July 23
We spent most of the morning getting ready to put on the play. The kids have been very diligent about getting ready and learning their roles. Inuyasha and Miroku set up a pretty decent stage for them and we had a lot of props for them to use. We even went into the village and told people about the play so the kids could have an audience.
Additionally, they loved the costumes that Sango and I made for them. We found some red cloth and made cloaks for Midori and Mieko. We also made wolf ears and a mask for Shippo as well as grandma clothes for Rin to wear.
The time for the play to start was getting closer and Sango and I were backstage helping everyone get ready.
"Look at all the people who showed up," Shippo said as he peeked around the curtain.
"This is so neat! Are you ready to have your acting debut, you guys?" Rin said to the kids.
"Yeah!" Mieko and Shinichi exclaimed.
Midori, however, looked a little nervous. I bent down in front of her. "Are you okay, Midori?"
"I don't think I wanna do it anymore," she said.
"Really? Why?"
We all gathered around her and Sango pulled her into a hug. "Don't be scared, dear. Everyone here wants to see you do a good job."
"But what if I mess up?"
"It's okay if you mess up," Rin said. "No one is perfect."
"We're all here to have fun, anyway. If we mess up, it's not the end of the world," Shippo added.
"Midori, you have to do it," Mieko said to her sister. "I can't be Red Riding Hood by myself."
It must have been the encouragement from her twin that changed her mind because Midori suddenly looked much happier.
"Alright everyone, are you all ready to get started?" Sango asked.
"Yes!" they all exclaimed.
Sango went to sit in the audience. The kids took their positions backstage. I was the designated announcer and so I went up to let everyone know the play was starting. Quite a lot of people had come to see the kid's theater debut. Kaede and Kohaku, who just happened to be coming to visit today, sat in the front row along with Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha. The village headman Takero as well as about 20 or so other people also attended. I also spotted Sesshomaru there but he was hanging back in a way that he hoped Rin wouldn't see him. Just as I've been suspecting, he says he wants to avoid her but he can't stay away.
"Hello, everyone!" I said getting their attention. "Thank you all so much for coming today. We've worked very hard to put together this play for you and we hope you all will enjoy it. And so now, we present to you the story of 'Little Red Riding Hood.'"
Everyone applauded and I stepped off the stage to sit next to Inuyasha who put his arm around my waist once I was settled. "This is going to be so cute," I said excitedly.
And so the play began. Midori and Mieko came out in their red cloaks and holding their baskets. Midori looked much more confident and seemed to be very encouraged by Mieko. "We're Little Red Riding Hood," she said.
"And we're going to bring cookies to our grandma," Mieko added.
The two locked arms and skipped across the stage.
"They're so cute," Miroku whispered to us.
"I wish we had a camera," I replied. "These are the types of moments that should be recorded forever."
Onstage, Shippo jumped out as the wolf. "What are little girls like you doing out here?"
Midori and Mieko were pretty good at pretending to be scared of the wolf.
"We're going to see our grandma who lives in the forest," Midori said.
"We're bringing her cookies," Mieko said. "We should be on our way now."
The two of them skipped off the stage while Rin came out on the other side as the grandma. While she was getting ready, Shippo rubbed his hands together menacingly.
"Hahaha this should be interesting," he said in an evil tone. It was clear that he was really enjoying being the bad guy.
Then he went to grandma's house. Rin put on a pretty good show of screaming and being afraid while Shippo pretended to eat her.
"Ahh!" she exclaimed. "Oh, my stars! A big bad wolf! Help! Someone help!"
"You will never escape!" Shippo said.
"I think they're getting a little too into it," Inuyasha said to me.
I laughed and pushed his arm. "They're having fun, that's all that matters."
Now Rin was offstage and Shippo got into her place in bed. Then Midori and Mieko appeared back onstage. "Grandma, we're here!"
"Please come in girls! It's so nice to see you," Shippo said in a high voice. The way he was talking was so funny that we almost choked on laughter.
"Grandma, your voice sounds weird," Midori said. "Are you sick?"
"Don't worry about me, my dears. I must be coming down with a cold."
"But grandma! What big eyes you have," Mieko said.
"All the better to see your pretty faces with."
"Grandma, what big ears you have," Midori said.
"All the better to hear your sweet voices with."
"Grandma, what big teeth you have!" they both said at the same time.
"All the better to eat you with!" Shippo growled, humbling out of bed.
The girls ran in circles around the stage screaming while Shippo chased them. "Ahh! Help! It's a wolf!"
Next was Shinichi's big moment. He came onstage swinging his fake as back and forth (yesterday Inuyasha suggested he use a real ax but Miroku and Sango of course said no).
"No, no, no, no, no!" Shinichi shouted as he chased Shippo around the stage.
"Alright, alright! I'll bring their grandma back!"
So Rin reappeared on stage and hugged the twins. "I'm so glad you're safe from the Big Bad Wolf!" Then she turned to Shippo and kicked him. "You're a meanie!"
Then Shinichi dragged him off stage.
"Let's go have those cookies girls." Then the three of them exited on the other side of the stage.
Now that it was over, they all came out and bowed while the audience gave a standing ovation.
