OOC: Dreamscape.
At first, all you see is a brilliantly red velvet curtain, set on a stage with beautifully polished wood. There are thousands upon thousands of seats, stretching backwards as far as the eye can see, and the house is packed with anonymous people that you don't recognize. They're all chattering and talking about being excited for the performance they're about to see. They've waited for months and months for their opportunity to see whatever is showing tonight... the tension is nearly palpable.
The lights dim slowly and the chattering of the audience stops abruptly. You are still standing in the center of the aisle, but the show has already begun. At first, there is no one there -- until one petite diva walks on stage. The audience bursts into applause automatically, but Rachel Berry holds up a hand to stop the noise... and she begins to dance.
The beginning of the show revolves around solely Rachel Berry: the early years. Hours upon hours of practice -- ballet, piano, ice-skating, singing, dancing, pushing and pushing and pushing herself to become better. She is alone -- but her presence is so captivating and engaging that the audience never looks away, despite her being alone on stage. Though her movements and her voice are spot on and ideal, it never seems to be good enough -- and she storms off stage, angry with herself.
Moments later, Rachel walks back on stage, books in hand, a bright smile on her face as she sets upon her high school years. For the most part, she is ignored and shoved around... at one point, a slushie gets thrown into her face and she is left to clean it off in the bathroom. The lights dim as Rachel has a crisis of hope -- maybe she isn't destined for greatness.
She sinks to her knees, in the center of a school hallway, alone.
But then, as Rachel stands alone on stage, a boy comes on-stage to pull her onto her feet and brushes her hair out of her eyes with a warm smile. The image is almost comical -- he's so tall and Rachel is so small -- but the audience practically leans forward in anticipation and Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry circle each other to sing a stirring rendition of Don't Stop Believing. When the song is complete, Rachel falls into his arms, clinging to him tightly, as if never wanting to let him go... but Finn gently pulls away, gripping her hands with a smile, walks off-stage, leaving Rachel alone.
She looks positively heartbroken -- and she takes a wobbling step or two after him, her hands reaching for Finn off-stage, but another figure has appeared, circling an arm around her waist to turn her around to steer her towards a piano. The figure is a woman and Rachel follows her more or less numbly... but when the lights brighten, it shows a woman who looks startlingly like Rachel. And when Rachel looks up at Shelby Corcaran, at the opposite end of the piano, her face lights up in absolute joy.
And once the two start singing, the audience is smiling along with Rachel, who looks like she is having the time of her life. When the song is over, Shelby backs up, off-stage, and Rachel's eyes widen, reaching out a hand to stop the woman and her amazing voice, but it is too late: Shelby, too, is gone.
Rachel slumps slightly against the piano, biting her lip hard, trying to smile on, for the show, but she isn't alone for long. Another shadow in the dark appears. The figure is shrouded for the barest moment as he sits behind the piano, but when the opening strains of Hello begin to play, Rachel is frozen, entraced by the voice of Jesse St James. Soon, she begins to sing along, and Jesse pulls her into a kiss once the song is complete.
She is torn away near the end of the kiss, only to be pelted in the face with an egg. And another. And another. Soon, she is covered, and Rachel falls backwards into fall into the arms of her New Directions family, who pull her away from Jesse St James and the other Vocal Adrenaline members, who are all laughing at her hysterically. Rachel pulls the yolk away from her eyes and pulls herself out of the arms of Kurt and Mercedes to pull herself up straight, breathing heavily, tears intermingling with the goo of the eggs dripping from her hair...
And Rachel takes a deep breath and turns to the audience, flinging her arms outward, to sing Don't Rain On My Parade. She sings it with such passion, such anger, that the audience is visibly taken aback by the young girl's powerful voice, and once she finishes with the last note, Rachel drops backwards a step or two. The members of New Directions immediately swarm her, to wish her well, and the curtain drops without warning.
And the audience bursts into applause.
The lights dim slowly and the chattering of the audience stops abruptly. You are still standing in the center of the aisle, but the show has already begun. At first, there is no one there -- until one petite diva walks on stage. The audience bursts into applause automatically, but Rachel Berry holds up a hand to stop the noise... and she begins to dance.
The beginning of the show revolves around solely Rachel Berry: the early years. Hours upon hours of practice -- ballet, piano, ice-skating, singing, dancing, pushing and pushing and pushing herself to become better. She is alone -- but her presence is so captivating and engaging that the audience never looks away, despite her being alone on stage. Though her movements and her voice are spot on and ideal, it never seems to be good enough -- and she storms off stage, angry with herself.
Moments later, Rachel walks back on stage, books in hand, a bright smile on her face as she sets upon her high school years. For the most part, she is ignored and shoved around... at one point, a slushie gets thrown into her face and she is left to clean it off in the bathroom. The lights dim as Rachel has a crisis of hope -- maybe she isn't destined for greatness.
She sinks to her knees, in the center of a school hallway, alone.
But then, as Rachel stands alone on stage, a boy comes on-stage to pull her onto her feet and brushes her hair out of her eyes with a warm smile. The image is almost comical -- he's so tall and Rachel is so small -- but the audience practically leans forward in anticipation and Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry circle each other to sing a stirring rendition of Don't Stop Believing. When the song is complete, Rachel falls into his arms, clinging to him tightly, as if never wanting to let him go... but Finn gently pulls away, gripping her hands with a smile, walks off-stage, leaving Rachel alone.
She looks positively heartbroken -- and she takes a wobbling step or two after him, her hands reaching for Finn off-stage, but another figure has appeared, circling an arm around her waist to turn her around to steer her towards a piano. The figure is a woman and Rachel follows her more or less numbly... but when the lights brighten, it shows a woman who looks startlingly like Rachel. And when Rachel looks up at Shelby Corcaran, at the opposite end of the piano, her face lights up in absolute joy.
And once the two start singing, the audience is smiling along with Rachel, who looks like she is having the time of her life. When the song is over, Shelby backs up, off-stage, and Rachel's eyes widen, reaching out a hand to stop the woman and her amazing voice, but it is too late: Shelby, too, is gone.
Rachel slumps slightly against the piano, biting her lip hard, trying to smile on, for the show, but she isn't alone for long. Another shadow in the dark appears. The figure is shrouded for the barest moment as he sits behind the piano, but when the opening strains of Hello begin to play, Rachel is frozen, entraced by the voice of Jesse St James. Soon, she begins to sing along, and Jesse pulls her into a kiss once the song is complete.
She is torn away near the end of the kiss, only to be pelted in the face with an egg. And another. And another. Soon, she is covered, and Rachel falls backwards into fall into the arms of her New Directions family, who pull her away from Jesse St James and the other Vocal Adrenaline members, who are all laughing at her hysterically. Rachel pulls the yolk away from her eyes and pulls herself out of the arms of Kurt and Mercedes to pull herself up straight, breathing heavily, tears intermingling with the goo of the eggs dripping from her hair...
And Rachel takes a deep breath and turns to the audience, flinging her arms outward, to sing Don't Rain On My Parade. She sings it with such passion, such anger, that the audience is visibly taken aback by the young girl's powerful voice, and once she finishes with the last note, Rachel drops backwards a step or two. The members of New Directions immediately swarm her, to wish her well, and the curtain drops without warning.
And the audience bursts into applause.