STAGESTRUCK - The Complete Series

by Ward, Alice

  “I will.” She promised. She covered her head with hairspray and then stood and removed the robe she’d worn to protect her dress from make-up stains.

  “So? How do I look?” She asked.

  “Colorful.” I smiled. For the first time since we’d met, Janette wore a colorful dress to her show. The red satin shift set of the auburn tones of her hair, and she looked like she’d just stepped out of a magazine.

  “Thank you!” She beamed. “Paul’s favorite color is red… do you think he’ll like it?”

  “He’ll love it.” I assured her. I was happy to see Janette so excited about someone, but I had to admit that I was a little jealous. I stood and made my way to her bedroom door. “I’m going to head home and get ready for tomorrow.” I smiled. “Good luck tonight, call me if anything crazy happens.”

  “Good luck at work tomorrow.” She called after me.

  “Thanks,” I called out as I opened her front door. I returned to my apartment and settled in for another night of ice cream and movies.

  CHAPTER 11

  “Alright, that’s just about everything.” Glory, my new friend at the Center said with a smile. We’d been together all day; first she’d explained the computer and security systems to me and assigned me a user name and a key code number. After that, she gave me a tour of the facility.

  The center was enormous and had programs ranging from costume design to stage performance. The theater program I’d worked for in Iowa was a nonprofit, but that wasn’t the case here. Parents paid ridiculous sums of money to send their junior prodigies through the programs. I would be working four hours a day on Tuesdays through Thursdays and six hours on Saturdays; I’d be making more than twice what I made at the restaurant.

  “This is an amazing place.” I told Glory. “I can’t wait to meet the kids. Do you know which class I’ll be taking?”

  “You’ll be with me and the six to eight year olds.” She smiled. “You’re going to love the kids, right now we’re working on a great play that one of the older students wrote.” The Center employed two Tony award winners to teach playwriting, so I expected the student written play to be amazing. “We have about thirty minutes before the kids start showing up, you can read a copy while we wait.”

  She led me to a sleek, modern classroom that held bean bag chairs instead of desks. The bags were arranged in front of the stage that took up the entire back side of the room. Framed photographs of some of Broadway’s biggest stars adorned the walls; I could tell by the quality of the pictures that they were arranged in chronological order. I loved the room immediately.

  Glory gave me a copy of the script and I studied it while we waited for the kids to start trickling in. I read for a few minutes and then realized that I had no idea what I was supposed to do once the kids arrived. I asked Glory for instructions.

  “Oh, I’m sorry!” She said quickly. “I thought that I’d just have you observe today so you can see how we run things. I don’t mean I want you to sit silently in a corner or anything; the job is just easier to learn by watching. Just follow my lead and feel free to ask any questions.” She told me.

  “Hi Ms. Glory,” a voice called from the doorway. We turned to see a small brunette girl entering the room.

  “Hi Fiona!” Glory smiled. “This is Ms. Kate, she’s going to be helping with class from now on.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Fiona.” I said with a smile. There was something familiar about the little girl, but I couldn’t place it. “Which role are you playing?” I asked, holding up the script.

  “I’m the lead,” she answered proudly, “Lucy Pennyweather.”

  “Wow, the lead.” I smiled. “That’s impressive. You must be the best in your class.”

  She shook her head and laughed. “No I’m not, it’s just my turn silly.”

  Glory smiled. “The kids take turns with roles. Fiona played a very minor role in the last play we studied, so this time around she’s the lead. We like to give everyone a chance in the spotlight.” She explained. “We spend four weeks on each play; on the fourth Saturday, we hold a performance for the parents and other students.”

  I nodded, impressed by the schedule they kept. The other kids began filing in and Glory directed everyone to find a seat. Once everyone was settled, Glory and I took the stage and she introduced me to my new students. I spent the next three hours listening to their stories and watching them rehearse. Glory had explained that they were only a week in to the current play rehearsals, and I was impressed that all of the kids had already memorized their lines. Before I knew it, the clock read six-thirty and parents began trickling into the classroom.

