“Oh, take a look at that, who is this? Under what kind of delusion are you to think you don’t have to work in broad daylight?
“You poor wretch shall return without delay and wash my dress!”
“And you’d better be not clumsy, this is a formal banquet dress. You cannot afford to damage it by even a little.”
After her words, May ferociously pushed her back, and according to the plot Irene was supposed to pretend to fall, but under the cold look in May’s eyes she couldn’t stop herself from taking a few steps back, accidently tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground without any buffer- her elbow hit the stage floor and sent a burst of pain through her body.
“Truly just a useless waste…” May’s eyes were no longer set on her. Instead, she went to the center of the stage, facing the silent crowd on the square and began her monologue.
“That’s worthy of Miss May,” Margaret whispered amazed. “Just with a few simple words from her she was able to attract the attention of everyone, her character has already become alive.”
“Oh, indeed impressive,” Roland nodded,
Irene was stunned.
She knew she had to stand up quickly. May’s monologue, which was primarily about her longing for the prince, as well as the court ball, wouldn’t last long. So before the end of the scene, she had to leave the stage. But her familiar feeling from the previous rehearsals had already left her, turning the stage into a complete and utter stranger to her.
Only when May finished her act and while passing by weaved her skirt so that its edge slapped against Irene’s face, was she able to recover. Even though the other didn’t say a word, but by looking into the cold eyes of the star from the West, Irene could understand her meaning. May had wanted to say that Irene should pull herself together. Since their two character’s personalities were like fire and water, once May reached out her hand, the play would be ruined! She clenched her lips, spreading an iron taste through her mouth. When she saw May disappeared behind the board, she also wanted to get up and leave. However, Ghent and Same carrying props had already stepped on the stage. When Sam placed a bucket in front of her, he took the chance to say in a small voice, “The next scene is still yours, just stay here while we work. Come on, you can do it!”
Irene knew that this wasn’t according to the script, to be truth… she had already missed the opportunity to leave.
Thus the audience saw an unusual change of scenery. Cinderella sat motionless on the stage, while her surrounding scene has been modified from the living room into the basement, changing the beautiful round table and wooden chairs into barrels and rattan baskets. While people who handled the props went back and forth, the girl maintained her position, as if she was frozen in time.
In the next act, Cinderella was trapped in the basement, and the witch came back to rescue her. Not only giving her beautiful clothes, but also summoning a carriage, which sent her directly to the castle.
“Remember, the spell will only last until midnight, so you must leave the palace before the last bell rings, or the clothes and the carriage will disappear.”
“A… yes. I’ve got it. Thank you.”
At this moment Irene was still unable to shake off her daze, hiding in the background she secretly watched May’s play. She only thought that the other actor seemed to be completely free, in front of more than a thousand viewers she still had a blossoming smile, what a powerful woman she was. Standing on the stage and having to face the bright star, only then did she thoroughly realized how amazing her counterparts acting was.