Broadway in ruins

Edna Tennant was the businesswoman of the theater, everybody knew she did the most to keep it alive ever since the beginning of the decade, and somehow she never expected for this day to come. Her fighting deemed worthless because the man was right there standing a couple of feet away from her. Hidden behind the curtain, staring at the back of the man who her father was selling the theater to. She despised him even though she has never seen him and once she did meet him she only gave him empty looks and answered him in sentences as simple as she could make them. She paid attention to his words and to her horror, the man planned to make this area a cinema because it would be less financially risky. She managed to detach herself from him with an excuse of being needed by the crew begging for their final paychecks since the man didn't know this was already taken care of. Instead, she just talked to the crew about Mr. Wiley's plans for the theater he just bought. After all the crew went home for the last time and her father stayed behind to grab his papers, Edna had a choice to either walk home or to accept Mr. Wiley's offer to drive her.

"Miss Tennant, do you need a ride?" He asked sheepishly knowing she doesn't like him and will probably ignorantly say no.

"I have two other options, I'll pick either of them." After saying that she looked into the distant door of her father's office and since it was slightly opened she could see he was still very busy. Understanding how waiting on her father would take too long she looked back at him and said "I can walk." and walked out the front entrance. Knowing the streets at night could be very dangerous for a woman to walk alone he knew he had to either convince her to accept his offer or to walk with her otherwise he'd feel guilty for letting harm come her way.

Walking side by side Wiley started a conversation and Edna couldn't avoid participation.

"Miss Tennant, I have a feeling you're cross with me." He said slightly smiling at the joke but quickly stopped when she looked at him angrily. "I think you know how much this theater and Broadway mean to me. It wouldn't be sensible to react any other way, at least not in my eyes. As far as I'm concerned you can take your big cinema and plant is somewhere else, you're stripping the street of it value."

Wiley got reasonably angry to be treated with uninviting looks all day "Wouldn't that happen one way or another? I'm preserving the building at least, unlike you'd rather it is destroyed like the others in the street. In a few weeks time your performances would leave you broke, be it the finest show of artistic talent, people with no money wouldn't come to see it."

"What would you know about art. Didn't you just say you'd make a cinema? Movies are nothing like plays and musicals."

"Movies are plays and musicals except taped on reels. You can watch movies twice but you'd be lucky to catch a performance once."

"Movies are everywhere toda..."

"Yes, and that's exactly why it's profitable."

"Of course, all you think of is profitability. You look at art and see money."

"No! I look at art and see art, but when it comes to business I have to reach for goals I know will bring me money."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself now there's no burden. Cash will come rolling in like crazy."

"No it won't. It's crazy times ahead and I've been told this situation won't stop for a while. We're living in the times of financial ruin and I'm doing my best to keep myself alive and help bring new occupations for those unfortunate enough to find themselves penniless during this fiasco. Actually .. I do have an appreciation for the theater as well, but I know no matter how good I am at running a business, I wouldn't succeed in keeping it alive nowadays. How about a promise Miss Tennant. If you stick around, do the same amazing job you and your father did with the theater, when all of this blows over, we bring it back to its glory days of theatrical productions? What do you think?"

"I don't do business based on promises."

"Smart girl."

"And I don't believe you are at all interested in theater or Broadway."

"I'm interested in both. My favorite play is Much Ado About Nothing for several reasons. My favorite part of course is when Lady Beatrice argues with Benedik. Those were some funny insults thrown in there."

In remembrance of the comedy Edna relaxes her tense body and a smile forms on the corners of her mouth suppressing a chuckle. As Wiley notices the smile that is only slightly visible, he knows he can also relax as she did just now.

"Come on Miss Tennant. It's a long way home, you can be persuaded to work with me by then." He said with a smile that only suggested it was a half-joke. She stood silently thinking it over for a few seconds, and they proceeded to talk about the new and improved plan of the cinema as they went along.

"You know Edna, the idea to hire you and to do business like I just said might be my best idea to date."

"Don't forget, you promised to bring it all in contract form. A promise can be broken and I know not to trust anybody."

"Surely you can trust me."

She sighed as they walked side by side, each enthusiastically bringing up ideas for their future business. And just like that, they walked into a deal that would, in time, make them the closest of friends and the man's promise was kept. After the Great Depression was over and Broadway bloomed again, so did their little theater.