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.]

[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. ]

[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.

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...

[redarm]

[ Timcanpy looks over at the girl looking at him, fluttering his wings as he feels flattered by the compliment. Noah meanwhile makes a "tch" noise. Yeah, him, follow a fad. Sure. ]

No, I dunno what he is. He got sent in the mail to me.

[ghostories]

[ She chuckles. But Noah doesn't look like he likes it, which is a shame. She'd steal it for a day if she wasn't in a good mood... ]

It looks happy. Everyone's getting cool things in the mail lately. I wonder when I'll get one. Is there anything I have to do?

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.

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?

[redarm]

[He doesn't even look when he gives his answer.]

Yes.

[redarm]

[It wasn't that he didn't like Tim. He just always looks like this]

I don't think so? I didn't do anything to get it.

[true_noir]

That explains why actors I have known always seem so scattered in thought and harried. If it is always like this...

[She shook her head.] I could never keep up with it all. But it is nice, just once.

[redarm]

Yeah? Were you here for class credit too?

[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!]

[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?

[true_noir]

Close? It looks good on college applications, after all. I want to look as well rounded as I can when I apply to RU. It will help with scholarships and loan applications.

[ghostories]

[ Well, that's not too bad. Yuuko has her share of sullen, unsociable friends. ]

Then some people have all the luck! Have you named him?

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. ]

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. ]

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. ]

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!

[catsudon]

( one would think inadvisable teen hormones would have gotten in the way of him handling those harried transitions, but he's enough of a practiced performer that Yuri barely blinked regardless of whose hands were helping send him back onstage as Villager #7 or Tybalt or Chorus Extra.

on the other hand, by the end of the performance, he's done. there's less time tonight before the next show than there will be in the days following, but he'd been planning to largely not be needed and work on his own thing, not, you know, be killing and getting killed on stage. which means Kiyomitsu gets a quick look back toward him, Yuri spinning around with a: )

Hm? ( and a glance skyward as he breathes out in a huff. if he's a little pink cheeked, he's still been showing signs of the exertion from earlier in the night. ain't no thang, right? )

It suits me even better when I dance, but thanks. And — thanks for helping out. This whole thing was more of a disaster than it needed to be.

( he says, tossing his hand in a general all encompassing motion. that it's also less of a mess than it could have been is... also worth noting. )

[catsudon]

I better not, how the hell are we getting extra credit if any of them show up dead?

( not that he thinks noah is being anywhere near close to serious. still, he can be just as dry right back, as his inclinations go. yuri pauses, resting a hand on his hip when glaring over toward one of the entrances. )

Even if it's tempting.

[catsudon]

( both of them ended up with their doled out taco boats, Yuri quickly stepping away out of potential re-grab distance with his taco boats tucked up against his chest, shoulders hunched forward. FIGHT HIM. FIGHT HIM, FOOD SERVICE EMPLOYEES. or anyone else. )

They barely made you perform for yours! Ugh.

( time to tuck into his, though he waits a half beat for Chloe before hunting down someplace halfway decent to sit with his tacos and the water bottle clipped to a loop in his pants. )