The Play's The Thing with the Gal Pals – Part Four
(Story Summary: The play is officially underway and everyone's ready to go onstage and give it their all. Will the cast and crew's hard work pay off, will the audience be entertained by their efforts and most of all; will Carol's live streaming idea work so that all the "out of town" Gal Pals and their families can see the show online?)
As the curtains part away, everyone watches as the characters Theseus and Hippolyta walked onto the stage. Down in the audience; Officer Campos and her husband, Esteban do everything in their power to not gush uncontrollably. "Look at my little girl" the Latina officer whispered softly, "she looks so lovely."
The audience watched as the two figures drew closer and take each other by the hand. Then, they smiled lovingly and speak out their first lines of dialogue.
Byron as Theseus: "'Now, fair Hippolyta; our nuptial hour draws upon a pace. Four happy days bring in another moon. But, O, methinks how slow this old moon wanes!'"
As the teen recited his lines, the audience felt that while his voice may have lacked any sort of refined tone; he more than made up for it with his passionate delivery. Meanwhile, some (or more specifically, Leni) had...some difficulty in understanding what he was saying. "In other words, Theseus is expressing how eager he is for his and Hippolyta's wedding day to arrive" Lucy explained in a hushed whisper, "kind of like how...how you would get excited about upcoming dates with Chaz."
Miraculously, this explanation seemed to click rather quickly with the blonde teen. Then, upon on stage; Dolores was getting ready to speak her lines next. When she did, her accented voice gave her dialogue a rather exotic flavor to it; as if she truly was the mythical Amazon Queen herself.
Dolores as Hippolyta: "'Four days will quickly steep themselves in night; four nights shall quickly dream away the time; and then the moon, like to a silver bow new-bent shall behold the night of our solemnities.'"
To say that the audience was awestruck by the performance would be putting it mildly. Truth be told, not only were members of the audience hanging upon Dolores' every word; backstage, many of the students (male and female) were practically swooning. Meanwhile, Margo found herself feeling slightly tense; not because of the scene itself...but because of something else entirely.
After hearing both Byron and Dolores' characters speaking about an upcoming wedding and remembering the fact that her boyfriend, Elliot was going to be one side of another couple set to appear soon, the poor girl did everything she could to keep her jealousy in check. Meanwhile, some of the Loud Sisters appeared to be utterly bored out of their minds; desperate for something "exciting" to happen. "When 'incoln show up" little Lily murmured softly, "Lily wanna see 'incoln."
While doing her best to keep her own voice down, Rita did their best to keep her daughter patient. "He'll be coming soon, sweetie" Lynn Sr. murmured, "just you wait and see." Eventually, things got to the point where the play's two main couples finally took their places on stage.
But at the same time, Biff Packard took his place upon the stage as well; dressed in what looked like regal Grecian clothing. As the spotlight shined down upon him, only two sets of people clapped in applause; Biff's own parents and his "friends," Mordecai and Vicky. Of course, the latter was clapping feverishly like a pair of wild fans at a concert; adding in some whistles as well.
Mr. and Mrs. Packard however, chose to be more dignified and offered up a golfer's clap for their son. This carried on for almost half a minute...until the audience silenced the foursome with loud shushes. With that done, the time finally came for Biff to speak his lines.
Unfortunately, when he did so; his delivery sounded boisterous and (for lack of more respectable terms) quite hammy. To the ears of those like Fiona or some of the Gal Pals who were present on or off the stage, it all reminded them of "Madame" Victoria Chapman from the Faire.
Biff as Egeus: "'Happy be Theseus, our renowned duke!'"
Byron as Theseus: "'Thanks, good Egeus. What's the news with thee?'"
Biff as Egeus: "'Full of vexation come I...with COMPLAINT against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth Demetrius!'"
(In comes Chloe, Clyde and Trent; Trent, dressed as Demetrius, steps forth and bows courteously to the court.)
Biff as Egeus: "'My Lord, this man hath my consent to marry her. Step forward, Lysander!'"
As Clyde takes three steps forward; out in the audience, his fathers and adoptive grandmother, Gayle squeal softly with glee. One of the fathers, Howard wastes no time in taking out his phone and taking three snapshots of his son in costume. Then, all too quickly; all was quiet again and Biff resumed speaking his lines.
"'And, my gracious duke, this man hath bewitched the bosom of my child'" he said while adding a mild tone of displeasure in his voice, "'thou, thou Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes and interchanged love tokens child.'" As the scene continued, some watched with great intrigue while others did their best to understand what was going on. At this point, Lisa quickly presented something of interest to her family.
"It seems that the school's Drama Club was kind enough to offer translations of the dialogue in our programs" she stated, "should any of you feel lost, you can look up what's written inside." Not needing to be told twice; Leni, Lana and Lynn Sr. and Jr. opened up their programs and found the aforementioned translations inside. After looking over the translations for the current scene, each of them gasped softly in shock.
"O.M. Gosh, is this for real" Leni cried, "is the duke really going to kill Hermia if she doesn't marry this Demetrius guy?!" As one would expect, this silent yet shocked outcry caused the audience to loudly shush the young lady. At the same time, Lori and the Loud Parents quietly yet firmly reminded her to not shout out anything that would be considered "spoiler territory."
"Oops...sorry about that, everybody" Leni murmured with shame, "I just got surprised is all." While such a reaction was understandable (to an extent,) Rita and Lynn still reminded her to keep her reactions down...just a little. With that settled, the scene was allowed to continue again.
As Leni discovered; by the decree of Duke Theseus, Hermia was commanded to obey her father's will and marry Demetrius...or else she would be sent to either live a life of eternal chastity as a nun or be put to death. Naturally Chloe responded in the most appropriate way befitting her character; with silent tears. In time, all other cast members had departed from the stage; leaving only Chloe and Clyde behind.
Upon closer inspection, Chloe's character of Hermia looked rather distressed; something that Clyde took immediate notice of. "'How now, my love'" he asked with concern, "'why is your cheek so pale, how chance the roses there do fade so fast?'" After taking a moment to dry away her tears, Chloe reached out and held onto Clyde's hands for dear life.
Of course, due to having such strong feelings for her; the poor lad came close to overheating at her touch. But he quickly dialed back these feelings, as Chloe began to speak her lines.
Chloe as Hermia: "'Belike for want of rain, which I could well between them from the tempest of my eyes.'"
Clyde as Lysander: "'Ay 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: "'O cross! Too high to be enthralled to low.'"
Clyde as Lysander: "'Or else misgraffèd in respect of years...'"
As the scene went on, Howard and Harold McBride appeared to be on the verge of tears while Gayle couldn't help but smile with pride. At the same time; Lori, rather ironically found herself feeling...mildly captivated by the boy's emphatic voice and mannerisms. "I can't believe it" she thought to herself, "he actually sounds...amazing."
No sooner had she said this, Lori suddenly gave herself a quick slap on the cheek. Despite however much it hurt, it drove out anymore thoughts about feeling wooed by Clyde's performance...for now, at least. In time, someone new took to the stage; someone who almost made Miss Fiona McNair and Co. hoot with joy.
It was Haiku dressed in a marine-blue toga, she wore her hair in a sort of braided ponytail and the braids were held together by a beautiful faux gold band. At the same time; everyone, almost immediately noticed that her hair color was now blonde instead of its usual black. The rest of the cast and audience members stared were left in awe at this transformation.
At the same time, Haiku's parents and extended family were equally astonished by her look. But then, as she took her place on the stage; the young Goth (now turned Athenian noble) let out a heavy sigh of despair.
(Brief Flashback)
Before we rejoin the cast on the stage, let us take a moment to see what was happening out in the crowd moments ago. As the scene shifts from the stage to the audience seating, we find Mrs. Pingrey and the other parents drawing out their phones from wherever they kept them. Afterwards, some proceeded to turn them on and either press the "Record" button on the screens or do their best to activate the live streaming feature.
In one such case, Mrs. Pingrey tried to do just that mere seconds before the curtains parted ways. But unfortunately for her, she was having a rather difficult time with it. In time, Lori and Mrs. Loud took notice of this and offered to help her.
"Thank you both so much" Mrs. Pingrey said gratefully, "I promised to do this for Carol...but I completely forgot what she told me on how to work the live streaming feature on the phone." Lori smiled and nodded in understanding; confessing that her boyfriend, Bobby once had the same issue. In which case, she was more than willing to lend a helping hand.
After Mrs. Pingrey handed her phone over to her, Lori looked to the top-right area of the screen and found what they needed; the Live Stream icon. "Just turn it on by pressing the icon like so" she muttered while pressing her finger atop the icon symbol, "and then, I'll just click on who to broadcast this to aaaand...there." With one final click on the screen, Lori had finished her work and handed her phone back to Mrs. Pingrey.
Coincidentally, the curtains were just starting to part the instant this happened. "Thank you so much for helping me; Lori, dear" Mrs. Pingrey said gratefully, "now...I only hope my Carol will be able to see this from the campus." With that said, she held the phone aloft and did her best to keep her hands steady; just as the play was about to begin.
(Back to Reality)
As the scene quickly returns to the present, we briefly look back on Mrs. Pingrey; who is looking quite calm and entertained while holding up her phone. Meanwhile, outside of the Community Center; we join Carol and her father, who were currently being led through a hallway by a rather fancy fellow. In reality, this man was the head of a rather popular college in Huntington Oaks; one that Mr. Pingrey hoped his daughter would be lucky to go to.
