The Luster of Stars in Moscow
⁇ 25
THE FIRST DAY OF THE PERFORMANCE "BEAUTIFUL AND UGLY", SCREENWRITER AND DIRECTOR: RAFAEL MOSCOVICH.
Thus the contents of the announcement are displayed at the entrance of the auditorium of the MoscovArt Theatre building. Abandoned catalog sheets nearby, looking gloomy and lonely.
Hustle and bustle in the hallway as if yawning. Downstream of people milling about like never happened.
The long queue in front of the counter was like a memory that would not be repeated.
The entrance feels like a threat.
Two girls stood clumsy in front of the door. Looking there and there with a timid attitude.
"Are you right, the show's today?" One of the girls was worried.
"Why so lonely?" The other girl's timpal.
"HONORABLE AUDIENCE, WELCOME!" The announcement echoes from the loudspeaker. "WE APOLOGIZE DEEPLY. THE SHOW HAD TO BE PUSHED BACK FOR 30 MINUTES BECAUSE OF SOMETHING. PLEASE INFORMATION!"
"What?" Some people on the bleachers began to mourn. "Thirty minutes?"
"What does that mean?" another grunt on the top bench.
"It's the first day, right?" Another timpal again. "Are there any errors in the lighting, or are there other problems?"
"Well! The show's ugly, here!" erang the others again.
"God!" Beware of someone beside him.
"I've never seen a spectator seat this empty!"
"Kru and the staff are also invisible" another commented.
"Yes, why so quiet?"
"Where are they all?"
Backstage...
"Yesterday.Cheri saw Demian with Vladimir. And then Demian ran away." Rafael muttered amidst the crowd with a pale face.
Cheri gulped with difficulty.
Anxiety is attacking everyone.
"Vladimir said our show will fall apart" Rafael continued. "So it's pretty obvious this is all Vladimir."
"Then? What about tickets sold out?" Someone interrupted. "Is this also Vladimir's?"
"The way Vladimir is really dirty," someone grumbled. "Have stolen the script until we had to change the drama, rob the audience by buying tickets, now he's also taking Demian!"
"Fuck up! Is he going to destroy this theater?" The others chimed.
Rafael was suddenly silent. His eyes look empty.
Cheri choked up and approached him.
"What?" Rafael asked without blinking.
"I thought I was going to faint" said Cheri half blushed.
The stage supervisor approached them. "Rafael, we'll think about this later. The important thing now is the Bad Fake reserve player. We don't have time!"
"Since the beginning the reserve player has been set," replied Rafael while turning his body in slow motion. "Saul!"
"Ah-yes!" Saul stammered.
"You're talking about dialogue, right?" ask Rafael.
"I--yes, don't worry!" saul was not sure.
"Try to speak the first dialogue in the fifth round" Rafael ordered.
"A--a—"
"Hurry up!"
"This body turns into the body of the night beast…"
"Keep!"
Saul raunch.
"What night?" Rafael.
"Patience a little, motherfucker!" Saul shouted in annoyance. "It's too sudden. My mind is completely screwed!"
"Rafael, you don't have to corner him!" Abraham interrupted them. "Saul can do it. Believe me!"
"What about the role of the older brother?" Daniel finally opened his voice. "Who will replace Saul?"
"Hasn't all the reserve players set?" Rafael growls.
Daniel twirled his eyes with a look of disgust. "The big brother's backup player didn't come today" he said, sighing.
Rafael growled as he tightened his jaw, then snatched a nearby vase and threw it on the floor.
Everyone screamed and jumped together.
Rafael must have been deeply shaken to betray Demian like this, Cheri thought.
Saul looked beaten.
Daniel and Abraham exchanged a glance.
The stage supervisor mediates them. "Already, let Rafael calm down! We have twenty minutes left" he said. "You should all prepare yourself!"
"Gee!" Some crews started to groan. "What's the show today?"
Lila, the older sister of the Beautiful, was still writhing, trying to get her hair done.
