To Be Missed Miranda Black

"We won't miss you anyway.” -My drama teacher’s response after I told him that I wasn’t going to audition for his next superior musical.

When I got home, I cried—not just from embarrassment—but because his words validated something I had known for a while. I was inadequate on the stage.

Although I wanted to be an entertainer from a young age, my love for the stage reached its peak during my debut in the school’s production of Annie. After that, my desire to be an actress grew. Every year, I walked into the audition with a number on my shirt and a mask of confidence, but until high school, I didn’t see my name on the list. I believed the director when he said, "If you don't make the play, don't get upset. Some people just don't have the right look for the show. Sometimes, we just have a hard time choosing from all the people who audition!" His statements sounded better than the voice in my head that shouted, "You're not good enough." I chose to ignore that voice because I knew that theater was my calling.

Or, was it?

Before my drama teacher declared his words that confirmed my worries, he posted my name on the cast list for Mary Poppins. Hopefully my joyful scream wasn’t too loud. I wanted to scream again when I realized that...