Chapter 2
"For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
The red curtain closed and the thousands in the theatre sprang to their feet, applauding.
The actors and actresses darted out behind the curtain to form a bow line. The Director ran around making sure everyone was in place. Everyone was here…except for the main two. He darted around backstage to make sure they hadn't slipped off. They were just onstage, they couldn't have gotten away so easily.
He looked to his left to the slab where they had laid. There they were, arms wrapped around each other, lips encircling each other. "Damn it Sarah, you and Anthony quit making out and form up!"
The two quit kissing and smiled at each other. They had done it. Four nights on Broadway, each night performing to a sold out crowd. The press the show had gotten was phenomenal, even calling Sarah "Broadway's Most Sought After Actress."
They made their curtain calls and adjourned to the backstage lounge. She was on cloud nine. If only her mother could have seen her tonight. Before she could have time to dwell on the matter, Anthony was behind her, his arms on her hips. "You did it," he said to her, nibbling on her ear.
"Thanks," she smiled. "You weren't so bad yourself."
"I try. Hey, are you going to Stacey's party Saturday?"
Sarah looked back at him, puzzled. "Stacey's throwing a party?"
"Of course. Don't you check your mail?"
"I haven't had much time, I've been rehearsing so much at the park recently. I always hate it when you can't remember a line."
"I doubt you have to worry about that much, Sarah. You always seem to nail each one."
She smiled back at him. She had just met Anthony two months ago at auditions. They had been paired up to read lines together and the director saw the natural chemistry between them. When they landed the roles opposite each other, they had spent many late nights rehearsing together.
"I've got to get out of this thing," Sarah said, finding the discomfort of her corset.
Anthony donned a wicked grin. "ooh, I'll help."
She shook her head as she backed into the dressing room. "You're going to have to try harder than that," she said, shutting the door before he could reply.
A short squatty woman who had played The Nurse came bouncing across the room. "oh Sarah, I'm so proud of you," she gave Sarah a big hug, knocking the wind out of her. "Oh deary, take a seat, here." She sat Sarah down in a folding chair as she began to dart around the room, handing her some things. "You'll need your makeup remover, don't want to walk around looking like a hooker, Oh, and you'll need to take your wig off, can't keep that, the prop master will go wild, you've gotta have a Playbill before they're all gone, and here's today's copy of The Gazette, they gave a rave review of last night's performance, but I think tonight's was far better, oh, and you've got to be thirsty, have a bottle of water, and the catering trays are almost all gone, here's some finger food, you've GOT to be starving after that…"
As the woman trailed on, something tugged at the back of Sarah's mind. She had to get out of this chair. She sprang to her feet. "Thanks Betty, I'll pack it all up and take it home, thanks."
"There ya go, sweetie, can't have too much swag, I always say," Betty kept toiling around the dressing room, making sure the others had plenty of things to take home with them as well.
Twenty minutes and two aspirin later, Sarah was on the street with her bag slung over one shoulder, hailing a cab. The past few months had flown by. Between line readings, rehearsals, dress rehearsals, she had only gotten to find free time by going to the park and reading the play to herself, focusing on perfecting every line.
In all of her rushing to do this and that, she hadn't even gotten much of an opportunity to do her dishes, as they were spilling out of the sink and onto every square inch of counter space that she had. Looking at the mess before her, she made a vow to do them tomorrow. Her dishes…were in front of her.
Sarah looked around, her bag dropping from her shoulder. She was standing in her kitchen. She opened up her bag and looked in her wallet. One of the ten dollar bills was missing. She must have taken that cab and been in a daze for the whole ride.
"You're losing it, Sarah," she said to herself as she walked into the bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Or did you ever have it?" She flicked off the light and went to retrieve her mail from the table.
There it was, plain as gold: a party invitation for Saturday night. She ripped it open and read it over. It was to be a Masquerade ball. Seemed about right considering the thespians that she hung around with were all eclectic. She smiled to herself, "I've got the perfect thing to wear."
As she sauntered over to her bed, she missed the flashing red light on her phone, indicating that she had voice mail. No sooner had her head hit the pillow than the phone rang. "Let the voicemail get it," she moaned under her breath as she drifted off to sleep.
