A Gift from The Bard

"Well... I don't mean to be a prude, Emily, but..." Nick thinks for a moment but then has an idea. "I know: why don't you show them to Tati and see what she wants? It's her production and she can deal with any complaints there might be. Right, so how big are they going to be? The statues themselves I mean."

"Well, they'll need to be pretty big won't they, Emily, if they're going to be free-standing," I suggest, enjoying the chance to use her name.

"Yeah, I guess but that's what's worrying me; the bigger they are the harder they'll be to make and the longer they'll take," she sighs.

"Okay, well, what about putting them on plinths, you know, pillars about yea high." Nick holds his hand at about waist height. "Then if the statues were about three feet tall they'd be plenty big enough."

"Cool!" Emily replies, relieved. "I could put the names on the plinths too, like it was carved into them."

"Good. Well, can you go and see, er... Bill, the chap in the red checked shirt? See him and agree the dimensions of the plinths and he'll make them for you. Out the back there are the two containers that have our store of materials and old scenery; it's wood mainly but I'm sure there's some polystyrene and chicken wire if that's any use." Nick is about to turn away.

"Um, what do you want me to do, Nick?" I ask quickly.

"Oh... well... Emily-Rose, Tom can give you a hand looking through the materials and, maybe like, be an extra pair of hands when it comes to making the statues. Right? Good." Without waiting for a reply he heads off as someone else calls him. I look at Emily apologetically but inside I'm thrilled that I'm to be her helper on the statues and that my hasty question to Nick has paid off even better than I'd hoped it might.

"I hope you don't mind being lumbered with me," I manage as she watches Nick walk away.

"What? No, I don't think so. Have you done this before?"

"No, this is my first time, actually. I figured that since I have only a couple of small parts I should offer to help out backstage too. Have you done any set building before?"

"Sort of," she admits. "I helped out at school but that was mainly painting the backdrop. I've done a lot of sculptural stuff on my art course but making scenery is a whole new thing for me so I hope I don't screw it up."

"I'm sure you won't; the drawings you did for the statues are excellent," I tell her honestly. I know I'm not good at making conversation because I run out of things to say, so it's a relief when she suggests something practical.

"Thanks. Come on, we should have a look in those containers, whatever they are."

"Oh they're two big shipping containers behind the hall," I tell her, glad to have some useful information; anything that means we can keep talking. "I've helped collect stuff from them in the past."

"So what sort of stuff is in there?" she asks as we head towards the door.

"Well, all sorts, really; anything someone thought might come in handy one day."

"Ah, so lots of crap then," she suggests, making me laugh.

"You could say that," I agree, "but I'm sure there'll be something useful."

Chapter 5: Playing different parts

Emily

It's nice to sit after spending the morning on my feet. I would be even nicer if Suzie arrived early for the rehearsal so we can chat. That was why I volunteered to help Nick and the others marking out the floor with tape; the lines are to give the cast a rough outline of the stage, or 'performance arena' that Tati seems to prefer to call it.

I did show her my drawings for the statues and explained Nick's concerns about their being naked; a concern she did not share. "Oh no, my dear: when all's said and done, this play centres around sex and the contentions between the sexes. Your statues are perfect and of course they must be nude." Well, that's decided then, not that Nick was impressed by her decision. That just leaves me with trying to work out how best to make the statues.

While I wait for the start of the rehearsal I take out my sketchpad and doodle some ideas. So far the best plan looks like chicken wire, of which Tom and I found quite a lot, over a core of polystyrene with perhaps a wooden skeleton for strength -- Nick's suggestion -- and then covered, as I planned, in papier-mâché. Perhaps cloth soaked in plaster, like the hospital used to make the cast when I broke my arm, might be better; more solid and less squishy. The figures I'm making at college have had problems with the plaster coating cracking if pressed too hard. What I need to do now though is to see if there are parts of the statues that I can change to make them as easy to make as possible.

As usual, when I start drawing I get a bit absorbed and it's with a little jolt that I recognise Suzie's voice: "...guess this is what the stage area will look like," Suzie says as she passes me, her arm brushing Beth's arm as she leans in to speak to her. "I wonder when we can rehearse on the actual stage."

"Hi Suzie," I call and she and Beth both turn. "How's your morning been?"

