open | for never was a story of more woe

[catsudon]

WHO: OPEN to ALL !
WHERE: Recollé Community Center
WHEN: Forward dated to Friday, April 7th thru Sunday, April 9th
WHAT: The Recollé Community Arts Theatre fundraising production of Romeo & Juliet is performed at last! Nothing burns down. Much.
WARNINGS: none, contact me @catsudon if this needs to be changed!

Opening Performance, Friday, April 7th:

The very first performance goes on without a hitch — if you ignore the entire primary cast is missing. The whole of the opening performance is being given by the Understudies to the primary cast-members, with a sparse chorus and rabble made up entirely of the performers throwing on alternate costumes when not on stage in a named role.

As it turns out, the Director is also missing. He took the entire primary cast out to a pre-show early dinner on his dollar, promising to throw an excellent closing celebration in order to make it up to the cast and crew he couldn't afford to treat this first time around. The main cast will have been treated to an all you can eat freshly made on the spot buffet, herded back together in order to make it back to the Community Center with hours to spare.

What actually ends up happening is more like: while in the buffet, one of the bus tires is stolen. The bus is actually propped up on cinderblocks on the back right. A traffic accident (no fatalities, but blocking all lanes) keeps the next bus from reaching them in time, leaving the cast to decide on walking back to the community center or waiting for the accident to clear up. Those who walk back will make it to the theatre in time for the final act; those who stay waiting for the bus will be treated to a chocobo breaking free from a carriage and running amok eating flowers from the center divider in the road.

For the Understudies, this is their chance to shine! Not only will they be filling in as the primary cast, they're also being asked to help be both chorus and background cast in scenes they're not already starring in. See how often you can spy the same faces in different costumes!

For the primary cast, don't worry! The second show of the night will all be on you to pull off without a hitch. At least your Understudies helped pave the way...?

The Performances on Saturday, April 8th:

Of the three performances offered on Saturday, the cast has been give a tip off that there will be big arts program donators in the audience for the second or third showing, and they're to be on Top Game to hopefully show the merit of engaging the whole community in the arts. At intermissions for both these shows, the actors are encouraged to mingle with the audience in the front lobby area leading into the theatre proper. The biggest challenge? Stay In Character no matter what.

Meaning stay in character even as your friends, family, or even enemies try to troll you into breaking form. The Director will wander around and compliment those who stay in character, giving them organic fortune cookies or peppermint patties or coupons for buy-one-get-one-free at the smoothie shoppe down the street depending on what he pulls out of his hat. Literally.

Cast photographs for the local paper will be taken after the second show, announced last minute as the curtain falls and people head on stage to take a bow. All crewmembers will be asked to cooperate and sign releases for their photographs to be used in the paper and in advertising for the arts program in the future; for some of those who are on Retrospec, however, they may find their phones singing notifications to them in all these lovely songs.

How the heck do you turn off these notifications?! Since when did you need reminders to brush your hamster's teeth?! You don't even have one!!

The Performances on Sunday, April 9th:

The first show of the day ends up having to evacuate halfway through Act One when popcorn burns in the microwave of one of the smaller rooms in the Community Center. (Why is there always that person with the goldarn popcorn?!) Everyone has to stay outside the building until the fire department arrives and checks the building to pronounce it as safe to re-enter: in the meantime, the audience, cast, and crew are all caught out in the basketball courts and parking lot.

The Director has a simple suggestion given to all cast members: ad lib. Ask audience members to locate a Capulet or Montague; get into complicated and ridiculous stage-fights with each other and running over the playground; ask around to find Romeo or Juliet, who are attempting to evade the rest of the cast; get the audience to cheer on actors as they fight In Character, either with prop swords or in sudden WWE-style matches; the show will go on in whatever form until everyone can be back on stage.

The subsequent shows carry on without a hitch, culminating in plenty of applause and an open invitation to cast, crew, and their plus ones to mingle with the arts sponsors at the cast party held out in the attached park, where there's an all you can eat taco truck and open (non-alcoholic) bar for everyone to enjoy. Don't be surprised that while the food's free, everyone's required to recite at least one line from the play before they're fed or watered!

