Shadow Boxing

I was happy to be stood up today.  A group was contemplating renting the theater, and were due in this afternoon to look at the space.  After further consideration, they decided it was too far, and left me a voicemail letting me know that they were going to go with another venue.  I am constantly lame about having my ringer off, so I missed the message.  After meeting with some of the staff at the high school, I went back to the theater to await their arrival.

Turned on the lights.

Threw open the doors.

Waited.

Puttered around, put stuff away...

Opened up my journal, started writing in my very rusty schoolgirl French, for shits and giggles.  Arreted by le principal.  He was struck by the fact I had all the lights on, and an empty stool center stage.  We parled.  He left, I went back to journaling- at this point it was some 40 minutes after the ETA, but I was happy to be in the theater when it was quiet.  Went back to my ecriving. 

And then a face peeked in.  It was the most elusive type- the early teen boy type.  I spoke in a low voice and didn't make any sudden moves.  "Hey."

Yep, I'm that good with words.

As an opening it worked.  The next thing I know one boy has taken the stage- filling the vacuum created by the bright lights and solo seat.  Another boy had sidled in, eyes on the stage, but sticking to the audience.

Soon the boy on stage was playing with his shadows- two strong silhouettes from two different sources.  The boy in the audience was making suggestions.  Enter two more boys, house left, drawn immediately to the stage.  Three boys + one stage + one stool = stage combat scene.  That's just the math of middle school.  I quickly managed to break it up (since unschooled, it was more like "combat"), and taught the first lesson of stage combat: "take care of your partner."  Soon I had them shadow fighting- nice safe distance, but satisfyingly rowdy and kick-ass.  This was followed by the other major tenet of acting: that it is not enough to act, you must react.

So I stepped in, to show them the responsibility of selling the punches was as much on the punchee: "Tyson, punch my shadow!"

Eventually they headed off to the sports practice they'd been waiting for- "we play sports- so and so (other boy in their class) is the actor..." The lights, the stool, and the stage said different.