"Rep, rep, rep ..." Sat in the stalls with her feet up on the back on the seat in front of her, a small selection of auditionees' applications on her lap, Mataya De Luca sighed, wishing for coffee. Ludo Von Eschenbach, her in-house director, was up on the stage, one arm around the latest hopeful, who had gotten halfway through her prepared piece before bursting into tears out of sheer nerves. And why was that' Because Jonathan Granger had walked in, albeit very quietly, to wait his own turn in the round of annual auditions. Ludo had immediately swanned up onto the stage as soon as the waterworks started, all rotund luvvieness, to envelop the poor girl in his arms and guide her off the stage with a promise that she could try again when there wasn't anyone intimidatingly famous in the room.
Jon had dressed fairly casually for this year's auditions - or at least, as casual as he was likely to look when in public - mostly at his wife's insistence. He had originally chosen a gray designer suit and designer shoes, his hair slicked back, every hair perfectly in place, but his wife had pointed out that while he needed to look professional, he should look a little more like an actor and a little less like a banker. Besides, he was auditioning with people he'd known for years and with whom he was on a friendly basis. That the owner of the Shanachie was his oldest and dearest friend was irrelevant - if for some reason, he screwed up and wasn't pulling his weight, she'd be the first one to tell him so.
Seemingly unaware of his own star status or of the fact that he might seem intimidating to some, he smiled warmly to his fellow hopefuls, offered encouragement, and wished them luck. He wasn't surrounded by an entourage, and dressed in a simple pair of khakis and a button-down shirt, he didn't look flashy or Hollywood. Though he was a veteran of the theater, he was just another hopeful, waiting for his chance to make his mark on the stage. This was what he loved and this was right where he belonged. Like everyone else, he waited his turn patiently and a little nervously. Butterflies were good for an actor - they kept him on his toes.
"Excuse me, Miss De Luca," a voice called from the aisle where one of the young hopefuls was standing with a takeout cup and a small paper bag. "This is for you from Mr. Granger. He said you'd probably forgotten to eat." Ironically, the cup and bag had the words Incredible Edibles stamped on the side, proclaiming it to have been from her sister's shop.
Looking up from her perusal of the application in front of her, 'Taya laughed, dropping her feet down onto the floor. "Mr. Granger won't get anywhere if he insists on trying to bribe the management," she declared, knowing full well that Jon could hear her. "But thank you. My sister makes the best coffee in the city, anyway." She took the cup and bag from the young man with a grin and a wink, casting her gaze around for Jon.
The young man smiled and blushed a little to have the famous - not to mention, beautiful - Mataya De Luca acknowledging him, even if it was only to say thank you. As for Jon, he'd heard her remark from where he was standing, and tossed a wave and a cheeky grin her way, too polite in public to make any remark about the possibility of bribing, though that hadn't been his intent at all, and she knew it.
Sipping her coffee - which was just the way she liked it, complete with caramel shot - she beckoned to Jon with a finger as she moved to sit down again. It would be a little while before Ludo reappeared, anyway - he was very easily moved by genuine terror from anyone who auditioned. That was why the theater company auditions took so long; Gabriel was frankly a terrifying musical director, and had been known to reduce entire choruses to pants-wetting silence with just a look.
Jon couldn't help but smirk as he was summoned by the beautiful woman comfortably sprawled in the theater seat who'd left the poor delivery boy as tongue-tied and blushing as a boy on his first date. Jon moved with a fluid grace of his own as he descended the stairs and made his way toward her, seemingly unconcerned about his audition. "Yes" Would you like a foot rub, too, your majesty?" he asked, affecting a mock bow, that cheeky smirk still on his face - a look very reminiscent of his cheeky wife.
She snorted with laughter, gesturing for him to take a seat near her. "You're spending way too much time with your wife," she informed him impishly, putting her feet up once again. "Please tell me you actually prepped this year. You nearly gave Ludo a heart attack when you asked him to pick a Shakespeare monologue and did it by heart last time."
