Dark Receiver

[DeathsKnight]

Elron shook his head,

"I know what we need, but for some reason it just keeps evading us."

He looked at her and wondered why that feeling of intimacy only lacks in this part, they got it perfect every other time.

"Do you fear loss? You know...losing something or somebody that you love?"

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"I know what we need, but for some reason it just keeps evading us."

Claire eyed him curiously. She wasn't sure what was needed or why it was proving evasive.

"Do you fear loss? "

She wasn't sure what he meant.

"You know...losing something or somebody that you love?"

Clarie considered the question.

"Not really ... I mean ... obviously I wouldn't want to lose any of my family ... though my parents are driving me mad right now ... but ... I wouldn't say it was something I really 'feared'..."

She wasn't sure what he was leading to.

"And as I've never been ' in love' I have no experience in that direction either ... why...?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Elron

"That might be the problem right there, to have love and lost is the key to understanding how parting is such a sweet sorrow."

He pursed his lips, looking around them,

"We can try something, just as a test, to see if it will work. So right now you are upset with your father, so very much like our fair Juliet. But, how would you feel if you know that your father is leaving you? Say he is on his death-bed, mere moments from passing away and he says that you should let him go, yet you do not wish to let him go."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Claire

"That might be the problem right there, to have love and lost is the key to understanding how parting is such a sweet sorrow."

Claire didn't point out that that line was from an earlier scene.

"We can try something, just as a test, to see if it will work. So right now you are upset with your father, so very much like our fair Juliet. But, how would you feel if you know that your father is leaving you?"

Claire wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"Say he is on his death-bed, mere moments from passing away and he says that you should let him go, yet you do not wish to let him go."

She considered the parrallel.

"It doesn't really have the same romantic love theme does it?"

She commented.

"And Juliet doesn't know Romeo is going to his death...."

She flicked through the text.

"This isn't about love and loss ... it's about having found what you want in life, your perfect partner, perfect love and having circumstance steal that from you .... "

She laughed then.

"Not that it matters ... I've never had that experience either ... "

She shrugged.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Elron

"Well yes, but don't take it up that literally. I just want you to imagine the parting, the fact that you have to say good bye, but do not wish to. Of course they didn't know that they would die, just like we don't know how and when we will die."

He smiled at her,

"I used your father as that is the closest thing I could get as your life partner,"

he blinked.

"OK that just came out all wrong."

Running his fingers through his hair he smiled at the people around him,

"Let's try it again, but with the marriage also incorporated, I think that transition from joy to parting should help a bit."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Well yes, but don't take it up that literally. I just want you to imagine the parting, the fact that you have to say good bye, but do not wish to.
Of course they didn't know that they would die, just like we don't know how and when we will die."

He clarified.

"I used your father as that is the closest thing I could get as your life partner,"

Claire did a double take finding the comparison increasingly ... weird...

"OK that just came out all wrong."

She nodded. It sounded very wrong, but also very sad if her father was to be cast in the role of her 'nearest and dearest'.

"Let's try it again, but with the marriage also incorporated, I think that transition from joy to parting should help a bit."

She nodded, but wasn't convinced.
They went through the scene again. To some extent it was better, but Claire felt the dialogue she had with Elron still wasn't working for her at least, though once the other characters joined in, she felt it easy to 'find' Juliet and act with realism.

The scene done again, she bit back a sigh and turned across to Glen wondering how the schedule would turn out for the rest of the morning.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

He was standing there, looking at them, he understood where Elron was going, but yet again it almost seemed that Claire was so sheltered all of her life that she didn't really know how to act with people. It wasn't a bad thing...just an interesting fact.

"Oh don't let me stop you, you seem to be going at it pretty well on your own,"

he graced them with a smile and brushed over his black jeans.

"Right everybody, our fencers feel that they can now kill each other and look rather professional about it. Props and positions please, we start with our marriage and from there move to Act III, Scene V and we will rehearse this until everybody feels happy with it. Yes Mr Paris even you can voice a concern if you have one even if you are not part of the Scene."

He walked to the edge of the stage, turned around and watched as everything got rushed into place,

"Claire when we break for lunch I want a word with you."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Oh don't let me stop you, you seem to be going at it pretty well on your own,"

Claire saw him smile and hoped that he would be happy with the progress that they had made that morning ...

