Sell-Out Show

There is a part inside everyone that longs to experience the enrichments of fame. Whether they admit it or not the basic instinct to strive for more, to be the best, is always there. It was this feeling that coursed through my entire body as I stared down at the crowd that was now chanting my name. Of course they had expected this to be a sell-out show considering they had plastered it on every front page of every newspaper in rotation. It had became the most anticipated show of the decade, people outbidding one another to get their hands on a ticket for my final performance. 

I can still remember my very first steps on to the stage. At the time I was merely a volunteer for the newest show to grace our local theatre. I was only a young girl at the time, waving my hand enthusiastically in the air as they looked for children to come and briefly join the show. Little did I know that my mother had already arranged for me to take part, her face beaming as I looked for her from center stage. 

Every week after that day my mother took me to another show and watched me quickly fall in love with each and every story that they would tell. I was enthralled by the art of story telling, admiring the leading lady that always captured the heart of the audience. Oh to be adored like that, my heart sored at the thought. 

As I grew, I knew that my desires were of a different nature to others my age. As everyone else explored the excitement of teenage courtship I remained at home, practicing lines over and over again before the bathroom mirror. Forfeiting my experience of innocent romance was a small price to pay in order to further my chances of securing my dream to be on stage. My mother would stay up in to the early hours with me as I pressed her to run the monologues with me once more. 

I must admit, my first audition hadn’t gone entirely to plan. It was strange as I had been so confident in my delivery. My voice had projected just the right amount as I delivered my performance with every ounce of passion I could muster. I gave myself goosebumps, really. It felt every bit as magical as I had hoped it would, and yet they decided to cast me as a mere extra. I couldn’t understand. Maybe they had felt that the leading role was beneath me and planned to use me in a future project, but I wanted to be the treasured asset within their cast. I could work on multiple roles at once if they needed, I was quite talented. I just wanted the experience, to be a part of something.  

Truly, it felt like the world was working against me until I received a stroke of luck the following month.  

It turned out that the girl, Cindy, who had received the leading role had an unfortunate accident in which she slipped and fell while we were boarding the school bus, breaking her leg. She was obviously heartbroken about the whole ordeal, but I assured her that I already knew all her lines so was happy to step in to her shoes. Really, she was lucky that I was so devoted to the performance. 

And so that is how I landed my first leading role.  

I remember how happy my mother was as I hugged her backstage after our final bows. She had said it had been my best performance to date, praising my continuing determination to follow my dreams. She had bought me the biggest bouquet of flowers, by far the most impressive one there that night. Red roses, almost as beautiful as me. So she said, anyway. 

After that, I began chasing more serious work. I travelled to audition for the major theatrical companies in the nearest city. Of course I had to start out with the smaller acting roles, everyone who knows anything about the theatre knows that it’s a respect thing. I mean, they couldn’t just go ahead and give me the leading role even though my audition obviously blew them away, it would offend the longstanding members of their cast. So I did what I had to do and put on my best performance night after night even though I only had two lines to deliver, waiting for my moment to ascend to a more central character. 

All of my hard work finally paid off when the star of the show, Rebecca, had to pull out due to a mysterious illness. Oh, it was so tragic. I went to her home and brought her another basket of the baked goods I had been making her for the last several months and wished her well, asking if she would perhaps recommend me to take over her role... and she did! Elated doesn’t even cover how I felt as I stepped in to the front spotlight on opening night and delivering my monologue effortlessly.  

There was a standing ovation after every single one of my performances, so I was a little confused when my mother began giving flowers to my other co-stars too. It was me that was bringing in the crowds, not them. I’m sure she knew it would hurt my feelings but perhaps she was just trying to comfort the other actress’s. After all, their roles were pretty insignificant. Regardless, that was the last show my mother attended. The roads had been rather icy that night and her car had crashed in to a ditch, taking her life with it. 

After that I was on my own, but I was okay with it. I did not want people around that did not appreciate the real talent and dedication that my life on stage required from me. I landed lead role after lead role, and yet the constant cheers of adoration from the audience no longer satisfied me. I could feel my heart break as I looked out to see a few empty seats littered throughout the otherwise full crowd. I wanted more. I needed it. I wanted everyone to know my name, no matter what the cost.  

So I confessed. 

And that's how I ended up here on my final stage. At last, I had a sell-out show.  

Before me, my co-stars displayed my rare memorabilia to the crowd. 

 The large rock I had used to break Cindy’s leg. 

 The bottle of poison that I had laced through Rebecca’s baked goods. 

 The plyers I had used to disconnect my mother’s brakes in her car. 

Hearing all the cheers was like music to my ears as the show reached its finale, the box was kicked from beneath my feet, the rope tightened and my neck snapped.