Noise echoed throughout the gymnasium as the audience waited for the show to begin. By the roar of the crowd, I knew that it was the biggest crowd I had ever performed in front of. Chaos backstage swirled around me, but I seemed frozen in place. Nerves kicked in, and I felt as if a dozen butterflies flapped their paper-thin wings around in my stomach. I had done this many times before, but that didn't seem to stop the anxiety.
One by one, the backstage lights begin to go off. 'Click' 'click' 'click'! You could hear the breakers turn, darkening the stage. I heard the stamp of high heels confidently stride on the gym floor in front of the closed curtains. My drama teacher's voice echoed throughout the gym. The audience and even the cast backstage fell silent, scrambling to their places. Her voice commanded attention, yet an underlying shake was audible in her voice. Even she was nervous.
My hands shook and I didn't even digest the words she spoke. The odor of backstage wafted through my nostrils. An odor I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was a stale odor, mixed with sweat. But so familiar, I didn't even mind. I nervously grasped the velvet, maroon curtain to my right. My mouth felt dry, as if I hadn't taken a drink in days. I took the last bit of water from my, now warm, water bottle, sloshing it from side to side in my mouth, trying to hydrate myself. I set the water bottle down, and felt as if my feet had been frozen into place. It was unusually cold backstage, but that wasn't the reason I was shaking. Doubts began to rush through my mind as I frightfully thought of every possible scenario of what might go wrong. .
I felt the warm breath of somebody speaking into my ear from behind me. "Go! Go!" urgency reflecting in the loud whisper. It was time. I walked quietly across the hard, black carpet to the middle of the stage. I faced the curtains, where in seconds I would face the audience.