Please also enjoy the photobooth being run by the Director for laughs! Photos won't print, but they will email, and there's a variety of silly props, wigs, stage jewelry, oversized glasses, and an unexplained disco stuffed penguin all on hand for fun photography times with friends — or strangers! Make memories in honour of the Bard, a Good Time, or Now I'm Free Of This Rehearsal Heck. All cast, crew, and associated helpers will go home with at a string of beads that recalls of Mardi Gras past... except that the letters pressed on beads will all spell out a Shakespearean insult.

Congratulations, everyone! You did it! We all made it through!

Comments

[catsudon]

friday, opening performance:

( he's texting Anya and trying to get live updates on where the whole darn cast is while he and the rest of the second string quartet scramble and get ready with the costumes and makeup. he's out on stage on cue, but anyone working backstage will be pulled aside by Yuri to help with quick changes on costumes when he needs to be back out as someone other than Tybalt.

after the performance ends Yuri will be checking in to see if the main cast has shown up while downing water and stripping out of costume. still wearing the undershirt and pants, he'll flag down the first person he can: )

Do you know if the main cast has shown up yet?

sunday: look just fork over the taco

( yuri deadeyes the taco truck attendant through the split window, lip curling up in a silent snarling sound that is, in fact, actually his stomach growling. he wants to eat and run, to be honest, but eating enough to make all this worth it is the challenge.

time to use lines he only had to worry about once in the last three days. )

Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me; therefore turn and draw.

( he holds out his hands, prepared to receive taco boats. the real injury done to yuri is this pointless holding off on feeding! )

wildcard

Hit me up for a prompt of our own, or hit me up with a prompt of your crafting!

friday!

[sharplydressed]

[Naturally, this nugget was on the costuming crew. He didn't do a huge amount of work since he'd done quite a bit for the pageant and it'd eaten into a lot of his free time, but to make up for that, he also volunteered to help with wardrobe and lend a hand for any wig, makeup or accessory aid that might be needed.

So he's probably both 1) helped Yuri speed into a new costume for a new scene and 2) watched the entire hilarious mess of an opening night performance unfold. ...Though honestly? As far as bizarre coincidences and unfortunate timing goes, the performance itself didn't turn out badly at all. Even with like five people having to take on 50 roles each. It's fine.

He sticks around to help with reorganizing the wardrobe and green room after things end, since it's a bit of a mess with all of the harried changes that had to be made, so the main cast has probably finally been contacted by the time he eventually spots Yuri on his way out.]

You really broke a leg up there, huh? Not bad at all! The stage suits you.

Friday

[redarm]

[When the director and the main cast hadn't shown up, Noah had been part of the crew that worked their asses off to make sure the show still ran as smoothly as it could. Costume changes, finding any understudies to shove out onto the stage, making sure the props got where they needed to go. It wasn't like he actually cared that much about the play beyond getting class credit, but Ari had invested money in this shitshow and like hell was he going to disappoint her by letting the show crash and burn.

So when all is over, Noah is tired and cranky (okay so he's always cranky, but more so). He's sitting in a chair backstage, drinking a soda from the vending machine while still in techcrew outfit. ]

Do you fucking see any dead bodies of directors at my feet?

[The answer is no, no he hasn't.]

Sunday

[true_noir]

Oh, that's a good one.

[There was a laugh behind him as he was trying to get his taco boats so he could just eat. Chloe walked up right behind him. No, she wasn't doing any parts, but working backstage was thirsty work, especially while trying to make sure that the whole thing didn't erupt into chaos like the first time. She winked at him and looked up at the person at the stand.]

I do protest I never injured thee.

And with any luck, I won't have to work so hard to get my supper tonight.

sunday

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji's working at the taco truck, I guess, since all-you-can-eat means we'll-take-all-the-help-we-can-get for those working with food preparation. His grasp on Shakespearean English is shoddy at best though, so all Yuri gets for his efforts is a politely bright customer service smile.

Is that... a line from the play? Did Yuri just call him "Boy"?? And ask him to draw something, what is this, what's going on. Ryoji had been more focused on people's faces and actions rather than paying attention to much of what's said. Regardless, tacos don't come that easy.

Hands out = Ryoji clasps Yuri's hands. ]

A thousand pardons! I beg your forgiveness, my good sir, but an artist I am not. What else can I do to alleviate your pains?

[ In regular English please. ]

wildcard

[ghostories]

Yoohoo, Yuri!

