Chapter 8: The Tide Runs Strong

On Thursday, special assemblies were held for both the middle and high schools. Sam Twillingham was the guest speaker at both assemblies. His announcement was brief but electrifying.

"Thank you for seeing me, when I know there are so many things you'd rather be doing, like calculus." Each time, the crowd had laughed at that line. "I'm the producer of the Candy Canyon show, and we have a rather urgent need." Each time, he had gulped at this point.

"We have a need for individuals in the background of certain shots in the show. For tomorrow night and Saturday, we need about a dozen girls and boys from grades 4 to 6, preferably about half boys and half girls. We'd also like to invite the same number from grades 7 and 8, and from 9 and 10, and if we need more, then we'll accept any older student who looks like he or she is from those grades. If you have siblings who fit those age brackets, please talk to them. You won't be acting yourselves, you'll be in the background ignoring what's going on upstage. On Friday night you'll be just walking around or sitting, and on Saturday you'll be swimming, playing tennis or basketball or just walking across the background of the shot."

Each time a number of hands had shot up. "Before anybody asks, the scenes are set at the naturist resort, so yes you'll be nude. In fact, the Saturday scenes are shot on-location at Eden Springs Naturist Resort, about an hour out of town, so you'll be expected to be nude upon arrival and stay that way at. We'll leave by bus from the high school, as it's got the parking we'll need for all the kids and their parents. One responsible adult should be with you, although we'll accept one adult for a dozen kids or whatever, as long as the parents or guardians agree with the arrangement."

Each time, each of the assemblies had erupted into chatter as everyone had a thousand questions to ask.

Tanya and Beth looked around at the crowd of newbie background actors. The kids were standing around, most looking quite uncomfortable as they were unused to social nudity. They'd just been shown a documentary about social nudity, but still it hadn't sunk in yet.

While everyone under 18 was nude, the same could not be said of the adults. Mitch was, as his character was supposed to be running the joint, and Amy O'Reilly was, as being the consultant on naturism she was supposed to set a good example. The majority of the staff had by now been around nude people so often, at the resort and on the set, that they were comfortable with being nude themselves. The ladies serving on the craft table were forced by local public health regulations to be dressed. The parents were more heavily leaning toward dressed than undressed, but a few of them had felt sufficiently uncomfortable being "different" that they too had doffed their duds.

"OK, we're ready to shoot the first scene," the Director announced, as she draped her towel over her chair. Like the bulk of her staff, she was wearing a pair flip-flops. "Can I have the elementary school kids over to the playground area of the club house set?"

A dozen lithe bodies scrambled for the play area. "OK, remember, I don't want you to say anything, although you should pretend you're talking to each other. Who wants to put this Lego set together?" Swiftly she assigned kids to various play, trying to assign play to what the child liked to do.

Finally, she started on the teens. "I need someone here at this table just reading or something."

Deb raised her hand. "Will homework do? I brought an essay I'm supposed to have done Monday and haven't had a chance to touch it tonight."

"Perfect! Sit here, facing the camera. When you're not actually doing your essay, you can dash a look at the kids, at the other background actors, just don't look bored and don't look into the cameras."

Gus, who had a role as Candy Canyon's potential boyfriend, was placed behind the cappuccino bar, serving empty coffee cups to adults who had been drawn largely from naturists from Eden Springs.

Another teen Deb didn't recognize, a freshman, was placed next to her, as she'd brought along algebra homework. As the filming went on, Deb finished her essay and then got drawing in to helping the youngster puzzle out the formulae. It wasn't easy, as she had to explain it non-verbally during the takes.

Finally the younger girl had finished her algebra. Between takes, she shyly introduced herself as Rebbecca and asked Deb what was the longest she'd gone nude. She had to think about that. "I haven't worn a stitch since Wednesday lunch." She pointed at the stars of the show. "Tanya and Kim? Not since Sunday afternoon."

As the taping for that day wrapped up, Amy came along with a few words of encouragement for the kids, and advice for the adults. "Remember how you kids are supposed to be a bunch of naturists? Well, daddies and mommies, I recommend you keep the kids dressed as they are now until you all come home from Eden Springs tomorrow."

Sam waited nervously to see how many of his budding thespians would show up the next morning. Tanya, Kim and their friends were a slam-dunk guarantee, but he wasn't sure how many of the other kids' parents would be precisely enthusiastic at sending their offspring around a ton of real nudists for a full day. By the appointed hour, however, they'd shown up, all of the kids nude and most of the parents already that way as well. The crew had already gone out there last night, and would stay there the weekend on two rather unglamourous bunking trailers, one for the men and one for the women, and another bus was bringing the two stars, their parents and their friends and friends' parents.