Similarly, like most public schools in America that are underfunded, the drama club’s car washes, bake sales, and raffles have helped the advertising effort. The Herculean hard work by the drama club has served to raise money for props and costumes. As one would expect, the PTA and individual parents and benefactors have been assisting behind the scenes. What is more, thankfully, Tennessee University has loaned Claymore High their sophisticated sound and lighting equipment as well as offering its technical expertise to James and Lindsey’s crews.
Everybody who is anybody has made a reservation to attend the Peter Pan play in person. The Claymore High School auditorium can accommodate 530 people. Those that could not reserve a seat at one of the four performances can tune in live to Channel 6 for the final performance. The final performance begins at six-thirty Sunday evening.
Now we go backstage. It is one-half hour before the curtain goes up for the first act of the opening presentation of Peter Pan.
Diana Jane is looking in the full-length mirror behind the stage as she adjusts the elf-like ears given to her during her last cosplay photoshoot. Brenae is sharing the mirror with her. Chloe and Sophia, along with Colette, are fixing their makeup and adjusting their costumes. Along with other cast members, they are standing as a threesome in front of one of the nine backstage mirrors. James is off somewhere fiddling with cords for the lighting system. No one has seen Lindsey. As expected, the other members of the Septet are worried.
Diana Jane addresses Brenae’s reflection in the mirror.
“Do you think she finished it?”
“Do I think who finished what?” Brenae replies.
“Lindsey. The scenery videotape. Gosh, I hate to think what will happen if Mister Jones uses the videotape that is in his safe. That would be horrible!”
“Lindsey had better finish it in time,” Brenae replies softly. She glances at the wall clock. “Or else, not only can we kiss our butts goodbye as happy students of Claymore High…” She pauses briefly, and then she says, “Hey, that rhymes. Coolio.”
Diana Jane does not laugh, nor does she reply. Her reflection in the mirror shakes its head and gives Brenae a dirty look. The look is accompanied by a curled tongue that is sticking out between annoyed, pursed lips.
Brenae pulls a face. She says, “Goodness, Diana Jane, chill, okay? As I was going to say, it is going to be all right. Lindsey will not let us down.” She pauses for a few seconds while she adjusts the waistband of her costume. Then she whispers in a hesitant tone, “If Lindsey doesn’t finish removing those nasty subliminal messages in time for today’s performance, the audience is going to freak out. They are going to freak out royally! You know better than anybody what happened during Anthony’s memorial. Only a few dozen slides caused that outburst. Our play is going to be a ninety-minute performance. Scenes on the videotape appear in the background throughout the entire play. The tape will also include stuff during the dagburned intermission. I bet the audience will be freaking out long before the play has ended. Lindsey has to get it done! There are no two ways about it.”
“If she doesn’t finish it before the play, what then?” Diana Jane asks.
Brenae says, “I am going to trip accidentally on purpose over the audiovisual wires and unplug the sucker! Then you and I, along with the other Septet members, are going to get the heck out of here like it’s nobody’s business. We can hitch rides to the West Coast!”
“I seriously doubt you would do that, Bre, purposely trip over the audiovisual wires. You would be in a whole lot of trouble.”
Brenae replies, “Yeah, perhaps you are right. All the same, we would have to do something.” She suddenly sees someone else’s reflection in the mirror. Chloe, Diana Jane, Sophia, and Colette have seen the image as well.
Chloe shouts, “It’s Lindsey!” She turns from the mirror. “Lindsey, did you finish it?”
“No,” Lindsey replies in a somber tone. The dejected expression on her lovely face is incredible. “There still is about a hundred or so messages to go. I couldn’t delete them all.” She stares at the floor and gently kicks her foot against the baseboard. “I am sorry to have disappointed you.”
Except for James – he is high in the stage rafters fiddling with the lights, and thus spared Lindsey’s bad news – the other members of the Septet loudly groan as they roll their eyes and shake their heads.
Suddenly, Lindsey laughs as she cries triumphally, “I am only kidding. I finished it.”
