The Tapestry in the Attic (7 page)

“Do you know anything about the era in question?” asked the professor.

“I really didn’t until I did some research, along with my daughter, Vanessa, at the library and on the Internet this week. I know a bit more now.”

“Very good. Now, a costume designer for the theater may need to make large purchases to fulfill the needs for multiple costumes. And you’ll have to think about the entire package, not just dresses and shirts and breeches, but cloaks and hats and belts and other accessories. This isn’t a professional endeavor, and I know that the committee wants to keep costs down as much as possible, so buying in bulk sometimes helps. Do you have any purchasing experience?” asked the professor.

“Well, yes, actually I do. I work for Mary Beth at A Stitch in Time, just across the street, and we share the purchasing duties,” replied Kate.

“Excellent. I think you’ll do. You may sit down,” said the professor. He looked at his paper again. “There are two young ladies—Sarah Caufield and Vera Hartley—in the theater department at the college who are willing to volunteer to work with you in both designing and sewing. I’ll give you their contact information. You can sew, too, can’t you?” asked the professor.

“Yes,” answered Kate. “I was in 4-H when I was in school, and besides crocheting, I’ve often sewn outfits for myself and my daughter.”

“Even with the help of Sarah and Vera, it may tax your time limits, especially if you are working full-time,” said Professor Howell. “I would suggest that you seek out others in Stony Point who might be able to help assemble costumes. I have several reference books for you to take home to study.” That sentence set Felix in motion again. He reached into his cardboard box and pulled out four large books that he placed on the table before Kate. “Also, I’d like to see sketches of your designs before you proceed to the next step. Can you do that?”

“Yes. I’ve started a few of the main characters’ costumes already,” said Kate.

“Excellent. Remember, in the theater, it’s all about how it looks from the perspective of the audience, but it also needs to be easy for the actors to get into and out of. Simple is better in this case; authentic details are wonderful for close-ups in films, but it’s generally unnecessary for theatrical costumes. So we’ll use zippers and Velcro and the like, even though they had no such things in those days. Also, that book on top of your stack has a particularly good section concerning how colors should be used to the best effect in stage lighting. Pay close attention to that. We’ll schedule a meeting for the week after next,” said the professor.

Looking at his list again, he said, speaking to Stella more than anyone else, “We don’t seem to have anyone in Stony Point for hair and makeup. The student actors are trained to put on their own makeup, but I’m not sure our resident expert at the college is going to be available to help us. I’d really like to have someone at hand, especially for Dolores and Cyril. They’re used to a professional atmosphere.”

Peggy’s hand shot into the air, as if she were in a classroom.

The professor smiled and said, “Yes, Mrs. Carson?”

“My sister—Mitzy—is a hairdresser, and she’s really good. She’s great with makeup too.”

“OK,” said the professor. “The theater has special requirements for hair and makeup—makeup in particular is very specialized. We’ll give her a chance; arrange for her to be at the theater on Monday at five o’clock, and I’ll interview her then.”

Again, movement across the room caught Annie’s eye as Felix quickly punched the keys of his electronic device. Under Professor Howell’s direction and Felix’s organizational efforts, the behind-the-scenes team for
King Lemuel’s Treasure
was coming together. Then Annie swallowed hard. Glancing around the room, she realized all of the members of the Hook and Needle Club had been addressed but one. It was her turn next.

7

“Do I have the pleasure of addressing Mrs. Dawson?” Professor Howell asked looking directly at Annie.

Annie smiled and stood up. “Yes, Professor Howell. I’m Annie Dawson.”

“Mrs. Brickson tells me you like to solve mysteries.”

Annie didn’t quite know what to say about that. That’s the last thing she would have expected Stella to tell a stranger about her. She replied slowly, “Well, it has happened on occasion that I’ve stumbled across certain things that have raised some questions or problems, and those have needed to be solved or resolved. I really don’t go out of my way to look for mysteries, if that’s what you want to call them. I do seem to have an ability to notice little details that others sometimes overlook, and that often turns out to be the key to finding answers.”

“It’s an interesting talent to have both a knack for paying attention to details that might not seem important to other people, and to be able to put them together to come to a conclusion that satisfactorily answers, as you say, questions or problems,” said the professor. “The reason I ask about this is that the job of prompter, for which Mrs. Brickson has recommended you, isn’t as easy as it might sound. It’s not just a matter of reading along with the play as the actors say their lines and then producing the missing words when they stumble. The prompter keeps a keen eye on the action as it unfolds and is a good listener who has an unusual ability to keep pace with the flow of the play. That ‘flow’ is all-important. It keeps the audience engaged in the story, and if it is broken, the play suffers. An actor should not appear to be struggling to remember his or her lines in front of the audience. A good prompter delivers that cue or those words in an almost musical way, just the moment before the ‘beat’ of the ‘music’ moves on. If you succeed at this, as I hope you will, it will be by noticing the details, by knowing this play like it was your favorite song. I’ll expect you to attend every rehearsal, watching the actors practice their scenes again and again, and you will need to read the play many times. Do you think you can do that?”

