Shawn Mendes Imagines

98 - Theater

Theater is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers, typically actors, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. Well, at least that's what Wikipedia says. For me, theater is a way of communication through the form of art. Performing on stage, portraying a character that you have to internalize, and just being able to tell a story through acting. The dialogue, the actions, the plot, it must all portray something meaningful to others. So it's like a movie except live.

I personally do not like to perform in front of others. I would often have horrible panic attacks a few minutes before I have to walk on stage and deliver in front of so many people. I've forgotten lyrics, steps, lines, and even movements once the stage lights hit me. I think that's what differentiates me and that one person I love to watch from afar even if he will never notice me.

Shawn Mendes, the star performer of the campus. He could bring girls to their knees with every note he sings perfectly and without trouble. He doesn't have any problem drawing people's attention to him when he performs. It's as if he owns the entire auditorium. Not to mention that he's pretty good looking too.

Now the question is, why am I still auditioning for a play when I cannot stand being up there for others to see? The answer is, requirements. If I want to graduate, I need to pass even the most worthless of subjects.

"You okay?" His sweet voice asked as I tried to control my breathing, burying my head into my arms.

I just meekly nodded, my palms getting colder and sweatier by the second. "Yeah."

"You don't look alright."

"It's just... I don't really want to perform. My stage fright gets the best of me most times."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I need to pass this subject."

I heard him chuckle before placing his hand on my back, running it up and down my spine as an attempt to calm me. My breaths slowly went back to normal, as well as my heart beat. I sat up properly and gave him a weak smile.

"Thank you." I uttered.

"I'm Shawn, by the way." He said, reaching a hand out which I took.

I already knew that. I've been staring at you from afar since elementary school. "I'm y/n."

"And hey, if you ever feel like fainting due to stage fright, just know that the best solution is to focus since as soon as you get up there, the sooner you can get off."

"Thanks. It really means a lot." I couldn't help but look around to see the amount of people sat up front, trying to internalize their character. "So... what role are you going to audition for?"

"I don't really know, to be honest but my friends decided it would be funny to write all of our names on the signup sheet and only tell the rest of us about it an hour before the auditions." He said, running his hand through his perfectly styled brown hair. "It also turns out that they weren't even planning on showing their faces but of course, I have to do the right thing and show up. You?"

"Ms. Manuel said that she will be the one to tell me what role I should audition for once I'm on stage thus why I'm not trying to memorize my lines like the rest." I muttered, wringing my hands in front of me.

Just as I said that, our teacher walked in and sat down by a table in the middle row. I felt the pressure in my chest reappear but then diminish once Shawn held onto my hand, probably sensing my uneasiness.

"Can everybody please settle down?" She said. "I will be calling you one by one to go on stage. State the role you're auditioning for and do your selected scene or the one assigned to you considering that I took the liberty in doing so for some of the students. Once you're done, sit back down and wait for any further announcements."