Chapter 34

There was a famous, unspoken rule at the Crestwell Grand Theater.

Actors had to maintain perfect appearances.

However, no matter how much one managed, overcoming age was difficult.

As actors aged and lost their beauty, their roles diminished sharply, from supporting roles to extras… and even to chorus roles without lines. Their status continued to decline.

Anything that didn’t shine was deemed worthless under the dazzling lights.

Oscar’s logic seemed to resonate clearly with the public as well.

Everyone was enthusiastic about the production at the Crestwell Grand Theater.

Oscar’s stages were always praised for their unrealistic beauty, as they presented an idealized world.

A fantastical world, castrated of all the ills of reality.

Oscar believed that the success of the Crestwell Grand Theater lay in this.

By that logic, even the legendary Anthony Brogo had been driven out.

The Duke of Lopez sighed.

“No matter what I say, the Duke of Crestwell will not listen.”

He’s a very self-confident and stubborn man.

Anthony must be feeling devastated. Duke Lopez, who was a close friend beyond social status, couldn’t quite grasp how to comfort him.

Feeling overwhelmed, he went outside.

He needed to take a stroll to clear his head.

As he wandered the streets, puffing futilely on his extinguished pipe, a flyer on the sidewalk caught his eye.

“Balthus Theater Auditions”

“Oh, it looks like they’ve decided on the next play to put up. Seeing auditions being held… hmm?”

I flipped through the flyer without much thought.

One line caught his eye, written casually, as if it were a given.

Age and gender requirements: none

* * *
Today was the day of auditions for the Balthus Theater actors.

I, the owner and stage director of the theater, sat side by side with Becky, the playwright, on the judging panel.

The other judging seat is empty.

Becky glanced at the empty seat.

“…There’s only 10 minutes left until the start.”

Despite her worried tone, I remained calm and checked the list of applicants.

The applicants’ backgrounds were unusual.

Many had been members of the Crestwell Grand Theater until just a few days ago.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Oscar Crestwell, you’ve abandoned so many people.

Perhaps this was an opportunity to uncover hidden talents that Oscar hadn’t recognized.

Meanwhile, Becky seemed unable to focus on checking the applications.

She kept glancing back and forth between the theater entrance and her watch.

“Countess, I think Ms. Blanchette is running late. What if she doesn’t come?”

Becky’s voice grew more anxious.

Unlike her fidgeting, I was calm.

‘She will come.’

I was sure of it.

I’ll never forget the first morning I spoke to her after I offered her the contract—the spark of determination and enthusiasm in her eyes.

Time continued to tick away.

“What should we do? She might not come for real…”

While I was trying to comfort the disheartened Becky,

The sound of shoes echoed through the silent hall.

The echo of rhythmic footsteps bounced off the ceiling and walls of the hall, then reverberated into my ears.

Becky and I turned toward the entrance at the same time.

Katarina was approaching, her long hair hanging down and a pearl pin in her ear.

I rolled my eyes and smiled, making a boneheaded joke.

“I thought you weren’t coming.”

Katarina sat down next to me with a smug expression.

“Sorry I’m late; I was out in the alley watching some boys.”

Becky’s face lit up at the mention of boys.

It meant she’d accepted the role and started researching.

Katarina’s mouth twitched.

“These are the actors I’m going to be working with, so I have to see them with my own eyes.”

I smiled and exchanged glances with Becky.

Becky nodded vigorously, her eyes widening.

Now that the big-nosed lead actor was seated, it was time to get down to business.

Dylan, who had accompanied me to assist with today’s auditions, shouted loudly.

“Actor number one, please enter!”

* * *
“You never know what you’re going to get into in this world!”

……Unsteady breathing. Crawling vocalizations. Stuttering over lines that don’t even matter.

Totally subpar.

I sighed heavily.

Becky, who was watching me, whispered.

“Is this person here to play a joke?”

“Yeah. I can’t see anyone great yet.”

In truth, while there were many characters in the story of Pinocchio, most of them appeared briefly and then disappeared again.

The story was mainly focused on Pinocchio.

The majority of other characters had minor roles, so significant talent wasn’t required.

…I can see a few potential candidates.

These are people who, if directed well, can play small, one-person parts.

But… Some roles require more than just handling a small part.

Geppetto, Pinocchio’s creator and father, was one such character.

Geppetto doesn’t get much screen time, either. He’s only in about 15 percent of the whole story.

But they couldn’t just use anyone to play Geppetto.

Geppetto and Pinocchio had to stage a moving reunion scene at the climax of the play.

It was a crucial sequence where Pinocchio, seeing Geppetto suffering and weakened from enduring in the belly of a shark, repented and transformed from a mischievous boy into a genuinely good child.

They needed someone who could pull off the scene.

‘As long as he had a presence that couldn’t be overshadowed by Katarina…….’

I wondered if there were any such actors left at the Crestwell Grand Theater.

I pursed my lips bitterly.

It was probably a futile hope.

‘…… Okay, let’s compromise.’

I need to lower my expectations a little more.

“That’s it for now. We’ll take a 15-minute break.”

After declaring the break, I stepped outside the theater. I needed some fresh air.

As I walked slowly around the theater, I noticed an elderly man lingering nearby.

He was accompanied by what seemed to be his granddaughter.

The granddaughter seemed to be passionately explaining something to her grandfather, who just listened.

I walked past them, shaking my head.

But a few minutes later, when I returned to the same spot, they were still there.

‘What’s going on? ’

Despite knowing it would be rude, I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

“So… he asked you to come here!”

“But, Lydia……. I’m too old to be on stage.”

“They don’t care about age; look, it says right here!”

The granddaughter shoved the paper in front of her grandfather’s eyes.

Hmm, that’s…?

It’s our theater’s audition flyer.

The granddaughter seemed to be persuading her grandfather to audition.

Unlike the girl’s eagerness, the old man was somehow intimidated.

He glanced at the flyer for a moment and shook his head sullenly.

“Even if that’s the case, it would be surprising for someone as old as me to come. There’s no role suitable for an old man like me. The stage is a glamorous world.”

“Hmm?

Does old age prevent one from being an actor?

It was a perplexing statement.

Where else could you find a job where age doesn’t matter as much as it does for actors?

Perplexed by the strange statement, I approached the two without hesitation.

I decided to strike up a conversation.

“Excuse me, what brings you two to my theater?”

Recognizing my face, the two immediately bowed their heads.

Still feigning ignorance, I pointed to the flyer in the girl’s hand.

“This is an audition flyer for our theater.”

The girl, who had been keeping her head down, couldn’t hold it in any longer and suddenly looked up.

“Yes! It’s my grandfather; he used to be a famous actor! Anthony Brogo!”

“No, I’m just an old man, but…….”

The old man, Anthony, was stunned.

“When I was young, I used to be an actor. But when I told my granddaughter about it, she got her hopes up.”

“What do you mean when you’re young? You’re still an actor……!”

“Lydia!”

It seemed like the argument between the grandfather and granddaughter wouldn’t end anytime soon.

I didn’t have the luxury of time to drag it out. There were still actors to see.

I held out my hand to cut them off.

“I thought the conditions of participation were clearly stated on the flyer?”

Anthony’s shoulders slumped at my words.

“I don’t care about age; all I look for is acting ability.”

Besides, my play needed an old man role.

“See, Grandpa, I’m right!”

The granddaughter’s face lit up with a look of triumphant pride.

She tugged on Anthony’s hand, and he hesitantly followed.

I instructed Dylan to escort him to the waiting room and handed him a piece of paper with the assigned lines.

A few minutes later.

Having seen so many people, my concentration was waning, and my body felt tired.

Becky tapped me on the shoulder as I closed my eyes and stretched.

“Is that person okay, My lady? He looks so weak.”

I heard Becky’s voice whispering anxiously and opened my eyes.

It was Anthony on the stage.

His back was completely bent, and his shoulders were slouched. His health seemed worrisome.

“…Did he look that unwell earlier?”

I was puzzled.

While he seemed to have lost confidence when I met him outside, he didn’t look this bent.

Moreover, there was hardly any life in his eyes..

Like an old man who’d been shipwrecked a long time ago and lost all will to live.

……Wait.

Wait a minute?

I glanced at the assignment’s prompt.

Situation D. An old man is reunited with his long-lost son after being lost in a shark’s belly.