"Right everybody, our fencers feel that they can now kill each other and look rather professional about it. Props and positions please, we start with our marriage and from there move to Act III, Scene V and we will rehearse this until everybody feels happy with it. Yes Mr Paris even you can voice a concern if you have one even if you are not part of the Scene."

Claire bit back a sigh. She had done the scene so often now that she felt a bit jaded, even Lord Capulet was holding back a bit now - after all there were only so many times he felt he could fling Claire around in temper! Still she consoled herself they would be going from the wedding, so perhaps it would give her a feeling of context ...

"Claire when we break for lunch I want a word with you."

The instruction given to her as she stood aside preparing for the start of the scene. She nodded in answer, but did not have time to ponder what he could want as they were launching straight into the marriage scene...

Good even to my ghostly confessor.

Once again Claire launched herself into the short scene, her 7 lines giving her a slight run up to the last scene of Act V, the first section of which was the last dialogue between her and Elron: Juliet and Romeo ...

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

He watched as they built up and in a very neutral tone just said,

"Give this all you have, I know you are tired of rehearsing it, just...feel it...be your characters."

He knew that continued rehearsal of a specific scene dulled even the most experienced actor, he hoped that with his prompting they might move past that and the good juju they needed to get the scene working would kick in. For a moment he got distracted by the same costumed character moving in the background, but the actors quickly captured his attention again.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Give this all you have, I know you are tired of rehearsing it, just...feel it...be your characters."

Claire looked across as Glen spoke, then focused back on Elron.
The next speech was the nurse:

Your lady mother is coming to your chamber.
The day is broke; be wary, look about.

They were coming to Elron's exit which would lead to the action between Juliet and her family.

Then, window, let day in, and let life out.

Claire tried to put as much as she could into the delivery of the line, though the fact that it still felt like a line meant that though she was acting her socks off, it still wasn't right.

Farewell, farewell! One kiss, and I'll descend

Elron on the other hand seemed totally committed to the scene and seemed to take Glen at his word!

The final kiss he took from Claire seemed to her to be far more intense than Elron had attemped before, but surprised her more than drew her into the emotional link that he was attempting.

Art thou gone so, my lord, my love, my friend?

The unexpected kiss seemed to play well to the delivery of this line, her query uncertain, as if despite everything, Juliet could not believe that her husband was truly leaving.

I must hear from thee every day in the hour,
For in a minute there are many days.
O, by this count I shall be much in years
Ere I again behold my Romeo!

Claire felt the words flowing more easily somehow, but was aware of silently hastening the end of the dialogue between her and Elron so she could move on to the nurse/Lady Capulet/Lord Capulet interaction, which was not as it should be ...

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

"Hold up a bit there,"

his words brought the group to a halt,

"Start again, Juliet this time try to hold on to your husband? Don't try to rush the dialogue. He is the one that must sound rushed as he is the one who faces death, you are the one who doesn't want him to go."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Hold up a bit there,"

As one they halted and turned towards Glen.

"Start again, Juliet this time try to hold on to your husband?
Don't try to rush the dialogue. He is the one that must sound rushed as he is the one who faces death, you are the one who doesn't want him to go."

Claire smiled to herself. Glen was too perceptive for his own good!
The scene had become her nemesis and she was rushing through it, adding pace to Romeo's parting rather than delaying. His suggestion was something concrete she could focus on.

Returning to the top now, Claire focused instead on delivering her speeches slowly, lingering on each word, almost sabotaging Elron as he tried again and again to take his leave and finally began to identify with Juliet's need to make this interaction last as long as possible, rather than speed him away.

Glen's direction had been simple, but it had given her a focus through which she had actually slipped into part of Juliet's world.

This time when the nurse and then Lady Capulet became involved in the scene, Glen allowed the action to continue to the end. His attention and critical eye seemed to elevate the performances of all the actors making the scene spark with anger and leaving Juliet totally isolated and desperate by it's finish ...

