venues where the show would be
OPENING NIGHT
By Abby Snelson
Annie comforts a crying orphan
Annie meets President Roosevelt
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