Principal cast list for the
Lima Community Theater production of
"The Sound Of Music"

Directed by: Paul Chapman

Maria: Emma Pillsbury
Captain Von Trapp: Will Schuester
Baroness Schraeder: Kathryn Ellis
Max Dettweiler: David Martin
Mother Abbess: Patricia Everett
Sister Margaretta: Sarah Thomas
Sister Berthe: Marie Preston
Sister Sophia: Elena Martinez
Rolf: Kyle Jacobs
Herr Zeller: Christopher Emery

Liesl: Sierra McCarthy
Friedrich: Jason Brown
Louisa: Natasha Lang
Kurt: Brandon Miller
Brigitta: Jennifer Lane
Marta: Melissa Anderson
Gretl: Caitlyn Wescott

It was the day after the cast list had been posted for the musical, and Emma was still in a state of shock as she walked down the hallway towards Will's apartment. Never had she thought since her audition that she would not only be performing the lead role in one of the most iconic musicals of all time, but she would be performing opposite the man who was her co-worker at school as well as her best friend. She wondered if the experience would help them grow closer as she had been separated from Carl for several months and Will had been divorced for over a year – she was sure it would be worth it and make their bond of friendship even stronger.

Has there ever been a Maria with red hair? Emma thought.

Stopping at Will's door, she heard music coming from inside the apartment – probably Will was practicing his guitar. Emma knocked on the door and the music stopped, then footsteps. The door opened seconds later and he stood in the doorway dressed in gray track pants and a red McKinley High T-shirt. She looked down at her own outfit: a cute floral-print skirt, a white tank top and black ballet flats.

"You look cute today, Em," said Will with a small smile, "I'm glad you could make it. Come on in." Emma followed him into the living room where his guitar was leaning against the side of the chair he had been sitting in and sat down on the sofa while he went to the kitchen to get some drinks and a snack for the two of them. Noticing another guitar lying face-up on the couch beside her, she turned her head and curiously touched the strings with one finger, which made a quiet sound just as Will came back with a tray that had a plate of cookies and two glasses of juice on it.

"I see you found the other one," he said as he set the tray down on the coffee table, "that was the big reason why I invited you over. Since in one scene in the first act of the show Maria uses the guitar to teach the children to sing, I thought I'd give you some lessons. You'd probably learn fast if you practiced every day until rehearsals start." Emma was sure Will knew what he was doing, after all he himself had been playing for a very long time. Picking up the instrument in one hand, he sat beside Emma and set it in her lap, making sure it was in a comfortable position for her.

"Are you sure you want to teach me?" she asked.

"Of course," replied Will. "Let's get started."

For the next little while, Will went on to teach Emma the simple things like right-hand strumming and fingerpicking on open strings (he would play a pattern on his own instrument and have her play it back) as well as showing her ways of keeping her hands nice and loose since playing, especially with the left hand, put a lot of strain on the wrists. He had told her it was good to take breaks every now and then so both hands could relax, and they did just that, enjoying the snacks that were sitting on the tray.

"Now let's start bringing the left hand in," said Will as he sat back down beside her, "this is how you will be able to play notes and chords. It's a little tricky at first, but once you start getting comfortable with it you will find it to come easy. I'll guide you at first, and then we'll see if you can remember what I showed you, okay?" Emma nodded, and she felt her hand in Will's as he guided it to the neck of the instrument. She blushed a little, not letting him see what was going on, then felt her fingers being placed lightly on the strings before Will let go of her hand.

"That is an A chord," he explained, pointing towards the position her left hand was in. "Your fingers are on the strings now, but if you press down on them and then strum with your right hand starting on the second string from the top, you'll hear something different. Go on and try it." Nodding, she did what she was told: she pressed the strings down on the neck with her left hand and ran her right hand down the strings stretched across the sound hole, hearing a pleasant sound emerge. Emma smiled.

"I did it, Will," she said, an excited tone in her voice.

"That sounded great, Em," Will replied. Taking her hand again, he took her fingers off its previous position and put them in another, then let go again. "Try the E chord now, but when you play with your right hand, start with the very top string this time." Trying the new chord, she managed to play it quite well. Then she felt her hand being moved into a third position, which after Will let go again, explained it was the positioning to play a D chord. She tried it, and played it nicely.

"Here's a little tip for you," he said. "Try to adjust your left hand so none of your fingers accidentally covers the open strings. You'll get a nicer sound that way. So, how about we review what you've learned so far?"

Time passed, and Emma thanked Will for the lesson before leaving to go back to her own apartment. He had let her borrow the instrument she had been practicing on packed in a soft case so it would be easier for her to carry, and had tucked in a few extra things to help her out – she would have to see them later once she was at home.

Maria is kind of like Will in a way, she thought as she drove through downtown Lima towards her apartment building, teaching the Captain's children how to sing and to love music. It's amazing how I can connect that to the glee club that Will loves so much. When she finally returned to her apartment, she unlocked the door and let herself in, placing the case gently on the sofa and unzipping it so she could practice a little more. When she picked up the instrument, she noticed what looked to be a DVD underneath, and curious as she was, she slipped it into the player and turned on the television. An image of Will appeared on the screen, she guessed that he might have done this video before she had come over because he was still wearing the same clothes.

He must have planned this whole lesson all along, she thought as she cradled the instrument in her arms.

"Hi Em," he said, his own guitar in his lap. "If you're seeing this, then you're ready for your next lesson. I'm going to teach you how to play the 'Do-Re-Mi' song for the scene I told you about, so follow my lead and I know you will do fine."

"Okay Will, I'm ready," Emma replied to his image.