ease on down the road

High School.

Dark Stage. Glaring spot light. Cool auditorium. Auditions for The Wiz.

I was FIRED UP.

I’d been the hotlick of middle school drama. Landing leads and whatnot. Not bragging, or anything. Just saying you can’t argue the playbill.

And then my flame was whiffed by the director who cast me in the chorus freshman year. THE CHORUS. Of The Wiz. So not only was I background, I was part of the dancing Yellow Brick Road. My costume featured a yellow clown wig with chicken feathers sticking out. I looked like a jack*ss.

Kind of like yesterday at El Pollo Rico.

All we had to do was pick up the chicken. Stand in a line. Place our order. Pay for it. Get the hell back in the car. Go home.

We entered the store, me in the lead reiterating behavior, volume and listening skills. We got in line and TWO struggled to get down. It was my turn to order, so I put her on the floor and requested our chicken and steak fries.

The moment her feet touched the floor I went from female lead to bitter understudy as I watched the show unfold before me.

The Diva, who was still in her dance leotard and refused my direction, started to sing and dance between the tables. And the Ingenue, who still doesn’t speak and therefore refused to learn her lines, started to scream and chase after the Diva. It was like I wasn’t even there.

The staff sprung to life and the rotisserie fires roared below the chickens.

I was defeated before I even tried to regain control. So I let them run. I ordered a can of Coke and cracked it open at the counter. Relived the pain of scanning down the cast list and not seeing my name until the bottom where a dozen names bled together in the chorus. Absorbed the fact that I was destined for an ill-fitting costume and would be unnoticed when things went smooth, and blamed when sh*t fell apart.

“They keep you busy, huh?” The guy at the register said. He looked concerned for the other customers.

“Oh, they’re not mine.” I said. “I’m just the nanny.“

He nodded and gave me my change.

I took a swig of my deliciously carbonated beverage and contemplated leaving them there, mid-performance, but they saw me head for the exit and chased after me.

Me. Once again leading the cast towards the Emerald City where they’d have their final bow and standing ovation, while I stood in the background and watched.

Them. Completely oblivious to the fact that without me to lead them on their way, they’d be stuck in a podunk town with a busted house and bunch of munchkins for the rest of their lives.

(At least this time I had chicken in a bag and not on my head.)

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©2009 CEK. All Rights Reserved. Ease on down, ease on down the road. Don’t you carry nothing that might be a load…and don’t you steal my sh*t, either.

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Tags: memories, high school, auditioning, acting, chrous, the wiz, ease on down the road