Text message between child actors were flying! Much intrigue, drama and hope.
The day of the callback, the Matron's diva woke up, sick. Head cold: congestion, drip, head ache, low grade fever, entirely unwell.
Here is Scarlett, on the way to the audition: "Mom I can't sing. I just can't sing. I'm never getting in."
Here is Scarlett, after being summarily released from the callback: "That was the worst audition of my entire life. I can't sing!"
That evening was stormy, and we're not talking the sky. Scarlett took to her room and refused to speak to anyone, except to say: "Why do I have to have a COLD on the day of such a big audition?"
Today? She found out that she is definitely not invited to be in the show -- one of her two major disappointments in theater (the other the role of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, for which she was a contender).
Her response? Overwhelming joy that two of her dearest friends are orphans.
Scarlett: "Mom, there's always another show. What can we get for winter? I need a winter show somewhere and then there's a summer show I found, too. The good thing about being an actor is sometimes you're sick or have a bad day, but there's always another show."
Now, the Matron has written two novels. She had -- has, she thinks -- a very famous, nationally respected and influential New York-based agent. Said agent once shopped the Matron's second novel extensively.
One day, eight months later, the Matron received a packet from her agent. The packet -- can we say mortal blow -- contained 27 rejection letters from publishers and an unsigned, dictated note from the agent.
No book.
Yours truly retired to her bed for the afternoon. It took her nearly a year to write again. Indeed, this blog was part of that initial healing process.
Scarlett? Rebounded and happy, after 24 hours.
Scarlett: "If all these kids are in Annie, there's more chance for me to be a lead in another show! Can we start looking? There's tons of good stuff to be in-- I just know it!"
Thank you, God-Allah-Buddha-Oprah-Universe. Sometimes, the parent has nothing to do with what happens.
9 comments:
God bless her. But I do wish she could have been Scout - what a perfect role for her!
Yes, she IS Scout. But alas, Scout is six and Scarlett? Twelve. An eight year old got the role.
As they say, kids are resilient!
What a blessing that your daughter can see the silver side of the cloud. I hope she helps you see yours, too. (And I get it, right now it's just dark without a glimmer of a silver lining. What's wrong with those publishers anyway?!?)
God, she bounces back easily. I feel with your afternoon in bed, I am in the sciences - living with the 'publish or perish' motto, etc, - and a simple rejection of one of my papers can spiral me into weeks of dejection and border-line depression.
Good for her that she can deal with it so well.
And Matron? There is always another novel--and another publisher.
She already is the quintessential Annie. I can hear her "The sun will come out, tomorrow..."
She's going to go far, your girl.
I'm glad the blog helped your healing.
I hope you're writing a novel about being a mother of a child actress. It's practically written already.
Post a Comment