31 Plays in 31 Days: #15 - "Glamorous Life of an Actress"
Ahhh, so behind. Last year I didn't get behind this early. But I'm going to do it one way or the other!
This is drawn from my tabletop game, The Bloom of May, set in the same universe as The Tailor of Riddling Way and taking place after the events of that story. There is no obvious connection between the two to be noticed in this scene, although the show they are talking about is being put up in the Rowan Loring Memorial Theater, built by Reginald Loring in honor of his son's sacrifice in World War I.
Day #15 - "Glamorous Life of an Actress"
LUCY CARTER, a maid and aspiring actress
WILL HUNTER, an actor in the same show
~~~
LUCY: Mrs. Holbrook’s looking for you. She has a jacket she needs to fit.
WILL: Thanks, Lucy, I’ll find her.
LUCY: You know, you were a scream in rehearsal today. If I’m not careful I’ll be laughing harder than the audience.
WILL: It’s not so far off for Cecily to be laughing at Jack.
LUCY: Still! I’m liable to forget half my lines.
(She smiles at him hopefully.)
LUCY: It was a good time.
(He smiles weakly in return but then lapses back into moodiness.)
LUCY: Are you all right, then? You seem awful down for a man who just got through with those antics.
WILL: I suppose it’s only… life off the stage doesn’t always go as smoothly, does it?
LUCY: That’s for certain. Is something the matter?
WILL: It’s only… sometimes things aren’t what you thought they were. It just makes you… want to run away from it all.
LUCY: Run away from what?
WILL: I don’t know. My life.
(Pause.)
WILL: Listen to me. You must think I’m being very dramatic.
LUCY: Well, you’re an actor, aren’t you? And I really don’t think so. I sure wouldn’t mind running away from mine every once in a while. I suppose that’s why I came here.
WILL: Came here?
LUCY: To the theater. To give acting a go. You see, before my audition… well, I’d never been an actress before.
WILL: You’re joking.
LUCY: I always wanted to be, but the truth is, I’ve got another job.
WILL: Yes? As what?
(Pause. LUCY is embarrassed.)
LUCY: As a maid. I’m one of them at old Mrs. Pelham’s.
(Pause.)
LUCY: You don’t think less of me? Living below stairs like some character in a Victorian melodrama.
WILL: Well, Victorian melodramas are our bread and butter here- maybe it’s high time for one about the maid.
LUCY: Well, it’s hardly the glamorous life one hopes for an actress. Fame and fortune sounds an awful lot more like it to me.
WILL: Careful what you wish for. The rich have problems of their own, just like anybody else. Wouldn’t trade anything for them.
LUCY: Not me! I’d be glad to be rich. Then nobody would look at me like I’m the pack mule for whatever needs doing.
WILL: Are they quite bad to you?
LUCY: Mrs. Pelham’s all right, I suppose. But most of them don’t even look at me when they speak in my direction.
WILL: Hadn’t thought much of that.
LUCY: I don’t suppose you have to make a living off the stage?
WILL: No. No, I suppose I’ve been lucky that way.
LUCY: Well. You’ll have to let me in on your secret for that. Maybe somebody I’ll be so lucky too.
WILL: Lucy Carter’s a fine name for a film star. I’ll be seeing it up in lights in no time.
LUCY: Glad somebody thinks so.
(Pause.)
LUCY: You know, Will, if you need anything… I’d be glad to lend a hand. If I can.
WILL: You’ve enough to handle now without my adding to it. But it’s kind of you to say.
(He gets up to leave.)
WILL: I’d best be finding Mrs. Holbrook now. I’ll see you at tomorrow night’s rehearsal.
This is drawn from my tabletop game, The Bloom of May, set in the same universe as The Tailor of Riddling Way and taking place after the events of that story. There is no obvious connection between the two to be noticed in this scene, although the show they are talking about is being put up in the Rowan Loring Memorial Theater, built by Reginald Loring in honor of his son's sacrifice in World War I.
Day #15 - "Glamorous Life of an Actress"
LUCY CARTER, a maid and aspiring actress
WILL HUNTER, an actor in the same show
~~~
LUCY: Mrs. Holbrook’s looking for you. She has a jacket she needs to fit.
WILL: Thanks, Lucy, I’ll find her.
LUCY: You know, you were a scream in rehearsal today. If I’m not careful I’ll be laughing harder than the audience.
WILL: It’s not so far off for Cecily to be laughing at Jack.
LUCY: Still! I’m liable to forget half my lines.
(She smiles at him hopefully.)
LUCY: It was a good time.
(He smiles weakly in return but then lapses back into moodiness.)
LUCY: Are you all right, then? You seem awful down for a man who just got through with those antics.
WILL: I suppose it’s only… life off the stage doesn’t always go as smoothly, does it?
LUCY: That’s for certain. Is something the matter?
WILL: It’s only… sometimes things aren’t what you thought they were. It just makes you… want to run away from it all.
LUCY: Run away from what?
WILL: I don’t know. My life.
(Pause.)
WILL: Listen to me. You must think I’m being very dramatic.
LUCY: Well, you’re an actor, aren’t you? And I really don’t think so. I sure wouldn’t mind running away from mine every once in a while. I suppose that’s why I came here.
WILL: Came here?
LUCY: To the theater. To give acting a go. You see, before my audition… well, I’d never been an actress before.
WILL: You’re joking.
LUCY: I always wanted to be, but the truth is, I’ve got another job.
WILL: Yes? As what?
(Pause. LUCY is embarrassed.)
LUCY: As a maid. I’m one of them at old Mrs. Pelham’s.
(Pause.)
LUCY: You don’t think less of me? Living below stairs like some character in a Victorian melodrama.
WILL: Well, Victorian melodramas are our bread and butter here- maybe it’s high time for one about the maid.
LUCY: Well, it’s hardly the glamorous life one hopes for an actress. Fame and fortune sounds an awful lot more like it to me.
WILL: Careful what you wish for. The rich have problems of their own, just like anybody else. Wouldn’t trade anything for them.
LUCY: Not me! I’d be glad to be rich. Then nobody would look at me like I’m the pack mule for whatever needs doing.
WILL: Are they quite bad to you?
LUCY: Mrs. Pelham’s all right, I suppose. But most of them don’t even look at me when they speak in my direction.
WILL: Hadn’t thought much of that.
LUCY: I don’t suppose you have to make a living off the stage?
WILL: No. No, I suppose I’ve been lucky that way.
LUCY: Well. You’ll have to let me in on your secret for that. Maybe somebody I’ll be so lucky too.
WILL: Lucy Carter’s a fine name for a film star. I’ll be seeing it up in lights in no time.
LUCY: Glad somebody thinks so.
(Pause.)
LUCY: You know, Will, if you need anything… I’d be glad to lend a hand. If I can.
WILL: You’ve enough to handle now without my adding to it. But it’s kind of you to say.
(He gets up to leave.)
WILL: I’d best be finding Mrs. Holbrook now. I’ll see you at tomorrow night’s rehearsal.