Charlotte's Web auditions

Anna came home on Friday and said she wanted to try out for Charlotte's Web, the upper school drama production for the spring. I could not believe she would be that brave, but encouraged her to go for it. Tryouts were on Wednesday and she was SO nervous. Mom picked her up from school and drove her over for the tryouts. The day she went was only lower school kids. There were about 25 of them. I joined about 4:30 and watched her read a few times from the stage. She was really doing a good job. She was very  nervous still even at the end. The teacher seems to be a little hard on the kids and most of the lower school kids do not know her. Anna had several friends from her class there and several from the other elementary location there. She kept to herself though which is not like her.

Wednesday night the drama teacher called and said she would like for Anna to come to callbacks on Thursday afternoon. The teacher had told the students that if you are called back that it means she needs to hear you again. It should be considered neutral. Anna took it as she was in. None of her friends from her class were called back but two from her basketball team that attend the other location were.

I arrived around 4:30 again and Mom told me it had not gone well so far. She was getting discouraged because she was asked to read fewer times and especially vs. the girls her age. She was pretty down about it by the end. The teacher was pretty tough on all the kids as the callbacks were upper school and lower school students. The cast would be posted by the end of the day on Friday and that meant midnight.

We were all nervous. Anna asked nonstop if it had been posted. It was posted about 6:30 on Friday night as we were walking into the Grizzlies game and the mothers of her two buddies that were called back flagged us down to tell us that the three girls were cast as Charlotte's babies. We were proud. We had spider babies! So cute. Anna was also cast in the ensemble and had several scenes at the fair and in other areas of the play. At first she was sad she was not cast as Fern. I really wanted to laugh because we all knew that was a major part and was not going to be given to a rookie in the 4th grade! She got over it when she saw how few lower school kids were cast and she was thrilled. The show is in April over 3 days and she cannot wait to peform. Maybe all her drama at home is going to pay off on the big stage!

anna with her three friends at the first day of tryouts