Collective Plays

Prelude to Yesterday's Dream

Let me begin where I began. I was a high-school student in Senior year, and my deep desire was to produce this play. Here is this play's heart wrenching story.

At Seventeen

At seventeen I learned the truth; not the truth that love was meant for beauty queens, but the truth that our world, and my mind was indeed unlike what I had imagined it to be. It all began with a dream; a dream to direct a play in high-school; something I had yearned to do my entire student career. Being a zealous and fervent youth I pursued my passion, and found myself hosting auditions for my script 'Yesterday's Dream'. The entire venture from the get go was an uncanny disaster. As soon as I auditioned people the entire show, and my dream began to crumble right before my eyes.

It was a turning point in my life; a crossroads which would eventually spiral my journey into years of Manic-depression and Schizo-affective disorder. I should have known when during casting I was slapped in the face, later lost all my cast, got rejected by the principal, and my lead contracted lung cancer that this was not going to be an average run of the mill production. However; what a learning mechanism! Although it was a failure in actuality; I consider it a great success in principle. This event literally changed the course of my life!

The problems began with my lead character. Now he had a viciously jealous girlfriend at the time, and the script required him to kiss another girl. Now if this wasn't bad enough the girl he was required to kiss was a sworn enemy of my female lead. So the talks began. I negotiated; negotiated, and negotiated with these insufferable young women, until finally my lead just quit on me. He wasn't the only one to quit on me: the girl I had first cast as 'Mrs. Chal' was a Wiccan, and she respectfully resigned. I replaced her with a girl who at my request albeit slapped me in the face for making her wait so long, promising her the part, then choosing another and turning to her only when my other choice went AWOL. To quote Johnny Depp from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' "I deserved that one."

To put the icing on the cake the script was controversial. Its content involved a high-school shooting, and to be frank the administration of the day was quite cowardice to tackle heavy themes. In fact he forbid me to put the play on in the school at all. So began my fight! I wasn't taking that answer hands down; nobody was going to sabotage my dream that easily, so I began to protest. I began to rise up a royal stink as it were; putting on demonstrations against the injustice of his decision, getting a petition signed (Of which I am rather proud of, 500 names in an 800 student body.) and duct taping myself to signify the oppression against freedom of speech and expression.

I was overly resolved; so much so that the school had to respond. After I did an extremely emotional speech to my cast, I scared everybody in attendance because they misconstrued my fiery words for a mental breakdown. The school now had leverage on me; and out of 'concern' they insisted that I see a youth and mental health worker. I did. She was an incredible human being; I very much enjoyed our sessions together. It wasn't until my lead contracted lung cancer that I really went over the edge. Below is the speech in its entirety.

"Friends, do not be in despair. Do not be troubled by the trials we are facing. I want to remind you of the glorious things going on hence far in this production. Let me begin by addressing your impeccable work ethic and attitude concerning this piece, with your devotion and passion I am most pleased. May I thank God who sustains me every day for you, for it is you who is going to, and is making this production shimmer! In these things I have no doubts, as long as we continue supporting each other and building each other up, and refrain from negativity and fear which only seeks to destroy us.

Friends you must understand this is the nature of doing, good. Whenever something seeks to edify, whenever something seeks to help, whenever something seeks to expose the concealed heresies of any given generation there always is and will be opposition. There are many examples of this concept shown throughout the annals of history. Apartheid; Mandela; Ghandi the liberation of India, Rachel Carson the environmental movement, and most profoundly Jesus Christ and the advent of Christianity. Each and every one of these great historical figures who have altered the course of world destiny all share one thing in common, they all faced opposition. Friends I am convinced that nothing worth fighting for, nothing worth accomplishing, nothing worth striving to be with your entirety comes easy! Because if it is easy, it is not worth it.

As you are aware putting together this production has been everything but easy. We have lost one of our leads, we have run into controversy with ourselves, fellow peers, the principal, the school board, with our parents, and our own fears. We have been denied the right to a voice in this school even in the evenings. We have been slandered, ridiculed, scoffed at, but let me assure you friends! Let me assure you friends that I as your director, and hopefully we as a team will not surrender! We will not surrender to the hypocrisies of a closed minded generation who has lost the very spirit it once had! We will not give in to any storm without struggling with every last ounce of ourselves! The show will go on! By God it will! If you think for a moment that I am saying these things out of desperation that we should just give up then you are not the kind of people I know you to be!

If you think I am going to collapse under the pressure of this battle, by every measure you are correct! But friends regardless of what you believe it is Jesus who is the source of my strength, it is Jesus who is stirring my passions, and it is Jesus who will hold this show together! I stake my life on it friends! I am not trying to impose on you my religion, I am simply professing to you the truth why we shall not fall! As to why we shall not surrender! As to why, as long as God wills, I and I pray you will never give up despite the storms.

Is it physical proof? Do you need physical proof that we should carry on and do good for our community? Proof that what we do together shall benefit the New Life Mission? Shall benefit our peers, and shall benefit ourselves? Proof I shall give. Do you see this petition, on this petition are over 450 names supporting you, supporting us. I have worked tirelessly over these last three days to get the message out, and God is blessing it. See friends the fruit of our labour! We do not toil in vain! We are not seeking an impossible dream! We are seeking and shall find reality!

Let us rejoice together in our trials! Because of these trials numerous students, teachers, parents, who would have never heard of the play will come out and see it! We are making a difference! Whether you see it or not! So friends are you with me! I SAID ARE YOU WITH ME!!! We've got a show to do and by golly we're gonna do it! God bless you. You can leave if you're not in rehearsal."

When I heard the news he contracted lung cancer I prayed for him continually. I ran through the fields praying for him; in fact it was about that time God first began my training. For seven days I fasted for him, during which time I still went to school. In the eyes of others my behavior was becoming more irrational, for I was growing deeper with God through this ordeal. By this time the play was almost entirely shut down, and after the seven day fast there was a meeting to give the news to the cast that my lead had lung cancer. I was an emotional wreck, and in front of everyone I expressed my deep grief and hope by rocking back and forth proclaiming that Jesus was going to heal him.

It seemed that religion and 'play' politics was too much and I was hauled back into the school counsellor's office. It was on that day and in that time that the school decided to expel me for medical reasons. Praise God I had already finished all of my course load and I would graduate. Many of my fellow students couldn't believe I had been expelled. I am still not giving up on this play! It is 'Yesterday's Dream' to me, and I believe that somebody will like it.