"It's been great!" Beth replies before Suzie has a chance to speak. "Suze just like knows everything!"

"I think she does, about this play, anyway" I agree, unable to help my smile. "Did she tell you about what the title means?"

"No... what about the title Suzie?" I receive a disapproving glance from Suzie but, again before she can speak, Beth exclaims, "Lucy! Jon!" and hurries towards the new arrivals. I pat the seat next to me, encouraging Suzie to sit which she does.

"Sorry, I thought I was giving you the chance to talk about cunts to her by mentioning the play title thing. She seems to like you."

"Yeah," Suze gives a shy smile, "I think so but she's a bit, I don't know... I was going to say excitable but I don't mean in, you know, that way. Easily distracted, I suppose. Anyway, I was going to keep the stuff about the title until a suitable time, when..."

"When if you find talking about pussies gets her hot you can do something about it?" I suggest in a low voice and she smiles.

"Yeah, something like that," she replies with a slight laugh. I suddenly feel very uneasy: I want Suze to be happy and to support her but I can't help being a little jealous of Beth, seeing that Suzie is so keen to be with her; I was hoping that Suzie and I could regain our old friendship this summer. "Anyway, how was your morning?" she asks.

"I hope I haven't been too ambitious with these statues. I seem to have been given a helper, Tom," I gesture to where he's standing talking, "though how much help he'll be I'm not sure. Anyway, assuming I get it made, that square there," I point to a square of tape on the floor towards the end of what is to be the aisle between the seats, "will be the statue of Venus."

"Well, once my exams are done next week you can have another assistant of dubious usefulness if you want," she laughs. Just then, before I can ask how her exams are going, Tati stands and calls everyone to gather round. "Talk to you in a bit," Suzie promises as she gets to her feet.

"Come on," Beth says as she passes, grabbing Suzie's arm and dragging her away.

I half-listen to Tati explaining the set, most of which I now know, having seen Nick's drawings. Not that it looks much like the drawings at the moment, with just outlines marked in tape on the floor and battered moveable stage blocks standing in for the balcony, terrace and stairs. She says that over the next couple of rehearsals they'll be 'blocking', whatever that is. One interesting point, which maybe explains Tati's pretentious-sounding 'performance arena' phrase, is that she wants the audience to feel as if they are inside the set. "So let's get started," she claps her hands. "So, Peter, Beth and... oh, yes, Suzie, I want you, Leonato, Hero and Beatrice to enter from the back, from behind the audience. You're returning from a walk in the grounds perhaps. Tom the messenger: once they're past the statue -- that square on the floor, there -- I want you to hurry in behind and call to them. You come forward and give the message to Leonato and on we go."

"So I should aim to catch them just after they reach the end of the aisle?" Tom asks.

"Hmmm," Tati thinks for a moment. "Let's try while they're still in the aisle and among the audience, shall we? Okay?" There are nods and murmurs of assent and the four of them move to the back of the hall and the rehearsal begins.

They are all carrying their scripts and several of the actors, including Suze, seem to be making notes in them, often when Tati stops them and gives some instruction or advice. The result is that it's all very slow and stilted and it's hard to see how a captivating performance will come from it.

"Hi Emily," Tom whispers as sits in the chair beside me. "You look a bit bored."

"Well, it is all a bit stop-start and everything seems to be gone over two or three times." I keep my voice equally quiet.

"It's always a bit like that at the start when we're blocking -- you know, working out where people will stand and how they'll move. Of course, no one knows their lines either."

"I thought people just sort of became their characters and ad-libbed it."

"I guess that happens a bit, not that 'Messenger' is much of a character to become! But it's also finding out how the actors play together and what works to tell the story; that's a big part of Tati's job."

"I guess... I don't think I'd be a good actor; I hate it when people tell me what I should do in my artwork -- even if they're right!" I add with a smile.

"Yeah, I kind of noticed when Nick wanted you to put clothes on the statues. You might have to look out or he'll be glueing fig leaves onto them when they're finished!" The idea makes me laugh.

"Like he's some prudish old Victorian complaining about decency in art! So are you sat here with nothing to do?" I ask.

"Well, there's the masque ball scene at the start of act two and everyone's in that."

