Someone snuck in and posted the following in the Green Room:

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There was a note tacked below it.

We'll stop by for a visit soon, and I'll be back with you all after the New Year....or possibly sooner. In the meantime, on with the show!

~ Eregor

Coming out of dress rehearsal, Doran considered heading right for the dressing rooms, but decided to visit the green room first instead. It had been a good run-through, and the director had given him some good notes afterwards. He wanted to run through those in his head while they were still fresh.

Finally the youth rose and went to get changed so he could head home. As he approached the dressing room doors, he saw Jon Granger come out, and stopped short. The man was a legend at the Shanachie, and this was the first time he'd seen him without anyone else around. "Good night, Mr. Granger."

Jonathan looked over and gave an easy grin. "Good night, Doran. Good job tonight!"

For a long moment, Doran just stood there, speechless as he watched the other actor leave. Then he beamed and went in to change. "Wow."

Maggie tacked up a note on the green room's bulletin board.

Dear Theater Family,

This year the Children's Day celebrations will be held at Wonderplex (14 April) and the Hatton Point Children's Play Park (17 and 18 April). With the help of a lot of other kids and grown ups, I hope to make this year's celebration fun and interesting.

If any of you would like to help with events going on in the children's theater building or volunteer to be in the dunking booth to raise funds for some of the children's charities in Rhydin, please let me know.

Maggie Harker

((Details are being posted here. Please PM me if you have any questions.))

The auditions were over, the Rep and Theater companies filled, and soon the new season would begin. With time on his hands—an observation that always brought a little grin to his lips—Eregor strolled through the backstage halls at the Shanachie.

Not much had changed with the Theater Company this time around; they'd lost Brendryck, but snagged Ben Gates away from the Rep. He'll make a good addition, Eregor thought with a nod.

The "welcome back" letter had mentioned the season's first production, which filled his hearts with anticipation. There was no mention of casting yet, but that didn't matter, the show had more than enough good parts.

It was going to be an excellent season!

Lirssa often kept careful measure of her work time. That time, and more, was now consumed with rehearsals for Les Miz. It was thrilling to be part of such a grand company for her most loved musical. Lirssa was more than amply aware of how much faith Mrs Mataya had put in her. Pride such faith was set to her, and it's counterpart of worry, focused Lirssa through the long hours of rehearsal.

It helped that Lirssa at least knew the libretto very well, and she had a lifetime of experience to plumb for the role. Still, there were alterations made, improvements to lines, things to learn from the more experienced actors, and this was all just the beginning read-throughs. Blocking would be later, and then within a short time the full technical and dress rehearsals.

Lirssa had thought she was a person of boundless energy. This first show was to be a keen test of that ability, and she beamed with joy at each start of the work day. Joy matched only by the flight of her ship or a particular smile.

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Opening night of the first show of the season was cause for celebration in Josette's opinion. Although she was not attending the show this particular evening, she wanted to do something special for her fellow performers at the theater. Before the curtain came down, several bottles of Champagne appeared in the green room for the cast and crew so they could toast to their opening. An array of fresh berries in decadent chocolate cups was also provided, as well as some Sparkling Cider so the younger cast members could delight in something effervescent and not feel left out. A personal note was included to the whole cast and crew of Les Mis?rables, wishing them all a successful run of the show. Josette couldn't wait to see it!

As always, when the ballet moved in, the Green Room became a hive of activity. It was never short of people there in various states of undress - ballet bred a particular type of immodesty, the product of too many quick changes in close quarters. You didn't have time to be embarrassed about flashing skin when you had to be a completely different character within five minutes.

This time around, of course, there was a new addition to the Green Room. Set up in the center of the room was a play pen, inside which was imprisoned the choreographer's baby daughter. Sofia De Luca was a charming addition to the chaos of the Green Room, so openly enchanted by the ballet dancers around her that it was impossible to feel awkward around the tiny girl. Even Merethyl, who was not exactly known for her openness to anything new, found it impossible to walk past the little play pen without bending down to tickle the chubby little face looking up at her.