[ It's Saturday, they don't talk that much, but hey. Yuri knows Anya, likes cats, and is small and cute. Maybe Yuuko wants to be friends. Yuuko's in her Mercutio costume as she flags the boy down with some local photographers in tow. ]

Have you seen Anya? Oh, well, she can wait. Let's have our picture taken!

friday

[constellates]

[so anya showed up a little earlier than everyone else

but then in between hanging out with dave and then actually going backstage and somehow fitting into the mass of running people for the sake of getting the show to work, she didn't actually get a chance to be on stage herself at all. but she doesn't look like she minds as she seems to miss that yuri flagging down another person to instead come running at him]

Yuratchka....!

[where is the rest of the cast anya

where have they gone (her phone is probably going off a mile a minute)]

[redarm]

[A. Friday, Opening Performance]
[Noah was part of the backstage crew, and thus was at the theater for the performance. The news about the main cast being missing was well, infuriating for him, especially when he learned the reason they were gone was because the director took them out for a buffet but not the rest of the crew. That act alone was enough put the director on a shitlist to Noah. It causing the main cast to miss out on the opening performance was just icy on the shitty cake.

But while he's only there for school credit and has no interest in the actual play, Noah actually works...really hard to make sure the play still runs smoothly. He's got a lot of experience in performance stuff, so without thinking he finds himself in taking charge of making sure costume changes happen quickly, that the props get where they need to go, and find the understudies (and any tech crew that could fit into a costume), and shove them out to be filled roles or extras. He's certainly snarly while doing it, and has little patience for any last minute nerves- but he works hard. He doesn't want to let Ari down after she invested money into this play, after all.

Afterwards, he can be found off in a corner in the backstage, being unsocial per usual, as he cleans up the props and puts them away for tomorrow night.]

[B. Saturday, ew photos ]
[Noah has zero interest in being in any photographs of the crew, especially after the run in with the reporters last month. So while all that is going on after the performance, he's lying low up on the catwalk until the press clears out. Feel free to join him or try to encourage him to not be some creepy guy in the shadows, whatever.]

[C. Sunday, no talk only tacos ]
[At long last, this stupid play is over. Noah, to the surprise of no one, can be found lingering around the taco truck, getting as many tacos as he can. Every time he has to say a line from the play, he says it completely deadpan with no actual enthusiasm. He just wants tacos man.

Most commonly, it's easy to find him chowing down on tacos away from everyone else. He's not alone this time though. He's got that weird creature retrospec sent him with him, it's often sitting on his head or on the table in front of him- play eating any uneaten part of Noah's tacos. ]

c

[ghostories]

[ Yuuko finishes tacos of her own in record time, but only because she wants to see what the deal is with this guy's new plaything. ]

Ooh, what's that? A new fad?

[ Don't mind if she sits right in front of him. ]

It's really cute! I want one...

A

[true_noir]

[He wasn't the only one taking to the corner. Chloe was a little tired after all of this frenetic activity. Well, she'd signed up for it all, but she'd had no idea how much work this kind of thing could entail. Still, it would look good on a college application to do community theater, right?

Whatever. She came up nearby and settled against the wall to lean and try and relax.] Is theater always this chaotic?

a

[appraiser]

Noah!

[ Ryoji won't let him be unsocial, not when he's around. But for once, he doesn't greet the other boy with a smile and a bounce in his step; he pulls away from the gradually dispersing audience to catch Noah the next time he steps onto the stage to clear away the props. Don't think he won't hold this stock board wall hostage!! ]

Where was Yuuko? Anya? They all worked so hard to be in the play...!

[ Sorry understudies. Ryoji's specifically here to support his friends, and he's upset on their behalves for having their roles stripped away like this. ]

a

[constellates]

[Welllll she was missing.

and then she was in the chaos - she visited Dave at the soundbooth for a moment before actually wandering backstage and. well. here's the thing, she's happy that the understudies got a chance to participate so she saw no reason to actually go up herself. so with encouraging (simple) words, she ended up helping everyone get their act together while missing the chance to run into her actual friends

whoops!

but she saw noah out of the corner of her eye, helping as best as he could, and it's with that thought that she taps him on the shoulder as he's putting props away and giving him a smile]

Noah! Thank you - for tonight.

c

[clear_eyes]

[Rachel is relieved to be finished as well, though she's not as gung ho for tacos as everyone else. Content to take it easy, she's elected to wander around, making an effort to engage in conversation. Be social. That's what she did this for in the first place, right?