Annie said yes, but she felt a little overwhelmed. It sounded intense. In her mind, she asked herself again,
What have I gotten myself into?

Annie thought the meeting was ready to wind down, but the professor had more to tell them. “I’m going to give each of you a small packet of papers I want you to read and study.” That was Felix’s cue to reach into his box again and pull out a stack of papers. He passed them around the room as the professor continued to speak. “This is something that I give to all my beginning students, to help them acclimate themselves with the basics. In particular, I want you to learn the special terminology we in the theater use. You should understand terms like stage right, stage left, upstage, backstage, proscenium, grid, and so on. If I ask you to sit in the house, please do not go home—I’m simply telling you to sit in the area where the audience sits.” There was light laughter among those seated around the table.

“By the way, everyone,” the professor continued as Felix moved among them, “this is Felix Bordman, my right-hand man, who will also be acting as our stage manager.”

Felix made a small bow, but said nothing, and the professor didn’t ask him to describe his job, but took on that task himself. “The stage manager’s duties involve organizing and scheduling. He keeps an up-to-date production calendar with all the deadlines and rehearsals and performance dates that we need be aware of. Besides that, he is in charge of the master script and keeps notes about all the changes that occur during rehearsals, whether it’s to the script or the lighting or anything else. It’s a huge responsibility, but Felix is up to it.” Annie thought the professor sounded as if he was referring to Felix with some amount of affection, though he really didn’t seem to treat him very well. Felix didn’t seem to mind, but since she didn’t know either of them very well, she decided to reserve judgment on that.

“And now I want to present to you a former student of mine and our playwright, Jacob Martin.” The professor applauded, and the others joined in. As Jacob stood up to speak, the professor took his seat for the first time since the meeting began.

Jacob did seem a little shy, as Kate had said, as if he didn’t often speak before groups of people and didn’t really care much for being in the spotlight. His tone of voice was low and soft, but nevertheless his words came out clearly. “I just want to thank you all for being here today, and for being willing to be involved in such a huge undertaking, even though most of you have very little experience in the theater. As you may know, my wife, Ophelia, died of breast cancer last year. She was the love of my life, and I owe everything that I am to her—and I don’t just mean my livelihood, though it was because she believed in me and encouraged me to become a playwright that I can call myself that today. But it wasn’t that really; it was that she was an example to me every day of what a good and kind person should be. She was an individual of immense courage too. She was the inspiration for the play, but I wanted it to be something that would benefit other women in the future. I look at our daughter, and I pray that she will never have to go through the same ordeal as her mother. So, I thank you again for volunteering your time and talents.”

With that, Jacob sat back down in his chair. The professor stood and made a short speech that was designed to inspire them, but to Annie, that was unnecessary. Jacob’s few words didn’t have the flair of his former teacher’s, but they were modest, heartfelt, and to the point. It was Jacob’s speech that had finally reminded Annie why she had become involved with the play. With all that had happened, between Mary Beth’s very personal news, and discovering the tapestry, and then this meeting with Professor Howell, she had momentarily lost sight of the goal. She decided that she would remind herself of that goal every day. If she became discouraged, she might stumble, but she wouldn’t fall—at least not to the point that she couldn’t get up again.

****

Apart from rereading the play several times and taking notes, Annie’s participation in the production of the play would really not begin in earnest until rehearsals started. That wasn’t true for the other members of the Hook and Needle Club. The others were busier than they had ever been. The next Tuesday-morning meeting was too soon for all of what they had taken on to sink in, but by the following week, things were in full swing. Though they continued to work on their current needlework projects at the hour-long meeting, the conversation was taken up with reports of what they had accomplished in their individual tasks for the play so far.

Mary Beth had contacted Professor Torres at the college and had begun making phone calls among her musician friends in Stony Point to see if any of them would be willing to volunteer and to find out when they could begin practice sessions.

Peggy was excited that her sister, Mitzy, was going to be working on the play as well. Mitzy, too, had been given books and assignments to learn about hair and makeup for the theater. Peggy had already begun learning the part of Abigail. She only had a few lines in the play, but by the measure of her enthusiasm, she could have been the star. Peggy was nearly always a bubbly personality, but combined with not having to worry about finances that winter with the steady income of Wally’s position, and having been given the opportunity to stretch her wings doing something that she loved, she was extra happy, and that happiness seemed to stream from every pore of her being. Emily’s dance recital had gone very well, and the others teased Peggy that she was another budding superstar in the family.

Kate had been busily studying and sketching ideas for costumes in her free time, and she showed the others the worksheet that Vanessa had developed on the computer. It had spaces for an actor’s body measurements and shoe size, along with an area to list every bit of clothing and accessories his or her character would require. Vanessa had printed out enough copies of the worksheet so that there was one for each actor. Kate had also contacted several ladies from church, including Reverend Wallace’s wife, June, to see if she could enlist them as seamstresses when it came time to produce the actual costumes.

Professor Howell had arranged for Kate to meet with the two college girls, Sarah and Vera, who would also be working on the costumes. So, after Vanessa got out of school one afternoon, the two of them had driven over to Longfellow College. The professor had also arranged for the student actors who had been cast in the play to be present, so that they could be measured for their costumes, and Kate would have a chance actually see the actors in order to make the designs fit them better.

