OnStage 2009 by Ryan Miller

Hey everybody! The past couple of weeks have been amazing. I mean I finally made a stage debut and got my grandma AND my cousin to come down to see my show. Well I think you've all waited long enough. Here is my onstage experience post!

So first from the beginning: Onstage is a program that The Children's Theater of Charlotte does for kids who aren't quite old enough for Broadway yet. It's an all kid cast and a great way to make friends. Anyway, this year they did four plays: " Bocon! " ," Into the Woods ", "A Midsummers Night Dream ", and " Seagirl ". I got put in Seagirl.

When I first heard Seagirl I immediately thought of mermaids, princes, and evil sea-witches with way to many legs. That is not Seagirl. Seagirl is about a little girl who lives in China during ancient times. After living a peaceful life with her father, she and her friends were playing outside when they saw a dragon land on the mountain near their village. They try to warn the people of the town, but they don't believe them. A couple days later the river where all the people got their water, ( which also flowed down the mountain where the dragon landed. Hint, Hint ) began to dry up and all the crops began to die. When Seagirl gets the news that that she and her father must move away or else starve, she goes on a crazy quest to recover the water so they won't have to leave. Along the way she meets these crazy birds and her own reflection. The birds happen to be geese, parrots, and peacocks.

Each of the bird have their own personality trait that makes them stand out. And their costumes match that trait and their species. For example, The Geese are very orderly and way too fussy. They wear white lab coats with big, poofy, Einstein wigs. And I am a goose. The parrots are INCREDIBLY girly, like the ones that dress in designer outfits an can text 50 words in minute. They wear jeans, pink t-shirts, and feather boas with little flower clips in their hair. The Peacocks are kind of like a gang but they're not into cursing and vandalism. They like to rap. They wear green hoodies, baggy jeans and sneakers and sunglasses. And that reminds me., the conversation between Seagirl and the peacocks is hilarious.

Seagirl: But then how-

Peacock: How! Did you say how?

( rap )

Later on...

Seagirl: Well, how else-

Peacock: How! Did you say how?

( rap )

Pretty soon Seagirl realizes that whenever she says "how" the peacocks begin to rap:

Seagirl: But then ho- ( covers her mouth with her hand )

Peacock: But then what? ( they start crossing their fingers and mouth " PleasePleasePlease" )

Seagirl: ( after a moment ) But then in what way...

Onstage wasn't just a stage experience on stage. It was a stage experience backstage, too. I got to see an actual backstage of a theater. And I had a dressing room, with the mirrors with the little lights on them and everything. But we couldn't turn them on because they were a fire hazard. Which kinda stunk. I would take pictures with my phone, but surprise, surprise, I forgot my phone. Well that's about it. Oh, and wish me luck! I'm trying out for Beauty and the Beast in July!