Without a doubt, the highlight of Harry's year so far was starring in the middle school's production of Midsummer Night's Dream. Because Harry has never done drama before, we didn't have high hopes about what kind of role he might get. However, he auditioned with gusto and earned the role of his dreams: "Puck," the trouble-making wood imp. His drama teacher told him to "surprise her" with his Puck costume, and so we kinda felt the pressure to deliver with a really cool outfit. We shopped for some inexpensive green and brown basics....
And then went crazy spray-painting, gluing leaves and cutting carefully-placed holes and rips to get that fresh-from-the-forest running-through-the-underbrush look:
After a grueling rehearsal schedule, the big day finally arrived. To make things even more special, Grammy and Papa flew in from Nebraska for the show! It was great to have Grammy there for the make-up application because as you all know, this is not my forte.
Harry was appropriately creepy when we were all done...and was definitely into his role long before we even left the house:
Flirting with poor judgement, Andy made these "WTP?" shirts (What The Puck?) for all of us to wear to the show. Harry thought it was hilarious and I don't think we offended anyone too much:
None of us knew what to expect from this performance. The stage was decorated with a few sheets and some fake Christmas trees, and we had heard that there were some problems with cast members remembering their lines and staying focused. Still, we knew Harry was beyond excited and the gym was full of expectant fans, so we felt cautiously optimistic. Well. The show was awesome! Harry didn't come on until Act 2 and by the time he did, we were thoroughly enjoying a very talented cast and a funny, light-hearted rendition of Shakespeare's classic. These kids were really good!
When Harry did come on, though, he stole the show. I didn't even register that it was him right away--it was weird. He came scrambling on to the stage, almost on all fours, gesticulating and grimacing. He spoke his opening line,
"What are you up to, spirits?"
in a creepy voice that broadcast really well from the stage.
Harry's friend Evan was also fantastic as Lysander, and we thoroughly enjoyed the entire show...well, except for maybe the one dancing pixie. That was a bit awkward.
We didn't get any really great pictures from the show, but here are a few dark ones:
I love this one if you click on it to make it bigger you can see that Harry's eyes are glowing! Perfect!
After the show, Harry basked in the attention:
I only wish there had been more than one performance. What a night!
Several of Harry's teachers attended the show, and the next day at school I guess they were all making references to Harry's performance. His science teacher apparently even loped around the room imitating Harry's signature Puck walk. Harry felt like a hero.
Fortunately, Grammy and Papa stayed for the weekend, so it wasn't as much of a letdown after the show as it might have been. On Friday, they took the boys on an adventure to Augusta to see the state museum and the capitol building. Looks like they had a great time!
Drinks in glass jars...
And some very yummy food selections...
Like my veggie burger:
And some silly selections, like Harry's peanut butter and bacon milkshake. Eeeew!
We had a really fun time chatting and playing cards.
Puck hadn't entirely left the scene, however. He keeps cropping up in the strangest places...
Gregory had his end of the year chorus concert the next weekend (looking very handsome). This concert was absolutely amazing! We have never heard them sing so well--they had really interesting music and very tight, mature vocals. The soloists were fantastic. The crowd leapt up to an impromptu standing ovation after Gregory's group finished their last song. What makes it even better is that Gregory has found a few kindred spirits among the boys in this choir. It is such a nice group of kids, and many of them are into math and pi and Rubik's cubes--all the good stuff. How lucky we are to have found this group!
While Gregory was at his final rehearsal before the concert, Andy and Harry and I went out for Chinese.
Puck showed up here, too:
So, while the show might be over, and Harry frequently pines about how awesome drama was and how much he misses it, Andy and I get the sense that Puck will linger in our house for quite some time. I never know when I might come downstairs to kiss the boys goodnight only to be scared half out of my skin as Puck creeps up behind me in the dark and cackles,
"What are you up to, Mom?"
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