we’re finished,’ says Marc. He’s such an amazing actor. I feel like he’s aged ten years right in front of me. His posture, his voice ... amazing. ‘I have many more dancers to see today.’
‘Really?’ I raise an eyebrow and step towards him. ‘Because I think maybe, if you can p ostpone them, I can win you over .’
‘ Oh ?’ Marc asks.
I know the words I want to say. The words the character should say. But they stick in my throat.
‘ Well?’ Marc cocks his head.
I shake my head. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Blackwell . I can’t ... I just can’t. I know what I want to s ay, but I can’t say it. This is too much of a challenge for me, right now. ’
‘Okay.’ He jumps down the theatre steps, and takes a seat . ‘I was pushing you. That was the idea. But this is definitely an area you need to build on. If you can’t play a provocative role, you’ll always be limited in how open you can be with the audience . ’
A provocative role. I feel myself shiver a little at those words. How can he say them so easily, whereas I can’t even pretend to play a femme fatale? I feel pathetic.
‘ I can’t honestly say you’ve impressed me today , ’ says Marc. ‘We’ll see. ’ He folds his fingers together. ‘ Okay. Performance finished. Let the next one in, would you?’
I walk down the stage steps, past Marc and along the seating aisle. At the door, I turn back.
‘I feel like I let you down,’ I say. ‘I should have been able to play that part better.’
‘ Yes, you should have ,’ Marc says.
What does that mean? I think. Was my performance good enough to pass or not?
Outside the theatre, Ryan is waiting.
‘Dropped any more books recently?’ he says.
I ignore him.
Chapter 1 8
In the cafeteria , t here are comfy looking red sofas and armchairs away from where food is served, and Tanya is curled up on a chair, studying the Taming of the Shrew . She stares intently at the pages. She’ll probably do a great job of her performance .
The thought depresses me. Have I failed? What if I’m out? I sink into a comfy chair beside her , thinking I might treat myself to a cheer-up hot chocolate.
‘Hey Tanya,’ I say .
‘Hey,’ she says, looking up and pushing her glasses up her nose. ‘How’s it shaking? How did the audition go with Mr Big?’
‘I don’t know. Not great, I guess. He didn’t care about me using lines from the play. He ... he wanted me to adlib.’
‘I’m terrible at adlibbing,’ says Tanya. ‘My worst ski ll. Still. It’ll be good practis e for me. You don’t look so happy.’
I nod. ‘It was so hard. I just crumpled under the pressure.’ I put my head in my hands. ‘I don’t deserve to be here. And I think maybe Mr Blackwell thinks that too. ’
Tanya comes and puts her arms around me. ‘He’s being t ough on us ,’ she says. ‘Think how amazing it is that you got to perform in front of an Oscar- winning actor. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s only the first performance.’ Tanya checks her watch. ‘Yikes. I’d better go. Wish me luck.’
‘Break a leg,’ I say, managing a smile.
Now I’m alone in the cafeteria. All the other students must be in their rooms, practising. I decide to phone Jen . She’ll make me feel better.
I order a frothy hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows , and dial Jen ’s number on my iP hone – the latest model, thanks to my scholarship.
‘BABE!’ Jen screeches down the phone. ‘I was waiting for your ca ll. I didn’t want to bother you while you were settling in, but I’m DYING to know how it all is. What’s he like?’
I don’t need to ask who he is. ‘He’s ... strict .’
‘Oh?’
I tell Jen everything – the class, the performance and Marc saying he hasn’t seen the best of me .
‘ Wow ,’ she says, when I’m finis hed. ‘ D ifficult first day. Trial by fire, and all of that. But it sounds like he’s a good teacher. I mean, that’s what he’s supposed to do, isn’t it? Stretch you
‘Really?’ I raise an eyebrow and step towards him. ‘Because I think maybe, if you can p ostpone them, I can win you over .’
‘ Oh ?’ Marc asks.
I know the words I want to say. The words the character should say. But they stick in my throat.
‘ Well?’ Marc cocks his head.
I shake my head. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Blackwell . I can’t ... I just can’t. I know what I want to s ay, but I can’t say it. This is too much of a challenge for me, right now. ’
‘Okay.’ He jumps down the theatre steps, and takes a seat . ‘I was pushing you. That was the idea. But this is definitely an area you need to build on. If you can’t play a provocative role, you’ll always be limited in how open you can be with the audience . ’
A provocative role. I feel myself shiver a little at those words. How can he say them so easily, whereas I can’t even pretend to play a femme fatale? I feel pathetic.
‘ I can’t honestly say you’ve impressed me today , ’ says Marc. ‘We’ll see. ’ He folds his fingers together. ‘ Okay. Performance finished. Let the next one in, would you?’
I walk down the stage steps, past Marc and along the seating aisle. At the door, I turn back.
‘I feel like I let you down,’ I say. ‘I should have been able to play that part better.’
‘ Yes, you should have ,’ Marc says.
What does that mean? I think. Was my performance good enough to pass or not?
Outside the theatre, Ryan is waiting.
‘Dropped any more books recently?’ he says.
I ignore him.
Chapter 1 8
In the cafeteria , t here are comfy looking red sofas and armchairs away from where food is served, and Tanya is curled up on a chair, studying the Taming of the Shrew . She stares intently at the pages. She’ll probably do a great job of her performance .
The thought depresses me. Have I failed? What if I’m out? I sink into a comfy chair beside her , thinking I might treat myself to a cheer-up hot chocolate.
‘Hey Tanya,’ I say .
‘Hey,’ she says, looking up and pushing her glasses up her nose. ‘How’s it shaking? How did the audition go with Mr Big?’
‘I don’t know. Not great, I guess. He didn’t care about me using lines from the play. He ... he wanted me to adlib.’
‘I’m terrible at adlibbing,’ says Tanya. ‘My worst ski ll. Still. It’ll be good practis e for me. You don’t look so happy.’
I nod. ‘It was so hard. I just crumpled under the pressure.’ I put my head in my hands. ‘I don’t deserve to be here. And I think maybe Mr Blackwell thinks that too. ’
Tanya comes and puts her arms around me. ‘He’s being t ough on us ,’ she says. ‘Think how amazing it is that you got to perform in front of an Oscar- winning actor. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s only the first performance.’ Tanya checks her watch. ‘Yikes. I’d better go. Wish me luck.’
‘Break a leg,’ I say, managing a smile.
Now I’m alone in the cafeteria. All the other students must be in their rooms, practising. I decide to phone Jen . She’ll make me feel better.
I order a frothy hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows , and dial Jen ’s number on my iP hone – the latest model, thanks to my scholarship.
‘BABE!’ Jen screeches down the phone. ‘I was waiting for your ca ll. I didn’t want to bother you while you were settling in, but I’m DYING to know how it all is. What’s he like?’
I don’t need to ask who he is. ‘He’s ... strict .’
‘Oh?’
I tell Jen everything – the class, the performance and Marc saying he hasn’t seen the best of me .
‘ Wow ,’ she says, when I’m finis hed. ‘ D ifficult first day. Trial by fire, and all of that. But it sounds like he’s a good teacher. I mean, that’s what he’s supposed to do, isn’t it? Stretch you
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