For this one, you must squash another counselor's terror in order to save the camp play.
TOMORROW'S SHOW (any gender, mid-teens through early twenties)
Time to... to... to PROCESS?
Now?!!
Charlotte, any minute, the bell is going to strike. And when bell strikes, we are going into FINAL REHEARSAL. We don't have a single minute to "process", we don't have TEN SECONDS to "process."
Charlotte every MICRO-second of these next two hours needs to be used to prep the campers for. Tomorrow's. Show.
Every micro-second is a chance to keep tomorrow's show from being a DISASTER.
To make the show decent enough that the visiting parents want to bring their kids back, next summer.
I'm sorry, but that is our job... we're counselors but we are also directors of the SHOW. And the show is what SHOWS the success of the summer. This is a THEATRE CAMP!
Good show?
Good summer.
Campers and parents can overlook soooo many things if the show was a success. So many bad things get flipped into "hey what an adventure!"... even what happened during rest hour today. Even that.
I mean, yes, it would be nice to help the campers chill out, a bit more. Some of them DID see what happened. And it's kinda creepy. I found it creepy too. I myself will need some time to "process", okay?
And I swear Charlotte, later tonight... LATER-- after the campfire tonight, after all the campers have spread word about what happened and blown it all out of proportion, we can visit every single camper, bunk by BUNK and "process" with them... we'll help them see there's nothing to be afraid of in this camp... that what happened was not a sign of danger, it just... well you can tell them whatever you want. We can do any one of your "healing"s. Okay? OKAY?
Now please, please, please, please, PLEASE, let's get ready. Give the kids a shot at SOMETHING good coming from this fucked up summer.
Copyright 2016 by Matt Haynes.
If you would like to use this piece, please credit: "Courtesy of Matt Haynes and The Pulp Stage"