9. romeo and juliet.
theater day
The theater department of the middle school has been working for half a year to complete the classic Shakespeare play: Romeo and Juliet. During the auditions, I auditioned twice, and on the second try, I got the role of Romeo's enemy, a Capulet named Tybalt, and cousin of Juliet. Thanks to my acting skills honed through the interpretation system, I can consider myself the best of the best in terms of school. Due to my minimal involvement in previous performances, I didn't have much recognition from my teachers and was merely a backdrop.
The play was directed by Mr. Clarens, the Spanish teacher in the final grade of middle school. The characters' arrogant attitude and their Victorian postures, with straight backs symbolizing English nobility and formal education in proper etiquette, were ingrained in the subtle gestures. I attended four group etiquette classes, costing a total of two hundred dollars.
The classes further squeezed my already tight schedule as an eighth-grade student who spends almost four hours drawing every day. We learned about the proper greetings to offer to gentlemen and ladies, the courtesy titles, and some protocols to observe at the dining table.
I woke up early and practiced my lines.
-Why are you drawing your swords? Benvolio, do you want to see your death? BENVOLIO. - I'm trying to keep the peace. Put away your sword and don't chase after fantasies. -
I hurriedly walked, taking short steps, instilling in my heart the spirit of a tiger, ready to spit out Benvolio's words.
-Talk to me about peace when I have a sword in my hand! Such a word is more detestable to me than hell itself, more detestable than Montague, more detestable than you. Come, coward. -
My words were harsh, imitating the walk of someone desperate for a forgotten crusade by an enemy. I adjusted my tone of voice to make it deep, even though I wasn't allowed. I tried to immerse myself in the feeling of a family feud, of a hatred instilled by my parents since birth. The hatred that reminded me of the arrogant lords who despised their enemies, the lower class, the vagabonds. I immersed myself in the unfamiliar feeling of the ignorance of a nobleman from the 1600s.
-By the voice, he sounds like a Montague. (To the Servant.) Bring me my sword. How dare that villain come here masked to disrupt our party? I swear on my lineage's bones that I will take his life without remorse. -
-Without a doubt, he is a Montague, the sworn enemy of my family, who has come here to mock our party. -
My words were filled with anger and fury.
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I could only reread the lines until we got out of the car. I heard some words of encouragement from my father in the distance as I entered the grand theater of the school, capable of accommodating about 300 people. I arrived just in time to enter the dressing room.
-My dear Juliet, - I addressed Hanna Parks, one of the leading faces of the theater club. -Tonight, the voices will acclaim your beauty, - I said, performing a gentle bow with my steps.
The costume consisted of green and gray colors, representative of the Capulets, while the Montagues wore a reddish-brown color, representing Romeo's passion.
-Nice to see you too, Bill. I'm nervous; it's my first time playing the lead role, and I'm afraid of messing up a line, - she replied.
-You'll do well. -
- The teacher explained that it doesn't matter if we make mistakes; the key is to stay in character. Although I don't think it will happen to you. You were perfect during Friday's rehearsal. -
Thank you. I'll go get a glass of water. See you shortly," she said as she left the dressing room.
The best ones with potential for the future are Hanna and perhaps Mauricio Diaz, who played Friar John. He had a warm aura when performing, giving him a certain air of talent that the other kids in school didn't possess. Although we're only in eighth grade, I don't think the idea of becoming an actor is very common among children this age, except for special cases or under the proper guidance or authority of parents.
My acting career was based on methodical study and the points of the system, which gave me a talent that only years of practice could achieve. But it wasn't just the work; there was something deeper, an inherent ability that set me apart from ordinary people, like an athlete who possesses a deeper talent than their competitors—an innate talent. An invaluable skill that a genius can accomplish in just two hours, while others take double or triple the time to achieve the same result with a little effort.
The red curtain fell upon our faces, and the gentle voice of the social studies teacher, our off-stage narrator, announced the participants and their roles for each scene. She carefully placed each scene and act to ensure the audience wouldn't get lost and for us to maintain the rhythm of each scene.
It was a night filled with panic, nerves consuming my performance. In front of an audience, my artistic abilities were diminished by the overwhelming fear imposed by their gazes. Even with experience, the desire to put on a good show pales in the face of the incomprehensible, the awakening of a new, sought-after profession. It was the deep-seated fears marginalized in life that made the new carry a high value of learning difficulty. Or perhaps it was my gentle character, whispering from the depths of my numerous failures.
In a moment, it was the lines; in the next, time passed like lightning, and I merely reacted to the red curtain closing.
-I think you did well, son, - Thomas added.
-Mmm... I was terrible. At least I managed the small dialogues between each scene. I can't say it was perfect. I just feel like I could have done better than what I expected, - I finished saying.
-Well, in a few days, it'll pass. I'm sure you'll succeed. Remember, seeing E.T. is not a reason to be discouraged. Just keep doing what you're doing, - he responded.
It was my first scene.
1. Shakespeare introduced and popularized many words and phrases into the English language through his plays, and "Romeo and Juliet" is no exception. Some of the popular words and phrases introduced by Shakespeare in this play include "in love", "crossed star", "love is blind", and "winged departure".
disclaimer: This is fanfiction, nothing belongs to me.