Fireweed and Bracken by Jennifer Coffey

Author:Jennifer Coffey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Now or Never Publishing
Published: 2019-12-16T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 24

“No, not like that!” Effie sets down her script. “Virginia, hand your baby over to Martha and watch Vivian.” Vivian Myers juts her chin out like a runway model, turning to face the waiting students. Danny Callbeck rolls his eyes and Martha, annoyed, takes hold of Virginia’s baby as if she were lugging a ten-pound bag of Netted Gems.

“Is it like the twelve days of Christmas, Miss?” Bruce Jarvis gazes around the gymnasium as if he were seeing the room for the first time.

Danny heckles, “Yeah, that’s right, Brucie. On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me.”

“Why don’t you tell us what the title means, Danny, since you seem so certain?”

“Easy one, Miss. It’s the twelfth day of the twelfth month. December 12th. Right?”

“Wrong,” mutters Gary Lowther.

“But why is this called the spring play, Miss, when it’s only January?”

“Bruce, come on. Think.” Gary taps the side of his head with his finger.

Effie inhales deeply. “Because today we have tryouts, then after that we select the actors, then after that we have rehearsals, and then after that we put on the play in the spring. Could some of you boys grab those chairs from along the wall and set them in a semi-circle? When everybody is sitting, we can begin.”

Students continue walking into the gymnasium in twos and threes.

“Over here!” Effie calls “Come and sit so we can begin.” She drums her fingers on the back of a chair. “Although this play is heavily weighted in favour of the boys, the female parts are rich and vital to—”

“Why is that, Miss Cambridge?” Ruthie Acorn’s hands rest decisively on her small hips. “Why are there so many parts for boys and practically none for the girls?” She fluffs the back of her skirt as she sits down.

“Yeah,” Danny says. “Why did you pick this one and not something everyone could do? Like Anne of Green Gables?”

“Anything’s better than that awful Anne.” Ruthie shifts forward in her chair.

Effie raises her voice so loudly she startles herself. “When Shakespeare wrote Twelfth Night only men were allowed to act and so they played all of the parts, even the female ones. To make it up to you girls, I am going to ask some of you to act as my assistants and help with costumes and sets and lighting and so on.”

Griffen Dalziel curls his upper lip. “But some of those are boys’ jobs.”

“When I call out the name of a character, please raise your hand if you are interested in that part. In the spirit of Elizabethan theatre I will also consider girls for boys’ roles.”

“Now that’s just weird, Miss.”

“Think of it as historical inversion, Griffen.”

“Ass over teakettle?” Donnie Fitzgerald strolls into the auditorium. The students laugh.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Fitzgerald.” Effie scowls. “Why don’t you explain to everyone what I mean by historical inversion?”

“Miss Cambridge, the students are old enough to know that themselves, aren’t you kidlets?” Everyone laughs again except Effie. “And I think, just maybe, you mean

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