It was Shakespeare at the Shanachie, and Jon was in his glory. Everyone who knew him well knew how much he adored Shakespeare, how he lived to recite those lines he knew and loved so well. There really was nothing like Shakespeare, as far as Jon was concerned, and though he was best known on the big screen for his role as Christian Grey, he was at heart a thespian, with a deep love and respect for the Bard's work. He had played the part of Petruchio numerous times in his life, and it was a part he knew well.
While it was all bread and butter to Jon, this was Carina's first professional role, and for the first few nights, the nerves had shown through bright and clear. But working with such a seasoned performer, and knowing she wasn't the only one who hadn't done this professionally before, had helped. By the time the last few performances came around, she was relaxed on stage, and her Katharina was proving to be slightly more sassy and less tameable than people might have expected. Little bits and pieces had crept into the performance over the last week, and now she thought nothing of being spanked on stage by a Petruchio who definitely had his hands full.
It was the scene that everyone in the audience seemed to be waiting for, and the last few nights' performances had earned the cast a standing ovation with plenty of Bravos for each cast member, including Carina. Though Jon might be a seasoned performer, he was more than willing to share the acclaim and accolades with the entire cast. After all, this wasn't a one-man play, and he was gracious with both newcomers and veteran actors alike. They were just about to go back on stage after a short break, the sounds of the audience restlessly awaiting the second half heard from the other side of the curtain.
It was one of those rare nights when Mataya wasn't around to chivvy on the performers. Now that they had gotten into the swing of things, she'd finally taken a night off, leaving the stage manager in charge properly for once. As the curtain rose on the second half, Carina bit down hard on her inner lip, fidgeting as the nerves came back into play. She glanced at Jon, envying his calm.
Jon was astute enough to recognize Carina's tension, confident her fit of nerves would calm as they fell back into their parts and finished off the second half of the play. "Remember to breathe, Carina. You're doing great!" he praised, just as he praised each and every member of the cast, like any veteran of the theater should. He often seemed older and more worldly than his nearly twenty-nine years, but then, he had been doing this for as long as he could remember. A couple of younger actors passed them on their way out on stage to get the second half started and Jon called to wish them both good luck.
She threw him a grateful smile, always afflicted with awful stage fright in the moments before they went on. She loved this act, filled as it was with the "taming" of Katharina and Petruchio winning his bet with her obedient speech about women and wives, however furiously it was delivered. It didn't stop her from being a nervous wreck before they went on, though. "I know," she murmured back to Jon, swallowing hard. "I'm just not used to all this."
"I'd like to tell you it gets easier," Jon started, one ear perked for their cue. It would be a few minutes before the banter of the other two on stage was finished, and the audience was completely settled into their seats and ready for the rest. "I'm a ball of nerves every night!" he said with a chuckle. Though he looked perfectly at ease, even that was an act, especially on opening night. Thankfully, by this stage of the game, all the kinks had been worked out, everyone knew their part, and the play was flowing like water.
"I'm going to guess that it doesn't, then." She giggled quietly, one hand over her mouth, away from the mic taped to her cheek, to muffle the sound. Breathing out in one deep breath, she calmed herself down, wiping the smile off her face as their cue approached. "Okay ....calm."
Jon dropped his voice to a whisper so that his voice wouldn't carry out onto the stage, smiling a little at her obvious nervousness, which thankfully didn't make itself known on stage. He had done all he could to help her through her first public performance, the consummate professional, as well as a gentleman. Their run was almost over, and if the nightly applause was anything to go by, they were a hit, and she deserved at least half the credit. "It's almost our cue," he warned quietly. "You ready?"
She nodded worriedly, smoothing her hands quickly over the beautiful renaissance gown that was serving as Katharina's wedding dress. "As I will ever be," she murmured, gesturing to the stage. "After you, husband mine."
He chuckled quietly at her remark, whispering back the age-old phrase thespians - especially those originating on Earth - used everywhere to wish each other luck. "Break a leg!" he said with a grin, as he started up the stairs to the stage. His voice could be heard from just beyond the curtain, signaling Petruchio and Katharina's imminent arrival. "Where be these knaves" What, no man at door, to hold my stirrup nor to take my horse! Ooof!" The ooof was unintentional as suddenly Katharina's dress somehow got tangled up in Jon's feet and down he went with a load thud.
The audience, sure that this was all a part of the comedy, roared with laughter as Petruchio lurched into view, bringing his reluctant bride with him. To be honest, Carina didn't have much a of a choice - it was move quickly, or be stripped as the gown made an ominous ripping sound. The two men on stage rushed to help Jon stand, as much out of concern for him as in character as his man-servants.
As the old saying goes, the show must go on, and Jon had never been one to quit in the middle of a performance, no matter how bad he was feeling, but as soon as the other two actors got him to his feet, it became quickly apparent that something was very wrong. "Where is..." Jon started, struggling with his line as he tried to find his feet. His leg gave out again, unwilling to hold his weight, and he sagged against the other two actors, biting back a cry of pain. "I can't," he whispered. "I think it's broken."
There was a moment of panic as the other actors on the stage exchanged looks, none of them knowing quite what to do. Then Carina rallied. "Hie you hence, husband, to bed," she declared, causing a minor heart-attack in the prompting booth as she abandoned the script to make it up as she went long. "You men, go with him. See that he rests easy." She gestured imperiously at the two men holding Jon up, and a moment later, they got the message, moving to ease the struggling actor off the stage and out of the wings as quiet panic spread through the crew. Carina was left standing on stage, quite alone, and utterly at a loss, until the stage manager lurched into view, to announce to the audience that there had been an accident, and the play would recommence very shortly. In the meantime, the bar had been reopened for their convenience.
