Maybe I Will Read Free Page B

way through the crowd. She never did tell me what part she was really trying out for.

4
    When you do dance, I wish you
A wave o’ the sea, that you might ever do
Nothing but that, move still, still so,
And own no other function. Each your doing,
So singular in each particular
Crowns what you are doing in the present deeds,
That all your acts are queens.
    â€”The Winter’s Tale
, Act IV, Scene iv, Lines 140-146
    H AMILTON RAN AUDITIONS by classes rather than parts. He started with the seniors and worked his way down to the freshmen. He said it showed respect to the upperclassmen and was good “reality therapy” for the underclassmen. As a freshman last year trying out for the
Cat in the Hat
, I was one of the very last people to audition. Watching the upperclassmen go first actually helped calm me down and give me confidence. There were some people who were freaking out by the time it was their turn, though, and even some who just left and never tried out at all.
    I went down to the front of the auditorium and signed in under sophomores. We had to give our first, second and third choices for the parts we wanted. I looked through the sign-up sheet and foundShanika’s name. Tiger Lily, Captain Hook and Peter Pan. I flipped back to my name and put down Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Wendy. Some dopey freshman named Gavin had written Peter Pan, Peter Pan and Peter Pan. I laughed.
No freshman is going to steal my part. Poor Gavin—you’re destined to be a lost boy for sure.
    I made my way over to Mrs. Shields at the piano and told her that I would be singing, “I’ve Gotta Crow.” Unlike the local youth theater where you never sang songs from the actual musical for auditions, Hamilton subscribed to the Broadway tradition. We each had to commit to a specific character and perform a song from Peter Pan. Mrs. Shields nodded and made a note to herself. Then I went back up to the very back of the auditorium and waited. It wasn’t long before Hamilton called for order, gave us the instructions and wished us all good luck.
    â€œAll of the parts, including understudies, will be posted outside the auditorium on Monday morning,” he said. “Do not call me or e-mail me or text me over the weekend. If you see me, you can smile and wave and say hello, but don’t ask. In fact, you’d be better off not talking to me at all between now and then. If you can’t wait to find out what part you got, you’ll have no part at all.”
    He meant it, too. Last year Camden Reynolds’ mom called Hamilton after auditions to tell him that Camden didn’t test well, but would be perfect for the Horton the Elephant part. “I’m sure he would,” Hamilton told his mom, “but too many directors spoil the play.” At least that’s Camden’s story on how he ended up doing costumes and make-up.
    I was singing quietly to myself along with the seniors trying out for main parts just to warm up my voice. Then Shanika came out. She took a flash drive to the sound guy and went to the center of the stage. Dressed all in black, she looked strong and confident.She crossed her arms and nodded. The sound of beating war drums filled the auditorium. “I am Tiger Lily!” Shanika cried. And she began to dance.
    She was good. Really good. Not only did she do cartwheels and all of the regular Tiger Lily moves, she added several back and front walkovers and two back handsprings followed by a back aerial. She even did the splits. “I am Tiger Lily!” she roared.
    I felt sorry for every underclassman who signed up for Tiger Lily. How could anyone compete with that?
    When the music stopped, there was a moment of silence as Shanika once again stood in the center of the stage with her arms crossed. Then the hushed auditorium exploded in thunderous applause. Arms still crossed, Shanika gave a formal bow before strolling back over to the sound guy to collect her flash