"As you can see, Sir" the instructor began, "this institute is dedicated to teaching its students all they need to know to become successful entrepreneurs and bureaucrats." From here; the man began to praise how many of his college's former students later went on to become successful in fields of business, art and scholarly pursuits. Of course, this all seemed to please Mr. Pingrey a great deal.
But unbeknownst to him, his daughter's focus seemed to be drawn elsewhere. As discretely as she could, Carol did her best to watch the Middle School's play on her phone every chance she got. But unfortunately, due to the fact that their tour guide wouldn't stop talking or give her a moment's privacy; she missed a little of the play's starting moments.
It was here that Carol got the perfect idea of what to do for privacy. "Oh, uh...excuse me; Daddy, Mr. Dean" she called out as politely as possible, "I, uh...might I have your permission to use the restroom for a moment?" At first, the Dean felt like denying the girl's request; to tell her that they had much to do on the schedule.
"Come now, Sir; using the facilities shouldn't take that much time from the tour" Mr. Pingrey said matter-of-factly, "besides...you can't expect us to hold it all in the whole time we're here, correct?" For a moment or two, the dean remained silent; running his hand through the scruff of his beard in thought. Finally, he let out a sigh and granted Carol permission to use the restroom.
"Be quick about it, young lady" he said simply, "we've got much to see and do with so little time." Carol smiled slightly at the dean, thanked him for his kindness and went off down the hall. Upon arriving inside the restroom; she hurried into one of the stalls, locked the door and took out her phone. As luck would have it, Carol saw that the live stream connection still worked from even her location.
It was here that she saw Haiku (dressed as Helena) take the stage, which made the young teen quite excited. "Yes, I haven't missed that much after all" she whispered, "it may not be Lincoln's scene yet...but still." After that, she took her seat upon the toilet and carefully held her phone in hand; making certain not to drop it in the water.
In time, Haiku came to the center stage and looked down in despair. As if sensing this, Chloe rose from her seat and approached her cautiously; eager to learn what was wrong.
Chloe as Hermia: "'Godspeed, fair Helena. Whither away?'
Haiku as Helena: "'Call you me fair? That fair again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair!'
"'Your eyes are lodestars and your tongue's sweet air more tunable than lark to shepherd's ear when wheat is green and hawthorn buds appear.'"
"'Sickness is catching. O, were favor so! Yours would I catch, Fair Hermia, ere I go'"
"'My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye; my tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.'"
"'Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated, the rest I'd give to be to you translated.'"
"'O, teach me how you look and with what art to sway the motion of Demetrius' heart!'"
To say that Carol was left speechless by her young friend's words would be a gross understatement. Since the day the Gal Pals first became a crew, she knew that the Haiku harbored a passionate spirit underneath her usual Goth exterior. But never once did Carol think it would be quite as strong as what she had just witnessed.
At the same time, Carol also shared this same feeling of pride unto Chloe as well; who was offering up some form of reassurance to Haiku's character. "'Take comfort'" the young lady said kindly, "'he no more shall see my face, Lysander and myself will fly this place.'" This bit of dialogue suddenly caused Carol to softly squeal with delight, in spite of herself.
Like most teenaged ladies, the idea of two lovers running away together just seemed so thrilling. But then, a sudden thought started nagging away at her slightly; much like how a bug would irritate someone by coming into their personal space. "This is all very nice and all" Carol thought mentally, "but when is Linky's scene coming up...I wanna see what he looks like in costume!"
Just as she was about to continue watching the play, there came a sudden banging from outside the stall; which almost resulted in the poor girl dropping her phone. "Hey, are you finished in there yet" a young lady's voice asked impatiently, "I've been standing out here for almost ten minutes!" Carol gasped with shock at this reveal, surprised to learn that so much time had passed (albeit a short amount of it.)
"I best get out of here, then" she whispered, "don't want either the Dean or Daddy to worry." With that thought in mind, Carol stuffed her phone safely back into her purse and left the stall; taking a quick moment to wash her hands at the sink. But before she decided to leave the restroom, Carol got her phone out again and connected something to the right side of it; a cord that had a pair of small ear buds attached to it.
After making certain the buds were safely inserted inside each ear, she carefully smoothed her hair over both sides of her head; making sure that the cord lines would blend perfectly beneath her locks. "That should do it" she thought to herself, "this way, I won't miss too much of the show while I'm here." Once that was done, Carol walked out of the restroom and made her way back down the hall to rejoin her father.
Meanwhile, the other woman in the restroom simply stared confusedly at the entrance/exit door. For a brief moment, she wondered what the teenager was doing on her phone. But in the end, she shrugged it off; dismissing it as "typical teenager business."
(Scene Change: Great Lakes City)
While all of this was going on; over in the city, we find the Casagrande Family and all their friends in the building sitting together. Of course, this was a much calmer scene than it was mere moments ago. At that point, everyone was running about the room like a swarm of bees; anxious to have everything set just right for the big event.
This was made possible thanks to three different factors. First, Sid convinced her mom to borrow the old projector from the zoo. This was often used to show film strips, nature documentaries on certain animals or even orientation films for new employees.
Thankfully, Mrs. Chang's bosses were kind enough to let her use it...but only for that night. When she brought it back to the building, everyone saw that Mrs. Chang was having quite bit of difficulty carrying the machine out of her car. "I'm just going to need some help getting upstairs" Mrs. Chang stated, "do I have any volunteers?"
At first, Sid and Adelaide offered to help their mother out. But unsurprisingly, she told them that it was too heavy for those as young/small as them to move. "I can help you out, Mrs. C" Bobby interjected, "I lift all sorts of heavy boxes down in the Mercado." Even though no one doubted his word (with the exception of Carl,) the idea was still a no-go.
That's when Rosa got a look at her watch and let out a surprised yelp. "AY! We've only got an hour and a half until the play starts" she cried, "we must move now!" Before anyone could speak up, Rosa had already taken the box containing the projector out of Mrs. Chang's arms and started carrying it up the stairs to Apartment 2-A.
Down in the lobby, everyone simply stared up at her in awe; amazed by how strong Rosa was for her age. "Ay...that is why I love her" Hector sighed blissfully, "that and her cooking skills." No sooner had he said this, Rosa came flying down the stairs again in the blink of an eye.
Afterwards; she handed out pieces of paper to Frida, Carlos and Maria. "Andale, niños; this is no time to rest" the Casagrande matriarch said firmly, "I plan on making a big meal for tonight...so, we'll need every ingredient on the lists I gave you." Upon hearing this and seeing the lists for himself, Hector suddenly felt rather nervous. As much as he loved his wife's cooking and applauded her for the amount of food she would provide; he often worried how much it would all cost him, in the end.
But he knew better than to contradict Rosa whenever she had her mind set on something, especially making meals. Within seconds; Maria, Carlos and Frida hurried out the door and went off to the local market to collect their supplies. "What about us, Abuela" Ronnie Anne asked, "what can we all do to help?" Without hesitation, Rosa gave the children the task of prepping the living room for the show. "I'll help set up the projector" Carlota offered, "I just need to find a spot to shine the image on." For a few brief moments, everyone scratched their chins in thought; wondering what par of the room would be suitable to project images onto.
"I do believe I have a solution, everyone" Carlos said suddenly, "I've got a projection screen stored down in the stock room we can use." While the idea sounded nice, there were two things about it that puzzled everyone. "Why do you have a film screen, Tio" questioned Ronnie Anne, "and why keep it in the stock room and not somewhere in your apartment?"
Straightaway, the young man answered her niece's question with two simple answers. "I use the screen for certain lectures I give down at the college" he stated, "as for why I don't keep it at home...I stopped doing it Carl tried to charge people for private movie screenings inside." As if expecting his father to say this, the young boy in question defended himself by saying "aren't you always trying to teach me how to make my own money?"
Before anyone had a chance to talk about the matter any further, Rosa immediately intervened. "Let's get to work, everyone" she ordered, "Bobby, you and Carlota get the projector machine ready while the boys go and retrieve the projection screen." After that, Rosa tasked both Ronnie Anne and Sid to spread the word about the viewing event/party in the apartment to everyone in the building.
"I'll give Margarita a call" Hector offered, "no doubt she will want to see the niños perform." Once everyone split up to perform their tasks, Rosa returned to the kitchen to begin hers. "With so many guests coming, we will need an equal amount of snacks" she stated, "luckily, I love cooking for large groups." With this thought in mind; the family matriarch gave her knuckles a light crack, set out her ingredients out and readied her cooking tools.
Meanwhile, over in the living room; Bobby and Carlota couldn't help but smile lightly. "Hope you're ready, everybody" they thought in unison, "because in just a few moments, this room was going to smell as fragrant as a 5-star restaurant."
(Line Break)
As we come back to the present, we see that the entire living room of the Casagrandes' apartment is near full to capacity. Everyone from family to neighbors from every part of the building came, eager to see their friends from Royal Woods on stage. Thankfully, Carlota and Bobby were able to set up the devices just in time.
At the start of the play, many found the acting rather entertaining...save for Biff's sub-par performance as Egeus. But what really got their attention where the performances of the main leads. "Wow...for a kid, that Haiku girl has some serious chops" Cory stated, "and the kid playing Lysander is pretty impressive too."
While some agreed with the young man, there were others (specifically Adelaide and Carl) who had quite a bit of difficulty in either understanding the play or getting invested with it at all. "I thought you said there were fairies in this story, Sid" the little girl grumbled, "where are they, then?" Mrs. Chang patted her daughter lightly on the back and kindly encouraged her to be patient.
