"Pre-freaking-miere"

Last Friday I went to the opening night of "The Scottsboro Boys", a show that will soon be on Broadway and is having a try-out in Minneapolis at the Guthrie Theater. It was fantastic! Not only was the audience top-notch and very appreciative, but the actors weren't too bad themselves. That was quite an understatement as they were phenomenal. Set up as a minstrel show, the actors were full of flavor and vaudeville-type spirit. The subject, grim as it may be, was cast in the most entertaining way making the audience laugh while faced with the truths of 1930s southern racial bigomists. One of the best parts of the show was the actor playing the 13-year-old boy who was among the nine black men accused of raping two white women. He could sing, he could dance, he could tap, and he could keep up with all the other actors on stage. I was overwhelmed by his talent and his ability to seem not as a child on the stage. He was truly a professional. That is to say, there was nothing taken away from the other actors and their extreme talent. They were fantastic and right on with their portrayal of a minstrel show and the irony of the story they were folding out. Last, but not least, I want to commend Susan Stroman, a talented and creative director and choreographer. She did such a terrific job with the cast and the direction that they took the play. I was truly amazed and grateful to be part of such an event. This experience has made my passion for the theater even more evident. As someone relayed to me lately, "Don't say 'no' to yourself. Others may do so, but you should never say it to yourself." I think about that as I am about to go into my senior year of college. In less than a year, I will be on my own, looking for a job or an internship that will advance my career...yes, I said it--career. I better make the best of this year to make the best of my future. And no one, including myself, will be standing in my way. Amen! *Left ear tug!*