"For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
The red curtain closed and the thousands in the theatre sprang to their feet, applauding.
The actors and actresses darted out behind the curtain to form a bow line. The Director ran around making sure everyone was in place. Everyone was here…except for the main two. He darted around backstage to make sure they hadn't slipped off. They were just onstage, they couldn't have gotten away so easily.
He looked to his left to the slab where they had laid. There they were, arms wrapped around each other, lips encircling each other. "Damn it Sarah, you and Anthony quit making out and form up!"
The two quit kissing and smiled at each other. They had done it. Four nights on Broadway, each night performing to a sold out crowd. The press the show had gotten was phenomenal, even calling Sarah "Broadway's Most Sought After Actress."
They made their curtain calls and adjourned to the backstage lounge. She was on cloud nine. If only her mother could have seen her tonight. Before she could have time to dwell on the matter, Anthony was behind her, his arms on her hips. "You did it," he said to her, nibbling on her ear.
"Thanks," she smiled. "You weren't so bad yourself."
"I try. Hey, are you going to Stacey's party Saturday?"
Sarah looked back at him, puzzled. "Stacey's throwing a party?"
"Of course. Don't you check your mail?"
"I haven't had much time, I've been rehearsing so much at the park recently. I always hate it when you can't remember a line."
"I doubt you have to worry about that much, Sarah. You always seem to nail each one."
She smiled back at him. She had just met Anthony two months ago at auditions. They had been paired up to read lines together and the director saw the natural chemistry between them. When they landed the roles opposite each other, they had spent many late nights rehearsing together.
"I've got to get out of this thing," Sarah said, finding the discomfort of her corset.
Anthony donned a wicked grin. "ooh, I'll help."
She shook her head as she backed into the dressing room. "You're going to have to try harder than that," she said, shutting the door before he could reply.
A short squatty woman who had played The Nurse came bouncing across the room. "oh Sarah, I'm so proud of you," she gave Sarah a big hug, knocking the wind out of her. "Oh deary, take a seat, here." She sat Sarah down in a folding chair as she began to dart around the room, handing her some things. "You'll need your makeup remover, don't want to walk around looking like a hooker, Oh, and you'll need to take your wig off, can't keep that, the prop master will go wild, you've gotta have a Playbill before they're all gone, and here's today's copy of The Gazette, they gave a rave review of last night's performance, but I think tonight's was far better, oh, and you've got to be thirsty, have a bottle of water, and the catering trays are almost all gone, here's some finger food, you've GOT to be starving after that…"
As the woman trailed on, something tugged at the back of Sarah's mind. She had to get out of this chair. She sprang to her feet. "Thanks Betty, I'll pack it all up and take it home, thanks."
"There ya go, sweetie, can't have too much swag, I always say," Betty kept toiling around the dressing room, making sure the others had plenty of things to take home with them as well.
Twenty minutes and two aspirin later, Sarah was on the street with her bag slung over one shoulder, hailing a cab. The past few months had flown by. Between line readings, rehearsals, dress rehearsals, she had only gotten to find free time by going to the park and reading the play to herself, focusing on perfecting every line.
In all of her rushing to do this and that, she hadn't even gotten much of an opportunity to do her dishes, as they were spilling out of the sink and onto every square inch of counter space that she had. Looking at the mess before her, she made a vow to do them tomorrow. Her dishes…were in front of her.
Sarah looked around, her bag dropping from her shoulder. She was standing in her kitchen. She opened up her bag and looked in her wallet. One of the ten dollar bills was missing. She must have taken that cab and been in a daze for the whole ride.
"You're losing it, Sarah," she said to herself as she walked into the bathroom and splashed some water on her face. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Or did you ever have it?" She flicked off the light and went to retrieve her mail from the table.
There it was, plain as gold: a party invitation for Saturday night. She ripped it open and read it over. It was to be a Masquerade ball. Seemed about right considering the thespians that she hung around with were all eclectic. She smiled to herself, "I've got the perfect thing to wear."
As she sauntered over to her bed, she missed the flashing red light on her phone, indicating that she had voice mail. No sooner had her head hit the pillow than the phone rang. "Let the voicemail get it," she moaned under her breath as she drifted off to sleep.