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

This time around it was much better, he allowed it to finish. "Well carry on people, we have the whole day ahead of us." He watched as they started to set the scene for Act IV Scene 1, the good friar's cell, where Juliet, all alone take her lonely heart to the church

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Claire moved on to Act IV. The dialogue between Friar and Paris interrupted by Juliet's arrival. Having already worked out how this Paris-Juliet scene was to play it ran smoothly and convincingly. Claire being thoroughly commited to being Juliet as she and the Friar discussed the crisis and devised a desperate plan.

As with the previous scene, she savoured every word, spoke each line as if the first time and though the scene held it's same urgent pace as it hastened Juliet towards the tragic decision to take the sleeping potion, the dialogue was clear and heavy with emotion ...

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

This was more like it, from happy, care-free girl to carrying this burden, being in love, married yet not able to be with her husband. They carried through the fourth act and he had to stop them before they started on the fifth act as well.

"In all my years I have learned that no matter what, you should really fuel the body. Take a break people, have a bit of a late lunch. We will finish up after the break."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"In all my years I have learned that no matter what, you should really fuel the body. Take a break people, have a bit of a late lunch. We will finish up after the break."

Claire's last scene had been the discovery of Juliet's body and though not called upon to act, playing dead was tiring. She was as pleased as the others that lunch had been called. As the group dispersed she walked over to Glen.

"Did you want to see me now, or later ...?"

She queried.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

"Ah yes, come with me,"

he lead her to a seat and pulled papers from his backpack. He turned to face Claire and held the papers to her.

"This is a contract, it secures a monthly salary even when you are not performing, with bonuses. But take it, read it, go over it, ask help with it, you can even come to me with an offer of your own if you are interested."

He smiled,

"You will be the fourth person I ever offered a contract to."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Ah yes, come with me,"

Claire glanced at the others giving a quick wave as they headed off for lunch. She followed Glen more curious than apprehensive as she felt that although she hadn’t ‘nailed it’ there had been an improvement in her performance and she knew he would understand that it wasn’t due to lack of effort on her part that things had taken a while to come together.

She sat in the seat he indicated and watched as he took out a sheath of papers and held them out to her. She eyed them curiously wondering if this was another of his writings, though it only looked long enough to be an outline or even a summary …

"This is a contract, it secures a monthly salary even when you are not performing, with bonuses.”

She remained immobile with surprise.

”But take it, read it, go over it, ask help with it, you can even come to me with an offer of your own if you are interested."

Mutely she took the papers and glanced at them incredulously.

"You will be the fourth person I ever offered a contract to."

That information had her mind reeling!

” … but why…?”

She started.

”... why me…?”

She glanced towards the stage from where the others had disappeared. There was any amount of talent and experience, so why she was the one to be offered the security of a monthly salary she had no idea.

”Glen… if this is just to keep the Capulet’s happy….”

It seemed a logical reason to her.

”Then you don’t have to do this … you’ve been beyond kind to me already … “

She grinned.

” … besides … I’m not going anywhere … I’m committed to this and would never leave you in the lurch … “

It seemed another plausible explanation …

” … I’ll be your Juliet for as long as you want me to be … “

 

[DeathsKnight]

He sat down next to her, twisting in the seat to face her,

"I am giving this to you, for you. For me in a way as well. If you accept it, you will be the first."

He smiled,

"You are going to be so much more than my Juliet when you sign that. You will get paid to do what you are very good at. It will also pay for a part of your studies."

He winked at her,

"You will be able to study and come in to do some play work for me during your breaks."

He shrugged,

"But it is your decision to make. Now scoot, go get something into your tummy."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"I am giving this to you, for you. For me in a way as well. If you accept it, you will be the first."

Claire wasn't quite sure what Glen meant, but somehow knew he wouldn't lie to her. The offer of the contract seemed to have been made for all the right reasons. He smiled at her as he seemed to watch that fact sink in.

"You are going to be so much more than my Juliet when you sign that. You will get paid to do what you are very good at. It will also pay for a part of your studies."

She stared incredulously at the papers he held out to her. To be paid enough to be able to work and to study whilst she did so was a dream come true!

"You will be able to study and come in to do some play work for me during your breaks."

She took the papers, from him, her eyes looking over the top page and wondering just what the terms were in regard to study and acting and of course salary!

"But it is your decision to make. Now scoot, go get something into your tummy."

