In memory of Vanessa Yasintha Wambura (August 2003 – August 2023).

My true story begins here. This is me, Vanessa up to something big “not to spoil yet”:  I walk into the holding cell nervous yet ready. Slipping on my costume I scan the kids around me. Most of them look like a nervous-wreck, the others have a look of complete determination on their face. I fumble to button up my oversized white dress shirt. My hands instantly get sweaty and my friend appears in front of me exclaiming “Vanessa. Seriously? Stop being an oaf! Let me button it up for you” I look down at my shirt. The buttons are wonky and the shirt’s crinkled. Embarrassed, I let my friend button my shirt. Once she’s done, I throw my black jacket over my shirt.

“Button the middle, it looks more professional.” My friend says. The next hour and a half till my scene is nerve-racking; my heart is beating 5 beats faster than usual and my mouth is dry. Finally it’s my turn, I step on stage and suddenly it all goes away as I think to myself: THIS IS MY TIME TO SHINE!

Well, at school, sometime in late October last year, I auditioned for what seemed like a fun, non-professional play. I ran lines with me best friends and sang until my family begged me to stop. The day that the auditions came I felt nervous. I had never been in a school play before nor had I auditioned for a school event. But as soon as I started singing my song I felt something I had never felt before. You know when you’re on a roller coaster and you feel fine until you’re going up the hill that leads to the big drop, it feels scary yet you’re so anxious. You feel kind of discombobulated. That’s what auditioning felt like. I sang like I had never sang before. Unfortunately since I was so caught up in singing I missed a lot of steps in the dance. Plus at the end I messed up with some lines. I’m so not going to get a good role! I thought. And I still thought that when I found out I was to be ‘the moderator’. It was so much worse when my sister exclaimed at the dinner table that night that she was to be ‘Ryan’, one of the lead roles in High School Musical. But my sister inspired me to make the best out of my role. I ran my lines and memorized them quickly. At one point though I was tempted to quit the play because I felt it took up to much of my time and that I wasn’t important to the show. But I was, everyone was! We we’re all in this together! So with moral support I continued to practice!

For those of you that do not know the movie High School Musical, it is a story about a boy named Troy who is the star of his school’s basketball team and most popular guy in High School. Everything is clear for him, until a new student named Gabriella teaches him that he can be more than just the basketball guy. Together they audition for a musical and face the ridicule that is presented by their peers. Soon their friends learn to support them and help them compete against Sharpay and Ryan Evans the sassiest teenagers you’ll ever meet for the role in the school play! I love this movie and the idea of doing a play was AWESOME!

High School Musical was sponsored by Marquee, a theatrical group that has done so many plays. Sheryl was in charge of the play, she came to practice almost every day and led us all. We learned more than 6 songs and dances and there were over 3 hundred lines in the show. Sheryl brought costumes and props for us to use and she took a lot of her time to teach us confidence. Joan was a parent volunteer. She came to all the practices which were Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for one hour. Joan inspired the idea of High School Musical. She worked hard and she was patient with us. My sister Venus (Ryan) and her best friend who played ‘Sharpay’ worked hard as well and were sassy and very connected. Serena being a gymnast was a great ‘cheerleader’, she took a lot of effort to learn her stunts and moves and it was great. Me again as ‘the moderator’ in charge of the math competition that Gabriella participates, I wore a nice jacket and dress shirt and I had to keep a very straight face! I enjoyed doing that role along with other participants. It was great performing in front of the parents and guests as audience for two nights this week.

I learned to be confident and be myself during this experience, I also learned that everyone is a team, without one person we’d fall apart, we depend on one another and we support each other. No one is less important than someone else no matter how big or small the role is. I made so many friends in various grades and I’m sad that’s it’s all over. Luckily I’ll see my cast mates around the hall this year. We’ll share something special. I enjoyed this so much and I can’t wait to do the play next years…Maybe this time I’ll get more than 6 lines!

Have you watched the High School Musical movie? If not, you’re missing out…

Vanessa Wambura.