“What did you think of them?” asked Peggy.

“They were a friendly bunch,” said Kate. “There seemed to be a well-developed sense of camaraderie among them.”

“Oh,” said Peggy, looking a little concerned.

Kate looked at Peggy quizzically. “Isn’t that a good thing?” she asked.

“Yes—it is a good thing. It’s just that if they’ve worked together a lot, for me, it will be like coming to a new school after the year has already started—you know, two or three weeks after it starts and everyone else is already in pairs or groups of friends, and you’re just sort of left out,” replied Peggy.

“Don’t worry, Peggy,” said Kate. “I don’t think they’re like that. They treated Vanessa and me like old friends. They’re very casual and not snobbish at all.” Kate continued, “I am a little concerned about when we’re going to get to meet Dolores and Cyril Fortescue. I can do outline sketches for their costumes, but without measurements and without being able to actually have an idea of their body shapes and sizes, it will be hard to nail down the designs.”

Apparently, neither Professor Howell nor Stella were sure when the Fortescues would be returning from a trip to Florida, where they had gone to escape some of the winter weather. Annie hoped they would be back before the first rehearsal, for Kate’s sake. As the other members of the club continued chatting, Kate asked Peggy to stand to one side of the comfy circle of chairs so she could take Peggy’s measurements and get them written down, as it wasn’t always possible for Peggy to get away from work during the day.

Gwen related that several new sponsors had been signed up. She also showed the group the artwork that one of the college students had already completed and that Professor Howell had approved for the cover of the program. She had contacted a couple of different printers to get quotes on printing the posters. They needed to get those out in the surrounding areas to make people aware of the play, even though the first performance was a few months away. “The professor suggested that we might start a Facebook page too,” said Gwen. “I guess I’m going to have to catch up on all this new technology. It does sound like it would be a good way to reach a lot of people.”

Stella had exciting news in her capacity as producer of the play. “When we began the Cultural Center project, we received funds from the Maine Arts Commission. When it was decided that we would produce the play, I immediately sent in forms requesting a grant, and though the funds won’t be available right away, it looks like we will be receiving some assistance.”

“That’s wonderful news, Stella,” said Alice. “And I’m really glad to hear that everyone is coming along with their assignments so well. I can report that I’ve spent most of my free time reading the books that Professor Howell gave to me. I made a few general sketches that I brought to the meeting with the professor, Wally, and Carl Johnson last Friday at the Cultural Center. Carl took my drawings to work up a computer model, and then he and the professor will tweak it to make it look the way that they want. Carl’s going to be designing everything structural—the walls, the doors, the windows, and so on, and I’ll be filling in the decorative details. Apparently, the computer program Carl uses even has the capability to work out a detailed materials list, so that should be really helpful to Wally.”

“Wally was impressed with him,” said Peggy, her arms stretched out to each side as Kate measured the circumference above the bustline under her arms. “He said that Carl really understands about construction and woodworking. He gave Wally some good tips about placing the heavy-duty tools in the shop to make it more efficient.”

“That’s great,” said Alice. She sighed deeply. “I’m still a little nervous about everything. I look at Carl, and he’s so young and so well-educated in his field. He knows all this computer stuff and seems to know everything about set design. He’s really a nice young man. I guess I’m just a little intimidated. I wonder if I can measure up.”

Annie reached out and patted her friend’s shoulder. “Seriously, Alice, you have the talent to do this. You have a wonderful eye for what works and what doesn’t. There’s no reason for you to have a crisis of confidence. Just do your best—that’s all any of us can do.”

Stella said, “Professor Howell would not have given the go-ahead if he didn’t think you could do it—remember that. He told me himself that he was impressed with all our little group had to offer to the play. And that’s after years of experience as an actor before he started teaching at the college.”

“He was an actor too?” asked Peggy.

“Yes. It’s been many years ago now,” answered Stella. “In his middle years he decided he wanted something a little more stable than going from one acting job to the next, so he went back to graduate school. He’s taught the theater arts at Longfellow for a long time now.”

“I can imagine him as a young man on the stage,” said Kate. “With jet-black hair, just the opposite of what he has now, and about forty pounds lighter, he must have been quite a hunk in his day—what do you think?”

The others laughed, but Stella didn’t look all that amused. “I think he’s quite an attractive man as he is,” she said. Looking down at her knitting, she got a puzzled look on her face. She must have dropped a stitch because she started ripping out her last row. That never happened to her.

Fortunately for Stella, Alice chose to change the subject at that moment. She started by clearing her throat. “There is something else I need to talk to you about, Annie,” Alice said, as she looked at Annie sideways with a bit of a grimace. “I know you haven’t made a final decision yet, but I mentioned the tapestry to Professor Howell, and he’d like to see it.” She paused and then added really quickly, “I also might have said that he could come over to Grey Gables to see it—if you don’t mind, that is. That way he could see the other things we found for props too. But I can tell him that he can’t come over if you’d rather he didn’t. I’m really sorry I didn’t ask you first, but I just sort of got carried away.”