Feature
The Show Must Go On
K. Reiter
Characters
KATIE: Seventh grader, playing princess Georgia
FABIEN: Seventh grader, playing prince Henry
PETRA: Seventh grader, playing Georgia’s sister
MR. CARTER: Drama club teacher
[The curtains rise for the last rehearsal before the big production. The cast rush around to get into their places. Mr. Carter waves his hands wildly in the air as an attempt to get them to move faster.]
KATIE: [Running in the back doors, tears streaming down her face.] I forgot my costume. It’s in the back of my dad’s car. What am I going to do?
FABIEN: That’s not good, Katie. We only have an hour before the big production. Mr. Carter is going to hit the roof when he finds out. You better think fast.
KATIE: [Pacing back and forth.] Give me your phone.
PETRA: [Walks into the room, shocked that Katie is not in costume yet.] What is she doing? Doesn’t she know that we should already be on the stage?
KATIE: [Crying hysterically.] My dad can’t be here in time. I’m dead meat.
FABIEN: [Thinking.] I got it! Let’s look around the costume closet and put together a new costume for you. We’ve seen Mr. Carter put together costumes a million times. We should be able to do the same.
PETRA: [Nodding.] Let’s do it, but we have to hurry before Mr. Carter gets wind of this.
[Katie, Fabien, and Petra sprint to the costume room without being seen by the others. Once in the room, they search through parts of the costumes thrown about.]
KATIE: [Tossing clothes up in the air.] What about this scarlet top? I’m sure a princess would look great in this.
PETRA: Perfect! I found this blue skirt. It’s too big, but we’ll pin in. It will be perfect.
[The three continue until they find a pair of gold sparkly heels. Katie quickly gets dressed and they rush onto the stage to get in their places.]
MR. CARTER: [Looking frazzled and stressed.] People, people! Where is everyone?
KATIE: [Getting into her position.] We are right here, Mr. Carter. Ready for rehearsal.
MR. CARTER: [Looking confused while he looks Katie up and down.] Is that? Was that? Never mind. I don’t even have time to worry about it. The show must go on.
[Katie and Petra smile at each other.]
FABIEN: [Whispering to Katie across the stage.] Break a leg. We’ve got this.
[The show went on and was a huge success despite Katie’s sudden change in costume.]
The phrase ‘gets wind of this’ as used in line 7 means if Mr. Carter—
Responses
A uses wind to find the lost costumeuses wind to find the lost costume
B has to make another costumehas to make another costume
C finds out about the lost costumefinds out about the lost costume
D gets winded when he hears about the costume
C finds out about the lost costume
C finds out about the lost costume
C finds out about the lost costume
The phrase "gets wind of this" in line 7 means that Mr. Carter will find out about the lost costume.