Into the Wardrobe

Friday was quite a day for our family. For the kids, it was the first real play they had ever gotten to attend. For us, it was the first time we got our kids to sit through an entire play - and boy were we shocked!

Encore! Theater is a local amateur Christian drama troupe composed mainly of high school and college students, and they offer several plays a year, their current show being The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Lydia has been in several of their productions, as Lady Brachknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, and as Corrie Ten Boom in The Hiding Place. It was Mom's idea to take the kids, as Lydia and Sophie were both working on the stage crew for the show, and although I wanted to take them, I was hesitant at first. I am lucky if I can get all 4 kids to sit still during Bible time every day. And by "still" I mean "not running around screaming and bouncing off the walls and throwing their Bibles at each other!" Bible is still a daily struggle logistically - they act like "what is this strange thing you are trying to make us do?" when I think they should have learned by now that this is something we do EVERY DAY! There are good days and...well, days when there is more "Biblical discipline" than "Biblical instruction" if you know what I mean! So I was a bit skeptical about taking them to a long play where they had to sit still and be quiet, but Mom persuaded me that with a good enough adult/child ratio, we'd be fine. So I agreed.

In anticipation of the play, I started reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe to Joseph so he would know what was going on when we got to the play. Since I didn't think to start this soon enough, we only got through about the first 8 chapters - but that was ALL in one sitting! He kept begging to read more, and I was happy to oblige until my voice finally gave out. (Yes, I do the voices. Including British accents for the 4 Pevensie children. Former drama teacher - what else did you except?)

Well, we got to the night of the play, and my dear sisters had saved us seats right up near the front, so the kids could see and hear everything. And the show started, and I was blown away - not by the show, but by how well my children behaved through it. Still as if they'd been turned to stone by the White Witch's wand. Quiet as the mice that gnawed the ropes off Aslan's dead body. (Am I exaggerating for dramatic effect? Of course. But they WERE awfully good.)

Joseph had a few questions, however. He was super interested in everything that was going on, but having read the book, he found the quality of the show a bit lacking. The actors had chosen not to do full animal costumes, but to wear clothes in the proper colors (golden brown for the Lion, black for the wolf, grey for the beavers, etc), with bits of fur sewn on and some animal face makeup. So when Aslan appeared, Joseph piped out, "Who is that man?"
"That's Aslan," we told him.
"No," he insisted. "Aslan's a Lion. Where's the REAL lion?"

Well, that drew a chuckle from everyone around us, but things went on pretty smoothly for a while until the White Witch began her tirade. Threatening Aslan with death and Narnia with destruction, she paced up and down in her long white gown, her fur robe swirling behind her, waving her magic wand, cutting quite an impressive figure. Suddenly a loud childish voice burst from the front row:
"Why is she so ANGRY?"

That poor girl should have won an Oscar. She managed to keep her face straight and finish her speech amid the laughter that rocked the audience. I suppose if you put on children's plays, you have to be prepared for...children. And their comments.

All in all, though, the play was a huge success. My children had a great time and proved that they can behave properly when the occasion requires. I will never again let them get away with shenanigans when they are supposed to be sitting still because now I KNOW. I know they CAN behave.