"I'm right there with her, to be honest" Ronnie Anne muttered, "I've been waiting forever to see Lincoln be in this play...he better not have weaseled out at the last minute." The Casagrande Family all smiled slightly at her and, much like Mrs. Chang, encouraged her to be patient. Upon turning their attention back to the play itself, everyone could see Hermia and Lysander wishing each other farewell and vow to reunite together in the woods.
"Ah, that's so romantic" Carlota sighed dreamily, "I wish I could run into the woods with a boy l liked." Almost immediately, several of her relatives (both young and old) wasted no time in pointing out how illogical the idea sounded. "First of all, there aren't any woods in the city" Carl said bluntly, "second...since we all live together, I doubt Mom or even Abuela wouldn't notice you leaving."
Infuriated by her brother's words shattering her daydream, Carlota quickly retaliated by swiftly striking him with her long ponytail. Of course, this would've almost resulted in the two siblings bickering...if CJ didn't quickly interrupt them. "Look, guys; some new people are coming" he said while pointing at the screen, "wonder what's happening next?"
At first, Carlos was prepared to give a small explanation (or a lecture) on the scene in question. But his wife stopped him, claiming it would feel better to see it rather than have someone else explain it. "Agreed, Frida" Maria stated, "now...be a good boy, Carlos and let's keep watching." Normally, he always hated whenever his baby sister would talk down to him like a child.
But in this particular instance, he chose to swallow his pride and keep quiet.
(Scene Change: Royal Woods Community Center)
As the scene returns to the play; we find Omar, Rusty, Zach and Liam taking their places for their first scene together. Each of them was dressed in Athenian-style togas but to tell each other apart, the costume department had each of them bear a different color. After a while, they turned to one another and began reciting their lines.
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Is all our company here?'"
Rusty as Nick Bottom: "'You were best to call them generally, man by man, according to the scrip.'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Here is the scroll of every man's name which is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the Duke and Duchess on his wedding day at night.'"
Rusty as Nick Bottom: "'First, good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on, then read the names of the actors, and so grow to a point.'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Marry, our play is 'The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe.'"
Upon hearing these lines, some of the young kids thought it seemed "bizarre" to have a play within another play. "Reminds me of all the theater scenes in movies" Miranda stated, "I thought having a story within a story seemed weird there too." After having a light chuckle at this, Carlos explained that the four gentlemen thought the best way to celebrate the wedding would be to put on a play for the happy couple.
"I would've preferred a live band...or a deejay at my own celebrations" Carlota stated, "but you know, a play's great too." Mere seconds after this, Sid raised her hand and asked what the "tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe" was about. "I'm afraid it would take too long to explain the story, dear" Maria said kindly, "but to put it one way, it has...some elements that are similar to Romeo & Juliet."
No sooner had she said this, Maria quickly listed the few elements that were (supposedly) connected with the aforementioned play. These included two young and star-crossed lovers, a romance forbidden by their feuding families and of course, a tragic ending. "Excuse me...what" exclaimed Ronnie Anne, "I thought this play's supposed to be a comedy...why put something tragic in it?!"
Though everyone fully understood the girl's shock, many urged her to keep calm and be patient. "I won't spoil as anymore of the Pyramus and Thisbe play anymore" Carlos said firmly, "but...to help ease your shock, it's important to remember that one of the boys here will be tasked with playing the leading lady." With this simple reveal, all of Ronnie Anne's shock faded away and was replaced with a mixture of intrigue and sly amusement.
"So...one of these dudes is going to be in a dress, eh" she thought to herself, "my money's on either Rusty or Liam." As the scene went on, Omar begins giving out roles to each of his associates.
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Francis Flute, the Bellows-Mender'"
Kaito as Flute: "'Here, Peter Quince'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Flute, you must take Thisbe on you'"
Kaito as Flute: "'Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming!'"
Omar as Peter Quince:"'That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and you may speak as small as you will.'"
Rusty as Nick Bottom: "'An I may hide my face, let me play Thisby too, I'll speak in a monstrous little voice. 'Thisne, Thisne;' 'Ah, Pyramus, lover dear! thy Thisby dear, and lady dear!''"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'No, no; you must play Pyramus: and, Flute, you Thisby.'"
Rusty as Nick Bottom: "'Well, proceed.'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Robin Starveling, the tailor.'"
Liam as Robin Starveling: "'Here, Peter Quince.'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Robin Starveling, you must play Thisby's mother. Tom Snout, the tinker.'"
Zach as Tom Snout: "'Here, Peter Quince.'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'You, Pyramus' father: myself, Thisby's father: Snug, the joiner; you, the lion's part: and, I hope, here is a play fitted.'"
'Theo as Snug: "'Have you the lion's part written? pray you, if it be, give it me, for I am slow of study.'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring.'"
Rusty as Nick Bottom: "'Let me play the lion too: I will roar, that I will do any man's heart good to hear me; I will roar, that I will make the duke say 'Let him roar again, let him roar again.''"
Omar as Peter Quince: 'An you should do it too terribly, you would fright the duchess and the ladies, that they would shriek; and that were enough to hang us all.'"
Everyone but Omar: "'That would hang us, every mother's son.'"
While the performers continued speaking, the children's minds appeared to be otherwise distracted by everything. Adelaide and Carl were quite curious to see what the one boy would look like dressed as a lion. Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne found herself feeling conflicted by what was going on.
On the one hand, she hoped it would be one of Lincoln's guy friends who would be dressing as the Thisbe character. Instead, it was only "some rando" in his class; one whom she had zero memory of. Thus, Ronnie Anne wasn't sure if she should care or not about what this kid's performance would be like.
Yet...on the other hand, since this particular kid was still set to be put in a dress; she took what she could get and smiled naughtily. In time, the group of boys had finished discussing preparations for the play they plan on holding for the big wedding. This meant that the scene was just about ready to end. But before that, Rusty and Omar shared one final dialogue exchange with one another.
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Some of your French crowns have no hair at all, and then you will play bare-faced. But, masters, here are your parts: and I am to entreat you, request you and desire you, to con them by to-morrow night; and meet me in the palace wood, a mile without the town, by moonlight; there will we rehearse, for if we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with company, and our devices known. In the meantime I will draw a bill of properties, such as our play wants. I pray you, fail me not.'"
Rusty as Nick Bottom: "'We will meet; and there we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously. Take pains; be perfect: adieu.'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'At the duke's oak we meet.'"
Rusty as Nick Bottom: "'Enough; hold or cut bow-strings.'"
(the two men exit the stage and the curtains fall)
As the first act of the play comes to a close, everyone clapped lightly with joyous applause; both within the community center and beyond it. Then, Mx. Baskerville takes to the stage and gives a light bow of greeting to the crowd. "Thus concludes Act I of our production" they explained heartily, "we shall take a brief interlude so that our next collection of performers can get ready."
Upon saying this; the Vice Principal/Drama Teacher welcomed everyone to take this time to stretch their legs, chatter softly amongst themselves or to (in their words) "use the facilities, if necessary.) For many, like the Loud Sisters or Carl up in Great Lakes, this was a wonderful idea. Without wasting a second, they made an immediate beeline for the restroom to "relieve themselves."
"Don't take too long in there" Lynn Sr. and Rosa said in unison through a sort of "split-screen view, "the next act will be starting up soon."
(Line Break)
While everyone in the audience tended to whatever they needed to do; backstage, Mx. Baskerville went to the dressing rooms to check on the next group of actors set to go on next. "How is our Faerie Court fairing" they said gleefully, "oh, dear...seems as though we've made a funny! Ha-Ha!" The students present couldn't quite respond to their teacher's words, at the present moment.
This was due to the fact that each one of them was currently undergoing some serious cosmetic treatment. Since the start of Act I, the six students sat in their chairs tensely; having all manner of brushes, goop and other items touching every inch of their persons. Some of them found it rather pleasant like having a makeover while others (specifically those like Elliot or Kat) felt it all seemed a little "overkill."
"Do we really need to have this makeup on, teach" the young man inquired with an annoyed tone, "can't we be fairies with just ears and wings on?" No sooner had he said this, some of the other cast members playing faeries made similar comments; proclaiming that it wouldn't make that much of a difference in the audience's eyes. "Nonsense, dearies" Mx. Baskerville said bluntly, "we want the fantastical elements of this play to look exactly that...fantastical and one cannot do so with plastic wings, faux elf/fairy ears and hairpieces alone."
There was a cacophony of soft muttering from some of the children, for a moment or two. Then, someone slammed their palms slightly atop the armrests of their chair; silencing everyone almost immediately. Before anyone had the chance to speak up, Lincoln's voice suddenly rang out from behind his makeup chair.
"Mx. B's right, everybody" he said firmly, "people came here to be wowed and awestruck by us...I say we give them their money's worth!" Soon after saying this, the room felt deathly silent; which made Lincoln almost fear he didn't get through to anyone. But then, Mx. Baskerville started clapping their hands lightly with delight...then Dolores followed and Phoebe...then Jordan, then Cristina.
Within seconds, the entire room was ringing with light yet joyous applause. "That was some speech ya gave, sug" Meryl said with pride, "here's hopin' y'all will sound as grand out on the stage." With that statement, she and Dolores eased Lincoln's chair back slightly before putting on the finishing touches to his makeup.
Finally, after what felt like ages of work and waiting; the makeup team put down their tools and breathed a heavy sigh. "Well...how do we look" inquired Cristina, "be straight with us." For a moment or two, Mx. Baskerville and the makeup team stared silently; each one of them bearing a tense look upon their faces.
Then, in the blink of an eye; their expressions shifted into joyful smiles. "You all look marvelous" Mx. Baskerville said with glee, "we knew our makeup team could do it." Not long after this, Meryl helped the children up out of their chairs and brought them to their changing rooms. Soon, each one of them was fully dressed and ready to go on stage.
