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to make or rent most of the costumes for this production. A friend of mine,” she went on to explain, “is the proprietor of a costume company in London, and she is planning a show in New York City.
    “She has offered to send some of her Shakespearean costumes ahead for us to use, free of charge—which will certainly help our meager costume budget,” Miss Darcy added.
    “Now, to begin, putting on a play is a serious business. Anyone who thinks this will simply be a time to chat with his friends or to lounge about can do us all a favor and leave right now.
    A play is certainly a great deal of fun, but it is also a good bit of work,” she finished.
    The entire class sat quietly and listened attentively. “Good,” Miss Darcy said. “Now that that obligatory speech is over, we can really begin.” She smiled, and the class smiled and relaxed, too.
    “First, I’ll be dividing you all into groups. The senior aides will assign the stagehands to different crews. We will need one crew for scenery and another for props. The costume crew will be divided into wardrobe and makeup crews. The lighting crew will be under the supervision of senior aide Jenny Ratner.
    “I have asked the art club to help design posters and programs and to help paint scenery. But before we get to work on those things, I want you all to understand some basic stage geography. I am passing out a mimeographed diagram of the stage area, and I want you all to memorize it. You must be as familiar with the layout of the stage as you are with that of your own house. We can’t have people running into each other or not knowing where a prop has to be at a certain time.”
    They all listened carefully while Miss Darcy explained that downstage is closest to the audience and upstage is farthest away. Stage right means to your right as you stand on the stage facing the audience, she told them, and the wings are the areas on either side of the stage, most of the time hidden by parts of the scenery.
    “When you ‘wait in the wings,’ ” Miss Darcy explained, “you’re waiting in one or the other of those areas, either as an actor or actress ready to enter, or as a stagehand with a prop or a change of costume.”
    The divided grid of the stage, as shown on the diagram, looked very confusing to most of the students until the drama teacher explained that U.R. entrance meant that the actor or actress came onto the stage from the upstage-right entrance. The stage was divided into quadrants marked up right and down right, and up center and down center, and up left and down left.
    Di leaned over and whispered to Honey. “This all seems so confusing. Not only do I have to memorize all those lines, but now I’ve got to remember where I’m supposed to say them from!”
    “Do you have a question, Miss Lynch?” Eileen Darcy snapped. “If you do, I wish you’d direct it to me. An actress must know all these things.”
    Di blushed a bright red and apologized. Jane Morgan giggled from a seat somewhere behind Di. Trixie, sitting next to Honey on the other side, turned and glared at Jane.
    I’d better keep an eye on her , Trixie thought as she and Honey exchanged knowing looks.
    Miss Darcy’s mood changed suddenly. She rubbed her forehead nervously. “I—I’m sorry,” she began. “I’m a little on edge today. I know this must all look very confusing to you, but it will become much clearer once we start the rehearsals.
    “All right,” she said briskly. “Costume crew over there.” She motioned to her left. “Stagehands next to them, and lighting crew over there.” Students quickly gathered in their assigned places. “All actors and actresses remain— ” Miss Darcy broke off suddenly, then finished her sentence absentmindedly, “— seated.” She paused. “Excuse me, class, I’ll be right back.” She walked quickly to the back of the auditorium, where Peter Ashbury, her fiancé, was standing.
    Trixie poked Honey in the ribs. “There’s