Dear James and the Giant Peach,
When a teacher asks their 5th grade class, “what do you want to be when you grow up,” most of them have an answer. But most of those answers don’t stick with them. Mine did, because of you. This is a letter of gratitude for catapulting me into the rest of my life.
The year before, working on crew, I felt a physical pull to the stage. I knew I wanted to be up on it. But my experience with you validated that performing is something I am good at. You were my first show, and that means more than anyone could possibly grasp.
I have never been a sports girl. I tried soccer, I tried basketball, but they never landed. Once I did the show, I knew why. Theatre was a group activity where I felt connected to my team in a way that I never did and never could in sports. I felt connected and I felt valued. I also had never had so much fun with a group of people working towards a common goal.
The rehearsal process for you was easy. It’s not that there weren’t challenges, but it was easy to fully throw myself into you. I never felt forced to do anything. I was excited for every rehearsal, every scene, song, and dance. They filled me up like nothing else ever had. I never dreaded working on you, because it felt like you completed me.
People saw something in me when they watched you. My parents, teachers, friends. Their praise made me feel like I was different. Of course, how different could a 5th grader actually be from the rest of her peers? I don’t know, maybe they really did see something in me, maybe they didn’t, but either way it didn’t matter. I had put my all into you, and it paid off. People enjoyed it. They enjoyed me. I probably didn’t actually think this at the time, but in my head when I look back on it, you are what made me realize that theatre is my purpose.
So I guess what I am truly trying to say is thank you for bringing me my purpose. Thank you for fulfilling my life at such a young age. Thank you for showing me the kind of team that I am meant to be in. Thank you for being the reason that when somebody asks me what I want to be when I grow up, my answer has never changed.
Love,
Ruby