How the Heck did the BSC do it?

I was having one of my random thought wanderings... and my mind drifted back to when I was seventeen.

I had to drop out of the musical that year because I was a Claudia and my grades stank, and I couldn't be in the musical... or have anything to do with it. (It was South Pacific). I found a way around that. They had cast 9 elementary school kids in the show (two as the main kids, and 7 other little girls that were done one little in one scene.) They needed some people to keep an eye on all of them during the show.

Well, I talked to the director, and she said she wanted me at the rehearsals. Okay all fine and dandy.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I had some help... mainly another girl that was in the cast...the problem with that? SHE WAS IN THE CAST. She oculd help out when she wasn't onstage, but when she was onstage, it was me and mainly seven kids ranging from the age of a very very hyper 7 year old second grader (she was extremely cute though), to 10 and 11 year old fifth graders. (This is scary thinking that Mallory and Jessi were that age.)

One of the fifth graders, named Mandy, absolutely HATED me. I was usually good with kids... I'd helped out at my niece's 6th birthday party and had a ball with all of them. I kind of liked to think of myself as just a big kid... but at times some of them made me want to rip my hair out. Especially Mandy, and the girl that was the main little girl... they just didn't want to listen to what I said.

Then there was another girl, who seemed just seemed to be off in her own little world and took playing cards up onstage with her during their scene. (I totally missed that). She wasn't snooty as some of the other ones...just... weird.
She was one of the fifth graders.

There were some perks, though. Most of the kids were good. The little boy was shy, but well behaved. Megan (the seven year old) was just absolutely adorable, though at times you wanted to smack her so she would calm down... but she was just hyper, not a bad kid, and two fourth grade girls, and one of the fifth graders actually managed to keep me from going completely insane, and I think even sympathized with me on the way some of the others were acting.

Looking back on it now, I really wish I'd had some mega BSC help. When the other cast members stepped in to help, they listened to them and calmed down leaving me thinking "well geez." It shouldn't have been too bad... keeping an eye on them, making sure they were in their places, helping get them ready to get onstage... but Mary Anne had way more control over the kids in Peter Pan (and there were MORE of them!) than I had over the 9 kids in South Pacific.

In the end it was worth it, but they wore me out... but Jasmine (one of the fourth graders) told me she loved me...which really sweet.

I can't believe it's been almost eight years. They're all teenagers now. Yikes. Some of them have graduated from high school.

I'm getting way too old.