Chapter 48

Two days later we got a call from Mr. Daniels who wanted to know if we were coming out to California over the holidays because the movie company, that had interviewed me three times, wanted to see me. As we had discussed, Mom told him that I was involved with the Community Theatre production and wouldn't be available for any work during the next two months. He replied that the movie company was really interested in me but wanted to see me again, so Mom told him that they could buy a ticket to my new play in a couple of weeks and see me for two hours.

I laughed when Mom told me what she had said, and I couldn't see how another trip would give them any more than they already had. We had already spent a lot of money traveling to California for the interviews and they had me on tape from the previous three. And since I had appeared in two movies already, it didn't seem reasonable to make another trip.

*****

The following Monday we got a call from Mr. Daniels again. He said that the movie company definitely wanted me for the movie but they had to see me again before they would make the announcement.

"They'll fly you out to discuss the role, take some publicity pictures of the contract signing, and then fly you home."

"That seems a bit excessive for a small supporting role."

"Where did you get that idea? This isn't a small supporting role. They originally tested you for Victoria. That was a supporting role, but this is the starring role."

"The starring role?" I squeaked out.

"Yes. This is the starring role in the picture."

Now I understood the reason for the signing ceremony, which is actually just a photo op for publicity. I just didn't understand how I had moved from a small supporting role to the starring role but Mr. Daniels said that my performance in 'Open Spaces' pretty much clinched the deal.

*****

The following afternoon Mom and I went to the airport and boarded the private jet that had been hired to bring us to California. The small jet would fly directly to LA and shave several hours off the normal travel time where we had layovers in Chicago. A limo was waiting to take us to the condo and would pick us up again in the morning.

*****

I arrived at the studio offices around nine the next morning. There wasn't any sense in Mom sitting around for hours so she would come in later. Mr. Daniels would also be coming today. This was my biggest part yet and therefore his largest commission yet.

After a brief conference with Mark Silver, the producer, and Trevor Bacon, the director, I learned that they actually wanted me there not to interview me, but to watch other actors work with me to see who would be best for the supporting roles. They gave me a script to study, with several scenes marked, and said that the others were studying their lines in another area. When I was ready, we would do the scenes just as I had done with Gregory Crowne last month.

An assistant brought me to an empty conference room so that I could study, and asked if I wanted tea or coffee. After bringing me a cup of tea I was left alone to work. I read through the scenes quickly and then returned to memorize the dialogue as best I could.

As I took my first sip of tea, I made a face at the taste. Oh, the tea that they serve in some of these places! It's so awful sometimes. I drank it down but I would sure have preferred a cup of Mom's herbal tea.

Around ten I was called back to the studio area where we would do the scenes. We ran through each of the three scenes, with Mr. Bacon taking the other parts until I had my end down. When I was ready, the other actors were brought in one at a time to test with me. Mr. Bacon directed while Mr. Silver and half a dozen others watched. All of the scenes were videotaped.

We finished up around 1:30 and went to a conference room where a small buffet was set up. Mom and Mr. Daniels were there already. We talked about the picture as we ate. We would start working in Maine at the beginning of March. The indoor shooting would be done first, saving most of the outdoor stuff for late April and May when the weather started to turn nicer. With the best of luck we would wrap by the end of May, but it could go an extra month if the weather didn't cooperate.

At three o'clock we held the formal contract signing, and because I'm still a minor, Mom cosigned with me. Mr. Daniels had negotiated the contracts with the movie company and I trusted Mr. Daniels to secure the best deal possible. In addition to my pay there were other things such as a percentage of video and television earnings. A couple of photographers took my picture as I signed the contract and a videographer filmed everything.

I expected that they would make the final cast selections from today's interviews but they said that they might need me back here once more. Otherwise, I would be sent a script and information about the start of the shooting sometime next month. After the ceremony was over I thanked Mr. Silver and Mr. Bacon for their faith in me, and the opportunity to work in their film, and then we left. Mr. Daniels asked us to sit in his car for a few minutes to talk.