  “Alright everyone, that’s a wrap for today.” Glory announced. “Gather your things and take your seats.”

  Glory walked me back to her desk and moved her computer mouse; the computer screen lit up with a grid of pictures; each child in the class was listed, along with the names of the people who were allowed to pick them up from the Center. One name jumped out from the rest.

  ‘No wonder she seemed familiar.’ I thought in disbelief as Glory started verifying that the children were leaving with the right people. I looked up at Fiona and couldn’t believe I hadn’t realized it immediately. Anxiety filled my body and I prayed that one of the little girl’s parents would pick her up.

  “Kate?” A familiar voice called out in confusion. I turned and saw Max standing just inside the doorway.

  “Hi, Max,” I greeted him with a blush.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I work here.” I explained.

  “Uncle Max, Uncle Max!” Fiona cried out happily as she rushed to his side.

  “Hey there ladybug,” he greeted her with a smile. “How’s my big star doing today?”

  “Great!” She smiled. “Do you know Kate? She’s my new teacher. She’s REALLY good.”

  “Well thank you, Fiona.” I told her with a smile. “You’re REALLY good too.”

  “I do know Kate.” Max told her impatiently. “She used to work at my restaurant.”

  “I’m glad she doesn’t work there anymore.” Fiona smiled. “I want her to stay here forever.”

  I shifted uncomfortably as Max checked his phone; it was obvious that he wasn’t happy to have run into me.

  Max smiled at her. “I’m glad that you like your new teacher, ladybug. Now, are you ready to go? Megan is going to meet us at Frankie’s for dinner, doesn’t that sound like fun?”

  “Can I have a strawberry milkshake?” She asked seriously.

  “Sure,” Max quickly agreed.

  “Alright, I guess it sounds fun then.” She turned back to me. “You’ll be here tomorrow, won’t you Kate?”

  “Yes I will,” I assured her. “And it’ll be a busy day. The costuming class is coming in to measure you for your wardrobe.”

  “Yay!” Fiona squealed. “Costume day is my favorite. Have a good night Kate, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She took her uncle by the hand; he offered me a tense smile and nodded goodbye. As they disappeared through the doorway, I wondered what I’d done in a past life to deserve the trouble I was having in this one.

  “His niece is in your class?” Mark asked in disbelief. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

  As soon as I’d left the center, I’d sent Mark, Parker, and Janette a text message and asked for an emergency drinking session. We sat a small table at Syd’s; it was only seven thirty and the bar was mostly empty. We drank pitchers of beer and shared a large pizza while I told them about my run-in with Max.

  “I wish I was kidding.” I sighed. “I feel like someone’s fucking with me. Like God got bored so he’s putting me in impossible situations and getting some sort of sick pleasure from watching me squirm.

  “I don’t think that’s exactly the case.” Janette argued. “It seems like fate is just going to keep throwing the two of you together until you figure out how to make it work.”

  “Why in the world would I want to make it work with that assh
ole?” I scoffed as I poured another mug of beer.

  “I don’t know, Kate. Janette might have a point.” Parker piped in. “You and Max would be really good together, you just can’t get your timing right. That’s really your only problem.”

  I snorted. “That and his girlfriend.” I reminded him. “He made sure to bring up Megan in the three minutes we were together. On the bright side, Fiona seems to think she’s as ridiculous as we do. He had to bribe her with a milkshake to get her excited about meeting Megan for dinner.”

  Mark looked at me with a sad but amused smile. “Poor Kate, I don’t know how you’re dealing with all of this. Did you ask Glory about him after they left? Do you know how often he picks Fiona up from class?”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t think that grilling Glory about one of the kid’s relatives would make a very good first impression.” I explained. “I know that Max is off every Tuesday. It’ll probably be a once a week thing.”

  “I think that you should look at this as an opportunity.” Mark suggested.

