ONLY THE TEACHER CAN... The church we recently joined is putting on a Christmas play with a cast of about 30 or so children. Doug and Rayna have non-speaking roles...sort of live stage props! Darcy originally agreed, albeit relunctantly, to play one of the main characters (Grace). She is a natural at acting. She had most of her lines already memorized and delivered them beautifully...so believeable as the sweet, timid Grace. However, having mastered Grace's role, Darcy decided that maybe playing the bully would have been more suited to her tastes! The older girl cast in the bully role, had such a sweet, gentle nature that she found it rather difficult to be mean, even though only acting. So, Darcy worked a deal behind the scenes and swapped roles with her at last night's practice. The director didn't mind, so, in the second hour of rehearsal, Darcy transformed into Imogene. Darcy makes a very convincing bully/brat! (Darcy's reason for wanting to move into the Imogene role was two-fold....Imogene has four times as many lines as Grace and, as one of the 'Herdman children', Imogene falls into the category of the only children allowed to JUMP off of the stage rather than walking politely down the steps to leave the stage.) It was amusing to see Darcy go from such a sweet, gentle, timid child one moment to a fist shaking, ill-mannered, over-bearing bully the next moment. Acting fits her well!

They are having a number of rehearsals for the play over the next few weeks (six or so) that are each two hours in length... The director (the pastor's wife) is a very energetic, optimistic soul. She also has very good lungs and a voice that can make the windows vibrate! She also went to great lengths to explain to the children, by way of demonstration on each of the older children (those with a speaking roles) how to 'push' someone down when you are acting (ie, barely touch them but the child throws himself to the floor as though from the force of the push). Rayna, after finishing her part in play rehearsal, climbed up into my lap and as she shook her head somberly, she informed me in slow, dramatic tones, "WE DON'T YELL....WE DON'T SCREAM...WE DON'T PUSH OTHER PEOPLE DOWN! .......only the teacher can do that!"

The 'teacher' might have died if she had been within earshot of that solemn observation from the heart of my three year old!  ¶ 11/29/2005 12:03:00 PM