We discussed my career so far, and what this movie meant to it. We also talked about the new play and charity engagements that I would be asked to do as my name recognition increased. Security would also be a problem with so many 'crazies' on the loose. Our entire discussion in the car centered around things that I would face as I became more well known. We even talked about my living in the house where I had grown up, and the condo here in California. Mr. Daniels said that there were very good reasons why 'stars' lived in secluded locations in the canyons, or in high security homes in Beverly Hills. He also suggested that it was time for me to get a publicist.

After our talk, Mr. Daniels drove us to the airport. The private plane was waiting and we were on our way home shortly after boarding. We had parked at the airport so we didn't have to bother Carol who was using my car today. It was late when we got home but we were hungry so we fixed a snack. Carol arrived while we were eating and nibbled on a piece of bread as we talked. We told her all about the trip and the contract signing.

"This is so cool. My little sister is the star of a motion picture. How much do they pay for that?"

"I basically get three million. Of course the government takes half and the Daniels agency gets 300,000. So I get 1.2 million."

"Oh my God. You wind up with more than a million dollars? You're a millionaire."

"Yes, but according to Mr. Daniels my expenses are going to rise substantially. Special travel, security, housing. It gets expensive when you're famous."

"1.2 million can pay for a lot of increased expenses."

*****

I put the new job out of my mind as I began to work with Mr. Tucker at the theatre every evening. Rick Verkasky, who had been my co-star in the original play, was cast as the male lead in this one also. He would perform the role played by Richard Crenna in the movie version, and with proper makeup he would appear to be around fifty years old. There weren't any romantic scenes for us in this production. While Mr. Tucker wanted me to portray great terror, almost to the point of overacting, he directed Rick to be very understated in his movements. He said that slow and deliberate would portend greater evil, using facial expression and head movements to convey the meanings.

After our first evening of rehearsal Rick said, "It's so great to be working with you again. I'm really excited about doing this play. It's too bad that we don't have any kissing scenes in this one. I'd love to rehearse that with you again. Maybe we can get Mr. Tucker to write one in."

I smiled at his obvious joke. "It just wouldn't look right to see the criminal and the victim kissing. I don't think that the audience would buy it."

"You're right. We'll have to scrap that idea. How about if I take you home after rehearsal."

"Sorry. I have a car now. I don't need a ride."

"Oh well. If you ever need a ride just let me know."

"Thanks, Rick."

*****

At the end of their Christmas vacations, Carol, Brad, Debbie, and all my college student friends left for school again. I had spread my time around as best I could but the play had taken up a lot of my spare time and I felt a little guilty about having to put my sister and my friends off.

Mr. Tucker asked the cast to sign waivers because the play was going to be videotaped and broadcast in April or May. Because I would not be available for extra weekends due to my movie commitment, Mr. Tucker raised the normal ticket price for the four weekends that the play would run by 50 percent, and the tickets went on sale January 20th. Sales were brisk and the play was sold out before it opened. I guess that everyone wanted to see the hometown movie actress. Mr. Tucker told me that Mr. Daniels had requested a letter thanking me for donating two months of my time for the play. Apparently the value of my time could be used as a charitable donation deduction against income taxes since while I was working at the theatre I wouldn't be earning money doing commercials or doing guest appearances.

*****

Costuming for the production was easy because we used normal, everyday clothes, except that the criminals were made to look more sinister by wearing a lot of black. Still, we had dress rehearsals the last few days before the play opened. We had earlier done cast pictures while in costume so that the pictures could be sold in the lobby during the performance schedule.

With just a small cast of experienced actors, Mr. Tucker's job was fairly easy and we spent a lot of time polishing our performances. Mr. Tucker spent many long hours helping me to prepare for my portrayal of Suzy Hendrix.

