The Red Curtain

Hurry! Quick! You're late! What were you thinking stopping for a coffee? You have to sing in an hour! Idiot. Before I get the mic I need to do my hair. Should I curl it? No, that looked stupid last night. But it's what the director wants my hair to look like... no! I'm not curling my hair. TOO MUCH TIME. Why won't this mic tape stick to my freaking face! Remember that note in the second act. It's a G not an F. "Why isn't your hair curled?" Great, I have to curl my hair. This eyeliner is too light. My eyes need to look amazing for that cute guy who just sat down in the front row. AHHHH. Hey, does anyone have midnight black eyeliner?? Makeup looks great. Mic is on. Hair is done. "You need your mic check! The house is open!" Um, can I just not do a mic check. I sound the same every single night. "No, get a mic check." Fine, check, one, two, three. La la la la la la. "Ok, you're good." See, I didn't need a mic check. 10 minutes to places. Crap, costume! I need my costume. "Can you braid my hair?" Sure! Why do I always say yes to doing people's hair? 5 minutes. Shirt, skirt, shoes, hat, tights... don't have tights. That's ok I'll just wear the green ones I have on now. No one will notice. My mom will notice, yes she will notice. Whatever. I bow second not third. And the opening number is my time! PLACES FOR THE TOP OF THE SHOW! Can you go fill up my water bottle? I'm dying. Don't make so much noise walking across this stage. Why does it have to be so dark? Wait, my prop!!!! "Please sit back and relax and enjoy the performance." I love the sound of that curtain opening. Holy, there is a lot of people out there. Oh hey, there's my teacher. Music starts. Lights up. Characters on. Let's do this!

The Dandelion

This dandelion represents Rose of Sharon. As everyone knows, a dandelion dies after all its petals have flown away to plant new seeds, for new flowers, for new beginnings. Rose of Sharon has been stretched too much! Her husband abandoned her. She gave birth to a lifeless child. Not knowing what she would find in California, she deserted her homeland and traveled in squelching heat for days, she was pregnant, and starving. However, Rose of Sharon does not complain. Everyone that meets her gets a sense of her unearthly joy and peace. She is always leaving pieces of herself with others. Just like the dandelion. As the flower lets go of it's petals, Rose of Sharon let's go of bitterness and hatred and turns those feelings into love and contentedness that blossom when planted. In this particular picture, this dandelion has one petal left to give. Rose of Sharon gives her last petal at the end of the book when she forgets her dignity to save a dying man. The dandelion will not go on living as a beautiful flower, as it has given everything it has to give. Even though it is no longer young and pretty, it has presented a chance for many other flowers to grow. Rose of Sharon has lost her youth and the time of blooming, for her, has long passed but she has scarified for the ones she loves.