The magic of make up be damned, too - as far as most of the cast were concerned, the elven woman's hair and skin had been artificially lightened for the production. Only a select few knew that this was how Merethyl normally looked when she wasn't concentrating on not being distracting. Kitted out in the flowing romantic layers of her costumes, she truly did look other-worldly, a perfect sight for the Snow Queen. She just had to hope that watching her dance was not like watching paint dry.

After hours, the Shanachie had an empty feeling to it, the energy of the cast and the audience draining away, leaving only memories and shadows, the ghosts of characters, to fill the vast auditorium. Mataya had once been afraid of that feeling of being alone with so many unfinished characters, but she had come to love her theater and all its foibles. And tonight, it was not quite as empty as it first seemed.

"....hear your voice again, knowing that I never would ..."

It wasn't unusual to hear people rehearsing alone on stage long after the theater had quieted for the night, testing the reach of their voice into the empty auditorium without the aid of a microphone. But 'Taya didn't quite recognize this voice. It wasn't Yasmin, whom she hoped was taking it easy; it was far too late in the evening for it to be Maggie or Lirssa; and she'd seen Dru and Josh leave herself this evening. So who was it out there, singing so hauntingly in the silence of the Shanachie"

"....seem for you the wrong companions; you were warm and gentle ..."

The theater owner slipped quietly into the grand circle, keeping to the shadows as she slid into a seat to watch the lone figure on the stage. She felt a tug at her heart as Carina's voice rose, half-angry, half-broken, in the familiarly heartbroken strains of a particular lament from Phantom. The girl had been so disappointed not to be included in the Theater Company this year, but she had raised her head and kept on, and had done her best to help Annabeth settle into the Rep, where Jon and Kruger could be intimidating purely because of their reputations.

"....why can't the past just die" Wishing you were somehow here again ...

But that voice ....Mataya frowned, her fingertips tapping against her lips. Had Carina's tone been that pure when she'd auditioned" Or had nerves sabotaged her before she'd even begun" She couldn't remember. Ludo had been all for bringing her over, but ....oh yes. They'd wanted Annabeth to settle in without being overwhelmed by her colleagues. Well, she'd done that - the way the Rep had rallied around to protect and bolster her during the opening night had been more than ample evidence of that. Yes, they had plenty of guest performers, but they were guests. With Yas spreading her wings, it might well be an idea to have a second female principle in the Theater Company on a regular basis.

"....no more gazing across the wasted years; help me say goodbye ..."

As Mataya watched, Carina's voice rose to a bright sparkling peak on that final note, and she smiled as the young half-elf seemed to nod to herself and slip off the stage. A moment later, the stage lights went down, and the only light in the place came from the ghostly figure seated not so very far away from the theater owner. After several long minutes lost in thought, 'Taya looked over at Hortense, the Shanachie's very own Grey Lady.

"Was that what you wanted me to see?" she asked, her voice muted in the velvet darkness.

Hortense's sad face offered her a smile. "Did it help you come to a decision?" she countered.

Mataya chuckled softly. "I think it did. Thank you."

"Then does it matter that I drew you here?" Hortense smiled once again.

"You always matter, Hortense," Mataya assured her quietly. They had been through a lot together, even before the theater had been opened; they'd looked into the darkness side by side. "We couldn't go on without our Grey Lady. This theater is as much yours as it is mine."

The ghost rose, reaching out to touch the woman's cheek with an imperceptible hand. "Then consider this my formal recommendation," she said softly, fading from sight and sound as silently as she had arrived.

Mataya sat for a long time in the darkness, comforted by Hortense's calming presence, and by the decision she probably should have made before now. It was too late to enact the change now, but come February and the opening of the Shanachie after maintenance, there would be a reshuffle of the companies. She'd make sure of it.

Printed in white lettering on royal blue card stock and displayed where anyone can see it, an invitation to Annabeth's housewarming and birthday party appears in the green room on the twelfth of February. Tacked up next to it, are directions to her home.

