Juliet

Intro Finally, it's time to share your Bottom with the world. Well, it's not quite the world ... just a regional theatre audience. And this is the dress rehearsal, opening night and curtain up is still 23 hours away. Your amateur drama group have been rehearsing Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' for the last couple of months, nearly everyone is really quite excited, and you're confident that this is going to be a good production. Taking the role of Nick Bottom is a challenge for you. You usually prefer the darker baddies; you've previously played Iago, Claudius, and Caliban - and you're hoping to play Richard III. However, that's not really an option this season. You've never really wanted the leading romantic roles, and you've a friend who delivers the heroics. So, now you're the beloved comedy character, and certainly looking forward to scenes with a particularly lovely Titania. Tonight, as everyone is gathering costumes and props, the director is barking instructions, and the fowl foursome are huddling together, you find yourself as an observer. That's when you see 'her'! You take a few seconds to realise who she is, the assistant director ... or maybe the assistant producer? At every rehearsal, she sat quietly, almost invisible, behind/beside the flamboyant director. She was always taking notes, and received instructions, for the production team. Sometimes, she might have spoken with the director and the technicians. When you did see her, she was usually plain, meek, mild, quiet, and shy ... but not tonight! Now, she's quite beautiful and elegant in her sleek black outfit, and she's certainly incharge of the stage crew.