A student misses out on the leading part in a school play. A backstage invitation offers another way to contribute, but accepting it takes time.
01Read the Arabic story
فُرْصَةٌ ثَانِيَةٌ فِي مَسْرَحِيَّةِ الْمَدْرَسَةِ
تَدَرَّبْتُ أُسْبُوعًا كَامِلًا عَلَى الدَّوْرِ الرَّئِيسِيِّ فِي مَسْرَحِيَّةِ الْمَدْرَسَةِ. كُنْتُ أَحْفَظُ الْكَلَامَ وَأَنَا أَمْشِي إِلَى الصَّفِّ، وَأَتَخَيَّلُ تَصْفِيقَ الْجُمْهُورِ. لَكِنَّ الْمُعَلِّمَ اخْتَارَ زَمِيلِي سَامِرًا. هَنَّأْتُهُ بِصَوْتٍ مُنْخَفِضٍ، ثُمَّ وَضَعْتُ أَوْرَاقِي فِي حَقِيبَتِي وَقَرَّرْتُ أَلَّا أَعُودَ إِلَى التَّدْرِيبِ. ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ فُرْصَتِي قَدِ انْتَهَتْ تَمَامًا.
فِي الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، سَأَلَنِي الْمُعَلِّمُ إِنْ كُنْتُ أُرِيدُ الْعَمَلَ خَلْفَ الْمَسْرَحِ. كَانَ الْفَرِيقُ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى شَخْصٍ يُغَيِّرُ الْإِضَاءَةَ فِي الْوَقْتِ الْمُنَاسِبِ. رَفَضْتُ أَوَّلًا، لِأَنَّ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْجُمْهُورِ لَنْ يَرَانِي. لَكِنَّنِي افْتَقَدْتُ زُمَلَائِي، فَعُدْتُ لِأُشَاهِدَ تَدْرِيبًا وَاحِدًا فَقَطْ. أَعْطَانِي الْمُعَلِّمُ قَائِمَةً بِمَوَاعِيدِ تَغْيِيرِ الضَّوْءِ. وَبَعْدَ تَرَدُّدٍ قَصِيرٍ، قَرَّرْتُ أَنْ أُجَرِّبَ الْعَمَلَ مَعَهُمْ.
شَرَحَ لِي الْمُعَلِّمُ اسْتِخْدَامَ لَوْحَةِ الْأَزْرَارِ، وَبَقِيَ بِجَانِبِي أَثْنَاءَ التَّجْرِبَةِ. فِي الْمُحَاوَلَةِ الْأُولَى، أَطْفَأْتُ الضَّوْءَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ سَامِرٌ، فَتَوَقَّفَ فِي مُنْتَصَفِ الْمَسْرَحِ. ضَحِكْنَا، ثُمَّ بَحَثْنَا عَنْ طَرِيقَةٍ أَوْضَحَ. كَتَبْتُ أَلْوَانَ الضَّوْءِ بِجَانِبِ الْجُمَلِ الْمُهِمَّةِ، وَأَضَفْتُ إِلَى الْقَائِمَةِ حَرَكَاتِ الْمُمَثِّلِينَ أَيْضًا.
لَيْلَةَ الْعَرْضِ، وَقَفْتُ خَلْفَ السِّتَارِ وَفِي يَدِي قَائِمَتِي. نَسِيَ سَامِرٌ جُمْلَةً كُنْتُ أَنْتَظِرُهَا لِتَغْيِيرِ الْإِضَاءَةِ. كِدْتُ أَضْغَطُ الزِّرَّ، لَكِنَّنِي رَأَيْتُهُ يَتَّجِهُ إِلَى الْبَابِ كَمَا تَدَرَّبْنَا. انْتَظَرْتُ خُرُوجَهُ، ثُمَّ غَيَّرْتُ الضَّوْءَ. اِسْتَمَرَّ الْعَرْضُ دُونَ تَوَقُّفٍ، وَأَشَارَ الْمُعَلِّمُ إِلَيَّ مُبْتَسِمًا. أَخَذْتُ نَفَسًا عَمِيقًا وَاسْتَعْدَدْتُ لِلْمَشْهَدِ التَّالِي.