When: Feb 17th at 6pm. Where: Annabeth's House What: Housewarming and Birthday Party. Appetizers, dinner, and dessert. No gifts are necessary. Just bring yourself and a smile.

(( http://rdi.dragonsmark.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=30230 Here's the thread if you're interested.))

"But he doesn't have any ballet training!"

"I know, but Sylvie, from the dance studio, is working with him, and I heard that Josette's going to be a part of it, too."

"Does that mean she's going to miss the Gala?"

"I haven't seen her in rehearsals, have you?"

"But ..."

Merethyl glanced up from where she was stretching her feet, unashamed to admit to having been listening into the gossip of the corps de ballet. You could learn a lot from just being quiet during warm ups - the girls especially liked to chatter while going through the motions.

"Who is this who has no training?" she asked curiously. "Are we to receive a new dancer?"

Julianne Dodd, one of the girls who had been gossiping, looked almost guilty as the ethereal elven ballerina chimed in. "No, I don't think so," she shook her head. "But I heard that Kruger guy - you know, the one who's dating Annabeth from the Rep" I heard he was putting on a ballet, and he's going to dance in it, with Josette!"

As Merethyl frowned, Darren Shaw, one of the male members of the corps, huffed. "If that's true, it's a bloody insult," he said peevishly. "We work bloody hard to do this ....I've been training and dancing for almost thirty years, and I've never reached principal."

"Well, it is a ballet about dueling," Julianne offered, trying to smooth the ruffled feathers.

"Doesn't matter if it's about being a chicken," Darren said, scowling. "He won't have any form. Oh, he's strong enough, I'll bet, but does he have any grace when it comes to being a cavalier" And what if he drops Josette" She's already been told once she can't dance."

"Oh, wouldn't that be awful?" Serena Smythe, another of the girls at the barre, joined in. "And she's such a beautiful dancer, too. Oh, I do hope they're taking care."

"If anything goes wrong, you can bet we'll hear it from the attic."

"Oh gods, both De Lucas on the warpath' That would be priceless!"

"Not that we want anything to happen to Josette, of course ..."

Someone had tacked posters up all over the theater saying:

Mataya for May Queen!

But who that someone was remained to be seen. Hopefully, Mataya wouldn't be too angry when she saw them.

And a few days later, it seemed they'd mysteriously come down.

((OOC Note: It was Jon who nominated Mataya, and Jon who tacked up the posters. I realize that we are not actually voting for May Queen this year, but I'm not sure Jon knows that. Feel free to play off this however you wish. :D))

"Saint Eregor!" Lirssa proclaimed upon the arrival of fruit baskets and finding out the provider.

It felt good to be in rehearsals again, the start of a new season. She took up one — maybe two — bottles of grape juice. Lirssa settled in for the read through sitting in splits on the floor, libretto in front of her, pencil in hand.

Sabine spent most of her time on day one stuck between looking star-struck, confused, lost, and uncertain. She did her best to be friendly but failed with small talk and approaching those she did not know. For the most part, she seemed to stick near Lirssa but did not interfere with her conversations. Occasionally, she would pose a question to Lirssa in a whisper for clarification on what something meant.

A variety of tea blends made by Aoife and sold at Panacea was gifted to the green room for use by any who wanted to enjoy some. She herself brewed an uplifting blend and snacked on a roll and strawberries.

Casual glances that looked like she was trying to figure something out were occasionally passed at Asher, mostly because she was pretty sure she had met him before but had a strange feeling it hadn't gone well.

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"You guys are just too much! I'm excited, can you tell that I'm excited?" Her smile was nearly ear to ear and had begun to make her cheeks ache by mid-morning. "I'm excited"." Repeating it quieter to herself as Belle attempted to reel in her energy and joy of being a part of the theater company for the season.

Throughout the day during their break time Belle went about trying to introduce herself to those she didn't know, those who she recognized their faces from either around town or the dueling venues, and bumping shoulders with the familiar faces from her brief stint in the recording of last year's film, Rhy"Din Nights.