She laughed as he dismissed her. Carefully stowing the papers in her bag, she turned impulsively and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you ... "

She said simply knowing that somehow he knew what it meant to her.
With that she turned and made her way to grab a quick lunch, her stomach churing so much with excitement that it was with effort that she made herself eat and forced herself to act normally with her cast-mates.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He was surprised by the kiss on the cheek, he watched her as she left and then pulled a ledger closer, inspecting his production notes as the stage hands got the next scene's set ready and then headed off to find something to eat. He absentmindedly scanned the notes, thus far everything went quit quickly and he did not have to much to worry about, most of the cast was immersed in their roles, it seemed that the only real problem was to get Claire to understand the concept of loving intensely and having to part with that love. He pondered this, tapping his cheek with a forefinger.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Claire kept the papers hidden in her bag and stowing it safely went to join the others for lunch. Conversation was animated. A cameraderie seemed to have already sprung up between the members of the company. If she had worried about anything it was being her comparative lack of experience and being found lacking by 'professionals'. In truth the whole process was much more collaborative and supportive than she could have dreamed possible.

Act five was the shortest of the acts and less demanding for Claire until her brief suicide speech at the end of the 3rd and final scene. Taking a seat, Claire settled to watch Elron deliver his key scene.

Within so few lines, she watched him move from ecstatic optimism to the depths of despair. Even though she tried to watch him analytically as an actor seeking understanding of his technique, she found herself drawn into his performance until she realised that her heart was breaking for him by the time he pronounced those words:

Come, cordial and not poison, go with me
To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee.

A quick glance round confirmed that she was not the only observer to be moved in such a way. How on earth he did it though, she had no idea.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He watched Elron as he delivered his lines with the ease of an experienced actor, the others were not that good, but they did their part. Paris had some promise as he came in two scenes later along with his page, he wrote down some of his thoughts and then got up, moving to the stage as he watched them acting out what they read. With the final scene he moved onto the stage as they took up their positions,

"Claire hold on for a bit."

He sat next to her and motioned for the others to continue, he rested a hand on her arm as her part came along, he lightly pressed his finger to her chest,

"Feel the pain here."

He got to his feet, his voice lilting to imitate a female, one seemingly to wake from slumber,

"Go, get thee hence, for I will not away. What's here? a cup, closed in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end."

Despair creeping into his voice,

"O churl! drunk all, and left no friendly drop! To help me after? I will kiss thy lips; haply some poison yet doth hang on them,to make me die with a restorative."

In slight awe, but with anger and sorrow breaking his voice,

"Thy lips are warm."

The guard's voice breaking through the sorrow,

" Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger!"

With conviction and strength fueled by desperation,

"This is thy sheath!"

Breathless from the sudden pain and the dagger stabbed so deeply,

"There rust, and let me die."

He stopped and looked down at Claire,

"It is feelings that you know, conjure them up as you need them. Practice them, if you have nothing to relate to, then work on conjuring up the feelings you do know."

He smiled at her,

"Right! Now Juliet will show us what she can do and we will start again. I just LOVE theater!"

He chuckled and moved to one side,

"No pressure Claire, just give me the best you can do."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

The second scene between the two Friars seemed uneventful. Claire flicked through the script as she anticipated the final scene. She watched the third scene unfold and could not help admiring the actor playing Paris. It seemed Elron's performance had spurred the other's onto greater heights.

She stood to move into position, but turned at Glen's voice.
On the stage, the action continued, but her attention was drawn by the man beside her.

"Feel the pain here."

She nodded at his direction and watched mutely as he enacted the scene modelling the nuances he was no doubt looking for. All was intense and dramatic, but never spililng over into artifice.

" Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger!
This is thy sheath! ... There rust, and let me die."

Another virtuoso performance. It was difficult not to be overawed by those guys!

"It is feelings that you know, conjure them up as you need them. Practice them, if you have nothing to relate to, then work on conjuring up the feelings you do know."

Claire shook her head in self-deprecation. And she had thought this last scene was 'easier' that the previous ones. She was learning rapidly that every word her character uttered had a weight of meaning and intent behind it.

"Right! Now Juliet will show us what she can do and we will start again.
I just LOVE theater!"