  “I agree.” Parker piped in.

  “How exactly am I supposed to do that?” I asked with exasperation.

  “Every time Max shows up, let him see just how great you’re doing without him.” Parker directed.

  Janette nodded. “Be friendly but distant. Act like you couldn’t care less if he speaks to you or not… and be really nice to the kid. I love the idea of her sitting at a table with Max and Megan, going on and on about how much she loves Ms. Kate.”

  I shook my head. “I’m going to be nice to Fiona, but not to get to Max.” I told her. “She really is a great little girl. She was my favorite before I knew that she was Max’s niece.”

  “Still, she’ll probably talk about you at home. Consider it an added bonus.” Janette smiled.

  I nodded and refilled my beer for a third time. As the foamy liquid filled my mug, my cell-phone chimed. I saw Marion’s name on the screen and willed myself to sound sober when I answered.

  “Hi Marion,” I answered, “is everything alright?” It was unusual for her to call after business hours and I worried for a moment that I’d done something wrong at the Center.

  “Everything is great,” she assured me. “Better than great even. How would you like to audition for Chicago?”

  “Are you serious?” I asked in disbelief. “I’d love to… when? Where?”

  “It’s next Thursday, I’ll email you the relevant details. Do me proud this time, Kate.” She warned.

  “Yes mam, I will,” I said quickly, “I promise.”

  “Alright, great. I’ll keep in touch and let you know if any of the details change. Call me if you have any questions.”

  “Thanks Marion.” I said as I hung up the phone. I looked up at the table and realized that Serena had joined us during the call; her face reflected the excitement I felt rushing through my body. We made eye contact and she gave me a wide smile.

  “You were right.” I told her. “Tell me you’re in too.” She nodded and we both squealed.

  “Could one of you please tell us what’s going on?” Mark asked. “I’d love to get excited with you, but I need details.”

  “Serena, you tell them.” I insisted. “You probably know more than I do.”

  Serena smiled. “The Lincoln Theater has had quite the turnover lately,” she began. “Last week, the casting and stage directors for Chicago were fired… the new guys got rid of almost half the cast today, and Kate and I both landed auditions with them next week.”

  “Oh my god girls.” Mark smiled.

  “Congratulations, wow, Chicago.” Parker added.

  “I didn’t know you still wanted to act!” Janette said to Serena in shock.

  “I didn’t want to say anything.” Serena blushed. “It went so badly the last time I tried… but I mentioned it to some of my bosses, and they’ve been really great about it. Stan, the Kinky Boots casting director, said that he’d have auditioned me if he’d known I was interested in a part. He helped me schedule the Chicago audition.” She explained.

  “This calls for more than beer,” Parker insisted. He signaled over a waitress. “We need a bottle of your best modestly priced champagne.” He said with a smile.

  “Of course,” she replied. “I’ll be right back.”

  “So, how many roles are open?” Janette asked. “Will the two of you be going up for the same role?”

  I looked at Serena, hoping that she’d know the answers; I was eager to know as many details as possible.

  “They’re recasting Roxy, Velma, and Mary Sunshine for sure.” She said with a smile. “There are also a handful of chorus spots open.”

  “So maybe we’ll both get cast!” I said excitedly. “Who’s the new casting director? Is he one of the good guys?”

  Serena nodded. “His name is Harrison Kaylin. He has a reputation for being incredibly meticulous, so we’re going to have to do a lot of rehearsing before next Thursday. But he’s not one of the one’s who’ll trade roles for sex, so at least we’ll have a fighting chance.” She finished with a laugh.

  “Wait,” Mark piped up, “some of the actresses on stage are only there because they slept with the casting guy?” He asked. “That’s so scandalous! Which actresses? Do you know? Are they famous?”

  Serena laughed and shook her head. “I’ll never tell.”

  “You’re no fun.” Mark teased her as the waitress arrived with our champagne. Parker popped the cork and filled our glasses.

