The Play's the Thing with the Gal Pals – Part One
(Story Summary: In Part One of the premiere oneshot for the Spring Arc; nearly all of Royal Woods Middle School has been bitten by the Acting Bug, as sign up day for the school play arrives. This year; the school plans on performing one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream. A lot of students are hoping to land a good role, including Lincoln.
Will he get the part and if he does, will he be able to master his lines before opening night?)
It was a chilly February afternoon at Royal Woods Middle School and many of the students had been dismissed and went off for home. At the same time, outside the doors of the auditorium; there was a long line-up of other students standing single file. Among them were Lincoln, Clyde and a few of their girl and guy friends; who all appeared to be rather excited about something.
But...I'm afraid we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here. To truly understand what's going on, we will need to turn back the clock to earlier this week. It was Lunch Period and the students were busy eating, chatting with friends and/or catching up on schoolwork. As for Lincoln and Company; they were at their lunch table, bartering parts of their lunch with one another.
"Okay, y'all; how's this idea sound" Omar asked slyly, "a cup's worth of my Mama Gail's homemade gumbo for two of your homemade Oatmeal and Butterscotch cookies?" Across the table, Clyde reluctantly denied his friend's offer; while assuring him that he meant no disrespect to Officer Simmons. "Spicy food doesn't always agree with me" he murmured while rubbing his belly, "but I am willing to exchange two cookies for one of your mom's beignets."
This news caused a few of the Gal Pals sitting with them to grumble with disapproval, who appeared quite eager to try either one of the boys' desserts. "Hold up you two...I'd like to make a counter offer" Cici interjected suddenly, "I have in my lunchbox some fresh homemade dumplings my mom packed for me...and I'll happily exchange one for the two cookies Omar had his eyes on, Clyde." Naturally, the others believed their friend's offer seemed rather small and quickly called her out on it.
"Seriously, C...one dumpling for a pair of Clyde's amazing cookies" Stella exclaimed, "we'd thought you'd go big or go home here." As if expecting their doubt, Cici took out a small container from her lunchbox. Upon looking at it, everyone could see that the inside of said container was heavily fogged up with condensation; which meant that the dumplings were still quite hot.
With a coy grin on her face, Cici opened the lid ever so slightly; allowing a small wisp of steam to escape through the crack. As she fanned the steam towards Clyde's nostrils; within seconds, he let out a long and blissful sigh of delight. "If you think it smells good, just wait until you've tasted it" Cici chuckled, "so...do we have a deal?"
Without a second thought; Clyde whipped out his Ziploc bag full of cookies, opened it and handed two cookies over to his friend. Meanwhile, everyone else felt that they had been jipped out of a good score. But then, Omar turned towards Lincoln; whom he believed could offer up an equally delicious trade.
"Well...it's not much, I'll admit" the boy said deviously, "but I have with me a baggie full of my dad's Jalapeño Poppers and I'd be willing to trade a couple...if anyone can provide an equally tasty item in exchange." Now, almost everyone at the table playfully called "shenanigans" to Lincoln; proclaiming that he was being as unfair as Cici was a moment ago. This, of course was due to the fact he knew that no one could resist the taste of father's Poppers; not even Principal Ramirez (who had recently become a patron at Lynn Sr.'s restaurant.)
The deal appeared to be done...until Dolores threw her hat into the ring and offered up a much sweeter trade (both figuratively and literally speaking.) "I imagine you had your fair share of churros, in the past; Si" she asked playfully, "well...how does this sound to you?!" With that, she reached into her lunch bag and pulled out a baggie of what looked like a collection of run of the mill nachos; which left everyone unimpressed.
"I know what you're all thinking...but trust me, these are special" Dolores urged, "these are Churro Chips, my Papi made these himself from scratch; as they say." For a few brief moments, neither the Gals nor the Guys knew how to respond. Sure, they've all had churros before but they never once ever conceived the idea of chip-shaped churros.
Thus, Lincoln came dangerously close to agreeing with his Godsister's deal. But then, at the last moment; he requested to taste a fragment of one of the chips. "Of course, Lincoln" Dolores replied, "but I must warn you...the flavor may come as a shock to you." With that said, she broke off a piece from one of her chips and placed it in Lincoln's hand.
The instant he popped the chip piece into his mouth, Lincoln suddenly felt an explosion of flavor flow through him. Within seconds, a squiggly-line grin appeared on his face before he fell back off his seat with a blissful squeal. Worried that their friend might've hurt himself, everyone rushed to Lincoln's side to see if he was okay.
