Descriptive Writing Assignment - First Time Performing on Stage

First Time Performing On Stage

By: Amethyst Winstryg

        When I was in the 6th grade I took a theater class, and the teacher decided that we would benefit from performing on stage in the first school play of the year. The play was called Twice Upon A Time, in which I played a dwarf named Bored. This was my first time performing on stage, and the moment I stepped on that stage it felt like time actually slowed down. During this short moment there were so many things going on, the other students and actors, the lights, the props, the audience, and even smoke from the fog machine. There were also so many different emotions.

        When I first get my cue to go on stage my heart starts racing with nervousness. I start walking on stage and the moment I get in front of the audience, time slows down. I notice many things all in that short moment, the smell in the air, the colors and lights, and the silence of everyone in the room as they watch me make my entrance. It is only a short amount of time, but it felt longer than it really was. The things I notice in that moment, I could never forget.

        The fog flowing onto the stage smelt like a campfire when you roast marshmallows. There was the choking smell of dust from all the old props that were pulled out of the theater storage room. There was also the intoxicating smell of freshly dried paint from the painted background set.

        There was an overwhelming sight of colors, not only from the props, costumes and lights, but also from the audience. There were earth-like colors such as different shades of green, brown, and black. There were bright colors like blues, yellows, and reds. There were even different shades of pink and purple, and there may have even been some gold and silver among the colors of costumes. The colors that could be seen on stage would have seemed dull and boring compared to the colors of the lights and audience.

        When my cue came to go on stage, the room became silent as I made my way to my mark on stage. It felt as if all eyes were on me, and everyone was watching as I walked across the stage. As I walked in the silence I felt as if everyone was just waiting for me to make a mistake. Although I wasn't the only one walking on stage, I felt as if I was the only one that they were all watching. My heart was racing so fast that I thought it was going to jump right out of my chest.

        Once I got to my mark on the stage I started to feel different, less nervous. I started to think that the audience and cast weren't seeing me, they were seeing the character that I was portraying. They were seeing the dwarf whose name was Bored. Thinking this helped me to become more comfortable on stage. That one thought helped make this experience better for me, it helped me to actually enjoy performing on stage with my fellow classmates and actors. After that I was excited instead of nervous. I was able to see more than just colors, smell more than just the dust and paint fumes, and even hear more than just silence.