  “To Serena and Kate,” he said with a smile, “here’s hoping that in a few months we get to watch them make their stage debuts together.”

  We clinked our glasses together and I sipped the sweet, bubbly liquid. “Just think,” I told Serena with a smile. “I could be Roxy and you could be Velma. It would be perfect.”

  “What if Serena wants to be Roxy?” Parker teased.

  “Oh, babe don’t pit them against each other like that, even if you are just teasing.” Mark insisted.

  “What are you talking about?” Parker asked innocently. “A little friendly competition never hurt anyone.”

  “This isn’t a competition.” I told them. “Like Serena said, there are plenty of roles open. Hell, I’d be happy to get cast in the chorus. I just want to be on that stage.”

  “Kate, if you get cast in a show how will it affect your new job?” Janette asked.

  “I’d have to cut back my hours there, but the Center already has programs in place to deal with this type of situation. That’s why they like to have at least two teachers per class… if I’m cast, Glory will cover most of the day to day stuff and I’ll pitch in when I can.”

  “And they’ll just hold your job?” Parker asked incredulously.

  I nodded. “The more roles I land, the more they’ll want to keep me.” I explained. “Having working actors on staff helps them justify the outrageous tuition they charge parents.”

  “You know what that means, don’t you Kate?” Janette asked as she had a realization.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Max’s family must have money… Fiona’s parents have to at least. Did he ever talk about his family?” She asked.

  I shook my head. “He never mentioned them… he never mentioned money either. He picks up as much overtime as he can, so I bet that he has a successful sibling but no ‘family money’.” I thought out loud. “I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”

  I finished my glass of champagne and tried to snap out of my disgruntled mood. I’d been so excited after Marion’s call, but Janette’s comment about Max sent me right back into the sullen mindset I’d been in before my phone rang. Mark noticed my mood swing and stepped in to help.

  “I’m going to the bar for another pitcher.” He announced. “Kate, would you like to join me?”

  “Sure,” I agreed quickly, thankful for a reason to escape. We walked arm in arm to the bar; Mark placed our order and then turned to me with a smile.

  “You’re fighting back pretty hard.”
He observed with a smile. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that some devastatingly handsome man gave you some good advice.” He teased with a smile.

  “You did give me great advice, and I think about it every time I get frustrated.” I told him.

  “Are you thinking about it now?” He asked. “Because you look frustrated.”

  I sighed. “I was so happy about this new job. I get to do what I love every day, I get to help kids… I wasn’t…”

  “Going to be forced to see Max all the time.” Mark finished. “I know that you were caught off guard today, but I really think that Janette and Parker are right. Instead of dreading the awkwardness every Wednesday, look at it as an opportunity to show Max what he’s missing out on. And remember, Kate,” He added with a sly grin, “you’re well on your way to being a big star. Soon, you won’t even remember Max Shepherd’s name.”

  The bartender delivered our new pitcher; as we walked back to the table, I prayed that Mark was right.

  CHAPTER 12

  Thursday morning, Serena and I met at a small diner in the Theater District to have breakfast and give each other one last pep talk before our audition. We were both too anxious to eat much; I managed to choke down a whole grain bagel so I wouldn’t crash on stage.

  “I’m so nervous.” I confessed as the clock moved closer to nine.

  “That’s normal,” Serena assured me, “but you’re prepared… we both are. Besides, there’s no way it could go as bad as your Phantom audition.” She pointed out.

  “Yeah,” I laughed. “At least this time I’m sober… do you know if that Sheila girl is going to be there today?”

  Serena shrugged. “I have no idea, but don’t let her get to you if she is.”

  “I’ll try not to, but I can’t make any promises… she’s such a hateful bitch.” I sighed.

  “Kate, you’re just going to have to accept that there are people in the business who resent the fact that Marion Russo signed you.” She explained. “We’re both walking in to that theater today with targets on our backs. They’ll target you because of your agent and me because I already know all of the production staff.”