By the end of the day, and every day of rehearsal that followed, Belle could be seen humming on her way home with a banana in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Life was pretty exciting when your dreams came true.

Day two was spent trying to focus. However, between breaks, she did make a greater effort at being friendly. She even managed to say a stuttering hello to Belle before she started to have flashbacks of the squire tournament and turned a rather interesting shade of red. She excused herself to go and make a cup of tea.

In the green room, she eyed what was left of the now rather sad looking fruit basket and it reminded her of what she had found in her pockets last night. The mystery grapes had caused her to pause. Was she squirreling food away again and not even realizing it' Had anyone noticed" Maybe it's someone who knew how she'd often times stuff her pockets with the free pretzels and snacks at the Inn and other various venues. Were they taunting her" It was a hard habit for her to break from her days of living on the streets.

She backed away from the fruit basket and shoved her hands into her pockets and felt something within. Pulling her hand out, she found a tiny wooden heart and it brought a smile to her face as she rubbed her fingers over it. Josiah had been replacing her pilfered pocket snacks with little reminders from him. He must have gotten to this jacket already. Drawing in a few breaths, she put the heart back into her pocket and left the green room, ready to get back to work.

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Despite the fact that the band rehearsals didn't actually start until next week, Mal showed up on the second day to loiter and watch. Well, she'd done what she needed to do for the day, after all - what better way to spend her time than by wandering the theater to learn the layout and watch the performers at their craft?

It was very different to watching them on stage, that was for sure. She'd been in awe of the big set pieces the few times she'd managed to scrounge enough for a ticket, but she'd never realized that those big set pieces were learned in pieces. And even when those pieces were all put together, the seams were obvious at the beginning. But the sheer effort that the performers put into their rehearsal ....no wonder the Shanachie had kept going for so long. It was infectious, making her wish she'd brought her score with her so she could mime the percussion as it was needed.

Plenty of time for that later, though, she nodded to herself. After all, she had door codes now. They couldn't keep her out, even if she wasn't supposed to be there.

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She had come mostly to meet the new people since Rep practice was still quite a ways off. She made sure to congratulate everyone, and talk to anyone who wanted. She nibbled on an orange, and rolls, although she had made sure to eat before coming, while she sipped on some of the tea Sabine had brought.

Although Sabine stayed in for most of the weekend, she knew that there were a few members of the cast and crew who enjoyed the Citizen Weekend festivities. With that in mind, she brought a weekend recovery kit to share with any at the Theater on Monday.

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Coffee, Pizza Bagels, and Pastries, to eat.

Mini hangover kits to make it through the day.

A stop at Panacea meant some handmade goodies too: muscle rub, bruise cream, and bath soak for those who might be a bit sore from jousting or other activities to take home and relax after a long day.

Maggie had the privilege of being able to watch some of the performances from backstage. During rehearsals, she sometimes brought her camera to record the music to help her singing and dancing practice at home. The theater had become more than a place to watch others perform. For Maggie, it was, at times, the eye in a storm. The theater was a place to gather her thoughts and be part of a greater whole. She enjoyed her time in the spotlight as much as anyone else, but she didn't crave it. It was the joy of performing and being encouraged to do better at the craft of acting that caused her to return to take part for another year.

Lirssa arrived nearish to one o'clock, which is when her call for the day was. Lucky. She was able to stop by and still have practice with Canaan, after he fixed her face. Singing with a dislocated jaw was just not in her skill set.

Even then at the rehearsal she had some time to kill, so she brought along a book to read. It might have seemed she was distracted, but the reading actually helped her keep focused. It kept her mind busy instead of letting it wander. She followed her cues, sang the snippets when needed, ate little, read more, and let herself be a zone of calm. Good little actress.

There was someone else who was also worried about the sudden rash of violence in Rhy'Din. Though not a native, Arandir was of mixed blood. His mother had been elven, and his father human on a world where his mother's people were discriminated against and hunted nearly to the brink of extinction. It was why he was here in Rhy'Din, after all. His mother had sent him here to keep him safe, but now it seemed as if Rhy'Din was proving to be as dangerous as the world he had escaped.