"Don't I know it: I've dozens of masks to make for that scene."

"It can't be dozens, surely?" he asks with a doubting look.

"Okay, it's fifteen, but it feels like loads."

"Well, I'll help if I can," he promises. I look at him and he looks down awkwardly. I wonder if there's more to his helpfulness than simple kindness and good nature. He's reasonably good looking and seems nice enough but I'm not sure I want a boyfriend. I'm not sure what I want at the moment; there just seems too much going on at present. Maybe once my course is finished I can think more clearly. Maybe.

Danny

There was a definite feeling of excitement at the end of rehearsal, though I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because there are quite a few of us younger people in the cast, certainly compared to the last production we did, or maybe it's Tati's over-enthusiasm or, what's the word? Where you make things sound better than they are... hyper-something.

Anyway, no one disagreed with the idea of going to the pub after rehearsal and everyone seems to have actually come, even her and her friend, who has also given me some dirty looks. Tati paid for the first round, which was generous of her but I hope we don't keep buying rounds for seventeen people because I can't afford that. I guess I should buy drinks for Chris, Joe, Nick and Tom though.

I glance across the group towards her and that friend of hers, Emily, sat beside her as usual. She looks up and our eyes meet. As each time before, she doesn't flinch or look away suddenly but her eyes simply slip away, without any reaction. Almost as if she couldn't see me. I look at Beth who is sitting on the other side of her and when I catch Beth's eye I get a little smile. I smile back; I guess I'm not invisible after all.

Bert, one of the older guys, playing Antonio, is telling everyone to be quiet. "Right, and now it is time for some magic!" he says and there's some interest but also a few groans, mine included. "Philistines!" he mutters but seems undeterred. He pulls out a marker pen and his script from which he takes two folded pieces of paper, and lays one unfolded on the table but keeps the other folded. Despite my initial dread at another of Bert's tricks, it is a bit intriguing.

"Now then, ladies and gentlemen of fair Messina, I am come among you to share my most rare gift of precognition. To begin, I must draw the spirits to myself that, like Prospero, I may 'work mine ends'." He raises his head, pressing his fingers to his eyes in a dramatic way. He holds the pose and then, with a cry, grabs the pen and writes something unseen inside the folded piece of paper. "Tati," he turns to her folding and refolding the paper he has just written on before passing it to her, "would you be so good as to hold my humble prophecy and keep it hidden?"

"Of course, how could I refuse our own Prospero," she smiles and nods, taking the paper.

"Now, in order to prove that there is no collusion and duplicity between myself and another," Bert explains to his now captive audience, "I shall have several of you assist me. So, to begin, I need someone to give me a single number... Lucy?" She looks surprised to be named.

"Um... seven," Lucy replies and Bert writes this at the top of the paper.

"Thank you. Now... John, how about a number from you?"

"Okay, Bert," he says as if humouring him, "nine." Bert writes this next to the seven on the paper.

"And, yes, new girl... Suzie, sorry, perhaps you would choose the third number?" I can't help the shiver that runs through me. This girl has a mean streak, as I know only too well: the memory of the humiliation she dished out to me just because she was embarrassed 'cause she'd let me stick my hand inside her knickers in the garden at that party. I'd made her cum, too. Okay, maybe wiping her girl juice from my hand onto her shirt was a bit out of order, but even so...

"Okay: four, no, two," she replies indecisively.

"Very good. Now, I need another volunteer... you, Danny, lurking at the back there. You have a good brain in your head. Come and do some arithmetic for us." Crap, I really don't want this, to be in the centre where she can make some snide comment to mock me, but I can't exactly refuse.

"Alright, Bert," I reply with a smile I do not feel.

"Excellent. Now, feel free to mix the number up... I don't need to see it." I rearrange seven-nine-two into two-seven-nine. "Done? Right, now, let's mix things up a little more. Can you reverse your number and subtract the smaller from the larger to give a new number?" Oh god, he wasn't kidding when he said he wanted me to do some maths; I suppose I should be glad I've not had time to drink much of my beer. I do the sum on the paper, carefully, and arrive at six hundred and ninety-three.

"Okay, that's..."

"No, no, dear boy, don't tell me. Now, reverse the new number and, I know, let's add them together this time."