At one point, she spies Noah, and... sees what's sitting with him. Her eyes widen, and she hurries over.]

W-wow! Is that it?! The creature you got in the package?

[ghostories]

friday a

[ The elegant and enigmatic Yuuko... is pigging out at the buffet, as one does. One has to wonder where all the food goes. She's been more active that usual lately—proactive even, what with practicing in her free time and consulting teachers and the director about her performance. Actually, isn't the fact that she auditioned for a role strange to begin with?

In the middle of eating, she might playfully raise a fork or a spoon at you. ]

Come, sir, your passado!


friday b (only one person for this prompt, please!)

[ Mercutio's already dead at this point, so Yuuko texted whoever went to the opening performance for her a quick heads up. sorry!! >_<

But now she's an unfortunate witness and potential casualty of the latest chocobo breakout and oh my god what is happening. As much as she thinks chocobos are cute? She's deathly afraid of them—so much that she doesn't even think to dodge when she thinks the chocobo is charging right at her. Instead, she curls up and cries for the first person that comes to mind: ]

Nobu!

[ yeah ]


sunday

[ People are watching and the show must go on, so. ]

Tybalt, you rat-catcher!

[ Continuing from where they last left off, Yuuko unapologetically leaps onto the hood of a car and points her rapier prop at any Tybalt, who is most likely at the other end of the parking lot. ]

To set fire to the cornfields and starve people to the bone... Villain! Dost thou not know the joys of popped maize? O Prince of Cats, thy agile wit has yet to follow thy limbs!

[ basically everything is tybalt's fault (it's not) and she's fighting him now ]


wildcard

Feel free to come up with your own prompt! Yuuko is always available for food trips, selfies and last-minute rehearsals.

friday a

[constellates]

[Considering the fact that Anya is bolting it the second that she realizes that the understudies will be at the play and they'll be hilariously understaffed, this is her time to see Yuuko and she's.

Laughing.

Delighted.]

It is so good to see Yuuko with us.... Everything is яркий. Exciting.

[she misses you at school ok]

[uncagedbird]

[FRIDAY.]

[With the absence of the Director and the main cast, it's left to Ari and the other assistant director to keep things running smoothly. She tries her best even if she's screaming internally the whole time. Did someone say the name of the play that should never be named? That's what it feels like-- particularly with the disasters besetting the main cast elsewhere, and as Ari tries frantically to fill in parts as well as the choruses.

What she's wearing depends on the time. Sometimes she's dressed as a boy, sometimes as one of the ladies, but always impeccable-- and barking out orders as needed. Seems the actors aren't the only ones pulling double or triple roles.]

Don't forget to change! You've only got five minutes! Go, go, go!

[And to someone else, as she handles some torn stitching on Lady Capulet's dress:]

Did you eat before the performance? You look like you're about to pass out. Here, drink something-- your next scene is in ten.

[And also:]

This is your time to shine. I believe in you! We've rehearsed, we can do this!

[SUNDAY.]

[So... fire alarm. Not surprising considering earlier disasters, but still obnoxious. Ari helps keep people on track, even those who would rather sit down and cry than improvise. She's dressed in pants and a peasant shirt and therefore makes a great stand-in Tybalt.

As a cast member wanders past, she'll toss a prop sword at their feet and call:]

What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word,
as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thee, coward!

[After all the shows are done, she's exhausted... but proud. Despite every disaster happening they managed to all survive the weekend! The show had great turnout and set some seriously high bars for community theater.

She joins the others at the cast party, and even deigns to stand in line at the taco truck. Ari is hungry enough to go on an entire soliloquy if needed-- but thankfully she does not. Ever so gently, she recites a line for her food:]

O, teach me how I should forget to think.

[Surely the taco boats will help.]

[WILDCARD.]
[Whatever you'd like!]

friday

[constellates]

[Hello Ms. Assistant Director.

Anya managed to make it back before the rest of the main cast - it was a mix of running through the city and managing a couple of shortcuts - but the play is probably already about halfway done. Not to mention.... well, she thinks it would be nice for the understudies to get a chance to be on stage.

Which is why she's quiet about her arrival, walking up to Ari and otherwise not mentioning her place in the main cast as she claps her hands together:]

What can Anya do to help?

