Too Young and Blind (High School Hamilton)

Writing

Alexander

I sat in the audience instead of on the stage, just watching the rehearsal. John was my understudy for Jack but I've elected to just have him replace me so I could be his understudy instead. I know it doesn't make sense to some people, giving up the lead part, but I don't enjoy it. Acting isn't appealing to me anymore...writing it.

I was writing a musical! It doesn't have a title yet but it's about Hispanic people who all have struggles linked to their lack of resources, sounds dreary, but I'm going to make it fun too! I've only named two characters so far, a woman named Abuela Claudia and a girl named Vanessa. I didn't need names to start the story, I'm going to build the plot and then work on character designs and subplots.

It was hard to just write when I want to see John being absolutely fabulous on stage. He's so charismatic and beautiful, plus his chemistry with Eliza makes it so the two of them can branch off of each other's energy to make any scene feel like a feature-length film with its emotional weight. I hope that if my musical gets picked up that actors as amazing as them play my characters.

Suddenly, in the middle of my blank mindedness, something-hands-went over my eyes, "Guess who!" I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see, of course, Peggy would be the one to do something childish like this.

"Sounds liiiiiiiike..." I hummed in fake thought as she giggled, I smirked knowing how to annoy her, "Thomas Jefferson." She gasped in horror and slapped the back of my head while I laughed harder than what was called for at her. I shut my laptop and organized the assorted papers I had strewn about, "I'm just kiddin' Pegs."

"Better be." Peggy replied as she crawled over the back of the seat adjacent to me, plopping into it, "I'm bored!" She whined, using her script to fan herself as we both absently watched John and Eliza sing Jack and Sally's Song beautifully.

"Shouldn't you be memorizing that?" I asked, looking towards her script as it moved quickly to cool her off.

"Puh-lease." Peggy replied sarcastically with a hint of jealousy, "Tori'll never miss a day. There's no need to give her an understudy." Silently I agreed, Tori's zealous when it comes to theater productions, she was cast as the Mayor of Halloween Town because she killed the audition so her gender wasn't an issue. Peggy was cast as her understudy though the position was useless.

"Well, do you want to hear what I've gotten so far?" I asked, motioning to my computer and papers. I like talking about the things I'm working on since saying the story out loud helps me find what sounds like it doesn't fit and what should definitely stay based on their reactions.

Peggy looked at the scattered papers and then back at me, "Sure." She went back to fanning herself, "I've got nothing but time to kill." She added.

Quickly, I reiterated what I'd already decided on, having to backtrack a few times because I was talking too fast. Basically, I knew one character would work somewhere with his younger family member of some sort and that character has a crush on Vanessa who works in a different workplace. I also thought it'd be cool if Abuela Claudia won the lottery in the midst of all this financial difficulty. I knew I needed a few more characters to round out the story and get to all the plot points I wanted to explore but for now, that's all I've got. I also want to do a subplot about going to college because it's difficult to get into one as an immigrant or second generation immigrant, and I also know it's important to those families to get a higher education.

After I finished explaining I looked at Peggy to see she looked impressed and also slightly confused, "What?" I asked, trying to figure out why she looked like that. I told her it was a work in progress.

"Nothing-actually no wait." She closed her eyes and organized her thoughts before speaking again, "It sounds awesome, it really does! I can't wait to hear about it again when you flesh it out but...who is Abuela Claudia and where did she come from?" I face palmed after I realized I'd forgotten to explain who she was and just threw her in at the middle.

I went through my notes real quick to make sure I really used the idea I had for Abuela Claudia and then smiled, turning back to Peggy and saying, "She raised the dude who has a crush on Vanessa and that dudes younger family member." I hadn't decided their names or exactly how they're related but I knew they existed and that's enough to start writing for them.

"She sounds amazing." Peggy said, looking over the paper I had and then furrowing her brows, "Wait." I perked up, I love it when people are so interested in my work that they ask questions. "Why did you put that she might have to die?" She looked back at me, legitimately concerned.

I shrugged, "Sometimes characters have to die." Peggy gasped, horrified, and I had to try not to laugh. "If it's for the better of another character's story arc then one character might have to die, I've been thinking of killing Abuela Claudia after she wins the lottery." I just think it would be better if all the money went between the two boys she raised instead of split three ways. Plus, it shows that immigrants and minorities, in general, will struggle all their lives, get the closest they can to something that they want so badly, then have it ripped away. Abuela Claudia struggled all her early years and then she had to raise two boys and then she had medical problems, finally, she gets a break with the lottery, only to be found dead.

"You're a real sadist." Peggy whined, crossing her arms and pouting in the chair, "And I'm already attached to her. Don't kill the grandma. It's like, oh hey here's a relatable and gritty, lovable character SURPRISE DICK WAFFLES they're dead." She huffed and I couldn't help but laugh way too hard at her choice of words.

Unfortunately, we both got in trouble for 'inappropriate language'. Surprise dick waffles, Pegs.

Either way, I'm glad I've explored into writing instead of staying with just acting. I like writing, I always have. I'll still act, it's still one of my passions, but now I'll allow myself the ability to write more often instead of keeping my ideas bottled up to myself, it gives me another creative outlet. I can't wait! I'll be able to make things about major issues, like this musical I'm writing now which will show how hard it can be to be a minority making little to no money on minimum wage jobs. I have so many ideas! The world is my inspiration, all I have to do is write.