As if on cue, the curtains slowly started rising; which prompted Mx. Baskerville to send the first half of the Faerie Court out. "Break a leg out there, everybody" Tonya called out softly, "I'll be rootin' for ya from backstage." The group smiled kindly to their friend, mouthed "thank you" to her and made their way out onto the stage.
Once the curtains were up, the only thing the audience could see was the forest background and fake shrubbery. But there was no sign of the next group of actors to be found. "Hey, what gives" Lola demanded softly, "is the next part coming up yet?"
Before anyone could answer her, a shadowy figure suddenly "flew" onto the stage. This was followed by an unseen voice asking the question "how now, spirit; whither wander you?" After this, a spotlight turned on and shined down upon the figure on stage.
Becky, Dana and Whitney all squealed with delight; when they saw that it was their young friend, Jordan stepping out from behind the fake forest background. While her brown hair and ponytail had remained the same, her skin-tone and clothing were...bizarrely stunning. Jordan was covered from head to toe in blue body paint, she had a pair of pointy ears on, wore a pair of curly-toed violet slippers and a red one-piece bodysuit.
Straightaway; Becky, Dana, Whitney and even Jordan's parents took many pictures of her in this look. Meanwhile, Mrs. Pingrey was carefully adjusting her hand a little; making certain that her phone would get a clear view of the scene on stage. "OOOH! Lincoln's big moment is coming soon" she squealed softly with glee, "I just hope Carol will get the chance to see it!"
Before anything else could be said amongst the audience members, Jordan smiled and began to recite her first lines.
Jordan as Fairy: "'Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be:
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,
In those freckles live their savours:
I must go seek some dewdrops here
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone:
Our queen and all our elves come here anon.'"
The audience murmured softly in awe, amazed that the young lady was able to recite her dialogue so fluidly. Then, at that moment, another shadow appeared on the stage. This signaled for another spotlight to come on, revealing Lincoln Loud dressed as his play character; Puck (alias Robin Goodfellow.)
His skin-tone was its usual flesh color, despite being a fairy character. But he now had a long mane of white hair that measured down past his shoulders. He was dressed in an orange and blue jester-like outfit with long orange boots and a short-sleeved shirt. His most noticeable feature, however were the pointed ears he wore; which were near similar to Jordan's (save for the color.)
"OM Gosh, you guys! Lincoln looks sooo cute in this look" Leni gushed adorably, "he should totes wear that for next Halloween!" The rest of the Loud Sisters couldn't help but agree, some of whom were thinking about asking Lincoln if he could keep his costume. Meanwhile, Lynn Sr. and Rita did everything in their power to not make fools of themselves by waving wildly at Lincoln or shouting to him.
Instead, they all waited for him to notice them in the audience to say or do anything else. When he finally did look their way, he gave a slight wave to them and all his friends watching before continuing on with the rest of the scene.
Lincoln as Puck: "'The king doth keep his revels here to-night: Take heed the queen come not within his sight;
For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,
Because that she as her attendant hath
A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king;
She never had so sweet a changeling;
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild;
But she perforce withholds the loved boy,
Crowns him with flowers and makes him all her joy:
And now they never meet in grove or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
But, they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn-cups and hide them there.'"
Jordan as Fairy: "'Either I mistake your shape and making quite,
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are not you he
That frights the maidens of the villagery;
Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;
And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;
Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
Are not you he?'"
Lincoln as Puck smiles coyly: "'Thou speak'st aright;
I am that merry wanderer of the night.
I jest to Oberon and make him smile
When I a fat and bean-fed horse beguile,
Neighing in likeness of a filly foal:
And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl,
In very likeness of a roasted crab,
And when she drinks, against her lips I bob
And on her wither'd dewlap pour the ale.
The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale,
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me;
Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,
And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough;
And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh,
And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear
A merrier hour was never wasted there.
But, room, fairy! here comes Oberon.'"
Jordan as Fairy: "'And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!'"
As the duo start backing away slightly from one another, in comes another pair of fairy-like figures. However, these two appeared to be dressed more nobly and stylishly than either Lincoln or Jordan looked. The first was Elliot; who was covered in light lime-green body paint, had his curly black hair smoothed back slightly into a bun, sported a sort of crown of twigs around his head and he wore a beautiful long-sleeved emerald-green robe.
To his right stood Phoebe, who looked so stunning that she made several boys' jaws drop. She was coated in pale-blue body paint, her light-green top looked like either a muscle shirt or part of a body suit. Around her hips was what looked like a skirt but its shape resembled that of a leaf, which seemed rather fitting for Phoebe's character.
As the two made their way towards their stage marks, everyone could clearly see the nervous look upon Phoebe's face. At the same time, Elliot looked a little jittery himself but did his best to appear calm. It was one thing to perform their roles in the school auditorium with just Mx. Baskerville, Meryl and their fellow castmates watching.
But as the two teens looked out towards the audience, they were shocked to see so many eyes staring at them. As a result; for a moment or two; they stood in place like a pair of deer caught in the headlights. Unfortunately, this caused the audience to suddenly grow quite impatient and some wasted no time in letting the children know this.
"C'mon, you kids" Mr. Grouse called out from the back, "somebody better start doin' somethin'!" As Phoebe looked out towards the crowd, she could hear several other people sounding just as impatient as the old man. But rather than shout at her and Elliot, they simply muttered/grumbled amongst themselves with disapproval.
"Ah, jeez...we're losing the crowd" Phoebe thought worriedly, "I know I gotta say somethin'...but my mind's blanking out on me!" Just as the poor girl started to feel fear's grip on her, she suddenly heard a whistle from backstage. She and Elliot turned slightly and spotted Lincoln, who was giving them a series of inhale/exhale gestures.
Within seconds, they quickly picked up on what their friend was trying to tell them and...they took in some calming breathes. Finally, after letting out one last exhale; Phoebe and Elliot were ready to start their scene.
Elliot as Oberon: "'Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.'"
Phoebe as Titania: "'What, jealous Oberon? Fairies, skip hence. I have foresworn his bed and company.'"
Elliot as Oberon: "'Tarry, rash wanton. Am I not thy lord?'"
Phoebe as Titania: "'Then I must be thy lady: but I know
When thou hast stolen away from fairy land,
And in the shape of Corin sat all day,
Playing on pipes of corn and versing love
To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here,
Come from the farthest Steppe of India?
But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon,
Your buskin'd mistress and your warrior love,
To Theseus must be wedded, and you come
To give their bed joy and prosperity.'"
Elliot as Oberon: "'How canst thou thus for shame, Titania,
Glance at my credit with Hippolyta,
Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?
Didst not thou lead him through the glimmering night
From Perigouna, whom he ravished,
And make him, with fair Aegles, break his faith
With Ariadne and Antiopa?'"
Phoebe as Titania: "'These are the forgeries of jealousy.
And never, since the middle summer's spring,
Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead,
By pavèd fountain, or by rushy brook,
Or in the beachèd margent of the sea,
To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind,
But with thy brawls thou hast disturbed our sport.
Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain,
As in revenge, have sucked up from the sea
Contagious fogs, which falling in the land
Have every pelting river made so proud
That they have overborne their continents.
The ox hath therefore stretched his yoke in vain,
The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn
Hath rotted ere his youth attained a beard.
The fold stands empty in the drownèd field,
And crows are fatted with the murrain flock.
The nine-men's-morris is filled up with mud,
And the quaint mazes in the wanton green
For lack of tread are undistinguishable.
The human mortals want their winter here.
No night is now with hymn or carol blessed.
Therefore the moon, the governess of floods,
Pale in her anger, washes all the air,
That rheumatic diseases do abound.
And thorough this distemperature we see
The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts
Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose,
And on old Hiems' thin and icy crown
An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds
Is, as in mockery, set. The spring, the summer,
The childing autumn, angry winter change
Their wonted liveries, and the mazèd world,
By their increase, now knows not which is which.
And this same progeny of evils comes
From our debate, from our dissension.
We are their parents and original.'"
Elliot as Oberon: "'Do you amend it then; it lies in you:
Why should Titania cross her Oberon?
I do but beg a little changeling boy,
To be my henchman.'"
The Loud Sisters suddenly gasped in both surprise and intrigue, upon hearing mention of a changeling boy. Of course; one of them, specifically Leni, questioned who this boy was and why Oberon wanted him. "Nobody knows the child's name, I'm afraid" Lisa replied, "as for why Oberon wants him...it's because the baby's a fairy like him."
From here, the wee genius briefly explained how changelings were fairies who could take the forms of other creatures. Because the Indian boy is of his blood, Oberon wants to take him and make him a part of his court. "So...this is like, a fairy's version of a custody battle" Lynn murmured, "where's Jerry when you need him."
As the scene continued on stage; Titania takes her leave of Oberon, after still refusing to give him the changeling boy. At this time, Oberon turned to Puck and requested that he bring something to him; a flower. Of course, this seemed to confuse some members of the audience, both inside and beyond the community center.
(Scene Change: Great Lakes City)
Over at the Casagrandes' Apartment Building; Ronnie Anne, her family and all their friends took a moment to discuss what had just transpired amongst themselves. "What's so special about a flower" questioned Adelaide, "is this Oberon guy planning to give it to his queen as a present?" While the idea was sweet on paper, many who were rather familiar with the play shook their heads.
"It's been a while since I've last read it" Margarita muttered, "but...I do believe that the flower is actually a magical one." Carlos Casagrande applauded the woman on her blind guess and informed everyone that she was quite correct. "You see; once the dew drops of that flower fall onto someone's sleeping eyelids, they will fall madly in love with the next creature that they see" he explained, "so...expect some magical shenanigans to happen."
