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

[ghostories]

You had that much faith in me? [ She chuckles. ] I'm glad...

Well, I did have practice to attend, so it can't be helped! I can't let the show go on without me. [ Not true; she's not invested in theater. ] Besides, I want to see my cute Anya do her best on this stage too. You worked hard!

[ despite certain setbacks.............. ]

[constellates]

["my cute Anya".... she still preens a little bit underneath the praise, her eyes sparkling a little bit. Stop this, Yuuko, she's so easily played.]

Yuuko is too nice....

We both worked hard! Everyone did. Ah, I hope that we will all get to sparkle on the stage together.

[kirakira....]

[ghostories]

[ Sparkle on the stage together... As Yuuko settles back into her seat, it makes her think. ]

How was it like, practicing for your role? Do you think you could really get into acting? Does it feel anything like that dream?

[ The dream she told her. ]

[constellates]

[What is it like... Anya hums thoughtfully at that, contemplating it - ]

I... do not know yet.

[She looks a little bit sheepish at the admittance but well, Anya has a very specific interest in being on the stage. She's not particularly the type to look to show off her skills, as much as she enjoys praise. She can earn praise for learning new things even at practice. But for things like this...]

The part that is missing during practice.... Аудитория... The audience? Once I see them... maybe it will feel more like the dream.

Acting - it is a lot of talking. Speaking. But right now my words are not reaching anyone off the stage. I am excited to see it change.... I hope they like it.

[ghostories]

They will like it! You're super cute, cuter than me, so I don't see why they wouldn't.

[ That's usual Yuuko, all right. But then she lets one thing slip: ]

Ah, it must be nice to have good dreams!

[constellates]

[ . . . . hm?

Anya still manages to say what she wanted to say in the first place:] Ah, Yuuko is very cute...

[but.]

But is Yuuko not getting good dreams?

[ghostories]

Hmm?

[ Time to fake it!! ]

Oh... I mean, yours are way better. Mine are sooooo boring. Like those dreams where you do your homework, then wake up and find that you didn't do it at all!

[ Or those dreams where you die, then wake up to find that you're still alive. Close enough. ]

[constellates]

[ . . . well, the thing is that by default, Anya believes people but.]

... That is not what it sounded like? Hmmm. Скрыто...? ["Hidden."]

I do not want to say that Yuuko is lying... so I will say that I hope that Yuuko gets dreams that she likes soon. Exciting, good dreams.

[ghostories]

...

[ Ah, she really can't hide anything from Anya, can she? But it's not the right place nor the right time, so all she can do is chuckle and nod. ]

Yeah, me too. I want that dokidoki, wakuwaku feeling too!

Well, someone already gives it to me in reality, though.

[constellates]

[are they seriously gossiping right now

anya's eyes light up]

Ryoji? Милый...! Cute!

[yes they are]

1/2

[ghostories]

Yeah. He's very cute!

[ If Anya thinks Yuuko is turning red... That's because she is. ]

[ghostories]

All the girls love him, so sometimes I get worried.

When that time comes, I'm going to use my secret weapon!

[constellates]

[She's going to regret asking this:]

Secret weapon? .... что? What?

[ghostories]

Do you want to see?

[ Yuuko leans in and starts unbuttoning her blouse and I'm so sorry ]

[constellates]

[IMMEDIATELY PUTTING A HAND UP]

Yuuko...?! Do not get naked....?!

[DISTRESS]

[ghostories]

Ahahaha! You got me. Of course I wouldn't show that to you. It's for Ryoji's eyes only♥

[ Let's go back to eating. Yep, she's doing that. ]

But I wonder if it'll work. Do you think he's a boobs person? [ why ]

[constellates]

[oh my god

meanwhile Anya: still shook]

You want... to use your body? To keep him interested?

Нет! Yuuko, no!

[ghostories]

[ stops mid-bite ]

Well, if you wanted my fries, you could have just asked.

[ pushes her plate toward her. here, you can have her fries too. as she ignores the matter at hand... ]

[constellates]

... что? What? No - no fries. [pause, then for politeness:] Um. No thank you.

[BACK TO THE MATTER AT HAND]

Yuuko... Ryoji likes you for personality! For heart and mind, not just body. Even though Yuuko is also very pretty - but....!

[some part of her knows that it's not right to try to keep someone interested in a relationship just with the... lewd things....

moving on away from that train of thought now]

[ghostories]

... Really?

[ It's still hard to believe. She's always getting compliments about her beauty, but never her personality. Well, that's not true, but it's easy to forget and give in to these insecurities. ]

Right...

[ Still. ]

But being perverted is part of my personality, too. I don't want Ryoji just for that either, but... It's only natural to want to touch the person you love, don't you think?

[constellates]

[help

this is it, this is what gets Anya red up to her ears]

I....

Mm....?

[is she speechless]

Y-Yuuko...! Well... if that is what makes you both... happy....

[she never thought past the disney kiss]

[ghostories]

[ Aww, she's blushing! Yuuko chuckles. Cute... ]

If he loves me even if I'm like this, then I'll be happy.






He's already seen all of me, though.

[constellates]

[COVERING HER FACE]

Yuuko...!

It has not been two weeks...?! Быстро! Fast!!

[HELP]

[ghostories]

Since we started dating?

Oh, it happened way before that.

[constellates]

[what]

Kогда? Как? Почему?

[tmw when you're so shocked that your brain just goes Full Russian]

Ah - When? How? Why?