After she sighs with relief, Chloe says, “Whew, Lindsey, good job! You had us scared half to death. What about the videotape in Mister Jone’s safe? What if he tells you to use that one? All your hard work will be for naught.”
Brenae says, “Yeah, and then we are going to be toast.” She looks at Diana Jane with a resolute expression on her face. “Just so that you know, the option to trip over the cords is still on the table.”
“There is no problem as it concerns the tape in Mister Jone’s safe,” Lindsey says. “He gave it to me yesterday. It was after school. I had asked him to give it to me so I could do a double-take just in case. I said it would be nice to have the original as well as the copy. However, there is one problem.”
Brenae asks in a doubting tone of voice, “That problem is?”
Lindsey replies, “He has another copy with him. It is a third copy of which I wasn’t aware until yesterday. It is the second backup. There is no way I could have gotten my hands on that one. It would have appeared too suspicious if I asked for that copy as well.”
“Oh, my God,” Sophia says. “Do you think he watched it? If he did, we could assume he will be in the looney bin even before the show starts!” She looks at the others. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Mister Jones yet!”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Lindsey says. “Think about what is on the tape. Who wants to watch a boring videotape with scenery, a ship, mermaids, flying fairies, waterspouts, and that sort of stuff? The point is this. I somehow need to get it from him after everything is said and done. I need to destroy it once all of this madness is over, so its evil cannot corrupt anyone’s mind.”
Colette says, “Whenever you destroy the tape, that is if Mister Jones is willing to give it to you, make darned certain Missus Davenhill is present whenever you do it. Otherwise, Mister Jones may question your trustworthiness if you know what I am saying.”
“Will do,” Lindsey replies. “Okay, I gotta go and get ready.” She waves the videotape in the air. “I have to get this into the video equipment before anything happens to it.”
Brenae calls after her.
“Make darned sure you guard it with your life! Because all of our lives, in fact, all of Claymore, are counting on you, Lindsey!” She glances over at Diana Jane. “Don’t forget that option one is still on the table. If we are forced to do it, to save the show from complete ruination and all of Claymore and half of Tennessee from going bonkers, we trip over the cords! You got it?”
Diana Jane does not reply.
*****
Part II: The First Three Performances
The first three performances of Peter Pan were nearly flawless and produced thunderous, standing ovations from the audience when they ended. As one would expect, there were a few, minor glitches during the performances but nothing even close to being noticeable by the audience. Of those few, minor glitches, Mister Jones had said he attributed them to the crew’s edginess along with a couple of cases of inattentiveness. It is one thing to practice for a performance in front of your fellow crewmembers. It is something else entirely when a play is performed live in front of an audience.
The entire Septet team had assembled for a group hug right after the standing ovation of the first show. The other members of the Septet gave Lindsey high-fives until the palm of her hand stung. They were thankful that she had removed every last one of the subliminal messages from the scenery videotape. As the saying goes, the proof was in the pudding. No one in the audience had tripped out.
It is now
Saturday evening, and the third performance is in the history books. Mister Jones is addressing the entire cast that has assembled in the drama club classroom.
“Okay, everyone, what I have to say will be brief. You did a remarkable, first-rate job. I am very proud of every one of you, and I thank you! I have to give you one more well-deserved round of applause.” He begins to clap.
The students rowdily clap and cheer as well. They give each other seemingly endless high-fives along with many tearful, happy hugs. After a few minutes, Mister Jones manages to get their attention.
“Tomorrow is going to be something else. As you know, Channel 6 will be here. We will have lights, cameras, and lots of distracting things going on in front of the stage. Your stage jitters will double. Believe me when I say this. I have been there, and I have done that. Even though Channel 6 will televise the play live, it is essential for you to ignore the Channel 6 crew. Act normal and do what you have done during the first three shows and everything will be fine.
“Miss Godspeed, I would like you to coordinate with the Channel 6 technicians as they set up their equipment. Please ensure that anything that they do from a technical standpoint does not interfere with your video equipment, okay?” Lindsey nods her head and gives Mister Jones a thumb’s up.
