A/N: It is soooo HOT here!
No idea what the week is going to look like, but fingers crossed it won't be a dumpster fire.
Please drop a review and let me know your thoughts and I will see you next time.
"This place looks familiar!" sighed Mia, looking around at the theater. "Thanks for giving us a lift, babe."
Ryan smiled and held her hand.
"Yeah, you're a real lifesaver!" added Lauren.
The tall guy shrugged.
"Happy to help. Besides, I know this is a big deal for you."
It was Phase 2 of the audition process for Xander Tundra's latest production. They collected the best candidates in terms of singing ability and now it was going to be the test Lauren fretted over the most: the acting portion. Billy found the monologue she performed that time in class and gave it to her. Lauren was serviceable, getting a decent grade in the execution. But this wasn't Hollywood Arts. Tundra hailed from Broadway, or just to the side of the Great White Way. But a lot of memorable shows did premiere off-Broadway over the years and would eventually make it to one of the district's houses.
Tundra would unfortunately not get that far. His shows, though receiving acclaim and selling well; producers didn't look kindly upon him, seeing the man as an oddball. You must be pretty beyond the pale for Broadway to say, "you're too strange!" But he was still a successful musician and producer of musical theater. He was a big fish in the eyes of these up-and-comers. And Lauren really wanted to wow him.
Lauren looked over the scene for the tenth time this morning and nodded before folding it up and putting it in her back pocket, feeling her cell. The singer exhaled sharply as she took out her phone and frowned at the screen.
"Still nothing?" asked Mia.
Lauren shook her head.
"Maybe the time difference?" she offered. "They're like three hours ahead, right?"
"Well...the eastern section of Tennessee falls mostly in the eastern standard time range. But Nashville is among the other two grand divisions, so its central time, making it only two..."
The girls glared at Ryan.
"Uh...I'll just stand over there," he pointed as he walked to the other side of the room.
"I know that boy," Mia tried to assure her. "And he's crazy about you. He wouldn't forget."
Lauren's phone rang and she lit up when she saw who it was.
"Speak of the devil!" she grinned, answering the phone.
Mia kindly stepped aside to give them a little privacy.
(Fuckin' right you call your girl.)
As the Latina focused on across the room, she spotted a girl with a clipboard talking to Ryan. She marched over there with a scowl on her face.
"Excuse me?"
Ryan looked genuinely surprised.
"She was with the show. She was asking me if I was auditioning, and I told her no."
The stranger looked at him, sighed and moved on muttering, "That's too bad."
Mia looked like she was going to lunge for that one when Ryan held her back by holding her hand.
"Let me go! I just want to know what she meant by that."
He pulled her in as nicely as he could and held her shoulders.
"Mia! Look at me! Everything is fine."
Ryan kissed her on the forehead.
"Alright?"
The blood in the girl's veins went from boil to simmer and she dropped her arms.
"Sorry, sorry..." Mia sighed, resting her head on his chest. "Just a little on edge today."
He gave his girlfriend a dubious look.
"Shouldn't the one auditioning be the one whose nerves are shot?"
Over at another theater in town, The Onyx, Clive was going on one of his famous rambles before the day's exercises commenced.
"And so, I told that lady, hey I'll give your dog a bite of my doughnut if I want. You tied him outside and..."
Jenna hunched over the back of her chair in a daze. Her fellow thespians were also adrift listening to this anecdote.
"The more I observe this man, the more questions I have," she muttered to herself.
It didn't help the girl that she'd been up for a chunk of the night, thinking about her encounter with Tambry. She was practically haunted by it. Compared to the other day, you would've mistaken them for besties and now...
(Fuck me! The hatred in her eyes. She wasn't this intense on the court!)
Now the acting veteran was being drowned out by Jenna's deep thoughts. Her teeth grinded as the gears in her head grinded, trying to figure this out.
Jenna was hurting for answers, and it wasn't coming out of Tambry. Not willingly, anyway. And it wasn't morbid curiosity; she really did still care for her old team and wanted to know how did things go wrong?
But who could...?
(I wonder if he still lives on Winifred Street...)
Lauren was still talking to Chase, wandering the area. She took a step, spun around and collided with another girl.
"OH, WHAT THE FUCK?!" she screamed bloody murder like she was being assaulted.