Our only inexperienced actor was the young girl who would play the child from upstairs, but we weren't worried because she had proven to be precocious from day one. We didn't believe for a minute that she would freeze up in front of the audience, and her time on stage was limited anyway.

*****

Regardless of how many times you go on, there is always a certain amount of opening night jitters. But weeks of repeated practice on stage cause you to go into automatic as soon as you begin. I usually forget the jitters within minutes of starting, as I concentrate on my lines, timing, cues, and hitting my marks.

I was spared the effort of doing the welcome this time. My role was demanding enough. Mr. Tucker did the honors and he was wonderful as he warmed up the audience before the first performance. We were backstage and ready as he completed his comments and signaled the stage manager to raise the curtain.

The audience must have enjoyed the play because they gave us seven curtain calls, and after the last call I was given a large bouquet of long stemmed roses and a standing ovation. The applause from a live audience following a performance is like a narcotic to an actor. I hadn't heard it in almost a year and it's something that you miss when working on a movie set.

After the play was over, a lot of friends came backstage to congratulate me. Mr. and Mrs. Reese got there first, followed closely by Mrs. Abbott, the drama teacher from high school, but they had to wait, as I was surrounded by the other cast members and crew. Such praise from all quarters could easily give someone a swelled head, and I delighted in the acclamation just as anyone else would. In the midst of the congratulations I was handed the business card of the critic on our local paper. He asked if I could spare him a few minutes, so after everyone had left I sat down with him in the dressing room and gave an interview. The few minutes turned into a half-hour but he had been kind to us in the past and I wanted to give him reason to be nice to us again. He had also been the one that had invited Mr. Daniels down to see me in my first play so I owed him.

*****

The review in the Sunday paper was very heady stuff. I thought that the reviewer would run out of superlatives before he finished talking about the play and he might have if he had continued on in the same manner as the first two paragraphs, but then he got down to business and gave a proper review. I doubted if any cast and crew could have asked for a better one, and he was correct when he said that the performance had been nearly flawless. Everyone's timing had been right on and the action flowed perfectly. The only error that I had seen was when Rick's foot slipped slightly on a stair step, but he recovered immediately and continued on without missing a beat.

*****

In mid February I received the script for the new movie, and the cast information was made public. Along with the script was the information about the location such as start date, contact people, and phone numbers. I began to study the script every night after I finished my homework. I figured that with almost three weeks before rehearsals started, I would be prepared.

The two weekends of performances that we had completed had gone very well and we were in our stride now. The videotaping would take place at the final show on the 25th.

*****

Mr. Daniels called during the third week of February. It was good that we had gotten an unlisted number. Mr. Daniels told us that following the announcement that I would be starring in 'Under the Scarlet Maple', the agency was inundated with requests for interviews. Mr. Daniels had turned down all requests telling them that I wouldn't be available until after the shooting was finished.

Mr. Daniels said that he wanted me to know that he had just learned that 'Open Spaces' had been nominated for two Academy awards, although I wasn't personally nominated. That almost guaranteed that there would be a sequel. He again suggested that I hire a publicist to handle press releases and interview requests for me.

*****

We approached our sixteenth and final performance of the play with an eager sense of anticipation. We had nervous energy due to the fact that the performance would be taped, and yet a certain mellowness pervaded our behavior, no doubt being the natural reaction to the play's imminent end. The four weekends had been fun as we played to the sold out theatre, but the company of unpaid entertainers were looking forward to getting back to their normal lives, for a while, after having two months of intense effort added to their regular work and family responsibilities.

The previous fifteen performances, added to the month of rehearsal, left us well prepared for the taping. We already knew what to expect from one another and from ourselves, but knowing that this would be a permanent record made us try just that much harder.