Upon hearing this, Carl found himself scratching his chin in thought. "If such a flower was real, I could drop the drops onto Lori's eyes and have her fall in love with me" he thought deviously, "but...it's not; so, there goes that plan." In time, the moment came where Demetrius and Helena re-entered the story.
Everyone watched as the poor girl continued to follow her unrequited love, begging for his attention. But in spite of her efforts, the young lad refused her every advance. "OMG, I hate these kind of moments" Carlota murmured, "you find somebody you're really into...but they don't even give you so much of a look."
Ronnie Anne gave a light scoff at her cousin's words; proclaiming that a girl would be better off on their own, if they so desired. "Remember, honey; either the four lovers marry whom they're supposed to...or they'll be put to death" Ms. Santiago informed, "it's a silly law, I know...but it's still the law." Even though she knew her mother spoke the truth, Ronnie Anne still held on to her point.
Soon; Lincoln, as Puck, returns to the stage with the flower Oberon desired. At which time, everyone wondered what either fairy intended to do with it.
Elliot as Oberon: "'I pray thee, give it me.
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in:
And with the juice of this I'll streak her eyes,
And make her full of hateful fantasies.
Take thou some of it, and seek through this grove:
A sweet Athenian lady is in love
With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes;
But do it when the next thing he espies
May be the lady: thou shalt know the man
By the Athenian garments he hath on.
Effect it with some care, that he may prove
More fond on her than she upon her love:
And look thou meet me ere the first cock crow.'"
Upon hearing this line of dialogue, everyone became quite shocked and confused. "Hold on...So, Oberon wants to put the drops on Titania's eyes and have Puck do the same thing with the lovers too" questioned Sid, "I've seen enough romantic comedies to know where this might be headed towards...weird yet wacky hi-jinks." It took everything in Carlos' power to not spoil anything for the young lady.
Thus, the only thing he said in response to this was "maybe you're right." Eventually, Lysander and Hermia arrive in the forest scenery; appearing pleased with how far they have gone.
Clyde as Lysander: "'Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood; And to speak troth, I have forgot our way:
We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, And tarry for the comfort of the day.
Chloe as Hermia: "'Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed;
For I upon this bank will rest my head.'"
Clyde as Lysander: "'One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; One heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth.'"
Chloe as Hermia: "'Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear, Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.'"
Clyde as Lysander: "'O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence! Love takes the meaning in love's conference.
I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit
So that but one heart we can make of it;
Two bosoms inter-chained with an oath;
So then two bosoms and a single troth.
Then by your side no bed-room me deny;
For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.'"
Chloe as Hermia: "'Lysander riddles very prettily:
Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,
If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied.
But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy
Lie further off; in human modesty,
Such separation as may well be said
Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid,
So far be distant; and, good night, sweet friend:
Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end!'"
Clyde as Lysander: "'Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I;
And then end life when I end loyalty!
Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest!'"
Chloe as Hermia: "'With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd!'"
As the two children lay themselves down upon the ground to "rest," sounds of light swooning could be heard in the Community Center; thanks in part to the live feed. This signaled that many people either felt impressed with the duo's performance or that some were swooning over their passionate delivery. In one such case; Carlota was so captivated by the tone in Clyde's voice, she wished he was a few years older.
"Okay...first of all, cuz; eww...I'm sitting right here" Ronnie Anne groaned in mild disgust, "second, I think McBride might be off the market." As expected, some of her cousins asked how she knew about Clyde's dating life; to which Ronnie Anne claimed it was something only Lincoln could tell them. "Speaking of which, Linc looks awesome as Puck" Bobby stated, "though...I am surprised that he doesn't have any wings on."
No sooner had she heard him say this, Mr. Nakamura explained that not all fae creatures had wings and would instead use their mystical power to help them fly. "Back in Japan, we would call these sort of creatures Yōsei" he stated, "but that is another story." With their friend/neighbor's explanation finished, everyone turned their attention back to the play; where they could see Lincoln silently approach the slumbering Clyde.
Lincoln as Puck: "'Night and silence.-Who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear:
This is he, my master said,
Despised the Athenian maid;
And here the maiden, sleeping sound,
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty soul! she durst not lie
Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe.'"
Everyone within the community center and beyond watched as softly anointed Clyde's eyelids with the flower's dew drops. Afterwards, the room suddenly echoes with angry voices from the stage. It was here that Trent and Haiku soon arrived.
Haiku as Helena: "'Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius'
Trent as Demetrius glowers at her slightly: "'I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus'"
Haiku as Helena: "'O, wilt thou darkling leave me? Do not so.'"
Trent as Demetrius stares at her firmly: "'Stay, on thy peril. I alone will go.'
As the teen storms off backstage, Haiku briefly laments her failure in not winning his love. Much to everyone's surprise; the moment she began to speak her lines, everyone either stared in awed silence or appeared to be on the verge of light tears. Then, at that moment; a soft yawn was heard and Clyde slowly arouse from his "slumber."
When he cast his eyes over towards the young Goth girl...well, you could swear that love up and kicked him in the face. Now, everyone already knew that this sort of behavior was all for show. But when they heard Clyde recite his next few lines, he had everyone watching almost completely fooled. "'Transparent Helena! Nature shows art, that through thy bosom makes me see thy heart'" the boy proclaimed, "'where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word is that vile name to perish on my sword!'"
As the cast started murmuring amongst themselves, the two young performers took a brief moment to compliment each other. "You are really good at this, Clyde" Haiku whispered in her normal voice, "I can see why Chloe is nuts about you." After taking a moment to blush at his friends comment, Clyde extended similar praises unto her.
As the scene progresses, the duo flee from the stage in a sort of mock chase; leaving a "slumbering" Chloe behind. In time, the young lady suddenly starts to scream; proclaiming that a serpent was crawling around on her. Of course, her performance was so convincing; it almost led to half a dozen people in the audience to think that a real snake had got in.
The whole time she did this, Chloe was calling for Lysander to come and help save her...but he never came. Five to ten seconds later; Chloe stops screaming, opens her eyes. When she saw that there was no real danger there, Chloe sighed with relief.
Chloe as Hermia: "'Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! lord!
What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?
Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear;
Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.
No? then I well perceive you all not nigh
Either death or you I'll find immediately.'"
The audience watched as the distraught young lady retreats backstage, calling out for Lysander. Not long after this, the curtains slowly fell; signaling the end of Act II. This granted the audience another chance to talk amongst themselves or to stretch their legs for a spell before things would start up again.
"Don't know about you guys...but I gotta go to the can" Lynn Jr. said bluntly, "I don't wanna have to strain myself holding in my bladder just to see Linc on stage again." The other Loud Sisters murmured in agreement and asked their parents if they could take a quick break for the restroom. "Go ahead, girls...just remember to wait your turn" Rita stated, "and be back soon."
(Line Break)
As the play's cast and the audience takes a small break to relax, the scene shifts over to the local college; where Carol is seen being led around by the dean and her father, once again. Unbeknownst to the two gentlemen, she still had her ear buds on and was able to listen to much of the play. But unfortunately, due to how close together they were walking; she was only able to see brief glimpses of Lincoln's first scene.
In spite of this, however; she not only thought he sounded wonderful but his costume was impressive as well. "I only wish I was there to see it live" Carol thought bitterly, "on the plus side, my friends might've recorded whatever I missed." At that moment, she suddenly felt someone's hand rest upon her arm; causing poor Carol to almost leap out of her skin.
She turned her head slightly and saw that it was only her father touching her. At the same time, however; he and the dean had a rather concerned on their faces. "Dear, you were mere seconds away from walking right into a garbage can" Mr. Pingrey said with concern, "are you alright?"
In that moment, Carol found herself caught slightly off-guard by her father's words and she did her best to assure him she was perfectly fine. "Are you sure, Ms. Pingrey" questioned the dean, "you were in the restroom for almost a half hour earlier and during much of the tour, you seemed oddly distracted." Poor Carol's face went white with alarm at these words, which did not go unnoticed by the two gentlemen.
Then, at that moment; they heard voices coming from somewhere in her purse (albeit faintly.) Before Carol could make a move, her father suddenly reached in and brought out her phone. It was here that he and the college dean could see the live stream footage playing and the screen.
"Miss Pingrey...is this what you've been doing during our venture" the dean asked with outrage, "watching a film on your cellular phone?!" Soon after, Mr. Pingrey was seconds away from also scolding his daughter for her disinterest in the tour. But Carol held up her hands defensively and urged the elder gentlemen to let her speak first.
"I know it was important for me to go on this tour, Daddy and I'm sorry for not listening that much earlier on" she said humbly, "but what I'm watching...it's just as important to me." Without another word, she held up the phone and handed her father the ear buds. Upon putting them on, the man's ears suddenly heard quite a few familiar voices speaking.
Lincoln as Puck: "'What hempen home-spuns have we swaggering here,
So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
What, a play toward! I'll be an auditor;
An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.'"
Omar as Peter Quince: Speak, Pyramus. Thisbe, stand forth.
Rusty as Bottom (speaking in Pyramus' voice:) "'Thisbe, the flowers of odious savours sweet,-'"
Omar as Peter Quince: "'Odours, odours!'"
Rusty as Bottom (speaking in Pyramus' voice:) "'-odours savours sweet:
So hath thy breath, my dearest Thisbe dear.
But hark, a voice! stay thou but here awhile,
And by and by I will to thee appear.
