It was one of the last things that stood between my sons and summer vacation. Neither looked thrilled to be there, but both dutifully marched into the assembly hall and took their places. Sam was the first to go and at the appointed time he and a classmate rose from their seats, faced the audience and announced that they would perform a scene from Harvey by Mary Chase.
Sam played the esteemed psychiatrist, Dr. William B. Chumley, while his female classmate portrayed Veta Simmons, the sister of Elwood, the play’s central character. Their roughly five minute dramatic dialogue was flawless - no missed lines, no awkward pauses, no real signs of nervousness. Following the scene, the relieved pair awkwardly bowed to the audience and quickly returned to their seats as another set of classmates moved to center stage.
This went on for over an hour. Two by two, the students took turns performing some of the most memorable scenes from some of the most notable plays by some of the leading playwrights of the 20th century - Neil Simon, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill, on and on. It was a terrific thing to watch.
As I sat there, I realized that the beauty of this approach was that no one could hide. Each and every student was "forced" into an important or leading role and expected to perform. The drama teacher described it best when he suggested that in traditional school plays it becomes very easy to simply be the "third soldier from the left." No lines, few responsibilities, little attention - easy stuff.
As the perennial offstage voice during my own high school drama days (you should have heard my prophetic warning to Caesar in my soothsayer role), the "third solider from the left" theory really hit home. Perhaps it was because I was concurrently attending a McCombs series on leadership, but I thought about this a lot over the next few days. Not so much in terms of acting, but in the broader context of our careers and life in general.
Think about the bullet points we all highlight on our resumes. We list accomplishments, successes and things of which we are most proud - leading role stuff, if you will. Rarely do we revel in the minutia of our third soldier responsibilities.
Don’t get me wrong. All of us are third soldiers in certain situations and that’s fine. In fact, it’s imperative that we be able to accept these roles when the situation calls for it. At the same time, we must also be willing to step to center stage and face the bright lights when needed. Sure, these situations are more challenging, require more preparation and place the burden of success more directly on us, but they also represent bullet point moments - our opportunities to truly shine.
Perhaps it’s an important project at work. Maybe it’s making a difference through community service. It could be leadership on an Enhance or Plus project team. Whatever the situation, recognize these as opportunities to step from the shadows directly into the spotlight and perform knowing that all eyes are on you, for these are the moments that will inspire an enthusiastic curtain call.
Break a leg.
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