When the final curtain came down we breathed a collective sigh of relief. After the seventh curtain call, Mr. Tucker came onstage to quiet the audience and to thank the audience for attending our final performance. He called us out onto the stage one at a time, introducing us beginning with the little girl, Naomi, who had the smallest part, and ending with me. After the audience had finished their applause, Mr. Tucker explained that there wouldn't be any held-over performances because I had to leave for a movie location. After another round of applause Mr. Tucker announced that work on the next play would begin in June and invited all that were interested to apply at that time. He added that perhaps there was another future star in the audience tonight. The audience applauded again as we waved and disappeared through the slight opening in the curtain.

Backstage, some of the crew were busy disassembling scenery so that it could be moved, or flown out of the way. Scenery is flown when it is raised by rope or wires up into the area above the stage. Others were setting up tables for the cast party that celebrated the completion of the production. As the cast headed for makeup to remove the greasepaint, the audience was noisily leaving the theatre. Mom had come for tonight's performance and was in the makeup room. After she congratulated me on my performance, I worked to remove the makeup.

Once the audience had left the theatre the curtains were opened fully and the party began. The buffet dinner had been delivered just as the play ended and the hot foods were still steaming. Mom and I found some seats and left our purses to mark our places as we got on line for the buffet. I had built up quite an appetite during the performance but I took it easy, taking a very tiny sample of almost everything.

As we finished eating, Mr. Tucker stepped up onto some wooden crates that had been pushed together to form an impromptu platform and addressed the company. "My friends, tonight's performance completes another successful production here at the Community Theatre. I want to thank each and every one of you for your hard work in making this production so successful. I'm sure that we could have continued to fill the house for another month if we were able to continue, but Crystal has a commitment to begin her next movie role and we have to be grateful for the time that she could give us."

He paused while the cast and crew applauded lightly.

"Only a few of you know that I have long wanted to do this play, but I never felt that we had the right cast to pull it off, so I continued to seek out other plays that were more suited to the talents of our company. I originally had another play selected for this time period, but when Crystal offered her services I knew that, at last, we had the right cast available for 'Wait Until Dark'. I'm proud to have been a part of this production and I know that it's a play that will long be remembered by those who have seen it.

A year and a half ago, Crystal was drafted at the last minute to fill in for our leading lady who had fallen and broken her leg only hours before our opening night performance. Until then she had been our assistant director, having graduated from script girl after I had begun to sense her talent. She was moved to leading lady because the understudy was not prepared to move up and Crystal knew all the lines. It was only supposed to be temporary until the understudy could be prepared to assume the role but she filled the role so ably that we insisted that she stay on.

Crystal's performances captivated us all from her first minutes on stage, and the rest is history. She is now a nationally recognized actress and I feel confident that it won't be long before she is internationally recognized. In a few days she leaves to begin shooting her new movie, 'Under the Scarlet Maple', for which she has been selected for the starring role. The entertainment industry is beginning to recognize what we have all known for some time.

After Crystal's first play, we honored her with an award that named her as our company's best performer of 1999. And once again, her fellow cast members have voted to honor her with an award for her wonderful performance in our most recent production. Crystal, would you come up here please?"

I stood up and walked towards the platform. Rick rushed over to me and picked me up to place me on the platform as he had done last time. I was still wearing my costume rather than an ultra tight skirt and could have easily climbed up by myself, so Rick's action brought a chuckle from everyone.

"Crystal, we're proud to present this award to you. It's an expression of the high esteem in which this company holds you. We thank you for honoring us with your performances."

Mr. Tucker handed me the award, which looked just like the other that I had received in 1999, and kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you, Mr. Tucker. It's I who am honored. Honored to have been fortunate enough to work with such an outstanding group of actors and crew. When I first joined this company I didn't even know basic theatre terminology. Under Mr. Tucker's expert guidance I learned first about the theatre and then about acting. I don't think that I could have found a better teacher anywhere. Thank you, Mr. Tucker."

I paused while the cast and crew applauded.

"I also want to thank the entire company. The professional caliber of the company members has made me work all the harder to measure up, and the efforts of our outstanding crew people make all of us look better. Thank you everyone."

