I Can Solve Problems: The School Play
Angela was bouncing in her chair and staring at the clock on the wall. Only ten more minutes before she could run to the auditorium for play practice. Angela loved standing on stage and pretending to be a different character. She couldn’t wait until they got to put on their costumes and perform the play for their parents.
The bell rang, and Angela rushed down the hall. She met her friend Beth coming out of her classroom, and they walked together to the auditorium for their after-school rehearsal.
“Alright, everyone, gather around.”
Mr. Jenkins was standing on the stage, greeting students as they came into the theatre.
“Why is Mr. Jenkins here?” Beth asked Angela, but Angela only shrugged. The drama teacher, Mrs. Reilly, had been working with the students for two months on their adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. But now Mrs. Reilly was nowhere to be seen.
“I have some news for you,” Mr. Jenkins said, and the chattering students quieted down. Mr. Jenkins was the gym teacher, but he sometimes helped Mrs. Reilly by building the sets.
“Mrs. Reilly won’t be able to join us today. Her doctor has put her on bed rest until she delivers her baby.” Mrs. Reilly was pregnant, and all the students were excited that their happy, friendly teacher was having her first kid.
“I thought she was having the baby in June,” Angela said. That was nearly a month away and well after the play would be performed. Mrs. Reilly was supposed to be with them for the performance next weekend.
“She is,” Mr. Jenkins explained. “But she needs to leave school sooner than expected. So, we’re going to wait to perform the play until next year.”
“What?” Beth asked. Beth had one of the largest parts in the play, and she had been working very hard to learn all her lines. “We can’t postpone the play!”
“We’ve worked so hard,” someone else said.
Angela was shocked. Postpone the play? But she was so excited to perform it!
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Jenkins said. “But we don’t have anyone else who can take over with such short notice.”
The students went home disappointed that evening, thinking about waiting months and months before they were able to show their friends and family all their hard work. Later that evening, Angela called Beth on the phone.
“I just can’t believe it,” Beth said. “I’m so sad.”
“I know,” Angela agreed.
“Isn’t there something we can do?” Beth asked. She was used to Angela having lots of good ideas. “Can’t you come up with a solution?”
Angela thought hard on the other end of the phone. She knew how important this play was to Beth. And she was really looking forward to showing her parents all her hard work. Was there a way they could still perform the play?
“Mr. Jenkins said no one can run it,” Angela said. “But he’s usually there every afternoon building the sets. Why couldn’t he be our drama teacher?”
“Mr. Jenkins?” Beth asked. Angela could tell she was skeptical. “I don’t think he knows much about acting.”
“But we’ve already learned everything,” Angela said. Mrs. Reilly had taught them where to move and how to say their lines. They were now running the scenes over and over to become more familiar with them. They didn’t need anyone to teach them that—they could do it on their own!
The next day before school Angela was in the gym to find Mr. Jenkins. He was playing basketball with a few of the older boys who liked to scrimmage before homeroom.
“Mr. Jenkins?” Angela asked. He left the boys to play and stepped off the court.
“Hello, Angela. I’m sorry about the play. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Actually, that’s why I came to talk to you,” Angela said. She felt nervous as she stood in front of Mr. Jenkins. She didn’t know if he would say yes. But she thought of Beth and realized she had to try.
“What can I do for you?”
“Well, we’ve already learned all our scenes for the play. We’re only running things now to get better. So, we don’t need someone to teach us anything new. We just need a chaperone in the room. And aren’t you there anyways?”
“I can’t run the drama club,” Mr. Jenkins said, looking scared. “I don’t know anything about acting!”
“But you don’t have to,” Angela said. She glanced over at the basketball game happening next to her and got an idea.
“Look,” Angela said. “The boys are playing basketball right now but you’re not coaching them or anything. They’ve already learned the plays and they can do it on their own. And you’re just here to make sure no one gets hurt, right?”
“That’s true,” Mr. Jenkins said.
“It’s the same for the play. We don’t need a coach because we’ve already learned our moves. We just need you to make sure no one gets hurt.”
“Well,” Mr. Jenkins said, glancing out at the basketball court. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”
“I’ll get the parents to help with the costumes and everything else. So, you won’t have to do any extra work! Please, Mr. Jenkins. Will you help us?”
He looked at Angela thoughtfully, weighing his options.
“Well, alright,” he said, and Angela broke into a smile.
“Thank you!” She said as she ran out of the gym and headed to the third-grade classrooms. The bell was about to ring, but Angela wanted to tell Beth the good news. She rushed to Beth’s classroom and stood in the doorway, searching for Beth at her desk. The friends locked eyes and Angela gave her a thumbs up and a huge smile. Angela saw Beth squeal in delight at the good news. She rushed to her own classroom and slid into her seat just as the bell rang.