by Scott Damon
* * *
In the following days, the selection committee cast many roles. They needed enemies and captors to cause problems for Tarak, friendly tribes for Tarak to try to protect, and people from the jungle villages to complicate everything further. Jason watched the process from the auditorium seats while working on his homework. He knew many of the people trying out and many were new to him. Several of the students cast as enemies were previously passed on for the Tarak role.
In the end, the cast included a wide mix of students. Theater nerds got parts and many went to kids new to acting. Each group had all races in it and both boys and girls.
Jason took note when Calvin was being considered for one of Tarak’s captors. From his dark seat in the auditorium, he focused on the slim boy with the chestnut skin and tight dark hair. He listened like Calvin’s voice was singing to him, ignoring what he was actually saying. He smiled at his enthusiasm and energy. Glad to hear the committee approve him immediately, Jason watched Calvin until he was off stage and out of sight.
Chapter 6 – The Weekend
Jason knew the pace would pick up with the play now that casting was complete. He spent considerable time learning his lines that had been written so far, hoping they wouldn’t change much. His brother rehearsed with him at times, but soon grew tired of that.
Jason’s family was becoming used to him wearing his loincloth around home all the time. The neighbors thought it strange when he wore it to mow the lawn, but Jason explained to his parents he wanted an authentic tan with the loincloth on. Once the neighbors learned why he was in the loincloth, they were more accepting and got used to it. Other than mowing the lawn and during play rehearsals, he didn’t wear it outside the house.
On Friday, Jason and Derek were playing video games when Jason said he wanted to take a break. “Derek, I’m thinking of telling Mom and Dad I’m gay in the next week or so.”
“Wait! You’re gay?”
“Yeah, man. What do you think they would say?”
“Man! You really like surprising them lately.”
“C’mon. I didn’t choose all this. It doesn’t matter to you, does it?”
“Nah. Nothing about you surprises me anymore. I thought you went on some dates with Cheryl.”
“Yeah, I took her to a couple dances just to go. I ended up looking at the guys all night long.”
“You’re weird.”
“Thanks. So are you, kid. Do you think they’ll accept it ok?”
“Yeah, my guess is they will. Sometimes they’re hard to predict, but they generally don’t come down too hard on us for anything.”
“True. And we’ve put them to the test a few times.”
“Save me a front row seat for this show, too.”
“It’s fine with me if you’re there.”
* * *
Carl caught Olivia alone in the kitchen. He nuzzled her long auburn hair from behind.
“Carl. I have to finish getting dinner ready.”
“Do you think Jason has been acting strange today?”
She put down her knife and half turned to him. “In what way?”
“Well, it’s only Saturday and he said he’s got his homework done. He’s been spending a lot of time with Derek, and he mowed the lawn first thing this morning.”
“Those all sound like good things. What’s the problem?”
“Yes, they are. It just isn’t like him. He seems distracted too.”
“You know teens go through a lot of phases. Just enjoy it while it lasts.”
“I’ll talk to him after dinner and see if something is bothering him.”
“I think you’re making too much of it. Enjoy it.”
* * *
Halfway through the meal, Jason set his fork down and sat still. His dad said, “Jason, did you hear me? Can you pass the rolls please?”
Jason stared at his plate and blurted out, “Mom, Dad, I’m gay.”
They both looked at him and remained calm. Olivia’s eyes opened wide.
Derek broke the tension, “Jason, I thought you weren’t gonna tell them for a while.”
Olivia glanced at Derek. “Your brother knew?”
Jason grimaced in Derek’s direction. “Yeah, I told him last night. I didn’t want to keep it a secret anymore, so now I’m telling you. I’ll answer any questions you have.”
Carl said, “I’m glad you told us, son. They say a mother always knows, but frankly, I had no idea.”
Olivia raised her voice a little. “No, I didn’t know anything either. I’m still getting used to you wearing a loincloth around the house all the time.” Jason’s shoulders tightened.
Carl said, “I didn’t mean to start any kind of argument. It makes no difference to me, Jason. You’re our son. I’ve always been proud of you and I always will be.”
Olivia joined in, “We both are extremely proud of you and love you completely.”
Derek said in a mocking tone, “Oh, you’re our precious boy.”
Jason laughed at him and told him to be quiet, releasing the tension in his shoulders. Carl turned to Derek, “Boys, we love you both. You know that. Now, can I please have the rolls?”
As Jason passed the rolls, his mother said, “Are you seeing anyone?”
“No, Mom. I’m way too busy for that right now, but no, there’s nobody yet.”
“Okay, but don’t be afraid to introduce him to us if you meet somebody you like.”
“Don’t worry, I will. I’m a long way off from that.”
Derek reminded him, “You used to have an imaginary dog. Maybe you can find an imaginary boyfriend, too.” As they all laughed, Jason appreciated how Derek could often break the tension in the room.
* * *
On Sunday, Jason figured he had gotten the ball rolling so he might as well keep the momentum going and blast forth with his news to everyone. He told some friends and texted others he was gay. Most said they were shocked. Some said they knew, but he wasn’t sure whether to believe them. It didn’t matter. Nobody seemed to have a problem with it, but he figured he would see in the next few days if anyone acted any differently towards him.
