No Prima Donnas allowed

[Erik Destler]

Erik was a little anxious about teaching this class, but excited too. He'd worked many jobs in France, his favorite though shortest lived had been at the Paris Opera House as a temporary stage hand. He was covering for a man who was taking a sick leave, but ended up returning about a month later. In that month though, Erik had learned the entire workings of the theater, and met all the performers and musicians and every other employee in between. He'd wished more than anything he could have stayed, it was great, except for one thing, the Prima Donna. 

To be fair, he couldn't remember ever meeting a prima donna or even prima ballarina that he'd liked. They all had the same snobby attitude, the personality type that seemed stereotyped in movies but was shockingly accurate in real life it seemed. They seemed to forget that they had even been amateurs and beginners at one time, and flat out stated that they were better than pretty much everyone in the company, especially a lowly stage hand. What would a stage hand know of acting and singing and performing in front of an audience? It was enough to make Erik's blood boil on most days. 

So today, he was going to stand in front of a group of young people who wished someday to be on stage. They were young, they were practically blank slates, and he hoped more than anything that they didn't already possess any sort of ego. Today wouldn't be a day to really tell though, today he wanted them to have fun, and get to know each other, and he had just the exercise. 

They were in the classroom today, though he hoped later classes would be held in the theater. He pushed all the desks against the walls so there was plenty of space in the middle, and sat on the floor. As the students came in, he greeted them before asking them to find a seat on the floor and form a circle. Once everyone had come in he began. 

"Hello, my name is Mr. Destler, you may just call me Erik. In this class we are going to learn many aspects of drama, from acting to improvisation to singing, and even the basic workings of how theaters operate. Before we start the game I have planned for us to play today, I think we should go around the circle and introduce ourselves. Let's say our names, and our favorite theater show, it can be a broadway musical, a ballet, an opera, or a play, whichever you'd like. I'll go first, my name is Erik, and my favorite show is the opera Faust."  

Adonya van Rutherford

Elizabeth Phillips

Elizabeth Toman

Gretchen Holmes

Jacey Taylor Davison

@jeanneclaire

Kallistos Rolleston

Sina Aleardi

Thomas Oliver

[Elizabeth Toman]

Libby walked down the hall and into the drama room - with the presence of a queen entering her throne room - she look around the room at the desks pushed back and raised her eyebrow at the cleared floor, though she didn't say anything as the man sitting on the floor invited her to do the same. With the slightest tilt of her chin, she sat down with the grace of a swan and tucked her legs under her.

Her eyebrows arched as the teacher began speaking. She had no interest in actually being in theatre some day - her life dreams were to be an Olympian - and she was taking this class for no reason other than to fill a slot. She rolled her eyes at the mention of a game, but remained silent.

Her eyebrows shot up as the idea for their introductions was announced. She was an elite gymnast, what did she know of theatre shows? She racked her brain, she liked music by Tchaikovsky, but that wasn't what he had asked and she then remembered going to one broadway performance with her parents. "I am Elizabeth and I enjoyed Phantom of the Opera when we went to see it."

[Kallistos Rolleston]

As he left the class he had been in for the past hour, Kall decided that school here was a whole different ball game from what he had been used to and he would need to really be on the balls of his feet so that he could make sure that he was always in the right place at the right time.

As he walked, he shoved his booked into his bag and pulled out the folder that he had for drama class - a class he was looking forward to - and walked into the room. He was a little taken aback by the fact that the tables had been pushed back against the wall - not to mention that there were people sitting on the floor - but he offered the man a smile and a bow of his head before he walked to the middle of the room and lowered down to an-jeo (kneel) as he would at the beginning and end of a taekwondo class - this was a position he was comfortable in and could keep for any length of time without fidgeting.

He nodded as the man introduced himself, though he knew that he would always address the adult as Mr Destler, as that was how his mothers had brought him up. When it was his turn, he smiled. "I'm Kall. My most favourite broadway is Les Miserables, though it comes close with Fiddler on the Roof." He also loved the ballet The Nutcracker, but the fact that he was also hoping to tryout for cheerleading, he didn't want to start rumours flying about him being gay just yet.

[Thomas Oliver]

Tommy left the classroom he was in and all but bounced down the hallway. He caught up with his sister in the middle of the hallway and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off her feet, and hugging her. He knew that their close relationship raised a few eyebrows, but he didn't care. Releasing her, they turned the opposite way down the corridor and he headed toward the drama class.

