I should have known. All trimester the cast of my after school musical, “The Granny Awards” changed like mountain weather as students fell prey to sports, lost interest, and transportation issues. But as I rounded the corner to our dress rehearsals/school assemblies, I harbored the illusion that my roles were set.
The first two performances went off perfectly. Then my Big Bad Wolf asked me if I saw the email that his mother sent me. Of course I hadn’t.
His Little League championship game had just been scheduled for our final night performance. The performance for the parents. I no longer had a Big Bad Wolf.
Options swirled through my mind as I picked up the thousands of props to store until the next day. Should I try to play the part? The wolf sang a rap, made repeated appearances during the show, and was a crucial part of the final scene. I didn’t even think I could memorize all the lines in time.
Then I thought about the rest of the students. The boy who played Cinderella’s prince only had to sing a song near the beginning of the play. Maybe he could make a quick change and become the wolf. I asked him, one of the youngest cast members.
“I can do it,” he said with a smile. I sighed but gave him the chance.
That night, my brave third grader was the prince and the Big Bad Wolf. He did an awesome job and the show was saved. Afterwards, his parents came up to me.
“Our son was so painfully shy before he joined the chorus club. We can’t believe the transformation.”
Maybe a life’s ambition was discovered. Maybe a boy found his courage. All I know is the Big Bad Wolf was the hero of the show.
Living the Write Life 
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