Frozen on Stage

Topic SentenceMy first school play is something I’ll never forget. I was playing Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Abraham Lincoln. The whole auditorium was packed with people. Body SentencesIt was hot inside, even though it was the middle of the winter. Ms. Valentine gave me the cue, so I walked on stage toward Chad, who was playing Abraham Lincoln. When I looked at the audience, I froze and forgot my line. Now I was really sweating. I looked at Chad, and he pointed to his hat. That helped me remember the line. I said, “Geez, Abe, your hat is on crooked again.” The crowd laughed, and I relaxed. We got a standing ovation when the show ended. Chad was a great teammate. Ending SentenceI knew from then on that I would be a good teammate, too.

Topping Stage Fright

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Beginning ParagraphI thought I was ready when I arrived at our school’s auditorium. Last winter my class put on a play called “Gettysburg” for a real audience. I had practiced hard, and I had all my lines memorized. During the dress rehearsal, everything went smoothly. But my first real show did not go as planned.

Middle ParagraphsI started to get nervous backstage. “I can’t believe all these people are here to see us,” I told Sofia. “And why is it so hot?” Even in the middle of the winter, the auditorium felt steamy. It didn’t help that I was wearing a big poofy gray dress in my role as Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Abraham Lincoln.

DialogueI wasn’t in the first scene, so I kept my eyes on Ms. Valentine. She was the director of the play and would give me a cue when it was my turn to go on stage. “You’re going to do great,” said Sofia. Before I had time to thank her, Ms. Valentine gave me two thumbs up.

Sensory DetailsStepping on stage for the first time felt like slow motion. Each step was more difficult than the last. When I caught a glimpse of the crowd, I froze. Every seat seemed like it was filled. Then a bright light hit my face, and I realized everyone could see me.

TransitionsAfter that I slowly walked toward Chad. He was playing Abraham Lincoln and was wearing a full black suit and a top hat that leaned off the side of his head. I knew it was time for my first line, but when I looked again at the crowd, my mouth got dry and my mind went blank.

Now I was really sweating, because I forgot my line. I started to feel embarrassed, but then I looked at Chad. He pointed to his hat. That’s it! I remembered what I was supposed to say.

I turned to the crowd and said, “Geez, Abe, your hat is on crooked again.” The audience laughed. I smiled and relaxed as Chad said the next line, “I was worried about my speech, Mary. Now I’m worried about my hat!”

Ending ParagraphThe rest of the play went great. My lines came out just like I practiced them. I was no longer nervous, and I even felt a surge of excitement. At the end, the crowd gave us a standing ovation. I thanked Chad backstage. “It was nothing,” he said. Reflective DetailsBut I won’t forget what he did. He acted like a good teammate. Whenever the chance comes, I’ll do the same thing for someone else.