Everyone applauded and Rick rushed up to the platform and lifted me down and carried me to my seat. Mr. Tucker completed the ceremonies with, "Thank you, Crystal. We all wish you success with your new picture. I want to add my thanks along with Crystal's for the efforts of the entire company. You've done an outstanding job and you can truly be proud of the performances that we offered our community this month. I hope that you'll return for the start of the next production in a few months. And now, enjoy the rest of the party."

We all applauded as Mr. Tucker finished his comments and then we resumed the party. Everyone wanted to see the award so I passed it around and everyone got a good look at it. The engraved inscription on the award read 'Crystal Ramsey, Best Performer, 2001, Presented by the C.T.P.G.'. I thought that it seemed a little premature to declare me the best performer of 2001 when there was still another production to be done this year but it wouldn't have been polite to point it out, so I said nothing.

As the party broke up, everyone wished me luck on the new movie. I hugged both Marge and Barbara as we said good-bye. I wished that I could take them with me to the movie location. I also hugged Mr. Tucker when we said our goodbye. The time that he had spent helping me to prepare for the most recent play had added to my understanding of the craft. The past eight weeks had been great fun, despite the hard work of rehearsals and schoolwork. I always felt happy and welcome in this theatre, and it was a feeling that I had not experienced while working on either of the movies.

Mom and I both had our cars at the theatre, so when we left I followed her home. When we got to the house Mom waited while I pulled into the driveway first. She would be leaving a little earlier for the school, in the morning, than I would.

*****

During the following week we made our preparations to leave for the Maine movie location. Because I would miss so much school I would have a tutor who would be in touch with my teachers and be empowered to administer tests prepared by my teachers. I would come home for exam week in June if the picture wasn't finished by then. The movie company had agreed to this.

*****

On Saturday morning we took a limo to the airport and departed for Maine. The travel time was only about two hours, but we would have to change planes in Boston, so we would be traveling for about six hours when you added in the time that we would spend waiting for the connection. Because we left so early, we arrived in Maine just after five o'clock, but it was dark already because of the time of the year. A driver from the movie company was waiting for us, and after retrieving our luggage, we left for the hotel where we would live for the next few months.

Our accommodations turned out to be a nice two-bedroom suite with a small kitchen and large living room. I guess that the rooms were a reflection of my status in the movie.

After putting our things away we went to the hotel dining room to have dinner. The meal was delicious and when we asked for the check we were told that all meals would be added to our room statement per instructions from the movie company. We returned to the room and Mom settled in to watch television as I worked on the script until bedtime.

*****

On Sunday morning I heard a knock at the door and answered it. Standing there, smiling, was Jill Stassbery, the production assistant from the television series.

"Hi, Princess."

I stepped forward and hugged her as I said, "Oh my God! Fruit! It's so great to see you. What are doing here?"

We both laughed at the use of the nicknames that Mr. Landois had conferred on each of us. "Working. I applied for a production assistant position when I heard that you were starring in this picture."

From behind me I head Mom say, "Who's at the door, honey?"

I took Jill's hand and led her in the suite. "We have a visitor, Mom."

As Jill got to a place where Mom could see her, Mom said, "Jill dear, come in, come in." Mom and she hugged and touched checks. "What are you doing here?"

"Working. As I just told Crystal, I applied for a job when I heard that she was the lead, and I was hired. I've been up here for about a month now."

"That's wonderful. Come in and sit down. Tell us what you've been up to since the series ended. And you can help us get oriented in this new location."

"I've already got you all set. I arranged for this suite and I have a great motor home set up for you at the site. As the star in the movie you're entitled to your own assistant. If you want, I can be assigned to you exclusively."

"Whom should I speak to?" Mom asked.

"Crystal can just ask Mr. Silver tomorrow."

"Consider it done," I said. "Now tell us what you've been up to since we saw you last."

