He Smiled and Smiled and Smiled.
When Dylan auditioned for his spring musical, it was just before the second semester contract took effect. He had a ton of missing assignments, many of which he couldn’t make up, and he was failing more than one class.
One of the classes he was failing was AP English – and his AP English teacher is also the director of the spring musical.
So Dylan auditioned in January.
“How did it go?” I asked after his audition.
“I totally bombed,” Dylan said. “I messed up the dance moves and I stuttered through the whole monologue. The only thing I did well was the singing.”
Dylan is a wonderful singer. Last year, he had the lead in the spring musical – and did a beautiful job. In fact, Dylan has had a lead role in every musical since he started participating in musicals in 7th grade.
This year, though, his AP English teacher auditioned him. His chorus/piano teacher – who has known him for three tumultuous years – assisted with the audition process. They both knew that Dylan was failing multiple classes – and students need a 2.0 and no failing grades in order to participate in extracurricular activities.
They’d seen last year’s musical, and they knew Dylan could do the job well. But, given the circumstances, they determined that Dylan was “not dependable,” and they gave him a part that could be easily cut – just in case his academic issues knocked him out of the play. (We learned this later, after he didn’t get a lead role.)
So he got a nameless role in the ensemble, which included one solo singing line and plenty of back-up singing and dancing.
Dylan had an absolute blast performing in the ensemble. While it was every bit as stressful during rehearsals, he took the role very seriously. He memorized the dance moves, he knew where he was supposed to be – and when – on stage. He didn’t lag behind (like he does in the classroom) and he always changed into the appropriate costumes beautifully.
He was enthusiastic and funny, dancing with grace and strength, and smiling through every scene. He smiled and smiled and smiled, like he did when he was little – like he did from the time he was six weeks old, until about the second month of sixth grade.
He was a shining star among shining stars. And the play itself, with its varying lead characters, was one of the funniest and best I’ve seen at any school.
After opening night, Dylan’s AP English teacher/play director called him aside.
“Dylan,” she said.
Uh-oh, he thought. He was sure he’d done something wrong.
“Someone just pulled me aside and asked me about you,” the director said. “She wanted to know who the guy with the long hair was, because he was doing such a great job in the ensemble.”
Dylan breathed a sigh of relief.
“I don’t know what you’re doing out there,” said the director. “But whatever it is, keep doing it!”
And he did. It may have been the best play experience he ever had.