As with most gossip, it raced through the school grapevine. Several people checked if he minded if they told a couple people and he said he didn’t care. He wanted to live his life as openly as possible and stop worrying about carrying a big secret with him. The release was exhilarating.
Not many students were out at Whitman High. One transgender student was in the villagers group in the play. A few lesbians were widely known and a couple guys were effeminate enough they were assumed to be gay. One of Jason’s friends had told a few people he was, but that friend didn’t broadcast it. Derek told Jason he didn’t know any gay kids. Jason assured him he probably did, but he just wasn’t aware of it yet.
Early Monday morning, Jason stopped to inform Langley that more people knew he is gay.
Langley said, “Yes, I had heard from a couple people. What about your family?”
“Yeah, I told them first.”
“Good. How did it go?
“Great.”
“I’m glad.”
That was the last they talked about it.
Chapter 7 – First Rehearsals
As expected, Rich Langley wanted to dive right into rehearsals starting on Monday. He gave Jason the day off sometimes, but needed him most days. Jason still hit the gym afterwards for at least a short workout each evening. Langley was glad his star wasn’t about to lose any of his physical appeal.
At the first rehearsal, Langley explained how he planned to develop the script. He hoped for natural sounding dialog so he wanted all the actors to improvise, explore different options, and help write it. One of the classes he taught during the day was playwriting, providing a unique opportunity for students from that class to sit in to try to capture the dialog as the actors worked through their scenes. The writers recorded it all to help students memorize their lines and refer back to what worked in previous rehears
als. That didn’t mean improvisation had to end, but over time, more and more dialog and action would be considered complete and ready to use in performances. The writers also punched up some of the scenes if they fell flat. There was some grumbling among the cast, but they had no choice but to follow Langley’s direction.
For the first week, Langley had the actors remain in street clothes, helping them focus on the action and dialog. Everyone was surprised with how much good material they came up with. In some cases, it was especially wordy, allowing the writers the luxury of using only the best lines. The writers disagreed among themselves at times, but working through those incidents helped them learn their craft in a real-life situation.
On the first day, the cast did a complete but quick run-through of the play to obtain a sense of the overall flow and begin to flesh it out. In subsequent days, they focused on specific parts of the script to increase the impact of each scene. Langley glossed over areas that were more intimate or complicated, such as the romance scenes and a scene where Tarak is tortured for information. Those called for more intensive work with the specific actors involved.
Langley was thrilled how Jason adapted to the stunts and was willing to try all of them. Swinging on a vine made from a green rope with leaves attached was trivial for him. In scenes where he had to escape from his enemies, he dodged them with flips and turns. Langley was impressed with his athleticism, but frustrated he did it differently each time through a scene. He cautioned Jason and the others they would eventually have to follow specific choreography to an extent.
Langley noticed tension in the air at times. He stopped rehearsal three times to caution a few of the captors to not be so rough with Jason. These boys had unsuccessfully auditioned for the Tarak role, so he suspected that was a factor. Every so often, he overheard comments from them that they would have done things differently or been a better Tarak than Jason. Langley didn’t want to entirely quash this, as he thought the animosity might be useful in conveying antagonism in the play, but he didn’t want it to grow to the point it would undermine the show or cause problems. For the moment, Langley continued to observe and give Jason his unswerving support as the star.
* * *
On Thursday of the first week, Jason attended rehearsal and felt good about the pacing overall. He spent his downtime doing homework in auditorium seats. His long-time friend Stuart joined him and Stuart introduced him to Calvin and Michael from the cast. Jason couldn’t believe he was actually hanging out with Calvin! He didn’t get much homework done when Calvin was around. He talked with the new guys as best he could, generally joining conversations Stuart started. The other three joked a lot, to the point Langley asked them to be quiet while he rehearsed other actors in their scenes.
After rehearsal, Jason went to the gym for an hour of practice on the rings. Rings and the floor routine were his two strongest gymnastics events and the two he liked to work on the most. Coach Bridges greeted him enthusiastically, as always. Jason continued to worry that he wouldn’t be well prepared for the upcoming season. He knew an hour a day wasn’t enough, but he put in extra time when he could, including on Saturdays. Coach worked with him for a while and then left him on his own to work on his routine. He said he had a family waiting for him at home, as well.
After his workout, Jason showered and returned to his locker. He put on a fresh loincloth and was about to grab his jeans when four boys walked in, including three from the play. Jason knew Mark, Greg, and Ted were among Tarak’s captors. He recognized Clyde as a linebacker from the football team, a boy he had known for years.
As they approached Jason, Clyde took a challenging tone, “So this is Tarak!”
Jason was startled, but had always gotten along with Clyde. “Yeah, it appears I am.”
Clyde continued, “These guys tell me you’re not handling the role very well.”
Jason’s voice broke. “Why? What’s wrong? I think I’m doing fine, and we just started.”
