THE LAST CURTAIN
I'm not sure why such melancholy fills my
soul. Perhaps, it is the soaped greeting
in the stage mirror, "A Happy New Year 2010." It's been a fantastic run, 624 performances,
rave reviews and my agent has no less than a dozen offers in the queue. For what reason do I have to be so sad?
The last curtain as dropped on our rendering
of Columbus, The Man of the Time. I've
been so comfortable in the skin of his squire that I hardly know who I am. Night after night, I've transported back on
stage to a time of wonder. I've lived on
the elbow of a man of such powerful purpose that his will could not be
denied. Royalty acquiesced to his
desire. I am inspired each night to
bolster him in his moments of despair.
In private, he leaned on me, my only skill - to believe in him, in his
immortality.
As I look around at the plastic fruit in the
vase, the LED flame in the lanterns and chandelier, the curved Styrofoam bulk
of the castle walls and the thin tin mirror with the holiday greeting, I wonder
can anything next be finer?
I am afraid I may be ruined. How could I ever do a crook or an evil person
after having lived in the shadow of such a great man for the past two
years? I don't know that I can. I'm not famous, I can't pick my roles. I have to eat and pay the mortgage. My agent assures me there are characters waiting that are worthy.
All right then, I am a professional. I will gird up my loins and stride onto the
front of make-believe to accost the enemies of righteousness and bring new projections of hope, perseverance, and
right choices to those that watch my performances.
For I am an actor of merit.
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