LITMIR.BIZ

      – Not bad, not bad! – shouted a short, stocky gentleman of about sixty with carefully combed hair and a well-groomed beard, applauding. He was dressed in a three-piece suit, with a pocket watch chain hanging from his vest button. “I see Mr. Gould has added some interesting twists to the script.” Now the production looks much more dynamic and touching than a month ago.

      Hearing the words of Peter Drayson, the theater director, the actors smiled and bowed. Thin, brown-eyed, dark-haired Julie Blunt was about forty, and Chuck Donald, a strong brown-haired man about six feet tall, had recently celebrated his forty-second birthday. But the gray wig and beard he put on for the role of an old man turned him into an elderly man.

      “It’s a pity that your director, Andrew Gould, hasn’t been feeling well lately,” Mr. Drayson continued, moving closer to the actors. “He called me in the afternoon and said that he had to miss today’s rehearsal. You should know that I have great respect for him and his work, and I see that he put a lot of effort into this production.

      Looking at the thoughtful faces of the actors, the director continued after a short pause:

      – But, in my opinion, you still lack acting revelation. You must understand the primary task – to captivate the audience with you, to immerse them in the lives of your characters, to make sure that they are with you on this stage. In this performance, which is staged for the first time, and even based on a book by a young writer, this is especially important.

      The room was stuffy, Mr. Drayson once again took a white handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his sweaty forehead and added:

      “In our Windsor, with its population of thirty thousand, we rarely indulge theater lovers with premieres, and the unconvincing presentation of the play can alienate the already few spectators. Therefore, haste in this case is not the best adviser.

      Julie listened to the director and tried to express her opinion on this matter, but the voice of Mr. Drayson, who was about to complete the thought, forced her to pause.

      “That’s why I wouldn’t want anything to interfere with the success of your performance and critics to tear it to smithereens.” You understand that we will have to abandon the production if it fails, but if you manage to captivate the audience with your play, the performance will have a long life.

      The actors listened silently, and the director, after a short pause, drew the line:

      “Therefore, I recommend that you get together and discuss with Mr. Gould my proposal to postpone the performance for a month.” Additional rehearsals will allow the director to work more carefully on the production, and you will better get used to the role.

      Julie, who understood the importance of the premiere for Mr. Gould and the director’s reluctance to move it to a later date, gathered her strength and answered:

      – Mr. Drayson, I can assure you that although Mr. Gould is already seventy and has not been feeling well lately, he has everything under control. We are almost ready, over the remaining week we plan to hold several more rehearsals in his presence. I assure you that we will be in great shape for the premiere next Wednesday.

      Suddenly something crackled, and the scenery for the performance, weighing several tens of kilograms, almost collapsed onto the stage, then a cry from one of the workers was heard: “Careful!” Mr. Drayson turned his head towards the excited workers who managed to catch the structure in time and said:

      – I ask you to be vigilant and act more carefully. The roof and walls of the theater are weak and can crack under strong overloads. Chuck, Julie, you see the conditions we have to work under,” he turned to the actors again. – Look what the walls look like! And all because the performances are staged in half-empty halls and the tickets sold are only enough to pay off bills and pay employees.

      Having once again looked at the not very presentable ceiling, the floor with cracks and the walls last painted four years ago, the director continued:

      “After we, like dozens of other UK theaters, lost government funding in 2011, we can only rely on patrons and various foundations to continue to stay afloat. We are in despair, for several years we have been trying to get money from the municipality for major renovations of the theater, replacement of outdated stage and lighting equipment, but all in vain. They sent experts, and they issued a conclusion that the building was not in disrepair and repairs could be postponed. You see, they don’t have any extra money in their budget, and now there are other priorities – the construction of the exhibition complex,” Mr. Drayson said sadly. “It’s as if these bureaucrats didn’t see that the plaster was falling off the walls, and the roof of the theater was completely leaky, and heavy rain could flood everything.” I hope that we will be able to get money soon.

      Chuck and Julie listened carefully to Mr. Drayson.

      “This is one of the reasons why I suggest postponing the performance.” If you have time to prepare well, our theater will receive a successful premiere both from a creative point of view and from a financial point of view, which is important for me. You understand perfectly well that television and the Internet have to some extent pushed theater into the background. If the halls do not fill, we will have to close the new performance as unprofitable, and I would really not like to do that.

      The actress tried to convince the theater director not to postpone the premiere:

      “I am sure that Mr. Gould’s performance will be a stunning success.” He is a famous director. Over his long creative career, he has released many good works, and the public knows and loves him.

      “Today nothing can be predicted, including the reaction of the public. The audience has become more demanding and capricious, and the fact that the director is elderly can play a negative role, Mr. Drayson objected, because people sometimes want to see a fresh look at tragic works. That’s why I’ve been trying lately to give young directors a chance in the hope that they can attract modern audiences.

      “Please, let’s wait for the premiere,” Julie exclaimed passionately. “Mr. Gould put a lot of effort into making the performance spectacular, and we will do everything not to let him down.” He believes in the success of this project and was able to infect us with his faith. We are confident that Mr. Gould will be able to do the same with the audience, and they will definitely love this production.

      The actors waited with bated breath for the director’s reaction. And he looked at the clock, which already showed a quarter past ten, and after some reflection he concluded:

      – Let’s do the following: tomorrow afternoon I will definitely call Mr. Gould and inquire about his health. If he expresses confidence in the success of the production, then the premiere, as planned, will take place next Wednesday… In the meantime, I can give you the main stage, as we agreed, only once a week on Wednesdays, and then you can rehearse here on the small stage. If the performance is a success, we will move other productions and you will get one more day.

      – Thank you! We promise you that we will continue rehearsal work and try to show our best side at this premiere, so as not to let our theater, you and Mr. Gould down.

      Having wished the actors success, Mr. Drayson headed into the office, and his interlocutors went behind the stage.

      “Chuck, did you hear what Mr. Drayson said?” – Julie asked on the way to the dressing rooms. – Our performance may be closed as unprofitable if there are few spectators. It’s sad to realize that art today has faded

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