Shy Boy Hits the Stage

(Just because you’re shy doesn’t mean you can’t try)

I have a friend, Daniel, who has always been very shy. He would never talk to anyone he didn’t know, or even look into people’s eyes. But on the inside he is a totally different kid. This summer, I convinced him to try to participate on a show and socialize a bit more. It all changed when Daniel agreed to sign up for Fiddler on the Roof. In the beginning he was not fully participating, but little by little he started to participate during rehearsals and at the end the real Daniel started to come out.

         The play was directed by Julie. She encouraged Daniel to speak in a confident voice, like a soldier, the part he was playing. Daniel was Sasha, a Russian solider that should talk loud and clear. It was very exciting when we all saw how Daniel was happy on the day of the performance. On that day Daniel woke up early and got ready before everyone. I could see in his eyes he could not wait to be on stage for the first time. The minute the theatre lights went down, the audience applauded and the stage lights when up, Daniel stood up tall, put on a proud face and got ready to sing our first song “Tradition”.

         After the performance it seems a new person had come out of Daniel. He loved to be on stage and to my surprise he even said “it was one of the most fun things I have ever done”! The reason it was so surprising for me was because I remembered when he graduated from preschool a few years ago, Daniel was very scared to be in front of all the parents. I was really happy that Random Farms helped Daniel overcome his shyness. I think that shy kids who love theatre should also give it a try.