a note on theatricality

theatricality |θēˈatriˈkalitē|

noun: state of being exaggerated & excessively dramatic

i admit it.

i love glee.

really, what’s not to love?

i – tone deaf as all get out – can sing-a-long with ridiculously good-looking, ill-aged highschoolers with perfect pitch, matching dance moves, and just the right amount of pop-culture sass. i don’t know about you, but that’s always what i’m looking for in a tv show.

this week’s episode, which i finally watched in 2 minute bites with our molasses of a wireless signal, was all about theatricality. i watched. i laughed. i sang along (only while no one else would be harmed by my attempts at gleekdom). i may have even teared up a bit during poker face. the point is. the drama was entertaining, even a bit addictive.

theatricality. exaggerated, excessive drama. it’s all well and good when it includes jocks in red, rubber dresses, and accompanists who appear out of nowhere. it’s a different beast altogether when the drama is internal and the exaggeration exhausting.

this month has been a bit theatrical. it doesn’t take long to make a list as long as my arm of drama – the painful, heart-wrenching kind – going on around me.

physically, so many have lost home, belongings and loved ones in the floods here in nashville. irreplaceable things. rain, exaggerated beyond belief. the waters have at last receded. in their wake, significant emotional damage and a slew of other five-alarm days have added scene after scene to the unending drama. even miles and hours away, friends are adding tears to the river and voices to the songs of hurting.

it’s just so heavy. i keep waiting for the intermission, the eye of the storm. no drama queen can keep it together, holding this high a note for so long.

for my tired friends and family, self and city, i wish hope and peace. an end to the theatrics save glee. some time to heal and see each other sans stage makeup.

sometimes the most dramatic scene is full of excessive, exaggerated, silence. while resting my voice for the next big number, i’m praying this for all.