Then, almost a split-second later; the boy leapt into the air and cheered with joy. "Wow, that was delicious" Lincoln exclaimed with joy, "Dolores, I think we've got ourselves a trade...on one condition." As if expecting this, she gave him a knowing look and asked what else he sought out from her lunch.
But Lincoln quickly put Dolores' concerns to rest, proclaiming that he was willing to share as many of his dad's Poppers with her; if...she was willing to divulge her father's Churro Chip recipe with him. "I have my suspicions that the rest of my family would love these too" Lincoln explained, "not to mention that my father would want to make some for the Dessert Menu at his restaurant." The instant he mentioned this, Dolores held up her hand and shook her head in refusal; surprising everyone.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, mi amigo" Dolores said firmly, "this recipe isn't mine to share, it's my Papi's." Upon hearing this, a wave of realization suddenly washed over Lincoln. Since Mr. Campos made the Churro Chips from scratch, it was doubtful that he would want someone else copying his recipe; much less a restaurant.
But just as the atmosphere was starting to feel grim; Dolores smiled softly, placed two of her chips into Lincoln's hand and exchanged them with two of Lynn Sr.'s Poppers. "I will talk with my father, after school" she said with a sweet grin, "he likes you...so, I'm sure he would make a small exception in sharing his recipes this one time." Lincoln looked down at the chips in his hand, then at Dolores herself and smiled warmly; all while joyfully proclaiming his thanks.
"No thanks are necessary, Lincoln" she said while winking at him, "believe it or not...you aren't the first one to fall in love with my Papi's treats." After everyone had a light laugh at this reveal and after everyone had made their trades, the time had come to finally eat. At the same time, each of the kids began chatting idly with one another; sharing small updates with each other's lives, some small bits of gossip or just complaining about how difficult their earlier classes were.
But then, at one point; Tonya announced that there was going to be an assembly happening after lunch period was dismissed. "My Mama told me so herself, when I was on my way here" she stated, "said it was gonna be held by Vice Principal Baskerville." With this news revealed, each one of the Gals and Guys at the table found themselves wondering what the assembly was going to be about.
"Maybe it's to discuss the faulty vending machines" Rusty grumbled, "those things keep eating my dollars and don't even give me the right snack I asked for!" While this issue did seem quite annoying, if not serious; everyone agreed that faulty vending machines weren't something that Mx. Baskerville hold an assembly about. "Well, whatever it's about; I just hope none of us will end up feeling embarrassed in the end" Lincoln murmured, "if you know what I mean."
With that said, everyone resumed eating their meals; mentally praying that Lincoln's fears wouldn't come to pass during the assembly.
(Line Break)
Time passed and students from every grade arrived in the auditorium. As everyone took their seats, they still felt curious as to what the assembly was all about. Then, at that moment; a figure burst out from behind the curtain.
Then, the students saw the spotlight turn on and shine down upon where the figure appeared. Much to their relief (and mild confusion,) it was only Mx. Baskerville; who appeared to be dressed in a sort 1920's era film director's outfit. "Okay, guys...this is getting weird" whispered Phoebe, "why is our VP dressed like that and does it apply with the assembly?"
The gang shrugged their shoulders slightly, in response; confessing that they felt just as confused as she did. But before anything else could be said, Mx. Baskerville suddenly clapped their hands together; creating a light echo that immediately caught everyone's attention. After that, everyone fell silent and looked over at the stage.
"Thank you all for coming, dearies" the vice principal said in greeting, "perhaps you're wondering why we've summoned you all here." In response to this, all the students murmured softly in agreement; many of whom were mainly questioning the reason for Mx. Baskerville's new outfit. With a broad smile upon their lips, they suddenly announced that a new "change" that would be happening to the school; as of that moment.
"From here on out, we will no longer be just your Vice Principal" Mx. Baskerville stated, "we shall also be serving as your new Drama Teacher!" Then, after they've said this; Mx. Baskerville snapped their fingers and the curtains were suddenly pulled back. It was here that everyone could see a painted backdrop of some kind, the sort of thing people would use for plays.
"As some of you may know, the time for the school's next play is right around the corner" Mx. Baskerville explained, "in honor of this occasion and our new position, we thought it would be a splendid idea to put on a performance based on one of our favorite plays!" Before anyone had the chance to ask, the vice principal tapped the tip of their parasol lightly on the stage. This caused something to suddenly unfurl over the stage backdrop behind Mx. Baskerville.
It was a large poster; one showing a quartet of humans dressed in togas, Ancient Greek architecture and a group of fairy creatures. At first, Mx. Baskerville was expecting a wave of uproarious applause at this reveal. But as they looked out into the audience; they only saw looks of boredom, confusion and impatience on the students' faces.
"Hmm...Perhaps we weren't being clear enough with our reveal" Mx. Baskerville thought, "we shall go straight to the point, then." Without delay, they explained that the school would be putting on a production of one of William Shakespeare's most well-known and most widely performed plays; A Midsummer Night's Dream. "Once upon a time, back when we attended college in Oxford; we once took part in a production of the play" they giggled, "it was a jolly lot of fun, truly."
After this brief nostalgia trip; Mx. Baskerville announced that after school, there would be auditions open to anyone who'd want to take part in the play. Now, this news created a bit of a mixed reaction from the students. Some like Jordan, Clyde, Kaito and even Haiku felt genuinely excited to be taking part in a Shakespeare play.
At the same time, these same students felt that something like Romeo & Juliet would've been a more "appropriate" choice, given how popular that particular play was. Meanwhile, others simply groaned loudly with dismay; proclaiming that doing a Shakespeare play would be "the lamest thing ever." "Ah, dang it; being in a play is dorky enough already" Chandler groaned, "but being in a Shakespeare play makes it even worse!"
Not long after he said this, several other students voiced their own complaints about the play. Some thought the idea of wearing "frilly" tights would make them look like "dweebs," while others felt that the Shakespearean dialogue was both confusing and hilariously hammy. Unbeknownst to the students, Mx. Baskerville overheard these complaints and clicked their tongue in disappointment.
"We are sorry to hear you feel this way about our idea, dearies" Mx. Baskerville sighed lightly, "but for those of you who actually might be interested in performing, return here after school is dismissed." As one final note, the vice principal urged the students to help advertise the play in whatever way they thought was best. "Tell your families, your neighbors and to those of you who are...'tech savvy,' spread the word through social media" they stated, "just make sure to inform as many people as you can."
With that said; Mx. Baskerville, once again lightly tapped the point of their parasol upon the stage and dismissed everyone from the assembly. As the students flocked back out into the halls, many began to grumble and groan amongst themselves about the play. "Well, there goes fifteen minutes of our lives we'll never get back" grumbled Vicky, "you won't catch me up on that stage making a doofus of myself."
Several students walking alongside her murmured in agreement, adding that someone would need to be a "theater dork" to actually want to be in a Shakespeare play. Among them was Lynn Jr.; who mentioned several past instances where her sister, Lisa would "drag" the family to see such shows. "I mean...all those 'thou's' and 'thee's' that the characters say on stage makes my head hurt" she grumbled softly, "why can't they all just speak plain English?"
This statement caused the students surrounding Lynn to chuckle softly with amusement, Vicky among them. Then, at that moment; Margo suddenly arrived at the scene and urged her bestie to give the play a chance. "For all you know, Lynn; someone like me might consider trying out for the play" she stated, "other students might want to as well; like Francisco, Lainey...or even your little brother."
Now, despite her now more chill and gentle disposition; there were a few rare instances where Lynn would exhibit...a sliver of her old personality. She might get a little too invested into a game of dodgeball at Gym class or feel tempted to thrash a bully who's ganging up on one of her friends...but in this case, Lynn just couldn't help but burst out laughing. She guffawed, chortled and even snorted so loudly; many students started slowly backing away from her in alarm.
When Lynn finally calmed down and swiped a tear away from her eye, she noticed that Margo was giving her a rather annoyed glare; coupled with crossed arms and a toe tap. "Wait...hold on, you were serious" she asked dumbfounded, "this isn't like...some kinda joke or something?" Feeling mildly bothered by her friend's words, Margo proceeded to ask if Lynn didn't believe she could act (albeit in a scolding tone.)
"No, no way; you've got me all wrong" the young jock assured, "I don't doubt that someone like you, Lainey or even Cisco could act...it's my brother that I have my doubts about." In that moment, Margo suddenly found herself at a crossroads. On one hand, she was familiar with Lincoln's...small skills in being a sort of entertainer type; especially after his performance at the talent show back in January.
But on the other hand, no one remembered ever seeing him perform on stage before; even for a small play in the younger grades. "From the look on your face, I can tell you sense what I'm talking about" Lynn said suddenly, "I just don't know if my brother has the stones to be up on stage...in front of the whole school doing this play." Once again, Margo found herself lightly agreeing with her bestie.
But in spite of this, she still urged her to keep an open mind; claiming that he might surprise everybody, in the end.
(Line Break)
As our story cuts back to the present, we rejoin Lincoln and his friends in line for tryouts. On the surface, he did his best to appear as calm and collected as possible. But it was all a façade meant to hide away the..."nervous-cited" feelings that were swirling about inside of him.
"I dunno, guys...I should probably just bail while I have a chance" Lincoln muttered, "what if I screw up while trying to say my lines?" After taking in a quick but deep breath from his inhaler, Clyde patted his back and reminded him he wasn't alone. "Seriously, dude most of us are just as nervous as you" Rusty interjected, "I mean...check Feebs out up near the head of the line."
Upon looking towards the distance, Lincoln spotted Phoebe not too far ahead of him; looking as nervous as a cat in a rainstorm. Her body was shivering, her knees buckled against each other and Lincoln swore that he could see the poor girl clapping her hands while repeatedly chanting "this is crazy...this is crazy" under her breath. "What am I even doing here" Phoebe thought to herself, "I'm a photo student, not an actress...I don't belong on the stage!"
As the teen dipped further down into her fears, Lincoln's heart suddenly ached for her. After all the time gals like Phoebe spent trying to help him keep his anxieties under control, he hated seeing any of them face the same struggles. That being said, it gave him an idea of how to help his friend out.
Thinking quickly, Lincoln gave a whistle; which caught Phoebe's attention. When she looked over his way, the young shutterbug saw her guy friend performing some silent inhale/exhale gestures. It didn't take long for Phoebe to understand what he was trying to tell her and, after taking in some calming breaths, slowly started to feel more relaxed.
At that moment; Meryl, Principal Ramirez's assistant (and younger sister to Cheryl over at Royal Woods Elementary,) stepped through the auditorium doors and called for everyone's attention. "Okay, youngins; it's time to start the auditions" she announced, "remember; every one of y'all will enter in one at a time, remain waitin' in single file and most importantly, break a leg." Upon hearing these words, Lincoln couldn't help but chuckle to himself softly.
"I can only imagine what Leni would think, if she heard that" he thought to himself, "she might actually think we needed to really break our legs on stage." As Lincoln stood in place, smiling softly; the students at the head of the line made their way inside the auditorium and onto the stage. Sitting out in the chairs were Meryl and Mx. Baskerville, who were quite anxious to see the students acting abilities.
However, as they would soon find out; the first few auditions were...sub-par, at best. The first was Artie, who sought out to land the role of Demetrius. But unfortunately, his delivery of the dialogue was both stiff and unemotional. "'I love the...uh, thee not" he murmured while gazing at his lines in confusion, "'therefore, pursue me not; where is Lysander and fair Hernia...uh, I mean...Hermia? The one I'll stay, the other shall...stay-eth me."
After reciting his lines, Artie let out a loud groan and asked if he could leave. "Uh...yes, young man; thank you for auditioning" Mx. Baskerville said hesitantly, "as you were." With that statement, the boy trudged his way off the stage; all while massaging his temples from the migraine he was feeling from heading the lines.
Next, Elliot came onto the stage; wishing to audition for the role of King Oberon. "A fine choice of character, young man" Mx. Baskerville said gleefully, "for this scene; you have confronted your queen, Titania and demand that she surrender the small child she has claimed as hers." As the VP/Drama Teacher spoke further, they explained that Oberon claimed that he wished to make the boy as his servant.
But in reality; he had become so jealous and spiteful of his queen's love for the babe, he would do anything to ruin her happiness. "WHOA! All due respect, Mx. B...but that sounds really messed up" Elliot stated, "are we sure this is a comedy?" With a soft smile upon their face, Mx. Baskerville assured the boy that everything would become in time.
After that, they turned stage right and called for those auditioning for Queen Titania to come forward. Among them was Paula, who was quite eager to branch out beyond her sports hobbies. Sadly...due to her cast and having to use crutches to get around, she was left unable to go up the steps to the stage.
However, not wishing to deny their students a chance to show their skills; Mx. Baskerville and Meryl allowed Paula to perform on the ground while Elliot remained on stage. With that settled, the time had come for their audition to begin. "Okay...here I go" Elliot said after taking in a breath, "remember, big guy...be like a king!"