The other two players were exchanging opinions regarding acting with each other.
The others were gossiping with tense faces.
Cyzarine was struggling to perfect her makeup while pouting.
Cheri entered the room with dazed steps.
Then Cyzarine suddenly kicked down the dresser, growling, "I don't want to show up!"
The whole room screamed while looking.
"What's he saying?" Evaline, the other beautiful older sister asked unsure.
Cyzarine shrieked his body backwards, looking at everyone with an annoyed face. "Tell Rafael, I don't want to perform!"
Cheri was stuck in the doorway.
"I can't possibly perform" Cyzarine repeated, inserting his face between the folds of his hand. "How could Demian betray me! He really hurt me! B I a d a b!"
"Cyzarine, relax!" One of the players tried to cheer him up.
Cheri ventured closer to Cyzarine. "Cyzarine, ten more minutes the curtain will open—"
THE PLAQUE!
Cyzarine throws the script into Cheri's face. "I don't want to show up!" his screams to Cheri. "The audience is almost non-existent, embarrassing! I don't want to play on a sad stage like this!"
Two girls approached Cheri and helped her up.
Cyzarine smacks his fist on the surface of the dresser.
Sesha poured in and persuaded him. "Calm down, Cyzarine! If you don't attract the audience, who else will?"
"No! I don't want to perform!" Cyzarine screamed uncontrollably.
"Aaaah, this drama from the beginning has been cursed! I don't want to show up either!" Other players began to follow. "I want to play in a real drama show!"
"Stop!" The role of the older sister of the Beautiful Screamed.
Cheri was flabbergasted with a pale face.
What the fuck?
Why doesn't everyone want to show up?
Why did everyone leave Rafael?
If it continues this way…
This theater would completely crumble like Vladimir had hoped.
Nah! thought Cheri. I will not let Vladimir win!
Cheri opened his sweatshirt then snatched his dress.
The entire room flinched and watched him.
"What's he doing?" askthem.
Cheri turned around and glared at them. "Let me perform on this sad stage! For those of you who are not willing to appear on this sad stage, please lock yourself up here!"
"Che—Cheri.." The girls stammered.
"Oh, so you feel like you can save the situation?" Cyzarine snorts cynically. "Are you sure you want to keep performing? Just so you know, the substitute for the Ugly is Saul, he may not memorize the dialogue because during practice he focused on the role of the older brother of the Beautiful. It's gonna be all fucked up!"
"You—" Cheri really doesn't think out. I thought he would regret it and finally want to perform.
"Only people t o l o l who want to perform today," said Cyzarine haughty.
THE PLAQUE!
Cheri slapped him.
Cyzarine shrieks. "What are you doing?"
"I didn't like you in the first place" Cheri told Cyzarine. "But at least I still respect you because you even admit that your acting must be better. But fine! In the midst of these bad conditions, I will make this drama a success!"
"Cheri, please don't act as you please!" Sesha.
Simultaneously, Kyle appeared in the doorway. "Ouch! What are these girls doing, anyway? The stage supervisor told you to stand by, just 5 minutes left."
"Wait a minute!" Cyzarine told Kyle. "Give us another 15 minutes! Tell the stage supervisor, Cheri will perform today in my place!"
"Whoa—Lucky!" Kyle slammed into delight, then rushed out excitedly "If it's Cheri who performs, I'll work hard to gather an audience!" he screamed in the corridor.
"You—" Sesha rebuked them.
"He himself wants to!" Cyzarine glared at Cheri. "Let him do it! You're ready to take the risk, right?" his challenge.
"Sure," replied Cheri coldly. "If I fail, I'm willing to get out of this theater!"
"CHERI—" Sesha shouted furiously now.
"Promise?" Cyzarine grinned in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, backstage…
"Rafael! How'this?" The stage supervisor shouted riled up. "The role of the Beautiful also changed.
Cheri! Rafael slumped as he froze.