(Bottom Exits)
Lincoln as Puck: "'A stranger Pyramus than e'er played here."
(Puck Exits)
Once all the performers had departed for the moment, Mr. Pingrey and the college dean stared briefly at Carol in silence. Finally, after letting out a soft sigh; the teen divulged everything to them. "I think we've discussed this before, Daddy" she said firmly, "but just in case...Lincoln and a few of my young friends from the Middle School each got roles for their production of A Midsummer Night's Dream."
After letting all this sink in, Mr. Pingrey's expression softened slightly and he handed Carol back her phone. Meanwhile, the dean questioned why a school play seemed so important to the young lady. "As I said, a few friends of mine are in this production" Carol said firmly, "perhaps you've heard of one of them...Lincoln Loud."
The instant this name was mentioned, the dean's mind suddenly flashed back to him watching the news at home. He recalled seeing the trial be the talk of Michigan for some time. But most of all, he remembered seeing how devoted Carol Pingrey and her friends were to help the boy.
Only now did he seem to understand what was going on. At the same time, Carol still apologized to both the dean and her for her slight lack of interest in the tour. "It's quite alright, dear" Mr. Pingrey said with a sympathetic grin, "my only other question is this...how exactly have you been viewing the play on your phone this whole time.
After letting out a light chuckle and an eye roll, Carol reminded her father about the live stream connection she talked Mrs. Pingrey into doing. "To be honest, I was surprised that the connection's lasted so well for this long" she confessed, "let alone the battery pow..." The instant this thought popped into her head, Carol glanced down at her phone and saw that there was only fifteen percent of power remaining.
"DANG IT! I knew I should've charged it earlier on" she cried with dismay, "at this rate, my phone will die before the play gets to the fourth act!" Just as things started to look grim, the dean offered Carol a lifeline; the student lounge. "You can charge your phone there" he stated, "provided, of course that it isn't overly crowded with students."
No sooner had he mentioned this, the dean added that due to Spring Break fast approaching, almost every student would probably be in the lounge working on assignments. "It's still a chance worth taking, Sir" Carol said determinedly, "let's get a move on." With that said, the three of them went off towards the southern section of the college.
(Line Break)
In time, they've reached the student lounge and as luck would have it; there weren't that many students inside. This gave Carol the ample opportunity to go in and charge her phone, which was now barely hanging on at three percent power. She pulled out her charger cable from her purse, plugged one end into her phone and the other into the nearest charging outlet.
Afterwards, Carol took a seat at a table next to it and was staring fearfully at the screen; hoping she made it in time. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting; the battery icon started flashing slightly. This indicated that the phone was charging up and she could still watch what she was watching without issues.
"Thank goodness" Carol heaved with relief, "now, let's see where we're at with the story." As the young teen sat staring at her phone; Mr. Pingrey and the dean, their collective curiosities buzzing slightly, decided to join in her viewing. It was here that they saw what looked like a young man running about the stage with a donkey's head on, calling out to his friends in desperation.
"AH! I recognize this scene" the dean exclaimed, "this is right after the mischievous Puck transforms poor Bottom's head into that of a donkey's." After hearing this reveal, Carol suddenly remembered that Rusty Spokes was set to play the aforementioned character. With this knowledge in mind, her playfully naughty side kicked in and she eagerly glanced down at her phone; wondering what the boy looked like now.
Surely enough, the scene was just as the dean described; with poor Rusty was now wearing a donkey's head over his own. At the same time, Carol also noticed someone else on the stage who appeared to be "asleep" at the moment. "Is...Is that Phoebe" she thought to herself, "wow, she looks super gorgeous as a fairy queen"
Eventually; Rusty stopped running, fell to his knees and cried with dismay.
Rusty as Nick Bottom: "'I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me; to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir from this place, do what they can: I will walk up and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear I am not afraid.'"
Seconds later, Rusty suddenly started to sing a sort of "courageous" melody as loudly as he could muster. Unfortunately, he was not the best of singers...but it was unknown if this was actually Rusty singing out of tune or if he was simply doing this for his role.
(Rusty sings as Bottom)
"'The ouzel cock so black of hue,
With orange-tawny bill,
The throstle with his note so true,
The wren with little quill,-'"
As Rusty continues to sing his odd "song," Phoebe gives a light yawn and rises from her spot on stage. Not long after that, she lets out a blissful sigh; as if feeling enamored by something.
Phoebe as Titania: "'What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?'"
(Rusty continues to sing as Bottom)
"'The finch, the sparrow, and the lark
The plainsong cuckoo gray,
Whose note full many a man doth mark
And dares not answer 'nay''"
After finishing his song, Rusty lies himself back on the stage floor; all while (presumably) expressing his sorrows over his current state. "'For, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish a bird'" he asked sorrowfully, "'who would give the bird the lie though he cry cuckoo never so?'" No sooner had he said all this; everyone watched in surprise, as Phoebe placed a tender hand upon his shoulder.
When the lad looked over his shoulder, he could see the young lady looking at him with a loving gaze. At the same time, she was stroking her hand tenderly through the mane of Rusty's donkey head; which sent chills of delight flowing through him.
Phoebe as Titania: "'Ah! I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again; Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note; So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape; And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee.'"
In that moment, all members of the Gal Pals and Guy Squad groups found themselves utterly breathless. They heard that Phoebe had sounded spectacular, when she first auditioned for the role of Titania. But after hearing her in person, just now; everyone felt she sounded like a true professional.
In addition to this, the Gals and Guys both wondered what was going through Rusty's mind during Phoebe's monologue. Truth be told, the young man in question was glad that the mask had completely covered his face. For at the moment, the young man's face was glowing brighter than a Christmas tree and droplets of sweat were forming upon his forehead.
"Dude...I have no idea what Feebs is saying" he thought to himself, "but the way she's saying it sounds...really hot!" Just as his mind started to slip into a lovestruck daze, Rusty felt a light tug upon the ear of his donkey head. He then turned slightly and saw Phoebe gesturing for him to say his next line.
Thinking quickly, Rusty cleared his throat and continued on with the scene.
Rusty as Bottom: "'Methinks, Mistress, you should have little reason for that. A-And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays. The more the pity some honest neighbors will not make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion.'"
Phoebe as Titania: "'Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.'"
Rusty as Bottom: "'Not so neither; but if I had wit enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn.'"
Phoebe as Titania: "'Out of this wood do not desire to go: Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no. I am a spirit of no common rate; The summer still doth tend upon my state;
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee,
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.
Peaseblossom! Cobweb! Moth! and Mustardseed!'"
With this simple call, four other fairies suddenly raced onto the stage. Almost immediately; Carol, her crew and the lot watching up in Great Lakes City recognized the foursome. The first to present herself was Jordan, who gave Phoebe a rather courteous bow.
Afterwards; Kat, Paige and Cristina mimicked their friend's earlier gesture and bowed courteously. It was here that everyone was finally able to get a look at the girls' costumes in the light. Kat wore a light green top that almost resembled a peapod plant, a light pink skirt (making her look like she was wearing a flower around her hips) and her tights looked like a pair of vines. She wore a flower cap on her head that was the same pink color as her skirt and the wings she wore made the girl look like a butterfly.
Paige's fairy costume made her look like a beautifully elegant moth and Cristina's outfit and wings both showed off a vibrant yellow color. Many parents in attendance all thought they looked rather cute while some girls (like Leni, Lola and even the Gal Pals watching from the audience) all thought they looked stylish. Either way, the people were very impressed.
After the members of Titania's court said their greetings, the asked her what she needed from the four of them. Afterwards, the Faerie Queen smiled and gestured her hand over slightly towards Bottom.
Phoebe as Titania: "'Be kind and courteous to this gentleman; Hop in his walks and gambol in his eyes;
Feed him with apricocks and dewberries,
With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries;
The honey-bags steal from the humble-bees,
And for night-tapers crop their waxen thighs
And light them at the fiery glow-worm's eyes,
To have my love to bed and to arise;
And pluck the wings from Painted butterflies
To fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes:
Nod to him, elves, and do him courtesies.'"
Kat: "'Hail, mortal!'"
Jordan: "'Hail!'"
Paige: "'Hail!'"
Cristina: "'Hail!'"
Rusty as Bottom: "'I cry your worship's mercy, heartily: I beseech your worship's name.'"
(Jordan bows:)"'Cobweb.'"
Rusty as Bottom: "'I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good Master Cobweb: if I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you. Your name, honest gentleman?'"
(Kat gives a light bow:) "'Peaseblossom.'"
Rusty as Bottom: "'I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir?'"
(Cristina curtsies before Rusty in greeting:) "'Mustardseed.'"
Rusty as Bottom: "'Good Master Mustardseed, I know your patience well: that same cowardly, giant-like ox-beef hath devoured many a gentleman of your house: I promise you your kindred had made my eyes water ere now. I desire your more acquaintance, good Master Mustardseed.'"
Phoebe as Titania: "'Come, wait upon him; lead him to my bower. The moon methinks looks with a watery eye; and when she weeps, weeps every little flower, Lamenting some enforced chastity. Tie up my love's tongue. Bring him silently.'"
(Everyone exits)
As some of the performers leave the stage, there is a light yet pleased applause from the crowd. At the same time, however; some audience members couldn't help but chatter gleefully amongst themselves about the play. Among them were Albert and his friends from the retirement home, who just couldn't stop themselves from singing their grandchildren's praises.
"I know what you mean, Al" Cyrus chuckled, "I still can't believe all them words came outta my Phoebe's mouth." No sooner had he said this, Roscoe and Gertie proceeded to claim that their granddaughters got "the short end of the stick;" when it came to their stage time. "Oh, you two; don't be like that" Amber Gibbons stated, "as the theater saying goes...'there are no small parts, only small actors.'"
