Ghosts on the Moon

Have you ever thought about what it was like when you were 6 years old? I remember a few things: wearing brightly-colored jumpers and jelly sandals, swing-jumping on the playground; building "dams" at the nearby creek with your best friends. These are memories I cherish. But then I also remember how immature I was. I mean, of course I was immature...I was 6! I had a very SHORT attention span and my biggest dilemma was finding an appropriate outfit for Barbie. On top of that, I couldn't quite read yet. I haven't thought about how much that complicates things. Well, I share this to give you guys an idea of what I've been thrown this week. Before I divulge, I must explain a few things: In our show, King Arthur's Quest, we have room for 60 kids. 60...supposedly ranging in age from 6-17. There is a small cast within the 60 called the "Mini Cast". This is a group of eighteen 6 and 7 year-olds. We usually only bring them in to rehearse on Wednesday morning for the FIRST session, because they can't handle much more than two hours, if that. The other groups(besides the leads) in the show are: the Camelotians, the Damsels and the Knights. These kids are, more or less, 8-9year-olds. They can usually handle two rehearsal sessions(10:00-12:00 and 12:30-2:30).
So, audition day arrived. Jacqueline and I were slightly nervous about the turnout because this town(Fallon, Nevada) was only booked two weeks ago. That gives the parents little time to plan for the kids. And because there are so many summer activities on Naval/Air Force bases, we thought the kids probably didn't have time to do a musical! Well thankfully, we had a sum of 19 kids on audition day.Unfortunately, two of the children dropped out, but we have learned to "make it work"! Our biggest problem, however, is that the majority of our cast is SIX YEARS OLD!I guess I forgot to mention that before. That's right. This means that we have NO mini cast and all of our Damsels, Camelotians and Knights are 6-7 year-olds. So, they have a low attention span, they can't read AND they whine...a lot.
"Miss Susanna, when is lunch? Miss Susanna, I don't like my part. Miss Susanna, I hate standing up this much. Miss Susanna, my back hurts!!". And what can I do in response? S-M-I-L-E and remind them a) that they auditioned because they wanted to do the show and b) that they are doing an excellent job and you are proud of them! Honestly, that's really all I can do. It is by God's grace that I don't lose my patience!
Today we had an awesome run-through! The kids were focused, determined and knew most of their cues/lines. It was yesterday when things got rocky. I taught three little boys(ages 6-7). They really were precious. I was amazed at how quickly they memorized their lines and cues! One boy in particular, the youngest of the trio, seemed impeccably smart for his age. He was always on cue and he exuded SO much passion in everything he did/said! However, he was only six. Toward the end of our rehearsal yesterday morning, I could tell he was growing tired. He couldn't remember one of his lines and his frustration(with himself) worsened with every minute.The correct line was: The ghost is on the move and it scares me alot! However, J was saying, "The ghost is on the MOON and it scares me alot!" I finally asked him, "J, how old are you, buddy?"
He looked at me with furrowed brows and deep blue eyes and said;arms wide open in exasperation, "I'm SIX!!I'm only SIX!!". I had to stifle my chuckles. He was obviously feeling the pressure of the rehearsal process. I gently knelt down to his level and patted him on the back, "That's right. And I'm so proud of your work today. You, my friend, are awesome!" His 5-dimpled smile made my day. And I guess that's why I love this job. Yes, this week has been one of our hardest residency weeks yet, but its those moments of laughter and genuine happiness that dissolve all other negativities. I love learning how to love these children. And I am so thankful for this opportunity.

Learning how to love until all have heard,

Sus