While it was all bread and butter to Jon, this was Carina's first professional role, and for the first few nights, the nerves had shown through bright and clear. But working with such a seasoned performer, and knowing she wasn't the only one who hadn't done this professionally before, had helped. By the time the last few performances came around, she was relaxed on stage, and her Katharina was proving to be slightly more sassy and less tameable than people might have expected. Little bits and pieces had crept into the performance over the last week, and now she thought nothing of being spanked on stage by a Petruchio who definitely had his hands full.
It was the scene that everyone in the audience seemed to be waiting for, and the last few nights' performances had earned the cast a standing ovation with plenty of Bravos for each cast member, including Carina. Though Jon might be a seasoned performer, he was more than willing to share the acclaim and accolades with the entire cast. After all, this wasn't a one-man play, and he was gracious with both newcomers and veteran actors alike. They were just about to go back on stage after a short break, the sounds of the audience restlessly awaiting the second half heard from the other side of the curtain.
It was one of those rare nights when Mataya wasn't around to chivvy on the performers. Now that they had gotten into the swing of things, she'd finally taken a night off, leaving the stage manager in charge properly for once. As the curtain rose on the second half, Carina bit down hard on her inner lip, fidgeting as the nerves came back into play. She glanced at Jon, envying his calm.
Jon was astute enough to recognize Carina's tension, confident her fit of nerves would calm as they fell back into their parts and finished off the second half of the play. "Remember to breathe, Carina. You're doing great!" he praised, just as he praised each and every member of the cast, like any veteran of the theater should. He often seemed older and more worldly than his nearly twenty-nine years, but then, he had been doing this for as long as he could remember. A couple of younger actors passed them on their way out on stage to get the second half started and Jon called to wish them both good luck.
She threw him a grateful smile, always afflicted with awful stage fright in the moments before they went on. She loved this act, filled as it was with the "taming" of Katharina and Petruchio winning his bet with her obedient speech about women and wives, however furiously it was delivered. It didn't stop her from being a nervous wreck before they went on, though. "I know," she murmured back to Jon, swallowing hard. "I'm just not used to all this."
"I'd like to tell you it gets easier," Jon started, one ear perked for their cue. It would be a few minutes before the banter of the other two on stage was finished, and the audience was completely settled into their seats and ready for the rest. "I'm a ball of nerves every night!" he said with a chuckle. Though he looked perfectly at ease, even that was an act, especially on opening night. Thankfully, by this stage of the game, all the kinks had been worked out, everyone knew their part, and the play was flowing like water.
"I'm going to guess that it doesn't, then." She giggled quietly, one hand over her mouth, away from the mic taped to her cheek, to muffle the sound. Breathing out in one deep breath, she calmed herself down, wiping the smile off her face as their cue approached. "Okay ....calm."
Jon dropped his voice to a whisper so that his voice wouldn't carry out onto the stage, smiling a little at her obvious nervousness, which thankfully didn't make itself known on stage. He had done all he could to help her through her first public performance, the consummate professional, as well as a gentleman. Their run was almost over, and if the nightly applause was anything to go by, they were a hit, and she deserved at least half the credit. "It's almost our cue," he warned quietly. "You ready?"
She nodded worriedly, smoothing her hands quickly over the beautiful renaissance gown that was serving as Katharina's wedding dress. "As I will ever be," she murmured, gesturing to the stage. "After you, husband mine."
He chuckled quietly at her remark, whispering back the age-old phrase thespians - especially those originating on Earth - used everywhere to wish each other luck. "Break a leg!" he said with a grin, as he started up the stairs to the stage. His voice could be heard from just beyond the curtain, signaling Petruchio and Katharina's imminent arrival. "Where be these knaves" What, no man at door, to hold my stirrup nor to take my horse! Ooof!" The ooof was unintentional as suddenly Katharina's dress somehow got tangled up in Jon's feet and down he went with a load thud.
The audience, sure that this was all a part of the comedy, roared with laughter as Petruchio lurched into view, bringing his reluctant bride with him. To be honest, Carina didn't have much a of a choice - it was move quickly, or be stripped as the gown made an ominous ripping sound. The two men on stage rushed to help Jon stand, as much out of concern for him as in character as his man-servants.
As the old saying goes, the show must go on, and Jon had never been one to quit in the middle of a performance, no matter how bad he was feeling, but as soon as the other two actors got him to his feet, it became quickly apparent that something was very wrong. "Where is..." Jon started, struggling with his line as he tried to find his feet. His leg gave out again, unwilling to hold his weight, and he sagged against the other two actors, biting back a cry of pain. "I can't," he whispered. "I think it's broken."
There was a moment of panic as the other actors on the stage exchanged looks, none of them knowing quite what to do. Then Carina rallied. "Hie you hence, husband, to bed," she declared, causing a minor heart-attack in the prompting booth as she abandoned the script to make it up as she went long. "You men, go with him. See that he rests easy." She gestured imperiously at the two men holding Jon up, and a moment later, they got the message, moving to ease the struggling actor off the stage and out of the wings as quiet panic spread through the crew. Carina was left standing on stage, quite alone, and utterly at a loss, until the stage manager lurched into view, to announce to the audience that there had been an accident, and the play would recommence very shortly. In the meantime, the bar had been reopened for their convenience.