We spent the next several hours reminiscing about the television series and talking about what we had been doing since. Jill was still trying to break into the writing end of the business and taking jobs as a production assistant in the meantime. We told her everything that I had been doing since the series ended. Of course she knew much of it already since my work was public knowledge.

At one o'clock we were a little hungry so Jill took over and arranged for a lunch to be sent up to the suite. We continued talking until almost four, when Jill had to leave. She had some things to get ready for tomorrow. We said goodnight and she told us that a car would be out front for us at 8 am.

With the knowledge that Jill was here for the duration I began to feel a lot more comfortable about being here. She had been my closest friend of all the people that I had met on the various jobs that I had had.

*****

A car was waiting, as Jill as said, when we left the hotel in the morning. It took us to the shooting location, a large encampment of motor homes, trailers, trucks, and tents on the grounds of a large Victorian style house. The driver dropped us off in front of a large motor home that had my name on the door. It was March in Maine, which meant that it was still very cold, with great mounds of snow on the ground. Mom and I hurried inside and found that the interior was pleasantly warm.

The motor home was enormous on the inside. It was a far cry from the first dressing room that I was assigned to when I did the pilot for the television show. It would be a pleasure to do our waiting in here.

Since it was too cold to go wandering around, we took off our coats and sat down to wait until we were called. There was a copy of today's paper on the coffee table and a dozen newly released videotape movies on top of the VCR. Mom sat to look at the paper while I did a little exploring in the motor home.

The refrigerator was stocked with bottles of Perrier water and fresh fruits. I found some packages of herbal tea and several different coffee blends in the cupboard above the stove so I brewed a pot of tea. We had eaten breakfast at the hotel so we weren't hungry. The tea removed the last of the chill that I felt from being outside.

Jill showed up about twenty minutes later. She said that Gregory Crowne had arrived this morning and there would be a cast meeting in Mr. Bacon's trailer at ten, and that I was wanted in the wardrobe trailer as soon as I was settled in here. I put my coat back on and Jill showed me the way to wardrobe.

There were three women and one man working in the wardrobe trailer when I arrived. Jill introduced us and then left on other errands. I spent the next hour being measured and fitted for my array of costumes. They had already been provided with my basic measurements and most of the clothes only needed minor alterations. It was necessary to dress completely for the fittings so I stripped behind a curtain and was then dressed in a corset and underclothes that were accurate reproductions of the period's costuming. The corset was tightened down to eighteen inches for the fitting. I hadn't been wearing one regularly lately and it was uncomfortable. Part of the discomfort may have been due to the fact that it wasn't 'broken in' to my body's contours. As the time approached ten o'clock, I told the wardrobe girls that I had to be at a cast meeting shortly. They hurried to finish the dress that they were pinning for alterations and then they helped me to undress. They had a problem with the laces on the corset and they spent ten minutes getting them undone. As soon as I was dressed in my own clothes I was given directions to Mr. Bacon's trailer. We hadn't made very much progress with the fittings and I would have to come back again when I was free so that we could continue.

Mr. Bacon's trailer was an enormous double wide. The living room inside must have been 16 feet wide and although I was only five minutes late, the cast meeting was already underway.

As I entered, Mr. Bacon said, "Ah, here's our missing star now."

I was embarrassed and tried to apologize with, "I'm sorry that I'm late. I was stuck in an obstinate corset in the wardrobe trailer."

Mr. Bacon smiled, "No need to apologize, Crystal. I knew where you were and the fitting process is important, which is why it was scheduled this morning. We had just finished introductions all around so it won't hurt to do them again."

After introductions, we settled down and spent the next two hours discussing the script and the shooting schedule. Most of the initial shooting would be indoors, as originally planned, and as spring arrived, we would shoot the outdoor scenes. The crews were still working on the interior of the house so we would spend the rest of this week rehearsing in a social hall nearby that had been rented out as a place to learn and practice some dances from the period.

We broke for lunch at noon and then met afterwards back in the same trailer to begin rehearsing with the script. As the female lead, I would be in a majority of the scenes so I would probably spend a lot of time here.