The singer's eyes widened at the person she bumped into.
"I'm sorry!" Lauren said defensively. "I didn't see you..."
Fire erupted in the brunette's hazel eyes. She was having none of this.
"UGH! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, KLUTZ!"
"Sorry," she repeated, holding her phone.
"You would've been really sorry if you mussed up my hair!" the mean girl pointed with a freshly painted nail.
"HEY!"
They both turned to see Mia running over to them.
"She said she was sorry!" the tan girl told her. "It was an accident, so why don't you let it go."
Hazel eyes rolled back as the girl folded her arms.
"Why don't you keep your friend under control!"
Now Mia stepped between her and Lauren.
"You feeling strong, bitch? Cuz I'll break more than your nails ..."
"Why aren't both of you on a leash for that matter?"
Mia growled as Ryan came in clutch to hold her back as the girl scoffed and walked away.
Lauren regarded her best friend with disapproval.
"Was that really necessary?"
Mia huffed and looked down at the floor.
"I guess not..." she muttered.
Lauren then lifted her chin.
"I appreciate the thought, Mia but I can take care of myself."
"Everybody, gather around!" came a stern voice of indeterminate origin. "If you are here for the tryouts, please line up on the broad wall over there. Everyone else, please leave!"
"That's our cue," nodded Ryan. "Let's go, Mia."
Mia sighed and followed him.
"Call when you're done okay?"
Lauren nodded with vigor.
"You got this!" Ryan shouted as they left. "Break an arm!"
"That's break a leg, babe!" Mia corrected.
"Wait, what'd I say?"
Jenna drove up the blue and grey house on the end of Winifred. It was further than she wanted to driver, since she came straight from the Onyx.
She licked her lips and got out of her car. The place looked the same. Jenna just hoped he didn't move.
Once at the door, the tall teen knocked, and some mumbling was audible on the other side.
"I'm sorry?" she called out, unable to understand the male voice.
"I SAID IT'S OPEN!" the voice bellowed from within.
Jenna turned the knob and pushed the door with a loud creak on the hinges.
"Coach?"
The older man leaned forward, still seated with his bandaged leg elevated on the coffee table.
"I'll be goddamned," he smiled. "Jen Parker!"
The ladies and gentlemen auditioning lined up as a mysterious man entered.
The guy looked like a Tim Burton illustration. He wore dark clothes, was a very slim build, had sunken eyes and wild hair. His face gave the impression that he's been up all night.
"Greetings, all!" he said, in an unexpectedly deep voice. "Thank you for coming!"
The man took a minute to scan the room and look at everyone.
"For those of you who don't know me, I am Xander Tundra."
Some whispered in awe, while Lauren was part of the silent (if not nervous) bunch.
"I have written and produced a couple of off-Broadway hits the last decade."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a poster, which he quickly unrolled.
"Most recently, Heavenly Creatures: The Musical!"
It may sound strange, but the show was a sensation when it premiered in New York. Like many musicals, they can be inspired from the most unlikely of things. Xander took the 1994 Peter Jackson film and adapted it to the stage complete with songs. It was an odd mixture of classical opera and the work of Mario Lanza, but it worked. Reviews were particularly impressed with how he recreated the fantasy sequences conjured by the two schoolgirls, including actors on stilts made up to look like clay tabletop figurines. Jackson sent Xander a letter informing him he was equally flattered and surprised by the production. He wrote he would be happy to attend when the show ever came to to New Zealand.
"But we're not talking about that. OLD NEWS!" he grinned as he rolled up the poster and handed it to a girl beside him. "Let's talk about why you're all here today!"
He motioned for his assistant, who handed him a bulky 3-ring binder, stuffed to the gills along with bookmarks and sticky notes of all colors hanging out of it. Tundra held it up like he was Moses coming down the mountain.
"Jailbirds!"
The muted responses made him lower the libretto and hug it protectively.
"Well, that's the working title anyway" Xander explained. "We've been kicking some stuff around and hopefully we can think of something snappier."
Tundra placed the tome on a nearby chair with such care and attention, like it was more precious than gold.
"You see, kids...this is my most personal musical to date! It is inspired my troubled youth and the amazing person who helped me turn my life around. They were the basis for the main character, Lisa Jennings! Other players in the show were amalgamations of other people I have encountered..." he paused for effect. "...at a juvenile detention facility."
