Frozen!
By: Jean Boonstra
“Mom,” Wendy called out excitedly, “Can you please help me practice my lines? I really want to get the part of Mary in the school Christmas play this year!”
“Sure, Wendy,” her mom answered, “Alright, let’s pick up here with the Narrator part. And Mary answered…”
Wendy imagined herself auditioning for Mrs. Ireland her drama teacher. “I serve the Lord! May it happen to me just as you said it would!”
“Perfect,” Wendy’s mom said, smiling. “I think you’re going to get the part!”
Wendy smiled nervously. She wasn’t as confident as her mom. “Let’s keep practicing, I want to memorize every line!”
The day of the audition Wendy’s stomach felt as if it were tied up in knots!
“Hello Wendy,” Mrs. Ireland greeted her with a smile. “Which part are you auditioning for?”
“Mary,” Wendy answered enthusiastically.
“You’re my only Mary today, so let’s hear your lines,” Mrs. Ireland said.
Wendy repeated Mary’s lines flawlessly and she thought that Mrs. Ireland looked impressed. She got the part!
The day of the first performance arrived and Wendy felt ready. She put a blue robe on, tucked a pillow around her middle, and tied it tightly with a sash.
“Wendy,” said Mrs. Ireland adjusting Wendy’s pillow belly slightly, “You look just as I imagine Mary did! Are you nervous?”
Wendy peeked out around the corner of the stage curtain. She hadn’t been nervous, and she started to tell Mrs. Ireland that when she saw her grandparents in the front row! Next to them were her parents and behind them was her entire 6th-grade class! “I wasn’t nervous,” she said, her voice squeaking, “Until now!”
Wendy didn’t have time to think about her nerves! In another minute she was up on the stage. The narrator said, “and Mary answered…”
Wendy looked out at the audience and she froze! She couldn’t remember a single word of her line! She stared, frozen, out at the audience. Then she heard Mrs. Ireland whispering—she was helping her with her line! Wendy blurted out her line and blinked hard so the audience wouldn’t see her tears falling. She ran backstage and hid her face in her hands. The hot tears poured down her cheeks.
“Wendy, don’t cry,” It was her mom.
Wendy looked up, hugged her mom, and cried into her shoulder. “Oh, mom, I’m so embarrassed! I froze up there! I never want to be in another play again.”
“There’s another performance tonight don’t forget. Wendy, I want you to get back out there tonight,” her mom said.
Wendy sobbed even harder. “I can’t, mom, I’m too embarrassed!”
Wendy tried to get out of the next performance but her mom insisted she get back out on the stage. That night she walked out and as the narrator read her part, Wendy looked out at the audience. She decided to forget about the embarrassment of earlier and to just try her best. This time she remembered her lines just like she’d practiced. She walked off of the stage thankful that God had given her such a good mom—the kind that wouldn’t give up on her.
Miss Wendy is one of the drama teachers at Discovery Mountain Camp! To listen to Miss Wendy tell this story, click on the episode entitled “Ben in the Spotlight”.
