'Without the darkness we'd never see the stars.' finis
Prop people were making the final adjustments as the light engineer looked at his meter.
To have her own trailer on the movie set was something that separated the young woman from the other lessor actors and extras. Sitting inside Sally kept repeating the words of wisdom her mentor Lauren had told her.
“Let your eyes do the talking ….let your eyes do the talking…”
She figured if it was good enough advice for the dearly departed iconic Marilyn Monroe it was good enough for her.
Lauren and her had a moment’s laugh over it. Lauren had asked her if she needed any advice. When she told her the Marilyn quote Sally responded ‘I thought she let her boobs do the talking’. Lauren responded with the fact that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 something most fans never realized.
Sally knew the chance to be the secondary supportive character to Lauren Jerome’s lead was an opportunity that doesn’t come by often. She had 30 minutes to go over the days script once more and kept reminding herself what her acting coach had told her when speaking her lines….annunciate…articulate…express…pronuonce…say it clearly with purpose…pretend you’re Moses speaking from the mountain top.
A buzz circulating on location most all on the set was aware to expect a surprise. The tip off was everyone at the remote location were to hand in all cell phones at pain of loss of paycheck and dismissal. In an effort to avoid the inevitable TMZ moment Lady Eliska would have Claudia get ahead of the juicy story by putting up her own pictures on her dormant Instagram account retooling it to reflect her new perspective. The fresh look on her social media page was one of a more feminine view.
Looking her finest the statuesque Lady Eliska strutted towards the 4 ‘director’ chairs that were surrounded by two large cameras with wheels on rails. As the dish of a trans-woman holding her hand walked by many on the set seemed to do a double take.
Eliska stood up and said it ‘matter-of-factly’.
“Our producer and director Thomas has transitioned into a woman…I introduce you to Claudia Cleary.”
Before speaking Claudia looked at the alpha woman that had transformed him into a her for a moment’s inspiration.
“Hello all….in case you don’t know her that is Lady Eliska Vaclev one of our exec producers…like many movies what I first started out with has gone through some script and plot changes and iterations. Better said as I have changed so has my movie. Dirk Denford is no longer the lead and instead will play a supporting role while still being the Saturn sage…..by the way Dirk has come out as gay.”
“Lauren Jerome will be taking over as ‘Vanya’ the main character and Sally Jensen as Angelina her trusted aid. I’m not sure what you’ve heard yet the new title of the movie is ‘Venus Envy’.”
“It takes place in the future and is about enlightening the ‘Sage’ to the ways of the feminine with a matriarchy replacing an archaic patriarchal system.”
Lauren felt good about the days shoot and thought the scene would make it into the primary trailer that would promote the movie. It was important knowing ’every’ movie-goer watches the trailers. Sipping on the glass of whiskey she closed her eyes picturing her character Vanya lifting her sword as she repeated the line…’Our freedom lies over that hill my women warriors….United as females no one can stop us now from vanquishing the patriarchy’.
The seasoned actress knew there was even a better line near the end of the movie’s climatic scene that Claudia the director would keep out of the trailers disclosed just for the film. Lauren was confident it was the one people would remember her by. She pulled the clip of the dailys on her laptop to see the slice of the movie.
The after-shoot party at the Gay bar was something everyone on set was looking forward to aware the town had an epic nightlife.
Rich with centuries of history the city of Prague has a vibrant gay scene. Perhaps because its beauty rivals that of Paris since the 1990’s tourism has been booming in the city. It is as though every night they continue to celebrate the fall of communism and victoriously subduing its oppressive dictatorial regime.
Rivaling maybe even surpassing Budapest, Krakow or Warsaw it comes across as bolder, brighter and more fabulously queer making it a contender of one of the best gay scenes in the world. Between the abundance of BDSM dungeons and all-night dance parties a byproduct of a hedonistic lifestyle the film crew decided on starting their partying at ‘Dandy’s just for the image its name projects and it being a classy straight-friendly bar as well as the food.
With dancers from the world-class Ballet company prancing and pirouetting throughout the club. Along one wall was a buffet table that had an old-world charm in its selection of local delicacies such as potato pancakes and dumpling's filled with smoked meat with sauerkraut or roasted sirloin.
The Vinohrady gay district was a-buzz over hearing the movie’s cast and crew were in town partying and so was the gay-friendly club in the heart of Prague known as ‘Friends Prague’. With Karaoke Tuesdays, Drag show Thursdays the classic gay anthems on ‘Oldie’ Saturday nights had every one dancing at the bar as the night moved into Sunday morning for the group.
Lady Eliska was pleased to see Dirk asked his master Gustav if he would let him take Claudia to the dance floor. Slipping in to the booth Nicolet and Sasha the twin sisters from Budapest smiled at Lauren, Sally and Eliska.
Lauren spoke.
“Lady Eliska you will have changed my life for the better …Sally’s too…once this movie ‘Venus Envy’ comes out we’ll both become world-wide movie stars. The industry is buzzing over it already. My agent called I have 8 requests for meets for new movie scripts.”
Eliska looked at her and Sally.
“Plus Lauren this will have started a whole new franchise…your character will connect with many a young female fan. The studio is going to offer you a multi- million dollar contract…you too Sally…it may not be as lucrative as Lauren’s yet for the two of you your stays of striving yet never arriving are over.”
Sally chirped up.
“I guess this means I can finally get a real condo in LA and move out of the studio I’m sharing with my 3 other friends in west Hollywood ….Hell Lauren you’ll be able to buy a large home….isn’t that awesome?”
Eliska looked at them.
“Yes the cult of personality will have you filling your bank accounts….just remember …….always promote female-consciousness and the advancement of women…..I’ll see you at the awards ceremony….I’ve always wanted to go the ‘Oscars’….I’ll be there with Claudia and Vasili and Nicolet and Sasha…Claudia just maybe the first transwoman to win an award..”
On the dance floor Vasili watched his lover Claudia like a hawk as she danced. Dirk looked over the transwoman movie producer-director’s shoulder.
“He seems the jealous type Claudia.”
“Yes he is….he’ll be tapping you on the shoulder soon….tell me about your master…I like how you have come out as gay Dirk.”
“You look lovely as a woman Claudia….yes he is something special…the moment I felt Master Vaclav coming inside me I knew things would be different. I am going to stay here for a while now that we are done filming. He likes taking me to the dungeon…who’d a thunk I’d ever have a thing for BDSM gay sex huh?”
“Well come back in town in time for the awards your contribution was valuable Dirk.”
Just then he felt the large ‘paw’ of a hand touch his shoulder with Vasili standing next the couple.
“Yaaaa….you dance over….you go now.”
Dirk smiled as he looked at Claudia.
“I’ll be back in Los Angeles in time.”
Vasili had one dance move commonly referred to as the ‘white-boy’ two step trying to shuffle his feet to and fro he let his arms move up and down.
The lights dimmed in the large tiered seating of the Dolby theater that held the Academy awards. Nominated for an Oscar as lead actor Lauren was in the 2nd row right on the aisle with Sally seated next to her. The younger of the two actresses squeezed Lauren’s hand as the clip of the final seen came up.
“Can you believe 100 million people are watching just the two of us on screen in the film right now……in about a 5 minutes when they give you the award you’ll be one of the most famous actresses in the world."
In the quiet of the predawn campfire Sally’s character Angelina looked at Vanya slowly running the stone up and down the blade sharpening her sword. Her troops of female warriors sleeping in tents before the morning battle the female general listened to her aid speaking as Nicolet and Sasha looked on. There for their muscled-up look and heavy Czech accent the two had been thrilled to find they were cast as Lauren’s top lieutenants. Their experience in erotic films had proved valuable in front of the camera as they never blew a line.
Lauren had thought people would remember Sally for saying the iconic words written by the author Leighton Dickson.
“I never thought we’d experience its truth Vanya yet we have. Indeed….Fate whispers to the warrior, you cannot withstand the storm….”
Sally kicked at the dirt letting some of hit the burning fire before adding.
“…the warrior whispers back…I am the storm….”
Sally grinned as she spoke.
“So many thought we’d lose.”
Vanya a wry look on her face looked at her young protégé.
“Every now and then history and fate meet…the coming morning will be ours…the battle won’t last as long as some may think…the moment their soldiers pass the clearing they be outflanked…and they won’t even know it until it’s too late.”
The lead character Vanya took out a cigarette leaning forward towards the fire she managed to light it using the red-hot tip of the heated stick. The camera caught her head lifting so on the screen her face and the large moon and collection of stars could be seen.
“I learned long ago…..never give up until the miracle happens.”
The line had been written by a writer in recovery it was something her sponsor had reminded her frequently of. With a look of admiration Sally’s character looked at ‘Vanya’.
“Vanya you’re such an inspiration …don’t you ever feel afraid…doesn’t the darkness scare you?”
Giving it time Lauren let her eyes do the talking before she spoke a good 60 seconds later. Having read Nicolson said if your eyes keep moving the camera has to stay on them allowing you to dominate a scene she completely sold it. The Hollywood critics and fans alike would talk about ‘that’ moment in the epic movie for years.
“Never…not really…if one has fear they’ll never change anything……besides....”
It was followed by a pregnant pause. Holding the sharpened sword aloft its silver glinting off the campfire embers as though pointing its tip to the night-sky looking up the shaft she spoke with clear diction.
”....Without the darkness….we’d never see the stars.”
The End
I saw stars in the middle of the day when my ex wife caught me wearing her sexiest dress while having a cocktail with her boyfriend .....