He didn't really understand what the violence and hatred was all about. He hadn't understood it back home either. Why could people not live together in peace and harmony' Even after everything that had happened, he could not bring himself to hate those who had killed his people. How could he when their blood flowed through his veins, as much as that of those they'd murdered"

His grandfather had once told him that it was fear that was to blame. Fear of that which they did not understand. Wasn't it better, then, to get to know those who were different in order to understand them better" Aran knew most people only wished to live in peace, to raise their families in peace, no matter their race.

Oh, there were those who craved power and domination, but wasn't that in part what this election was all about' To weed out those who only craved power" Who had given this Humanity First the right to interrogate, torture, and condemn those they believed were against them. He was not sure if the fae woman was guilty of the crimes of which she had been accused. He was not sure of anything. It saddened him that lives had been lost and that racial hatred was being used as a platform upon which to build a candidacy. Was this truly justice, or was it vengeance"

He understood that everyone in Rhy'Din was being given a chance to speak up and choose who they thought would make the best candidate, and he intended to cast his own vote for who he thought would serve Rhy'Din best. He had heard both good and bad and had weighed his choices. What Rhy'Din needed, he thought, was unity. He had seen first hand what could happen if hatred was allowed to fester and grow. Though his birth had been meant to unify the people, in the end, it had only served to pull them farther apart.

Aran fingered the amulet at his throat that was said to carry the memories and history of all his people. If you could not learn from the mistakes of the past, you were bound to repeat them. He hoped the people of Rhy'Din would be wise enough not to make the same mistakes that had been made on his own home world.

He did not only have himself to think about now, but Carina and her family, as well as all the friends he'd made in Rhy'Din. No matter what happened here, he was not going to run away again. This time, he would stand up and fight for what was right, no matter the cost.

Maybe it was a good thing he had been given a small part in the theater's current production. It would give him a little time to look into doing something to unify Rhy'Din against those who might try to tear it apart. Maybe he'd talk to Mataya and see if something could be done right here at the theater to promote peace. After all, the theater was a place where diversity was not only endorsed but welcomed. It was worth a try. The worst she could do was tell him no.

As an empath, Doran could feel the undercurrent of unease rising through the city in the past week or two. Although skilled enough not to let it overwhelm him, he couldn't help put pick up on it. Because of that, coming to the Shanachie was a balm to his senses. Yes, there was anxiety there, but the theater was more than a community, it was practically a family. The casts and crew supported one another, whether it was for production of a fantastic show or during troubled times in the city.

For his part, the youth made a point to reach out to those who seemed most ill at ease, offering a friendly ear or even silent companionship as they worked and relaxed.

Practice, Kruger knew it was coming. He looked forward to it in a way that some might not understand. It wasn't that this particular play held more appeal to him than another would. The role was one suited to him, and he couldn't ask for a better leading lady. It had more to do with the director. He'd stayed away from the theater, despite the influx of new people. If there were a reason why he thought this was the best thing he could do it would simply be that his need to be at the center of things could be a hindrance. Now, he was the first to arrive. First before even those who had a tendency to show up at ungodly hours. There was a reason for that too. It would be less obvious to nearly everyone.

On Jon's desk would be a few things that hadn't been there when he'd left it last. A charm bracelet that was quite bare of anything, its silver chain looking barren and wanting. Next to that would be a tiny ink jar charm in silver. These two had been placed over a note written by Kruger's hand.

Jon, Sometimes it's hard to track where you've been. Often when we start something new, we don't remember to even begin until much later. That may bring us some small regrets, nothing earth shattering. With that in mind I've taken the liberty of doing it for you. I'm glad to get the opportunity to act beneath your direction. It feels like it's been this way all along in a way. I don't necessarily know when or if it will happen, but if you're ever questioning yourself maybe you could just look my way and know that there is one who believes in you.