"I thought that was prepping," he said, as he took the proffered seat beside her. He'd never enjoyed this whole auditioning process. It was nerve-wracking at best, and he often found himself wishing he was on the other side of things, helping the younger actors prepare and encouraging them to do their best, rather than having to spend his time memorizing lines and wondering what challenge Ludo would hand him this year.
'Taya chuckled, rolling her eyes as she investigated the contents of the paper bag, finding one of Elena's more indulgent treats in there with a squeak of delight. "You know perfectly well that you're supposed to prep one monologue yourself and be prepared to perform it," she reminded him in amusement. "I might have to penalize you if you upset my director again."
"I never know which one to pick," he said with a shrug and a small frown. Everyone knew he knew Shakespeare backwards and forwards, upside down and inside out. He really wanted to show them he was more than just a Shakespearean actor, though he had likely already proven that already. Maybe then, this was more about proving something to himself, more than to them.
"Not a good enough excuse," his friend informed him around a mouthful of pastry. "And by excuse, I'm looking for something that seriously impedes your ability to speak." She glanced up at the stage as Ludo came back into view, sans weeping auditionee. "You wanna get it over with so you can go back to your nutty wife and children?"
"Are you going to deny me a spot in the theater because I know too much Shakespeare?" he asked, arching the infamous single Jonathan Granger brow at her. "Are you daring me to do something other than Shakespeare?" he asked her pointedly and in all seriousness.
"Mmhmm," she nodded, washing down her inhaled pastry with a gulp of coffee. "I am. I am challenging you to ignore the urge for Shakespeare and do something completely different. Something funny." There was a ripple behind her through the other waiting auditionees, making her twist to smile at them. "Guys, don't panic. I can give him a hard time, I've known him for years. I'll be nice to you." She winked at them, and turned back to Jon. "So?"
"Comedy," he echoed with a further frown, though he was up for the challenge. "I don't suppose Puck is good enough for you, my lady," he said, affecting a courtly bow as he moved to his feet. There was a murmur from the others waiting to audition and a ripple of chuckles, though some among them didn't seem too sure whether the pair were teasing each other or were serious, and what did it bode for them when it was their turn. "Very well, but no pratfalls. I need to be able to perform for my other boss later," he told her with a cheeky grin before turning to march back toward the stage.
Jon had dressed fairly casually for this year's auditions - or at least, as casual as he was likely to look when in public - mostly at his wife's insistence. He had originally chosen a gray designer suit and designer shoes, his hair slicked back, every hair perfectly in place, but his wife had pointed out that while he needed to look professional, he should look a little more like an actor and a little less like a banker. Besides, he was auditioning with people he'd known for years and with whom he was on a friendly basis. That the owner of the Shanachie was his oldest and dearest friend was irrelevant - if for some reason, he screwed up and wasn't pulling his weight, she'd be the first one to tell him so.
Seemingly unaware of his own star status or of the fact that he might seem intimidating to some, he smiled warmly to his fellow hopefuls, offered encouragement, and wished them luck. He wasn't surrounded by an entourage, and dressed in a simple pair of khakis and a button-down shirt, he didn't look flashy or Hollywood. Though he was a veteran of the theater, he was just another hopeful, waiting for his chance to make his mark on the stage. This was what he loved and this was right where he belonged. Like everyone else, he waited his turn patiently and a little nervously. Butterflies were good for an actor - they kept him on his toes.
"Excuse me, Miss De Luca," a voice called from the aisle where one of the young hopefuls was standing with a takeout cup and a small paper bag. "This is for you from Mr. Granger. He said you'd probably forgotten to eat." Ironically, the cup and bag had the words Incredible Edibles stamped on the side, proclaiming it to have been from her sister's shop.