"So... add the new number to the reverse of the new number, yes?" I ask, not wanting to cock up.

"Exactly so." I do the calculation. "Now, tell everyone the number."

"One -- zero -- eight -- nine."

"Very well; has anyone a book here that they could look at page ten, line eight and the ninth word? Is there a book here?" To his credit, he keeps a straight face because, of course, we all have our scripts.

"Like!" exclaims Beth. "Line eight says: 'BENEDICK: If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat...' so the ninth word spoken is 'like'."

"Yes, but if you include the word 'Benedick', then the ninth word on the line is actually 'bottle' isn't it?" Suzie leans in close beside Beth and points to the page. Suzie looks towards Tati as we all do."

"Well, so as to avoid any ambiguity I feel I must concur with Ms Peterson and agree that the word should be bottle." With a flourish, she raises the folded piece of paper and makes a great show of opening it. Her eyes widen in surprise. "Well, we seem to have a magician of rare skill amongst us!" she exclaims, turning the paper to show BOTTLE written clearly upon it. People start to clap and compliment Bert.

Conversations start up, with people all discussing how the trick was done. Inevitably, there are calls for Bert to reveal how he did it and, just as inevitably, he refuses, saying it was magic. He also complains that magic is thirsty work as he looks meaningfully at his empty pint glass.

"Who's getting the next round?" Nick asks and I notice Emily and her looking uncomfortable. Of course, they're students and probably can't afford twenty-five quid for a round of drinks. I suppose I could, at a stretch, though my job at the gym doesn't pay hugely and I am supposed to be saving for when I go to university in September.

"I've a better idea," Jon announces, "why don't we have a whip round and all put in, say, two or three pounds and we'll buy the drinks from that, though I don't think Tati needs to contribute as she bought the first round. Anyway, anything left at the end of the evening can be kept for next time."

"Or we could keep it and use it towards the after show party," suggests Donna and there seems to be general agreement to this and it gets my vote. The money is gathered on one of the tables, to be held by Donna who seems to have automatically become the keeper of the kitty. She and Jon then start collecting people's orders.

Conversations resume again, mostly about the play as it's the one thing we have in common, though Peter and Gio seem to be discussing cricket and England's chances in this summer's Test series. I'd join in if I had much interest in cricket. Then I hear her voice and can't help listening, wondering if she's talking about me. However, it is just about her exams, worrying about them but also glad that they'll be over by the end of the next week. Emily starts to talk about an art exhibition but then the drinks arrive and I can't hear any more.

There is a strong temptation to get pissed so I don't keep thinking about her and what she might say but, apart from having to work tomorrow, I'm worried what she might do or say if I'm drunk as I was at that party. Perhaps I'll just have this drink and then go.

Suzie

I feel myself relax a little as I see Danny turn away and start talking with Giovani and Leonato, I mean Peter. I don't want to show that I'm scared of him but I also don't want to unnecessarily provoke him so I just pretend not to see him. He seems to be friends with quite a few of the cast and knows even more so it's a constant worry what he might say about me. I'm pretty sure he hasn't said anything negative so far, given how everyone is behaving towards me, but still it's wearing to have him around.

It's nice being sat between Beth and Emmy but does make it difficult to talk to them both as Beth wants to talk about the play and Emmy about how my exams are going and when I'm actually coming home for the summer. "My last exam's on Wednesday," I tell her, "and Mum's agreed to come and pick me up so I can try for that job on Saturday."

"Did you get the job then?" Emmy asks.

"What job?" Beth asks, intrigued.

"It's a temporary job at the library," I explain, "and I haven't got it yet but I have an interview on Saturday, so hopefully..."

"You're such a nerd!" Beth teases and I can't help feeling hurt by the comment; I don't want her to think of me like that.

"No," Emmy disagrees. "Suzie's too... too nice to be a nerd."

"Hey, you don't need to be so protective," Beth says, "Suzie knows I'm just teasing. Anyway, her nerd brain has really helped me with this play."

Emmy nods and I feel a little better, though I still want Beth to see me as more than just clever. Of course, I still have no idea if she has any attraction towards women but I've read that lots of girls are a little bit bi-curious. I mean, look at Emmy... no, let's not think about that again.