Theatre of the Sky

Theatre of the Sky:

The Tale of the Beautiful Black Butterfly

One day as I was looking out my window, I imagined that I was watching the performance of a play. I pictured myself sitting in the balcony of the theater. Each blade of grass became a member of the audience. The bright sky was the perfect setting for the stage. The noise of nature sounded like the beautiful melody of an orchestra. The creatures of the sky were the actors of the play. Then the theater was quiet, and the play was about to begin.

A very beautiful butterfly portrayed the ballerina. She was a black butterfly with all the colors of the rainbow in her wings. The butterfly’s friend, the robin, was sitting in the audience. It was the robin who had encouraged his friend to dance. He had known that the bumblebee envied the graceful way that the butterfly danced. The bumblebee tried to distract the butterfly as she danced through the sky. However, the butterfly continued to dance because she knew her friend, the robin, was watching. She knew that he supported her completely. The butterfly remembered the robin telling her, “You will achieve your dreams. I know that you will. Whenever you begin to doubt yourself, look out into the audience at me and know that I believe in you. I am your friend.” As the butterfly recalled her friend’s tender words, she danced even more beautifully. She would not disappoint her friend – nor herself.

When the bumblebee realized that she could not bother the butterfly, she decided to irritate the audience – in hopes of distracting attention from the butterfly. Nevertheless, the butterfly danced with so much elegance that the audience was captivated. However, the bumblebee refused to acknowledge the audience’s fascination with the butterfly. Therefore, the bumblebee continues to pester nature’s beings of the Earth … as she can only wish to dance as high in the sky as the beautiful black butterfly.

*story originally completed in Spring 1996; revised on November 8, 1997*

The beginnings of this story took root as a high school English essay exam. Always a conscientious writer, I was only halfway through my story when time ran out. After evaluating my work, my teacher encouraged me to keep writing. Her positive feedback sparked that writing spirit within me. I sharpened my writing skills as a campus reporter for my college newspaper. During my senior year, I was tasked to write a short story in Spanish as a final grade. I thought back to my ideas for "The Theatre of the Sky", and completed the story before translating it into Spanish. My professor and classmates loved the story. Over the years, this story has delighted audiences of all ages from toddlers I once taught in daycare to the elementary students I currently teach to adults within my community of family and friends.

" Theatre of the Sky: The Tale of the Beautiful Black Butterfly" has morphed into a full-blown musical. I wrote an actual script along with my ideas (and wishful thinking) of what the set would look like; details of costume design; and beautiful music from various genres - soulful melodies, popping ballads, jazzy beats, and alternative rock jams - that will help set the mood of the play.

"Theatre of the Sky: The Tale of the Beautiful Black Butterfly" will make a great children's book. I'm excited to share my work on a broader platform. This motivational story is versatile and can be adapted in many ways: book, cartoon / film, Broadway play, and beyond.