Cages by Peg Kehret

Author:Peg Kehret [Kehret, Peg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101661529
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2001-06-24T16:00:00+00:00

WE’LL begin with Act Two,” Miss Fenton said. “Berenice and John Henry: on stage, please. Frankie, be ready for your entrance. Everyone else, QUIET.”

There was a brief flurry as everyone moved into place.

Kit watched from the back of the auditorium. It was the first rehearsal she had attended, although Tracy had urged her repeatedly to come. Kit said she was volunteering at The Humane Society or baby-sitting every afternoon. She came now because Justin, the school photographer, was going to take pictures for the posters. She couldn’t very well supervise the pictures without being there.

“Curtain!” called Miss Fenton, even though they weren’t really using the curtain for rehearsals.

As Kit watched and listened, she was quickly caught up in the characters and their words. Marcia no longer sounded like Marcia. Her voice was higher, with a slight Southern accent. She no longer looked like Marcia, either. It wasn’t just because she had exchanged her jeans and top for a short, shapeless cotton dress; it was the way she stood and moved. She seemed thinner, younger, more vulnerable. She was a forlorn, mixed-up twelve-year-old girl, who truly believed that her brother and his fiancée would want her to go along on their honeymoon.

Everyone knew their lines and knew when and where they were supposed to move.

“Pace,” yelled Miss Fenton. “It’s dragging. Pick up the pace!”

The actors spoke faster. Marcia’s good, Kit thought. She’s really good. So were the others. It was going to be a fabulous play.

When Act Two ended, Miss Fenton said, “We’ll take a break now for some publicity photos. Please stay seated in the front rows while Kit explains what shots she wants, and then pose quickly. We still have to do all of Act Three today.”

Kit had made a list of the scenes she wanted Justin to shoot. “First is the scene from Act One,” she said, “with Frankie, Helen, and Doris.”

Tracy and the girl who played Helen joined Marcia on stage and Kit told them where to stand. She put Marcia’s back to the camera, so that Tracy’s face showed.

“Thanks,” Tracy whispered, after Justin took the picture. “You’ll make me a star yet.”

Kit continued down her list of pictures, including one of Miss Fenton holding her clipboard and talking with several cast members. All of the pictures Kit had planned were group shots, with at least three actors in each. Everyone cooperated. Nobody goofed off. Even Marcia kept quiet. There was a unity of spirit; the entire cast was willing to do whatever was necessary to make the publicity photos as good as possible.

Impulsively, Kit added one more shot to her list. “Last, I want one of Frankie by herself,” she said.

Marcia stood alone on the stage.

“Give her a line, someone,” Miss Fenton suggested. “Lead her into a scene.”

From the front row, the others began saying their lines. When John Henry said, “You want me to get the weekend bag?” Marcia began to speak.

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