Between working on scenes, Gregory and I talked about our careers and ourselves. I confessed that I wasn't familiar with his previous work, although I knew his acting reputation, and he confessed to me that he hadn't seen anything of mine either, although he had heard what a great job I had done in my last two pictures. We both broke out in laughter that drew the attention of everyone around us. I guess that it was one of those things that you had to be there to understand. Anyway, the point was that we had both begun to feel comfortable in each other's company. Since we were to portray lovers in the movie it made things easier.

I was glad when the first day was over. I was always a little tense on the first day as I tried to memorize all the new names and faces that one encounters on a new job. I had spoken to Mr. Silver during the day and arranged for Jill to be appointed as my assistant for the remainder of the picture. Tomorrow we would meet at the hall for our rehearsals.

*****

We spent two weeks in rehearsals before the time came to start learning the dances that we would do in the movie. At eight o'clock Monday morning we arrived to begin our lessons. Some of the others were there already and the rest trickled in over the next ten minutes. The temperature in the hall was about 60 F. Not a comfortable temperature for sitting around but it would be fine once we started moving.

The dance instructor was named Jerry Marsden and he explained that he had been teaching ballroom dancing for twenty-five years, including ten years on a cruise ship as an entertainer and dance instructor. While the group that would learn the dances stood on the sidelines to watch, Mr. Marsden and his dance partner demonstrated the dances that we would learn. After each dance, four in all, he gave us the history of the dance and the music. I could tell from the bored expressions on the faces of the others that this was a bit more than they wanted to know. I shared the sentiment but tried to keep my face from showing that.

Selecting one of the dances, Mr. Marsden started a slow demonstration of the steps. After showing us several times he began selecting people to dance as couples with him or his partner. We worked on one dance until lunchtime. By the time that we broke for lunch we were all able to do the first dance, in varying degrees. For my part I found Gregory to be an excellent dancing partner. He picked up the steps quickly and made my own attempts to follow his lead look better than they probably were.

As usual, the movie caterer provided a hot lunch for us and we ate at the hall. We had a full hour to relax before starting work on the next dance, then resumed our work and continued until five o'clock, stopping only once for a fifteen minute break. My feet and legs were aching by the time that we broke for the day.

*****

Over the next several days we learned all of the dances and then spent time perfecting them. On Saturday Mr. Marsden gave us all 'graduation diplomas', attesting to the fact that we had completed the course. Then I was off to wardrobe where I spent the rest of the day getting fitted. My feet were aching but I had to wear the squat-heeled shoes that I would wear in the movie so that the dresses would be fitted properly. We worked until six o'clock and still had a lot to do when we broke for the day. We would resume again on Monday.

*****

Sunday was a day of rest for most of the cast, but for me it was a day to work on my schoolwork. My tutor would be arriving this week and I wanted to have my assignments up to date. I was glad once again that I was only taking four courses this year.

By dinnertime I was up to date and maybe even a little ahead. After dinner I debated between watching television with Mom or working on the script. I compromised by watching a sit-com on TV for an hour and then studying the script. I concentrated on the scenes that we would begin shooting this week, and worked on them until I knew them cold.

I spent the last hour before bedtime working on my facial expressions in front of the mirror. I was exhausted by the time that I crawled under the covers and I slept soundly.

*****

On Monday we began rehearsing in the house, and we spent the entire day working on the scenes that we would shoot during the rest of the week.

*****

On Tuesday I reported to wardrobe at 6:30 am so that I could get dressed and then get to makeup. I was on the set and ready to go by 8 am when Mr. Bacon came in. He smiled and said, "Didn't anyone ever tell you that the star was supposed to be late and make a grand entrance?"

I smiled back and said, "I guess that I missed that lesson. In the theatre you can't come in late for a performance."

"Greg should be here shortly and then we'll begin."

