Saturday found me in Danville, Virginia, at George
Washington High School, where Brian’s play, “The Jungle Fun Room”, was being
performed by the high school’s drama department. Brian warned me ahead of time that it was going
to be “different” from other performances I had already seen, but I didn’t
anticipate the rare treat I was in for!
We arrived early at the school for the 3:00 matinee, but
there were already a few of the cast members there, anxiously waiting for time
for the show to begin. Enthusiastic and
cordial, they greeted me with the warmth of an established friend – a few
handshakes, and quite a few hugs. They
had been with Brian all week long while he conducted workshops with them and
watched their rehearsals. It was obvious
that they were as in awe of my son, the playwright, as I was!
I found an auditorium seat to claim as mine, and watched
from my place as the cast scurried back and forth, getting ready for the
performance. It took me back to my
senior year in high school, when I was in the ensemble of “Oklahoma!” I enjoyed the energy, electricity, and
enthusiasm I was witnessing, as well as remembering the excitement I felt as a teen-ager about
being in a stage production.
Brian sat down beside me to watch the play, visibly on pins
and needles and nervous, not knowing quite what to expect. Together, we listened to the opening music
and held our breaths as the stage lights came up, illuminating the stage and
set. The play began.
What a treat – a unique and rare treat! Those kids interpreted Brian’s play in a way
I never could have imagined. They became
their characters on stage, improvising when necessary over forgotten or missed
lines, and helping each other out during tense moments, at times carrying their
fellow actors through the performance.
They added things from their own imaginations as they became the
characters they were bringing to life, skipping parts that either didn’t suit
them, or those that they forgot. It was
not “The Jungle Fun Room” that I had seen in New York or Lexington, and it
certainly didn’t strictly follow the script I had read and re-read as Brian’s
proofreader while he wrote it. But it
was great! The audience loved it, and
the young actors had one hell of a good time on stage!
Afterward, at the cast party, I watched and listened as the
kids reveled in performance after-glow.
A couple of them talked to me and shared dreams of their future with
me. A few adopted me as “Grandma”, and
all were sad that it was over and time to say goodbye to Brian.
There are no written words to adequately describe the experience
of this day. “Unique” doesn’t begin to
encompass what I saw, heard, and felt.
What is important to me as I record this day in my collection is that I
shared it with my son, and that we now share a day in our lives that only the
two of us can ever understand, appreciate, and re-live in our
storytelling. If we were able to
recreate our adventure word-for-word and frame-by-frame, few would believe us!
The students of the George Washington High School “Jungle
Fun Room” will live in my heart and memory as long as I live!
No comments:
Post a Comment