بَعْدَ الْعَرْضِ، شَكَرَنِي سَامِرٌ عَلَى مُتَابَعَتِي لِحَرَكَتِهِ. وَعِنْدَمَا اجْتَمَعَ الْفَرِيقُ لِالْتِقَاطِ صُورَةٍ، رَفَعْتُ قَائِمَتِي الْمُلَوَّنَةَ وَوَقَفْتُ بَيْنَ زُمَلَائِي. لَمْ أُخْفِهَا فِي حَقِيبَتِي كَمَا أَخْفَيْتُ أَوْرَاقِي مِنْ قَبْلُ. سَأَلَنِي الْمُعَلِّمُ عَنِ الْعَرْضِ الْقَادِمِ، فَطَلَبْتُ أَنْ أَقْرَأَ النَّصَّ أَوَّلًا قَبْلَ اخْتِيَارِ عَمَلِي فِيهِ. ثُمَّ عُدْتُ لِأُسَاعِدَ فِي جَمْعِ الْأَوْرَاقِ.
Show English translationHide English translation
I practised the leading part in the school play for a whole week. I memorised the lines as I walked to class and imagined the audience applauding. But the teacher chose my classmate Samir. I congratulated him quietly, then put my papers in my bag and decided not to return to rehearsals. I thought my chance was completely over.
The next day, the teacher asked whether I wanted to work backstage. The team needed someone to change the lighting at the right time. I refused at first because nobody in the audience would see me. But I missed my classmates, so I returned just to watch one rehearsal. The teacher gave me a list of lighting cues. After a brief hesitation, I decided to try working with them.
The teacher explained how to use the button panel and stayed beside me during the trial. On my first attempt, I switched off the light before Samir had left, and he stopped in the middle of the stage. We laughed, then looked for a clearer method. I wrote the colours of the lights beside the important lines and added the actors’ movements to the list too.
On the night of the performance, I stood behind the curtain with my list in my hand. Samir forgot a line that I was waiting for before changing the lighting. I almost pressed the button, but I saw him heading towards the door as we had rehearsed. I waited until he left, then changed the light. The performance continued without stopping, and the teacher smiled and gestured to me. I took a deep breath and prepared for the next scene.
After the performance, Samir thanked me for following his movement. When the team gathered for a photograph, I held up my coloured list and stood among my classmates. I did not hide it in my bag as I had hidden my papers before. The teacher asked me about the next production, and I asked to read the script first before choosing my job in it. Then I went back to help collect the papers.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الدَّوْرِ الرَّئِيسِيِّ | the leading role |
| تَصْفِيقَ الْجُمْهُورِ | the audience’s applause |
| الْإِضَاءَةَ | the lighting |
| افْتَقَدْتُ | I missed |
| لَوْحَةِ الْأَزْرَارِ | the button panel |
| حَرَكَاتِ الْمُمَثِّلِينَ | the actors’ movements |
| السِّتَارِ | the curtain |
| كِدْتُ أَضْغَطُ | I almost pressed |
| لِلْمَشْهَدِ التَّالِي | for the next scene |
| قَائِمَتِي الْمُلَوَّنَةَ | my coloured list |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- The narrator’s first idea of success depends on being seen; later actions show a broader view of contribution.
- Recording both words and movements helps him respond when the performance differs from rehearsal.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Purpose Li in Arabic: How to Say “In Order To”
فَعُدْتُ لِأُشَاهِدَ تَدْرِيبًا وَاحِدًا فَقَطْ
Connect the narrator’s return with its stated purpose using li and a following verb.
Arabic Object Pronouns: How to Say He Opened It and I Opened It
لَمْ أُخْفِهَا فِي حَقِيبَتِي
Follow the attached ha back to the feminine noun for the cue list in the final paragraph.