Looking up from her perusal of the application in front of her, 'Taya laughed, dropping her feet down onto the floor. "Mr. Granger won't get anywhere if he insists on trying to bribe the management," she declared, knowing full well that Jon could hear her. "But thank you. My sister makes the best coffee in the city, anyway." She took the cup and bag from the young man with a grin and a wink, casting her gaze around for Jon.
The young man smiled and blushed a little to have the famous - not to mention, beautiful - Mataya De Luca acknowledging him, even if it was only to say thank you. As for Jon, he'd heard her remark from where he was standing, and tossed a wave and a cheeky grin her way, too polite in public to make any remark about the possibility of bribing, though that hadn't been his intent at all, and she knew it.
Sipping her coffee - which was just the way she liked it, complete with caramel shot - she beckoned to Jon with a finger as she moved to sit down again. It would be a little while before Ludo reappeared, anyway - he was very easily moved by genuine terror from anyone who auditioned. That was why the theater company auditions took so long; Gabriel was frankly a terrifying musical director, and had been known to reduce entire choruses to pants-wetting silence with just a look.
Jon couldn't help but smirk as he was summoned by the beautiful woman comfortably sprawled in the theater seat who'd left the poor delivery boy as tongue-tied and blushing as a boy on his first date. Jon moved with a fluid grace of his own as he descended the stairs and made his way toward her, seemingly unconcerned about his audition. "Yes" Would you like a foot rub, too, your majesty?" he asked, affecting a mock bow, that cheeky smirk still on his face - a look very reminiscent of his cheeky wife.
She snorted with laughter, gesturing for him to take a seat near her. "You're spending way too much time with your wife," she informed him impishly, putting her feet up once again. "Please tell me you actually prepped this year. You nearly gave Ludo a heart attack when you asked him to pick a Shakespeare monologue and did it by heart last time."
"I thought that was prepping," he said, as he took the proffered seat beside her. He'd never enjoyed this whole auditioning process. It was nerve-wracking at best, and he often found himself wishing he was on the other side of things, helping the younger actors prepare and encouraging them to do their best, rather than having to spend his time memorizing lines and wondering what challenge Ludo would hand him this year.
'Taya chuckled, rolling her eyes as she investigated the contents of the paper bag, finding one of Elena's more indulgent treats in there with a squeak of delight. "You know perfectly well that you're supposed to prep one monologue yourself and be prepared to perform it," she reminded him in amusement. "I might have to penalize you if you upset my director again."
"I never know which one to pick," he said with a shrug and a small frown. Everyone knew he knew Shakespeare backwards and forwards, upside down and inside out. He really wanted to show them he was more than just a Shakespearean actor, though he had likely already proven that already. Maybe then, this was more about proving something to himself, more than to them.
"Not a good enough excuse," his friend informed him around a mouthful of pastry. "And by excuse, I'm looking for something that seriously impedes your ability to speak." She glanced up at the stage as Ludo came back into view, sans weeping auditionee. "You wanna get it over with so you can go back to your nutty wife and children?"
"Are you going to deny me a spot in the theater because I know too much Shakespeare?" he asked, arching the infamous single Jonathan Granger brow at her. "Are you daring me to do something other than Shakespeare?" he asked her pointedly and in all seriousness.
"Mmhmm," she nodded, washing down her inhaled pastry with a gulp of coffee. "I am. I am challenging you to ignore the urge for Shakespeare and do something completely different. Something funny." There was a ripple behind her through the other waiting auditionees, making her twist to smile at them. "Guys, don't panic. I can give him a hard time, I've known him for years. I'll be nice to you." She winked at them, and turned back to Jon. "So?"
"Comedy," he echoed with a further frown, though he was up for the challenge. "I don't suppose Puck is good enough for you, my lady," he said, affecting a courtly bow as he moved to his feet. There was a murmur from the others waiting to audition and a ripple of chuckles, though some among them didn't seem too sure whether the pair were teasing each other or were serious, and what did it bode for them when it was their turn. "Very well, but no pratfalls. I need to be able to perform for my other boss later," he told her with a cheeky grin before turning to march back toward the stage.