And just before my cue, someone asked me, "You know your lines, right?"
But I didn't. Somehow, I had thought this was some sort of dramatic reading, where we carried our script books with us onstage.
I said, "You mean this is a real play?"
The show must go on. So I grabbed my script and frantically tried to commit my part to memory. But it was only a few seconds before I had to take a deep breath and step into the spotlight.
The first few lines were fine. Then, suddenly, I blanked. I knew where the scene was supposed to end up, but no idea how the script said I needed to get there.
So I winged it. I said and did whatever seemed to make sense, whatever was true to my character, whatever would get me to that endpoint where I knew I was supposed to be.
And you know what? It turned out all right.
I think I even got a laugh from the audience. Hopefully I was supposed to be playing a comedic character. But even if I wasn't, the point is that I was all right.
I'll be all right.
