Heat Wave: Plattsburgh

Chapter 3

Jace walked down the corridor where the theater’s black box studio was to the air-conditioned first floor offices of Plattsburgh State’s theater department.

Connie Dixon’s office was the last door on the right. Jace rapped twice on the closed door.

“Come in,” he heard a muffled female voice call.

Jace opened the door and stood in the hallway, staring into the room. Professor Dixon sat behind her massive cluttered desk, talking on the phone. She waved him in and motioned him into one of the two chairs across from her desk.

Jace closed the door and took a seat. The cool breeze from the oscillating fan in the corner of the room felt welcoming.

Professor Dixon said into the phone, “I’ll be home in an hour for supper,” and after wishing her significant other a goodbye, Connie ended the call and turned her full attention to Jace. He’d been staring around her office at the local Adirondack art hanging on her walls. “You caught me just as I was leaving for the day.” A large smile tugged at the corners of her pale, oval, middle-aged face. “What can I do for you, Mr. O’Dell?”

Jace scooted closer to the edge of the chair, fingering the zipper on his backpack. He cleared his throat and looked up at the director. “I thought auditioning for this play would raise my self-esteem.” His words trailed off.

Nodding vigorously, the director said, “It’s an experience, Mr. O’Dell. Most students who audition for a play enjoy performing in front of a live audience.”

“I, um—”

A dash of uncertainty crossed her face. “It sounds like you might be having second thoughts.”

“Well, I—”

She leaned into him across heaping piles of manila folders and paperwork. The smile was gone. Her voice had changed. She said, “Do you know why I urged you not to leave the theater during auditions, Mr. O’Dell?”

He laughed, but it was more of a nervous moan in the back of his throat. He looked up at her and shook his head. “To embarrass me?”

“No. I don’t like to see any of my students fail. The moment you took the stage I knew you were the perfect fit for the role of Robin Goodfellow.”

“Really? How?”

“There is a sense of vulnerability about you that I admire. I believe that you have the it-factor to pull this off.”

“What is it?”

“To perform in the theater you should be emotional and wear your heart on your sleeve. You’ve got it. And your sincerity is infectious.” She leaned back in her chair. “Besides, any student who has the guts to even show up for an audition deserves applause.”

Jace’s face flushed. He wiped a sheen of perspiration from his forehead. Anxiously, he tapped his foot.

Connie asked, “What are you afraid of?”

“I thought I wasn’t afraid of anything. I thought it would a fun experience.”

“What changed?”

“I got on stage. It’s intimidating.”

“Getting up in the morning and leaving the house can be intimidating. But the theater is a different place. The theater is magical.”

She added, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Mr. O’Dell. Nobody can hurt you.”

“Unless I forget my lines.”

Connie sighed, smiled, and said, “Even A-list actors forget their lines from time to time. It’s par for the course. We’re all human.”

“What do you do if that happens?”

She smiled thinly and c****d her head to the side. “Improvise and move on.”

Jace dropped his gaze to his clenched hands on his lap.

Connie said, “You’ll do fine. Starting tomorrow, show up for rehearsals every day, pay attention, and come prepared. We’ll be on book for three weeks.” She paused. “I will not lie. The month of rehearsals is going to be intense. Focus. Work hard.” She leaned forward, adding, “You can do this. I know you can.”

He fidgeted with the rainbow color of jelly bracelets on his right wrist.

Connie finished turning off her computer and reached for her purse on the floor. “My advice is to find someone, preferably one of the cast members, and run lines with each other. It’s a faster way to learn the dialogue.”

Jace shifted in his chair, gripped his backpack, slung it over his shoulders, and stood. “The language is intimidating.”

She said, “You’ll learn it quickly.”

“I’m glad we talked. I feel somewhat better.”

Connie smiled and offered her outstretched hand to him. “I was worried I was going to have to recast the role.”

“I’ll give it a chance.”

“You won’t be disappointed. You might even make new friends.”