The Mafia King and His Angel: Thorns and Roses

Episode10 The judges' debate

Alyssa Stanley is a passionate and talented actress, aged 35, who comes from a typical middle-class family.

From a young age, she had a deep love for the performing arts and participated in numerous school and community theater productions. She was accepted into a prestigious drama academy with outstanding grades, where she honed her acting skills through years of professional training.

After graduating, Alyssa was filled with hope, believing she could quickly make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. However, reality dealt her numerous blows.

Despite her exceptional acting talent and dedication, her appearance did not fit the mainstream standards of beauty favored by commercial films and TV shows.

She repeatedly missed out on important roles and ended up playing minor parts in various productions.

Nonetheless, Alyssa never gave up.

She put her all into every small role, striving to deliver outstanding performances. She firmly believed that if she kept working hard, she would eventually be recognized.

Her professionalism and dedication gradually earned her respect within the industry, but she still hadn’t broken through to land a role that could truly showcase her talent.

Now, she had a significant opportunity—an audition for the second female lead in a major film.

The judges sat behind a long table, nameplates in front of them. Sitting in the center was John, who seemed disinterested.

“Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for coming to today’s audition,” said a female judge named Susan, greeting the contestants.

“Good afternoon, judges,” the three contestants responded politely.

“Let’s start with introductions. Alyssa, you go first,” Susan said with a smile.

Without hesitation, Alyssa began introducing herself. “My name is Alyssa Stanley. I’m 35 years old and have extensive acting experience...”

“Extensive acting experience?” John suddenly interrupted. “I’ve been in this industry for a long time, and I’ve never heard of an actress named Alyssa Stanley. Are you from abroad?”

Alyssa smiled awkwardly. “I’ve mostly played minor roles, so I might not be very well-known.”

John stared coldly at her. “So, you’re just an extra? Alyssa, if you’ve been in this industry for so long without landing a significant role, have you ever wondered why?”

Alyssa regained her composure. “I believe that apart from professional skills, luck and the right fit for a role are also crucial. Maybe I just haven’t been lucky enough to find the right role.”

“Then why do you think you stand a chance in this audition?” John pressed.

Alyssa smiled confidently. “Mr. John, I’m willing to seize every opportunity and face any challenge. I believe that my professionalism and passion for acting will help me stand out.”

“Is that so? I’m not convinced. Show me now—act out a scene of a mother mourning the loss of her child.”

“Of course, Mr. Johnson,” Alyssa replied politely.

“It’s certainly a tough audition,” Emilia murmured, feeling the tension.

Alyssa took a deep breath and immersed herself in the role. Her performance was natural, her emotions deep, and tears welled up in her eyes. The room was deeply moved.

However, just as she reached the most emotional part of her performance, John cut her off.

“Stop! Your tears seem too forced, lacking authenticity. Can you make it more natural?”

Alyssa was momentarily stunned but quickly adjusted her emotions and began again.

This time, her tears appeared more genuine, and her voice was more choked with emotion. She tried to convey her inner pain.

But John interrupted her again halfway through. “Enough! I can’t see that you truly understand this role. You’re just mechanically repeating the techniques you’ve learned without genuinely entering the character’s inner world.”

Alyssa felt a surge of anger, but she knew she couldn’t lose her composure in the audition. She kept smiling and silently endured the harsh criticism.

At this point, another male judge, Jack, spoke up. “John, that’s a bit too harsh. Alyssa’s performance was very sincere.”

Jack was a man with a strong sense of justice.

John sneered. “Jack, are you suggesting I don’t understand acting? A real actor shouldn’t just make the audience see their tears; they should make them feel the character’s inner pain.”

“But I didn’t think she was forcing it. I could feel her sincerity.”

“Is that so? What do the rest of you think?” John asked arrogantly, looking at the other three judges.

Lisa, a hypocritical female judge, knew that John had already taken control of the audition. She pretended to agree, saying, “Indeed, Alyssa’s performance was a bit too forceful and lacked subtlety.”

“Susan, what do you think? Let’s hear your opinion,” John demanded.

Susan, a judge with a sympathetic heart, didn’t want to offend John or harshly criticize Alyssa. She hesitated and said, “Alyssa, your performance was sincere, but perhaps it needs more depth. Maybe you could try again.”

John looked at Susan disdainfully before turning to Peter. “What about you, Peter?”

Peter, a photographer and a sly individual, was used to being bossed around by people like John. Now, he saw a chance to stir up trouble and settle old scores.

Seeing that two judges supported Alyssa and two were against her, Peter knew the decision was in his hands. He thought, “There’s no way I’m going to play the fool here. Let them keep fighting—it’ll be more fun for me.”

“I think her performance was mediocre—nothing special, but not terrible either. Maybe we should have her try another scene to better assess her sincerity.”

Peter deliberately suggested this, hoping to escalate the tension and enjoy the drama from the sidelines.

Jack quickly agreed, “Yes, we should give her another chance to perform before making a judgment.”

“Hmph, fine. Let’s see it then,” John said, turning to Alyssa. “This time, act out a scene of a wife who discovers she’s been betrayed. I want to see the transition from shock to anger and finally to despair.”

Alyssa took another deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.

She began her performance, first showing the shock of discovering her husband’s betrayal, then the rising anger, and finally the crushing despair. Her emotions were layered and deeply affecting.

But just as she was about to finish, John coldly interrupted again. “Stop! You’re still the same—your movements are too stiff, and your performance lacks impact. You’re just a surface-level actor with no inner strength. I’m sorry, but you’re not going to make it.”

Alyssa’s eyes flickered with pain as her efforts were mercilessly dismissed. Her confidence slowly crumbled under the repeated rejections.

Jack, who had a strong sense of justice, couldn’t hold back any longer. “John, you’re being way too harsh! Alyssa’s performance was excellent, nothing like what you’re saying!”

John shot Jack a cold look. “Jack, you’re just the screenwriter for this film. You don’t understand acting, so don’t use your low standards to judge my evaluation!”

“But this isn’t evaluation—it’s baseless harshness!” Jack argued.

“Harshness? This is my duty as a judge. As the producer of this film, I must be strict to find the most suitable candidate!”

Jack wanted to continue the argument, but the hypocritical female judge, Lisa, interrupted. “Alright, alright, you two stop arguing. We can put this candidate on hold for now.” She feigned sympathy. “Alyssa, would you like to take a break? Maybe you’ll perform better after relaxing a bit.”

Tears of frustration and unwillingness welled up in Alyssa’s eyes as she nodded slowly.

Peter secretly rejoiced. This was exactly what he wanted. “Keep arguing, fight harder, tear each other apart,” he thought.

“Next, it’s Caitlyn’s turn,” Susan said，gesturing for the next candidate to step forward.