The bright lights hit my face and suddenly I forget everything. Every line. Every stage direction. My character is who again? I’m wearing a plaid, below the knee, purple skirt that looks like it belongs in the trash bins of a What Not to Wear episode. I woke up in a panic looking around my room frantically for the judges I was sure to see in the back row. All I saw was the shimmering beads clinging to my windows and my alarm clock glowing bright red saying 2:00am.
This nightmare is just one of the few I have right before we embark on the journey of NCTC (North Carolina Theater Conference). In my theater career, I have been to three previous NCTC competitions and as a fourth year returning veteran anticipating the day of the play still makes me nervous. We are in our final weeks of preparing our play and nothing seems quite right yet. Sure, everyone has memorized their lines and most of the props have been added, but that “wow” factor still isn’t shining through yet.
Through my many years of experience, I know that this “shine” won’t come until the second our play starts at 4 o’clock on Friday, November 4th. Knowing this isn’t a comfort as it should be and I am still extremely nervous about our adventure to Goldsboro for NCTC. As this day approaches, my nerves grow more and more as my fellow actors and I spend every day from four in the afternoon to seven at night making these plays perfection.
I know our play will get the recognition we deserve at the competition next weekend. Having a role in one play, being Prop Manager in the other, and going to school every day makes for a hectic schedule that I have every competition season. Even though the hours are long, homework is always waiting, and sometimes I just want to give up being on stage or even helping out, it is always worth it when the play comes together and we all shine on stage!
This nightmare is just one of the few I have right before we embark on the journey of NCTC (North Carolina Theater Conference). In my theater career, I have been to three previous NCTC competitions and as a fourth year returning veteran anticipating the day of the play still makes me nervous. We are in our final weeks of preparing our play and nothing seems quite right yet. Sure, everyone has memorized their lines and most of the props have been added, but that “wow” factor still isn’t shining through yet.
Through my many years of experience, I know that this “shine” won’t come until the second our play starts at 4 o’clock on Friday, November 4th. Knowing this isn’t a comfort as it should be and I am still extremely nervous about our adventure to Goldsboro for NCTC. As this day approaches, my nerves grow more and more as my fellow actors and I spend every day from four in the afternoon to seven at night making these plays perfection.
I know our play will get the recognition we deserve at the competition next weekend. Having a role in one play, being Prop Manager in the other, and going to school every day makes for a hectic schedule that I have every competition season. Even though the hours are long, homework is always waiting, and sometimes I just want to give up being on stage or even helping out, it is always worth it when the play comes together and we all shine on stage!
Advertisement
