From the moment I wake up, I can feel the nervous butterflies in the pit of my stomach, and my heart beating irregularly. This is the day I’ve been preparing for, the day we’ve all been preparing for, since school has begun. I’ve been looking forward to this day for well over a year because it’s been talked about so much by my friends and fellow cast members. It’s a day to prove to everyone that I’m more than just the ‘Director’s Freshman Daughter’ and really show everyone what I can do. It’s finally the day of One Act Region Competition, and I can hardly stand the excitement.

Our excitement and nervousness is apparent as we ride the bus over to Fayetteville; we sing and laugh but you can feel the tension. When we arrive, we unload our set (which happens to be HUGE) and size up our competition. We can’t deny that some of the other sets and costumes do look pretty impressive. The other schools look at us, and we return their looks but nobody says much because we’re all too nervous. Before we know it, it is time to begin watching the other schools. We’re scheduled to go right after lunch, so we get to sit back and watch the other shows and not worry so much about our’s just yet. A few shows go by and we’re feeling pretty good about ourselves. That is, until “Godspell” begins. It happens to be one of the best shows that I, personally, have ever seen in my entire life. Is has the perfect costumes, set, acting, singing, dancing; still, though, we think we are invincible and before we know it, it’s time for us to break for lunch.

We hurry into our costumes and congratulate the cast members from “Godspell” for a job well done. It’s time to eat, but nobody really feels like eating, we’re all too nervous. We set up our set behind the line and watch as the other groups slowly file back in from their lunch break. This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for, as we anxiously await the timer to tell us to begin. Finally we get the signal and the Opening begins as the cast and crew members set up the stage behind them. The show begins. It goes relatively smoothly, with no forgotten lines or missed cues and we’re all feeling pretty good about ourselves by the time it comes to an end. We rush our set back behind the line and are relieved to find that we didn’t go over our time limit. Now the hardest part begins: having to wait for the other shows and for the judges to deliberate. The other shows pass quickly and before we know it, the judges leave to go to another room to pick which play will be moving on to the State Competition. While we wait, the different casts talk and meet one another, which is probably the best part of this whole experience. I was surprised to get so many congratulations on what a good job I had done. I didn’t have a lead role, but everyone seemed to have noticed me.

Before we know it, the judges are back and a hush falls over the room as we quickly take our seats. The judges start off telling us all that “everyone did a great job” and “it was a privilege to get to watch us” and other nice things that none of us really listened to. Soon, they get on to the important stuff. They begin with announcing the All Star Cast (members from each show who shone especially bright on stage) and Alex Gregor was chosen from our cast. Next, they announce the Best Actor (the best male actor out of all the shows seen that day) and Judas from Godspell is chosen. Suddenly, I hear my name out of nowhere called out and everyone from my school starts cheering and yelling my name. I look around to see surprised, but happy faces smiling and me, hugging me, and giving me high fives. I dumbly make my way down to the stairs that lead up to the steps where my mom hugs me and congratulates me and where my friend Caitlin jumps on me, then pushes me up onto the stage where I receive a plaque. It isn’t until Judas is hugging me that I fully comprehend that I have just won Best Actress as a freshman at my very first One Act Competition. I come down off the stairs eventually, all smiles, as people continue to congratulate me and hug me. It turns out that our show didn’t get first place (Godspell did), but I was okay with that because I had finally proven to everyone that I deserved the part that I had gotten. I had earned my place in my new Drama Club.