Behind the Scenes

#1: Introducing...Eliza and Todd!

ELIZA
Since freshman year, I've known what I wanted senior year to look like. I would be making straight B's, I'd have the perfect boyfriend, and I would be the lead in the musical. Two out of those three things are true. My grades are average, and I even have a few A's!

The boyfriend part of my plan is exactly as I hoped. Zach is everything that I wanted. He always gets the male lead, he is student body president, and he looks like the offspring of Matt Damon and Jennifer Lawrence. What more could a girl ask for?

I know I had the lead last year and that's great, but that was junior year. It's senior year and everything changes. Everyone at this school wants the lead for one of two reasons. One, it looks good on a college application. Lakeland High is one of the best performing arts high schools in America, and if you are cast as the lead, you have a pretty good chance at making the college you want.

Two, it assures you a safe place on the high school hierarchy. In my opinion, that is just selfish! Seriously, some random theater wannabe wants to try and steal the role that rightfully belongs to a thespian that has worked their ass off for three years to get this role!

Well, I have news for them. They can't have the role. This role rightfully belongs to me, and if they want it so badly then they can fight me for it. The leading role is mine, and I don't care how I get it.

Last year's play was a disaster! The acting was brilliant as always, but the tech crew was another story. I never thought I would be working with such idiots. Every time that we had a set change something went wrong. The set piece would hit the arbor or be snagged on a rug. Stopping between every scene change meant that us actors didn't get as much rehearsal time. We only ran through full dress rehearsals twice before opening night. And to top things off, this kid named Todd pulled the grand curtain down at the wrong time during our last night, so I didn't even get to take my final bow. But this year is going to be different. This is the year it's all going to change.

My audition song, The Hill from the musical Once, has been playing on a loop for the past two hours. If I want a shot at the lead I need to nail my audition. Our musical is different from other schools, because we write our own. Henry Lawrence is a brilliant writer, and every year he comes out with a new and improved musical.

So for the first audition you get to pick our own song instead of performing a song from the musical. If you get a callback then you get to sing a song from the musical. I was just about to reach the chorus when my little brother walked into my room.

"You're still working on the dumb song? I don't see how you can listen to the same song over and over again without getting bored," my little brother Mason stammers as he closes the door behind him. Mason comes in my room and sits on the black and white comforter. He's only ten years old, so he doesn't quite understand theater logic.

"So do you think you will get the lead?" He questions. Now there's the million dollar question.

"Let's hope so. I've worked towards this moment for three years now. If I don't get this role I will be crushed. And I don't mean it figuratively. My insides will collapse, and I will just be a pile of longing and depression," I state to my brother. He doesn't understand how much this means to me.

Mason laughs at my statement, "Come on El, dramatic much?"

"Well I am in theater aren't I?" I joke back. This pretty much sums up our relationship. It's very light and fluffy. If I am ever sad, I know just who will make me laugh and smile. God knows I need more laughter in my life.

"I guess I should get to bed. After all, tomorrow is a pretty big day for us both. Goodnight El," Mason says as he jumps off my bed and dashes into the hallway. He was right, tomorrow is a pretty big day. It's the first day of senior year. My first chance to show everyone that I'm good enough.