He sits back down and the chair groans from his weight. He stretches his hand to the left to the petite woman at his side, a chair in between them, indicating they aren’t together. “This is Carla.”
I wave, since she seems reluctant to get up to shake hands.
“Hi Carla,” I say and she smiles and waves back.
A few minutes go by as a few other people start filing in, and finally Theo calls the class to order.
“Greetings everyone,” Theo says, his body clearly strumming with enthusiasm. “So glad you could all make it to our first Acting OUT workshop session. My name is Theo Crawford, and my partner in crime over there is Birdie Reimer.”
He points to a tall, willowy woman whom I hadn’t noticed yet standing over by the windows overlooking another old brick building to the south.
She says hello and everyone else chimes their greetings in return.
Theo continues with some history of how this theater group was established fifteen years ago, a little about own his acting and writing credentials – which come as a surprise to me, since he’s been very modest with me up to this point - as well as some details about Birdie’s. Then we go around the room and introduce ourselves.
It doesn’t take too long in the grand scheme of things, as there’s only about twelve of us, however, one guy in particular is extra chatty. His name is Donald, but he told us to call him Proctor. Don’t know why, because it’s not his last name. But whatever.
The line finally gets to me, and I inhale a breath and blow out my nerves.
“Hey everyone, my name is Joey Hughes. I’m a high school teacher and so I’m here to try something different this summer. And, truth-be-told, I was kind of hoodwinked into this.”
I give Theo a meaningful stare that only he would understand and he just smirks.
“Thank you, Joey. I’m sure I speak for the class when I say we’re glad you’re here. Now, let’s walk through the course syllabus and talk through what to expect for the next six weeks.”
And with that, my first foray into the theater world begins.
No bright shining lights or my name on the marquee, but with a side-eyed look from my temporary neighbor.
And very handsome course instructor.
Whom I can never have.
