Shakespeariance: Chapter 9

Saturday: Final Round
We get into the MC building of SUU Campus and go to the end of the hall to set the Chair down. I goof around with Michael and Luke for a little bit.

"Now might be a good time to take sometime to ourselves and just think for a little bit," Nick suggested.
"Oh, okay." I watch him go up the stairs and I sit on the Chair. As I sit, I sort of just think. I go through what I do, my thoughts that I should have as Katharine, her feelings. I hit a stand-still and become frustrated. I try to think my way around it, but after so long, I just get off the Chair and kneel by it. Nick comes down and he kneels next to the Chair as well.

We stare at the chair for about two minutes.

"We should pray," I say.

He doesn't say anything, but I know he agrees. We keep staring at the chair, when he starts the prayer. After the prayer we sort of talk for a little bit when I become silent.

"No one has said that sort of thing to me before. It was really nice," I say quietly.
"Sometimes... God sends people into our lives to tell us what we need to know."

I get up and grab my Shakespearitus book. Nick knows full well what I have in that book.

"What are you doing?" He says, but I know he is really saying You know your lines. Put it away.
"I'm looking that the French monologue I wrote myself. Character work."
"Oh... okay."

I start it. Bonjour..... 'my name is Katharine-Princess of France.....' There's more to it, I promise.
But then I started crying.

I will myself to stop crying and I become Katharine for a moment. I glide around with Royal Posture thinking in gibberish. I see Henry pick up the Chair and I'm Talia again. We walk over to room MC 109 and stand next to complete strangers: my territory.

"Hey, what school are you from?" I ask a duo scene.
"Grand Junction." I had heard about them... they did a Romeo and Juliet meets Zombie Appocalypse.
"Are you the...."
"Zombie Appocalypse? That was us! I was the first person to be dragged off stage." He said proudly.
I laugh and look at Nick. He had been pretty pensive recently.

Zombie guy looked at Nick then at me. Then at Nick and at the Chair. Then once more.

"No way...." Zombie man said.
"What?" I ask.
"You're the... you're the... you're the Man with the Chair!" Zombie man exclaimed.
What?
"Our friends have told us about you."
Um....
"They said there was a girl with a golden dress"
m'kay....
"And she spoke perfect French."
Yes....
"And there was a guy who carried around a Chair."
Um...
"And you're scene was amazing."
What?
"You're the Man with the Chair!"
"They're... they're talking about us?" I ask looking at Nick, as pensive as ever.
"They said you guys were amazing!" Zombie Man said.
"They're talking about us!?" I said, unbelieving.
"Yeah!"
Whoa...

We enter the room and sit in the back. They call the role and again we are last. There's really good scenes and I am content. We go up and we slate. I'm more afraid than I've ever been in my entire life almost. I don't do endings. I've been advised to do certain things this time around. I didn't know what to do.

I become Katharine, of course. Something weird happens this time around. He speaks his French and takes my hand. He hasn't done that since the beginning of rehearsals. We make people laugh and feel chick-flicky and we are on the ground when Nick says, "Thank you."

We get to our seats and I bawl.

"Don't cry because it's over. Be happy because it happened." Luke says with a smile.
I cry somemore.

The Judge says we were lovely, keep being Royal, project, good emotion.

The day proceeds and I am exhasted. I gave that performance everything. I am exhasted-mentally, emotionally, physically. Yet, spiritually strong.

I sit next to Nick during the award ceremony and we took third in scenes. Blaine took second in monologues. Ensemble took second. Sweepstakes we took second. Junior High took third in ensemble.