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Authors: Sylvia Taekema
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it a try,” coaxed Mr. B.
Mr. Bartholomew had everyone say the same four lines but never the same way. He never asked anyone to say them as if they were Dorothy or a Wicked Witch or a Cowardly Lion. It was ridiculous. It was also fun. Dana had almost completely let go of her fear of playing a part. She’d forgotten about the Dorothy dilemma altogether.
“Thanks, everyone,” said Mr. B. when they’d all had a turn. “That was terrific. I’ll let everyone know tomorrow which part they’ll have, but I already know I’m going to have a terrible time deciding who will play the lead. There are two of you who would be perfect.”
Two ? Dana stopped smiling. Oh boy.
Eighteen
“DANA!” AVERY AND Allie ran over to her at the bike racks the next morning. “Do you think Mr. B. will pick you to be Dorothy?”
“Well, I…” Dana unbuckled her helmet.
“Or do you think it will be Janelle? You both want that part, right? Do you think you’ll get it?”
Before Dana could answer, the twins were gone. They had seen Janelle get out of her parents’ car and raced over to her. Dana knew they were asking her the same questions. Either way, it was out of her hands now.
When Dana got into the classroom, there was a message on the board telling the class to head straight to the auditorium. Kids clustered in small groups, talking and laughing. Excitement hummed in the big room. Dana sat down at the same empty seat in the front row and waited. As the second bell sounded, Mr. Bartholomew jogged in, clapped his hands and jumped up on the stage. He grabbed a low stool for himself and asked everyone else to come up and sit in a circle.
“Well,” he began when everyone was ready. “I’m really excited to be working on this project with such a talented bunch. This production is going to be excellent. It’s going to be a lot of work, but if we do it right, it’s not going to feel like a lot of work at all. Thank you to all of you who signed up to be the crew. You’re every bit as important as the actors, and I’m not just saying that. We’ll be counting on you to make everything look and sound spectacular. I’ve written out your jobs on these sheets. You can have a look at them in a few moments, but first, let’s meet our cast. Let’s begin with who will play Dorothy.”
Dana tensed.
“This role—” Mr. B. didn’t get far before Julia cut in. She jumped to her feet, unable to contain herself one second longer.
“Mr. B., we all know you have to choose between Janelle and Dana to play the part of Dorothy. But please—it’s obvious, isn’t it? You just have to give the role to Janelle. You simply have to. Because of all Janelle has been through. And because Dana still has sports and everything else, and Janelle doesn’t.”
It was very quiet. Julia sat down. Dana knew everyone was looking at her. She looked at the floor. She bit her lip, hard. She didn’t want to be angry, but she was. She wasn’t the one who had broken her leg over the summer. It seemed she was going to be punished for that all year long.
Mr. B. smiled. He nodded. “We all know Janelle has been through a great deal,” he said.
Dana took a deep breath and drew in her shoulders. She tried to steel herself for what she knew was coming.
“We also know she had a great audition and that she would do a wonderful—”
Janelle cut in.
“Mr. B.” She stood up, though it took her a second to get her balance. “Mr. B., I can’t take the lead role.”
“What?” cried Julia. “Why not? Is it too much for you? I can help!”
Janelle shook her head. “First of all,” she said, “Dorothy needs to be able to skip and dance. Not limp around like I do.”
Julia jumped in again. “We’ll pretend she twists her ankle in the tornado!”
Janelle laughed. “That’s very creative,” she continued, “but secondly, and more important, I can’t take the part because of Dana.”
“Dana? Why? What has she done now?” Julia’s lips were set
Mr. Bartholomew had everyone say the same four lines but never the same way. He never asked anyone to say them as if they were Dorothy or a Wicked Witch or a Cowardly Lion. It was ridiculous. It was also fun. Dana had almost completely let go of her fear of playing a part. She’d forgotten about the Dorothy dilemma altogether.
“Thanks, everyone,” said Mr. B. when they’d all had a turn. “That was terrific. I’ll let everyone know tomorrow which part they’ll have, but I already know I’m going to have a terrible time deciding who will play the lead. There are two of you who would be perfect.”
Two ? Dana stopped smiling. Oh boy.
Eighteen
“DANA!” AVERY AND Allie ran over to her at the bike racks the next morning. “Do you think Mr. B. will pick you to be Dorothy?”
“Well, I…” Dana unbuckled her helmet.
“Or do you think it will be Janelle? You both want that part, right? Do you think you’ll get it?”
Before Dana could answer, the twins were gone. They had seen Janelle get out of her parents’ car and raced over to her. Dana knew they were asking her the same questions. Either way, it was out of her hands now.
When Dana got into the classroom, there was a message on the board telling the class to head straight to the auditorium. Kids clustered in small groups, talking and laughing. Excitement hummed in the big room. Dana sat down at the same empty seat in the front row and waited. As the second bell sounded, Mr. Bartholomew jogged in, clapped his hands and jumped up on the stage. He grabbed a low stool for himself and asked everyone else to come up and sit in a circle.
“Well,” he began when everyone was ready. “I’m really excited to be working on this project with such a talented bunch. This production is going to be excellent. It’s going to be a lot of work, but if we do it right, it’s not going to feel like a lot of work at all. Thank you to all of you who signed up to be the crew. You’re every bit as important as the actors, and I’m not just saying that. We’ll be counting on you to make everything look and sound spectacular. I’ve written out your jobs on these sheets. You can have a look at them in a few moments, but first, let’s meet our cast. Let’s begin with who will play Dorothy.”
Dana tensed.
“This role—” Mr. B. didn’t get far before Julia cut in. She jumped to her feet, unable to contain herself one second longer.
“Mr. B., we all know you have to choose between Janelle and Dana to play the part of Dorothy. But please—it’s obvious, isn’t it? You just have to give the role to Janelle. You simply have to. Because of all Janelle has been through. And because Dana still has sports and everything else, and Janelle doesn’t.”
It was very quiet. Julia sat down. Dana knew everyone was looking at her. She looked at the floor. She bit her lip, hard. She didn’t want to be angry, but she was. She wasn’t the one who had broken her leg over the summer. It seemed she was going to be punished for that all year long.
Mr. B. smiled. He nodded. “We all know Janelle has been through a great deal,” he said.
Dana took a deep breath and drew in her shoulders. She tried to steel herself for what she knew was coming.
“We also know she had a great audition and that she would do a wonderful—”
Janelle cut in.
“Mr. B.” She stood up, though it took her a second to get her balance. “Mr. B., I can’t take the lead role.”
“What?” cried Julia. “Why not? Is it too much for you? I can help!”
Janelle shook her head. “First of all,” she said, “Dorothy needs to be able to skip and dance. Not limp around like I do.”
Julia jumped in again. “We’ll pretend she twists her ankle in the tornado!”
Janelle laughed. “That’s very creative,” she continued, “but secondly, and more important, I can’t take the part because of Dana.”
“Dana? Why? What has she done now?” Julia’s lips were set
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