One of my most precious moments ever was my unforgettable opening night to my first show, It’s A Wonderful Neverland. After preparing and working long and hard on this show with around 20 more people, the day has finally come. Just 3 months before that I started high school and the theatre program in Chattahoochee. Considering all that it and the people in it have done for me in the past year, that was probably one of the best choices I have made in my young life. I discovered that being on stage was what I was missing from my life for so long without knowing. Theatre gave me life, purpose, a passion, and am emotional plug to help me through everything in just 3 short months, which is why I decided to try out for the show in the first place. Although the role I wanted was given to one of my best friends, I would never trade my character for anyone now that I explored and preformed with it. For weeks upon weeks I trained, and I practiced without rest until the day finally came, and I would never be the same.

When the day came, I woke up bright and early almost without sleeping from the excitement and fear of what is coming. After a regular, ordinary day at school for everyone else, and the longest day ever for me, the last bell finally rang and while all the other students left the school, I went to the choir room to begin the process that is opening night. At first it was very calm, as if it was just another dress rehearsal, but then we were told we open in 3 hours and everyone, including myself, went ballistic. The energy in the room was just begging to be raised even more, and no matter what would happen, nothing could have ruined that. I remember so vividly the butterflies in my stomach and the subtle nausea of the fear come in but at some point, it just became a part of the fun. There we were, hours before our first show, jamming out to classic Disney songs that no one can ever get enough of. Sure, the room smelled like sweat and hairspray, and sure, running lines would be the professional thing to do, but we didn’t care! We were about to go out and share our passion and work with other people for the first time!

The rest of the time before I came onstage was a bit of a blur, but I’ll try to lay it out for you. After our little gam session, we all put on our intense stage makeup, and did our hair filling it up with tons of smelly hairspray and bobby pins. Then we put on our costumes (mine was jeans, a white shirt and suspenders because I was a lost boy), and just tried to calm ourselves. The final step before going on the stage was the pre-show rituals that we all did together in the choir room. It was absolutely amazing for me, before for one of the first times in forever I felt like I really belonged with people just as wonderfully weird as me. After those rituals, we all had to go to “places”, meaning where we start the show. I remembered the feeling of being backstage and hearing the audience talk, and then stop and wait for us as if it was only yesterday. Finally, it was my time to go on the stage; and you know what? I did! I went on stage and broke through the fear, and the feeling of the spotlight on me and my makeup melting and the people looking, and the beautiful set was simply magical. It was just magical. Anything more I could say about it would just take away from that moment. In that moment, I was where I am destined to be. The one place where all the sudden, I found myself and everything I ever want to be. It didn’t matter what went wrong or who skipped what line, it was just perfect and overwhelmingly so.

At last, my first show was over. We all took a huge bow in which I was told to smile big because I had a funny character, but I forgot all about that. I smiled from ear to ear because I have never felt more alive. After the show ended we all ran to the stage door where we can go and say hi to everyone who came to see the show. That is the experience that I am most grateful for in the show, because so many people that I didn’t even know came up to me and told all about how great I was. Imagine how much of a boost that was! I felt successful and loved and appreciated, but most importantly, I felt special and unique. I was one of the last people to leave the stage door and change out of my costume because it was just too fantastic to leave. My parents looked so proud and my siblings looked at me with such admiring eyes that it just made my heart melt. My opening night was an experience that taught me what I want to do with my life and where I belong and gave my first taste of my true happiness.