“Mister Lightlighter, please work with the Channel 6 crew to ensure that the positioning of their lights and cameras does not interfere with your lighting schemes. Got it?”
James replies, “Yes sir. Lindsey and I have already spoken with two of the technicians. They were out in the audience tonight. I think we have agreed on just about everything. I may have to make some adjustments to the overhead spotlight, but I am confident it is workable.”
“Excellent,” Mister Jones says. “Please let me know if you run into any problems.” He looks at Lindsey. “You too, okay?”
Lindsey replies, “Yessir. Will do.”
“By the way, Miss Godspeed, I forgot to tell you. You did an excellent job screening the scenery videotape. I did not see a single glitch during all three shows. I was very impressed with how you expertly slowed the tape tonight on more than one occasion, especially during the swordfight.” He laughs along with a few members of the crew.
“When Captain Hook fell on his rump during the swordfight then slipped as he tried to get to his feet, those were two of many things we hadn’t expected with tonight’s performance. Everything worked out fine in the end. It proves that it is important to remain flexible. Well done, Miss Godspeed, to you and your crew.”
Lindsey says, “Thank you, sir. I have to give credit to the entire computer team.”
Regardless of her upbeat tone, she and the other Septet team members probably are thinking something along these lines. “Mister Jones, if only you knew how close we came to the biggest disaster in the century-long history of Claymore High!”
Richard Moser, who performs as Captain Hook in the play, glances over at Diana Jane. She is sitting with the other members of the Septet. He suddenly shouts, “Yessir! That will teach El Capitan Hook to mess with the world-renowned, adroit swordswoman, Peter Pan! All this time we thought the crocodile was El Capitan Hook’s worst fear!”
As the others in the drama club laugh at what Richard had said, Mister Jones says, “I agree, Richard. Okay, off you go. Some of you have family and friends and rides waiting for you, so please do not dawdle. Get a good night’s sleep. Eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch, and we will see you back here tomorrow no later than four-thirty. Pizzas at Tony’s Pizzeria one hour after the curtain falls!”
The Peter Pan crew has adopted a standard practice that they shout after every practice session and live performance. It includes a familiar idiom used by actors and musicians along with a famous line from the movie Hook starring the late Robin Williams.
The drama club gets to its feet. Along with whistles, hollers, and lively laughter, the drama club members stand on one leg. Mister Jones stands on one leg as well. They flap their arms widely and shout at one another with one voice.
“Break a leg and ‘remember, don’t let your arms get tired!’”
*****
Part III: The Beginning of the End
As expected, the cast and supporting crew are both excited and nervous before the final presentation of Peter Pan. That the Channel 6 team arrived earlier than anticipated to film the play increases their nervousness. James and Lindsey are scrambling behind the scenes to ensure that the Channel 6 lighting and sound equipment does not interfere with theirs. At long last, fifteen minutes before the doors open, everything is ready to go.
The play begins on time, precisely at 6:30. The opening act progresses at a much better quality than the first act of any of the earlier performances. The five primary characters quickly get over their nervousness and recite their lines with exactness.
Thanks to Lindsey’s crew, the background scenery videotape projection is perfectly timed to the actor’s lines. Likewise, Jay and his skilled team are confirming that the lights and sound effects are perfect.
The Channel 6 crew is faultlessly videoing as the station broadcasts the play live to thousands of homes. The audience, both in the auditorium and at home, is hushed. The superb acting of the actors is keeping them mesmerized. The captivating background scenery projected on the wide-screen enhances the play’s realism.
Similar to J. M. Barrie’s 1911 novel, Peter and Wendy, the opening scenes of the drama club’s rendition of the play begin in the Darling children’s nursery. Chloe, acting as Wendy Moira Angela Darling, is interacting with Steven Thomas and Nancy Walsh. They are performing as George and Mary, the Darling children’s parents. Dale Hawkins and Roger Fairchild, acting like the oldest and youngest of the Darling boys in that order, are in the nursery as well.
We join the family as Mister Darling is complaining that the neighbors may be gossiping about the family’s choice of servants; in this case, the nurse Nana.