As soon as this thought popped into his head, the teen suddenly found himself deep in the zone and he swiftly delivered his first line in the most stoic way possible; "'Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.'" With that said, Mx. Baskerville gave Paula the signal to say her first line. But unfortunately, she had great difficulty doing so due to having to keep herself balanced while reading her lines.
After three attempts, Paula let out a disgruntled huff and proclaimed "just forget it...I don't know why I thought I could be in this thing anyway." Distressed by this behavior, Meryl made an immediate beeline for the girl and told her not to feel so discouraged. "Even if y'all can't be a character in the play, suge; you can still have a part in it" she assured, "would y'all feel more comfortable in the makeup department?"
Distressed yet still rather curious, Paula asked what someone like her could do in the makeup dept. "We've seen you on the sidelines at games before, poppet" Mx. Baskerville said with a warm smile, "the facepaint styles you give your friends to show your support for our teams is quite creative." The young teen smiled softly with a light blush on her cheeks before claiming nothing she did was quite that special.
"Au Contraire, dearie; it's just what we need" Mx. Baskerville insisted, "our faerie players need to look the part as much as they need to play it and this means giving them non-human skin-tones." Upon hearing this little detail, Paula suddenly found herself becoming evermore intrigued with the Vice Principal/Drama Teacher's idea. "I usually don't like being sidelined during big events, sports related or otherwise" she stated, "but...I might consider your offer, Mx. B."
Mx. Baskerville chuckled happily at the teen's response, shook her hand and sent her off on their way. "Speak to me later on, after auditions have concluded" they called out, "we shall talk more then. With that done, Mx. Baskerville took their seat back in the auditorium chairs and called the next student in line.
Not long after this, Rusty stepped in and proclaimed he was going to audition for the role of Nick Bottom (mostly because he liked the sound of the character's name.) "Very good, dear boy" said Mx. Baskerville, "now, remember; be calm, take your time and make us believe your performance." After this, all was quiet within the vastness of the room; save for one tiny sound that echoed on the stage...Rusty's knees buckling together.
"C'mon, dude...you can do this" he whispered to himself, "just think of all the babes you can get, if you land a good role in the play." Mere seconds later, a thought bubble appeared over his head; one that showed an image of him dressed as an actor from the renaissance era. He was up on the stage while the crowd roared with applause and roses rained down upon him.
However, the most "appealing" part of this fantasy (to Rusty, at least) was the droves of ladies squealing and cheering his name. Outside of the bubble, a goofy yet blissful grin slowly formed upon the real Rusty's face. But as he stood there daydreaming, Mx. Baskerville and Meryl stared at him in confusion; wondering if he was alright.
Meanwhile, at the same time; the other students waiting in line to audition were ranting and raving with impatience. "YO, SPOKES; WAKE UP" Chandler's voice called out from the line, "we're not getting any younger here!" Several other students then started shouting other outcries of impatience at Rusty, which made him feel rather nervous about going any further.
Upon taking notice of the scene before them, Mx. Baskerville and Meryl both gave a whistle; which was just shrill enough to get the other students' attention. "We're well aware of how anxious y'all are, everybody" Meryl said kindly, "but ya still gotta be patient and not rush others." After nodding in agreement at her words, Mx. Baskerville turned their attention towards Rusty and decided to share a few words with him next.
"We know you must be feeling nervous at the moment, dearie" they stated, "but do not focus on those thought or on the other students...or even the two of us; focus on the dialogue." From here, Mx. Baskerville suggested to Rusty to simply imagine that no one else is in the auditorium; only himself. At first, the boy felt confused by the advice; thinking that acting like no one was watching wouldn't work.
But then; he remembered that most people tended to sing, dance or even act out dialogue from a story best when they were on their own. Thus, after he took a quick peek at his lines; Rusty closed his eyes and started letting out a few calming breaths. Overtime, Rusty's mind became a lot calmer and he was now ready to perform.
"Okay now, Master Rusty; here is the scene" Mx. Baskerville stated, "you are working along with your colleagues Quince, Snug, Starveling, Flute and Snout have decided to put on a play to celebrate the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta." From here, they explained that Rusty (as Bottom) would be rehearsing one of the lines from said play with his colleagues. "You think y'all can do that, honey" questioned Meryl, "just deliver the one line the best way ya can for us."
Before starting, Rusty couldn't help but chuckle under his breath; thinking how weird it was to have a play within another play. But he quickly pushed that thought out of his head and immediately regained his focus. What followed next was so surprising that it left even the janitorial staff backstage speechless.
