Mmm Soft Little Sack

Eight years ago today I was in a closing show of Les Miserables at my high school in Chicago. Les Mis takes place in revolutionary France, mostly at a barricade. Thus, the set is domineered by a huge junk heap in the middle of the stage.

I was playing Gavroche--the little boy who dies on the barricade while attempting to gather ammunition from cadavers. I sang a solo as I was dying that got cut off by a final gun shot. Awesome. After my death, a huge battle would ensue, leaving all deceased with the lead rabble-rouser Enjrolas taking the final spill. After the sequence, the orchestra would play a pensive tune, and the lights would fade except for a blue spotlight on mine and Enjrolas's limp bodies as the barricade was wheeled off-stage. I would position myself over a wooden barrel and the senior playing Enjrolas laid stiffly on an old door above me.

On opening night as the huge set piece was being spun around it started to creak. Keep in mind that high school theatre sets are usually made by hyped-up fourteen year olds with power tools. Right as the spotlight lit me and my castmate, the door cracked right off the set, and Enj, being the serious actor he was, didn't break character, so he rolled right on top of me with full force. I didn't move. As soon as we were offstage, I burst into tears. My arm felt broken.

"OH CRAP!" Enj was whisper/yelling, "OH GOD! I AM SO SORRY! I was thinking, 'The door is breaking! But, then I rolled right onto a soft little sack thank God! And then I realized...that's not a soft little sack! That's Alice!" I couldn't laugh. I was in mild shock and concerned about coming on as a ghost in the next scene. I shakily walked away from everyone, clutching my arm. I waited backstage.

My boyfriend (also in the play) came running to me as soon as he heard, "Hey," he said."Hey, are you okay? I'll do whatever you want. We don't have to finish the show." So funny. I can picture him trying to explain to our director why he missed every entrance throughout the entire end of Act Two. I shook my head and finished the show in a hazy state. I could feel peace being restored to my body. During curtain call, Enjrolas stepped on my foot. "I'm so so sorry!" he mouthed, eyes bugging.


My freshman year bf, 2002

Today as I was walking by a large window I saw my shape moving out of the corner of my eye. It looked like a soft little sack--amorphous and grey, covered by a sweater.