[she's not sure if she should be on stage - that'd probably be extra disorienting for the people who know her as part of the main cast, but she can run around backstage to do anything else]

friday;

[rosettareflected]

[She's not sure how she managed to tear her dress - she's got a good awareness of the stage, and it's not like she has to be terribly physical given who she's playing - but thankfully Ari is a seamstress capable enough to make repairs on the spot. And under duress, by the looks of it. Alicia is doing her best to keep calm, but this is exhausting, and ironically her role comes up just often enough that she can't fill in as much as she'd like.]

Don't overexert yourself on this - I can keep it mostly concealed if there are other jobs that need more doing. Are we keeping up, for now?

[legne]

friday

[ At least the buffet itself was delicious, thinks Ranko.

With time marching on, she ultimately decided to stay and wait for the next bus - no way was she walking back in these heels - and while they'd still all end up being dreadfully late, surely it would only add to the air of thrilling mystique around their hotly-anticipated performances.

Of course, she couldn't have predicted what happens next. ]

Hark! Is that - [ Munching on the flowers... ]

Eeeek! It is! A feathered fiend, indeed! Exeunt from our destined path at once!

saturday

[ Staying in character? Not so bad. Staying in character on top of playing your usual character? Now things get a little trickier.

But Ranko perseveres. An arts grant would be incredibly helpful to her - a student of fine arts herself, as she likes to remind people - so she'll be trying her hardest to impress any and every person who walks through the door that Saturday.

It also happens to be her 19th birthday, and - of course - her parents have come to see her perform. It takes a while to get them to leave her alone during the intermission, as they almost get her to break character by constantly wishing her a happy birthday. Eventually she gets a quiet moment to herself - but not before they leave her with a certain accessory she forgot to bring that morning.

It's a brightly-coloured badge, blaring out the words "BIRTHDAY GIRL". Ranko tries to hide it, but remembers, to her great distress, that her costume has no pockets. She begins to panic, skirts whirling lightly around her. This doesn't count as staying in character at all! ]

sunday

[ The show was finally over, and Ranko's heart ached a little more for it. Performing ended up being much harder than she thought, but part of her enjoyed it more than words can say.

Now, however, there are only disco penguins. Ranko stares blankly at the assorted props by the photobooth, trying to decide whether she should put on a wig. ]

Who provided these enigmatic artifacts?

saturday

[appraiser]

My dear lady! [ ...Capulet, Ryoji thinks he recalls from the cast list handed out to each member of the audience. ] What brings you such affliction?

[ After listening to Shakespearean for the second day in a row, it's pretty easy to fall into speech patterns. But while the concern is there, there's nothing gentlemanly about the way Ryoji rocks excitedly on his heels, head tilted in trying to catch sight of what's in Ranko's hands. No, he's just nosy. ]

sunday

[constellates]

[Meanwhile there's Anya, already wandering over while wearing a pair of these godforsaken things.

So seriously.

A smile!]

Bеселье! They are very fun, yes?

[and she's giggling as she offers a pair out to Ranko]

Congratulations, Ranko. We are stars.

[why]

[clear_eyes]

[friday]

[Rachel is, to be frank, not having a good time.

She's not exactly high on the totem pole, but given her existing issues with anxiety, the entire primary cast disappearing is enough to set her on edge. Combine that with her desire to involve herself with as much as possible, and you get someone who's absolutely stressed out. And she's not even part of the play!

It all culminates in her... well, crashing. To the point someone told her to take a breather. And take a breather she did, sitting backstage, apart from everything, frantically checking her phone for updates on the traffic situation. She's a bit better by the time the second performance rolls around, but still a bit emotionally exhausted. At this point, you can find her mechanically going through an inventory of the props and costumes... that somebody had already gotten to.

Either way, she won't be in the best state of mind.]

[saturday]

[Rachel is better today. She had a good night's sleep, time to decompress, figure out where her head is. She's a bit happer than she was the day before, able to complete her duties as part of the crew better, and greeting everyone else with smiles.

She's amused when people are told to go about in character. She also feels a little bit jealous, which she feels a tiny bit bad about considering she was so adamant she wouldn't be a good fit for the play itself. But... as long as everyone has fun, right?

Just when she's getting comfortable, something a little bit crazy happens when her phone buzzes and starts playing... Taylor Swift? She blinks, and looks it up, and... oh. Retrospec. Of course. She sighs, unable to keep herself from muttering her dismissal out loud.]

This stupid app can't let anything go well without doing something weird, can it?