Looking forward to this season beyond words,

Aris

Those who followed him in arrival would find Kruger laying on a couch napping until the rehearsals began.

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Given that she'd never had a real job before being hired on at the Shanachie, Saila was pretty amused to find that she had virtually no idea what to do with herself in the short break between the final curtain on one play and the beginning of rehearsals for the next.

...Granted, in those days. she had learned All About Halloween, and that was pretty rad. But still, the girl was stoked when the day came that a quick glance at the date on her phone told her that it was time to head back to the theater. Saila didn't know anything about the new piece they were doing, but that wouldn't stop her from throwing herself headlong into learning it. Her first show had been a blast, and she couldn't wait to see what she'd be learning next.

After Saturday night's show, Sabine was heading out to a late night celebratory dinner with Josiah and was sporting the red shoes that Josette had gifted her for her birthday.

When arriving earlier in the day, Sabine left a stack of hand written Thank You cards in the Green Room. There was a card addressed to each and every cast and crew member who worked on The Wizard of Oz personally thanking them for their work and something she enjoyed about working with them. In addition, each card had a pair of ruby slippers attached with an ornament hook for the upcoming Holidays.

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An envelope addressed to Annabeth was left in the box with the following note:

Dear Annabeth,

Maggie has told me of the tragedy that has befallen your friends and neighbors. Our family would like to help out by purchasing lumber and other supplies to help rebuild some of the homes that were destroyed. We've been in touch with building supply firms closest to the area to place the orders. Work crews are being arranged through local contractors.

Best wishes,

Rhiannon D. Harker

Saying Brend wasn't always a black out drunk would be a little bit of a stretch, likewise with saying Brend hadn't ever woken up in a Green Room before without the ability to completely recall what happened the night before.

He rubbed at the corners of his eyes, and sat up on the counter top he'd been sprawled across. He could have sworn he went to sleep last night in a bed, Lydia's bed to be specific. He began talking to himself as he tried to straighten out.

"How the hell does she put up with me, I wonder." He squinted. The lights were bright, and he wasn't sure if he was even wearing his own clothes. They seemed small. He remembered the festivities, and the open bar. He especially remembered how good Lydia looked - it was good to see her let her mind wander away from the school. Nothing to be done there, at least not for what she was fretting about. Yet. He thought - knew - he'd gone home with her to her place, and he thought he'd fallen asleep, not passed out.

But here he awoke.

"How much did I drink, gods," he slipped off the counter, and began peeling clothes off. "I need a hot shower."

And set off looking for one, mid-strip.

No worries, he'll stop before things get indecent.

Probably.

Let's be honest we all know he's going all the way, and all know this is really a veiled Full Monty audition.

01.23.2017

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The break over the holidays had been nice, but Saila was beginning to find that she craved the theater and absolutely loved her job. After dropping Grace off at the Salon, the mercurial teen arrived at the Shanachie bright and early on the 23rd, ready to go to work. The girl was practically humming with excited energy and had trouble holding still, but she did her best to keep it together so as not to aggravate any of her cast mates.

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It is an extraordinary moment in a ballerina's life when she makes her lead debut with a company and Josette felt that moment deserved to be celebrated in every way possible! The petite ballerina waited till she finished dancing her part in the first Act, before she made her way back to the dressing rooms while the others were onstage.

Once the gift was arranged to Josette's satisfaction, she made her way back to the wings with a tissue in hand to catch the end of Harper's awe inspiring performance as Giselle and admire the truly gorgeous splendor of Miranda's costumes as they caught the light. That same tissue went flying off somewhere into the wings as she burst into applause once the curtain came down in the final Act.

When Harper arrived in her dressing room, she would find a hand written note, a vase of Peonies for the first day of Spring, Champagne to toast with once the curtain came down, and a layered necklace within a jewelry box that held a tiny ballet slipper and a white gold wolf that made her think of Harper the moment she saw it.

