Today is Bussel-day. Didn't you see it in your calendar?
The Bussel, you see, is the name of a community theater here in town. And Douwe's school is putting on its annual school play. Douwe's class, it appears, will be playing the kabouters, which are gnomes. They are to sing a little song, which Douwe has practiced so often that Daan knows it, too. They are apparently to tumble around at the feet of some other people at some point, as he has been practicing that, also.
Beyond what he does at home, I have no real idea what the play is about or what the kids are supposed to do as this has not been vouchsafed to the parents. We are to be surprised it seems. He is supposed to wear blue jeans, which annoys him very much as kabouters do not wear blue jeans. I have been instructed to put him in the blue jeans over lunch; his teacher has apparently been made aware of his annoyance. Unhappily, I have no idea why the kabouters have to wear blue jeans so I canot explain it. This will make costuming more difficult.
Oh, and after that they will apparently go offstage and be attacked by a large dragon which Douwe will try to fend off long enough for them all to get into the hot air balloon which will evidently be waiting and they will all fly away. But he is not at all sure that he will be able to manage it and it is possible the dragon will eat one or two of them. (Yes, I do think he made that part up, actually.)
Given the imagery of his imaginings, I do hope that this play does not feature a certain dragon slayer's terrified bolting from the stage. We shall see.
3 comments:
Jeannine:
Since it is now 2:20 pm here,the school day is over and they play has been done. sooo, how did it go? I wonder why they shouldn't wear blue jeans?
Dad
Well, I am afraid that the dragon won. Sort of anyway.
Douwe did by all accounts very well at the 1:30 show which was for the school assembled and the staff and so on as I understand it. At the 6:30 show, well. He went happily, sang the little song in the car on the way, bounced happily out of the car at the theater, and then saw All Those People standing in line for tickets and gathered around outside the theater.
He then bolted precipitously for the car. He peered out the window for a while and said he thought he could do it. So we went in and foun dhis class, whereupon he burst into tears and said "I can't" a lot. So I said he didn't have to. His teacher said he didn't have to. He said he wanted to (still crying). So he put on his little costume and fake beard (still crying and saying "I want to") and got in line with the other kids in the "green room" (still crying and saying "I want to") and went to stand by the stage door (sniffling a little) and looked through the door and saw All Those People again.
And sat down on the floor and said "I just can't" and cried a lot. So I agreed again that he didn't have to and we waved goodbye to his class and watched it on the TV backstage.
To tell the truth, I was impressed with how far he did get given how afraid he was -- his little face was red and his whole body was broken out in a sweat and he was tembling. His teacher thinks I am the meanest mommy in the world for making him do that (she kept saying that he didn't have to, that the afternoon show was plenty and there was no need to put him through this) but I really didn't make him or even suggest that I wanted him to. He wanted to, he just couldn't.
Jeannine:
That is too bad that he had a hard time of it. Hopefully, iy will be better next time.
Take care,
Dad
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