“Mary, Nana has no time for me,” Mister Darling cries. “I dare say she has never taken a liking to me as well. She dots on the children to no end.” He stares down at Nana. “However, when I want her attention she gives me not.”
Nana, the Darling children’s nurse, actually is a dog. Her kennel is against the back wall of the children’s nursery. In Barrie’s 1911 novel, Peter and Wendy, Nana is a Newfoundland dog that was adopted by the Darlings. In the Claymore Drama Club’s rendition of Peter Pan, Nana is the author’s four-legged friend, Cassandra. Cassandra is a seventy-five-pound, four-year-old Catahoula Leopard mix. She is sitting in between Mister and Missus Darling. Her tail is wagging as she looks up at Mister Darling with her lovely brown eyes, one of which includes a small circle of light blue – the trademark of the Catahoula breed.
“Oh, George,” Missus Darling replies as she lovingly pats Nana on her head. “She is adorable, and you do know she will do anything for the children. I am certain she likes you as much as she likes the children, if not more. Let her prove it to you. Ask her to fetch something.”
“I’d rather not,” Mister Darling replies with a huff. He turns away, crosses his arms over his chest, and frowns.
“Go ahead, George. Ask her to fetch something from the bureau.”
Mister Darling looks at Nana, and then he points to the bureau irritably. He commands in an annoyed tone, “Nana, fetch me my tie!”
Nana prances off, her tail wagging happily. She reaches up with her front paws into the open, third drawer of the bureau. She sticks her head into the drawer and fishes around with her nose. Her tail begins to wag just as she latches onto the sole item in the drawer. She returns to Mister Darling and drops the object onto the floor at his feet. She looks up at Mister Darling with a happy dog-like expression. If she could happily smile, she would.
The audiences in the auditorium and at home are laughing. They think that the item Nana had fetched for Mister Darling is a prop written into the script, but it is not.
Steven looks at Chloe questionably. Both he and Nancy, acting
as Mister and Missus Darling, are waiting for Chloe to deliver her lines. In her acting role as Wendy, Chloe should say, “Oh, father, see? Nana is the sweetest, most intelligent, most caring nurse in the world! She has fetched your tie. As you can see, she loves you very much!” She is supposed to bend over, pick up the tie from the floor, and fasten it around Mister Darling’s neck.
Instead, Chloe is staring hypnotized at the item Nana has dropped at Steven’s feet. She looks like she has seen a ghost, and she is unsteady as she stands. She is shaking her head back and forth slowly as tears mist over her eyes.
Steven quickly decides to improvise his lines with the expectation that Chloe will follow suit and recover from whatever is bothering her.
“What in the world is this?” Steven exclaims loudly in Mister Darling’s tone of voice. He stares at Nana and shakes his head. Then he points to the dog.
“You are naughty, Nana! I told you to fetch my tie not a stupid coil of twine!” He continues to improvise.
“See, Mary, Wendy, boys? I told you that Nana is useless!” As he begins to recite his lines once more, Steven says, “I do believe I shall relocate her outside! I am the breadwinner in this house, and I will not be fooled with by the likes of her. I aim to tie her up outside!”
Chloe is still pale and trembling, but she has managed to regain her composure to some extent. She says in her firm, performing voice, “Father, you are the master of the house, and I do agree. You must do what you must do.” She suddenly lowers her voice to a whisper. “Father, how will Nana protect us if she is outside?” Mister Darling does not reply. He picks up the coil of twine from the floor and stuffs it inside his breast coat.
Nancy, who is visibly relieved that Chloe has regained her composure, at least sufficiently enough to recite her lines, pretends to whisper to her husband. She says in Missus Darling’s voice, “George, do you remember me telling you about the strange boy? Perhaps we should discuss him before we venture to the party.”
Mister Darling exclaims, “I do not have time for such rubbish!” He looks at Nana, and then, as he taps his thigh with the palm of his hand, he says, “Now, Nana, you come with me. Do not fuss! I must tie you outside. I must do it even though my wife and children raise objections.”
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