GUESS HOW MUCH OF THIS LETTER IS DEVOTED AS AN AP LANGUAGE ESSAY, AND HOW MUCH IS TRULY SENTIMENTAL.

What a strange and interesting journey it has been! I simply cannot believe that tonight is the finale of nearly three months of exhausting, grueling, sometimes painful work. Two evenings ago, the curtain opened, and we all witnessed what I believe to be the most thrilling and terrifying portion of live theatre: the culmination, the opening, the chance for the world to experience that which you’ve devoted all heart and energy towards. And to some degree, their reaction can either lift up or entirely destroy the passion and perseverance that has gone into a show’s production. Luckily, none of us had to worry about that.
I feel blessed that your first show at Lyman became one of such community, such remarkable teamwork. I hope you feel those same sentiments; if not, I hope you can still walk away from this evening feeling connected to something, or at least accomplished in your magnificent work. But you must believe me when I say I have never been placed on a collaborative effort such as this. I know that our experiences have differed in the past few weeks with my transition into the ghastly “Booth of Death,” but the months I’ve shared with you and the other members of our crew were both exciting and entertaining. We’ve laughed together over subjects that hardly deserve laughter; yet still, we’ve found ourselves wrapped up in moments of difficult emotion, whether they were validated or not. We have become a unit, a moving, breathing machine that reacts when reaction is necessary and thrives in its work. I could not have asked for a better experience.
To work with you has been a great pleasure, and I truly mean that. You have been a column of support for the entire crew, and I cannot possibly reiterate what your expertise has meant to those of us working with you day in and day out. To make the gigantic and often horrific leap from middle to high school is difficult enough: to immerse yourself in hectic schedules and demanding routines, all in the midst of classes and outside obligations, is a terrific struggle. I commend you for persevering in and achieving all that you do.
To know you, however, has been the greatest gift I could have asked for. You have an unceasing amount of courage and excitement that fills the atmosphere of everywhere you step. I have enjoyed the small time we’ve shared together more than you could possibly imagine, and the forthcoming gap between productions will prove a nice break, but a disheartening separation from you, and the entire cast and crew that I have come to love so dearly. I truly thank you for the time we’ve been sent together, and I could not have been blessed with a greater friend and colleague than you.
To reiterate my gratitude (And, hell, just for fun), you’ll find that this little gift bag contains some of the things that I love and enjoy the most. The first and far most important is, of course, chocolate. Dark chocolate, at that. It’s one of the few candies that I rarely part myself from, and I think they are treats well deserving of your taste buds. Enjoy, and hide them from everyone else. The second is a little more heartfelt. When I traveled to State competition this year, I found myself walking through boutiques of Thespian apparel, key chains, necklaces, and overall, gaudy, inexpensive trinkets. None of them appealed to me, and so I continued onto some of the local, Tampa “exclusive” stores. When I found this little creature, staring up at me, I immediately picked him off the shelf and took him to the register. After reaching my hotel room that evening, I realized that his arms were Velcro-ed together, and that he was, indeed, intended to act as one, big, giant hug. Tonight, I give him to you. It’s my way of saying, “I will always be here if you need me, and I’ll even be here if you don’t.” He’s my gift of an eternal hug. Use it wisely.
Two pages of glabboring crap.
How much better can it get?