Page 8 of Inside Out

“Fear me not.”

~William Shakespeare

“I don’t bite…unless you want me to.”

~Romeo Bradley

Would there come a day when I wasn’t struck nearly mute by him? It wasn’t just his outer beauty either. There was a light in his eyes that spoke of intelligence and depth, and he carried himself with pride and confidence. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. Right then, standing in the doorway of my office, his lips tilted up in the slightest hint of a smirk as if we’d unknowingly, and unwillingly on his part, shared a moment. I saw a flash of something else in his hazel depths, but it was gone before I could name it. The only thing I could do was smile at him because I was so damn glad to see him, even if the feeling wasn’t mutual.

I was certain he would decline the kids’ offer once he found out I would be directing the play. Clara nearly vibrated with joy when she told me how shocked Julius had been at the news. I’d asked if they told him before or after he committed to helping compose the music, and I was nervous when I found out it was the latter. He looked anxious and maybe a bit hesitant, but I didn’t get the vibe he’d planned to pull out of the production. I knew it was up to me to break the ice and make him feel welcome.

“Thanks for joining the team, Mr. Shepherd.”

He offered me a hesitant smile, but I would take it and hope to build upon it. “I’m excited to be included in the production ofInside Out.” He then turned to look at the kids who sat around the small, round table in the corner of my office I used for informal interviews and meetings. I’d learned I would have more success in interacting with people if I was on their level, rather than sitting on opposite sides of an imposing desk. I saved the behind-the-desk approach for when I meant serious business and I needed my visitor to respect my authority.

I rose from behind my desk and walked toward the table where Clara, Ellie, and Curtis waited for us. “Join us?” I asked, gesturing to the two available chairs, which just happened to be next to one another.

“Sure,” Julius said after a brief hesitation. “I’m excited to read the script and see what the three of you have created. I love the title you came up with,” he told them when he sat down.

“It was Curtis’s idea,” Ellie said, nudging him with her shoulder.

“If you turn us inside out, you’ll see that we’re all the same. It’s only our outer shells that are different.” How very perceptive for a young mind, but some kids are forced to grow up quicker than the others. I wondered about Curtis’s home life after he came out. Did he find the acceptance and support he needed? I suspected I’d find my answers when I read the play.

“Minus the differences in reproductive organs, of course,” Clara added, earning a frown from both Ellie and Curtis.

“I need to read the play first which I will start tonight. I will make notes as I go about any melodies that pop into my head or questions I might have for the young playwrights. Then I will study the lyrics and compare them to the notes I made about the tone and tempo of the scenes. I should have a good feel for the music by the weekend then I can begin composing melodies over the next few weeks. Sometimes I can compose a song in a day, and other times, it takes weeks for me to piece the fragments together to form a cohesive melody. Is a month too much time to ask? I don’t think it will take that long, but I’d like to do this right and not rush it.”

“A month should be perfect,” Clara said, speaking up for me. I could tell there would be times I’d need to remind her I was directing the play. “The play won’t debut until January.”

“Let’s shoot for auditions at the end of September then,” I said. “Have you already worked up character sheets?”

“We have,” Ellie replied. “We created them as we wrote the play. AsInside Outevolved, so did our characters.”

“I’d like to read them once more to make sure we’re on point,” Clara said.

“How about I go over them after I’ve read the play?” I asked. “It’s always a good idea to have someone review them with fresh eyes.”

“Because we’re too close to the characters we’ve written?” Ellie asked.

“Yes, and it’s often hard to be objective about your own work.”

“I think that sounds fair,” Curtis said.

“I agree,” Clara said, nodding. “I can see already that you know what you’re doing. I think you have more experience with theater than you first let on.”

“Perhaps,” I agreed.

“This play is in good hands,” Clara said after studying me closely for a few seconds. I could feel her mentally placing the play in my care. I wouldn’t let her down. “As is the music,” she said to Julius.

“So, late September we will hold auditions then begin reading the parts as a team the first week of October. I want to be completely off script in two weeks. Mr. Shepherd will work with the band and music departments to coordinate their roles, and I will talk to Mrs. Jameson about her art classes creating the backdrops for our scenes. Who’s usually in charge of costumes?”

Ellie raised her hand. “My mom has made the costumes for as long as I can remember. She’s so gifted.”

“That’s great,” I said. “I’d like to have another meeting in a month with everyone involved in the production. Would your mom be open to joining all of us.”

“She’d love it, Dr. Bradley,” Ellie said excitedly.

“My parents volunteered to cover the cost for printing the ads and programs,” Curtis said. I partially had the answer to my unspoken question about his parents’ support.