Tales of Tenth Grade

While researching for my expository choice essay, I came across this old article written by a British guy who can only be described as a theater hater. This article is from 2000, and since theater evolves so frequently it’s important to acknowledge that Mr. John Freeman likely didn’t experience theater as we do when he wrote this article. Nevertheless, my response will include modern references because I'm writing it in a modern time. Now, I understand that some people don’t like theater, and I get it, it’s not for everyone. I don’t consider myself a sports person - it’s all a matter of preference. But this guy took his detestation of theater to the next level. I don’t know who wronged him, but he wants theater gone . To him, its mere existence is so offensive that the only way to set the world right is for theater to be completely eradicated, actors to be unemployed, and theaters to be turned into “snooker halls or massage parlours.” I was actually confused about the tone of...

“Missed Cues” is a short story I wrote over the summer and is from the perspective of a high school student in a school theater. Fair warning, I don’t usually like to write happy endings. - Missed Cues He sat quietly backstage, waiting for his cue to enter, stage left, head at a 30 degree angle from the audience, voice at about 60 decibels. The watch on his wrist, one of many peculiarities, read 5 minutes to 6:00. This was the timeliest show he’d ever encountered, it ran like clockwork. In ten minutes, his cue would come. That was ample time, he allowed his mind to wander. He had been so excited when he was cast as a young farmer boy in this year’s school production, despite having only a couple lines, despite it not really being a true ‘casting,' despite his part being absolutely unnecessary to the plot. The director had written in the part just for him. The months since his casting had flown by, every rehearsal he was there, memorizing his few lines and 1 cue l...