No sooner had she said this, Leni suddenly proclaimed that the members of the Faerie Court didn't look that small. "No, dear Sister" Lisa said with a light groan, "the saying means that every performer has an important place on the stage, even those playing 'bit parts.'" Leni let out a soft gasp in understanding and then, she said that the girls were wonderful in their roles.
"I especially love their outfits" she added, "I wonder if they come in my size?" Before anyone could respond to her, new actors appeared on the stage and the play was back underway.
(Line Break)
Almost two and a half hours passed by, since the play first started and everyone still appeared to be quite invested. There was laughter, some blissful sighing and even some murmurs of disappointment heard throughout the audience. But in the end, everyone was having a jolly good time.
Finally, after the two couples spent a great deal of time chasing one another; Oberon uses his "fairy magic" to put them all asleep. He then decrees that when they next awaken; their escapades will not only feel like a dream to them, they would also "find true delight in the sight of their rightful lovers' eye." It is here that Byron (dressed as Theseus) enters the scene; accompanied by Dolores (dressed as Titania,) Biff (dressed as Egeus) and Mx. Baskerville (who had volunteered to dress up as Philostrate.)
"Guys, I literally remember this part" Lori gasped, "this is where Theseus and Hippolyta find the lovers while they're all out on a hunt." With this statement, someone suddenly asked what it was they were hunting for. But it wasn't Leni who asked this question...this time, it was Lily. "Sometimes, sweetie; people like to go out and hunt for fun" Rita explained softly, "especially when there's a big event happening...like the duke's wedding."
Surprisingly, this answer seemed to please the littlest Loud; who had returned her focus back towards the play. Eventually, Theseus and Co. caught sight of the lovers sleeping and wasted no time waking them up. Once all four of them rise up, they look upon one another and gasp.
Not long after that, Chloe happily races into Clyde's arms while Haiku ran into Trent's. This sight brought many in the audience to coo softly with delight. Meanwhile, there were those (like Carl and Ronnie Anne up in Great Lakes) who were utterly relieved that things were back to normal again.
Next, Byron proceeded to question everyone how they all ended up together in the woods? Without delay, Clyde approached the duke and took a knee; all while bowing his head low with mild shame.
Clyde as Lysander: "'My lord, I shall reply amazèdly,
Half sleep, half waking. But as yet, I swear,
I cannot truly say how I came here.
But, as I think—for truly would I speak,
And now I do bethink me, so it is:
I came with Hermia hither. Our intent
Was to be gone from Athens, where we might,
Without the peril of the Athenian law—'"
No sooner had he said this, Biff (as Egeus) suddenly flew into what he would call a "dramatic rage;" demanding that the boy be punished for his "criminal actions." But then; Trent approached the group and confessed that he later learned of Lysander and Hermia's plan to retreat into the woods.
Trent as Demetrius: "'And I in fury hither followed them,
Fair Helena in fancy following me.
But, my good lord, I wot not by what power
(But by some power it is) my love to Hermia,
Melted as the snow, seems to me now
As the remembrance of an idle gaud
Which in my childhood I did dote upon,
And all the faith, the virtue of my heart,
The object and the pleasure of mine eye,
Is only Helena. To her, my lord,
Was I betrothed ere I saw Hermia.
But like a sickness did I loathe this food.
But, as in health, come to my natural taste,
Now I do wish it, love it, long for it,
And will forevermore be true to it.'"
Not only were Theseus, Hippolyta and the rest of their company astounded by the young man's words, the audience (within and beyond the community center) was left equally awestruck. Chandler, much to his own surprise, was among the stunned onlookers and he had difficulty believing if the boy on stage was really his pal. But before anyone else could think, say or do anything; Byron (as Theseus) quickly called for everyone's attention.
Byron as Theseus: "'Fair lovers, you are fortunately met.
Of this discourse we more will hear anon.—
Egeus, I will overbear your will,
For in the temple by and by, with us,
These couples shall eternally be knit.—
And, for the morning now is something worn,
Our purposed hunting shall be set aside.
Away with us to Athens. Three and three,
We'll hold a feast in great solemnity.
Come, Hippolyta.'"
Once the group had departed, there was much joy seen both on and off the stage. But much like other times before, there were those who appeared confused by what had transpired. "So...wait, I'm having a little trouble following here" Lynn Jr. muttered, "are the two couples going to get married or not?" Just as Lisa was about to help explain things, once again; her parents quickly beat her to the punch.
"Basically, Junior...yes; that's exactly what's happening" Lynn Sr. stated, "not only is Theseus allowing the couples to marry whom they actually want, he's also dismissed Egeus' 'marriage or death' decree...and he's not very pleased about it." With this explanation, Lynn Jr. and the rest of her sisters (sans Lisa) seemed to have a better understanding of things. "I just feel so happy for them" Leni sighed blissfully, "though...I kinda feel bad about that Bottom guy and the Fairy Queen splitting up."
Even though some agreed with the young lady's words, they soon reminded her that whatever love Titania had for the young man...it wasn't real. At the same time, not too far off from where the Louds sat, three young ladies had their own 2 cents about the pair. "To be honest, I'm glad they split up" Becky whispered, "I mean...who'd want to be with a guy who has a mule's head?"
Her friends shared a quick laugh at the remark and then, the play soon started up again.
(Line Break)
The whole room echoed loudly with the sounds of laughter, several minutes later. The reason behind this could be seen on the stage, where the Guy Squad members were seen acting out the Pyramus and Thisbe play for the duke and his court. Even though the play was meant to be a romantic tragedy; the way everyone behaved was so outrageous, the audience couldn't help but laugh.
There was Kaito's character of Francis Flute dressed as Thisbe. Of course, the boy's clothes weren't the main reason behind their laughter. Instead it was his high-pitched voice and exaggerated "feminine" mannerism that got people rolling.
There was Theo's character of Snug doing his absolute best to sound like a vicious lion. But before he did this, he presented a "warning" to all the maidens present; urging them not to fear his "monstrous actions." Lastly, there was poor Zach's (as Snout) roll as "Wall;" as in he would serve as the "brick wall" between the two lovers.
Then, just when everyone thought things couldn't get any stranger; Zach (as the Wall) suddenly started talking.
Zach as Snout/Wall: "'In this same interlude it doth befall
That I, one Snout by name, present a wall;
And such a wall as I would have you think
That had in it a crannied hole or chink,
Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisbe, did whisper often, very secretly. This loam, this roughcast, and this stone doth show that I am that same wall. The truth is so.
And this the cranny is, right and sinister,
through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.'"
As expected, the idea of a talking wall caused not only Theseus on stage to call out in amused shock but the audience as well. But as strange as that seemed; things got even more kooky, once Pyramus and Thisbe took to the stage. Down in the audience, a young girl named Maddie did everything she could to not laugh at Kaito's dress.
But for some unknown reason, a part of her couldn't help but think he looked rather adorable in it.
Kaito as Flute/Thisbe: "'O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans for parting my fair Pyramus and me.
My cherry lips have often kissed thy stones,
Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.'"
Rusty as Bottom/Pyramus: "'I see a voice: now will I to the chink, to spy an I can hear my Thisby's face. Thisby!'"
Kaito as Flute/Thisbe: "My love thou art, my love I think.'"
Rusty as Bottom/Pyramus: "'Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's grace; And, like Limander, am I trusty still.
Kaito as Flute/Thisbe: "'And I like Helen, till the Fates me kill.
Rusty as Bottom/Pyramus: "'Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true.
Kaito as Flute/Thisbe: 'As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you.
Rusty as Bottom/Pyramus: "'O kiss me through the hole of this vile wall!'"
Kaito as Flute/Thisbe: "'I kiss the wall's hole, not your lips at all.'"
Rusty as Bottom/Pyramus: "'Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straightway?
Kaito as Flute/Thisbe: "'Tide life, 'tide death, I come without delay.'"
(Pyramus and Thisbe exit)
Zach as Snout/Wall: "'Thus have I, Wall, my part discharged so; And, being done, thus Wall away doth go.'"
As Zach follows the other boys off the stage, there was a light cacophony of laughter heard throughout the room. It appeared that not only did those remaining on stage find their antics hilarious but the audience did as well. "OMG! That was hysterical" Dana laughed heartily, "did you get all that, ladies...please, tell me I'm not the only one who recorded that?!"
Rather than tell her outright, both Becky and Whitney held up their phones slowly to reveal the boys' whole spectacle playing on both screens. Meanwhile, Chaz found himself chuckling softly while giving a light yet respectable applause at the performance. "Chaz likes what he sees" he stated, "here's hoping the rest of the show is just as fun."
Upon hearing this, all three ladies suddenly also wondered what would happen next.
(Line Break)
As the boys' play of Pyramus and Thisbe soon draws to a close, it reaches the point where Kaito (as Flute/Thisbe stabs himself; after finding their love dead on the ground. Afterwards, Theseus and Demetrius' characters start to question what happened to Moonshine and "the Wall." It was here that Rusty/Bottom decided to offer up an epilogue for their performance, to help ease whatever concerns anyone might have...but Byron/Theseus refused it.
Byron as Theseus: "'No epilogue, I pray you. For your play needs no excuse. Never excuse. For when the players are all dead, there need none to be blamed.
Marry, if he that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged
himself in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine
tragedy; and so it is, truly, and very notably discharged.
But, come, your Bergomask. Let your epilogue alone.'"
