As someone who has been in plays and musicals since first grade, it was hard to do my final curtain call. At my school instead of a spring sport you have the option of doing drama, so for the past four years I have been in Drama led by my favorite teacher: Mr. Eder.

Mr. Eder has been like a mentor to me for four years. Admittedly, my freshman year I was intimidated by him, but that was just because he takes no one’s crap. Sometimes now i look back on that and question it, how could Mr. Eder ever be intimidating?

He is a big softie. Four years with him and I am now almost one hundred percent sure of it. This year he decided that our play would be, “Ashland Falls." What a wonderful play for my senior year.

“Ashland Falls” is a comedy and a murder mystery all wrapped into one, an interesting combination. I personally asked for this play to be chosen solely for the plot. It was about teenage drama and I felt that we all could connect to it well.

Mr. Eder had chosen me to play the character Ava, she was very extroverted and a little crazy. She always expressed herself loudly and left some characters confused. I played Ava really well, maybe a little too well if we’re being honest.

Ava’s character was someone I could relate to, because of this there was a running joke going on that Mr. Eder type-casted me. My mom even joined in on the joke, once she saw the play she said there was no denying it.

I’m just as “dramatic” at home she says. I personally don’t see it. Though I will admit my mom has always said I had a flare for dramatics. The play is shown at my school for three day; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00

The first two nights were amazing, the audience was laughing so hard, it seemed like all our hard work was paying off. After each show my friends would tell me how interesting and hilarious it was, and how I did a good job playing my part. That was all I could ask for, I wanted to know that the story was depicted right.

Before every play we had a show circle, Mr. Eder would say some inspiring words while we all held hands. After that he would squeeze someone’s hand, and they would squeeze the next person in the circle. This would go on until the person on the other side of Mr. Eder would squeeze his hand too.

It was like sending energy on some sort of pulse around the room, my heart would pound in my chest everytime we did this. I had been doing this circle squeeze for four years, but nothing would prepare me for my last one. So Saturday has come, it is pouring outside, not as many people are there, but I still feel nervous.

It being mine, and a couple others last show, we were arguing on who got to squeeze Mr. Eder’s hands. There were three of us who really wanted to; Jordan, Linnea, and myself. Mr. Eder had a simple solution that made Linnea and I both happy, he held both Linnea and I’s hand in one and Jordan’s in the other.

After his final speech, he squeezed our hands for the last time. All of a sudden it felt as if the world was stopping while he spoke. I opened my eyes to see everyone else’s closed with their heads bowed.

My ears were ringing, my heart pounding, and Linnea was shaking next to me. Then as if I’m finally realizing what is going on, my emotions hit me like a ton of bricks. My eyes began to water and my throat feels dry, this is really it.

I am about to take my last bow, this is my last show. My last show on the last night of my last year. In a couple days, the people I had been spending all my time with, the people I had gotten closer to for a little over two months, would never see me again.

I was leaving, I am a senior, and graduation is two weeks away. This is goodbye, I’ll never get to squeeze Mr. Eder’s hand again.

My eyes were overflowed with tears as I sat backstage, my heart ached. Nevertheless, I smiled. I went out into the blinding stage lights and became Ava one final time. So sad, and yet so normal, this is goodbye. A Theater Geek Says a Final Goodbye.