Pageant #1

I feel like Lily was very well behaved last year at pageant and that she loved every minute of it. Of course this could all be perception—you know, the way you forget child birth when it’s over. All I know is: she’s no angel this year. She’s been on a grouchy streak so that has been a big challenge. We’re trying very hard to keep things as scheduled as possible for her and to get her solid naps as much as we can.
We’ve figured out that all of our scenes are back to back in the middle of the show. First is McKenna’s Nephite War Dance. Then my Noah Citizen/Abinadi Burning scene. Then Ken and Lily’s Alma Convert/Water’s of Mormon Scene. [Then a short Samuel the Lamanite Scene.] Then Emma and McKenna’s Destruction Scene. Then we are all in the Descending Christ Scene. Last year things were much more spaced out with McKenna beginning; Emma, Lily, and I middle; and Ken and Sam end. I hope we’ll sort of be able to see each other.

My costume is awesome! I guess the most wicked people get the flashest costumes! It’s a bright green dress with a multi-colored-jewel-toned cape with metallic threads woven into it. It has a hood on it and its made of silky, light fabric. In the front it ties into a big knot like a scarf. PLUS, I get my hair done every night! I have a dark purple, light purple, and metallic head wreath (made out of scarf material) and the hair stylists will weave strands of my hair around. Sweet! I wear lots of bracelets and fancy rings. I guess I’m one of the Wicked Priests’ wives with all that stylin’.

McKenna is dreadfully sore from her dance practices. Her thighs just burn and it’s pretty tough just to walk. (Truthfully I’m still sore just from the dance try outs!) Her dance is so athletic. I watched it when they practiced on the stage last night and there are a couple of places where they balance on one arm, kick out both legs, and are waving the ribbons with the other arm. There is one other 16-year-old girl in the dance, two 19-year-olds and the rest are in their mid-20s! There are ten girls/women and then ten guys. They don’t call the guys dancers (though they do exactly the same routine). They call them Nephite Frontline Battlemen. They hold swords instead of ribbons. The guys had tried out for movement parts and only one has dance experience. Mostly they were chosen because they are buff athletes. The guys all are doing really well but about half of the girls are struggling because it is such a physically demanding dance. There’s a part where you basically flip backwards on one arm. And you also jump from level to level on the stages. McKenna is over the moon thrilled to be in the hardest dance and very honored to be one of the youngest in it but it’s a great challenge. Part of it is that her heel still hurts from a sliver she got at Lake George. That is improving but sore muscles makes performing tough. Thank goodness it’s Sunday and she can rest today. She is eating lots of bananas for potassium and taking ibuprofen.

Sunday is a great day because we each have what’s called Spiritual Review. You get with the director of your scene and discuss the scriptures which accompany your scene and delve into the spiritual importance of it. It really makes the roles come alive and makes them so much more meaningful. The spiritual review for my banner carrier part made me very happy. My director for that scene is Lisa Moulton and she talked about the historical significance of those who gather people for storytelling. It sort of feels like a pied piper idea. People would go through the town waving a flag or playing an instrument and proclaiming that there is to be a play, or pageant, or performance, or story telling event and inviting the town to join in the event. I love the folk nature of that role: how it is a gathering role and invites people to hear the good word of God. Lisa cited several scriptural references where Christ Himself gathered the people to hear His messages: before the Sermon on the Mount and such. It made me feel so happy and excited about my role—which is all I ever wanted. I wanted to feel like whatever role I got, it was meant for me and that God didn’t give me a random role but something meant special for me. Now this feels perfectly suited to me and I feel complete peace and happiness about it.

Regarding the Noah Citizen role, I’m incredibly surprised that we have five hours of rehearsal tomorrow. For my Alma Convert role last year I think I had two hours total of practice the whole entire week. During our Spiritual Review our director Brother Johnson said it is the longest scene in pageant—15 minutes. Also, it has the most people in it—120. I lot of the time will be spent blocking and deciding when people will come in and where they will stand. Plus there are lots of special effects with the burning of Abinadi. Anyway, it should be interesting tomorrow.

At the end the entire cast had the Spiritual Review for the Christ Descension scene. This was the most amazing moment of the day for me. I knew we would be watching the video from the performance last year because that’s what we did last time. I just didn’t expect how powerful it would be to see us on the screen and to see Karl as Jesus. I wouldn’t have been able to pick Lily and I out if I didn’t know just where we stood but since I did, I could tell clearly where we were. Even though it was just a video tape, the power of that scene was overwhelming. It was like I was actually there again. It was such an incredible feeling that for the first time it really made me thrilled to be at pageant for the first time this year. It’s been a bit tough logistically and with Lily’s moods but once you feel the spirit that strong you remember why you’re here and it is so worth it.

This morning Lily and I woke up early and went to the Sacred Grove. There was only one other family there and they were way far away from us so it was like we had the place to ourselves. It was so neat. We went about 8 a.m. and I hate to copy from the song but birds WERE singing and it WAS a lovely morning. I didn’t remember a creek from last year but that was fun with a little wooden bridge over it. There were flowers in bloom and we saw a little family of birds with many babies following behind. I wonder if they were quail as they were all waddling on the ground. Most days we have to report by 8:30 but I would love to go early more days this week before the crowds arrive for performances starting on Friday.

In a devotional today we heard a story of a director who felt he had to accomplish an impossible task in an impossibly short period of time. He was so panicked that he prayed fervently. His prayer was “Help me to help You.” He was able to accomplish all he needed because he was in His service.