#36 Falling In Love On A Lighting Gig
Welcome to #36 of Story Press! Please check out some of my other stories:
For free short fiction, click here. I hope you enjoy this story about the trials and tribulations of falling in love in a theatre.
#36 Falling In Love On A Lighting Gig
I took the job without much idea what I was getting into. I’ve been studying stage lighting for two years and the theatre offered me a part time gig, through my college, on the West End. I figured I could do with the money so pulled the woman’s arm off when she made the offer.
There isn’t much to it, press the right buttons, trail the actors with the spotlights, that sort of thing. I get to sit high up in the theatre, on the side of the Grand Circle, and I get a great view for the show.
I used to pair with James, but he was fired for falling asleep on shift. We had noise-cancelling headsets and could speak to each other during the show, timing our lights perfectly. We used to play a game, spotting the odd things that members of the audience did. We saw a girl with curlers in her hair while she watched; a boy whose teeth whistled every time he laughed, which was a lot during this show; a couple that made out violently the whole way through, much to the disgust of the older couples on either side of them. It was great fun.
When James left, Andrew from backstage filled in for a time, but then they hired Anna. Now, I’m looking across the Grand Circle at Anna, her hair shimmering in the dark light, eyes sparkling, as she watches the show.
A curtain rises and three men come out with extravagant hats on and swords by their side and start to bellow a deep, long note in their song. We trail the lights and the band’s drums boom beneath us.
‘Pretty cool, isn’t it?’ she asks through her headset, looking over at me across the Circle.
‘Very cool.’
‘How long have you been doing this?’
‘Oh, six months or so. I’m studying lighting.’
‘Great.’
‘What about you?’
‘What about me?’
‘Why did you take the job?’
Just as I finish the last word, Anna interrupts: ‘Lights!’
We both flick on our spotlights and trail the lead, Michael, a burly, hairy operatic man with uniquely red attire. I nearly missed the cue there, I think. She’s good at this.
When he exits the stage, we go silent.
‘There’s something so romantic about the music of musicals. I feel like I’m living in an epic poem, Ulysses or something.’
‘You mean The Odyssey?’
‘Yes,’ she pulls a face I can barely make out in the dark. ‘I mean The Odyssey.’
‘The next song that comes on, The Master, I hear it in my sleep. I’ve heard it too many times.’
‘I love that one, it’s so funny and catchy.’
‘It’s certainly catchy.’
‘Quick!’ Anna shouts through her microphone.
We flash our spots on again and trail Michael. Damn, I’m so out of form today.
‘Hey,’ I ask in the middle of The Master.
‘Yeah?’
‘Do you want to get a drink after the show?’
‘Sure.’
‘Cool.’
I’m not cool at all. Not in the slightest. I forget the next lighting cue because I’m just imagining me and Anna getting a drink together, laughing and smiling and then whatever else happens on dates.
~
Next night, we’re back in our places and Anna’s extra vigilant. She’s made me run checks three times before it starts. When Michael comes out and she bellows ‘Lights!’ I’m pretty sure I see someone nearby jumping up in their seat.
‘I know I’ve only done this a few times, but I love this job.’
‘It gets quite repetitive.’
‘Don’t ruin it for me.’
‘I thought I’d make it for you. I thought I’d be the reason you love it.’
‘Don’t get ahead of yourself.’
‘Did you have a good time last night?’
Boom! The drums again. Those bloody drums. The band strikes up a violently loud tune and I have to sit waiting for five minutes before we can say anything again.
‘Ah, lovely. That was lovely,’ Anna says.
‘Did you have a good time last night?’
‘I did, I did. Thank you for taking me out. I thought esp-’ Anna cuts herself off: ‘Lights!’
We both swing our spotlights across the stage, and then send a scattering of light from the computer. It simulates rainfall.
‘You don’t have to shout Lights! every time we use the spot, you know.’
‘I know but it works for us, doesn’t it? I think it works.’
‘I guess so.’
‘You’re not exactly on top of it, I have to say.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, if it weren’t for me, you’d forget to do your lights. You’re a daydreamer.’
‘I am not. I take it perfectly seriously!’
‘Lights!’
Bloody hell. Here we go again. Swing the spot. A scattering of rainfall. A few more flickers here and there.
Right, I’ve had enough of this.
I get through the rest of the show. Anna asks if I want to go for a drink, but she hasn’t seen that I’ve dropped my headset to the floor and walked out. I can’t do this.
Six months have passed since I met Anna. We managed to make it work. We’re in a proper relationship now. The only way I could make it work was by quitting my job and taking up another lighting role at a theatre down the road. She still works there and I do miss it. The musical I work on is for children, with lots of animated animals with silly names. Which is fine. It’s better than being alone.
Funny, who knew stage lighting would play such a role in falling in love. And that it would nearly ruin me too.