End of The Road(s)

Anansi the Trickster Spider closes on Sunday.

Scarlett plays a weasel in this production. She was well-cast! Looks quite weasely, on stage, thinks the Matron. It is a small role, but Scarlett also understudies both female leads.

Twice--once during rehearsals and the day the show opened -- the Matron made this inquiry: "Scarlett? Do you know the lines for Rebecca and Carmen?"

Twice, the Matron was met with this: "Mom!"

The Matronly Stage Mother policy is to Leave The Entire Thing Alone, so that is just what she did.

Yesterday, SteppingStone Theatre called at 12:30 to let the Matron know that the girl who played Carmen was going home sick. Scarlett would be on stage in half an hour! The role of Carmen requires lots and lots of lines, constant stage presence and a hysterical song/dance solo that is a highlight of the show.

Now, the Matron could not recall one single moment her daughter put into practicing that role.

She immediately called John to inform him of the situation: "Omigod that child is going to be Carmen. Do you want to go to the theater and watch?"

John: "NO! I can't bear it!"

So the Matron dropped out of her busy day and scuttled over to SteppingStone theater where she watched her daughter do a damn fine job! She was shocked! Although Scarlett reported that she made many mistakes, from an audience perspective, the performance looked flawless.

The song and dance? Terrific! Where did the child learn that stuff? The hand motions, the legwork!? The Matron held her breath during Carmen's longer speeches, wherein the character summarizes the play's main dramas. Scarlett nailed it! The Matron has new respect for her daughter, who is either truly a pro or very damn quick on her feet. Either will serve her well.

Tonight, the entire female half of the cast is spending the night--here! Guess what nine-year old made flyers and arrangements, set up the entire thing? The Matron understands that her little apple did not fall far from the organized, and community-minded tree.

But the biggest end of the road? Today is Stryker's sixth grade graduation ceremony.

Her brainy boy? He requested a thin red tie and black top hat to wear at the event. Today, he left in black jeans, a black t-shirt and the hat/tie stuffed in his backpack.

The Matron plans to weep through the entire event. Indeed, she is so certain of this, that she warned her entire family so they could start being embarrassed, early.

She is so proud of her oldest, who went through seven successful years at that school without a single trip to the Principal's office. Indeed, he was a patrol guard, good citizen and gifted student.

Good-bye, darling elementary boy! Hello, junior high school.

Alas, the Matron recently reread Anne Lamott's Operating Instructions, in which she makes wry comment about junior high school as being a worse peril to her child than say, death.

That has the Matron worried!