If jaws could drop like in a cartoon, the wooden floor would've been decimated.
"You didn't mishear me," he sighed, pacing up and down the line of actors like General Patton. "I wasn't always this guy. I used to be pretty bad, and it landed me in hot water! My folks were...uh...not in the picture, and that's all I have to say about that. So, obviously, nobody came to me defense when I got thrown into juvey for stealing a car!"
The young people gasped at how this musical theater producer not only did time (sort of) but was so frank about it. Usually, folks in the entertainment biz would want to downplay their transgressions.
"There I was, a bad kid who's shit finally caught up with him and nobody wanted me. Then this woman came and helped me take responsibility for my actions and when I was done serving my six months...I never looked back. But we stayed in touch. She was always checking up on me...first grown up to ever give a damn about me. I only got into musical theater because she encouraged me to follow my true passion. Then a year ago, the craziest idea came to me! What was her origin story?"
He went on to explain how the show wasn't autobiographical per se. Xander created the protagonist of Lisa as an amalgamation of himself and his savior, who became a teenage girl who had no direction in life, getting mixed up in petty crime until she was arrested. And it's through the other inmates she befriends, that Lisa begins to turn her life around. One of the main themes of the show is helping yourself usually starts with helping someone else.
Lauren stood there, stunned at how deep and close to the chest this production was. She thought it would be some fun musical with maybe some hints of commentary. But this will hit hard in the emotions from the way Xander was hyping it up.
Now, the singer felt her comedic monologue in her back pocket was woefully inadequate. Lauren was worried she needed a dramatic reading that was more...dramatic.
"Now then!" he clapped with a smile. "We arranged your auditions based on your vocal range, which helps dictate who is trying out for whom."
Tundra's assistant walked up and started reading off names of girls until Lauren heard her name and joined the group, who collectively stood with baited breath. Final name to be called was someone named Vanessa Hiller.
(You've GOT to be kidding me!)
The mean girl from earlier was the last (and certainly not the least) to be called.
"You ladies will be trying out for the role of Lisa Jennings."
Excitement among the young girls was palpable, except for Vanessa who grimaced at Lauren from afar.
"Great," Lauren whispered.
"How did you hurt your leg?"
Coach Dickinson gazed up at his old student.
"I was fixing a shelf," he pointed to the floating shelf overlooking the stairs. "That one. I lost my footing and landed real bad."
He grumbled as he put his weight on his cane to stand. Jenna instinctively leaned forward to help but he waved her away.
"In my youth, I would've picked myself up and just been sore the rest of the day. Now..." he sighed. "Sheesh!"
Jenna chuckled. The old man had more fight in him than he looked. He may have a broken bone but nobody would accuse him of being incapacitated.
"I can get around the house fine. Kelly, my neighbor, checks up on me. And I order my groceries on the internet. What a time to be alive."
Dickinson stared longingly at his mantle of achievements, mostly framed pictures of the teams he coached. Centered was his wedding photo, an even greater achievement. But, that's why we take pictures because nothing lasts forever.
"You okay, coach?" asked Jenna.
"Yeah," he sighed. "Like I said, I can get around but I'm no use to anyone until I can move better out in the...wider world."
"I don't know," she shrugged. "You could chase them around and yell orders from a rascal."
"I'll be dead and buried before I go puttin' around in one of those damn contraptions!"
They both laughed.
"It's good to see you again, Jen" he nodded. "But what brings you here?"
"I actually came here straight from an acting class," Jenna explained.
"Ah! It's nice to see you're committed. Gonna be the next Charlize Theron, huh?"
Jen shook her head.
"Well...earlier in the week I ran into Tambry and she was pretty hostile to be frank. I came to find out the Dragons had a rough season."
Dickinson groaned and opted to sit back down on the tan couch.
"I've seen some bad years, Jen" he sighed, shaking his head. "...but those girls had a time."
Jenna sat in the dark yellow armchair across from him.
"What happened, though?"
"After you left...and don't take this the wrong way, Parker! After you left, it was like there was no cooperation! I tried to keep the fires from spreading but the in-fighting was getting out of hand. Instead of taking that piss and vinegar and bringing onto the court, the girls just let their harmony suffer. I was there for each game...those were not my Dragons. And Stephanie?"
