"Guys, get in your places! The show will start in 15 minutes!" Sigaw ni Rica, ang aming director.
I looked around and saw people going back and forth. It's August, meaning, Buwan ng Wika. Naisipan ng SSLG gumawa ng three day long event sa school to celebrate the month. Today's the last day, and the Drama Club, which I am unfortunately in, was assigned to do a school play.
Nakakainis nga at last week lang sinabi sa amin. Hindi tuloy kami nagkaroon ng oras para mag practice. Our performance later will also be our first rehearsal. I just hope we won't mess this up, since this play is not just for the students to watch, but also for the public.
That's right. The gates are gonna be open for everyone to visit, they can freely roam around our school's premises.
Everyone's so busy with their roles. Except me. I'm just sitting here, waiting for mine. I am the actress. The stage is my workplace.
"Kabisado mo na ba lines mo?" Naia nudged me with her elbow.
Isa rin siya sa mag-aact sa play. Her black curly hair, sorry wig, reached her hips. She's also sporting a dark red dress, clearly ready for later's act. She joined our club just a month ago, and within her first week, I already saw her great potential. Sa audition pa nga lang niya ay manghang-mangha na ako. Malamang, napansin din iyon ni Rica kaya naman kahit baguhan lang siya ay major role na agad ang ibinigay sa kaniya.
She'll be acting as Mother Gothel, the main antagonist in the play. Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention. We will be doing a theatrical Tangled later.
I know what you're thinking. Buwan ng Wika pero Tangled? I actually suggested Florante at Laura, o kaya naman El Filibusterismo. You know? The Filipino classics. But they said it would be redundant as those plays have already been done in the past years. Tangled was also picked due to popular demands. However, this isn't your ordinary Tangled play. It's Tangled in the Tagalog version.
Sasagot na sana ako kay Naia nang bigla na lang akong unahan ng kung sino man.
"Syempre si Avi pa ba? Fit talaga sa kaniya yung character ni Rapunzel," singit ni David sa tabi ko.
"Oo nga, parang never kinabahan. Sabagay, sanay na yan, e." Sabi pa ng isa naming club member.
Natatawa na lang akong umiling sa kanila.
Sumulpot sa tabi ko ang isa sa mga newly recruits namin. "Totoo ba? Share your secret naman, ate."
"Hala! 'Wag nga kayong nagpapakalat ng fake news. I still get the pre-show jitters even though I've done multiple acts in the past," I awkwardly smiled at them.
That's true. Parang never nawala ang kaba ko kahit halos buong buhay ko na 'tong ginagawa. Maging ngayon ay kinakabahan din ako. Madalas kapag bago magsimula ang show ay pinapangunahan ako ng takot. What if I say or do something wrong?
But when I enter the stage, that fear I have, it magically vanishes. It is as if seeing the audiences cure my stage fright, although they're the sole reason why I have this fear in the first place. It's like a paradox. So I called this feeling Avi's Paradox.
"Sus si humble queen talaga, oh."
Where are all these people coming from?
"Sige nga, then how are you able to move gracefully, and say your lines so smoothly? 'Di pa yata kita nakikitang namali ng pasok or nautal man lang sa stage? What's your secret?" Tanong sa akin ng isa pang club mate.
"Seriously, you guys think too highly of me. There's no secret! Just focus, determination, and practice."
Especially practice, lots and lots of practice.