It had been a tumultuous few months in the city, but as always, the theater had come together in unity with a talented and diverse group of performers that continued to inspire her on a daily basis. It was Harper's night to shine and in her own way, Josette wanted her to know that every part of what made her such a beautiful and unique addition to the company was celebrated and cherished tonight.

Tacked up next to Maggie's letter was another, its only claim to being officially from the management the familiar scrawl of the owner's signature.

To all,

I need volunteers. The Shanachie Theater has been honored with being named one of the sponsors of Children's Day, and we're going to look good doing it, or die trying. ;-)

Back to the volunteers bit.

I need;

- Several dancers, of any discipline or none at all, with the patience to teach one very short, very simple dance routine many times to many different people, probably in awkward confines

- Several singers, preferably with a familiarity with Disney, since our darling Gabe is frothing at the mouth at my devious plans

- Several actors, male and female, with a familiarity with Earth fairytales

Non-compulsory, non-paid, but ask anyone who's been involved with Children's Day before, and they'll tell you how much fun they had! Promise! Also - free food.

Much love, Mataya

Happy to help, along with it being a good excuse to see about getting the twins to come out and spoil, Belle slapped up a sticky note beside Asher's note.

I'm in! Provided we can get Mr. Price here to stop singing Beauty and the Beast when he trails behind me. ;-)

ps - when's the next group date to go see it at the movies again?

- Belle Gallows

Sign me up, especially for anything with Disney. You should also sign up Josiah Aubrey. He's agreeable. Trust me.

-Sabine Gabrielle

Dorian scanned the notices Maggie and Mataya had tacked up on the bulletin board and added his name to the growing list of volunteers. He wasn't quite sure what Children's Day was all about, but it sounded like fun, and it seemed like it was for a good cause.

Would be happy to help! Sounds like fun! Count me in! ~Dorian

So long as it was going to be held during the day and not at night during a full moon, anyway.

The following was pinned just below Eregor's note.

I'm with you, too! Disney's cool, and who doesn't love a good fairy tale?

Doran

Someone put a note up for him:

Currently out of town, but count Kruger in. He should be back by the dates he's needed. He says he'd make an excellent Beast to anyone's Beauty....or maybe a precocious jin.

How she'd missed the ever increasing array of notes on the board these last few days was anyone's guess, but Merry finally found herself perusing the list as a small smile played about her lips. She'd been watching some of this Disney stuff over the last month, much to Christian's amusement, and with her leave of absence for the remainder of the year looming, she thought this might be fun.

So she found a pen, and a space on someone else's note, and scribbled her own reply.

Christian and I would be delighted to join in with Children's Day, also. - Merry.

Sometimes the Green Room would be relatively quiet for weeks or months at a time, as cast members focused on their performances or simply relaxed and unwound. Other times it was a hotbed of activity, and the post-audition week before every new season tended towards the latter.

Eregor arrived at the Shanachie fairly early bearing boxes of freshly-baked fruit turnovers (appkle, cherry, or peach) along with a breakfast buffet featuring scrambled eggs, meats, oatmeal, and bagels. There were fruit juices available, plus assorted coffees and teas.

He took a deep breath, drawing in the aroma of the food, and waited to welcome new and returning castmates alike.

A note was pinned to the Green Room corkboard.

I would like to take this opportunity to annouce the birth of Rhi's and my son, Brian Vincent T"r Gaird"n! He was born this past Friday, January 26, after a thankfully easy hour of labor.

Rhi tells me, "That's easy for YOU to say!" She is smiling as she says it, though.

Baby and mother are both in excellent health and resting comfortably! I'll bring little Brian by the Theater soon!

With much joy! Eregor T"r Gaird"n

Maggie arrived with her Aunt Rhiannon, who had baby Brian in arms. Their mission was to catch up on a few things. A wagon load of Easter baskets with candies and toys were left in the green room for the Shanachie's performers, staff, and their families.

Maggie tack up three notes, two that her aunt had written:

Dear friends,

Thank you for the congratulatory notes and gifts we received for our newest addition, Brian. Apologies for the delay. We hope you and your families will enjoy these baskets of treats to celebrate Easter and/or the recent coming of spring.

