Theater Cubicles

Exercises

1 1/2 months later

The rehearsal schedule was well underway as we were rehearsing Acts 1, 2, and 3 each day in that order. Most of us memorized, we had learned the story and cues and blocking of the show by heart. We had done this so well that the department decided to move the show to January; two months before the original production date. Our run-throughs were still flawed, no doubt about it, and we still called for lines, but that was what our December was still for.

That and the joys of the Holiday season. The Academy was a beautiful place at the time of year. The hallways were decked out in decorations for all the different celebrations at this time of year. The classrooms and dorm rooms were trimmed to perfection and in the center of Inspiration Park was a gallant Christmas tree. It was too bad that the region we were in did not permit any snowfall.

"Sleigh bells ring
Are you listening?
In the rain
Snows a glistening," Germaine belted out.

I was getting pretty tired of Germaine's singing practice. It was enough that she memorized the songs in My Fair Lady, but now the cast had to learn Holiday songs.

"Would you cut singing those tunes, Germaine!" I exclaimed at last.

"You know I'm practicing. The cast of MFL is going door-to-door caroling. I must practice."

I let out an exasperated sigh, "Well it annoys me that I did all my memorization in my head silently and you are... Anyways, what's MFL?"

"Hello! It stands for My Fair Lady. Like you know how TFIOS is..."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it now. Doesn't solve a thing, though. Gosh, I can't wait for winter break to roll around. One semester is a bit too long to spend this much time with a friend."

"The same goes for me. Don't worry," Germaine said as we both laughed.

"So, how's it been for you. Nervous for the earlier show dates?"

"Not at all. We had to do Hamlet in way less time and that was in verse."

We both simultaneously cringed at the thought of verse. After that show, Shakespeare made the freshman class want to cry. We didn't feel its effects then, but now at random locations and random times, quoting the rhymes didn't make us feel like anything but geeks. At the Academy, we didn't want to view as ourselves as theater geeks. Otherwise, we'd go to a regular high school to get our daily dose of bullying.

"Okay so it's rehearsal time. I better go," I told Germaine.

I sprayed some body mist in the air and walked though the aroma. I checked my hair and looked to see if my tinted lip balm was the right color with this outfit. I was ready to go.

I waited at the Shakespeare Building's exit for Nolan to come. We had met on our way to rehearsals every time. It would be weird if we were to break the tradition.

"Nolan. Hey!"

"Hey there, Juliette," he said as we synchronized our strides.

"So... Today is Exercises Day!" I said over-excitedly.

"That it is. I've been doing this for four years now. I promise you that it is not that exciting."

"I think I'll pick one of the other girls like me in the play. You know we've bonded so much over the course of six weeks."

"Wait until we do the cast bonding parties. Hey, we should organize a get together. The seniors can drive and we can all go eat somewhere. I know! The Small Town streets are a fifteen minute drive from here. The decorations there are wonderful at this time of year and there's the best hot chocolate there."