[Sunday]

[We're at the end of a long road, and while she's run the gamut from stressed to having a good time, Rachel is relieved that it's over. She put herself out there, she was part of something... she can feel satisfied with that, right?

And then that bit of business about ad-libbing for people starts. And... well, Rachel can't help but feel mischievous. It's a bit unlike her, but she wants to blow off some steam. So she's going to make a bee-line for the nearest cast-member with a grin on her face, brandishing one of the prop swords.]

Oh good king of cats, I would have one of your nine lives!

[Okay, she's not a cast member, Mercutio may be out of her wheelhouse, and the "character" in front of her may not be Tybalt, but... she's going to have some fun, dangit.]

sunday;

[rosettareflected]

[Being forced out of the auditorium is kind of a drag, but Alicia's managing, throwing herself into a role drawn more or less from whole cloth on short notice. She's holding a sword herself, dressed as a commoner rather than a member of one of the families, but that's not a huge deal. She brings her blade up, as "Mercutio" challenges her. It's a small flash of a moment as Alicia tries to recall the lines she wants, before her tone becomes... something different from what it's been, a little harder but not as regal as her Lady Capulet persona. She's ready for a fight, this time.]

The prince expressly hath forbidden bandying in Verona streets, yet... [She nods briefly.] I am for you.

[In the classic style of fighters real and imagined, Alicia takes a stance but waits for Rachel- no, for Mercutio to come to her. There is no Romeo to get in the way, this time: it will be a fight for true, even if her goals are different.]

[rosettareflected]

[friday, first show]
[All their hard work has culminated in this: everything going wrong at the worst possible moment. She hadn't expected to actually perform, let alone like this, with nobody at all from the main cast to support her. But the show must go on, and beyond that, her professional pride won't allow her to give up now. Part of her wants to panic, but Alicia knows that's not going to help anyone. So she dresses for Lady Capulet's part, and her demeanor shifts, becoming severe and a little heavy-handed. The show will go on, by her will as a Capulet.

She's got lines spread across a few acts, so she can't swap terribly often, but her presence is visible all the same, and her lines are delivered with passion, if some of the lines directed back at her are. Not quite as sharp. Still, it's the job, and she wants this to go well.

As the actors start to arrive during the final act, Alicia's relief is palpable, and she tries not to let it show, but she may be a touch less than successful in that. After curtain call, she shucks the costume she's wearing and uncharacteristically flops into a folding chair.]

What a show...

[saturday]
[The benefactors being present in the audience doesn't mean a whole lot to Alicia at this point; she's helping, certainly, but she doesn't have a proper slot this time, so she can relax and focus on having fun - or more likely for her, on appearances, though her father's in the crowd somewhere. There isn't much she can do to help this time, either, so she just encourages people as best she can and stands out of the way where she won't be an obstruction.

Of course, while she relishes the cast photos, her phone is a slight nuisance - but is just as easily left elsewhere for a bit. For at least one picture, she's the image of a stern court lady, but for several more she's glowing, happy as a clam to have made it through the second day.]

[sunday, first show]
[Being forced out is a little bit of a surprise; that they'll continue without their set pieces is rough, but doable. Alicia, for her own part, is caught as a random townsperson, but leverages that for all it's worth, keeping in as high of spirits as she can manage and walking confidently into the fray.]

Our fair village is sullied by violence! I know not o'er what they quarrel, but Montague and Capulet bring disquiet to the streets! I seek, fellows, to stay their hands for but a day - aid me, if thee would, in finding their battles to quash them before the streets run red with their hate?

[She'll say this with a small group around her, near the edge of where others are performing - it's an excuse to draw attention back to the main performers, but it's also a way to help engage people. Along the way to anyone she "finds", Alicia acquires a prop sword, but once she ends up having to use it, her style is almost purely defensive, blocking and parrying and taking only the most obvious of openings. This, incidentally, means she's not too out of breath to continue speaking, throwing insults and attempting to get the "quarreling" families to stop before it's too late.]

[sunday, afterparty]
[Once all's said and done, Alicia takes the first moment in a while to really rest and unwind, cheer broadcasting from her expression and her body language as she walks around to mingle. She doesn't hit the taco truck too hard, but that doesn't stop her from taking full advantage of the party atmosphere, visiting with anyone she can catch up to.

She can be found spooking around the photobooth on occasion; she doesn't approach it much of her own accord, but she can easily be roped into joining someone else.]