After this, the players all have a bit of a dance for the duke's pleasure before exiting the stage. Afterwards; he, Hippolyta and the two newlywed couples retire inside for a well-deserved rest. The instant they leave, Lincoln suddenly appears on stage; much to the delight of all his family and friends (both in the audience and beyond.)
After giving a brief statement on how quiet the atmosphere is; Oberon, Titania and their court soon appear on the stage. At which time, they each proceeded to offer up a "fairy's blessing" unto all the newlyweds; ensuring that they would all be blessed and not have their slumber be disturbed. Once the deed was done, all the faeries departed from the stage...except for Puck.
With his Lord and Lady now gone, Lincoln took a glance towards the audience and smiled brightly.
Lincoln as Puck: "'If we shadows have offended,
Think but this and all is mended:
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearnèd luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long.
Else the Puck a liar call.
So good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.'"
With this final line; Lincoln gave his last bow, the curtain fell over the stage and then...the audience went wild with applause. Every man, woman, child and elderly person watching was roaring with glee; they were so entertained. Meanwhile, up in Great Lakes City; the Casagrandes' entire apartment also echoed loudly with mad cheers.
Mrs. Santiago: "Bravo!"
Rosa: "BRAVO!"
(Hector trills his tongue gleefully)
Arturo: "Felicitaciones niñas y niñas!"
Frida: "IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!" (cries loudly)
Mr. Nakamura: "Oh, bravo!"
As the adults cheer/cry with delight; the children raved loudly with approval, while the pets (Sergio and Lalo among them) sounded off with glee. At the same time, all their other friends and neighbors clapped wildly with joy. Meanwhile, down at the college in Huntington Oaks; Carol couldn't help but cheer with all her might for everyone's good work (especially Lincoln's.)
Mr. Pingrey and the college dean also praised the play, while also trying to stifle a few chuckles. "Thank you both so much for letting me see the rest of the play" Carol said gratefully, "it really meant a lot to me." Mr. Pingrey smiled warmly at his daughter, gave her a loving hug and told her it was no trouble at all.
"I must confess, I also found it all quite enjoyable" said the dean, "I haven't laughed so much since my last High School class reunion." Once everyone had one final good laugh, the trio was finally able to complete the rest of the tour. As she followed her father and the dean, Carol couldn't stop herself from smiling the rest of the way.
"I'm so proud of you and all our other friends, Linky" she thought happily, "I've got a big congratulatory hug with your name on it, the next time I see you."
(Line Break)
Back at the community center, after everyone had taken a bow on stage; every member of the cast soon found themselves swarmed by families and friends alike. "Way to go, Lil' Sis" Becky said while clutching Paige in her arms, "you were one of the best fairies up their...next to Feebs and Lincoln, that is." Ironically enough; at this very moment, the two aforementioned teens were busy being swarmed by their siblings and/or relatives.
"Nice work up there, lil' Missy" Cyrus chuckled, "I never took you for the acting type." With a delightful chuckle; Phoebe's mother, Mrs. Snapper, suggested that such skills could be useful...if she still aspired to be a professional photographer. "Nice thought, Ma...but I'm not sure acting and photography would mix well; as a career" Phoebe chuckled shyly, "unless, you know...I decide to become an investigative reporter."
Not too far away from this family, the Louds and the McBrides wasted no time in showering their boys with praises. "Sweetie, that was wonderful" said Clyde's nana, Gayle, "I especially loved the chemistry you and that girl playing Hermia had." The instant he heard these words, Clyde's face flashed red and he urged his grandmother not to talk about such things so loudly; lest Chloe might overhear them.
Of course; the instant he said this, the boy suddenly found himself being hugged tightly from behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Chloe, who seemed to be glowing brighter than the sun with joy. "That was so much fun" she said happily, "I really liked sharing the stage with you, Clyde...hope we'll get that chance again, someday."
Upon realizing what she had just said, the poor girl's own cheeks started glowing bright red. Of course; this only led to Harold, Howard and Gayle thinking the same thing...that they were made for each other. Elsewhere, Trent and Haiku found themselves not only congratulating each other on their respective performances but also exchanging a quick high-five; much to their surprise.
Upon near the stage steps, Rusty and the boys soon found themselves surrounded by fans; half of which flocked to where the Spokes boy sat. "Oh, my gosh; Rusty, you guys were hilarious" said one of the Seventh Grade girls, "I just love a guy who can make me laugh." In that moment, the young man couldn't tell if all this was real or just a dream (like what happened in the play.)
Meanwhile, Lincoln found himself being showered with joyful praises from friends and family alike. "Honey, you were amazing" Rita said while hugging him, "and your costume looks wonderful." As if on cue, all ten of the Loud Sisters started chattering in unison; each on trying to extend their congratulations at the same time.
While this all was appreciated, Lincoln suddenly found himself being mildly overwhelmed by their excitement. Then, at that moment; the light toot of a whistle was heard and everyone turned to spy Officer Simmons behind them. "I share your enthusiasm, y'all; I really do" she said matter-of-factly, "but you best give him some room to breathe so he can thank you proper."
One by one, the Loud Sisters realized that she raised a good point and took a few steps back; allowing their brother to become more relaxed. "We're sorry about that, Bro" Luna stated, "it's just...you were rockin' up on that stage." After this, the other nine sisters shared their own compliments; half of which revolved around his costume.
"You and your friends were a riot up there, kiddo" Albert/Pop-Pop said with a broad smile, "especially during the scene where Bottom ended up with a donkey's head." Mere seconds after he said this, Lily suddenly murmured the word "Bottom" while wiggling her diaper slightly; causing everyone to laugh. "Anywho...we're all so proud of you, sweetie" Myrtle said while giving Lincoln's cheek a light pinch, "here's hoping you'll get another chance to act and/or on the stage again."
After everyone said their congratulations to the cast; Lynn Sr. stepped forward and decreed that to celebrate everyone's hard work and the play's success, there would be a big wrap party down at his restaurant tomorrow afternoon. Of course, everyone on the play's cast and crew happily praised this idea and started chanting the words "wrap party" like mad Spring Breakers. Then, Phoebe suddenly got an idea and called for everyone's attention.
"If there's gonna be a party, we're gonna need everyone involved with the play to come" she said firmly with a coy grin, "and yes...we're talking about you too, Mx. B." Upon hearing this, Mx. Baskerville turned their head towards Phoebe and stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights. It didn't take long for everyone to understand what was going on and then, Lincoln and Clyde happily brought their Vice Principal/Drama Teacher over.
"You have just as much of a hand in the play's success as any of us" Dolores said firmly, "so...c'mon, come and have fun with us." With a joyful tear in their eye and a squiggly grin upon their face, Mx. Baskerville gave a hearty laugh and happily accepted everyone's offer. "We'll see you tomorrow, then" Lynn Sr. said happily, "but for now, it's time we all went home for a well-earned rest."
Not needing to be told twice, the play's cast and crew members all gave tired yawns and proceeded their way towards the door. Before leaving, however; Lincoln turned towards the camera and decided to give the "viewer" his final thoughts. Of course, in honor of the occasion; he decided to...put a different spin on things.
"Hast thou enjoyed our whimsical splendor or romantic moments O so tender? Then, as we depart for home, this night; we hope our play gave you much delight. There were laughs aplenty and many cheers, in spite of mine and the cast's own fears. But in the end, the crowd enjoyed all of the antics we hath employed. So, on this note, I bid you goodnight and shall see you soon; come the morning's light."
After this, he gives one final bow and a pair of curtains fall from the side; thus ending the show/story.
(First AN: And thus, the play and the final part of the Spring Arc opener comes to an end. I'm sorry that this took so long to make, everybody; with so many people tuning in to watch the play within the story, I wanted to give each of them as much time to shine as possible. I also wanted to include moments featuring the play because in the original show, we didn't get to see Luan and Benny play in Romeo & Juliet.
Regardless, I hope you'll all enjoy reading this and don't forget to leave a review. See ya next time)
(Second AN: I do not own the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream or its dialogue. The play itself belongs to the bard, William Shakespeare. The dialogue samples themselves are text from the Folger Shakespeare Library publication of the play. So, please; rest assured in understanding that I am not plagiarizing anyone and don't sue me.
The only exception present is the final rhyme Lincoln gives the viewer/reader before the end of this story)
(Third AN: Biff's exaggerated mannerism's for his role were inspired by Calculon, a hammy robot actor from the series Futurama. Considering how full of himself his character is, I figured having Biff also be a ham of an actor seemed appropriate)
(Fourth AN: For everyone's fairy outfits, I went to several different images for inspiration. For Oberon, Titania and the rest of their court; I found certain pictures on Pinterest that best represented them. For Jordan's character of Cobweb/Fairy, I was inspired by the costume worn by Gloria Grant from the Spectacular Spider-Man episode; Opening Night.
As for Lincoln; well...considering his role in the play, I immediately thought of the version of Puck from Disney's Gargoyles. No, it's not just because they both have white hair. I thought the outfit would look good on Lincoln.
If any among you are good at drawing fanart; I challenge you to draw the best images of the play's cast members, including the fairies and share them. I am part of several Loud House Facebook groups and you're welcome to post your work on any of them)
(Fifth AN: I hope the live streaming concept makes sense to you all here. I'm not sure of how it works, exactly but I think I described it in the best possible way)
(Final AN: When it came to the Casagrandes and their neighbors watching the play, I wanted to have Rosa treat it like it's a Watch Party for a movie or TV show; like when she and the family watched Adios Ana, Adios in the episode No Show with the Casagrandes. Considering how important Lincoln and his Gal Pals have become to them, it made sense)