Mark chimed in, “We don’t think you’re tough enough to be Tarak.”
Jason smirked a little, “Tough enough? All I have to do is act. This isn’t real, guys.”
Clyde ignored his reply. “We better see how tough he is then. Grab him, guys.”
Mark and Greg each grabbed an arm and stood off to the side, pulling Jason out into the open. Jason suspected what was about to happen and started to sweat. Back in middle school, Clyde and other kids would test Jason’s abs after practice, taking turns to pummel him. They posted videos online of their exploits. Sometimes the other boys would get punched, but it was primarily Jason who got gut-punched.
Jason tried to stop them while he attempted to squirm loose. “Come on, guys! We haven’t done this since middle school. Let me go!” He tensed his stomach as Clyde prepared to hit him.
Clyde landed one squarely in his belly. It didn’t seem to be his hardest, but Clyde was much stronger than he had been a few years ago. He landed a couple more punches, turning Jason’s stomach bright red. Ted took a turn next. Fortunately, they aimed for his abdominal muscles, which protected Jason well. The boys taunted him throughout. “Not so tough now, are you, jungle man?” and other bullying remarks. Mark slapped him.
Jason was winded, but he knew how to time his breathing and brace for each blow. The attackers switched places until each one had a chance to land at least five hefty hits. Jason tried to yell for help, but couldn’t raise his voice very loud. His abs were crimson as he breathed heavily. His four tormentors showed signs of being tired and talked about that being sufficient.
However, the boys were preparing for another round when Calvin burst in. “What’s going on here?” he shouted. The four thugs scrambled out of the locker room, leaving Jason to catch his breath while breathing a sigh of relief.
“Jason! Are you ok?”
“Yeah…yeah…I’m fine. But thanks for chasing them away.”
Calvin laughed a little. “I didn’t have to do much. I heard odd noises in here as I was heading to the parking lot. What the heck were they doing?”
Jason pointed to his bright red abs. “You know... old-school gut-punching. I guess it was to teach Tarak a lesson or something. They’re just jealous. Ridiculous.”
Calvin put a hand on Jason’s shoulder and looked at the red marks. “Do you want me to get you help?”
Jason was recovering. “No, definitely not. I handled their punches okay. Don’t worry about it. But thanks for coming in when you did.”
Calvin scowled. “I’ll at least give you a ride home. Get dressed, Tarak.”
Jason smiled, dressed quickly, and headed out with Calvin. They stopped for burgers on the way home, which both downed ravenously. Jason admitted his abs were a little sore, but he knew he would recover by morning. Jason complained it hurt when Calvin made him laugh a few times, which didn’t stop Calvin. He seemed to enjoy making Jason smile and laugh.
Calvin tried to probe further. “Have they bothered you before?”
“No, this is the first time for real.”
“I’ve been cornered a few times. I know it can be scary.”
“For what?”
“Once outside a bar by some white guys, but I got my keys out and started sounding my horn. Security helped me out of that jam. The other time was in the last place we lived when some guys were trying to convince me to join a gang. That’s one reason we moved away.”
“Wow. Those sound a lot worse than this. I know these guys and I think they would have stopped short of doing any real damage.”
“It looks like they banged you up pretty well.”
“I’m fine.”
“When guys get together, things can get out of hand quickly. Let me know if they give you any more trouble.”
“Yes, guardian angel.” Jason smiled at Calvin.
The boys talked a long time about their different backgrounds, the places Calvin had lived, and what it meant to grow up Black. Something was different about Calvin. He was interesting, somewhat worldly com
pared to the other students, and easy to talk with.
Once home, Jason read for a short time before falling asleep. His schedule was tiring enough without the extra beating.
Chapter 8 – Stage Combat
In the second week of rehearsals, director Rich Langley decided it was time to have a quick seminar on stage combat. He invited all the actors, but made it mandatory for those who were involved in fight scenes. He had a friend who worked with a local theater group who put him in touch with somebody who could provide the students with a crash course.
The instructor, Sally Mackenzie, talked about the perception of the audience versus the reality on stage, balance, pivot points, distance between combatants, the importance of eye contact, and the flow and pacing of action to make it look as real as possible. She described some of the basic moves, such as punches, kicks, and falls, and typical evasive maneuvers.
The play had three fight scenes, so she emphasized they should look different from each other so as not to bore the audience with repetition. This could be done through different positions on stage, the topography of the stage (whether there were things to jump from, hang from, or land on), and the possible use of different weapons.
The students were fascinated with the instruction and participated eagerly when they all were able to try it out. They started out in slow-moving pairs and progressed to more focused work with those involved in fight scenes while the rest watched. Langley saw the group grow more confident and capable even in the short seminar. He invited Sally to come to their rehearsals in a few weeks to help them fine-tune their action, and she said she would love to.
In the following days, Langley worked with the relevant actors on the three individual fight scenes. Still improvising, they contributed ideas on how it could flow. Of course, Jason participated in all of them. He had the initial conflict when enemies capture Tarak, the fight when he escapes from them, and the climax at the end of the play when he vanquishes them.