Elizabeth Rockline looked around the stage and nodded, this would be the perfect setting for the revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore. She herself would choose all the actors and actress's in the show along side of the musical director Mr. St. Claire, they were both recovering from failed productions, but had a pretty good directors history up until the musical nightmare Outcast <made up title since I don't want to offend anyone who has a musical they love>. It had been a catastrophic the lyrics sucked, the music sucked, the actors wouldn't listen to a thing either Elizabeth or George St. Claire told them.

Both Directors were now black balled from the theater list, but not from the non-professional. So they formed their own company and decided to do past musicals. They knew they still had people who were loyal to them and their ways of working. But the new kids now a days were going to have to be retrained. Some of the hand grips left their shows to work with Elizabeth again, for they knew it was not her fault the failure happened. Elizabeth breathed in and sighed, it was so good to be part of the theater, even if it was just second rate, perhaps she could get written off the black list, she would be the first person in history to ever achieve that.

Elizabeth sighed, she was the only one in the theater she closed her eyes and turned around, she could hear the music as it began. The lively overture of HMS Pinafore, she could hear every note. She nodded her head this was the place, she could teach theater and she could direct again, not what she wanted to do, but it would keep her dream alive, to help actors who have lost their way return to the theater.

George came in and watched Elizabeth for a few minutes he sat in the first row and sighed she was good at her job, no one loved her work more than George did. They both had been partners in the theater and it had hurt Elizabeth more when she had been black listed. She went to her little sister Anna Bell who found a good job for her but after a year or two at the desk Elizabeth contacted him he said yes right away. No one could make him jump into the theater again, they had always blamed Elizabeth for lack of control over the cast. So whenever George was offered a spot off the black list he said no, and never mentioned it to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth opened her eyes and smiled when she looked at George she came down and hugged him. "George!" she hugged him she was so glad he had said yes. He hugged her back and smiled.

"Hello Elizabeth." he spoke gently "Looking forward to working with you again." he said "So show me the theater."

"Hmph, well, it certainly isn't much, but I suppose we will have to make do. But I'm sure after seeing you this little theater will sell out in no time."

Ryan turned towards Rebeca and smiled. "Of course, mom. This'll be easy." He said and looked back at the theater, his smile growing.

"This will, Ryan. 'This will'. Don't smash your words together or the director will think you're an unintelligible mush mouth." His mother corrected sharply to which her nodded quickly. "Honestly, I think you've been hanging out with your brother far too much. You have plenty of other, more intellectual people to spend your precious time with."

"Yes mom." Ryan answered, his smile dropping from his face only for a moment, before his trained features hoisted the corners of his lips back to where they had been.

Once inside, Ryan marveled at everything he could see. Yes it wasn't the biggest stage he had ever preformed on, but it wasn't that small either. This would most certainly be the perfect platform to enter the world of operetta. He had never even heard of that genre until his mother, who was also Ryan's agent, had informed him that he needed to expand his skills to something else in order to become more versatile.

And now, here he was, auditioning for a play he had only read the night before and practiced a piece for his actual audition. Rebecca had told him not to shave this morning so he could look the part. Upon being reminded of that, Ryan brought up his hand to scratch at the rather itchy stubble only to have his hand slapped away.

"Stop that right now! There's someone up by the stage so let's go and introduce ourselves."

Ryan nodded and followed Rebecca towards the front of the stage, letting her lead as usual.

Elizabeth laughed softly as George spoke to her. He could always calm her down. "I always get it before a show, auditions are in a in a day or two, enough time to clean this place up and make it like new." Elizabeth smiled softly. George nodded in agreement.

"It is an honor to go into business with you Elizabeth Rockline" George spoke gently "This couldn't have come in a better time. " George took in a deep breath and then looked out in the stage. He nodded "I think we have our first sign up for auditions." he whispered.

Elizabeth blushed, she and George were nothing more but friends, though they sat there looking very much like more. Elizabeth nodded. "Hello!" Elizabeth smiled as she waved "Come on forward." She spoke gently but firmly. Elizabeth hopped off the stage and went with George she smiled at the woman with the young man. "Your his agent?" she asked. "Director Elizabeth Rockline. Music Director George St. Clair." she smiled offering the woman a hand to shake.

Rebecca gave Elizabeth a small, business like smile in return as she shook the other woman's hand. "Rebeca Bernard, and yes, I am Ryan Bernard's agent as well as his mother."