"'The raging rocks and shivering shocks shall break the locks of prison gates'" Rusty stated, "'and Phibbus' car shall shine from far and make and mar the foolish Fates.'" Though the line was short and brief, the young lad felt he poured a great deal of passion into his recitation. But deep down, he knew that that verdict was up to Mx. Baskerville to decide.
Upon looking down at where they sat, both the vice principal and Meryl looked like a pair of deer caught in the headlights; which made Rusty feel rather uneasy. Then, a mere split-second later; the duo quickly exploded into a roaring applause. "Dear boy, that was wonderful" Mx. Baskerville exclaimed, "I think you might be well on your way to being our play's Nick Bottom."
As Rusty once again chuckled at the character's name, he could hear his friends cheering for him in the lineup. At the same time, he also saw several students snickering at him. "Nice one, Rusty" Mordecai said mockingly, "hope ya know what you're getting into later."
Feeling mildly confused by this statement, Rusty proceeded to ask for the meaning behind his comment. As if on cue, Meryl appeared and revealed what Bottom's role in the play would be like. What Rusty saw next filled his heart with a great sense of dread.
"Wait...hold on here" he exclaimed, "nobody told me that my character's head was going to be turned into a donkey's!" With this reveal, nearly all the students standing in line for auditions suddenly burst out into fits of hysterical laughter; save for Rusty's friends. After getting the students to calm down, once again; Mx. Baskerville explained that Rusty had no reason to fear.
"Yes, the idea of sporting a donkey's head may seem like...a bother" they said uneasily, "but there is a positive side to that particular scene." Rusty rolled his eyes slightly at this statement and asked what could possibly make such a "humiliating" moment in the play seem positive. "Haven't you read the play before, Rusty" Haiku called out from the line, "if you had...you would know that through the trickery of Puck, Queen Titania ends up briefly falling in love with Bottom; donkey head and all."
With this simple statement, all of Rusty's fears swiftly faded away. Soon after that, he looked over at all the ladies waiting in line to audition. Upon doing so, his mind started filling up with all possible ideas of who he thought would make the "perfect" Titania.
"I wonder if Mollie will get picked or Dolores...or even one of the 8th Grade girls from the cheer squad" he pondered giddily, "I'm good with any one of them, to be honest." After being dismissed from the stage, Rusty watched as another student made their way up. Much to his surprise, the next student turned out to be Chandler and he announced he'd be trying out for the role of Demetrius.
But as the boy started speaking his lines, his delivery sounded (in theatrical terms) stiff or that it lacked emotion. "Good effort, dearie" Mx. Baskerville said kindly, "we shall see if it paid off for you, in the hours ahead." Despite the hesitant tone in the vice principal's voice, Chandler didn't appear that fazed by it.
In his mind, he believed the role was in the bag and everyone could sense it from the coy grin on his face. As expected, this behavior made a few of the students in line feel a tad annoyed; Lincoln and Co. among them. "Don't let him get to you, guys" Haiku murmured softly, "just focus on giving it your all, when you go up on the stage."
The Guys and Gals nodded in agreement and gave their Goth friend a thumb's up in gratitude. Then, Mx. Baskerville called for Clyde to come up on the stage. Unfortunately, the moment the spotlight shone down upon him; his anxieties suddenly kicked in.
Sweat started trickling down his forehead, his breathing became shallow, his hands were shaking and his nose started feeling stuffy; which Clyde took as a possible signal for a nosebleed coming. After taking in a quick huff from his inhaler, he desperately tried to calm himself however possible. "Okay, McBride...you can do this" he whispered, "just...just use that breathing technique Lincoln said his sister uses."
With this thought in mind, Clyde immediately performed the 4-7-8 Technique Lola once revealed (breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven and exhale for eight.) He did this three times over on the stage until, at last; his mind was as calm as the ocean. "You all good now; Clyde, sugar" asked Meryl, "y'all still wanna try out?"
Upon realizing what just happened, Clyde gave a soft "eep" of alarm and stood at attention. "Uh...G-G-Good afternoon Mx. Baskerville, Meryl" the boy said with a gracious bow, "I...I-I would like to audition for the role of Lysander." With a soft nod of the head, Mx. Baskerville smiled up at Clyde and beckoned for him to begin.
With that, he quickly took a look through his lines to find the right one he could use to show his skills. When he found it, Clyde sighed with relief and began his performance. But before he could start, Meryl came up with a wonderful idea for the audition.
