MSN: The Play Must Go On!

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Even after catching the prankster, the play's preview for renowned actors Frank and Leslie Dean is jeopardized.

posted early due to timing issues



No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. And the funny thing was, it was happening, and it was not related to any other problems the cast and crew had experienced during rehearsals. There was just no way. They had already found out who had been pulling pranks, and it wasn't as if he could have somehow magically made Holden and Rebekah's braces get stuck together like that. It was just impossible. An orthodontic emergency and the Deans were coming? There was no way Thesus and Hippolyta would be able to perform. They'd have to cancel performing for Karolina's parents.

It was a complete and utter disaster.

Callie rounded the corner as fast as she could without slipping. Her dress was hiked for ease of running and she had removed her heels so as not to fall. She had to find the director and tell him that two of their leads were being rushed off to have their faces unstuck. Hopefully he wouldn't be too upset that they would have to cancel. Oh who was she kidding, he was more excited about the Deans' presence than any of the kids, he would be crushed. But she had to tell him anyways. He had to know before their guests of honor showed up.

"Karolina!" Callie bellowed down the hallway as she beelined for her friend. She skidded to a stop in front of the glowing girl, nearly out of breath. "Thank goodness I found you. It's horrible. Please tell me your parents aren't here yet, are they?"

Karolina blinked and checked her phone automatically, "Um, soon? Like 20 minutes. What's happened?" Inwardly she braced for burned actors, deadly props, broken legs, sudden illnesses. Just because Joe had been stopped didn't mean that the curse had and she knew that everyone would be off their guard. This was exactly the time that these kind of things liked to strike.

Thank goodness for small miracles. "Is there like anyway you can call them and get them to come tomorrow? I mean I know it's opening night and they'll be pressed for autographs but we could like have them sneak in and sit in the lighting booth with Nori." The words tumbled out of her quickly. It was like pulling a band-aid, Callie decided, do it quickly and get it over with. "Holden and Rebekah were making out and their braces got stuck together and there's no way either of them can go on tonight and now we have no Thesus and Hippolyta and we can't do the show for your parents. I'm so sorry."

"They...oh Jesus. I knew it. I knew it. Didn't I tell everyone that there was a curse? Didn't I say that it was more than just pranks?" Karolina was already tapping a text message on her iPhone. Her parents were planning on being in town another night, some kind of meeting with some accountants or something that Kare didn't really understand. Maybe they could change it around. "Their schedules are really tight, I don't know if this is going to work."

"I'm so sorry Kare." Callie hadn't believed her at first, and after they caught Joe she figured the problems would stop. But this, this was proof that there was something larger out there. Some cosmic theatre force punishing them or something. "I know how excited you were for them to come and watch. I wish there was something we could do." She groaned and ran her fingers through her red hair. "Why don't we have understudies?"

Karolina stopped mid-tap and looked up at her, then deleted half of her message, "Oh my god, Callie, that's it! I have the best idea ever! Let's find Mr. R."






******
However, the play must go on! With a few added guests of course.




"Oh my gosh Kare, your parents are so awesome for agreeing to do this," whispered Callie as she watched the world famous actors perform their final scene. She glanced around, and noted quickly that the entire cast and crew gathered to observe this once in a lifetime opportunity. "You are such a genius. You totally saved the day you know that?"


Leslie James, international star of stage and screen, Hollywood royalty and Broadway darling, rested her hand on her equally respected husband's arm. "'Tis strange my Theseus, that these lovers speak of, " she observed archly, having the time of her life.

"More strange than true: I never may believe these antique fables, nor these fairy toys," responded Frank as Theseus, more amused than was strictly necessary. He'd been the one that Karolina had had to convince first. "Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, such shaping fantasies, that apprehend more than cool reason ever comprehends." The speech went on as Karolina leaned over to respond to Callie.

"It was completely your inspiration," Karolina returned the compliment, grinning, as happy as she'd ever been, "If you hadn't mentioned understudies, I'd never have thought of it. Mom's crazy about Shakespeare."

"I thought Mr. R was going to die when we told him," Callie giggled at the thought. "I guess it all worked out for the best after all." She playfully nudged Karolina. Who would have thought that at the beginning of the rehearsals that they would be performing with Leslie and Frank Dean? It was so surreal.

"I thought he was going to die when Mom told him that she thought his staging was brilliant. They want to come tomorrow night too, did I tell you? They said they'll risk the mob but they want to see it the way it was meant to be done." Two whole days with her parents. Karolina was beginning to think that she was the one dreaming.

Callie could tell that her friend was happy, which was a good thing especially considering everything that had happened. She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at Catseyes' onstage antics as the lion before turning her attention back to the girl beside her. "Really? That's awesome! I mean they're taping it, so I can send that to my dad, but that's so cool. I'm sure we can do crowd control. I hope they love watching as much as they seem to enjoy acting in it."

"I think your idea about stashing them with Nori will work. I mean, they should meet her anyway since she's my roommate and all." Karolina would be needed onstage again soon, to close out the play with the other fairies. She picked up her script, scanning her lines again then set it back down. "This is the first time they've both been to something of mine since I was in third grade."

"Well then let's make this the best performance they've ever seen," Callie smiled brightly and reached for Kare's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Come on. Titania your public awaits."