The crew was all setup and ready to go by the time that Gregory arrived. Jill had brought me a cup of tea and I just sat and tried to find a comfortable position where the corset wasn't cutting into me until I was needed. We finally began our walk-throughs around 8:30 and began shooting around 9 o'clock.

When we broke for lunch Gregory invited me to eat with him in his motor home. I didn't think that it was anything other than what it appeared on the surface so I accepted. I wanted to start socializing more with other cast members and this was my first invitation. It was so cold outside that people were still picking up their food from the caterer's trailer and taking it back to eat with the people that they worked with. Jill would tell Mom where I had gone when she went back to my motor home.

Gregory's motor home was similar to mine. His valet had the table set for lunch when we arrived. Gregory had sent word that he was bringing a guest so there was enough for two, but since I was wearing the corset I couldn't eat very much. I just picked at my food as we talked. I certainly wouldn't have to worry about putting on weight since I would be wearing the corset throughout the entire day for most of the next two or three months.

The hour that we had for lunch flew by and it hardly seemed possible that it was time to return to the set when someone came to tell us that they were ready for us in makeup. Gregory helped me on with my coat before putting his own on, and we walked to the makeup trailer.

We worked until after seven o'clock, which made for a very long day. Mr. Bacon didn't want to end the day's shooting until he had the scene done perfectly. We finally got everything to click just the way that he wanted and we gratefully wrapped for the day.

*****

I wasn't, of course, but it began to seem as though I was in every scene in the movie. And when I wasn't on the set, I was working with my tutor or doing homework. The days slid silently away as I struggled with making the movie and completing my schoolwork. When I found a little spare time I would write to Debbie or Brad or one of my other friends, and Mom and I called Carol every Sunday.

After several weeks of living in the tightened corset for half of each day I noticed that my waist was shrinking. Prolonged use of a corset actually rearranges your internal organs and contracts your rib cage, so when I wore my regular clothes on Sundays I noticed that the waistbands were loose. I had at last become accustomed to the corsets that were being used for the movie but I wondered what my waist size would be when the movie was over. Since I didn't wear a corset to bed, I hoped that the change would be minor.

As we moved through April the weather began to improve somewhat. Temperatures during some days climbed to a seemingly balmy 60 F although 45 to 50 was more average. At least the snow had disappeared and the winds had died down somewhat. It was no longer a chore walking between vehicles and to the house even if it was still chilly before the sun rose.

By mid-April many of the indoor scenes were complete and it was time to move outdoors. The grass was just beginning to grow and the trees were starting to bud. For the story, I would be required to ride a horse, and since this was a period piece I would have to use a sidesaddle. A stunt woman would be used for most of the riding scenes but I would have to ride for close-ups, so an instructor was brought in to teach riding to me and Grace Darwane, the actress selected to play my sister Victoria in the movie. Gregory was already an accomplished rider but he accompanied us during our lessons, and laughed at our first awkward attempts to mount and ride sidesaddle while wearing a full riding habit. After one particularly troubling attempt to mount, Grace threatened to dress Gregory in a corset and riding habit if he didn't stop laughing at us. He laughed and said, "Me in a dress? That would be quite a sight," and continued to smirk at our efforts.

Using the sidesaddle was not as difficult, or as uncomfortable, as I first thought that it would be. I had only been horseback riding a couple of times before but that was just standard western saddle riding. Our lessons continued for several days until we were proficient at mounting, dismounting, and simply riding around the corral. The rest of the cast and crew had continued shooting scenes of which we were not a part.

Grace Darwane and I had become friends, although not close friends. She was a very good actress who, although a year younger than myself, had been in the business for over 12 years already. I learned that she had been tested early on for my role but hadn't received any callbacks. I think that she was a little jealous that I had gotten the part that she wanted and that kept us from becoming closer.

 

(continued in Chapter 49)

I want to express my grateful appreciation to Lynn Jennings and Debbie Cybill for their very helpful suggestions and proofreading on this series.

 

 

 

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