Sincerely,

Rhiannon and Eregor Túr Gairdín

Dear Annabeth and Lottie,

Our sincerest thanks for the sword for Brian. Given our family history, I am sure he will make good use of it. We have a wonderful daughter in our Colleen and are not disappointed that our new arrival is a boy.

You are both welcome to join us for the first fruit picking of the season. The orchard isn't yet open to the public. We allow the children of family and friends to explore as they like, pick their own basket of nature's treats, and make juices of them.

Fondly,

Rhi and Eregor

Maggie then tacked up her own note:

Dear theater family,

I would like to thank you all for your participation in Children's Day events in years past and hope you will be willing to take part again this year. There will be a festival and concert in the Marketplace on 14 April. The performance is to honor the memory of one of our fellow Shanachie performers, Lirssa Sarengrave al-amat, who passed away earlier this year. As some of you may already know, she was very active in charities to aid Rhydin's youth. Any donations made will be divided between High Spires House and Kids of Summer.

Thank you for your consideration,

Maggie Harker

((The festival will be both a board and live event.))

After hearing about a fellow Shanachie coworker having been nominated for May Queen, he’d managed to get another poster that seemed to have been placed sporadically throughout the city already.

What better place to put one than somewhere everyone knew her face already? A casual reminder simply by putting up a poster close to the door, easily seen by everyone who would leave or enter.

What wasn’t quite so casual… were the poor victims subjected to getting a Vote for Saila! sticker slapped to their forehead in passing with a fat lipped grin. As it was… he was wearing two strategically placed stickers on his chest…

Was it mentioned he wasn't wearing a shirt but instead adorned a top hat for promotion"

https://78.media.tumblr.com/cb35a545142bbd6e7ae2e96359ffd500/tumblr_p75fqzQDKN1v05l6no1_1280.jpg

The Druid]

News travels fast in Rhydin. As a result, Josette found a quiet moment before the Saturday evening performance of Cinderella to post a colorful little banner with celebratory macarons in several mouth watering flavors to be enjoyed by all in the Green Room to congratulate Maggie on her recent win.

Congratulations to Maggie, our resident Spring Fairy, ballerina badass and mighty Baroness of Old Temple! Your Shanachie family is very proud of you! ”Though she be but little, she is fierce!” -William Shakespeare

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Opening night of Sleeping Beauty, along with opening night of the ballet's latest season, deserved something a little special. And perhaps a bit of the White Cat's feisty playfulness still hung in the air from dress rehearsal as the Green Room and various dressing rooms mysteriously filled with a selection of anonymously gifted bouquets.

The corps' slightly more modest bouquets of delicate white and purple flowers with lacy heart-shaped leaves were accompanied by cards reading simply "D'un Chat Aux Petits Rats." Those who were more unfamiliar with the intricacies of horticulture would probably only realize after the show, based on the piqued interest of every street cat in the Sanachie's general vicinity, that the bouquet was entirely catnip.

The principals, on the other hand, received much more complicated and perhaps seemingly random arrangements of flowers; lilies of the valley for purity and the delicate grace of the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain, joyful and vibrant red roses for the Enchanted Garden Fairy and the forceful Fairy of the Golden Vine, wheat stalks for the generous Fairy of the Woodland Glade and the beauty-bestowing Enchanted Garden Fairy, feathers for the Fairy of Songbirds, pink carnations for the Fairy of the Woodland Glade (alternately called the Carnation Fairy), and of course lilacs. Oh, and more catnip tucked in amongst the rest for good measure. It wouldn't be fair for the corps to have all the feline fun.

The following announcement is tacked up in the Green Room, along with a photo ...

ANNOUNCEMENT

Please join us in congratulating Dorian and Seren Hadley as they welcome daughter Asha Maris into the world. The baby girl was born on July 31, 2020. Both mother and daughter are doing fine. Dorian will be on parental leave until the end of September.

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