Start your story looking down from a stage.

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Oct 25, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 58 stories

“Southern Comfort and the Kindness of Strangers” by Patrick Samuel

(Warning: contains spoilers for A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie.)She stands proud and defiant, glass in hand. The tiara on her head sparkling, eyes burning with feverish gaiety. The stage lights blind her but that's the price you pay to dazzle. Though she can't see them, she feels the audience holding on to her every word, her every breath: the kind of communion you'd damn your...

54 comments 54 WINNER 🏆

Read story

“Room at the Inn” by Howard Halsall

George Hartley stared down at the rows of assorted parents, parent-governors, teachers and siblings and his stomach tightened like a boiled crustacean. He wiped a moist hand on his innkeeper’s shirt and disguised a dry cough with an acrid smelling palm. Mr Brewer queued George from the wings and directed him to take centre stage. George swallowed and stepped forward to hit his mark underneath sizzling spotlights. Two costumed classmates trudged towards him; one with a false beard and the other bearing a pillow stuffed inside her voluminou...

10 comments 10

Read story

“Curtain Call” by Tatjana Bulovic

“Tonight is Ana’s last night. She has been with us for forty-seven years. Thank you for everything, Ana! Ladies and gentlemen, Ana Jackson!” Ana stepped to the microphone and looked at the full theater below her. Her chest swelled as the whole theater stood up and started applauding. “Thank you. Thank you so much!” She wanted to say something clever, something touching, but nothing came out. She j...

16 comments 16

Read story

“Wunderbar!” by A.Dot Ram

I - SacramentoThe lights blared in Vivian’s eyes, distorting her reflection in the foil mirror. As she dabbed the empty make-up brush over her cheeks, already blushed backstage, she wondered if the audience could see the pallor beneath her mask of make-up. Would Conrad see it? He always saw right through her.She exaggerated her smile until her cheeks brushed the false lashes on her lower lids. It didn’t matter. The show must go on. She listened for the heavy stomp of Con...

14 comments 14

Read story

“Doctor Frickle’s Mysterious Cabinet of Transmogrify” by Connie Elstun

Gentlemen, I observed my audience looking positively frabjous in their waiting that night; yes, I took a little peek from the red velvets right before showtime. Curiosity killed the cat, and my magic proficiency cannot hold a candle to Carroll's 71’-word invention of frabjous. What a wordsmith as his reading audience fell for his poppycock hook line and sinker; the same will be valid for me, the magician. I pulled my red velveteen curtain open and hooked it to...

6 comments 6

Read story

“In The Spotlight” by Greg Gillis

As we take our final bows, I look down from the stage at the theatre filled with people. All of them were standing and applauding. I thought back to what brought me to this moment. Nine months earlier: My name is Jacob, a carpenter by trade. The workload has been sparse these last few weeks. A few repairs here and there, and if I were ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Opening Night” by John K Adams

Shelby Rappaport stood at center stage awaiting the curtain’s rise. He could hear the audience anticipation. What a delicious moment.He loved opening night. They gathered to see him. Yes, they came for a performance. His performance. No one came for the play, when he starred.A delectable variety of women would be on display on the curtain’s rise. Most, of course, would be escorted by husbands, or other men. But the women came for him. The men were place holders. He wagered with himself. How many women stared in adorat...

0 comments 0

Read story

“What Child Is This” by Craig Westmore

For the last song of the Christmas Eve service, twenty beaming six-year-old girls dressed as elves stood on the steps of the altar and, smack dab in the middle of them, a single boy with arms folded tight and a face scrunched up even tighter. He wore a Santa coat and hat that stood out like a spotlight against the girls’ velvet green dresses. Beth had planned on placing the stubborn, young man in the back to min...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Debut Under the Big Top” by Jamie Gregory

[CW: The death of a parent is mentioned.] I stood with my feet firmly planted on the small wooden platform twenty feet above the ring and the surrounding crowd. My sweaty, shaking hands gripped the railings beside me in an attempt to steady my trembling body. I looked down, but only with my eyes since I was too afraid to move my head. The ringmaster pranced to the center of the ring to introduce the next ...

