she wheeled away from it, protecting her eyes.
“Hey, star!” She heard Steve’s shouted voice
from the lighting booth in the back, and instantly missed his
intimate whispered voice in her ear, via her headset. Leaving the
bright lights on, she heard him trotting down the center aisle of
the theater, heading her way. She gulped deep breaths, struggling
to get herself and her emotions under control.
He climbed up onto the stage and pulled her
into a bear hug. She clung to his back, and when he started to pull
away, she held on.
“What …?” He took hold of her shoulders and
gave her a firm shake, holding her a foot away so he could read her
face. “Oh, I know. You’re nervous. This is the big night.”
Monica sighed. “Steve, I’m not just nervous.
I’m insane.”
He laughed.
“No, I’m serious. What the hell am I doing? I
have no business being out here.”
“Of course you do. You’re going to learn the
role of Victoria, and if anything happens to Trina, or if she needs
a night off, you’ll step in for her. You’ll do such an amazing job,
next time you’ll be the star of your own show. You wait and
see.”
Her hands tingled and she closed her eyes to
concentrate on deep breathing. “I can’t do it, Steve.”
“Of course you can.” He gave her a firm nod
and locked gazes with her.
“I botched a ten-minute presentation to the
Board this week. Totally screwed it up.”
“So?”
She shook her head. “If I can’t get a short
presentation right, what makes me crazy enough to think I could get
a whole play right?”
He laughed. In fact, he laughed so hard and
long she pulled herself out of her nervousness long enough to be
ticked off at him. “What?”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“Sure it is. I …”
“Monica, look at me. You can do it. You were
born to be up here. You just have to discover that and accept it.
You’ve got your chance. Make the most of it.”
She looked down at the wooden floor, pieces
of masking tape occasionally marking a spot. “You sound so
sure.”
“That’s because I am sure. Will you be
nervous? Yes, anyone would be. But don’t let that stop you from
giving it your best try. That would be a real shame. And you know
what? I’ll be here with you every single step.”
Although her pulse rate had returned to
normal and she no longer felt dizzy, she stared at the floor,
determined to face her fears.
“Got it?” Impatient, Steve reached out and
put a finger under her chin, pulling her head up to face him. She
couldn’t help the grin that crept onto her face. He had so much
faith in her. Unfounded faith, but for right now, it was exactly
what she needed.
“Yeah.”
The actors convened in the front row of
seats, some climbing onto the stage. Steve gave her a fortifying
squeeze of her arm, then headed back to the lighting booth. Monica
retreated away from the actors a bit. She hoped Dave would announce
her new position tonight, and she felt fairly certain they’d be
happy for her. At least, most of them would.
She didn’t have to wait long because Dave
bustled on stage, his shabby notebook in his arm. “Okay, folks, I
have several notes to share from last night’s rehearsal, and I want
everyone’s attention, please.”
The actors settled in, soaking in the
instructional notes. A few marked their scripts as he spoke.
Finally, Dave finished with his handwritten notes and looked up,
gazing around till he spotted her. “Oh yes, one more thing. Monica,
our very own theater manager and props goddess, will be doubling as
Trina’s understudy. She’ll begin tonight rehearsing the role of
Victoria.”
Monica managed a small grin when many members
of the company approached her and patted her on the back. “Great
job, Monica. Looking forward to working with you.”
She heard raucous applause and cheers from
one particular person in the lighting booth. She burst out in a
delighted laugh.
Trina stomped over to Dave, her face stormy
after the understudy
“Hey, star!” She heard Steve’s shouted voice
from the lighting booth in the back, and instantly missed his
intimate whispered voice in her ear, via her headset. Leaving the
bright lights on, she heard him trotting down the center aisle of
the theater, heading her way. She gulped deep breaths, struggling
to get herself and her emotions under control.
He climbed up onto the stage and pulled her
into a bear hug. She clung to his back, and when he started to pull
away, she held on.
“What …?” He took hold of her shoulders and
gave her a firm shake, holding her a foot away so he could read her
face. “Oh, I know. You’re nervous. This is the big night.”
Monica sighed. “Steve, I’m not just nervous.
I’m insane.”
He laughed.
“No, I’m serious. What the hell am I doing? I
have no business being out here.”
“Of course you do. You’re going to learn the
role of Victoria, and if anything happens to Trina, or if she needs
a night off, you’ll step in for her. You’ll do such an amazing job,
next time you’ll be the star of your own show. You wait and
see.”
Her hands tingled and she closed her eyes to
concentrate on deep breathing. “I can’t do it, Steve.”
“Of course you can.” He gave her a firm nod
and locked gazes with her.
“I botched a ten-minute presentation to the
Board this week. Totally screwed it up.”
“So?”
She shook her head. “If I can’t get a short
presentation right, what makes me crazy enough to think I could get
a whole play right?”
He laughed. In fact, he laughed so hard and
long she pulled herself out of her nervousness long enough to be
ticked off at him. “What?”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“Sure it is. I …”
“Monica, look at me. You can do it. You were
born to be up here. You just have to discover that and accept it.
You’ve got your chance. Make the most of it.”
She looked down at the wooden floor, pieces
of masking tape occasionally marking a spot. “You sound so
sure.”
“That’s because I am sure. Will you be
nervous? Yes, anyone would be. But don’t let that stop you from
giving it your best try. That would be a real shame. And you know
what? I’ll be here with you every single step.”
Although her pulse rate had returned to
normal and she no longer felt dizzy, she stared at the floor,
determined to face her fears.
“Got it?” Impatient, Steve reached out and
put a finger under her chin, pulling her head up to face him. She
couldn’t help the grin that crept onto her face. He had so much
faith in her. Unfounded faith, but for right now, it was exactly
what she needed.
“Yeah.”
The actors convened in the front row of
seats, some climbing onto the stage. Steve gave her a fortifying
squeeze of her arm, then headed back to the lighting booth. Monica
retreated away from the actors a bit. She hoped Dave would announce
her new position tonight, and she felt fairly certain they’d be
happy for her. At least, most of them would.
She didn’t have to wait long because Dave
bustled on stage, his shabby notebook in his arm. “Okay, folks, I
have several notes to share from last night’s rehearsal, and I want
everyone’s attention, please.”
The actors settled in, soaking in the
instructional notes. A few marked their scripts as he spoke.
Finally, Dave finished with his handwritten notes and looked up,
gazing around till he spotted her. “Oh yes, one more thing. Monica,
our very own theater manager and props goddess, will be doubling as
Trina’s understudy. She’ll begin tonight rehearsing the role of
Victoria.”
Monica managed a small grin when many members
of the company approached her and patted her on the back. “Great
job, Monica. Looking forward to working with you.”
She heard raucous applause and cheers from
one particular person in the lighting booth. She burst out in a
delighted laugh.
Trina stomped over to Dave, her face stormy
after the understudy
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