The White Mask Theater & Performers Guild - RP Thread

[ThatPirateGuy]

*posted on the bulletin board in the theater's dressing room*

I'd like you to welcome two new members to the Mask's family...

Merian and Mia will both be joining the ranks of the Performers Guild. Give'em some support and welcome them in as we rebuild the Guild to it's former prestige.

Fair winds and full sails,

Gregor Capstan


*another letter arrives at Joan's desk, this one written in a much more hesitant hand*

Joan,
Eh.. I never been much of a leader, and I'm not much of a playwright, but the job needs to be filled.. And it needs to be filled by someone who loves the Mask more than about anything. I've a couple ideas for getting her on her feet, but I might need a bit of financing to get them in motion. If we could discuss this, either in person or in correspondence, I would be much obliged.

FWFS,
Gregor

[vetinari]

At the last open stage night, Alison "the Harlequin" Caunwaithon announced the new Director of the Performer's Guild. Everyone expected this eventually, as she had a habit of referring to herself variously as the Provisional Director, Director Pro Temp or Emergency Back-Up Director.

The new Director of the Performer's Guild was announced as Mia Desdemona, who had hosted the last two Open Stage Nights.

After the Event, Alison and another Performer, Valqis, gave Mia a tour of the Theater.

[Steal Your Face]

Aearion hangs around the Theater, pretending to help Alison Whatever-her-name-is-this-week clean out her former pro-tem, interim, provisional office. In reality he's using this as yet another excuse to ogle his wife for whom his affections and desires remain as strong as ever.

As the courier arrives he notes the unwieldy size and shape of the package, breaks into a impish grin and quickly steps forward, "I'll take that!"

He hands the deliverer a generous tip for his effort and turns to meet Alison's curious expression. His eyes sparkle and his grin softens to his sweetest, fondest smile.

As he hands her the still-wrapped portrait, he muses, "Now we need to find someplace more permanent than an elf's tent, a Seeker's residence or a Warden's barracks for this. Until then, maybe a long-term lease on that fancy room at the Juggler?"

[vetinari]

Alison tears open the package, grinning like a little girl on her birthday. As the wrapping cloth falls away, her eyes widen and her mouth drops open.

"Oh my Goddess! Aearion, this is. . . when did you get this done? I never posed for this!"

She looks at her portrait, wondering at how well the artist captured her grin, her wild hair, and her eyes, sparkling with good-natured mischief. After a few moments, she looks up at Aearion, love in her eyes. She carefully sets the portrait aside and gives him a big, tight hug.

"I love you, pumpkin. This is the best gift ever!"

[Mia Desdemona]

After the pirate show Mia welcomes the performers backstage for some drinks and food. After their initial amazement at the backstage they are brought into the lounge and seated on couches. Eyeless gathers goblets and bottles of wine for everyone to share. Mia collects a board of cheeses and bread (requiring the minimal food preparation skills) and also places it on the coffee table.

As everyone happily tucks in Mia gets to business asking who would like to join the Performers Guild and hurriedly writes down names as five people ask to sign up. She then moves on to performance ideas for the next show, and is again blown away as inspiration and energy are thrown around the room. A turbaned man, more interested in the free drink, passes out behind the couches.

As the guests depart Mia wonders how to proceed. She returns to her office and pens letters to each of them inviting them to a practice session at the Theatre. Upon finishing the letters she hires a local messenger to seek out their inns. She then draws up a poster for members and hangs it in the lounge declaring the first Stage Night Practice Session

///Practice is Friday 6pm Eastern time at the Theatre. Come along to brainstorm acts for this weekends show, or team up and practice a duo or more.

[Fragglerock]

Raiyli swiftly snatches the note from the messenger and nods, noting the practice time

[Mia Desdemona]

The White Mask Theatre again opened it’s doors to the public for the Jester themed Open Stage Night.

As Mia opened the show with an explanatory rhyme Raiyli twirled and spun and flipped all over the stage.
The evening moved on from act to hilarious act, songs, jokes and acrobatics kept the audience amused well into the night.

Finally, after a tense vote, it was decided that Beardy the dwarf had won the night with his variety of jokes and his . . . amusing song. He was awarded some handy gloves to improve his grip on instruments.
Backstage the players ate and drank and congratulated each other on a truely successful show.

They decided that next tenday’s show should have a tavern theme, with people singing bar songs and telling bar-related jokes.

///Shows are on Saturdays 6pm Eastern time at the White Mask Theatre in the Palace district.

[Mia Desdemona]

Home is the womb that holds the soul
Home is the place where one is whole.

The White Mask Theatre's Home themed Open Stage Night was a successful evening full of eager participants extolling memories, explanations and musings about their homes. With singing, poems and storytelling the audience listened and applauded Valqis, Renton, Wendel, Thumbler, Julindra, Mia, Dean, Scarlett, annonymous guard and Thedran through their heartfelt and beautiful performances.

Julindra won the evening with a tale explaining the beauty of the road and how the road and wandering was itself her home. She received a glittering necklace.

With his third performance Thumbler was invited to joing the ranks of the Performers Guild and offered the key to his room.

Home is the place where reserves fall
Home is the place you yearn to call

[Mia Desdemona]

Mia put out the call for players, and they came. The stage filled with hopeful players and listened to the scene. They divided into the opposing army sides and acted out the opening battle. A few people tried out the roles of Captain and Karsus but it was decided that Arkaine and Bre should fill them. Thumbler roared out his role as an attacking worm with great vigour alongside Julindra and Amendir. Bre threw impressive looking incantations at the opposition over the heads of his fellow soldiers; Raiyli, Jerent and Arkaine.

The lines were learned and the scene fell into place with relative ease. All players putting great effort into their own roles.

Satisfied, Mia thanked the new cast and spent some time with her co-producer Dean and Bre discussing stage plotting, lighting and costumes.

Mia then returned to her desk, sending scripts to the two new main cast members and working hard on the next scene with renewed inspiration.

//The Rehearsal is being shifted forward an hour to Saturday 4pm EST. See you all then! (Any ANYONE else who wishes to be a part of this).

[Aikura]

A finely dressed woman in a feathered hat is seen strolling through the Palace District and dropping off a couple of pages of parchment at the theatre, with a small but satisfied smile on her face.

[Mia Desdemona]

Last night the gypsies came
Nobody knows from where.
And where they've gone to nobody knows
And nobody seems to care.

The White Mask Theatre held its second outdoor open stage show opposite the Friendly Arm Inn this tenday.
Additional workers were hired to cart props and other construction materials from the Theatre for the special outdoor stage.
Though the night started out a little slow people soon got up their courage and joined the stage resulting in nine excellent performances which received as a whole a standing ovation from the audience.

The performances ranged from jokes to tales and songs. One even containing an impromptu duet and dance, leaving one man with a grin on his face and a lump on his shoulder and one director ready for fall into a seat.

Wendel won the night with his third public performance receiving a stunning ring.

[Mia Desdemona]

The second rehearsal towards the "Karsus's Folly" stage production was itself productive with the actors working their way through two scenes and learning the first of three songs.

While there were some tense moments with costume decisions, magic difficulties and new lines, the scenes came together well. It was also an oppotunity for Vormav, our second 'Captain' to practice alongside the other leads, and for Gimral and Ramir to practice as the opposing Phearimm worms.
Valqis stepped in as an extra during the first scene while awaiting practice on her role as one of the Mystryls. And Railyli worked hard as a soldier before defecting to the worms.

See you all again at rehearsal next week.

//Saturday 4pm EST
//We are filling two people into each of the main roles to allow for time difficulties during the final shows.
So far we have two poeple cast in the Captain and Mystryl roles but only one Karsus. If anyone is interested in the lead role of Karsus please send me a PM or come along to practice and try it out. Preferably male with casting abilities.

[Aikura]

Several more pages are dropped off at the theatre shortly before the next rehearsal. The pages are signed only with a lilac flower seal.

[Mia Desdemona]

Anden Tremelaine and Mia Desdemona Proudly Present:
Karsus’s Folly
An Original Production ably performed by the Performers Guild in the White Mask Theatre!

The players gathered in the Theatre with plenty of time before the show to nervously practice lines, find their places on stage and check their costumes. Mia checked and double checked the props, the backdrops and the effects, having to replace several backdrops that kept mysteriously falling over.

As the crowd trickled in they lowered the curtain, with several members peeking through to see who would come.

Duke Entar Silvershield with his guard and entourage took their place in the high balcony overlooking the audience and the stage. As the opening time rolled by Mia took the spotlight and welcomed the audience announcing the show.

The curtain was raised. Soldiers stood in battle formation in the waning light of evening, clearly the battles had been running long. The Captain yelled and began the charge as dark wormlike creatures stormed the stage threatening to overpower the forces. Karsus cast a powerful spell that knocked them all back and won the battle, allowing Karsus and the Captain a moment of reflection on the state of the war.

Bre and Vormav, as Karsus and the Captain, blew the audience away when they sang out with strong voices their heroic hold on the war, and gradually the risk of losing it. Vormav swung his sword around with strength at every mention of killing the foul Phaerimm.
As the song closed the creatures attacked again, the cast fled backstage as the curtain fell.

It rose again on the scene of Karsus’s tower overlooking the floating city, another in the background. Valqis followed behind Bre, mocking him, taunting him and generally musing in his inability to beat the Phaerimm with magic. As Karsus finds the spell that will sap Mystryl’s power she shrieks and the two of them enter a powerful and angry song about the dangers and desires of ultimate power. Karsus leaves to find the components and the curtain falls again on Valqis acting a rage.

There is a longer pause between these scenes and odd lights can be seen around the cracks in the curtain, some murmuring can be heard as the actors tell each other where to stand.

The curtain rises on a ring of mages with Bre in the middle, all chanting, with powerful lights circling them. Val stalks around the circle demanding that it be stopped; she throws herself at it, but is thrown down each time. Unable to stop the magic by force she decides to stop it by destroying the weave. She pulls out a dagger and plunges it deeply into her own heart. The magic fails. The whole Theatre begins to shake, and shouts can be heard from the cast and audience alike as the city crumbles before their eyes and the ground knocks them deeper into their seats or down onto the stage.

After Mystryl dies, the mages fall and all seems to be lost. Valqis, making the most of the distraction of the effects, quickly slips off her dress, revealing another underneath and shoves it into one of the stages trapdoors, pulling out a wig and a staff. She dispels the magic on her and as the effect cues take place, stands fully transformed as Mystra.
Valqis ends the play lamenting the losses of Netheril with a heartfelt speech that she also expressed physically, falling to the stage as though the weight of the losses were on her.

As the curtain fall Mia takes the spotlight again, closing the story and thanking the audience. The curtain rises to the cast lined along its edge. The crowd stood to applaud on their feet, loudly and enthusiastically. They lingered, waiting to congratulate the cast personally.

The Duke, impressed as he was, thanked the cast and leaving a large donation for the Theatre to continue such shows.

[Mia Desdemona]

(( Please post Screen Shots of the play here))