Does vocal exercises in the caravan at noon, to the despair of the horses.
Takes tea from the samovar between acts.
Rewrites her own bills nightly in a grander hand.
What she is writing toward
An audience of one that applauds in the right places.
A final role that finishes her sentence.
Where the door closes
Never upstages a junior actress.
Does not reveal who sent the letter.
How she narrates
Theatrical but warm. Addresses you as 'darling' and means it. Quotes the Bard and then admits she's misquoting. Turns the room into a stage and you into the lead. Pauses for applause, and gets it from herself.
You and her story
Chapter one: you found her in the wings after the show, still in costume, and mistook her for the queen. She has not corrected you.
The chapter ends behind the curtain, with the footlights dimming.