[clear_eyes]

[Rachel is comforted by the fact that she isn't the only one being bothered by the phone. Once she has a moment, she's going to sidle up to Alicia and hope to get her attention.]

Hey Alicia. All in all, not the absolute worst photoshoot you've had to suffer through, right?

[viktorymaker]

Any day, really!

[ All experiences are important in life! You can learn something from everything! And if there's anything Viktor has learned from this whole adventure, which there is, it is that he's absolutely not cut out for working in anything other than tightly controlled professional productions where he can do something about things, or at least walk away from them the moment things don't go according to the contract.

Not that he regrets this because of a lack of contract. Perish the thought! Everything is worth doing at least once, right? But, well, the whole Romeo and Juliet thing feels like it should count as more than once, seeing as he'd had enough of this production by the time things first started going wrong during rehearsals.

tl;dr, he's not going to share his opinions about anything unless he's asked about it. In fact, he'll be smiling just like in his icon up there as he claps perfunctorily after each performance. Because of course he will be there for all of them, technically on stand by, to help and/or remind the cast of things before going onstage, and watch.

He may be a little too transparent about his opinions, though. But hey, he's keeping them to himself. Not everyone knows him well enough to be able to read this smile. He's making an effort. Yes, definitely a learning experience! ]

[strongestheart]

[Friday]

[At the start of the day, Maya was a bundle of nerves, although they had mostly been smoothed over! Days of practice and having an actually experienced actor friend at her call - when she wasn't taking death defying leaps off the set's balcony - did wonders to smooth over those things. She was focused. She was ready.

The bus? Was now missing a tire. She has a moment - just a moment - of freaking out before making a break for it, trying her damnedest to get back, on foot. She tries her phone several times to attempt a call to anyone there that she actually knows well enough to have a number for. Whether or not she gets through, she doesn't stop. While she might be pretty fit, that's still quite a distance to trek on foot. On the bright side, the adrenaline stops her from getting too worked up. She's focused on what she needs to do, and that's get back.

Which... she does! Eventually. Stumbling into the back stage, nearly collapsing with exhaustion as she can see and hear things entering the final act. Wiping sweat from her brow, she slumps down somewhere to try and catch her breath.]

I'm starting to think we're cursed...!

[Still, she eventually will get herself together for the second show, even if it requires giving herself a pep talk. To find the focus she had earlier that day, and not let the hiccups get in the way. She knows she can do this! And thus, she barrels right into the part for the rest of the night come hell or high water.

Once again she lets her energy drive her so that she doesn't have the time to focus on the bad parts, but for her it all comes in something of a blur. Thus, once the curtains lower and everyone moves off stage after taking the final bow... she finds the seat she collapsed into earlier and does so again, laughing woodenly.] Someone please tell me that wasn't a disaster, because I don't remember half of what I just did...!

[Saturday]

[This ... all runs a bit smoother. After having smashed her face against everything the day before and having met with one major set back, things can't get any worse, right? Well, that's a dangerous question to ask, but all the same she's able to focus on things a bit more concretely this time.

The mingling is not something she was expecting, and staying in character means someone who is trying to ad lib dialogue who's not exactly well versed in this type of speech beyond what's in the script she's memorized. She's earnest! She wants to make a good impression! But it might come off a little...

Odd.

However, a cast photo! That's something she can do and not make a fool of herself. Ideally. She's into that! That seems cool! Whether or not you're as enthusiastic about it as her, she'll probably help drag you to it if need be.]

[Sunday]

[Remember the oddness of Maya having to ad-lib being in character the previous day?

...yeah. Expect that on full show here, except by this point she's totally into it when they're stuck outside, and is picking fights with her foam sword that maybe she shouldn't. The play might end a lot faster than it needs to be if she isn't careful! (and she's not especially careful, no.)

At the very least, the rest of the shows are able to be done... normally. And feel fairly satisfied with herself by the time she's gotten to the cast party, and she can relax and- oh hey, taco truck.]

But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!

[Food please, at this point she actually feels like she's earned it if she survived the first day without her head exploding from the bus disaster.]

friday

[clear_eyes]

[Rachel's eyes widened when Maya arrived, quite suddenly for the final act. Was everyone back already? Except... no, not everyone was here, yet. She bit her lower lip and hurried over. Maya looked exhausted.]

Maya... did you run all the way here?!