She could feel the energy coming off of him that he did NOT have a favorable opinion of the star player. Not these days.
"That girl was by far the biggest instigator, I'll tell you what! All because she was jealous of Abby."
(That's right. I was in line to become the next team captain but since I stepped down, that meant Abby would've been the logical choice.)
"Stephanie would just ignore Abby at every turn. They were two of the better players, but you didn't hear that from me!"
Jenna sat there stone-faced at his story.
"She just kept being a thorn in her side, refusing to take orders. Began to infect the rest of the team."
The coach rubbed his hands together.
"Anyhow...if things were bad before with Stephanie, it became a real shit show after she left. I heard it through the grapevine that the girl switched sides, if you can believe that! Pretty soon, the rest of the girls all got fed up with having their butts handed to them, you know? Hell, we literally couldn't compete toward the end because we just didn't have enough players!"
Dickinson hid his eyes with his palm.
"Do you have any clue how embarrassing that is?"
"Damn," breathed Jenna. "I had no idea."
"Can't say I blame..." he made a noise as he leaned back further on the couch. "Tam there for being a little bitter. Last time I checked, she was the only one of the old lineup left."
"That can't be!" blurted out Jenna. "It just can't! How could the whole team disband?"
(Jesus Christ! It was THAT BAD of a season?)
"But I saw some other girls with Tambry."
He shrugged, "Fresh meat. All greenhorns, I'm afraid."
"Wait, hold up..."
Jen held her temple, contemplating all of this.
"If all that's left is Tambry and bunch of newbies, then who's the captain now?"
The old man gave her a silent glare.
"Oh...crap..."
(No wonder she was on edge.)
(I AM SO ON EDGE!)
Lauren took deliberate breaths as she focused on everything Tundra and his people were saying. She didn't want to botch this opportunity to perform.
"Our plan is to have each one of you perform a dramatic reading," one of the assistants announced to the group auditioning for the part of Lisa. "We will go down the list alphabetically, beginning with Clarissa Abernathy! Come with me, please."
The nervous girl nodded and followed the assistant while the others talked among themselves.
Lauren was feeling a bit queasy and found a bench to sit down. She watched as the girls began to center around Vanessa, who was talking a big game.
"You alright?"
She looked up to a young man with short brown hair, holding a duffel bag.
"I was walking around, and I saw you, and... are you gonna throw up or something?"
The singer shook her head.
"That's good," he smiled, sitting on the far end of the bench. "Then it's just performance jitters."
Lauren wasn't the best at signals, but she was really hoping that this guy wasn't trying to be smooth.
"Didn't mean to bother you but in my experience, it helps to talk with somebody when you're nervous."
"I have a boyfriend!" she blurted out, feeling stupid the moment it came tumbling from her lips.
The boy blinked and laughed.
"Well, unless he has a brother, I'm not interested."
"Huh?"
"You're cute but I was definitely not trying to flirt. I just saw you were not looking well."
She held her face in her hands.
"Now I really feel stupid!" Lauren groaned.
"It's cool," he said, setting down his bag. "I'm Matt, by the way."
"Lauren," she said, gathering the courage to look him in the face. "Sorry about that."
Matt shrugged.
"It's cool. So... you trying for the big part, huh?"
"Yeah..."
"Haven't seen you before," he mused. "Just getting into musicals?"
Lauren licked her lips, wishing for some water.
"Truthfully, I'm fine with the singing stuff. It's the acting that got me nervous."
"Ah!" Matt nodded. "You'll be okay."
She shook her head and regarded him in disbelief.
"How can you say that?"
"Believe me, hon...an actor who can't carry a tune is a much bigger problem."
(Damn, how can you be so CHILL about this?)
"Vanessa Hiller!"
She laughed in a rather fake tone of voice as she followed the assistant. On her way, Vanessa shot a rueful glare at Lauren before vanishing.
"UGH! Vanessa!"
His eyes squinted upon saying her name.
"You know her?" she asked.
"I'm aware of her in the way a town is aware of a hurricane coming. Classic nepo baby! She's the daughter of Anna-Marie Hiller, an actress who blew up in the 2000's only to fall into obscurity. Direct-to-video garbage, but she was convinced she was this diamond in the rough. Now it looks like the legend continues!"
