Chapter 9

It was frantic. There was so much more to staging a fabulous classical scene than anyone had imagined when they first proposed it. There was choosing which painting to try to emulate. There was gathering the props and choosing suitable substitutes where they couldn’t lay hands on the exact thing. No one had a sword. Replacing it with a gun was quickly ruled out. Molly solved the problem for them to allow them to move on to lighting and hair and makeup and framing by producing a large, pale pink, dildo. Everyone agreed it was a perfect substitute. Martin was on set director and Mel producer of course and Bella artistic director. Jack and Ryhn did the fetching and carrying and the propping and draping and sweeping. Lisa handled the lighting, such as it was. A theatre room gave them a black backdrop and a blackout curtain that could be lifted to let the sunshine in was the basis of it. A couple of larger mirrors and shiny small stick on ones where the camera couldn’t see them would have to do. Nadia looked after hair and makeup which meant Lauren’s hair and Lauren’s make up mostly. She was the diva this morning, comporting herself in a decorated robe, flashing at Chris when she thought no one else would see. Leaning into the lens of Martin’s camera showing almost all her bosom and putting on a husky voice to ask him if he could see her passion from there. Chris was security and safety coordinator and Gene and Sal where stand-ins, curtain operators and catering. In practice that meant Chris keeping Lauren and her loose robe on set and anyone who he didn’t want seeing her in it, off set. The class members didn’t count and ignored him anyway. Charging back and forth and yelling for what seemed like an hour but was in reality more like half that. Martin called for,