“Sandy?” The scene starts with the pink ladies and the burger palace boys, enjoying a relaxing time outside of school… or maybe not so relaxing, as tensions between characters rise.” Empathy, you could say, but as rivalries heightened within the play, rivalries between fellow actors rise as well.
A month before, anyone would have killed to have a part in Grease. How could you not? The show tunes are unforgettable. The attitude is immense, and the plot line is classic. Now though, the actors question why they are here. No sleep for the last five days and none to come. This is what is known as hell week. Drama is all fun and games, some might say. It’s being silly, playing, singing and dancing. Why, you pretend to be anyone you want! How hard can it be?
Muscles are aching, voices turned to whispers from the stress of the notes. Dancing and singing, two very challenging skills to learn. Now try them at the same time, while plastering a smile to your face, and, at the same time, stay in character, and avoid thirty other moving bodies whirling around. Wait, don’t step a second out of beat, or the whole company will crash with you. “Until it hurts!” The actors hear this everyday.
“You take back all those nasty things you said about me!” Sandy yells at Danny. One sly comment from Rizzo is enough to break even sweet Sandy, and she lunges on Rizzo’s back, arms and legs waving wildly, yelling and screaming all the while. Rizzo swings her arm back, and…
Pause. Nothing is said for a moment, as Sandy steps back, clutching her face. “Oh, my god!” She yells. No one says anything for a minute. “Wait, is this supposed to happen?” someone whispers. “Oh, my god!!!” she yells again, a little louder. Rizzo runs over to her, the only one sure enough to make a move. “I’m sorry. Oh, my god. I’m sorry, are you ok?” Rizzo says, guilt welling up in her. Sandy, slowly lowers her fingers from her face, and screams when she looks in her hand. “Ew, there’s blood. Oh, my god. There’s so much!” For a second, it’s almost funny hearing her shock, until you look at her face and see the red dripping down her chin and the fear in her eyes.
Sandy is rushed into the bathroom crying, Rizzo finally cracks under the stress and guilt, and the rest of the characters, look around nervously. “What does this mean?” “Is she ok?” “Can she perform?” These questions are asked all around, but no one answers. “Everyone!” the director’s voice booms from the foot of the stage. “Everyone get of the stage. The paramedics are coming, it’s ok. I need everyone to sit still, and be quiet. I mean it.”
It’s funny how one little incident, on top of the stress and tension that is already steaming in everyone can set you off. The actors tell each other how the whole play will have to be canceled, how Sandy will not be able to act for the rest of the play, how she was rushed to the emergency room. Fears and tears fill the room. It’s too much. It may be a little silly if you are on the outside looking in, but from the inside… this is hell week.
The actors sit in the audience; some get the sleep they have so desperately needed. Some eat their first meal all day. Some just vent from all the pressure, whether it’s yelling or crying or a mixture of both. They sit there, waiting, unsure of what will happen, and too afraid to ask. Will the play continue? Will Sandy make her grand entrance a week from now? Will they ever get their cheers and claps, they have worked to hard to achieve. All of a sudden, “taking it from the top” doesn’t seem so bad, anymore.
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