Lauren leaned over, holding her stomach.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's just I'm next after her."
Matt looked sympathetically at Lauren.
"Well, where's your scene?" he offered. "Try it out real quick with me!"
Songbird shrugged and took the folded paper out of her pocket and opened it up to show him. Matt took it and read the thing quickly.
"That's funny," he chuckled.
"Yeah..." Lauren replied. "But you heard the synopsis! Why am I reading a comedy scene for a drama!?"
"It's not about that," Matt explained. "The purpose of this audition is to show them your humanity. And humor is part of life."
Lauren took a deep breath and spotted a water fountain. She ran over to it and took a long drink.
"I needed that," she sighed.
Matt sauntered up to Lauren with a grin.
"Okay, let's do this!"
He handed her the paper back.
"Hit me!"
Lauren cleared her throat just when she heard...
"Lauren Jackson!"
"Hey, don't fret" Matt told her with sincerity. "I've already done mine and trust me, they are really nice back there. Just do the scene."
The girl breathed deeply and followed the lady to the other room. Vanessa shoulder-checked Lauren on the way, making her look back in disgust. Matt gripped the handle of his bag tightly, irritated at the rude gesture.
(Come on, Lauren...have that bitch eat your dust!)
She was ushered over to a spot where she was observed by a row of chairs, with Xander Tundra himself sitting dead center.
"Go ahead and introduce yourself, dear" the casting director beside Tundra smiled.
"Hi, I'm Lauren, and I'll be performing a comedic monologue from 'The Nerd' by Larry Shue," she announced, her voice wavering slightly.
She took another deep breath, closed her eyes for a second, and let the character wash over her. She imagined herself not as Lauren, the nervous sixteen-year-old, but as the confident, witty character in the script.
When she opened her eyes, she was ready.
"Willum, you know what your problem is?" she began, her voice steady and confident now. "You're too nice! You're like a human doormat with a smiley face on it." She exaggerated the character's exasperation, pacing the stage and using her hands to emphasize her points.
The audience chuckled, and Lauren's heart soared. She fed off their energy, each laugh bolstering her confidence.
"And this is the best part," she continued, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "You're nice to everyone. Even the mailman thinks you're his best friend! He tells you about his pet hamster's health problems, and you listen! Who does that?"
Lauren could see the casting directors leaning forward, smiling, enjoying her performance. She hit her stride, the nervousness melting away completely. She felt the joy of performing, the thrill of making people laugh. It was like singing, but with words and gestures, and she loved it.
"Willum, you need to stand up for yourself! Tell the world you're more than just a friendly face. You're a person with opinions, with dreams, with… with hamsters of your own, probably! Well, maybe not hamsters, but you get the point!"
She finished with a flourish, her arms wide, a beaming smile on her face. The audience erupted in applause, and Lauren felt a rush of exhilaration. She had done it. She had nailed the audition. The casting directors exchanged impressed looks, and one of them gave her a thumbs-up.
"Thank you, Lauren," the director said warmly. "We'll be in touch."
Her eyes darted toward Tundra, who was whispering to a couple people to his right.
(Did I under perform? Did I overdo it? Did I hit the mark? WHAT, MAN? WHAT?)
The actors filed out of the auditorium, a mixture of stunned and excited. A few girls (and boys) were in literal tears, Lauren unable to see if they were joyous or anxious tears.
"Over here!" waved Mia.
Lauren bounded over to them and she let out the biggest breath.
"So, how did it go?" asked Ryan.
"Won't know today," Lauren replied. "Hope I don't have to wait long to hear it."
"You alright?" Mia queried with concern.
"Honestly, I will be at the very end. The not knowing is KILLING ME! Just tell me if I got it or not already!"
The trio walked to the car, Ryan driving with Mia riding shotgun. Lauren got in the back, opting to lay down as her whole body felt tense.
"Oh, and Lauren?"
"Yeah?"
Mia brandished her phone.
"Could you PLEASE call your boy! He's been blowing up my cell asking if you're done yet!"
A/N: That little bit of nonsense from Jenna's improv teacher was based on a Patton Oswalt routine.
Thanks for SK Rowling for helping me out with the audition scene!