Nimisha Ladva

My dad moved us to America in pursuit of his version of the American dream.

And in 11th grade, I try out for the school play, Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

And to my amazement, I am cast as Helena, the girl who chases everyone but is not really ever chased back.

Now, the boy playing Lysander is this kid named Randy.

Now Randy is a smoke in the bathroom, black leather jacket wearing, real life bad boy.

Which is interesting to me because I am a JCPenney clearance rack wearing calculus tutor.

Now, I've read the play, and I know that there is one part where it is possible that Lysander, because he has magic love potion in his eyes, will wake up, fall in love with Helena, and there could be physical contact.

For me, first contact.

I'm pretty excited, but there are like three obstacles I have to get through before I can have this adventure.

The first two are my mom and my dad, and this is because they are good immigrant parents, and they say no to anything that can get me bad American influences.

But I need their permission to be in the play, so I start with my mom.

I'm like, mommy, please let me be in the play.

And she immediately just says, no.

What do you think people will say when you are doing Shakespeare, hmm?

You think they'll say, oh, very good, there's a girl who knows Shakespeare.

No, they will say there is a brown girl trying to be white.

You are who you are.

Take some pride in that.

So that did not go how I wanted it to go.

So I'm a little better prepared when I go to talk to my dad.