It’s time again for a musical production
at the kids’ elementary school. This year they’re putting on “Oliver!” and both
Milo and Willa are participating. Willa, who’s in Gr. 4, is in the ensemble
dance numbers but because Milo is in Gr. 6, he had the option of having a
speaking part. Because the school is small, no auditions are held – students
only had to sign up for the part they wanted. So Milo will be one of two
narrators.
Rehearsals have gone into full swing now, one week before the
show. And today a photographer was in after lunch to take head shots of the lead
roles. I am at the school every day to do lunch hour supervision so when I
brought the students down to the gym for photos, I enjoyed watching some of the
kids posing for the camera.
The first few girls I watched looked only
vaguely uncomfortable taking directions from the photographer. Certainly Willa
would have been more than happy to strike a pose had she been there! But as I
looked at the group of kids waiting their turn, horsing around and being silly,
I wondered how that photographer was going to get all those 11- and 12-year-old
boys to do anything but “awkward” for the camera. I can’t remember the last time
Milo didn’t make a goofy face in a picture. So I left the gym, unable to handle
the pressure of watching my kid – wonderful and beautiful as he is – pull one of
his beaming but forced ear-to-ear, bug-eyed grins. And I will have to consider
bringing an extra 5x7 glossy of one of his less crazy faces when I go to the
show next week. Just in case a replacement photo is needed!
Happy
Sweeping,
Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com
