My dear senior friends,
You are about to perform your last show of high school. For some of you, this may be your last show ever. For others, you may be pursuing your love of performing in college. Either way, this last show symbolizes the end of a very important chapter of your high school careers.
Without a doubt, my favorite memories from high school are those I made while performing, whether in plays, musicals, or choir concerts. Most of my best friendships are the ones I've made through choir, and I cherish every moment I spend with these wonderful people.
I know many of you are suffering from the worst cases of "senioritis." Believe me, I've been there myself. But I never once wished for the year to end, because I knew I'd get what I wished for far too soon. Even though I anxiously awaited my first day of college, I wasn't emotionally prepared to leave the people I'd gotten to know and love over the course of three years.
A year ago, I was in the middle of performing my last play, "The Tempest." The minute I walked off that stage for the last time, I burst into tears. The reality hit me that that was the last time I would ever perform with the drama department that brought me so many wonderful opportunities and memories.
As if I weren't emotional enough, the following week was my last choir concert. I brought a packet of tissues with me onstage that closing night because I knew I would be a blubbering mess for the last half of the show. My heart shattered as I watched our senior slideshow during our final songs, realizing that I would never perform with this same group of people ever again.
I think my most heartbreaking realization, though, was the fact that this choir concert could have been the last time I performed—ever. I certainly hope that isn't the case, but I haven't performed in a play or concert since that night almost a year ago. I left a piece of my heart on that stage on May 2, 2015, and I don't know if I'll ever get it back.
Seniors, I know you've been looking forward to this show since your freshman year. Once you found out the set list for your show, you immediately downloaded all of those songs and listened to them on repeat until they had been permanently etched in your heart. Believe me, I've been there and done that.
Enjoy every minute of your last show. This is your last time to drown your curled hair in hairspray and cake your face in stage makeup and red lipstick. Smile as you buckle up your character shoes over your tan hose and zip up your dress. Take pictures with as many people as possible, but don't check your phone for any other reason. You only have a few more days left as a high school performer. Don't spend them checking social media.
Above all, don't wish your last show away. No matter how ready you are to be free from the stress, this time next year you'll be wishing to have it back.
My last show ended far too quickly, but I can't tell you how much I have loved coming back to see all of the shows this year. It's one thing to watch a show from a performer's perspective, but it's another to watch it from the audience's. Honestly, I can't tell you which one I like better. Each show I watch just fills me with so much joy, and I am so proud to have been in such a wonderful performing arts department for three years of my life.
Break a leg in your last show, and know I'll always support you.
