THE UNDERSTUDY - Act Three

Miss Natalie Primavera is still stuck on the body of
Miss Ava Ross, turning the poor girl's life upside down
with five AM runs and Instagram obsession. She breaks up
with a Trevor boy who serenades her dressed as naked
Miley Cyrus.
And starts flirting with Grayson.
God help us all when I give Jasmine the sugar
plump Ferry roll and pull Natalie, I mean Ava from
the show entirely. To put a stop to this madness,
she has a Prima Donna meldown in my office and
smashes the magic snow globe, releasing dark forces into the world.
Cares ensues.
Meanwhile, the real Ava wakes up trapped in Natalie's broken body.
The girls finally meet at the hospital, each wanting what
the other has. Tragic Eh.
Miss Kenzie, smart Girl, figures out the swap and hatches
a plant. Natalie must learn to be Ava to become
Natalie again. The natural order must be restored or we're
all doomed. Out of my office and listen to the finale.
I FOI will probably be the end for all of us.
Interior stage, Auditorium Day. Miss Miaco sitting in the center
of the audience. Dancers scattered throughout the seats while Jasmine
and Grayson dance the pare do on stage. As they
strike the final pose, Jasmine looks to the audience.
Has anyone seen Mister Constantine?
Interior stage wings continuous, Miss Lana clipboard in hand waves
Natalie over missus Primavera wants to make some adjustment Sonia
costum interior dressing room day. Zoe is seated on her
phone waiting for her turn as missus Primavera fits Natalie
with various costume pieces. Natalie notices her mother's touch, moving
away wisps of her hair to measure her.
Have I told you that you dance just like Natalie?
All ballet looks the same when it's done right now.
Ballet's personal. You and her. You have the same something
it's hard to explain.
Natalie stays silent. Life's so unfair.
Natalie can't play the sugar plum fairy and I'm spending
my senior year in core.
How aim is that Kensey worked her ass off for
that role on top of taking AP classes and college applications.
Some of us don't want to settle for college, do
you know how much work it is to become an influencer.
I just want one hundred thousand followers, Mary, Timothy Shallmy
and I is that really so much to ask for?
A smoky dancer wishes by the mirror behind Natalie. She turns.
There's nothing there. Lights flicker on and off. Zoe's phone
buzzes and she looks at it.
WHOA.
Zoe hurries off.
Timothy Sellon is following my Instagram.
I'm seriously figuring out right now.
I can't breathe. I can't breathe. Natalie checks her phone
and Zoe's page is at one hundred thousand followers. Zoe
pops into the room. Ave's all done and he talks
someone right now. Zoe bear hugs Natalie. Missus Primavera starts
taking Zoe's measurements. Zoe let's go of the hug, and Natalie, dazed,
exits the room.
Samothy Salomy just gave my last pig heart.
He's looking at my feet right now. I'm gonna post
keep your sht onside.
Interior stage, auditorium, Day Brock and Theo performed the Russian
Dance as a duet. Miss Miaco claps along to the
Russian music. Natalie approaches Miss Miaco lifts her fingers, still
watching the dance.
That looks great as a duet. It was their idea,
so neither would miss out on the roll.
Oh THEO and Brock finish, breathing heavily love it. Can
I help you?
Yeah?
I need to talk to mister Constantine.
Have you seen him?
He's been out on a family emergency. Completely unprofessional if
you ask me, But you didn't ask me, Just like
I wasn't asked to be interim artistic director. I wasn't
asked to do mister Constantine's job when he disappeared right
before opening, just like completely not okay, this is like
just I'm so stumped.
Just so. Natalie walks away regretfully, as Miss Miako continues
to ran to herself. Interior Ava's apartment night, Natalie walks in.
Miss Ross is waiting, arms crossed.
I just got off the phone with mister Hall. You're
failing chemistry. How is that possible?
I gotta be on the last test.
One test. Miss Ross pulls out the Royal Ballet audition packet.
And what the hell is this?
You don't think I can get in what am I
supposed to think?
Huh? You convince me to let you go to this school,
that it'll be so easy to graduate valedictorian and get
into Harvard, and today you want to skip college to
be a ballerina. It's out of nowhere.
Missus Primavera is at every rehearsal, ask her how good
I am?
And who is she there for?
Hau Her daughter is rodding away in a hospital bed
while she spends her days with other people's kids.
Natalie is gutted.
I'm auditioning for the Royal Ballet and I'll be out
of your life, just like your husband or dad whatever.
I won't be your problem anymore.
Who are you? Natalie Waivers? Should she tell her? Natalie
prima Vera, Bean's face peeks into the room, Go to.
Your room, Beans, Will you stop blowing her off if
you can't tell, she's dying for your attention and put.
A lock on your phone. She knows about dad and
the twenty four year old mis ross sits defeated.
When your dance career ends at what thirty thirty five,
that's thirty or forty more years of a career you'll.
Need after that?
You need to think about those years too, Ava.
I know, I know, I know.
Okay, every little doubt you have, I have tenfold.
It's constant.
At every audition and every day I'm killing myself to
get my grades up, work study, to get ready for
the show. I'm seventeen, and you want me to think
about when I'm forty. You want as you want a
social life. You want me to never make a single mistake.
I have the whole world to tell me I'm not
good enough, and my own mom is done with me
because I can't be what she wants.
Ms Ross envelops Natalie and a hug. Natalie struggles to
get out of it, but Miss Ross holds.
On, I am never done with you.
Never, Harvard Ballerina, Alaskan crab fishermen, whatever it is, I
just want you to be happy, and I am on
board one hundred percent.
Are you happy?
Natalie surrenders into Miss Ross's hug. Exterior Mister Constantine's House, Night,
Natalie rings the doorbell. A set of triplets, age five,
dressed in armor, answer the door is your dad? Home?
Five?
Interior Mister Constantine's House, living room, night. Natalie is sitting
there with Fritz across from her, holding his wooden sword,
staring solemnly. The triplets are playing with her hair. A
pair of twins age eleven are playing the piano. A
toddler colors a whole piece of paper. Black moving boxes
are everywhere. Missus Constantine walks in, very pregnant and with
a baby in her arms. She's carrying a tray with
drinks in her other arm.
You are really cute, kids.
Only Fritz is the.
Beauty, aren't you Fritz?
Yes, Mamma, Natalie looks at the other children who don't flinch.
Are you the best child?
Uh?
My sister is definitely the best right now? Wait, no,
I don't have a sister. It's complicated.
Mister Constantine walks in.
What are you doing here?
I need your help.
Weird stuff is happening, and I'm seeing those shadowy things.
From the globe and they're like everywhere.
Raise did you say?
Raids?
The twin song on the piano changes tone right on cue.
We're granting spirits from the old world. They only grant
the deepest wish there to be spoken out loud. My
ancestors captured them on the globe. It kept them on
the all one wish at a time.
Mister Constantine snaps his fingers. Fritz retrieves a shoebox and
hands it to his father. Natalie looks around at the
moving boxes everywhere.
What's going on? Are you moving?
We'll be returned into Romagna after this last nutcracker?
You mean the last of the school year. Uh sure,
mister Constantine. How can I fix this?
Mister Constantine pulls out a curved piece of the broken
glass from the shoe box.
In order for the race to be recaptured, the natural
order must be restored.
You need to return.
Natalie takes a deep breath, sad and nods.
I know I missed a babist life. I need to
make things right and then I have to go back.
What if we can't recapture them?
Hm?
In all my years as a keeper, no one has
ever been as careless as you. So this is uncharted territory.
Mister Constantine looks at the large mural behind him, a
scene from the Rapture of Wraiths disemboweling screaming people.
But I've heard it's very, very bad.
Interior mister Hall's house, living room night. Mister Hall watches
I Love Lucy, laughing with the laugh track. Although he
is surrounded by cats, he hears a distant meal that
catches his attention.
Oh, it sounds like someone is hungry for some food
and friendship.
Come on, friends, let's gonna say hi.
Mister Hall makes his way down the narrow corridor. His
house is designed to be a cat paradise. He passes
cat condos and nooks built for his friends. Interior ext
Mister Hall's house, kitchen, back door night. Mister Hall opens
the door, looks down, eyes widen interior stage stage Wings Day.
On stage, Kenzie and the mouse King perform the battle
scene in full costume. Bean runs on stage for her cue.
Come on, dancers, dress rehearsal, do it like the real thing?
Leave it all on the stage.
Mister Constantine watches the performance from the wings while Natalie
paces behind him. Miss Lana spots mister Constantine. Mister Constantine,
we weren't sure you are coming back? Are you in
the missus and trial separation?
No, you're a mouse.
I don't see a mouse.
I see a little girl pressing like a Bullsit princess.
I want to see a star.
Miss Lana jumps, scared and turns off mister Constantine glances
over to Fritz, who is huddled by the shelf next
to the wing back turned.
Is it almost ready?
Quite?
Divil? Natalie exits with a toss of her hands in
the air.
Okay, ah, what are you doing, freak?
I'm saving the vault? What are you doing? Basicing?
Got tiles of making fox sounds? The party boy farts
on Fritz and the party children went off laughing. Fritz
watches them and sighs, I wish I had the friend.
The lights flicker, A smoky dancer passes behind Fritz, and
the nutcracker doll on the prop table seems to blink.
Kenzie, you're killing me, killing me? He has seven heads.
When was the last time you saw a mouse with
seven heads?
Eh?
You were yourself?
Interior stage, Auditorium Day. Natalie takes a seat in the
audience next to Bean, Jasmine and Grayson in costume are
performing the partida. Mister Constantine watches from the foot of
the stage as the how did it finishes? Mister Constantine
jumps on the stage.
Dancers, I'm obligated to make a quick announcement that's relevant
if we manage to prevent their bucalypse. Missus Jasmine Kern
has been accepted as an apprentice for the next season's
Royal Ballet.
Natalie sits up. Dancers cheer and give Jasmine a hug.
She smiles like a beauty queen. Natalie watches stiff, heart
pounding and longing. Jasmine seems to move in slow motion.
Natalie's eyes well up, unblinking.
Okay, her eyes are leaking, watching all my dreams come
true for someone else.
Jasmine is wiping away happy tears. Fritz pops his head
from the wings, waving Natalie over father difficult.
Yes, okay, everyone keep congratulating Jasmine.
Natalie and mister Constantine walk toward the stage wings, where
Fritz is waiting for them. Interior stage wings continuous.
Is it ready?
Fritz reveals the snow globe with jagged pieces glued together,
the forest inside wilted. Natalie takes it.
That's it, you glued it is this thing gonna work.
Fritz cranks the knob and it plays the haunting Pottadieu
lex puffectly. Kenzie spots the commotion and rushes over, Oh.
My god, is this it?
The mcguffin is a perfect gruff prison though I'm sorry
did you say wreaths?
Are you ready? You need to one this more than
anything I know.
I'm ready.
Natalie hears squeals coming from the stage and glances over
to see missus Primavera giving Jasmine a long hug.
Thanks, miss Pee.
This is my happy place being here with all you
talented girls.
Missus Primavera points to Jasmine and her heart, mouthing you
are my heart. Jasmine reciprocates. Natalie nearly drops the snow
globe from her hands. Mister Constantine eyes her, concerned.
Miss Primavera.
Now Natalie swallows and shakes the snow globe, her eyes
well up. The globe plays its tiny padad.
I wish I was Natalie Primavera.
The lights flicker on and off. The music abroughly stops
playing from the globe. Silence, everyone frozen, anticipating. Did it work? Ava?
What's something only Ava would know is a hotdog?
A sandwich?
Natalie rushes to the dressing room. Interior dressing room continuous.
Natalie looks at the mirror, sees Ava's reflection. Mister Constantine, Bean,
Kenzie and Fritz follow her in. It didn't work.
What did you do wrong?
Nothing?
Look at it.
It's better than ever.
It's hot.
She must not.
The sad glued together snow globe springs a leak, unnoticed
by the bickering group. Jasmine stops at the edge of
the dressing room, listening.
What does this mean?
I want my sister back.
I've been telling you everyone something is wrong, and nobody
listens to me. I wish I was grown up so
people would hear me already.
The lights flicker and a smoky dancer rushes by. Natalie
slumps down by herself as the group argues. Mister Constantine
puts his hand on Natalie's shoulder.
It was worth a try.
Yes, what do we do now?
Everybody upstairs? This is a sinking ship, and we go
down doing what we'll love. Let's make it a great
last nutcracker before our demise.
What do they say?
Did you say demise?
My apologies? I meant to say that part in Romanian.
The group solemnly filters out, leaving Natalie alone. Interior stage,
Auditorium night. Everyone is gone. The stage is lit with
a ghost light. Natalie steps out onto the stage and
hums the body into a noise. Natalie pauses and looks
into the dark audience. Jasmine steps towards the stage.
You know, Natalie and I used to do this dance
the whole show the night before opening night. We'd sneak
out and dance until like two am.
Jasmine starts stepping through the dance with her.
We've always been that connect.
I landed my double pirouette and she landed a clean tripple.
She did twelve a tays in a row, and then
I did sixteen like the next day. I've oh, we've
always wanted to be the sugar plump Ferry.
Jasmine begins doing wet day turns and Natalie joins her.
They watch one another, turning and turning until Jasmine finally stops.
Natalie stops.
Why didn't you audition for the role if you wanted
it so badly?
Because I was scared it might have gone to me
and I didn't want to break my best friend's heart.
She's your best friend? Then why do you call her
Natalie Primadonna.
Jasmine raises her eyebrows, surprised, then shrugs.
We all talk too much shit sometimes.
Why aren't you going to visit her?
I have?
I've just always waited for her dad to be gone.
She's different.
Now you know.
Natalie is quiet?
Does she know you dance this roll perfectly?
Well, I'm glad you got to see it, because I
think I hurt my toe. Your toe, Yeah, it hurts.
I can't handle two rolls, so I'm just gonna dance
the snow Queen. I already talked to mister Constantine.
Jasmine begins walking off.
Wait, why is your bun today? Because you're the understudy.
Natalie watches Jasmine disappear, and she smiles. Interior, Mister Hall's
bedroom night. Mister Hall attempts to give Catastrophe a zombie
cat a saucer of milk. Catastrophe growls, one eye missing,
and soars, oozing from its skin. All the other cats
are huddled away, backs arched, hissing.
Now, now, friends get along, We're all friends.
We are all friends.
Catastrophe bites a bit of mister Hall's fingertips.
Ow eh, is that what you need? Little friend here?
Just a little okay?
Interior Avea's bedroom morning. Natalie wakes up. The wall calendar
reads opening Night. Natalie sighs and exits the room. Bean
stirs and uncovers herself. She's a grown teenager. She gets
out of bed, her kid pj's barely fitting her. Teenage
Bean looks down and Noice says, ample breasts in her
pjshirt that now fits like a crop top. Interior Ava's
Kitchen Day. Natalie eats root loops while Miss Ross drinks coffee.
A squeal comes from the other room. Natalie stands up,
I'll go check on her. Interior Ava's Bedroom Day. Natalie
rushes into the room. Teenage Beans stands there.
This is bad.
I wis kids too.
It looks so hot.
A knock on the door.
You girls, okay, everything's fine.
This is really really bad.
Exterior theater's sunset. The blue moon is high in the
sky as people of all ages file into the theater.
A marquee sign reads Wilburn Arts High School The Nutcracker
Opening Night, with a poster of the Nutcracker with Ava
as the sugar plum faery. By the door, a lima
pulls up and we see fancy black shoes walk back
to open the rear door. White converse sneakers step bap out.
Interior Stage Wings Night. Natalie and teenage Bean rushed to
mister Constantine.
What is it?
This has Bean?
She made us wish to be a teenager, and we.
Oh, this is bad, very very very bad.
What does this mean?
It means that full worldly cares is just around the corner.
The wraiths are loose, granting every twisted desire of the heart,
every whim for lost love, lottery tickets and revenge. The
heart is selfish. You of all people should know this, Fritz.
You'll be dancing with your iron short tonight. We might
have to kill something.
Party boy Holtz and looks at mister Constantine.
Did you mean to say that?
In a Romanian mister Constantine?
Interior stage auditorium night, The orchestra warms up as the
audience trickle to take their seats. Trevor looks a mess,
tie on sloppy and hair unbrushed. Mister Hall shows up
day with part of his cheek nibbled off. Principal Waters
takes notice, not mister.
Hall, or are you all right? He's gone?
I open the door and he let me My friend
is gone again, Walter, looker, he is a little man.
Mister Hall, still muttering, walks to his seat, climbing past
Miss Ross, seated with grocery store flowers in hand. Mister
and missus Primavera enter pushing Ava in a wheelchair down
the aisle. She is given a standing ovation as they
make their way to park. Ava upfront, Ava cranes to
see Miss Ross in her seat and Trevor in the pit,
neither notice her. Interior backstage Hallway night. Backstage is a
chaos of dancers in costume, most of them warming up, children,
laughing and chasing each other. Fritz swinging his sword. This
is interior dressing room night. Jasmine is in her snow
Queen costume and wearing warm up booties. Zoe as a Snowflake,
is on her phone. Natalie walks in with teenage Bean
and catches Jasmine's eye. Jasmine smiles. Missus Primavera scurries in
to approach teenage Bean.
Baby Mouse huh. Teenage Bean nods, what happened to Bean?
I'm not allowed to talk about that, okay.
Missus Primavera starts ripping fabric. Interior stage Auditorium night. Mister
Constantine walks out on stage. The full house collaps.
Reading Sparren's family friends of Wilborne Arts High Schools Christmas,
but they're not crack her. I won't make a lengthy speech,
But I want you all to think about this past
year and all you have lost and what you may
lose soon.
Christmas is the saddest season of them all.
I have never felt more heartbroken than I do now.
Trevor's chin trembles and he claps enthusiastically. The rest of
the audience is silent. The lights flicker.
Without further ado.
Mister Constantine motions to the orchestra. As he exits, they begin,
the curtains open, the street scene begins. Interiors stage Wings night,
Miss Miaco half jogging, hand on her earpiece. Do we
have any idea where the doll is? We need it now?
At Miss Miako's feet is catastrophe crawling unnoticed. Interior dressing
room night. Teenage Bean is in a makeshift mouse costume.
Missus Primavera puts on finishing touches.
There to do it?
Is it hard to dance with big boobs?
No talking?
Remember Ava, that's rude.
Yeah, Ava, people want to listen to what I have
to say. Now, maybe I'll never go back to being
a kid Bean.
I mean Bean's replacement. Of course you're going back.
There's nothing good about being a kid or a teenager.
Whatever I am.
Funny, how he's been our whole childhood looking ahead, and
our entire adulthood looking back.
An usher enters with a large bouquet of flowers.
Is Zoe here?
Zoe at her makeup station, waves her hand and the
usher puts Zoe's flowers down. Zoe looks at the card.
It reads Mayred Zoe, I can't wait to meet you,
Love Timothy. Interior stage, Auditorium night. The party scene March
is happening. Zoe's distant shriek echoes through the auditorium. The
dancers all look off stage, but continue. Interior backstage night.
Miss Lana sees the Nutcracker doll standing in a walking
pose near the exit door and snatches it.
Found it must have been some kid.
Miss Miaco meets Miss Lana with a box and they
stick the nutcracker inside. It blinks once before the lid
covers it. Mister Constantine, with an eyepatch dressed as Drosselmeier,
rushes by and grabs the box. Interior stage, Auditorium night.
Party scene is on stage. Mister Constantine pulls the Nutcracker
out of the box and hands it to Kenzie for
her solo Kenzie begins to dance. She nails her jumps perfectly.
Aba is watching the dance from her wheelchair. She catches
Kenzie's eye and flashes her a thumbs up. Kenzie smiles.
Kenzie is looking longingly at the Nutcracker doll. It blinks.
Kenzi does a double take. The nutcracker is alive. It
spots Fritz on the stage.
I don't think we cast a nutcracker.
My bad.
No, I didn't notice it either.
Who would be a fun nutcracker?
Brandon? Did you give us a demented nutcracker doll? Please? Yeah?
The audience gasps. Fritz grabs the doll, smashes it into
the stage, and takes his sword, striking it over and
over and over again. The Nutcracker's face off, looking at Fritz.
Yeh.
Fritz takes his sword and smashes its face. The audience
silently watches, horrified. Mister Constantine pulls Fritz off by the
collar of his Victorian shirt. Mister Constantine wrestles with the Nutcracker.
Mister Constantine wrestles with a Nutcracker doll until it looks
like a mummy and hands it to Kenzie, who's breathing heavily.
The show must go on.
Kenzie grabs it gingerly. She timidly continues to dance. Interior
Backstage Night. Mister Constantine, Fritz and Kenzie are rushing down
the backstage hall together. Kenzie is shaken up.
What's going on?
You made it wish if even needs a fen Papa.
Teenage Bean and the other mice run past costume James
Kenzie quickly. Kenzi is pulled into the dressing room by
Miss Lana. Is it dead?
Please tell me it's dead.
Interior Stage Auditorium Night. Teenage Bean trips over herself a
terrible dancer in her new body. Her leaves are sloppy
and barely make it off the ground. She trips, and
the other mice fumble behind her. Like Domino's, these boobs suck.
Miss Ross frantically flips through the program. On the stage.
The Grandfather clock shatters and Kenzie has red ribbon fake
blood coming from her arms. She falls asleep on the couch.
The audience murmurs and shock. Interior Stage Wings Night. Jasmine
enters the wings in her snow queen costume. Catastrophe is
at her ankles and wanders onto the stage. Interior on
stage Auditorium Night. Battle scene with toy soldiers and the
mouse King is on stage. Kenzie sees catastrophe and screams.
Mister Constantine is in the wings, gives her a thumbs up.
Kenzie throws her shoe, hitting Catastrophe in the face and
its other eyeball pops out. Kensie faints and hits the
stage floor. Hard Ava and the audience gasp.
It's catastrophe.
Interior stage stage Wings Night, the curtain closes, Mister Constantine
rushes on stage and grabs the zombie cat Interior stage,
Auditorium Night. The curtain opens to the snow scene. Jasmine
is on stage along with Zoe as one of the snowflakes.
Zoe spots Timothy challow May in the audience and gasps.
Timothy shallow May blows a kiss to Zoe and she
catches the kiss. Jasmine in midlift looks down at looks
oh fuck. Jasmine is in midlift looking down at Zoe
cutting out. Zoe excitedly jumps up and down as the
other snowflakes continue dancing around her. Interior backstage night.
Enter Misson Custom changes get Ready Done saves.
Mister Constantine has the zombie cat in his hand. Natalie,
heron makeup done but not yet in costume, sees the
cat and gasps.
Oh what is that?
Oh God, Catastrophe.
Catastrophe growls and chops the air toward the dancers. Comes
out of his dressing room and pauses.
Whoa, whoa, mister constantin, I think your cat is like
dying or something.
Mister Hall wanders backstage. Mister Constantine covers the cat up
with his cape. Have you seen catastrophe? Fritz points to
mister Hall with his sword.
Infiltrator, mister Hall, let's get you a drink.
Natalie grabs mister Hall by the arm. Interior lobby night
A bar is set up with a long line. Natalie
tows mister Hall straight to the bartender, cutting off Timothy Shaloman.
Excuse me, can you give him some alcohol?
Bartender pours a glass of white wine.
Do you have anything stronger?
We're at a high school production. What do you expect?
Mister Hall takes the glass of wine.
I doesn't really want Catastrophe back. I really miss.
Him, mister Hall, still have him? Adams never die, remember,
they just change.
Into something new.
Catastrophe is here now in your heart.
That's quite right. You've always been a great student, neighbor
I have.
Oh I'm gonna follow you on Instagram.
Up for gratuation.
Oh no, no, no, I'm not on Instagram.
Come on, hashtag cats of Instagram. You take to Instagram
like a free radical takes to an electrode.
Mister Hall laughs. Interior backstage night, Mister Constantine wrestles with
catastrophe in his hands. He's surrounded by scared dancers cheering
him on. Finally, mister Constantine tosses the cat in a
supply closet and turns to the dancers, adjusting his cape.
The show must go on.
Interior dressing room night. Natalie costume on applies makeup at
her station. Timothy enters and gives Zoe a romantic kiss.
No audience members allowed here.
I can't be stopped.
I'm in love. This is exhilarating. It's like I'm on
her spell. Will you marry me?
Ah much children moved to France.
Yes, yes, yes, fifty thousand followers marry Timothy and die.
That's what you said. Zoe stuck her much. She's totally
obsessed with me.
You can't have her.
Timothy gives Zoe another romantic kiss. Zoe pulls away.
Is it really me?
Or am I really making up with Timothy Shalloway?
Is this real?
Literally, all my jams are coming true.
A tiny sword missus Zoe's head. The Nutcracker doll charges
into the dressing room. Mister Constantine enters, snatches the doll
through the open door. Children are running and crying. Five
minutes Natalie looks up and nods. Missus Primavera enters, swiftly,
pulling Natalie up to stand. Let's give you one last
look over. Natalie watches Missus Primavera as she inspects the
cost doom, noticing her mother's hands trembling in dark circles
under her bloodshot eyes. Is your mother here? Natalie nods tensely.
I'm sorry about Natalie.
Missus Primavera is silent.
You must be sad for you that she can't dance again,
that you can't share your happy.
Place anymore, or like my hiding place, hiding place.
You're a five year old say they want to be
a ballerina, and you expect it to be a phase.
But not Natalie.
She had a dream and nothing could stop her. She
makes the impossible, possible, It's my fault.
After a first show, I called her a star, got
her a dog, yeah, cliche, and the rest is history.
She left a dance and I kept feeding it, moving
to the next level, getting her points.
She's the next roll of Royal Ballet.
I should have fed her other things, signed her up
for soccer and painting.
I had no idea that it would hold her prisoner,
all these goals, the social media. I didn't know it
would get cut short for her.
Nobody's a ballerina forever.
How can I tell my daughter the only thing that
she loves in life she can't do anymore.
I think you say to her that nothing is impossible,
even finding something new to love.
Natalie smiles as Missus Primavera pins a Tierra around her bun.
I got Natalie a Nutcracker doll for Christmas this year.
Do you think that's a stupid gift? No, she has
a million of those.
No, it's the perfect gift.
Clara's love brought the Nutcracker to life after he was broken.
Natalie's not broken, right, No, I mean her body.
No, She's perfect exactly how she is. There are a
million reasons to love Natalie, and not one of them
has to do with ballet.
Natalie stands still as Missus Primavera finishes up, both women
subtly wiping away tears. Natalie wraps her arms around her mother.
Thank you.
Interior stage, Auditorium night. Natalie sneaks over and grabs Ava's wheelchair,
wheeling her around the side. Hey, what are you doing?
Interior stage stage wings night. Russian duet is finishing up
on stage, with mister Constantine watching from the wings. Natalie
rolls Ava up to mister Constantine.
Mister Constantine, where's the globe?
Fritz? Good love you?
I know why the magic didn't work, like in chemistry,
and antioxidant can't shed an electron just because it needs
a willing participant like a free radical.
Yeah, ladies, you lost med chemistry.
I made a wish on top of the bridge silence.
You wished you were me?
No, I wished I wasn't me.
It's not enough for me to not want to be
Ava anymore. I have to want to be Natalie, broken
body and all. And I want to be Natalie Primavera
more than anything.
Fritz appears with the sad snow globe and Natalie takes it.
I wish I was. Naturally put your dance.
You're up next.
Rock and Theo finish on stage. Audience clap.
It's not my role.
Natalie shakes the snow globe. Ava touches the globe.
I wish I was.
The orchestra starts the music for the patre du and
the two girls wait anticipating. Then the walls rumble. The
snow machine over the stage rattles to a start. Lights flicker.
Mister Constantine smile as the faintly falling snowflakes dost the stage.
A faint green globe begins to illuminate the globe.
The globe is weak, but it's working. Looks like you
have time for one more dons.
Natalie looks to Ava and she nods in agreement. Natalie
turns to the stage and sees Grayson on the other side.
He throws his hands out as if to say, what
the fuck are we doing this? Natalie takes a deep
breath and nods. Mister Constantine takes the glinting snow globe
from Natalie.
God, I'm gonna miss this, I know, mister Primavera.
This song is so beautiful, heartbreaking, the music swells, Natalie
takes a step onto the stage. Interior stage, Auditorium Night.
Natalie and Grayson meet center stage and begin the Patti
de as the orchestra swells. Trevor plays viola with the
pit orchestra. His lip trembles as he watches Natalie and
Grayson on stage. The dancer's eyes are locked on each
other like there's no one else as they dance skillful
and emotional. Miss Ross's eyes glisten wide with wonder watching
Natalie for the first time, and leans forward in her seat.
Interior dressing room, continuous. Zoe and Timothy are lost in
a messy makeout session. The Nutcracker doll Army crawls toward them.
A light is hanging precariously over Zoe's head, and a
curling iron is causing a rack of tutus to smoke rumble.
The room blacks out for a moment. The hanging light
crashes into a rack of teutuos to fall away from
the iron. The Nutcracker doll goes limp. Interior stage, Auditorium continuous.
The two smoky dancers enter from the back of the
auditorium and dance their way down the aisle towards the stage.
They are invisible to all but Natalie and mister Constantine.
Interior stage hallway continuous. Teenage, Bean, Fritz and the children
are huddled as Catastrophe breaks through the closet door. Little
by little, all of the shining. Fritz clenches his sword.
Catastrophe finally breaks through the door and charges toward the children.
Fritz raises his sword just as Flicker the cat goes
limp dead. Fritz nudges the cat.
Zi Kats is dead.
The children cheer. Fritz turns to high five Bean, who
is now swimming in her costume.
I'm a kid again, No more boobs.
Bean hugs Fritz. Fritz beams Interior stage stage wings continuous.
The Smoky Dancers join Natalie and Grayson on stage, shadowing
their dance. Drawing ever closer, Miss Lana and Miss Miako
watch the duet, eyes fixed and in awe, clutching each
other other's hands. Grayson smiles at Natalie, and the two
kiss as though there were no audience. Trevor let's out
an audible sob no with the final lift. As the
song's crescendo peaks, the Smoky Dancers enter Natalie and exit
right before Ava's body drops into the final partner pose,
leaving behind Natalie's spirit with a puff. Interior stage stage
Wings Continuous. Natalie spirit quickly absorbs into her own body.
Eyes bulge as she sits up in her wheelchair with
a gasp. Interior stage Auditorium Continuous. The audience erupts in applause.
Interior stage Stage Wings Night. Mister Constantine has the snow
globe glow fizzles out, and both dark dancers are back
inside frozen. Ava runs off stage and gives Natalie a
huge hug.
Natalie, Yes, and you're you? Yeah?
Enough solo?
Now what no, no, no, no, no, no, I can't Ava,
You're the understudy.
This is how it was always supposed to be.
You can do this m Interior stage Auditorium Night. Ava
steps out begins her solo, her lips tight with concentration.
She begins with her fetes. She's nailing them. Her smile
spreads slowly and then wide with glee as the audience claps.
Ava breezes as she spots Trevor in the orchestra pit Trevor.
Trevor turns away from Ava angry nostrils flaring I.
Love you here you do I love you Ava.
Ava leaps off the stage into the orchestra pit, the
audience and Miss Ross gas oh. Ava and Trevor kiss
interior stage stage wings night. Grayson watches the scene, confused.
Miss Miaco and Miss Lana shake their heads. Worst nutcracker ever.
Next tear will be better when mister too sexy to
teach his hair anymore, I mean all semester.
I'm like, hush, shut up and kiss me already.
What No, Mister Constantine walks up, throwing his arms around
Miss Miaco and Miss Lana's shoulders.
How beautiful, How erotic and devastating.
A few feet away, Natalie tugs on Grayson's shirt.
Oh hey, how are you doing?
Sorry? Wait that stupid ask. You look good?
I thanks, I'm good.
So I was wondering if you wanted to grab coffee,
your food or.
Whatever or whatever. Whenever I'll get you to.
Hang out with me, let me congratulate you on Houston Ballet.
Grayson gives her a curious look. He glances back at
Ava one more time before turning back to Natalie and.
Smiles, Yeah, definitely, but I said no to Houston going
to Indiana.
You do you know that you can double major in
like ballet?
Interior Stage, Auditorium Night the finale, The whole cast dips
into a final bow and Pensi poses with a broken
nutcracker doll with a large smile. Mister Constantine steps out
and plunges into a dramatic fowl. No claps a call.
Trevor sets down his viola and claps enthusiastically.
Yeah.
Timothy is walking away down the center aisle. A moment
later we see Zoe tears streaks chasing him.
I love you to Missy Sealome, don't phollow me.
Interior Physical Therapy room. Morning. Natalie is looking at Ava's
Instagram page a picture of Ava, Miss Ross, Bean, and
Trevor around a Christmas tree captioned Christmas is the Season
of Magic. Natalie hearts the post. Natalie pops in earbuds,
her eyes closed, and her head sways slightly with the music.
Grayson Enters knocks on the door with a Christmas present.
Missus Primavera smiles and waves Grayson in as mister Primavera
SIPs his coffee, reading a paper.
Merry Christmas.
Natalie lifts up onto the parallel bars from her wheelchair.
She takes a step. Fada Hello