Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List
Encyclopedia
Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List is a high school romantic comedy by Janette Rallison
.
, who happens to be the son of a famous actor. If she can get his dad to appear for her school play, Romeo and Juliet
, which will change, then it may open the door for her to become a famous actress— her lifelong dream!
Rumor spread that Mrs. Shale, the drama teacher, was not able to afford Romeo and Juliet
, so there would be a reader's theater
of Hedda Gabler
instead. Jessica tells the drama teacher that Jordan's dad is Christopher Hunter accidentally so that the school will do Romeo and Juliet. Jessica tells the teacher not to say anything about it though.
Jessica has realized how much Jordan and Kate, her best friend, were alike...she thought maybe they could get together...then she could focus on winning Brendan, her ex-boyfriend back from Lauren. She decided to have Kate join the play, too, which would force the two to meet each other. The two then met, and Kate decided that she liked Jordan. She invites both of them over, to work on the play, and has her sister call her because Wal-Mar "needs" Jessica to take another shift. She was just going to go to someone else's house, but Jordan offers to drive her to Wal-Mart. He also tells her that he will pick her up in four hours.
Stuck at Wal-Mart, she takes a stall in the Ladies Room and practices Romeo and Juliet for four hours without a ride. Three hours forty-five minutes later, she comes back out to normal Wal-Mart. Her boss comes by and asks Jessica to check the bathroom because some people were saying a drug addict was in the bathroom speaking weirdly. Jessica, embarrassed, says that she was just in the bathroom and did not hear such a thing. Jordan comes and picks her up.
Jessica then invites Jordan over to practice lines, and they share a kiss. Kate becomes angry at her.
, West Side Story, and Oklahoma!
, drives a silver Honda Civic
(and so does Jordan). Jordan's dad drives a Jaguar
.
Janette Rallison
Janette Rallison is an American writer. Rallison grew up in Pullman, Washington and lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband and five children, one of whom is named Luke...
.
Plot introduction
The story takes place in the small town of Three Forks, New Mexico. Jessica,a junior at Three Forks High, meets a boy who just moved in from Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, who happens to be the son of a famous actor. If she can get his dad to appear for her school play, Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, which will change, then it may open the door for her to become a famous actress— her lifelong dream!
Plot summary
Jessica accidentally got into Jordan's identical car on the Wal-Mart parking lot, and he immediately took a liking to her (and for some strange reason, he wants to borrow her car but won't tell why). When Jessica finds out his father is the famous Christopher Hunter, Jessica decided that if she would get his dad to attend the school play and he would notice her wonderful talent and he would open the doors for her to Hollywood. The only way she could come up with to get him to come was for Jordan to appear in the play. Then he might give him some acting tips, too...Rumor spread that Mrs. Shale, the drama teacher, was not able to afford Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, so there would be a reader's theater
Reader's Theatre
Reader's theatre is a style of theatre in which the actors do not memorize their lines. Rather, they either go through their blocking holding scripts and reading off their lines, or else sit/stand together on a stage and read through the script together...
of Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler is a play first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play premiered in 1891 in Germany to negative reviews, but has subsequently gained recognition as a classic of realism, nineteenth century theatre, and world drama...
instead. Jessica tells the drama teacher that Jordan's dad is Christopher Hunter accidentally so that the school will do Romeo and Juliet. Jessica tells the teacher not to say anything about it though.
Jessica has realized how much Jordan and Kate, her best friend, were alike...she thought maybe they could get together...then she could focus on winning Brendan, her ex-boyfriend back from Lauren. She decided to have Kate join the play, too, which would force the two to meet each other. The two then met, and Kate decided that she liked Jordan. She invites both of them over, to work on the play, and has her sister call her because Wal-Mar "needs" Jessica to take another shift. She was just going to go to someone else's house, but Jordan offers to drive her to Wal-Mart. He also tells her that he will pick her up in four hours.
Stuck at Wal-Mart, she takes a stall in the Ladies Room and practices Romeo and Juliet for four hours without a ride. Three hours forty-five minutes later, she comes back out to normal Wal-Mart. Her boss comes by and asks Jessica to check the bathroom because some people were saying a drug addict was in the bathroom speaking weirdly. Jessica, embarrassed, says that she was just in the bathroom and did not hear such a thing. Jordan comes and picks her up.
Jessica then invites Jordan over to practice lines, and they share a kiss. Kate becomes angry at her.
Characters in Fame, Glory, and Other Things on My To Do List
- Jessica – a blonde and a junior in high school who is 17 and works at Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and drives a silver Honda CivicHonda CivicThe Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
. She has a very common name, which she despises. Her dream is to become a famous actress. Jessica is very accident prone and embarasess herself very easily. She is a dedicated acress, even growing out her hair so she will be perfect for the role of Juliet. The novel is written in first personFirst-person narrativeFirst-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
from her perspective. - Brendan Peters – is a football player who just broke up with Jessica to go out with Lauren Riverdale. And Jessica is still trying to win him back from her.
- Lauren Riverdale – is a cheerleader and that means she is stuck up and has no sense of fashion. Like, the school colors, purple and gold, go together just fine, but the uniforms are purple and yellow...Jessica would never be caught wearing those two colors together. She hates Lauren with a passion.
- Jordan Hunter – a new boy from Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He wears a ponytail, has one gold earring, and his parents are divorced. His dad is the famous actor Christopher Hunter, who won't be coming in until the day after Thanksgiving. Jessica thinks that if she can get Christopher Hunter to come in a month sooner, he might come to the school play and she might get "discovered." And maybe Jordan will discover her, too. Jordan just hopes no one discovers who his dad is. - Nicki – is Jessica's little sister that can't keep her big mouth shut; as soon as she finds out the latest on Jessica's embarrassing moments or love life, she calls and IM's all of her friends.
- Jessica's parents – are the stereotypical parents: Her mom is worried about stalkers every time Jessica steps foot out of the house, and her dad wants her to be more responsible and learn how to fix her car and stuff.
- Jordan's parents – are divorced, but if his mom would take his dad back if she knew he had changed, his dad would take his mom back if he knew she would take him back if he told her he'd changed. Like that will ever happen.
- Kate – is Jessica's best friend, who hates all guys ever since her parents divorced. She is very liberal and thinks Jessica has some sort of lucky charm about her that makes her stay petite and stumble across things like fifty dollar bills blowing down Main Street.
- Mrs. Shale – is the theater teacher. She's fat, and she always wears black. And black turtlenecks don't do anything for fat people. Jessica is her favorite student in the class, and she's one of the only four who didn't sign up just for the elective so they wouldn't have to take band, orchestra, art, or choir.
- Mary East – is the daughter of the school superintendent...that's the only reason she got the lead in Oklahoma!Oklahoma!Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
last year— well, and her looks...but she doesn't even stand a chance for trying out as Juliet...her hair isn't long enough! - Andre, Jeff, and Tye – are the class criminals of drama class. They aren't there to learn about theater, just to get easy credits.
- Mr. Cranston – is the manager at Wal-Mart. And he's not too happy about Jessica's theater practice schedule.
- Mr. Poure – is the proud principal of Three Forks High. And he won't allow any racial slurs or name-calling in his school's play. That would give them a bad name.
Allusions/references to other works
The main plays referenced in this work are Romeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, West Side Story, and Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science
Jessica works at Wal-MartWal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, drives a silver Honda Civic
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
(and so does Jordan). Jordan's dad drives a Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
.
Release details
- 2005, USA, Walker Publishing, ISBN 0-8027-8991-9, September 2005, hardcover (first edition)