9 comments 9

Read story

“The Purple Rock” by Melony Beard

Henry Tiller's evil heckle rose above the others. I had one simple line in the Christmas play and somehow, for the third time this week, I managed to mess that up. "It's a Christmas m... marble." I stuttered. "Miracle. Catherine. The word is miracle." Ms. Haywood's gentle voice whispered. Though the eyes in the crowd seemed to burn holes through my skin, my body shivered i...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Night at the Ballet” by L.J Sunwing

The overture is chaotic and is thick in the theatre. From the ground level seats, it is overwhelming but the nosebleed seats allow it to be quieter and drummed out. The box overlooks the stage in a regal way. The stage itself is lit with the vibrancy of the gold and red curtain. The columns in the ballet itself are grand and secure. The onlooker seems far away from the very small performers that will soon enter the stage...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Comfortably Numb, Blindingly Bright ” by Ash Greene

TW: Drugs, Loss, Death If you read this story, please comment your thoughts, writing tips, ect. Good or bad, give me some feedback please :) --------------------------------------------------------------- Everything was pitch black and then the lights came on. Blindingly bright lights from somewhere up above, possibly directly over his head. He knows he should be here, but he can’t remember ...

5 comments 5

Read story

“The Foxy Footman” by Carole Penfield

The Foxy Footman Copyright 2021, All rights reserved Carole Penfield Bart Just look at me, standing on this stage waiting for the curtain to open, dressed in a footman costume! If only poor Aunt Mary had lived to see this day, she would have been so proud. I remember her taking me to see my first play on her half-day ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Aria” by Richard Hann

The Aria By Richard Hann Violins began to play a soft melody as the flutes echoed their tune and the soft chatter among the audience dimmed to a complete silence. Ida twisted her fingers together nervously as she had done twice before with each performance. She scrunched her toes, feeling the wooden stage beneath them, she stil...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Things We Leave Behind” by Reina Johnson

He memorized the planes of his father’s face, so that he saw signs of him each time a member of the audience’s eyelids crinkled or they leaned forward with their hands clasped together. His mind transformed the dimly lit auditorium. He imagined lights ensconced in gold and burgundy velvet furnishing the metal folding chairs. Tomás’s nicotine stained teeth sank into his lower lip as he bit back a smile. He nudged the elbo...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who always wears a mask (physical or metaphorical).

Angst – 49 stories

Begin or end your story with “Well, that was dramatic.”

Christmas – 40 stories

Write a story about a character practising a speech in front of the mirror. What are they preparing for?

Middle School – 38 stories

Set your story backstage at the theater.

Halloween – 31 stories

Contest #123

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Showtime

$250

Prize money

216

Contest entries

140

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 10, 2021 EST

Won by Patrick Samuel 🏆

Title: Southern Comfort and the Kindness of Strangers

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Start your story looking down from a stage.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 58 stories

“Southern Comfort and the Kindness of Strangers” by Patrick Samuel

“Room at the Inn” by Howard Halsall

“Curtain Call” by Tatjana Bulovic

“Wunderbar!” by A.Dot Ram

“Doctor Frickle’s Mysterious Cabinet of Transmogrify” by Connie Elstun

“In The Spotlight” by Greg Gillis

“Opening Night” by John K Adams

“What Child Is This” by Craig Westmore

“Debut Under the Big Top” by Jamie Gregory

“The Purple Rock” by Melony Beard

“Night at the Ballet” by L.J Sunwing

“Comfortably Numb, Blindingly Bright ” by Ash Greene

“The Foxy Footman” by Carole Penfield

“The Aria” by Richard Hann

“The Things We Leave Behind” by Reina Johnson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who always wears a mask (physical or metaphorical).

Begin or end your story with “Well, that was dramatic.”

Write a story about a character practising a speech in front of the mirror. What are they preparing for?

Set your story backstage at the theater.

Contest #123

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

216

Contest entries

140

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: