Exit Stage Left

By Chris James

Chapter Sixteen

The curtain was up as the house opened and the audience came in to take their seats. The forest primeval greeted them, dark and brooding. It was night in the fairy bower and only the moonlight seemed to define the shapes of trees and rocks in the set. Dennis had sixteen leafy cutouts, gobos they were called, cut in thin brass sheets placed at the focal points of the lights.

To accomplish his lighting design Dennis had used every instrument they had in the inventory, and a few he'd repaired from the rubbish pile. But the many moods of this Midsummer Night's Dream required every bit of that lighting power, it was Dennis' masterpiece.

They wouldn't get a gasp from the audience as the set was already on display. But from where he sat in the control booth Dennis could feel the mood down below in the seats was quiet and reflective, he had created that.

The show was ready, ready as it would ever be. Brandon sat at the controls of the lighting board, his final test before he became the lighting designer for the Greek dance over in Twinkle Toes Hall. The boy yawned and Dennis almost laughed. Opening night, hell of a time to be tired, but they all were.

"I'm going for coffee, you want one?" Dennis asked.

"Please," Brandon replied. "It's been a long day."

Dennis looked at the clock. "Call is probably at twenty minutes, I'll be back in ten."

"Give Eddie a pinch for me," Brandon said.

"Is that what kept you up half the night?"

Brandon nodded with a smirk on his face. "It was worth it."

Eddie Fields, a freshman in the Greek chorus for the dance show was also one of the fairies in this one. He was Brandon's new smooch puppy. Dennis was sure it had gone way beyond kissing by now, but this was neither the time nor place for that discussion. He walked out the booth door and followed the catwalks around to the stairs.

Marsha would have fresh coffee, maybe even a fresh baked cookie or two. The costume shop had a washer and dryer, the oven was next door in the prop shop. When she found time to bake cookies was anyone's guess, but like everything else she did it well.

She nodded as Dennis came through the door. "I was just out in the house before it opened," Marsha said. "The lights look awesome; John was out there taking photos."

"Again?" Dennis said. "Damn, you'd think he had enough of them by now."

"I saw your parents in the lobby," Marsha said.

"That's Mom, never miss an opening night. Tomorrow she'll be telling all her lady friends how it's my show, my set, and my lights. Jeez, when I finally get out of here and hit the big time she's gonna have a heart attack."

"Don't knock it, I can never get my parents to come to a show here," Marsha said.

Dennis shook his head. "I'm sorry. They don't appreciate you like we do."

Marsha shrugged. "I'm loved... just not for this."

Dennis took two coffees and managed a sip of his just as Eddie appeared in the doorway wearing his fairy costume. Marsha and her small crew had done a beautiful job on the fairies. The body suits were tight enough to allow complete freedom of movement on the ropes. Eddie sparkled with glitter, his torso covered in gold and green leaves with heavily textured leggings below the waist. He struck a jazz pose, hand on hip, the other in the air.

"I make a good looking fairy," Eddie said.

"Brandon thinks so," Dennis said, and Marsha broke out laughing.

"Oh, you are not right," Eddie said, wagging a finger at Marsha. "How is my boy?"

"You kept him up late. If there's no blackout at the end of scene one it will be because he's asleep at the wheel... and that's your fault," Dennis said.

"Moi? You're blaming moi?" Eddie laughed.

"I have to get back," Dennis said. "My hands are full, pinch yourself and pretend its Brandon."

"Hmm, he's such a sweetie."

"Ten minutes... places in ten minutes, people," Cassie yelled in the back hallway.

"I have to go, I'll send your sweetie down at intermission for a pick me up," Dennis said.

Eddie grinned. "Let's do this thing." And he danced out of the room.

Dennis picked up the coffees and headed for the door, stopping for a second to look back at Marsha.

"We did good, the whole production looks good," He said.

"One down and four to go... that's how I see it. We just need to get past this one," Marsha said.

She was right and Dennis knew it. The week had been full of minor disasters associated with swinging fairies. Set problems were at a minimum, lighting issues non-existent, it was all down to the cast and how they handled the oddities of the show. They would just have to barge through it every night and keep moving.

All along John Moore had said this was a show with high production values behind which the cast could hide. Brady had shown them the set design for Charlie Brown which posed no surprises. Dennis could evaluate that show as having high cast expectations, low technical values. But it was a simple show about little kids, and at the very least it would be fun.

Ted came to see Midsummer during the second performance, he had intentionally avoided the rehearsals, and this was his first glimpse. Unbeknownst to anyone at Cabot, except Dennis, Ted was there to write the show's review for the Sacramento Bee.

"William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream opened at the Cabot Performing Arts High School theatre this week, a production guaranteed to amaze and tickle your funny bone. The show directed by Dr. Anthony Weeks runs through October 28^th and stars a cast of junior and senior actors who bring all their skills to bear in this production.

"With a wonderful forest setting designed by John Moore, the resident guest designer for this year, and lighting designed by Dennis King, a senior technical student, the well known Shakespeare comedy takes on a new life... "

Ted went on to give Marsha Wheeler a rave review on her costume designs and lauded the actors for presenting the difficult staging with style and dedication. At no point in the review did Ted say anything about swinging fairies; something had to remain of the surprise the audience would receive.

The only difference in this credible posting in the newspaper's entertainment pages was the heading which named Ted Cavanaugh as Associate Arts Critic. The editor at the Bee had decided it was time to give the boy credit for his wonderful work, even as he remained unpaid by their agreement.

By the second weekend word had spread around town about the unusual staging and the house was filled as the community responded with curiosity. Lynch was the happiest man on campus while Brad and Dennis had moved on to thinking about Charlie Brown.

The nature of repertory theatre was to move from one show to the next with ease. Brady's design was little more than a set of various shaped cubes that would be used in differing formats. John had little to say about the set, he didn't want to be critical of another faculty member, but that didn't stop the students from talking.

"It's going to get lost on that huge stage," Brad said. "This production would look better in a studio theatre setting, the smaller the better."

"Mike will close it down with his lighting," Dennis said, referring to Mike Edwards, the junior who had been given the lighting design chore.

"I just wish they'd post the damn cast list," Jimmy groaned.

Jimmy had auditioned for the part of Linus. The show had opened off-Broadway in 1967 and ran for fifteen hundred performances; Cabot would do the show eight times for an audience. There were only seven cast members and that made it a competitive audition since many of the students were required to appear in something before graduation.

But Linus had always been Jimmy's favorite comic strip character, and he sang My Blanket and Me with such feeling that he would soon find out Ms. Connie gave him the part. In the four years he had attended Cabot this was Jimmy's first leading role. He had been in the chorus for most of the stage productions, built scenery, costumes and hung lighting, but he had studied to be a dancer.

For the weeks following the casting it wasn't unusual to see Jimmy carrying a small green blanket around, learning to use it to get into the character. Marsha was happy that all she needed to do was go shopping for the costume pieces they didn't already have. She had already commissioned her mother to knit the trademark sweater for Charlie Brown with the zigzag lines around it.

Brandon was frazzled over the Greek dance show, which Ms. Lillian had aptly named Romance of the Gods. But once Midsummer ended successfully Dennis felt like he had the time to help the boy. It wasn't how to light the stage for the dance; it was when and where things should be applied to make it look good. Ms. Lillian seemed to be of little help in making those decisions, so Dennis sat in on a rehearsal.

"OK, let me tell you what I see," Dennis said. "She has the show blocked out in quarters. Act One, the maidens dance and then the men dance before they pair up. In the Act Two opening we meet the gods for the first time and in the final the men and women dance at the whim of the gods. Do I have that right?"

"It's something like that, there is no script to follow," Brandon said.

"But there is the choreography to consider and the nature of the dancers on stage. Think soft maidens who the men find alluring. The guys dance to show off to the ladies and one by one the maidens fall for one of them. That builds to the joy at the end of the act. In terms of color I'd stay with pastels and avoid shadows.

"Act Two needs to look entirely different, you can change colors backstage during the intermission. But the scene with the gods needs to be punched, stark... maybe even white light to denote their lack of feeling for the people. That will create strong shadows, they can move in and out of that. And as the lovers seduce the gods with their dance you can bring back color into the wash, strong rich color."

"Do you think that's what Lillian wants?"

"I think she's waiting for you to jump in with both feet and tell her what you want to do and why. If your lighting gives interpretation to the staging she'll be happy as a clam." Dennis smiled. "Every production in the world is subject to different points of view. Lillian just hasn't defined hers yet, you need to push it."

Brandon sighed. "Thank you... you didn't have to help me."

"I don't hold a grudge about Spring Grove, that wasn't our game to play. Next year this will all be yours, I want you to succeed and pass it along to some freshman. Being related to Corky hasn't made anyone treat you any differently, you got where you are by hard work. Now go work it all out on paper, show it to Lillian and sell her on it."

Brandon got up and leaned over, giving Dennis a big kiss on the cheek before he left. Eddie was one lucky little brat, but he probably knew that by now. Dennis got home that afternoon and found an envelope from Mike Stone waiting on the hall table. Yes, Tahoe was on once again. He tore it open looking for the RSVP phone number, if at all possible he wanted John to come with them, but only Mike could make that decision.

He called Ted to say the invitation had arrived and as they talked he became aware of some strange music playing in the background.

"What's that I hear?" Dennis asked.

"The Zorros... foxes," Ted said. "They're a group from school, a band."

"Ahh, writing about that music scene already."

"Yes... and the cross culture thing, they're all Hispanic. Foxes relates to the two girls that front the guys who play instruments. They're pretty good musicians, it's not salsa that's for sure. They gave me this demo they're trying to shop around."

"Mike sent the Tahoe invitation," Dennis said.

"Sweet, are you going to ask him about John?"

"I am... I guess it will be alright. There are a few single guys at this thing, maybe John will like one of them," Dennis said.

"Don't go playing matchmaker, John's a big boy, he can handle himself."

"Well this is definitely the major leagues. I hope Jim is there, we need to get that going."

"He will be, he had too much fun last year to pass it up," Ted laughed.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown opened and with it Dennis could see the end of the semester looming. The conversation with Mike had been encouraging; he welcomed Dennis' idea of bringing someone new. He emphasized that the point of the group was a gathering of friends, and if Dennis thought John would fit in then he would be welcome.

John sat next to Dennis and Ted for the premiere, each of them there for a different reason. Dennis was there to probe the efficiency of Mike's lighting and evaluate the crew, Ted had a review to write, and John was playing out the role of responsible faculty member.

The final set consisted of ten different geometric shapes that could be put together for the various scenes. Snoopy's doghouse seemed the most clever arrangement. Brady had made an addition at the last minute, a surround that closed in the acting area and kept it from being lost in the vast space. Dennis thought it clever, eight large frames like the comic strip setting for the characters. They were open but backlit, making them stand out and feel like an enclosure.

Each actor sold the character they portrayed and the ensemble moved through the scenes and sang the songs flawlessly. Jimmy was priceless as Linus; he played out the image of a little boy so very well. It didn't take long for the audience to forget these were high school students; it was like watching a bunch of little kids.

The review Ted wrote wasn't patronizing, he got right into the effect the Cabot students had worked so hard to present with his very first line.

"I sat down and watched a group of little kids at play last night, and we all had a wonderful time... "

His byline in the Sacramento Bee was attracting attention to the Cabot theatre program. Lynch had begun posting the reviews in the lobby, and delighted in doing so after he discovered the relationship between Ted and Dennis. The Bee wasn't the only paper that covered local entertainment, but it was the only one that was sure to have a review of every Cabot production.

The week after Charlie Brown closed the focus shifted into Twinkle Toes Hall and Romance of the Gods. Dennis, Ted and Jimmy sat down at the final dress rehearsal to watch Eddie perform. There were few hard and fast rules at Cabot, but it was unusual to see a freshman in a leading role.

Brandon was above and behind them in the control booth, but Dennis knew he had to be proud as a peacock watching his boy out there on the stage. The lighting blended the show together so very well, giving the dances greater meaning. But no one could doubt Eddie was the best thing up on that stage.

Dennis knew the names of those Cabot students who had gone on to greater glory, their faces lived on the wall in the lobby of the school. Stephen Bitner, a dance student who now held a place with the American Ballet Theatre in New York. Francine DeCarlo, an actress whose leading role in Hamlet with the Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C. had won her numerous awards. Diana Pratt, a soprano who was still amazing audiences and orchestras alike with her voice.

Students from the past were an inspiration to them all. Dennis knew Eddie would be on that wall someday, his talent made it inevitable. But it would take time, just as all of them in every department needed time to mature and learn the skills of their chosen profession. Eddie already seemed miles ahead of everyone else, and worse...he made it look easy.

John Moore and Brady sat down with Dennis and Brad to discuss the spring semester and the two main stage productions. Anton Chekhov wrote The Cherry Orchard a hundred years before and it presented the duality of Russian life at the time. The author wanted it to be a comedy; the director saw it as a tragedy. It was a toss up as to which of them got what they wanted.

The play dealt with the failing aristocracy in Russia and the rising middle-class, the struggles of the old line Tsarist families against the rising Marxist tide. To that end Brady was not going to have a set filled with opulent interiors, it was going to reflect the evolving Soviet architecture, stark and foreboding.

Like painters, set designs came in naturalistic and impressionistic formats, the drawings Brady presented were definitely the latter. As the cherry orchard filled with trees is symbolic of the Tsarist past, Brady presented the audience five trees sculpted in the Soviet heroic style.

Surrounding the trees was a huge projection screen upon which actual photos of Russian palaces and buildings would be projected. Arthur Lynch was directing, and these were the parameters he'd given Brady to work within. The only natural thing in the show would be the actors themselves, dressed in period finery and supported by realistic props. The fading glory of the Tsar's Russia giving way to Marxist madness, it was a very political statement.

The musical Annie Get Your Gun was going to be a painter's nightmare, John himself said that. But since he was the painter and there were some good artistic students in his classes John felt they could accomplish the scenery in good style. Brad would be building flats for days, but he could use lab students for that.

John's concept was a picture postcard, presenting the entire show in that manner. The main format of the production was Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show which travelled the country and then across Europe. Photos of the time were brown and aging daguerreotypes, wooden images of people who had to stand still for the camera to capture their image.

But John was going to play with that image in a set made of flat painted walls, platform levels and cut out scenery that evoked the early Victorian era. Brad would be one busy little beaver since after the construction they would need to rig it and learn how to move it all during the show.

That was the last bit of school work Dennis would accomplish before the Christmas break. Brady would go off to turn his rough sketches into drawings over the vacation, John was going to Tahoe. But before all that Ted was headed for a concert.

Sacramento had a population of just over half a million people, of which twenty-five percent were Hispanic or Latino. The very name evoked dialogue and Ted was discovering that Hispanic was becoming the term most preferred. The concert was to be held in Capitol Park, a central downtown location near 15^th and L Streets.

Feliz Navidad was the Hispanic Christmas celebration, a street festival with food, fun and music to raise money for charity. Zorros had gained a place on stage to perform and had invited Ted to attend. It would be a chance to look at the community and see how they responded to their own kids playing music.

Ted had already written his piece about the band for the school paper, and now felt that the Bee should get a broader view. He would have the opportunity to present the city a view of the Hispanic community through the eyes of these kids. And of course he would drag Dennis along.

Christmas in this culture was a fervent religious celebration of the Christ Child, but that didn't mean they couldn't have fun. The festival began at one in the afternoon on Saturday and would roll on well into the evening; Zorros was slated to play around five o'clock.

Armed with a camera and a small spiral bound pad of paper, Ted led Dennis into the unknown. This wasn't the first Hispanic street festival in town, just the first one either of them had attended. The heritage of Mexico was celebrated in bright colors of red, white and green strewn around the street and spreading into the park.

The rich smell of food vendors and the sounds of a traditional Mexican band playing were Dennis' first glimpses of the day ahead, and he was now very hungry. They met up with Carlos and Luis, brothers born in Sacramento but obviously of the rich Native Indian blood so many Mexicans displayed. Carlos was gay, Luis was not, but that had never come between them. Dark brooding eyes, bright white smiles, they were both attractive boys.

Constance and Maggie Hernandez were twin sisters, and the lead singers for which the band was named. Dennis could only agree that most boys would find them to be foxes, at least from the visual image that word projected. The four of them were standing beside the stage waiting for Raul their drummer.

"Hola, Ted... so what do you think?" Constance asked.

"Wonderful, I've been missing out on all this fun for years. Oh, this is Dennis," Ted said.

"Ah, the student from Cabot, welcome Dennis," She said. "What do you think of our little festival?"

"It makes me hungry," Dennis replied.

"See, I told you it was time to eat," Luis said with a laugh. "Do you like Mexican food?"

"Oh yes," Ted replied. "Just not too hot, OK?"

They talked for a while and Raul finally showed up, having had difficulty finding a place to park. Constance immediately took Dennis in tow, and with his dark hair he could have been a distant relative for all anyone knew. Ted was too blonde to be anything but a gringo, but Luis and Carlos took the boy arm in arm and marched him back out to the street away from the stage.

"There is Mexican hot and Gringo hot, I think you would prefer the latter," Constance told Dennis.

"I agree, the only Mexican foods I've had are tacos and tamales," Dennis admitted.

"That's fine... we'll start there," Constance said.

Tamales, empanadas, rice and a bottle of freshly made apple cider, Constance chose them carefully. The others each chose a variety of food and they carried it all back into the park and a grassy spot under the trees.

"So what brought you guys together?" Dennis asked.

"At first it was school," Constance said. "My sister and I sing in the chorus, the boys play in the school band. None of us would like to perform traditional music, we have such different tastes. But Maggie likes to write as well, she's given us quite a few songs to learn."

"Do you have a specific influence?" Ted asked. "By that I mean, is there a popular band whose music inspired you?"

"I like old songs, ballads from people like Karen Carpenter, Janis Joplin," Constance said.

Maggie laughed. "There is that, but the boys are into heavier music... we had to find something to perform. I'd say we have a seventies sound, with modern lyrics about topical things."

"What are you going to perform today?" Ted asked.

"We get three songs, that's it," Luis said. "It's so unfair."

"Three songs are enough," Constance said. "Maggie wrote a song we call El Diablo, the devil, but it's about drugs and the destruction of a family. That's Luis' favorite because he gets a heavy guitar solo."

Luis grinned. "Van Halen, baby."

"The other two are love songs, the crowd will like those," Carlos said.

"What do you like, Raul?" Ted asked.

The boy shrugged. "I just follow along."

Of them all Raul was the youngest and had the least ability with his English. Freshman slump, Dennis thought, that will pass. These were nice kids, not a mean bone in the bunch. There were several Hispanic students at Cabot, but they were all in the music and film departments.

The afternoon sped on and finally Luis and Carlos walked back to their car to get their guitars, Raul would have to contend with an unfamiliar drum set provided by the Parks Department. There were just too many bands to spend time setting up individual equipment. Then they all stood around waiting as the program was running behind, but by five-thirty they were walking on stage.

Dennis sat back in the crowd and took pictures while Ted began to jot down his impressions. Later he would take a seat at his computer and write out the review. Zorros would get prominent mention, but the entire festival had to be expressed in words.

Constance sang her first song; a slow melodic piece and the crowd became quiet to hear the lyrics. Neither Dennis nor Ted understood Spanish, it was a handicap today. But the crowd applauded politely and then the music turned heavier. Luis had his chance for some fancy guitar work while Carlos thumped along on his bass.

Ted watched the faces around them. There was something in this song that compelled the crowd to listen and when it was all over there was silence for a moment until the applause began. Constance and Maggie immediately jumped into the final number, a rousing tune that had people on their feet clapping along. Their set ended to a thunderous ovation, Zorros had scored big points today.

They shared coffees with the band after the show and then Maggie was thoughtful enough to hand Ted a sheet of her lyrics translated into English.

"It's the best I can do," She said. "The songs are made to be sung in Spanish so don't quote me literally on some of these words."

Ted now had a deadline to meet for his story. If he could get it all wrapped up by ten o'clock and email it in then the review would appear in tomorrow's paper. Dennis drove them to Ted's house and was glad he was driving. The boy was lost in thought, composing what he would have to write in just a short while.

"Feliz Navidad came to Sacramento a week early this year as the charity fundraising street festival hit the Capital Park today with all the fun and excitement the Hispanic community could muster.

"Hundreds of vendors dispensed everything imaginable, and yours truly helped himself to the cuisine from south of the border. The culture of Mexico has been the foundation of so much here in California that we seem to forget how special it is in our daily lives. Today the Hispanic community threw a party for charity and everyone came. If you didn't go you missed something grand, and there will always be next year."

"The annual event filled the downtown streets around Capital Park with red, white and green announcing that Mexican culture is alive and well in our fair city. The sounds of traditional music floated in the air for most of the afternoon, and then came the local talent.

"I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that my favorite band today was Zorros. Comprised of students from Fremont High School, we had two sets of siblings and a close friend who entertained the crowd with their music. Constance and Maggie Hernandez front the band with their powerful voices, singing original songs that Maggie writes between her Algebra assignments. Carlos and Luis Delgado provide the instrumentals with Raul Menendez on drums.

"This was the first public performance these students have ever given, and from the crowds reaction it won't be the last. Feliz Navidad to all the readers, and a Merry Christmas. Here's hoping I see you all at the festival next year."

"OK, that's great," Dennis said, reading it over Ted's shoulder as it was emailed off to the paper.

"Tahoe, that's all I want to think about now," Ted said.

Dennis kissed his neck. "Is that all you can think of?"

"Um, no... I'm feeding you Mexican food more often, sexy man," Ted laughed.

Christmas would come and go before they would head off to Tahoe, and then two weeks later Dennis would turn eighteen. It was no wonder the holiday season meant so much to them both. Dennis spent Christmas Eve with Ted and his father for dinner, reserving his family time to Christmas Day.

The drive to South Tahoe was amusing; at least that's how Dennis saw it. John was nervous which was Ted's fault.

"So this is your third year, how wonderful," John said.

"They're good people, a bit crazy now and then but I love them all," Dennis said.

"Hmm, well you haven't said who I'll meet there except that they're famous. Do I get any clues at all?"

"I suppose," Ted said. "It's not fair to keep you in the dark, although you will recognize most of them on sight."

Dennis laughed. "Don't keep him in suspense, but John remember... no last names allowed. They don't want to be reminded, that's why I was introduced to Betty as Gloria that first year."

"Betty who?"

"My favorite person, Betty Compton," Ted said.

"Oh wow, I love her," John said.

"Don't we all," Dennis said.

"Our host is Mike Stone," Ted said.

"Mike... the Mike Stone, the producer, director... actor?" John asked.

"Yup, I hope Jim Curry is there too, along with Brenda Nichols and Vince... the list goes on," Dennis said. "Just act normal, they'll tell some great stories."

"Look, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to fit in... "

"You eat, sleep, and drink wine? We do all that and maybe ski a bit, Ted and I are still novices on the slopes. This is just three days of fun and Mike pays the bills because he wants to. I brought you along because you can handle who these people are, John. In many ways they're just like us."

John grinned. "Then I'll just be curious how the brightest stars in Hollywood blow off steam. Vince who?"

"OK, you won't mind meeting him at all, he's a real hunk," Ted said.

"Hey there, you have a thing for Vince?" Dennis asked.

"Who doesn't?" Ted laughed.

"Well... I suppose... "

"Vince who?" John repeated.

"Vince Delaney," Dennis said.

"Oh Lord, he is a hunk," John said, and Ted laughed so hard he almost drove off the road.

Dennis nodded. "It's OK, John... you're free to flirt."

"With Vince? I don't know about that, he's Mr. Hollywood at the moment."

"In case you haven't noticed, you're a handsome man... go for it," Ted said.

