Watching Carie's Vids

There is a girl I know. She makes videos, videos for the drama department She makes five-minute time capsules of times and places that only come around once: montages of clips, photos, scenes from the show, vignettes of silliness, dancing, bloopers, funny faces and craziness. Watching, I know I am seeing something unique to this world. I am honored at this glimpse into the lives of these young people, privileged to share that joy, to see them as they are, as they practice for who they will someday be. Watching, I know now what I will know twenty years from now: that these moments in life were...are...precious and sacred--holy moments, here in this temple we call the theatre, among the secret society known as the drama department.

In this video I see future theatre legend Sophia Russelberg talking about the exhilaration of her first show at G-C; I see Meredith in an Indian head-dress and a Paul Revere coat, take hops to the right and hops to the left; I see my son's beautiful eyes as he unveils his dry sense of humor. I see my team, Jayme and Hudson--and me, all within arm's reach of each other; I see Ellen's beautiful smile; I see The Lauren Prazeau, a freshman actress, being what I've raised her to be; I see Kyla in a beautifully unscripted moment, blowing a feather from her hand; I see the kids, my actors, hauntingly lit, in the glare of the spotlight; I see Lucas and Alex stealing the show; and the Cop, who earned my respect and admiration, mugging for the camera; I see the Irrepressibles--Evan and Cody; I see elegant Rachel smiling into the mirror; I see all four doors open at once; I see cutie Hailey, and Bri, Mary and Alexander, Portia, Rahel, Shelby, and Lucia, she of the 102 fever; I see kids thinking, processing, learning, internalizing; I see everyone pivot in the same direction all at the same time; I see a slap that had to have hurt; I see blue hair and yellow roses; I see so much unabashed joy and happiness that it's almost hard to take it all in. And I see me smiling. I'm smiling in all my clips. Who'd have thought? Smiling then, smiling still. I hear the message in the music, see it on young faces. Hold on to that feeling, kids. Don't stop believing.