Entering the room, he quickly located the teacher - eyebrow quirking at the fact the tables were pushed back (situation normal) but there were no bean bags - and swept a bow toward the man. "How dost thou, sweet lord?" Yes, theatrical as always.

He quickly sat cross-legged on the ground not too far from his Housemate. He listened attentively as the man spoke. Although a lot of his peers thought they were too old for games in class, he was always keen. And then it was his turn for introductions. He decided against standing up, but that didn't stop his green eyes from sparkling before he started. "Good day at once, thy name ith Tommy." He paused in thought and then shrugged. "My favourite play would be A Midsummer Night's Dream, in any form, be it spoken on stage or ballet."

[Sina Aleardi]

Where had she ended up? Sina stopped against a blank wall for a moment and then looked around at the classroom doors. The one closest to her read 'Biology', and the girl snorted. Classic. She'd gotten lost. But she knew how to get to where she needed to go from the science wing, at least. Asking Derecho for a firm heel, she hurried back down the way she'd come, finally finding the right door and pushing it open, muttering under her breath about needing to train Derecho as a guide dog soon enough.

However, her frustration evaporated as she walked into the classroom and glanced around. The students were all sitting in a circle, and while unorthodox, Sina was prepared to accept that. The lack of desks did give her a bit of pause, though, before she shrugged. If the teacher didn't voice a preference, Derecho could just sit next to her, or if that bothered the teacher, behind her. But for now, he could be beside her.

Spotting Kall, Sina grinned and walked over to him, asking Derecho for a down and then placing herself across the dog from the boy, so that the shepherd was protected from anyone else that she didn't know. After setting down her bag as well, Sina turned her attention to the teacher, idly stroking Derecho's head as she waited for the class to begin.

And begin the class did. Sina listened to the introduction of the teacher. Well, at least it would help her with names? Although she was stuck for a moment, trying to come up with the name of any musical or opera. Just then, she remembered one she'd gone to see with her parents years ago, the ballet version of an opera. When her turn came about, Sina smiled at the class in general, "I'm Sina, and my favorite opera is The Pirates of Penzance."

[Adonya van Rutherford]

Blythe left her previous class and then made her way towards the next class she had to take. She'd picked Drama because she hoped it would help her with her facial expression during cheers, but really, because it was at least some sort of decent elective out of the silly choices.

As she entered the room, however, her opinion on that nearly changed. Last year they'd at least had bean-bags to sit on! This year? The teacher appeared to expect them to sit on the floor. She glanced around at the already-formed circle, taking in the wanna-be cheerleader with the mutt next to the boy who'd been coming to cheer practices, the gymnasts who thought she was all that. Neither really particularly enticing options to sit next to, so she settled herself as far away from both groups as possible.

As the teacher started the class, she honestly considered the option of getting up and leaving, and transferring out of the class. Only the idea that there weren't really any other options kept her seated, and she listened to the other people who spoke before flipping her hair back, “I'm Blythe,” she glared at the teacher, “No matter what the roster says. My favorite musical is Wicked.”

[Deleted]

Jenna bordely marched on from her previous class and into the hall. She remembered that she had drama next. Ugg Jenna thought miserably. She had only picked drama because she wasn't intrested in a language or music or any other boring option. She picked herself up a little a smoothed out her black leather jacket. A streak of blonde hair seemed to blast out in contrast to her dark brown hair. The streak continued to fall onto Jenna's face, leaving her no choice but to put her hair up into a ponytail.

Jenna entered the drama room with a sort of grimace on her face. Everyone looked so cliquey. It would be hard to find a decent place to sit. Speaking of sitting Jenna thought, what had happened to traditional chairs and desks. What was wrong with this class! Jenna forced her face into what some could call a smile, it would be a stretch from the truth though. Jenna bowed her head at the teacher, she didn't want to seem impolite to the teacher just because she had gotten herself into a class she wasn't 100 percent certain about.

Jenna sat down on the floor next to two students she didn't know. Apparently they were playing some 3rd grade name game. Well, at least they wern't asking for ice cream flavors. Jenna thought at a failed attemp to lift her own spirits. Jenna had to think about her favorite play. She didn't know many, so choose the first thing that came to her head when it was her turn. "Hey, I'm Jenna. My favorite theatre performance was the Nutcracker" Jenna said when it was her turn.