Spotlight (2 page)

Lily and Colette sat among these jesters. Whispers of Daniel’s name wafted through the auditorium like the light fog billowing from a machine somewhere backstage. Lily turned and looked at the crowd behind her. Glassy eyes and permanent grins gave away the true fangirls.

“I think we’re surrounded,” she whispered conspiratorially.

“Yeah,” Colette agreed with a small laugh. “I had no idea this many people would be here just to see Daniel Brighton.”

“I figured there would be quite a few people here for him, but I didn’t think it would be most of the audience. I wonder if it has been like this every night,” Lily said.

Colette’s elbow gently poked Lily’s ribs. When Lily looked over, Colette subtly motioned to her left, wanting Lily to catch the conversation of the three girls sitting next to her.

“Do you think he’ll do any pictures or autographs afterward?” Fangirl One asked.

“I don’t know,” Fangirl Two replied. “My friend went to three shows last weekend and tried to get autographs. She said he was a total asshole and wouldn’t stop to sign anything.”

The third fangirl spoke up. “Well, maybe he was just tired. How many shows are they doing a week?”

Fangirl Two shrugged. “Should that matter? People spend a lot of money to see him.”

The third girl began to speak again, but Fangirl One cut her off. “Well, we’re going to the matinee tomorrow before we drive home. If he doesn’t sign tonight, then maybe he’ll do it then.”

Colette leaned toward Lily and whispered, “Well, there’s your answer.”

Lily shook her head in disbelief with a soft, “Wow,” under her breath.

As the lights went down, Lily’s heart began to race. She felt sure everyone could hear it over the soft shuffle of the performers’ stage shoes. The first actor dashed across the stage. The next actress made her entrance, gracefully moving downstage. Lily recognized the third form to appear from the wings before the lights illuminated his face.

Daniel.

His long, lean frame was accentuated by a crisp, white linen suit.

There was something surreal about his presence. Lily missed seeing him on a weekly basis, but she realized right away the stage was where he belonged. He owned it. He commanded it with the same soft subtleties he brought to the small screen—a slightly raised eyebrow pondering a question, a halfhearted smile of defeat, lips curled in with words fighting to escape, and warm brown eyes that revealed the truth behind what was being said.

Lily hadn’t thought Daniel was limited by the two dimensions of television until she saw him use all three on stage.

As Daniel’s Lysander proposed to his love, Hermia, Lily was awed by how realistic it seemed. Lily could see him fidgeting with all the nervousness of a man asking that all-important question and then radiating with happiness when the question was answered. When Hermia turned to the audience with her fists in the air, mouthing a silent
YES!
, the stifled giggles of the fangirls spread throughout the audience. It was their midsummer night’s dream brought to life. And Daniel’s double-edged sword—to be so convincing as an actor that these girls believed they were Hermia, hearing Lysander’s words.

But alas,
the course of true love never did run smooth
.

The first half of the play drew to a close, and Lily fought the urge to write. A column began to take shape in Lily’s mind while Daniel breathed life into Shakespeare’s words. By the time the lights came up for intermission, it was an itch Lily had to scratch. But excitement had clouded her reporter’s instinct. She found her camera stashed inside her clutch, but nothing to write with.

“Colette, do you have a pen?” she asked.

“I think so,” Colette said, rummaging through her purse. “What do you need it for?” She handed her pen to Lily.

“Thanks,” Lily replied. “I have an idea for a column, and I want to write it down before I forget it.”

Lily filled the blank spaces of her program with notes and reminders. Little phrases she could use for inspiration. Before the second act began, it had become a scrapbook of this adventure.

The play ended with a standing ovation. All the performances deserved accolades, but Daniel’s drew the most attention. The audience grew louder as he took his final bow. The fangirls were loudest of all, whistling even after the curtain fell to the stage.

When the house lights came up, Lily debated what to do next. If she ever wanted Daniel Brighton’s autograph, now was the time. She and Colette let the crowd make their way out of the theater, and Lily gave one last look back at the stage as they left their seats.

“All right, what’s the plan of action?” she asked when they reached the lobby.

Colette leaned against the wall facing the exit. “I have absolutely no idea. I’m just along for the ride.”

Lily spotted an usher making her way back into the theater.

If anyone would know . . .

“Excuse me,” she said, catching up to the usher just before she opened the door. “Do you know if the actors are signing autographs tonight?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think they are. They usually let us know so we can tell people where to wait.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks,” said Lily. She made her way back to the front door where Colette was standing.

“Looks like we’re out of luck. They’re not signing.”

“Are you sure?” Colette asked. “They look like they know something.” She pointed to the fangirls who sat next to them. They were huddled together speaking in hushed tones.

What the hell
, Lily thought.
Can’t hurt to ask
.

She and Colette walked over.

“Hello, ladies! Did y’all enjoy the show?” Lily asked.

“Of course! How about you?” Fangirl Two said.

“Absolutely!” Lily answered. “Do you know if he’s signing autographs?”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out. Come on,” Fangirl Three responded.

Lily and Colette glanced at each other before following the girls out to a path connecting the main parking lot to a smaller one.

“When they leave, they have to come this way,” Fangirl Three said knowingly.

“I’m going to check out what’s happening up there,” Fangirl One said, walking down the path toward the other lot.

“Do you mind if we wait, too?” Lily asked.

“Of course not,” Fangirl Three said.

“So where are you from?”

“Georgia,” Fangirl Two answered. “Are you two staying for the matinee tomorrow?”

“No, but we’re doing the backstage tour tomorrow morning,” Lily said.

Fangirl One returned, walking slowly back down the path. “Daniel already left.”

“Well, maybe tomorrow,” said Fangirl Three. “And maybe we’ll see you girls then.”

“Maybe so! But if we miss you, have fun at the matinee,” Lily said with a wave.

Colette fell into step with Lily as they walked toward her car. “Are you disappointed you didn’t get an autograph?”

“Yeah,” Lily said with a sigh. “But at least we got to see Daniel Brighton in person. He was incredible.”

“Naturally. And that white suit looked
good
on him.”

Lily couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s dreamy tone. “No arguments from me!”

“He really does light up the stage. I couldn’t stop watching him—and not just because he’s easy on the eyes! He’s even more talented than I already thought he was. And taller.”

Lily grinned. “Yes—to all the above!”

“You know, I’m glad we made this trip.”

“Me, too, Colette. Me, too.”

The grin stayed on Lily’s face the rest of the night.

Chapter Two

Lily and Colette checked out of the hotel early the next morning. Lily was eager for the backstage tour. The facilities she saw the night before rivaled anything seen along the Great White Way. The staff had three productions running at the same time, and she was curious to see how all the elements came together.

When they arrived back at the theater, they gathered in the lobby for the tour. Their group of twelve was as eclectic as the audience the previous night and included a new group of fangirls.

“So how many of you are here to see Daniel Brighton?” one woman asked.

Lily watched the responses. A few girls blushed. Another raised her hand proudly. An older couple looked confused, clearly not recognizing the name.

The woman was everything stereotypical about fangirls without fitting the mold. Colette shot a look at Lily as the woman tittered on like a teenage girl. Though she looked to be in her forties, she had worn a geometric-print, low-cut top paired with a black miniskirt and black high-heels to tour the theater. It hadn’t entered Lily’s mind that they might run into Daniel during the tour. But this self-appointed Queen Fangirl was prepared.

The tour began in front of the main stage, which was already set up for the day’s matinee. The guide told the group about the unique backdrop used in the production, which started in the rafters and dropped to the stage. It was sheer and almost colorless, allowing lights and pictures to be projected onto it as part of the onstage action. For this particular production, clouds filled the space behind the actors.

For the first stop, he took the group into a smaller theater. It was a much more intimate setting—a theater in the round. The acting area was centered like a sun, with an audience of planets orbiting around it.

It would have been amazing to see a performer like Daniel in a theater like this
, Lily thought.

The group then made their way to the costume room, where costume designers worked on clothing for the next main stage production,
The Trojan Women
. Next, they were taken to the green room, where the actors gathered before performances and waited for their cues. The guide also pointed out the hallway where the dressing rooms were located.

“I wonder which one is Daniel’s,” the Queen said to one of her ladies. She stepped forward to see if she could pick out anything that might distinguish Daniel Brighton’s door from the others.

The guide moved in front of her. “I’m sorry, ma’am. We’re not allowed to let tour groups down this hallway. Let’s continue . . .”

Lily stifled a giggle when she caught Colette rolling her eyes.

The tour included brief stops at the sound and lighting booths and a trip down to the orchestra pit before ending where it began.

“Any questions?” the guide asked.

The Queen was quick to speak up. “Do the actors ever sign autographs?”

“Sometimes. It just depends on their schedules. Any other questions?”

Lily raised her hand. She had a good idea of just how many Daniel Brighton fans were coming specifically to see him, and she wondered what kind of financial impact that had on the festival.

“How many tickets has
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
sold compared to other productions? It seems like there are a lot of people who wanted to see this play.”

He smiled. “We’ve done pretty well these last couple of weeks.”

Lily heard the Queen and her ladies giggle at his implication.

After the tour ended, the guide pointed the group toward a side exit, close to the green room and a small parking lot. Some of the people from their tour gathered in a small courtyard near the side door. The Queen was holding court with seven now-loyal subjects.

This could get interesting
, Lily thought as she and Colette joined them.

“Hello, ladies,” the Queen said. “Have you two already seen the show?”

Colette nodded. “Yes. We saw it last night.”

“Oh! How was it? I haven’t seen it yet. I’m going to the matinee today and the show tomorrow night.”

“Truly amazing,” Lily replied honestly. “I don’t think I understood what a gifted actor Daniel was until I saw him on stage.”

The Queen smiled. “I can’t wait! I got here late last night, put Season One in my portable DVD player and went to sleep.”

“Wow,” Colette said. “You travel with the DVDs?”

The Queen looked at Colette with surprise. “Yeah! I mean, it would be awful to want to watch an episode and not be able to.”

A silver car pulled into the parking lot. Lily recognized the actor as he got out of the car and walked toward the same side door they had just exited.

“Oh, he’s playing Bottom,” Lily said to the Queen.

He waved as he passed.

“You were great,” one of the girls said.

He gave a small smile as he disappeared through the door. “Thanks. Enjoy the matinee.”

“Wait! Do you think Daniel will come by here, too?” the Queen asked.

Colette looked around. “Well, this could be the actor’s parking lot.”

“Yeah,” Lily agreed, looking at her watch. “And I guess he would need to be here pretty soon to get ready for the show.”

“Oh my God.” Realization crossed the Queen’s face. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to talk to him!”

Another car pulled in and parked. This time, the actor playing Oberon walked toward the building.

“You were great,” the same girl said.