"If y'all are auditionin' for Lysander, honey; you should have your lady beside ya as well" she stated, "could one of the students auditionin' for Hermia come up on stage please?" Upon hearing this, a familiar face quickly stepped forward; one that caused Clyde's earlier anxieties to almost come back into full swing. It was Chloe, his girlfriend since the near-end of 5th Grade and the only other woman who could make his heart pound (besides Lori and at one time, Stella.)
"Heya, sweetie" the young lady said sweetly in greeting, "didn't expect me to be trying out for the play, huh?" After he managed to get his nerves under control yet again, Clyde smiled and answered Chloe's inquiry with a nod. "Hope this won't make things too awkward between us, later on; Clyde" Chloe said suddenly, "you know, if we end up getting these parts."
With as much courage he could muster, Clyde answered her concerns with a light shrug and proclaimed she had nothing to worry about. Of course, this scene was quickly disturbed by Mx. Baskerville; who was eager to get their audition started. With that, both teens took in a breath and began reciting their lines to each other.
Clyde as Lysander: "'How now, my love; why is your cheek so pale? How chance the roses there fade so fast?'"
Chloe as Hermia: "'Belike for want of rain, which I could well Beteem them from the tempest of my eyes.'"
Clyde as Lysander: "'Aye me, for aught that I could ever read, could ever hear by tale or history, the course of true love never did run smooth. But either it was different in blood-
Chloe as Hermia: "'Oh cross! Too high to be enthralled to low.
Clyde as Lysander: "'Or else be misgraffèd in respect of years'"
Soon after Clyde had said the final line, he suddenly discovered how close he was getting to Chloe and quickly backed away from her; just as she did so from him. At the same time, a deep blush suddenly appeared on their cheeks while they stood on stage giggling like bashfully timid fools. Before the duo could continue, Mx. Baskerville raised their hand and began clapping them both with great fervor.
"YES! YES! That's exactly what we are looking for" they cheered loudly, "we can truly feel your passion for each other...that was lovely, dearies." These words caused Chloe and Clyde to suddenly blush even deeper than they did earlier. But despite their shyness, they still did the respectable thing and thanked their teachers for letting them try out.
(Line Break)
Some time passed and the line of auditionees had grown much smaller. Now, only a handful of people remained waiting to go up on stage. Among them was Lincoln; who, despite feeling anxious about the whole thing moments before, was now as nervous as a sinner in church.
Upon sensing his fear, Lincoln gave himself a quick slap in the face and shook his head. "Pull it together, Loud" he murmured, "it's almost time...just get your head back in the game, you can do this!" After slapping the fear out of him for a few more seconds, Lincoln was finally calm enough to regain his focus.
Of course, he mainly chose to stop due to his cheeks flaring a painful red from his repeated slaps. As Lincoln stood there rubbing his face, he looked to the stage and saw that Phoebe was the next to test her mettle. But he couldn't help but notice how nervous she looked while under the spotlight.
After breathing shakily for almost half a minute, she was finally calm enough to begin her performance. "Now, then Miss Shutter; let me set the scene for you" Mx. Baskerville explained, "you have awoken from your rest and, thanks in part to Puck's trickery, have soon fallen in love with Bottom; whose head is now that of an ass." Once that was said; Meryl encouraged Phoebe to take her time, keep calm and give it all she had.
For a moment or two, all was as silent as the grave and everyone could see the young teen quivering slightly on the stage. Upon sensing the anxieties inside of her, Phoebe shook her head and put on her best game face. "C'mon, Feebs; you can do this" she thought to herself, "if you can go into creepy places like caves, the forests near the Scratchy Bottom campgrounds or even the restroom of that old Hazeltucky gas station for pictures...this should be a breeze for ya!"
With this thought in mind and after taking in a few calming breaths, Phoebe was now ready to begin. She dusted herself off slightly, took a look at her lines and put on her best game face. What happened next left everyone even more speechless than they were with Rusty's performance earlier.
As Phoebe began to recite her lines; she spoke with such passion and refinement in her voice that many students couldn't help but feel awestruck, even Rusty. "'Ah! I pray thee, gentle mortal; sing again'" she said in a pleading tone, "'mine ear is much enamored of thy note." For almost half a minute, everyone stood there; gawking in awe at Phoebe as she recited her lines.
As she drew closer to the end of her piece in the script, her voice suddenly shifted into a sort of longing tone; as if she truly desired Bottom. "'And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me'" she said dramatically, "'on the first view to say, to swear...I love thee.'" Though the line was only a brief one; the instant she had finished it, poor Phoebe slouched forward with her hands on her knees and heaved out a deep sigh of exhaustion.