On the stage she now noticed the others had come to the end of the scene and were looking towards Glen for direction.

"No pressure Claire, just give me the best you can do."

She looked towards the stage and back to Glen. All eyes were on her.

"Yeah, right ... this is your idea of 'no pressure'!?!"

She shook her head, but laughed goodnaturedly as she made her way to the stage.
It was intimidating to have such expectations made of her, but there was no harm in having a level to aspire to she reasoned.

With a final glance back at Glen, she took her place as the 'corpse' and awaited her cue in the middle of the scene.

In truth, it was Elron who helped her find her performance. This is one of the scenes she had been studying in the coffee shop the evening before Glen unexpectedly showed up. She had seen productions where Juliet remained totally inert until after Romeo was dead, but she had always been intrigued by the productions were Juliet's awakening was mere seconds too late.

It was easy enough to remain fully inert during Paris's declarations and during the duel which followed. Elron's performance, as ever powerful moved her as his words focused upon his dead wife.

O my love! my wife!
Death, that hath suck'd the honey of thy breath,
Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty:

In her mind she had played with an idea: What if the slowly waking Juliet had heard Romeo's voice, almost dreamlike, rather than fight waking, she would do all she could to rouse herself to be with her husband ...

Whether Elron sensed that Claire was 'playing it for real' more so than they had previously, this time he did not hold back from the kiss.

Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you
The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death!

Claire remained as if in death-like stupor, but this she decided; this was the moment that would draw Juliet back to her senses. Returned to her funeral pyre, Claire allowed herself to show the first subtle signs of life as Elron delivered his final speech. Her eyes fluttering even as the poison was drunk.

Thus with a kiss I die.

Claire reacted just enough to indicate life if not consciousness and was sure that Elron would act his part appropriately. The split second realisation that Juliet would live on even as he died. As a theatre goer that tragedy had reduced her to tears many times.

O comfortable friar! where is my lord?
I do remember well where I should be,
And there I am. Where is my Romeo?

She was awake now. Rather than the nightmare wakening Juliet had predicted, Claire seemed to awake with the warmth of the dream, the kiss and Romeo still held within her half-consciousness.

Within the course of the Friar's speech Claire allowed herself to become conscious of the reality she had woken into.

Go, get thee hence, for I will not away.

That was the moment, she had decided previously.
Those words told the Friar of Juliet's decision and yet the Friar ignored it.

Rather than mimicking Glen or emulating Elron, Claire delivered the next speech with a quiet intensity that somehow carried into the body of the theatre. Rather than concerning herself with the 'performance' Claire merely had that last conversation with her husband, the kiss softly sensual until she drew back in shock in realisation that mere seconds or at most minutes brought about this tragedy.

She almost seemed to miss her cue ignoring the watchman's words as she seemed locked in shock. With sudden realisation that she is about to be disturbed and separated from her dead husband, Claire's final speeches are tinged with urgency.

Yea, noise? then I'll be brief.

She seemed to cast around for a weapon before pulling Romeo's dagger free.

O happy dagger! This is thy sheath;

Miming a single stabbing blow, Claire kept her hands on the imaginary weapon before the concluding words: there rust, and let me die.

She had no way of gauging how her interpretation had been received by either Glen or Elron or the rest of the cast. Laying as she was across Elron, she focused instead on remaining in the same position as the scene played out.

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

 

[DeathsKnight]

The rest of the cast applauded and Glen moved from the side where he had stood, raising his hands to clap.

"Oh bravo people, bravo! I want an encore and I want it now."

The stage hands rushed to get the props into place and Glen moved over to help Claire to her feet and then Elron. They moved to the wings, Glen turned towards Claire.

"Just like that, I want you do it again just like that. If you can not conjure up love for a person, then use love of anything else you know. Reading, music..."

He motioned around them,

"Theater. Just imagine that love, intensify it in your mind and then it will find it's way into your play."

He smiled,

"Then see this love having to leave, yet you wish it not to. See this love taken from you."

He placed a gentle hand on her arm,

"You do not have to know love to act love, it can easily be duplicated, but if you believe it even if you don't know it, then you have a real fighting chance."

He gave her arm a gentle pat and moved away, jumping from the stage to take a seat,

"Prince! Do the honors if you so please."