22 N-R-G!

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO N-R-G! Kinetic Energy (noun). A solid has a low amount of kinetic energy. A liquid has more kinetic energy. Like when the DJ has kicked up the bass. The liquid molecules are moving and having a dance party. IT WAS SATURDAY AFTERNOON, October 17, and our show was actually about to happen! Mentally, I went through the list of everything we needed. The stagehands and the props were in place. The actors waited backstage. Right now, it felt as if a dozen balls bounced in my stomach. The call time had been 12:30 p.m. (the time when the cast and the crew needed to arrive). At 2:00 p.m., the curtain would rise, and the show would officially begin. By 1:30 p.m. everyone was in costume and makeup. The house lights were up but not for much

第二十二章n-r-g ！动能（名词）。 固体的动能很低。 液体的动能更大。 就像当DJ踢起贝斯的时候。 液体分子在移动，开着舞会。 这是10月17日星期六的下午，我们的节目真的要开始了！在心里，我把我们需要的东西一一列了一遍。 舞台管理人员和道具都已就位。 演员们在后台等着。 现在，我感觉胃里好像有一打球在弹跳。 通话时间是中午12点半。 （演员和工作人员需要到达的时间）。 下午两点，大幕将升起，演出正式开始。 到下午一点半，所有人都盛装打扮。 屋里的灯是亮着的，但不太亮

longer. Elijah and his crew had already performed their lighting check to make sure the equipment worked. I had gone through a prop checklist with the backstage crew. The scenery had been repositioned perfectly into place. The scripts were jammed in backpacks. Everyone today was really, really off-book. As the assistant director, I had to react quickly. But not panic. Still, I couldn't stop worrying. I waved at Elijah and the crew running the lighting board. "Everyone, please gather on the stage," said Mrs. Hansberry. Soon, a couple dozen kids grouped around us. "Whatever you do, keep plowing ahead," she added. "If you need to, ad-lib until you get back on track." "Yes," I said. "And I've got the script right here. I'll whisper a line if you forget. And if that doesn't work, I'll shout. And if that doesn't work, I'll march onstage." "Fantastic," said Mrs. Hansberry. "We have plan B, C, and D." I glanced down at the prompt book with all the cues and technical notes for the show. Today, I

更长时间。以利亚和他的船员已经进行了灯光检查，以确保设备正常工作。 我和后台工作人员一起看了一份道具清单。 布景被重新布置得恰到好处。 剧本塞在背包里。 今天的每个人都很不正常。 作为副导演，我必须迅速做出反应。 但不要惊慌。不过，我还是无法停止担心。 我向以利亚和操作照明板的工作人员挥手。 “大家请到舞台上来，”汉斯伯里太太说。 很快，几十个孩子聚集在我们周围。 “无论你做什么，都要继续努力，”她补充说。 “如果需要的话，可以即兴发挥，直到你回到正轨。” “是的，”我说。“我这里有剧本。 如果你忘了，我就悄悄念一句。 如果不管用，我就喊。 如果这不起作用，我就上台。” “太棒了，”汉斯伯里太太说。 “我们有B、C和d计划。” 我瞥了一眼提示本，上面有所有关于这次演出的提示和技术说明。 今天,我

shouldn't have to call out any cues, but I knew exactly what I needed to do if I had to. "It's time to get in a circle," said Mrs. Hansberry. "This is a time-honored theater tradition." The cast and crew made a big circle on the stage. "This, my friends, is a very special circle. I would like for you all to say the letters N-R-G." "N-R-G," we said. "Louder," said Mrs. Hansberry. "N-R-G," we said. "Now repeat it. Louder and faster." We did until everyone broke into giggles as we realized we were all saying energy. "We are going to give energy," continued Mrs. Hansberry. "Lots of it. Crew and cast alike. Now let's gather tighter." With our right arms crossed over our left arms, Mrs. Hansberry had us hold hands with people on either side. I was holding hands with Birdie on my right and Phoenix on my left. "We work as an ensemble to make a helping hand," said Mrs. Hansberry. "And we need all of our fingers. Each of you contributes and together we are one group. There are no small parts. No small

我不应该喊出任何暗示，但我知道如果有必要，我需要做什么。 “是时候围成一个圈了，”汉斯伯里太太说。 “这是一个历史悠久的戏剧传统。” 演员和工作人员在舞台上围成一个大圈。 “朋友们，这是一个非常特殊的圈子。 我希望你们都能说出N-R-G这个字母。” “N-R-G，”我们说。“大声点，”汉斯伯里太太说。 “N-R-G，”我们说。现在再重复一遍。 声音更大，速度更快。”我们这么做了，直到每个人都咯咯地笑起来，因为我们意识到我们都在说能量。 “我们要提供能量，”汉斯伯里太太继续说。 “很多。剧组和演员都一样。 现在让我们聚得更紧些。” 我们的右臂交叉在左臂上，汉斯伯里太太让我们与两边的人牵着手。 我牵着手，小鸟在我的右边，凤凰在我的左边。 “我们齐心协力，伸出援助之手，”汉斯伯里太太说。 “我们需要所有的手指。 你们每个人都有贡献，我们是一个整体。 没有小的部分。没有小

roles. It takes all of us coming together for this one-act musical to work." Then she had us close our eyes and she gave energy to the person on the left by squeezing their hand and the energy was passed around from person to person. Nobody said a word. When everyone had finished, Mrs. Hansberry said, "Break a leg, everyone." Then she had the cast and crew turn out of the circle by uncrossing their arms. "Curtain time is in twenty minutes. Prepare to turn down the house lights at my command. I'm opening up the doors. The audience will now be seated." We scrambled into place as the sound of theatergoers filled the once empty theater. Somewhere in the audience sat my parents and Liam. I was too afraid to peek. If I listened really hard, I thought I could hear Liam's raspy little voice. The cast and crew held their breath as we waited for the show to begin. And then the house lights went down. The curtain opened. Showtime!

的角色。这部独幕剧的成功需要我们所有人的共同努力。” 然后她让我们闭上眼睛，她通过挤压左边的人的手给他们能量，能量从一个人传递到另一个人。 没有人说话。当大家都讲完后，汉斯伯里太太说：“祝大家好运。” 然后，她让演员和工作人员松开双臂，离开了圈子。 “还有二十分钟就要开演了。 准备听我的命令把屋里的灯关掉。 我要打开门。现在请观众就座。” 当观众的声音填满曾经空荡荡的剧院时，我们赶紧就位。 我父母和利亚姆就坐在观众席的某个地方。 我害怕得不敢偷看。如果我仔细听，我觉得我能听到利亚姆刺耳的声音。 当我们等待演出开始时，演员和工作人员都屏住呼吸。 然后房子的灯就熄灭了。 窗帘拉开了。Showtime !