This post is from sunshine Jon Odom. Jon is a first year Open Dreamer with great humor and talent.
This past week seemed as though the ensemble had been cursed, we started the week off with a bang, literally, a minor car door accident. The early morning calls and school germs began to take a hold on all of us, we have been passing around a wonderful fall bug, which has now made its way through each one of us, one by one, week by week, since the first week we started Residencies. So what once was Bryn’s, now is Haydee’s, who is the lucky contender for this week’s man vs. flu. Although she made it through our Saluda Elementary School performance on Monday she soon lost her voice and was bed stricken for the week’s performances, and the Residency at Pinnacle/Nancy Reynolds Elementary. That same morning, I lost the use of my ankle after a small load out accident , and limped not only through the production, but also through the curriculum as we worked with the wonderful, and mobile, children at Pinnacle/Nancy Reynolds. So with one and half men down we went through our week, each cast member putting forth even more effort into making the week successful. Whether it was Brandon and Sonny going on as an understudy, for roles they never actually studied under, or Juilanne and Peter taking on extra classes, or Ian , who’s week was full of international stress, strapping even more onto his back as he loaded the set in and out, while I sat anxiously watching with my ankle elevated above my heart, trying to at least keep people laughing at the disaster that was this week. In spite of it all the show’s were received with much praise and appreciation, the cast truly made the best out of a seemingly dismal situation. Although, I must say it is very hard to be dismal around the wonderful and imaginative energy of children, who continue to educate me, making me a student of their imaginations. I am continually humbled by their willingness to believe and eagerness to learn, which offers so much to me, not only as an artist but as a human. My favorite “children say the darndest things” moment of the week came from Miss Bryn and I’s fifth grade class residency, they were given an assignment to draw a picture of the villainous Zartox 3, write down their favorite part of the show, and one character they would play in the production. We went around the room and each child shared their pictures, which were so inventive, and their favorites part of the show. After we finished and the class ended a tiny sandy blonde haired boy, came up to me and tugged on my sleeve, I looked down, and he pointed to his picture which read, “ I would be the black protestor, ‘cause he can sing and dance good”, and then he bashfully ran off, I limped out of the classroom smiling at the irony and beauty of his picture.
After the weeks long and wonderful week of laughter and adversity, came a well earned restful weekend, followed by a quick return to the tour on Monday. We traveled down to Cherokee, North Carolina, and stopped in Asheville on the way for some shopping, sushi and sight seeing,….hey alliteration, how you doing? It was an absolutely stunning scenic route with all the fall colors of the south vibrantly painting the steep drive through the mountains. Our stay in Cherokee was just as soothing and picturesque as the journey. For a couple of us it was the first time we had been on a Native American Reservation. Although, we soon found out the Reservation is actually not a Reservation, but a Sovereign Nation, since the land had been purchased by the Cherokee Nation from the government. The school was a work of art in itself, not only being one of the greenest school’s in the nation, with solar lighting cylinders lining the ceilings throughout the campus, and the architecture represents not only a cultural and tribal influence, but also compliments the gorgeous landscape that is kept in pristine condition. It was a truly an inspiring trip and a perfect finale to last weeks Peril in North Carolina, yet another reminder that adversity really is the true test of strength, and ultimately true beauty. In the theater, as in life, things are bound to go wrong, but broken ankle or runny nose… On, On, On with the show.
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