There was silence after that and Dennis finally laughed. "This will definitely be quite a weekend."

The Brown Bear Lodge looked the same and the security guard waved them on through after looking at the invitation. Frank was standing at the front doors with a snow shovel in hand and smiled when he saw them get out of the car.

"Hello again, gentlemen... glad to see you made it," Frank said.

"Hi, Frank... this is John," Dennis said. "This is Frank's place, he's the boss."

Frank laughed. "Even the boss has to shovel snow now and then, come on inside."

They received their room keys and carried their bags up to the rooms. John had a nice sunny single bedroom; Ted and Dennis were in the same room as last year. They dropped their bags and walked back downstairs.

"Take a deep breath and follow us, John," Dennis said. "It's always fun to see who's here first."

The sun room was laid out with a lunch buffet and there were a dozen people sitting around. Mike rose to his feet and hugged first Ted and then Dennis; he shook John's hand and made him welcome. Connie and Brenda were side by side on a couch, Taffy sat with another woman. But Dennis was pleased to see Betty and Jim sitting together, although Betty was in a wheelchair with Macy not too far away.

Ted made a bee line for Betty and leaned down to hug her with Dennis right behind him.

"Hello, dears," Betty said. "I'm so glad you came, and who's this?"

"John this is Betty and Jim," Dennis said. "John is our guest designer at Cabot this year."

Jim stood up and shook their hands, a warm smile on his face. Dennis moved a few chairs and they all sat down around Betty.

"Before you ask, I'm not ill," Betty said. "I've just become a little unsteady on my feet so it's safer for me to ride around in this thing... at least for now."

"Well you look wonderful," Ted said, grasping her hand.

"My how you've grown in six months, dear," Betty said and Ted blushed.

"Seventeen now," Ted said. "Dennis turns eighteen in a few weeks."

"How time flies, you'll have to tell me everything that's happened since I last saw you," Betty said.

Taffy walked over and Dennis got up to hug her. "Hi, sweetie," She said. "Having a good semester?"

Dennis nodded at John. "I am thanks to this guy."

They all settled in for a long chat, stopping now and then to snack on the goodies Frank had laid out on the table. More people arrived, faces John recognized and smiled at in welcome. Just how these two boys had found their way into this powerhouse of wealth and talent he could only guess, but he was just grateful for a seat in such company.

First Mike and then Vince began to draw John out, asking about his background and why he was working at the high school. He had asked himself these questions several times in the past few months, it certainly wasn't for the money.

The only conclusion John had drawn was that he was trying to remake himself after a disastrous start right out of college. And now he found himself sharing those thoughts with these two men and realizing that they were both gay and just not out in the current Hollywood climate.

Mike had climbed the ladder slowly over the years, his talent pushing him to the top. Vince was still on that ladder, but in a very comfortable place.

"I had Playgirl Magazine ask me to do a spread, or was it spread myself, I don't know," Vince laughed. "I thought it would be a career killer so I said no. It was right after that when I was cast in Evermore, that Christian oriented film. Entire churches flocked to see that thing, even if it did do poor box office on a bigger scale. One inch of skin in Playgirl and it would never have happened."

Mike nodded. "The church folk have a large voice, I'm careful when I choose a script to produce these days."

They both looked at John to see his reaction. "I went to a Baptist high school, my father's choice not mine. The kids there say one thing and do another; it was quite a little enclave of secret stuff. I imagine a lot of those boys bought Playgirl but kept them hidden under the mattress."

"Yeah, that's pretty sad," Vince said. "I don't mind taking my clothes off for the right guy or a big movie role, but I cringe at the idea of being some boy's jerk off fantasy."

"I thought you looked pretty sexy in that Divine cologne ad last year," Mike said.

Vince rolled his eyes. "I sure got a lot of comments from that one, I thought it was pretty straight up too."

"Men wearing towels around their waist in front of a mirror do have sex appeal," John said.

"Oh, you saw that?"

"It was everywhere, how could I miss it?" John said. "The point is I think you sold a lot of their product because of that image, it's what people want from you."

Vince grinned. "I'll come down to dinner in only a towel and we'll see what everyone says."

"I'll be looking forward to that, it might liven up the party," John said.

Vince smiled at him and raised an eyebrow. "I party better in private," He said.

Mike laughed. "OK, you two, the temperature in this room just went up ten degrees."

Dennis and Ted were both oblivious to John's conversations; they were busy telling Betty and Taffy about the past six months. Taffy's lady friend was her partner of many years, Roberta. Jim sat quietly soaking up the atmosphere, but he had circles under his eyes and looked tired.

"I'm glad you took the time to drive up here," Dennis said, quickly aware that Jim's mind was elsewhere.

"Huh? Sorry, I was drifting away," Jim said. "I need a glass of wine."

He rose to walk to the bar and Dennis stood up with him. They were alone and across the room when Dennis finally spoke what he had been thinking.

"You look tired, this is the best place for you," He said.

"Yeah, Betty said the same thing. Since last year I got divorced, only get to see my kids once in a blue moon and work is piling up... life sucks." He poured himself a glass of Chablis, a Raveneau Grand Cru, 1996, and drank the whole glass down in one gulp.

Dennis nodded. "It sounds complicated... anything I can do?"

Jim smiled and clapped a hand on Dennis' shoulder. "You would do something if you could, people like you are rare. My personal life fills the tabloids; they all have an opinion about me and what I ought to do. Fuck them." He sighed and looked around. "I needed this time... here, with all these people I respect, and that includes you and your partner.

"I want to talk with you both when we get the chance. I think your time has come and we need to decide where you're headed. We'll talk tomorrow afternoon after lunch. Tonight we get to relax and become reacquainted. So tell me about this man you brought... he's one of your teachers?"

"Mentor more accurately describes what he means to me right now. We just finished teaming up on Midsummer Night's Dream... John has pictures," Dennis said.

"Really? Great, I finally get to see what you've been doing," Jim said. "But I have a confession to make; I've been spying on you all year."

"Spying... why?" Dennis asked.

"I offered you a spot on my production team... and I didn't really know anything about you, either of you. I'm sorry, it was just too easy to ask one of my assistants to check you out and I feel guilty."

"You could have just asked, Jim... Ted and I have nothing to hide."

"I know that, even my assistant said I was being irrational after she dropped the report on my desk. I'm very sorry, but I learned my lesson. You have to understand there is nothing in that report except a glowing account of your lives. I'm still amazed at all you do... and you do it so well. It made me decide something, something I will discuss tomorrow when we get the time to focus on the whole thing."

Dennis nodded. "Thank you for telling me, there's no need to apologize."

Jim turned his back to the bar and looked at the others deep in conversation. "I couldn't buy this with all the money I have in the bank... just real people."

"That's what Bobby said about all of you when he first brought me in; he said you were all just good people. Here the fame stops at the door and that must be quite a relief. I know people have such great expectations of you and the others, that's quite a burden."

"I can't have a conversation like this with anyone else but you," Jim said, and then he smiled. "I met the Queen one time when I was in England for an opening. I had this man from her court tell me about how to approach her, what to say in greeting and how to bow. I know there's all this tradition surrounding her, but it must be stifling. I'm not royalty, I don't like people bowing and scraping to me."

Dennis smiled. "Abdicating the throne at this point in life would be impossible, besides I hear you have commitments for the next decade."

Jim nodded. "I do, it allows me time to focus on my immediate goals. What are your goals this next semester?"

"I'm going to stage manage Annie Get Your Gun, and John is going to design it."

"That's a fun show, we did it in college. Stage manager, that's a big role to play in any production," Jim said.

Dinner was served at five, an early meal since many of the group members would be off skiing this evening. There was ham and roast beef, potatoes and vegetables and a large Greek salad. Mike sat at the head of the table and tapped his wine glass for attention.

"Just a few words of thanks for your efforts to make it here. I've thought a lot about these gatherings and what they mean to all of us. With that in mind I'm going to buy a house down here on the lake and next year we will have a permanent place to gather. I know Frank will miss us, but he won't have any trouble filling the place.

"I'd like to welcome John to our group, my thanks to Dennis and Ted for bringing him aboard. My hope is that each of you will nominate someone new to join us next year... just make sure he's handsome."

There was laughter around the table and Mike blushed a little at his own comment.

"The ski report says there is fourteen inches of new powder up on the mountain so I encourage you to go have fun and ski safe. If any of you plan to stick around I'll be looking for others to join me in a hand of Bridge later on. That's it, thank you all."

A round of applause, and the wine was passed around as Frank and his staff brought out a modest dessert and cleared the table. John had sat across from Vince at dinner and agreed to go skiing this evening at Vince's invitation.

"You ski?" Ted asked, leaning across the table.

John nodded. "I grew up in Massachusetts; winter meant skiing with a vengeance."

Ted smiled. "I race go-carts for a thrill."

"Wow... really? I never tried that," John said.

With dinner done Vince walked over to John and they headed upstairs to get ready for an evening of skiing. Dennis and Ted didn't know if they should join Mike and the small group out at the card tables on the porch.

"Do you want to ride up the mountain?" Dennis asked.

"We damn near froze last year, but it was beautiful. I don't want John to think we're spying on him if we follow along," Ted replied.

"Spying on what?"

"Oh, Dennis... haven't you noticed? Vince has had his eyes on John since we walked in this afternoon. They need time alone to work things out."

Dennis held up his hands. "You won't see me interfering, John needs a love life."

"I don't know what will happen," Ted said. "Vince is a super star, why would he go for someone like John when he could have half of Hollywood?

"In Hollywood it would blow his cover, John is safe. But their lives are so different; it couldn't be much more than sex."

"Hmm... sex with Vince, I don't see the down side," Ted said.

"And I don't want to see John get used," Dennis said.

"I'm sure he can handle it. Let's go play cards with Betty. Just keep an eye on Taffy, I bet she cheats."

Jim came clomping down the stairs carrying his skis as they headed to the porch. He was off to the mountain and Dennis figured he wasn't under a production contract at the moment. But if it helped him relax then he could go risk his neck. They played cards until the ladies began to yawn, and Dennis agreed they should call it a night. An early bedtime would do them all some good.

Saturday morning, Dennis and Ted were up early. They joined Betty and Macy at the table for breakfast and enjoyed a nice leisurely meal. Others joined the table in the next hour until finally Vince and John came in together.

It wasn't obvious, but Ted sensed something in the air between these two and wondered in whose room John had spent the night. It wasn't something to ask, they were entitled to some privacy. Jim finally arrived and slid into a chair next to Dennis.

"How was the skiing?" Dennis asked.

"Awesome," Jim said, sipping at his coffee. "Mike and I spent some time talking; I think I'm going in on this house he's planning to buy. The place is as big as a hotel; we won't be crowded at all. We're going over there this afternoon, want to come?"

Dennis looked at Ted who nodded. "Sure, we'd love to see it."

"Good, it will give us a chance to talk," Jim said. Then he smiled and looked down the table. "Vince was up there last night with your friend, looked pretty cozy to me."

Ted nodded. "I see that, makes me wonder what Vince is after."

Jim shook his head. "He's a lonely guy, can you believe that? I see him around town and he's always alone. You'd think it would be quite different, but some people have a hard time balancing the fame and the relationships. John has a level head, he won't get hurt."

They left at ten in Mike's car to view the house which sat on the lake near the Nevada border. From the road it looked huge, bigger than the Brown Bear Lodge. But there was a Mercedes in the drive and a real estate lady waiting to show them around.

"Ten bedrooms and a dormitory, this was a school owned by a German family when it was first built twenty years ago. But the owner died and the family put it on the market early last year," She said.

"How much are they asking?" Jim asked as the walked into the large kitchen area.

"Four point two, because of the lakefront and the twenty acres."

"Why don't you show me the rest of the house," Mike said, and he followed her down the hallway.

"This place is huge," Ted said, looking at the broad counter space and commercial appliances.

"Mike will decide," Jim said. "And now that I have you two alone, let's talk about work."

They sat down at a small table in the corner, the only furniture in the house.

"I assume you still want to work for me?" Jim said.

"Yes, we've made no other plans," Dennis said.

"Good. You both have interesting talents, but it's your age I need to tap into for some of the projects we have working. Just so you know what we're going to talk about is of a secret nature, there are lots of people out there who would love to find out what I'm doing."

"I imagine we'll have to sign a confidentiality agreement," Ted said.

Jim smiled. "You understand already, even better. I read a few of your articles in the Sacramento Bee; it's what inspired me to think of this assignment for you. I have a whole department that does marketing research, but they're adults. I want an insider's look at several of my productions, at least three of them at the moment.

"That means you'll have to read the scripts and come up with some evaluation points. Then I want you to go out and survey kids your age and younger wherever you might find them. I imagine you'll spend a lot of time running around talking to people, but at the end I'll need a report on what you've discovered. Does that sound like something you want to do?"

Ted grinned. "It's perfect... well I suppose I ought to hear the details before I say that, but it suits me."

Jim turned to Dennis. "As for you, I'd like to take you straight into a film project I have this summer. I have lots of production assistants with experience but they only tell me things they think I want to hear. I want someone who isn't afraid to tell me something I ought to know.

"You'll have to read the script for a film that's already in the planning stages, I have three of those at the moment. Ted's projects won't happen for a couple of years, yours is already underway. It will be an intense summer so enjoy your semester at school and on the first of June you can start with me."

Dennis nodded and looked at Ted. "I guess that means we better tell the parents right away."

"And figure out where we're going to live, I don't know that much about Los Angeles," Ted said.

"Don't worry about housing," Jim said. "You can both stay with me. I have a caretaker's cottage down by the tennis courts, or if you prefer, I have a crash pad apartment in town near the studio.

"It's only fair to say I plan to work you hard for the summer. If you want a career in the industry this will give you a quick course in what that means. It may help you plan the direction you take in college. What we're developing is a long term association here, friends helping friends. I will pay you well and make sure you have a safe and busy summer."

Jim looked from Dennis to Ted and back again. "So what do you think?"

"I think it's wonderful," Dennis said. "No one will believe me if I tell them."

"Good, let's keep this quiet. Tell your parents, finish your semester and then come prepared to work. I'll send you all the paperwork and we'll get that started," Jim said.

Mike returned with the real estate lady and he had a smile on his face. "So... what do you think of everything?" He asked.

"It's perfect," Ted answered, but he didn't mean the house.