Recently, I had the privilege of playing Tom in the Drama Troupe’s production of
The Glass Menagerie. I call this a privilege because that’s exactly what it was. Being an actor is a very interesting experience. You spend hours and months practicing, memorizing, and finally staging a show to the point where you literally know the whole play by heart and every single one of the cues. Then it happens, the big day comes - you clip on your mic and step out of that curtain into pitch blackness. You hear the familiar music start and see the spotlight come on. No amount of practicing can prepare you for what happens next as you look and see the rows upon rows of students (and parents) seated in the audience. The reality of the situation finally hits you- this is it, this next hour is everything that I spent the past months preparing for. You get a bit nervous as you realize that this is what all your hard work has been leading up to. You start nervously reciting your lines, trying desperately to stay in character and stifle the nervousness, but then the other characters enter and you seamlessly become someone else for the next hour. It’s an amazingly liberating feeling to just transport yourself into the life of this character who you definitely aren’t and just for a moment to transport the audience into the lives of these characters and make the brilliant words of this classic play come to life. That feeling of being a part of something so much greater than you is indescribable. I would like to thank all my fellow cast members, my classmates that did the AV for the show, my directors Marius and Michele, Ariel- who played piano, and the audience members that sat quietly and enjoyed our show for giving me this experience. I can’t wait to see you all at the next one! ~ Sammy Tbeile
Please enjoy the full recording of the production:
