As the business manager for Local 50, Mark Johnson had decided they would maintain some kind of picketing presence during box office hours at Spring Grove. He chose a dozen men to maintain the pressure of carrying signs stating that the theatre was in violation of their contract with the stagehands union.

The pickets walked up and down the sidewalk by the entrance to the parking lot which put them several hundred yards from the theatre building and on public property. But Dennis knew Gillette could see them from his office window, as could each and every customer who drove in for tickets.

Some people stopped to ask about what they were doing, the biggest question being was the theatre safe to attend. They were assured this was a financial situation; the safety of the patrons was not an issue. The cops came by several times a day to make sure they were orderly and had not trespassed on theatre property.

In all it was a quiet protest, but one that had garnered some media attention every day since it began. Dennis shared a shift on the slow march back and forth. He walked beside Mike from the parking lot entrance to the corner and back every evening, waving at those who honked in support. Mark and some of the office staff came by at noon every day to bring the marchers some sandwiches and water. The union was quite familiar with the procedure.

Dennis spent his mornings with Ted, getting an update on the events going on inside the theatre. Gillette was going ahead with his idiotic schemes of painting walls and tearing out carpeting in the lobby. Ted said the place was a mess because the cleaning crew was a bunch of slackers. But Dennis said it didn't matter, Arthur was about to get a wake up call.

The phone call Dennis had made to Los Angeles had stirred up something and he had shared the information with Mark and Mike at their first meeting.

"I'm sure you all know Jim Curry, the director and actor?" Dennis asked.

"Curry Productions…yeah, we know him pretty well," Mark said.

They were sitting in the union offices on Tenth Street in the Dos Rios section of town. Dennis had been invited by Mike to a discussion of the Spring Grove situation on the Monday morning following the walkout. The offices were in a small and hard to find building, tucked in behind a row of warehouses.

"I spoke with him on Saturday morning after Gillette fired me," Dennis said.

Mike sat in his chair nodding, a slow smile creeping across his face. Mark looked a little stunned but his expression invited further explanation.

"I told him my situation and explained what I thought of Bob Gillette. Jim is a busy man so I said I would only ask this once if he could find out anything about the man and he said he would get back to me."

"How do you know Curry?" Mark asked.

"Um, it's personal…we met through a friend," Dennis said.

"So did you hear back yet?" Mike asked.

"Yes, about two hours later. It seems our Bob Gillette works for Neiman Productions. In fact he's one of the owners along with Mr. Neiman. Jim says they are a takeover company and most studios won't work with them, including you guys in the union."

"Neiman, that bunch of assholes," Mark said. "Yeah, they're on everyone's blacklist, especially ours. So this is some kind of game to them?"

"I think they want to financially ruin Pierce and take over The Grove. That way they get the huge reputation of a theatre that's been around for decades and can play down the non-union aspect with the talent. But that's just my guess," Dennis said.

"I'd say that's a pretty accurate guess," Mike said. "Damn, I'd hate to lose that house from our work list, it gives us good standing in the business community."

"Won't these agencies in New York object to booking into a non-union house?" Dennis asked.

Now it was Mark's turn to smile. "You'd think so, but this is all about money and percentages on their end. What Neiman is doing isn't illegal; Pierce is just being a fool."

"Mike and I agree, the shows they have booked for the summer are crap," Dennis said. "So if Gillette spends a lot of money and there's no box office then Arthur is going to take a fall. Will he sell The Grove?"

"He might have to," Mark said. "Who's the booking agent in New York?"

"I have their name right here," Mike said. He opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder filled with contract sheets for the shows at Spring Grove. "Talbot, Brooks and…I'll be damned…Neiman."

"Ah, the plot thickens," Mark said. "Let me make a call."

He picked up the phone and dialed a number while Mike shuffled through the papers. He handed four of them to Dennis, pointing at the bottom paragraph on each sheet. The words didn't mean much to Dennis until he got to the bottom line.

"Theatres under this contract are to have a valid contract with the AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees Union. Local unions are to provide all technical support indicated in the contract for staging, lighting and sound reproduction services."

Dennis looked up and nodded. "Gillette has violated all the contracts, does Arthur even read these things?"

Mike shrugged. "He really should, but Gillette is the one who signs them…that really puts him in a conflict of interest situation. I'm sure Pierce would love to know about this, and so would his lawyers."

Mark put the phone down with a laugh. "OK, this is getting hotter by the minute. That was the Barry Tibbett at the national office. He's going to contact all the locals to see who else has a contract with Talbot, Brooks and Neiman."

"What does that mean?" Dennis asked.

"A little research, and then we'll shut down any theatre that has a contact in violation. The more the merrier and all that pressure will go straight on Neiman. This will take a while to get rolling. In the meantime, Dennis, how would you like to join Local 50?"

So now Dennis walked beside Mike carrying a picket sign, and in his wallet was a pledge card from Local 50. Mark had sponsored Dennis into the apprentice program, Mike had signed off as the new vice-president. In two months the union's quarterly meeting would be held and there would be a general vote to accept or deny membership. It was a foregone conclusion, no one crossed Mark Johnson.

Dennis would remain on the union roll as an apprentice for two years in which time he was eligible to work wherever Local 50 had jurisdiction. The card had space for a half dozen signoffs, places where shop foremen could approve his skills and pass him along. The card had one signature now, and that was Mike Brewer's.

The picket line lasted for two weeks and then Mark held a meeting with Arthur Pierce and his attorneys. By then they had accumulated a portfolio of misdeeds and contract violations by Neiman and could prove the association Bob Gillette had with that company. Dennis would have enjoyed being a fly on the wall during that meeting.

Pierce and his lawyers agreed to terms, one of which was turning over the information to the California Attorney General's office to investigate the fraud perpetrated by Neiman and Gillette. Once again Spring Grove was without a manager, but the union was back and just in time for the musical A Little Night Music.

Brandon was banished from the control booth of the theatre; the union would not forget his indiscretion…but Dennis did. It took only a short conversation with Arthur to win his point.

"You hired him to cover for the union, it's not his fault that they're mad at him," Dennis said.

"I don't want them mad at me again," Arthur said.

"I want him back on my crew for the rest of the summer; it's your payroll not a union issue. I don't think Mike will say anything, and besides…he won't even be here."

That was the truth; Mike was not planning to return to The Grove. Dennis didn't like it but he understood. The very nature of the union meant any one of the members could work the theatre. Pat would be back because he was still hobbling around and couldn't do much else at the moment. But Mike had been replaced by Henry Johnson, Mark's nephew.

At this point no one outside of the union knew of Dennis' position, and until the vote in September it wouldn't be final. But Mark had agreed Dennis should continue at The Grove in his non-union status, and Henry working there was just another plus.

Throughout the Dark Ages at The Grove, the term Ted had laughingly coined, Dennis had fed a constant stream of inside information from Ted to Mike and Mark. It was made easier because Ted had begun making journal entries on the situation the moment Dennis was fired. It had become a manual on how not to run a theatre.

It was several entries about the relationship between Brandon and Gillette that made Dennis decide to take the boy back in to work. Gillette had verbally abused most of the staff in the weeks he had before the ax fell, most of that abuse was aimed at Brandon.

"Tuesday, June ninth," the journal entry read. "Overheard a conversation between Gillette and Brandon about painting lobby walls. Gillette insists the walls be painted by next week, Brandon states he has to meet the technical requirements of the ice show and that is where his time is focused. Gillette says he must accomplish both."

"Friday, June twelfth: Gillette is upset because there is no one to observe the performers backstage. Brandon clearly states he cannot leave the control booth and deal with backstage. Gillette will not allow any of the old crew back into the theatre and says he will send an usher back there. He better not ask me."

The ice show was loaded in using day laborers from a temp agency. Brandon had insisted he was not a carpenter, just a lighting person. Gillette hired a local contractor to build the stage extensions and they were barely done in time. It was one thing after another, and then it all came to a halt.

"Wednesday, June fourteenth." Dennis could almost hear the laughter in Ted's words. "Arthur Pierce and his lawyer appeared at six in the evening, they both looked furious. There was a lot of yelling in the front office for a while and then the lobby door was buzzed open to admit two uniformed county police officers.

"They stood outside the office and listened to the noise for just a moment before proceeding into the outer office. A few minutes later they emerged with Gillette walking between them and escorted him outside the building. Pierce and his lawyer appeared shortly thereafter and also left the building.

"Charlie Bloom, the box office manager, appeared in the lobby and asked me what had just happened. I informed him that it seemed the theatre was once again without a manager. He shrugged and returned to the box office. Mr. Pierce returned to the theatre just before the house opened and assembled the ushers to inform us that Charlie would be our boss for a while."

Pat had complimented Ted on his narrative of the events when they returned that weekend, it was the first night any of them had met Henry.

"You're Dennis, my uncle told me about you," Henry said as they shook hands. "I imagine Cabot is about the same, lame old Brady still in charge?"

Dennis smiled. "Of course, I think Lynch likes it that way."

"Mark tells me you did a good thing and says I should teach you everything I know," Henry said. "I can't imagine anything we do here is a teachable moment. In fact you might have to tell me a few things."

"Anything you want, but Pat's the man," Dennis said.

For his part Brandon was a quiet sullen boy at the beginning of their week for A Little Night Music. There was a crew of four to meet the scenery needs and escort the performers in the aisles, just standard fare. Gina and John just seemed to take everything in stride and Brandon's mood soon changed.

"I fucked up, I'm sorry," Brandon said when he first heard from Dennis. "Why do you want me back?"

"Because you know the job and because everyone is allowed to make mistakes," Dennis said. "Arthur hired you; he did that because Gillette fooled everyone including me. We need you here, Arthur agrees with me. I'd just stay out of the control booth for a while."

A Little Night Music was a Stephen Sondheim musical, a low key dramatic production with singing that was carried by a star cast when it first opened on Broadway in 1973. Dennis got that much from Ted who researched it online. Neither of them knew the music and wondered if anyone would come to see it.

This was the first show of the season with a full orchestra, members of the musician's union who would be under the direction of the touring conductor. As usual the scenery arrived by truck bright and early on Tuesday morning and Dennis was delighted to see that the entire set consisted of props. The cast was due in at noon for a three hour rehearsal period. They would break for dinner and return at six-thirty for an eight o'clock opening.

Henry spoke with the production manager, hauled out the ladder and arranged some spots, changed a few colors in the lights and that was it. Gina, John and Brandon laid out the props around the circle while Dennis climbed the ladder and hung microphones for Pat. They were finished by eleven, and sat down to wait.

One by one the cast trickled through the door, faces Dennis didn't recognize but they all had strong voices. With a cast of fourteen the dressing rooms were full of life once again; it was beginning to feel like things were looking up…and then cast member fifteen arrived.

The last time he had seen her Dennis was afraid her health was fading, but he should have known better. This would be the first time she had performed on stage in about twenty years, but her name would be the big draw. Gloria could now reveal herself as the wonderful and ever talented Betty Compton, her name alone would bring in an audience.

Her smile lit up the theatre as she saw Dennis rushing over to greet her, and the hug they shared was the best part of her day.

"OK, the sham is over, I'm Betty…but I suppose you know that by now," She laughed.

"Oh the deception worked for a while. I'll have to get used to calling you Betty," Dennis said. "I had no idea you were in the show."

"I was getting bored sitting at home. When I told Macy I was going back on stage she had a fit, but I think she's enjoying this almost as much as I am," Betty said.

"What can we do to make you comfortable?" Dennis asked.

"Just point me towards the stage every night, and I might need a little help on those steep aisles."

Betty would play Madame Armfeldt, the mother of the main female lead. Dennis would make sure to personally escort her up and down the aisles; nothing could happen to this most precious lady.

The production manager was a quiet and efficient man named Norman Osterman, and once the crew was assembled he told them what was expected and how this production would be different.

"The cast will place many of the props themselves; all you must do is deliver them down the aisle to the stage," Norman said. "This is a play about wasting time and so the cast will take their time setting props in place and fidget with them along the way. It's all part of the blocking and the music, you'll see."

He looked right at Dennis. "It seems Betty is a friend of yours and I welcome that. She's been quite a little prankster these past few weeks, that's the only warning you'll get from me. OK, let's run this thing."

Prankster…Betty? Dennis wondered what the man meant, but he had a week to find out and in that time Betty didn't disappoint them. She turned out to be a clever and devious cast member, pulling her little pranks on everyone without prejudice.

The Sacramento Bee was there that first evening to see Betty perform, and her comeback was in Wednesday morning's paper. Ticket sales quickly escalated and they settled in for a nice week of fun. Ted was amazed to see Betty in the theatre and in a flash Dennis knew what he had to do.

"Charlie, I'm going to take Ted Cavanaugh onto the crew for the rest of this week, I need a hand with Ms. Compton."

"Uh, well…I suppose we can pull someone else in to replace him," Charlie said.

"Do that, and if he works out I may keep him in the crew for the rest of the season," Dennis said.

In essence Ted became Betty's valet and escort, chores Macy was only too willing to share. Dennis could tell Betty had been running her ragged with this venture of returning to the stage. Ted was thrilled for the opportunity when Dennis dropped it in his lap that afternoon.

The cast had their rehearsal with piano and broke at two-thirty; the musicians would have their run through at three. Betty told Macy to drive her back to the hotel for a rest period, which Dennis knew was a polite way of saying the woman wanted a nap. The call was at six-thirty so Dennis took Ted out for dinner.

Lombardy's was a fine Italian restaurant, close to the theatre and a place they always suggested the performers might dine. Kenny had built up business for the restaurant by having them cater a buffet on Sunday afternoons when there was a matinee and an evening performance. Sometimes it didn't pay to allow a cast out of the theatre.

The summer before Dennis arrived at The Grove a whole group of actors had become lost in the city and didn't make the six-thirty call. Panic had ensued when it was discovered that five cast members were missing. It seems they had all piled into a rental car after the matinee and were off to find a particular sushi restaurant in the city.

Kenny had to tell Tony, who blew his top, and they decided right then the best thing to do was institute the buffet for the cast between shows. As for the errant cast members, they had eaten dinner, taken a wrong turn and were on the highway to Placerville before they knew it. They called the theatre to ask for directions only after they noticed the mountains were growing larger instead of smaller. Fortunately their entrance wasn't until scene three, but they went on in street clothes.

"I love this old place," Ted said as they sat down at a table. "My mom used to bring us here all the time. That's probably why Dad avoids it now."

"That's sad," Dennis said. "The last time I was in here was when Clarence Connolly wanted a big spaghetti dinner before we opened Camelot last summer. I remember he sat alone in his dressing room and ate, probably trying to remember his lines."

"What is Pierce going to do about all the dark weeks in July and August?" Ted asked.

"Charlie says he's working his tail off to find shows and that's why he hasn't been around. I also think he's ashamed to show his face to any of us after that Gillette fiasco."

Ted shook his head. "It's gonna be hard, stuff like that is booked months in advance."

"He better think of something, there are twenty-five people on the payroll and that takes money," Dennis said.

"This may sound strange but I'm looking forward to the end of this summer," Ted said.

Dennis raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

Ted smiled. "Yeah, this will be your senior year. I was kinda worried about you graduating before me, but not any more. I know we have a commitment and that will carry us through anything."

Dennis nodded. "I've been thinking about that too…you know what they say about great minds…"

"Have you thought about college? I imagine there must be dozens of theatre schools out there," Ted said.

"Oh sure, but I'll end up at UCLA," Dennis said.

"Why there?"

"Hmm, just because it's a great school. Lots of famous people went through there, some even managed to get a degree," Dennis laughed.

"You have to finish…or are you just going to work union?"

Dennis put down his fork. "OK, here's how I see it. You're a year behind and no matter what I think about doing I have to consider that. I'm not going to run off to Los Angles and leave you here, and that's a definite. So I'm thinking about working union for a year and then going to college."

Ted nodded. "That works."

"Are you still on track for a journalism career?" Dennis asked.

Ted shook his head. "No, that's too narrow…and I have been doing my research. If you go to UCLA I will too, only my major will be in information studies. That's a much broader spectrum which involves media, culture and education."

"You want to teach? I think you'd make a good teacher," Dennis said.

"Uh, well maybe, but I had a larger objective. When Jim said he'd take us on as interns I started thinking about films. He makes movies with characters in comedic situations but there's always this undercurrent of social consciousness. I want to write, I'll always want to write, and maybe I can do a screenplay."

"Wow, that's ambitious," Dennis said.

"Gay boys are like that," Ted laughed, and then he became serious. "Finding a mainstream approach to writing about gay issues, that's an ambitious goal. Films like Brokeback Mountain certainly gained a lot of attention and that was developed out of a short story in a magazine."

Ted sighed. "I'm going to write a cultural piece, and by that I mean gay culture. It won't happen next year or the one after that. I need a major that teaches me how to do research and won't reject anything I want to look at; at least it's a place to start."

"Sounds like a plan," Dennis said. "I guess that means we need to cultivate our relationships with Betty and Jim."

"And Vince and Mike. We've been given access to a whole bunch of people that will support us," Ted said. "I suppose you owe Bobby a debt of thanks for that."

Dennis nodded. "He'll be back through here next month; I can't wait to introduce you."

Opening night for A Little Night Music was like a breath of fresh air at Spring Grove. The musical was a look at relationships between lovers, friends and family. Sondheim's music was modern and a little strange to Dennis' ears, but in general he liked it.

Working crew for a show took most of his focus, as did having a new union man in the booth. Dennis was back to making his opening announcements and then he stood behind Henry as the opening scene unfolded. Norman called out his cues in a quiet deliberate manner; it was all like real theatre once again.

Dennis took his position to carry two chairs down for the scene change, looking over at the top of the main aisle where Ted waited beside Betty, and they went into the blackout. Dennis delivered his chairs as Gina, John and Brandon carried assorted props down other aisles and set them on the edge of the stage.

As usual Dennis crouched at the bottom of the aisle to watch the scene change unfold. It was his responsibility so he would always be the last man out. Ted brought Betty up the ramp all the way to the stage and left her standing in the dark as he made his exit. Dennis turned and ran up the aisle just as the lights came up.

The house wasn't full tonight so once he cleared the seated audience Dennis turned and sat down on the floor to watch. Betty slowly walked over and moved a chair to her starting position for the scene as other cast members flowed onto the stage and arranged their props. It was a strange way to block a show, but it worked.

Dennis now had a good view of the whole stage as the cast acted and sang their way through the first act. Having acted the role of Christopher Wren he now understood the dynamics a cast could bring to a show. In his estimation this cast was like a well oiled machine, it was wonderful to watch such talent in action. And then he saw Betty pull her first prank.

At first he couldn't believe it. This was a side of her he didn't know at all. As Gloria she was charming, witty and loads of fun. Now he watched her set a prop down and realized what she was setting up…what a stinker.

All the while her daughter rattled on about this man, Madame Armfeldt had sat quietly with knitting in her lap. It was only a bit of foolishness to keep her hands busy and present the image of the Momma going about her normal routine even as the daughter explained how her life was anything but normal.

At Betty's feet sat a sewing box into which she placed the knitting as the scene progressed. She would pick up the box, open the lid and put the yarn and needles inside as she delivered her admonishment to her daughter. It all looked perfectly normal until she put the sewing box down and Dennis saw that she had placed it on the stage upside down.

It was Gina's prop to pick up along with several other items at the end of the scene. The minute Gina grabbed the box the contents would spill out on the floor. Dennis looked across the theatre and saw Gina across the circle leaning against the back wall. She couldn't see what Betty had just set up.

OK, it was a minor thing. Gina would probably catch it as she moved the box. Betty was out there having fun at the expense of the crew. Now that he knew what she was doing Dennis would have to keep an eye on her. It would become a contest between them; it certainly would keep the show from becoming boring.

Act One ended without any other pranks and Gina caught the one with the sewing box almost immediately. Dennis thought about saying something to Betty, but decided to see how the game would play out. Ted didn't suspect a thing, but then he was new at this.

Act Two opened with a scene in the dining room which included a table set with china, crystal and silverware. Half the table came down aisle six and the other half down aisle five, the whole setup taking place in a blackout following the intermission.

The table was fully loaded as it was carried in, everything either strapped down or held in place with Velcro strips. The ivory colored table cloth was covered with small straps sewn in place to hold the silverware, the glasses and plates held down with clear Velcro. It was a clever design which allowed the crew to lift each half and carry it down to the stage.

The actors knew enough to fidget with their forks and knives, loosening them before use. The serving dishes carried on by the two servants held real food, vegetables and canned meats that had been heated in the microwave backstage. The wine bottles made the rounds and Dennis had checked before the show, they held real wine.

The cast was having a wonderful time until the arguments began, followed by shouts and actors leaving the scene. It was a wild scene with lots of movement and Dennis knew Betty would pull something here; it was too good to pass up. Unfortunately he watched closely and didn't catch her.

Dennis and Gina went for their half of the table at the end of the scene just as the blackout hit. They each took a side and lifted the table only to hear a fork hit the stage floor with a clatter. Score one for Betty.

She tried the same trick every night thereafter. All she had to do was hold back one fork instead of slipping it back in the straps like the other actors. Then she would casually lay it across the divide between the two table halves. The good thing about her prank was that now the entire crew was staying alert to catch her, it made for a lively week.

On Friday evening Arthur Pierce was waiting in the office when Dennis arrived for the six-thirty call.

"Dennis, I have some good news," Arthur said. "I've booked six shows in here for July and August. Two singers, a magician and three variety shows. They're the best deals I could get."

"I'm glad to hear that, we don't need any dark weeks," Dennis said. "But can we do a magic act in the round?"

"This guy says he can, I saw his act in Las Vegas and he's incredible. I've been there the past three days stealing talent, wait until you see what I've rounded up."

"What's in the variety shows?" Dennis asked.

"Ahh, that's where we'll shine the brightest," Arthur said. "Two of them feature black performers; we have a large community for that here. The other is a young talent group, all country music stars."

Dennis almost laughed. It was like Arthur had been reading his mind. "Those will do well, how come we haven't done these types of shows before?"

Arthur shook his head. "I had idiots in New York telling me what to do. I'm not listening to them anymore."

"Thank you for that," Dennis said. "And since you don't have that money drain in the front office anymore I'd like to throw a cast buffet for these people on Sunday afternoon, with your permission of course."

"Lombardy's?"

"Absolutely, and I might even introduce you to Betty Compton," Dennis said.

"Right, she's in the show. I love that woman," Arthur said.

"She's been a particular friend of mine for a couple of years. She's been the life of the show here this week, but you've been away. Come on backstage and I'll do the introductions," Dennis said.

It felt a little strange to be talking to Arthur like this, their relationship certainly had changed. Dennis felt like he could work with this man now that the obstacles had been removed.

Betty was kind and considerate, sensing that's what Dennis wanted from her. She shook Arthur's hand and told him what a wonderful staff he had and how much fun the cast was having. Dennis left her with Arthur and called Lombardy's, dinner for twenty-five was ordered for Sunday at five.

Dennis and the crew pulled out all the stops for the dinner, which was held backstage between shows. As always Mr. Capuano, who owned the restaurant, laid out a beautiful buffet and provided them with linens and table service for the guests.

Betty sat beside Ted who offered to bring her a plate of food and she accepted. The cast all lined up and filled their plates before sitting down. Ted sat a plate of salad and light pasta before Betty who smiled and thanked him for his kindness. Gina stood back with her camera to capture the moment.

Betty reached for her fork and looked amazed; it wouldn't budge off the table. She looked up at Dennis who smiled and Gina snapped the photo. Betty started laughing when she realized the crew had its revenge, they had glued her silverware to the table. Ted laughed with her and then handed over his fork.

A Little Night Music closed that evening to a full house and a most appreciative audience. Betty was off with the cast to Portland and another four weeks of the tour. If things all worked out well they would be reunited in Tahoe after Christmas.

Like all such moments in theatre the closing of a good show was sad, but there was little time to mourn the loss. Monday at The Grove would be a dark day and then another show would roll in the door. Those who chose to work in technical theatre always looked forward to the adventure and mystery they performed. Overcoming the challenges of each show allowed them little time to become experts before they had to present it all to an audience.

The Grove had several variety shows, evenings of song and humor, before Jesus Christ Superstar arrived in mid-July. It was an old show undergoing a revival, a show that reflected an unfamiliar past, at least to Dennis. The cast was filled with unknowns whose only commonality was that they all looked like hippies from the 1960's.

The music was a Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber concoction and heralded the opening of a new decade, the 1970's. This tour was a bare bones production; there was no set at all. Everything was in the lighting and costumes. The energy of the cast was apparent from the very first appearance on stage, and that made the show credible.

To Dennis this all seemed little more than a concert; except the show required four crew members to escort the cast up and down the aisles and assist with costume changes. Some of the cast were college students and that reminded Dennis that Bobby would be in San Francisco this week on the Rent tour.

Ted was back at it, writing his impressions of the shows and sending them off to the Sacramento Bee. The editor there had his own events reporter but when she was busy Ted's column would appear. The man had actually called and offered Ted a contract, but the boy refused. It was all about the experience and not the money.

Superstar ended its week and they moved on to Arthur's magician, The Amazing Billy Teague. Both Henry and Pat were sure the show would bomb, but Dennis was willing to wait and see. None of them was prepared for the flamboyant talents Billy immediately displayed.

Dennis was backstage when the rear door opened and in walked a man wearing a top hat and tails. It had to be their magician.

"Hello…Mr. Teague?" Dennis asked.

"That's me. Call me Billy."

"Dennis King, the crew chief. The theatre is right through there if you want a look."

"Sure do. It's hot outside, is the air conditioning on?"

"It is, takes a while to chill this big old place down," Dennis said.

Billy walked through the doors into the house and stood at the top of the aisle. He wet a finger and stuck it up in the air.

"If I asked, can the air be shut down for a little while?" Billy asked.

"Um, yes, I'm sure it can."

"Just like ten minutes during the show, that's all I need."

They walked down the aisle where Henry and Pat had the ladder positioned. Billy walked the circumference of the turntable and smiled.

"I like this, it feels wide open…do you have a stool?"

Dennis fished a stool out of the orchestra pit and Billy took off his hat and set it upside down on the stool. Henry introduced himself and Pat, Billy nodded in return.

"I just need some general lighting, enough for everyone to see what I'm doing," Billy said. "I'll need a blackout at a couple of places just to reset a few things."

Henry smiled. "We keep secrets very well."

Billy laughed. "I'm sure you do."

The whole time during their talk Billy had fished a new deck of cards out of his pocket, removed the wrapper and opened it. He handed Dennis the box and wrapping before spreading the cards out in his hand. He cut the deck and quickly fanned a half in each hand before putting the deck back together.

"I told Dennis I'll need the air handlers shut down for a few minutes, it knocks my aim all to hell," Billy said.

He was standing across the stage from his hat and he began tossing cards. They sailed over to the hat and dropped right in. He walked the perimeter and kept on tossing cards. He was halfway through the deck before one missed. He looked up at the ceiling and held out a hand.

"Yeah, there's a draft about here."

"Let me shut it down for a while," Dennis said.

For the next twenty minutes Billy put on a display of card throwing that didn't seem possible. At one point he had Dennis carry the hat out into the house and stand still. Despite the distance of some fifty feet the cards all fell in the hat.

"How far can you be accurate?" Henry asked.

"I think my record is like a hundred and twenty feet," Billy said. He looked up the aisle at the control booth window. "That's your station up there, isn't it?" He asked.

Pat was sitting at the sound board when the first card sailed in through the window; Billy had made the shot on the first attempt. He tossed five more cards at Pat and then stopped.

"Yeah, we'll have fun this week," Billy declared. "Has Milton arrived yet?"

Milton Chang was the other half of the show. He had been partnered with Billy for five years and their acts couldn't have been more diverse. Billy was a master with cards and sleight of hand, Milton was all about the birds.

By late afternoon the Men's dressing room sounded like an aviary, with a dozen cages of exotic birds and a few plain ones. Milton himself was a thin fellow dressed in a Chinese silk gown that held innumerable pockets for his little feathered friends. After watching just a few moments Dennis couldn't decide who the real talent was, Milton or his birds.

Missy Chow was a parrot, a very beautiful multi-colored bird who talked up a storm. She was outfitted with a wireless microphone so that not a word of her speech would be missed. Just how a bird could be taught all that she said was part of the charm, Missy had a foul mouth on occasion.

Milton treated Missy like his sidekick in the act. When a dove performed a handkerchief trick the parrot would comment. The little dove would stand on Milton's folding table and wrap itself in the folds of the handkerchief while Missy accused the little bird of being a trollop.

"See how she does that?" Missy said. "There's a lady who's got experience between the sheets."

It took Dennis and the others on the crew most of Milton's act to realize the man was a ventriloquist and much of what Missy said came from his throat. But the parrot played it large and the audience was fooled.

Most of the birds knew enough to stay out of the overhead lights, but occasionally that week one of them would roost up in the ring and refuse to come down. Missy of course would make comments about birds that were reluctant to perform becoming dove pie after the show.

Milton was the perfect opening act for Billy. And later on when Billy pulled audience members up on stage to assist a bird would fly down to deliver the answer to a puzzle. Billy seemed to be quite familiar with the birds and especially a small green parakeet named Bobby.

The first woman who volunteered to come up on stage was handed a card and told to hang on to it. She looked completely flustered a few minutes later when she lost track of the card as Billy handed her several other props to hold. He of course had stolen it back from her before getting her to admit she'd lost it.

"I think we need to call in the parrot police to help you find it," Billy said. "Is there a Bobby in the house?"

About ten seconds later a green parakeet appeared and fluttered down to his shoulder with a card in its mouth. Billy reached up to take the card and the bird ran around behind his neck out of reach. Two more attempts failed as well. Bobby was not going to allow Billy to take the card.

"I believe our little Bobby knows the card belongs to you, would you take it from him please," Billy asked. And of course it was her card, a trick that defied an answer. It was another fun week at The Grove.

Saturday morning Dennis was sitting beside the pool in Ted's back yard when his phone rang. Dennis looked at the device and sighed; only his mother and work had the number.

"Hello," Dennis said. The caller ID showed a 415 area code and an unfamiliar number.

"Dennis, oh great, I found you…this is Bobby, your mother gave me the number."

Dennis sat up with a smile. "Bobby…you're here?"

"Almost, I'm in San Fran until the show closes tomorrow night, but then I have three days off and I'm coming home to see the folks…are you free?"

"Depends upon how you define that, I have Monday off from the theatre," Dennis said.

Bobby laughed. "It's Ted, right? I ran into Glor…Betty who was in town last weekend to see our show. She told me all about you and your accomplishments."

"I want to see you, Ted wants to meet you too," Dennis said. "Do you have time on Monday?"

"I'll make time; let's do dinner…where would you like to go?" Bobby asked.

"Nope, it's my treat this time, I owe you so much," Dennis said.

There was a moment of silence and then Bobby sighed. "I have so much to tell you guys. OK, you pick the place for dinner, I'll come to your house around six…will that do?"

"Perfect," Dennis said. "See you Monday night."

Dennis closed his phone and sat quietly for a moment.

"I gather we're going to dinner with Bobby on Monday night," Ted said.

"Yes…is that all right with you?"

"Sure, I have to meet him, I feel like I already know him. Should we take him to Robard's?"

Dennis smiled. "Bobby won't be impressed, we could eat at McDonalds. He's coming to see you, Ted."

"Me? Whatever for?"

"I have no idea what Betty had to say about you, but I get the feeling he wants to see if you can walk on water."

Ted could only smile. "If that's the case then I think he loved you more than he let on. He had committed himself to leaving, but losing you wasn't part of the deal."

"He's been gone a year, Ted. We haven't spoken in all that time, what we had is just a memory…and that's where it stays. I owe him a lot for teaching me about myself, and for the introduction to all those wonderful people. But there is no payback; I just want to be friends."

"I'm not worried, just fascinated," Ted said.

"OK, then McDonalds it is," Dennis said.

But it wasn't, Ted insisted they take Bobby to the country club since Monday night was quiet and they would have much of the restaurant to themselves. It was just after six when Bobby pulled up at the house and Dennis suddenly remembered the red hair. It was just as bright as it had been on the video, but it was also provocative.

Dennis gave Bobby a big hug and when they let go Ted stepped right in and hugged Bobby as well.

"I feel like I know you," Ted said. "At least I know all your friends."

Bobby smiled. "Yes, Betty told me about you too, but she didn't say how handsome you are. Dennis is a lucky, lucky man."

"Come on you two, let's get out of here," Dennis said. He should have known right then that they were going to talk about him all night long.

Bobby raised an eyebrow at the club. "You're going to spoil him, Ted."

"Not here I don't," Ted laughed.

"So…how long has it been for you two?" Bobby asked.

"A year…a very short year," Dennis said.

"The best things often happen quickly. The tour hasn't allowed me time to develop anything interesting. But we go back to New York in five weeks, and I've made some good friends there."

"Anything permanent?" Dennis asked.

"No…well maybe. Max English is a name you need to remember, he's going right to the top. But there's so much raw talent out there, the competition is fierce. Max is working off Broadway now and that bunch is a whole subculture in the performing world. But what they're doing now will develop into the mainstream in five or ten years.

"Look at Rent, that show was pretty avant guard when it opened, now it's contemporary. But I can't see myself standing naked on a stage singing about eating bean sprouts, that's not me. I want in on a revival, I need an understudy role. I met the casting director for Spamalot before I left town, he's got some other projects working. I just have to get back there for the auditions."

Dennis could feel the tension, Bobby was all wound up. Ted could identify with something like that; he'd lived half his life being off the wall. But they managed to share a great deal over dinner and Bobby confirmed some things that Dennis had been thinking about.

"You take Jim up on those internships, I know someone in his organization. The future plans in a production outfit are always secret, but Jim has bigger secrets to hide than most these days. His ten year projection is almost completely funded, that's just incredible, and no one else can say that."

It was much later, long after they had hugged Bobby goodbye and returned to take a midnight swim that Ted asked the pertinent question of the evening.

"Will he make it? I see all the energy he has but does he have the talent to go with it?"

"He'll do just fine," Dennis replied. "He doesn't have the financial needs to worry about like most performers. He knows that timing is critical, he needs to be in the right place when things start happening. Bobby is a strong person with big dreams, he'll do just fine."

"And what about us? Do you think Jim is in our future? I want to write, you want to design. Will being an intern make that happen?" Ted asked.

"We have to start somewhere," Dennis said. "It just has to be the right start and I think Jim offers something unique."

"So who's the better lover, me or Bobby?"

"Oh no, you did not ask me that," Dennis laughed. "There's no comparison, there never will be. Bobby took but we share…everything."

"That's what I thought," Ted said.

"Hey, it's after midnight," Dennis said. "Happy Birthday to you."

"Yeah, seventeen," Ted said.

"You told your Dad no party; this would just be a quiet family thing."

"Family includes you…especially you," Ted said. "I don't know how I feel about turning seventeen; it doesn't feel like any great accomplishment."

"Don't think of it like that, birthdays are just stepping stones. When I fell in love with you I wasn't thinking about your age. Age is just a sign of progress and look how far you've come since we met. Every day I'm with you is like a birthday to me."

The water was cool, the kisses hot, and under the stars they shared a sincere expression of love once again. The future was something they couldn't quite see, but it was there. Choices had to be made, not today but certainly tomorrow. It was enough for each of them to understand that those choices would not have to be made alone.


On to Chapter Fifteen

Back to Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Index

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Exit Stage Left is © 2010 by Chris James.
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