High School Theater

The past two nights I had the pleasure of taking in two High School theater performances.  The first was my hometown Grayling High School's production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" and the next was my Nephew's St. Johns High School's production of "Damn Yankees".  I'm not going tom write a review of either performance, that's not what this is about, what this about is nostalgia, the nostalgia of what it was like to be a kid on the big stage, under the lights, wearing make up and a costume for the first time and feeling like you were a part of "show business" The pure joy that is on display in front of you when you see a High school show helps you forgive little technical snafus, character breaks and other blemishes.  It all washes away because you can see that everyone involved is having the greatest time in their life.

 I have been performing for audiences for most of my adult life and I don't think that anything can ever compare to that 'first time" the anticpation, the nerves and the feeling of pure joy that I felt when I stepped onstage, delivered my first line and got my very first laugh.  I know why I get nostalgic when I see a High School show because it's like running into your first love again, a little awkward, you roll your eyes at yourself and remember the good times and you feel for the kids onstage for they are going down a road that will provide them with a great memory--now every time they step into an auditorium for the rest of their lives, they will be jettisoned back.  They say smell is the most nostalgic of the senses, but I think hearing applause, laughter and the whooping of the crowd is enough to bring you right back to the begininng of your own staged journey.