"To my cast:
To my five “newbies,” thank you for joining us; it has been a pleasure working with you, and I hope you have had as much fun as I have. You have added much to this show, and for that I am immensely grateful.
To my 18 returnees, thank you again for bringing your skills and professionalism to the show. I have had the pleasure of working with you multiple times now, and I am a better person for having been given these opportunities to direct you.
To the 17 seniors, as this is the sixth year of working with most of you, I am somewhat at a loss of words knowing this will be our last show together. Most of you have been my go-to rocks on whom half of my Linsly shows have been built. I will miss the humor and genuine fun we have shared. You have given me a wealth of special memories."
Mr. William Holt
After reading this letter from my director, also my father whom I have had the privilege to work with over the last six years, I was filled with an array of emotions instantly taking me back to closing night. Standing in front of the sea of people before me, their clapping and cheers filled my ears along with the ridiculous tune of Spongebob’s “Jellyfish Jam.” I looked to my right to see all of the people that I had had the pleasure of spending the last month with every night. I was ecstatic already excited for our next show, but as we joined hands and bowed, I realized that this was the last time I would ever be doing this. When we broke apart, I danced into the center of stage with one of my dearest friends with whom I had the pleasure of starting my career as a Linsly Player. Now it all was ending as we were slowly enshrouded behind the black velvet for our final curtain call.
I can honestly say that being in school plays has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. The memories I have made over the last eight years, not just with my fellow cast members but also the two directors I have had the experience to work under, are memories that will last a lifetime. Although there was some drama offstage at times, we put that behind us and always performed a memorable show.
My memories of my first show still vividly remain -- “Aesop’s Fables” under direction of Mr. Frank Wilson. Dressed in an eccentric white costume, accented with hot pink heels and rabbit ears, I prepared myself for what would be my debut on stage as a fifth-grade Linsly student playing the role of Ms. Scarlet Hare. As I stepped onto stage for the first time, all nerves I ever had just disappeared. It is a hard feeling to express in words. You can feel the eyes of the audience on you as they take in your every action and words. Even though everyone’s attention is dedicated to you, everything in you becomes your character, with one goal in mind: entertain.
Now eight years past, the jokes we shared are never forgotten. Whether it be the many “fox paws” made, or the #justiceforfish movement, I know that they will always be something special that I and only my “daarrrling” cast members and directors have with each other. To my father, the cast, Mr. Wilson, and everyone that has made these productions possible: thank you for the laughs and friendship. You have given me an irreplaceable experience that I will truly cherish for the rest of my life.
