Treading The Boards

There are defining moments in everyone's life. You discover something about yourself that you didn't realize or maybe you had a hunch, but put it off to the side.
I had always had a good imagination. My imaginary friends were legion, and I talked aloud in different voices as I ran through my yard.
I was so good at it that my father would ask Mom:"Mary, who's he talking to out there?"
Later on when I had my brother and my neighbor Paul Avis as companions, I'd make up stories that we'd act out. Little plays based on movies and TV shows I'd seen.
We fought Indians and pirates. We were Tarzan in the trees and a wagon train out on the prairies. As more younger kids came into the neighborhood, my little adventures got more and more complex, and we acted out impromptu plays that I made up as the day went along.
So here in the final months of Sixth Grade I find myself in a play. It's a story about a princess and an evil knight. The evil knight is out to take control of the kingdom or something, but anyway I get the part of this bad guy, and I'm thrilled to death.
Janice Martin is the princess. She's sort of a prima donna type of person, and most of the boys don't like her very much. She's over-bearing and bossy and kind of snobby during the rehearsals, and some of the guys are planning something to get back at her.
This is the first time I've ever done anything that's scripted. I mean I have to memorize lines and all, and I'm not sure if I can or not. I do know that I'm having a lot of fun playing the bad guy, and I can't wait for rehearsal days.
For most of the time it's all just play-acting, you know, nothing's for real, just kids reciting their lines and going through the motions. Then one day it happens. There's a moment in the play when my character demands things from the princess and her father the king, and all of a sudden I'm into it. My voice rises and I feel the anger and the evil I'm supposed to portray. Then I stamp my foot really hard to make a point, and everyone jumps. I've startled everybody and they're believing that I'm really an evil knight. I feel the thrill of being a convincing actor.
This is really cool for me. I've memorized most of Bill Cosby's routines and drive my relatives nuts reciting them over and over when they come for a visit, but this is different. I'm not copying anyone else, this has come from somewhere deep inside me.
I AM the evil knight. My performance inspires the others to be better, and soon our little play seems more and more like something real.
Janice Martin is still insufferable though, and there is a plan to get even with her.
Some of the guys will put thumbtacks on her "throne" during the performance. Just enough to cause her a little discomfort and maybe make her forget her lines. We can tell by the look on her face every time she sits down that the tacks are making their presence felt, but we've got to hand it to her, Janice carries on like a trooper. After the performance is over she lifts up the crepe paper on the seat and sees the tacks. The guys try not to laugh and give their little plot away.
Our performance is a success, and the other classes give us a wonderful ovation.
I feel good about myself and my ability to act up on the stage.
I had wondered if I could do something like that before, and now I knew.
All I had to do was put my foot down.