It is with great sadness that I write this final blog post because I really do feel bad for our children and all the children that wanted to act this evening. I am disappointed that we will not be able to see all of the parts of the play come together. I am also sad that last night was our last volunteering session and we left the children so excited for tonight.

With that being said, I think tonight would have been a great experience. Based of off last night’s rehearsal, a few of our children were really acting out their lines. Our Macbeth and Banquo actually entered the scene pretending they were on horseback, without us even asking. I think it would have been adorable to see those two actors build off of each other and use their British accents to entertain us all. One thing that was a concern last night and would have been a minor problem today was that one of the children told us that our Lady Macbeth would not be returning to Higher Achievement. We were sad to hear that news, but I am sure that another young lady would’ve stepped up today. One thing that still needed a little work after last night’s performance, which we had hoped to improve today in the final production, was our transition between scenes. It was a bit difficult to get the children to pay attention to exactly when they should enter and exit the scene. I think with a little more practice and nerves this evening they would have nailed it.

It is sad to think about how we will not be seeing our little actors again. It makes me especially sad because it seems like they were finally starting to really appreciate the material and they were having fun! The first few practices were like pulling teeth to get the children to read lines, but last night, as I imagine tonight would have gone, children were laughing and acting out their lines. We were also laughing with them. It was nice to see the culmination of our hard work in our mini-dress rehearsal last night and I know that tonight would have been even more fulfilling. I am glad that I was able to have an impact on children who are at a vulnerable time in their lives. We were able to help them learn how to read Shakespeare! That is a huge feat for a 5th grader. Even though the show did not go on tonight, we still made a positive impact on these children’s lives and I am so thankful for that. Some children even asked if we were coming back next semester to be mentors and I think that says it all. I know we enjoyed teaching them and they enjoyed learning something that was entirely unfamiliar to them. This was a valuable experience and it was great to get to know children in the Richmond area and it was even better watching them grow throughout the semester.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful winter break!