Megan Rathbun – LBTV Assistant Producer

It’s difficult to explain to someone who isn’t in the play. Someone who didn’t stay after school until 5 or 6 p.m. four days a week. Someone who didn’t have the honor of being involved with all of those wacky and wonderful people who make up the cast and crew of “Rough Magic.” Someone who didn’t have to put shoes on Sam Berbel, our resident fish monster.

But I will try.

In order to even get close to how I feel, first one must think of a gift. Not just any gift. The perfect gift, I don’t care if it’s a pony, a car, or a kazoo. Just something you’ve always wanted, and secretly hoped that you’d get for your birthday or whatever gift giving winter holiday you celebrate. Alright, you picturing that? Now imagine that thing is right in front of you, so close you could reach out and touch it.

Only you aren’t allowed to have it. Because it’s on fire. And covered in ants. Giant deadly mutant ants. With lasers- the ants, not the fire. Oh, and then some random person (probably a guy with a mustache) comes up and punches you in the stomach for no reason at all. Then maybe, just maybe, you’d be experiencing, at best, a tenth of my feelings.

Perhaps that’s a bit exaggerated, perhaps not.

At the end of it all, the UIL One Act play, “Rough Magic” didn’t advance. It doesn’t mean that as a unit our play was lacking, it doesn’t mean that we didn’t try hard enough, work hard enough, or act well enough, because we did. Mr. Ferman always says “it’s one person’s opinion, one day out of the week.”

Even though I was sad about not advancing, what I was more upset about was the fact that, suddenly, that night was the last night for “Rough Magic.” The last time I would get to be Linda Summers, the crazy women obsessed with Magic (Magic, not just magic). The last night for all of those people to be together working for something as an ensemble. The last time I’d get to see Madison Fountain, Kelcey McKinley, and Rebecca Goodman in full drag queen regalia, with eyebrows halfway up their foreheads.

We have a rule that we aren’t allowed to cry until we are on the bus and have turned a full corner out of sight from the school. And yes, as we turned that corner there were tears, but there was also Ms. Stokes and Mr. Ferman playing mom and dad, telling everyone that they were proud of the performance we gave. I don’t know if they realize how much that means to us; how much it means to me.

After that there was more crying. And then, singing. Horrible off-key singing. I was terribly surprised by how many awful pop songs Christian Boulter knew. We sung everything from “I Knew You were Trouble” by Taylor Swift to “Summer Nights” from Grease, and lots of Epic Rap Battles featuring Sam Berbel, Tony Timberman, and little Boulter.

I love theater, and ever since freshman year I’ve been trying to make my mark. And it feels like this year- my senior year- it finally clicked for me, things fell into place, and I felt like I belonged. Really, this entire story isn’t about the play not advancing, or about how upset I felt, but it’s about me finally belonging to theater. It’s about me saying thank you to everyone who was and will always be part of “Rough Magic”- those who gave so much.

To my new family, thank you,

Sarah McDonnell- Melanie Porter
Austin Weger- Prospero
Sarah Haslam- Miranda
Christian Boulter- Chester “Chet” Baxter
Christina Cranshaw- Ariel
Catie Williams- Sasia
Sam Berbel- Caliban
Wyatt Zalatoris- Shylock
Jorge Garza- Caius Marcius
Madison Fountain- Tisiphone
Kelcey McKinley- Magaera
Rebecca Goodman- Alecto
Lindsay Harris- Dr. Rosemary Ridgeon
Dini Wyatt- Stage Manager
Trace Zalatoris- Lighting
Nathalie Gaona- Sound
Fiona Hoang- Running Crew
Cynthia Garza- Running Crew
Tony Timberman- Alternate
Jade Byron- Alternate
John Patterson- Alternate
And finally, Mr. Ferman and Ms. Stokes, our patient directors.