Roles by Maria Panfiorova

“Nothing like the sun,” — she smiled,
looking at him from the backstage. His dress was clearly too short and too tight. How did he even sing in this? She always admired such level of professionalism.
She checked on her beret and the sham sword on her belt before coming out.
“Honorable lady of the house…” Lines had been carved into her soul beforehand.
“Yes, I shall answer for myself.” In the everyday life he always seemed to be eccentric and over dramatic, but at the stage he had always managed to seamlessly vanish into his characters.
It was a brand-new play about conventionality and life. Author didn’t want to alienate the audience right away and instead tried to construct something fresh out of old and familiar material. It was really hard to tell whether it was successful: audience still felt somewhat confused.
“I know you’ve heard some much more pleasant sounds,” Honorable Lady said modestly.
“If music be the food of love, play on,” Son of a merchant (that was the name in the script) answered with another bow to intertextuality. “That’s what they always used to say”.
Use of language in the play was questionable but interesting nevertheless: characters’ speech was modern when they were alone but were fiercely loyal to some odd old expressions. “Romeo and Juliet Are Dead” — that how the cast nicknamed it, ever thought there was nothing Romeo and Juliet.
“My lady, with my whole soul and heart I shall protect you.” Son of a merchant touched Lady’s hand, she blushed.
The play went on as it was written: two more musical numbers, one choreographed sword fight and four grand life-changing monologues from four different characters. In the end, instead of a final bow, director in the costume of world-famous psychiatrist read the list of characters.
“That’s quite ungrateful,” he said, loosening his dress.
“All the men and women are quite ungrateful,” she said, returning her sword to a property person.
They changed their masks and clothes quickly and then went through the hall. They moved through the crowd attracting little attention and barely leaning on the ground (they were actors — an opposite of people).
“I still cannot understand why they take such an unattractive girl for the role,” a middle-aged man expressed his indignation.
“She must be the daughter of director or something,” a woman in the beige dress agreed.
“That sword boy was so cute, omg, especially on that duel” an exited young girl told to her friend.
“I know, right? He’s so brave and adorable, I’d just adopt him,” an exited young friend answered.
“He looked gay,” a young man, who was sleeping through the second act, killed the mood for his friends.
“Something like that was in that other play… A Twelfth Night’s Dream,” a very serious boy thought he understood something important.
They left the theatre, proceeding with their usual roles.