I am now pressing play again

on my State Fair experience. My first practice for a melodrama that my stake is putting on is this Saturday, so I better finish up before the next one begins.
.....After depositing the bench that I had just helped carry off stage, I made a mad dash to the girls' dressing room. My 4-H leader uniform quickly turned into a powder-blue dancing dress & after applying another coat of lipgloss, I made another dash for the stage door as I tied the sash around my waist. It was so warm outside that the curls in my hair were threatening to completely disappear, but I didn't have time to worry about that. Our cue was just seconds away & Ben was still trying to tie his shoes. He made it in the nick of time,... but every performance thereafter became a secret contest to see if I could change & be at the stage door first. I should have timed myself because I never lost & later even had time to help others button, zip & tie their costumes while I was waiting...We strolled out onto the stage, marveling at all the lights & the beauty of the night sky or the factory ceiling, whichever. Once our spots were reached we froze until our 2nd music cue. The dancing then began in ernest & somehow my feet & my brain stayed connected long enough to whirl me around through the end of the song. Intermission was next & gave me an opportunity to breathe & force some life back into my curls. One more costume change & I was ready for my favorite number of the entire show, "I Owe Ioway." Despite all my murmurings, I had practiced this dance over & over & it had now become my favorite. It seemed to be a favorite of the audience as well. Racing up the steps to the 2nd tier of the stage to finish the foot-stomping/hand-clapping sequence was quite a rush & though I was covered in blue stripes, polka dots & puffed sleeves the size of my head, I was excited knowing that I would get to perform it again the next evening. Another scene with my incorrigible 4-H girls, a "romantic" walk-across with Ben, another costume change & it was finale time. Back again as 4-H leader extraordinaire, my girls, Heather & I & 2 of the roustabouts were first again on the stage, this time for our bows. Now I realize being frst on the stage means you're the least important of the entire cast because then you move to the back of the stage & become completely obscured by the remainder of the cast. However, my parents were not aware of this fact & when my roommates showed up they too created enough noise to make one think she had just won a Tony award. It was lovely & then to dash back up to the 2nd tier for another round of "I Owe Ioway" seemed a perfect ending to the evening. Night after night, performance after performance. One perfect waltz, one perfect fair scene. Missed steps, missed cues. An Ioway scene where I could actually breathe when I left the stage. An evening so warm that all our costumes were soaked. Perfect curls. A huge hole torn in my nylons getting up to accept my mincemeat ribbon. An evening with a cool breeze. Bumping into Ben trying to get up the stairs & barely making my half of the "O" in IOWA. Every piece, good or bad, all the new friends, the new strengths made up my State Fair experience & I am quite sure it is one which I will never forget!