As she stood there trying to catch her breath, she suddenly noticed that every eye in the room was focused squarely on her. At first, the poor girl thought she messed up her line and believed they were staring out of disgust. But then, much to her surprise; the faint sounds of one student clapping echoed through the air.
Phoebe shook her head slightly, looked towards the seats and saw that it was Haiku clapping slowly. She also noticed that the wee Goth girl seemed to be shedding tears of joy from her one visible eye as well. After that, two more students started applauding along with her in unison; then, several more started clapping as well.
Overtime, the tempo of this "slow clap" (as some students often called it) slowly started to build up in speed. Then, Meryl and Mx. Baskerville joined in with them until finally; the clapping changed into fevered cheers and applause. "Brilliant, Ms. Shutter...simply brilliant" the vice principal/drama teacher cried with joy, "the way you delivered your lines with such passion was so...raw and...powerful!"
Upon taking a moment to collect themselves, Mx. Baskerville immediately declared Phoebe to be his choice for the role of Queen Titania. Needless to say, this news left the young lady in question feeling...quite surprised, to say the least. So much so that once her mind was finally able to process what just happened, she fainted right on stage from the shock.
Naturally, this came as a shock to her friends and they asked if Phoebe was alright. Thinking quickly; Meryl hurried up onto the stage, took hold of the teen's wrist and checked for a pulse. The instant she felt a light bump between her fingers, she heaved a sigh of relief.
"It's okay, y'all...she's just fine" Meryl assured, "this lil' lady just had a faintin' spell, nothin' serious." After this was said, she and one of the other students helped move Phoebe aside to a nearby chair; where they chose to leave her until the end of the auditions. "Just give her some time to rest, dearies; she will be fine" Mx. Baskerville assured, "for now, let us finish with the auditions."
With that said, they gave a wave towards the students in line and asked for Lincoln to come forward; who looked to be leaking more fluids than a broken water bucket. After he took a few seconds to breathe, the young Loud boy took hold of his script and presented himself on stage. "Well, Linc...here goes everything" he thought to himself, "I just hope I don't have a fainting spell of my own, in the end."
(First AN: As the auditions for the play draw to a close, so does this part of our story. What will happen next; will Lincoln get a good part in the play...will any of his friends land a good part? Tune in next time for Part 2, to find out)
(Second AN: As you can probably tell, Mx. Baskerville is my favorite OC character that I've made yet. After introducing them in Gender Bender, I've felt the desire to include them in future oneshots and having them be the acting Drama Teacher was the best way to do that; in my eyes, at least. I hope they're presence in Part One entertained you all enough, everybody)
(Third AN: I know that in the OG Loud House series, they already had one of the Loud Family Members *namely Luan* star in a Shakespeare play. But while I do love Romeo & Juliet, I feel that the other plays don't quite get as much love in media as they should; Midsummer Night's Dream being one of them. Thus, I thought it would be cool to have Loud House characters in the play.
But unlike in Stage Plight, we'll actually get to see Lincoln and the others perform on stage...when the time comes, at least)
(Fourth AN: The character of Meryl and her relation to Cheryl is a reference to the Season Five premiere special, Schooled. While I consider that special to be one of the show's worst installments *not quite as bad as No Such Luck but on the same levels of terrible as Kings of the Con,* Meryl's character was but one of...a small handful of things I enjoyed about it)
(Fifth AN: For those wondering about Chandler's character here; be assured, he's not an antagonist like Biff. At the moment, he's more of a..."frenemy" to Lincoln and his friends. For those wondering, the term "frenemy" describes someone whom you have a rivalry with...but still feel a friendly bond, in spite of it.
I hope that makes sense to you, everybody)
(Sixth AN: Ironically enough; the title of this oneshot three-parter, "The Play's the Thing" is based on a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Funny, I always thought it was something actors on Broadway or Hollywood said. But it truly fits for this story, when you think about it)
(Final AN: At first, I thought about making Dolores fill the role of Faerie Queen Titania; due to her charm and good looks. But then, I thought "I should go for someone no one would ever suspect having an actor's passion...like Phoebe." It's as the old saying goes, it's almost always the quiet ones.
Plus, much like with Mx. Baskerville; I wanted to give Feebs a bit more time to shine. But I'll let you guys be the judge and see if she'll measure up as queen)
