The Biz -- (nonfiction), sample page:
A few weeks after tennis camp, when school started up again, Mark enrolled in a class called “Introduction to Theater.” Now a sophomore at Westminster High School in Atlanta, he was full of enthusiasm and ready to tackle this new challenge.
It was an amazing turnaround for a teenager who had once been too timid to tell anyone he wanted to be an actor. On a whim, Mark decided to audition for a one-man play. Nothing is more difficult because, as the name suggests, it’s a performance given by just one person. To his surprise, Mark won the part. He couldn’t believe how quickly things were happening. After a couple of months of strenuous rehearsal, he was ready to perform The Stone Guest. It was November of 2005, less than four months since he had taken the improv class at tennis camp.
A few minutes before the show was scheduled to begin, Mark peeked out from behind the curtains. It was a packed house! In addition to his family and all his friends, the auditorium at Westminster High was filled with kids at school who only knew Mark as an athlete and a quiet guy. He had taken important tests, competed in high stakes tennis tournaments, but the pressure was nothing compared to this. He was so nervous that he felt sick. That’s a feeling any actor or singer who has ever taken the stage can relate to.
As the lights went down and the music began, people stared at the stage in anticipation. Mark knew that there was no turning back. Pushing through his nerves, he smiled and glided smoothly to center stage, where he delivered a solid performance. It certainly wasn’t perfect, and he made some mistakes, but it was a very impressive debut. When it was over, the standing ovation he received was more powerful and satisfying than anything he had ever experienced before. “As soon as I heard that applause, I knew show business was for me,” he remarks.
It was an amazing turnaround for a teenager who had once been too timid to tell anyone he wanted to be an actor. On a whim, Mark decided to audition for a one-man play. Nothing is more difficult because, as the name suggests, it’s a performance given by just one person. To his surprise, Mark won the part. He couldn’t believe how quickly things were happening. After a couple of months of strenuous rehearsal, he was ready to perform The Stone Guest. It was November of 2005, less than four months since he had taken the improv class at tennis camp.
A few minutes before the show was scheduled to begin, Mark peeked out from behind the curtains. It was a packed house! In addition to his family and all his friends, the auditorium at Westminster High was filled with kids at school who only knew Mark as an athlete and a quiet guy. He had taken important tests, competed in high stakes tennis tournaments, but the pressure was nothing compared to this. He was so nervous that he felt sick. That’s a feeling any actor or singer who has ever taken the stage can relate to.
As the lights went down and the music began, people stared at the stage in anticipation. Mark knew that there was no turning back. Pushing through his nerves, he smiled and glided smoothly to center stage, where he delivered a solid performance. It certainly wasn’t perfect, and he made some mistakes, but it was a very impressive debut. When it was over, the standing ovation he received was more powerful and satisfying than anything he had ever experienced before. “As soon as I heard that applause, I knew show business was for me,” he remarks.