I love her smile.
“Absolutely. I haven’t seen a play in forever,” I say.
“It’s not a play, Mac,” she says with a chuckle.
“Oh. What are we seeing?”
“One-acts. They’re like short plays, and they’re student-directed. Jade is in one of them. She does them every year.”
“Does she direct?”
“Jade? Behind the scenes? Are you kidding?”
I shrug and nod in a “fair point” kind of way.
“Hey, I’m going to run to the restroom really fast,” Jessie says and darts off across the lobby.
While she’s gone, I pretend to be really interested in the bulletin board, which is covered in random business cards and flyers for vocal coaches and local shows and old cast lists and random photos, but it turns into real interest when a bright yellow flyer catches my attention.
IMPROV NIGHT
FRIDAY DEC 9TH
EVERYONE WELCOME! AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION ENCOURAGED!
At the bottom of the flyer are a bunch of random graphics. The flyer looks like it was made by someone who had about ten minutes to spend on it. I snap a picture with my phone. This would be incredible. It’s not a class, it’s basically after finals—there’s no reason for me not to do it. My dad’s voice pops up.
“Do something respectable. Not some sissy—”
“What’s that?” Jessie asks, joining me at the bulletin board.
“Nothing,” I say, turning away and following the crowd. “Shall we?”
She eyes me, suspicious, but doesn’t push.
We settle into our seats and spend the next ninety minutes watching a series of short plays. We watch Jade absolutely kill it in her play as a ghost summoned by her ex-husband on accident. There are three actors in the skit, but Jade steals the show. We cheer extra loud for her and don’t miss another girl at the end of our row cheering just as loud as us.
“I think that’s Threesome Anna,” Jessie whispers to me, leaning in.
“Is Jade still seeing both of them?” I whisper back.
Jessie nods, raising her eyebrows at me.
I’m about to ask another question about Jade’s…situationships, but the lights dim for the next play.
By the time the shows are all over, I find myself wishing there were at least three more. The thing I love about theater, even its micro-format, is the way it evokes every emotion. One minute you’re sad, but it doesn’t last, because there’s usually some glimmer of happiness somewhere. And even if there’s not, you’ve still been transported to a life outside your own. More than once tonight I imaged myself on stage in a scene.
“You’re absolutely glowing,” Jessie says to me as we ascend the stairs back to the lobby.
“That was amazing. It’s, like, almost the same high as going to a sporting event.”
“I would argue with you, but that’s not the hill I want to die on today.”
“Is it because you don’t like sports or—?”
“It’s that one. Whatever you’re going to say next is moot. It’s that one.”
We claim one of the open benches in the lobby while we wait for Jade. We’re all eating together after this and promised Jade we’d wait for her.
