Theater Cubicles

Glory

"You thought it was over, didn't you?" Nolan asked the class that had just completed a production of Hamlet.

We were incredibly tired and drained of energy. It's a given that many an actor or actress are quite prone to being very ill after production weeks. They are so focused on being well and over exert their energy that sickness hits them hard and all at once after it's all done. I was lucky to have had it easy with a slight cold.

"Mr. Williams and Ms. Jones are here to tell you about our next production so give them all your attention," he said.

Mr. Williams, a man I had seen only twice- one being at my audition to the Academy the second when he saw Hamlet- started speaking, "Hello there first year students. We are here today to grant you guys a special invitation. We are going to be letting you audition for roles in our collaborative guest-directed productions. These are productions where we have guest helpers bringing together all four years of our department and creating beautiful shows. This year we are going to be producing one musical and one play which you will be asked to audition for this Wednesday and Thursday. I know it's Homecoming this Saturday and you rather be buying your dresses but I really hope you choose the right priority for you."

Of course I was going to do it! With no Homecoming to go to, and a specialty in quick memorization, it was only a matter of trying that I would find out whether I had what it takes to strive in the midst of my betters in the Academy. Many times I hadn't even tried to succeed and that mentality had taken me nowhere. I knew now that the only way I would find out if I'm good enough or excel in life was to just try.

Ms. Jones continued saying, "I will be coordinating music with the Academy's symphonic orchestra and doing set design. The musical we will be performing is "My Fair Lady", directed by Kat Colton. The play is directed by Lara York. We haven't decided what it is yet...but get those monologues ready! We have eighty students in our department and we estimate that twenty of them will chicken out. Thirty to each production is what we're looking at."

Of course, I would audition for both. I didn't have the most beautiful voice but knew all the words to "In My Life," in Les Miserables. Additionally I lived i sounded wonderful in the great acoustics of the shower. I just had to look up a monologue that would make my strong points shine, memorize, then execute. I looked over to Germaine and smiled. It was her time to shine too.

On my way out, Nolan stopped Germaine and I and said, "I hope you're thinking about auditioning, Juliette..." and he added remembering that my friend was next to me, "and you too, of course, Germaine. Both of you are very talented and I wouldn't want for you to miss this chance. As your director, I advise you two to pick your monologues as soon as possible. I have books of collections of monologues if you would like to peruse through them..."

"Yes, I am definitely thinking of auditioning, but I think I will do just fine with the internet," I reassured.

Germaine inquired, "So we really don't know what the play is going to be? Because I don't want to have to worry about it and have to memorize a monologue when I can have back up songs memorized. You see I need to be in the musical. I was meant to be in musicals."

"I'll be auditioning for both. I'd like to try my luck in both of the aspects in theater," I put out there.

Nolan shook his head in dismay, "Nope, even I don't know what the play is going to be. It better be a good one because it's my senior show. This will be my last guest directed play with the Academy. And, like you seem to want to be in the musical, Germaine, I have always been in the play. And, might I add, the second lead for three years in a row. That being due to Mackenzie-Call-Me-Mack taking all the roles from right under my nose. But this year...this year...glory."

Nolan seemed to not only be extremely boastful but liked to share his emotional baggage.

"Ok, Nolan. We've got to, Germaine and I. She was mentioning about...refreshing her lip gloss. Bye!"

Why I was running away from him I did not know. But something about the fact that he was even showing attention to me in the first place was way to unrealistic to be true.

"Lip gloss! Gosh, Juliette you really had to make me look like a conceited girly-girl. We're, like, talking to the best looking guy in the small theater and he's giving advice to us about auditions and maybe he can even put in a good word about us to the guest directors he's been working with for three years!" Germaine scolded me up the stairs to our dorm room.

I was thinking about my writing assignment for creative writing which was being really bothersome as of late. The class was being a bigger problem than a help. This is why the Academy discourages multiple arts choices probably. 

Then I blurted out loud, "Because it's too much to handle together all at once!"

"What?" Germaine asked, "Have you been listening to what I've been saying?"

"I'm just thinking...this is being a big distraction for me right now. And I just think we need to open our eyes and realize that Nolan is a senior director and it's never going to happen and that he's just a really nice person and that's that! Ok. Now I will get to work on my writing assignment that is eating away at my life. Speaking of eating, I also need to eat."

Germaine rolled her eyes at me saying, "You need to really collect your thoughts and get your priorities straight. Wait...Simon and I...we would be great together..."

"That's out of the blue. I've never seen you two even exchange hello's."

"He was Hamlet. He was the lead. We're meant for each other," she rolls her eyes at me matter-of-factly. 

I guess that's what happens when you're going to Homecoming and have nobody to go with. You start asking the most random people. 

Author's Note: Homecoming season is a pretty bummer time for me. Anybody with me? Please vote and comment if you like this chapter.

A special shout-out to @Eman-AQ, @Beatoria, @Kikiluvs, @Twinkling-Star, and @Toast_of_the_Undead for voting and commenting in the last chapter!