Sorry that I'm the worst at updating. In my defense, I've been really busy. With a play! It was Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, and it was absolutely awesome. Definitely one of the best high school plays I've ever been associated with.
There are oh so many things I love about being involved with high school theater. I love getting to meet so many new amazing people. A lot of my friends do theater, and obviously they're awesome, but I also get to meet brand new people, and be with them basically 24/7 for a couple weeks. It forces people to spend time together who usually wouldn't, but who actually end up having a good time with each other.
I also love getting to use power tools! There is something incredibly satisfying about seeing how all the screws and flats and platforms and paint and tears finally come together in the end to make a set. Also, I think it might just be my egotistical side, but I really like the feeling of being able to say, "Oh, you can't get that screw in? I can," or, "Oh, that screw is stripped? Don't worry, I can get it out, because I'm awesome."
Another thing I love is the paint room. It's a tiny little washroom tucked away in a back corner of the auditorium, down a hallway not many people ever go down. You go in, and it's got a drain in one corner, in a tub sort of thing. There's a hose that's been paint stained over the years, and the handles on the faucet also have paint splotches on them. It used to have writing and handprints painted all over the walls, but those were semi-recently painted over with a layer of tan paint, which now covers all the walls. There's a single folding chair next to the tub, for the designated brush/roller washer to sit on, and there are a few other chairs, and a large barrel, where rollers can be placed to dry. There are also cockroaches in there, which is gross when you're not wearing shoes. It's tiny and claustrophobic and smells weird, but I absolutely adore that place. I thought everyone did, till someone was showing a new techie around and said, "This is the paint room. Nobody likes it." But it's great to sit in there and contemplate life while you're washing out rollers and freezing your hands in the frigid ice water.
Also, backstage is pretty much the greatest place ever. Tech has to be there during the shows, but obviously they can't be onstage, so they get to hang out backstage and associate with other techies and with the actors when they're not onstage. One thing I liked about Mousetrap was it was a really small cast, so there weren't crazy actors running around all over the place getting in the way, and I could get to know and love all the cast.
Unfortunately, it's over now. My last show in high school. Done. It was actually surprisingly sad. And then I made the shocking realization that I'll go through this again in a few months, but saying goodbye to an even wider range of people, and never again to return to high school. WEIRD. How on earth did I end up so old?
