The two days leading up to a school play can be maddening. Kids flake out on lines because they're nervous. There are multiple runs to procure duct tape, hairspray, safety pins, etc. You have to write loads of cover plans so you can miss school to rehearse in a proper theater. Nobody sleeps. The curtain at the theater stops working properly. Your stagehand "forgot" that his family was leaving for vacation morning of your last performance. One of your chorus members throws her back out and can't perform. People snap at each other.
From the American Midwest to Central Europe and beyond, the idiosyncrasies of high school plays are much the same. After thankless, endless evenings and Saturdays of rehearsals and the chaos mentioned above, you wonder Why on Earth do I keep doing this?!
And then you overhear a kid in the dressing room saying playing the role of "Nurse" is the best thing she's ever done in her life.
And another tells you that Drama is helping her learn English better.
And a young man e-mails you that he's sorry he was short with you in rehearsal and that you didn't deserve that and thank you for everything you've done because it's really cool.
And you end up with scenes like this:
And the directors get a bottle of wine and chocolates and lots of hugs for their efforts and they smile like this:
And afterwards, everyone feels like this:
