“Araceli, you need to relax”, says a voice over the intercom. “Tech week - it’s always like this.”
“I’m not always getting tangled with the damn lights.” says the towering olive-skinned woman in center stage. She soars above everyone else, her strands of brown hair with blonde highlights caught on the lightbar 30-feet above the stage. “Can I get some help here please?”
“We’re on hold everybody”, orders the intercom voice. “We need the lift on stage, please! Everyone else stay where you are.”
A pair of stagehands rush in with a scissor lift. Omar, the lead actor, hops on the lift and raises it to the scaffold bar, dashing to untangle Araceli’s hair.
“Ow! Careful!” shrieks Araceli, taking a small step back and shaking the stage as she puts her bare foot down. The tussling knocks one of the lanterns off the bar, and it smashes to pieces on the floor, just missing one of the actors.
“Clear the stage, please!” the intercom voice hollers.
“Hold still, Celi!” yells an exasperated Omar, grasping and pulling on the thick strands of hair.
A loud rumble as the giant woman centerstage speaks. “Dammit, Omar! Stop!”She grabs the scaffold bar and lifts it completely, catching Omar by surprise and leaving him dangling from the posts. There are gasps and commotion from the crew.
Araceli unscrambles her tangled strands, finally freeing herself. She sets the bar back in place, picks up Omar and sets him down on the floor. “THERE! Geez!”
Naila, the stage manager, climbs up the stairs to the stage, a headset around her neck. She snaps her fingers at the petrified, plump Omar, who’s stuck in awe at the sight of Araceli. “Omar, honey, hello?”
No response. Omar is dumbstruck.
“Everybody please, take ten. We’re gonna rerun the whole scene again. Cinderella’s Prince, Little Red, go over those lines! And can we clean up this mess and replace the light?”
Naila’s entry (07/21/18)
So tonight was the first day of tech, and it was less than productive, if not a complete shitshow. Araceli completed the size amplification treatment and it’s been very successful – perhaps too much. She’s grown to more than 30 feet, and stands as a daunting giantess, towering over the rest of the cast. It’s damn effective at intimidating the other actors. Johan nearly shit his pants when he stepped onstage and even forgot his lines, the little prick – as much of a diva as he is to work with, it was fun to see him stutter and stumble for once.
We picked a hell of a show to go all out on. Arranging the treatment for Celi, getting transportation for her, getting the damn supplies and crew to do her makeup and costume, ordering massive portions of food to keep her from passing out… getting a space large enough to perform in….on top all the USUAL madness of doing live theater...
Araceli is still reeling from the after-effects of the treatment. The sickness continues after each growth spurt, although we’ve got a handle on it now – more or less. We moved one of the dumpsters just outside the loading dock.
Which reminds me, I need to write an apology card for Hailey…
Araceli's entry
This show is getting torn to pieces, and I’m doing the tearing.
The growth spurts haven’t stopped – it happened again today, right in the middle of rehearsal and I grew right through the lightbars. I ripped through the costume – again- and it’ll take the wardrobe guys all night to stitch it back up, so I guess I’m back to using the damn curtain drapes another night.
We stopped the treatment last week, but I’m still growing. If this keeps going I’m gonna burst through the roof. Trying to stay hidden from the public is absurd. I mean, having to travel cramped into an 18-wheeler to and from the theatre? I know as a performer you’re supposed to be flexible, but goddamn! I’m having to stay at a storage warehouse just outside the city, where everything they have is way too small for me to use.
What’s really unnerving is the fucking lack of privacy! Having a dozen people all over me trying to do my hair, touching and grabbing and tugging on me to fit into costume and makeup...Especially during rehearsal, there’s no place large enough to hide in –I’m constantly being glared at by those creepy stagehands. I just KNOW they’ve been taking photos of me. Naila says they took their phones away, but who’s to say they didn’t already post them?
I feel invaded, overworked, and violated. Though I’m getting larger and stronger each day. They’re gonna make me snap, and I’ll end up snapping one of them in half! And I could do without the condescending - this is turning less about the show and more about me – the freak attraction for everyone to point their fucking fingers at and take photos and sexualize and fantasize over. I’m half tempted to up and quit and never come back.
But, without completing the reversal treatment...is there any going back from this?
Araceli carefully drops to the stage floor. As she stretches her legs out, she accidentally knocks Omar off the stage with her foot.
ARACELI - Ugh! Sorry, Omar! I’m sorry.
Naila gets up on stage. She sits, legs crossed before the imposing giantess.
NAILA - Celi, honey—
ARACELI - Don’t Celi-honey me, okay? Our little experiment is going just as bad as I feared.
NAILA - Are you kidding me? Just from a short promo video online, opening weekend is sold out. You know how fucking rare that is! I get it, it’s... batshit crazy, but it’s going to be fine.
Araceli slams her hand on the stage. Naila is startled but doesn’t back away.
ARACELI - You’re not the one growing more gigantic every day. You told me it would stop at 18 feet!
Araceli’s eyes shoot wide open. A sharp tingling shoots up her spine. Feeling queasy, she leans on the wall to pick herself up.
ARACELI - Ohhh, here it goes! Everything’s spinning again. Fuck!!!
NAILA- Backstage, open the back gate NOW!
Araceli scrambles offstage, shaking the ground with every step. Set pieces and prop trees collapse as she dashes outside. She throws up on the open dumpster on the loading dock. Naila dashes to catch up with her.
NAILA - At least you made it this time. Poor Hailey is still having nightmares from the day she didn’t duck quick enough.
Omar's entry
Holy shit! We are about to rock everybody’s freaking socks off! The first-ever performance of Into The Woods with an ACTUAL GIANTESS! An ACTUAL GIANTESS haunting the stage, pounding and screaming! Araceli’s such a trooper for going through with this. It can’t be easy being that huge, having to mind where you step and on top of it trying to follow directions and memorizing lines.
It’s such a rush, so exciting being onstage with her. You can’t FAKE the enormity of this with effects... We are legit being hunted by this gigantic, powerful beautiful woman that could easily crush us to a pulp with a smack of her hand. Playing Jack, the giant slayer was always my dream role, and boy am I AMPED to do this! I am a little worried -- especially about that scene after we attack her and she is killed and falls. A couple of our castmates are already in the hospital. Lucky they’re not in the morgue, honestly. Thankfully, Johan only went to the hospital with a broken leg.
HA! Broken leg. If that isn’t ironic...
Araceli leans against the outside wall, trying to catch her breath. A commotion begins in the street as people try to sneak a peek through the curtains surrounding the back of the theatre.
ARACELI - I feel like a monster. I don’t like being paraded around like fuckin’ King Kong for everyone to gawk and point at. I’m not a damn tourist attraction!
NAILA - No! You’re the giantess! You’re the villain! You should be commanding and terrorizing! Use that anger!
ARACELI - If I use this anger I’m going to crush everyone. We gotta reverse it.
NAILA - We've started trying to revert the process. We knew this was a risk, but we've poured everything we have to make this happen. And it's this close to paying off!
Araceli slams the dumpster lid and stands, wiping off her mouth.
NAILA - We’re gonna get through this. I know you’re making a huge sacrifice…
Araceli gives her a cynical look.
NAILA - Sorry - bad pun. You want something to drink?
She hands Araceli a bottle of tequila. Held in Araceli's huge fingers, it looks even smaller than a shot. She downs it in a single sip.
ARACELI - I guess it’s not without its perks…
NAILA – Cast is back. Come on, we’re going from where you stomp Rapunzel.
Araceli gives a drawn-out sigh. Before she can stand, a cluster of stagehands surround her within seconds.
You okay, Celi? Need anything? Do we have time to redo makeup?
ARACELI (exasperated) - I’m fine, I’m fine!
Johan's entry
Damn Araceli’s pissing me off. This is supposed to be an enchanted world with classic characters, and it’s all being upstaged by Araceli and her oversized ugly mug.
Okay... I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it IS kinda hot seeing such an enormous woman, especially when she’s being aggressive and menacing… BUT ANYWAYS, THAT’S NOT THE POINT!
Maybe we could get some actual work done if everyone wasn’t focused on pampering to her every need. It takes an army of drones and dozens of irons just to straighten her hair...dumping pillows in a tub of makeup to be able to do her face...I’m not here to serve her ginormous pompous ass. I’m here for the music, for the love of theatre, and it’s a LOT more than just a giant-sized freak.
Maybe on opening night I replace the fake arrow for a real iron lance and launch it right through her miserable heart. Stupid crowd would probably lap it up. If what they want is a freakshow, then we’ll GIVE them a fucking freakshow.
The cast prepares to restart rehearsal. Naila speaks to an actress in full princess wear.
NAILA– Hailey, I can’t stress this enough – when you see Celi stepping towards you, you MOVE, all right!
(She looks back to Araceli.)
Remember, Celi, you’re stepping on the Omar next to her, not ON her. I need you to pay really close attention to where she is, okay? We don’t need more folks in the hospital.
A drop of sweat runs down Araceli's face.
ARACELI - Oh, no, no… no…. everyone look out!
The ground trembles again. Araceli groans and doubles over, wracked with pain.
OMAR - She’s growing again!
Araceli’s body expands, her arms stretching across the stage. Her head knocks on the light bar and dislocates it completely. Cast and crew scramble to get out of the stage in panic as the lanterns come crashing down. Araceli struggles to keep her balance – she stumbles back, about to step on Johan. Johan manages to dive out of the way as her foot stomps on the floor with a resounding boom.
JOHAN - Araceli, you idiot, you’re gonna get us all killed!
Enraged, he pokes at her leg with the prop arrow. Araceli tumbles but plants her feet - this time Johan's not quick enough. A loud crack is heard, followed by a hurling scream.
OMAR - Fuck, fuck!
ARACELI - Oh my god! Did I step on someone?
JOHAN – AAAAHHHH, my leg!!! GODDAMMIT!
OMAR – Shit, we need the ambulance. I think his leg is shattered.
Chaos as the crew dashes to Johan. Araceli lifts her foot, distressed, and backs against the wall pulling on her hair.
Naila slams down the headphones on her podium. She runs both hands down her face.
NAILA - We should have done the fuckin’ Chocolate Factory instead…