Ryan smiled brightly at Elizabeth and opened his mouth to speak, but Rebeca quickly cut him off. "I have a resume and a list of references for you Miss Rockline, the older woman said, pulling a very neat and organized file out of her purse. "While Ryan has yet to preform in an operetta, I can assure you he is very well equipped for it. He has a very powerful voice when he needs to and is very skilled at adapting to whatever role you give him."

The young man in question remained silent and listened with a small, polite smile as he had done nearly his entire life when his mother began to speak. Eventually, Ryan's gaze began to wander from Elizabeth, to George, then back to the stage, where he would (hopefully) be preforming. After a moment of day dreaming, he quickly brought himself back to reality and continued to listen to his mother speak.

"So," Rebeca continued "I know that this isn't a grand production and your funds are limited as is usually that case with theater. But I hope we can work out Ryan's pay should he get the part. After all, Ryan Bernard is fairly well known and there have been plays he has starred in that have been sold out. I can promise you, he will be worth every cent."

Ryan's trained smile faulted once again, but he quickly hid it in a cough. He never felt comfortable hearing his mother haggle with others about his pay, ever since his brother John had told him they kept most of his money for their own. Ryan wasn't sure what to believe, but nowadays, talk of money left a bad taste in his mouth.

Elizabeth began to laugh at the thought of paying someone to do theater work with her. She shook her head softly and sighed "Look, this is community theater, that means no one is getting paid for the job they are doing on this production, George and I just pulled our monies together to buy the building and you poor fool want me to pay someone who has never acted on stage before in his life." Elizabeth laughed again, she had to admire Mrs. Bernard's guts though. "I can promise you this though son, real agents will be at the performance, once that can get you actual contracted work in the field of operation, one thing is for sure though, I would highly recommended you drop the mother and son act. Your old enough you should be representing yourself, I don't care what your mother says, she could talk until her face is blue, it's you Ryan I am interested in."

George nodded in agreement, this man was being treated as if he were a boy with the parents still wanting to sell his acting for livelihood, he and Elizabeth hated parent agents. he was surprised at Lizzy's laughing though and sighed "She is right son," George said gently "But that is the best sepal we have ever heard for a long time."

Elizabeth shook her head and looked over at Ryan. "So Tomorrow afternoon auditions begin, if you want to help with clean up in the meantime it might pull in some bonuses for you." the sound system suddenly cranked on and you could hear the show's music coming through the speakers. "My God George! Do you hear that! Sam fixed the sound!" Elizabeth was excited and her attention turned towards the sound booth, but she frowned when she saw there was no one up there, yet the music was playing for everyone to hear. Elizabeth gasped and she looked over at George who only shrugged. Neither George nor Elizabeth had bothered to check out the history of the current theater they bough.

"Actually, ma'am." Ryan said. "I have acted in a lot of-"

"I'll have you know, Ryan has been in acting on stage since he was nine." Rebeca cut in, both offended and quite annoyed at Elizabeth's dismissal of her. "I wasn't able to get any references since he wasn't attending the schools who were putting on the productions. He is quite talented on stage and you should be very grateful we're even considering this role. Now then, we will be back tomorrow for your little auditions. Come on, Ryan."

But the young man stayed where he was and looked at his mother. "Umm, actually, I was wondering if it was alright if I could help them clean up? I mean, John could give me a ride home so it wouldn't be too much trouble." He asked, with an almost nervous tone in his voice.

Rebeca wasn't thrilled in the least. "They have people to clean this place up. And your brother is a terrible influence on you!"

"Please, mom?" He pleaded.

With a rather overly dramatic sigh, his mother relented. "Fine. But I'm expecting a call from you before and after you get into your brother's car, you hear me?"

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, I do. I'll see you at home, mom." He said as Rebeca marched away.

The young man smiled a little as he heard the music begin to start up. It was very nice and Ryan was sure he was going to like it here. "So... what would you like me to do first?"

Elizabeth perked a smile and then nodded at Ryan. "I'm sorry if I offended your mother." Elizabeth said as she watched the woman leave. "It's just that I have seen exceptional talented people, unwilling to dismiss there mothers from being an agent, and they never went anywhere." Elizabeth and George looked at each other in an all knowing experiance.

"The most important thing in your life is family Son." George said "When you get home tonight make sure you let your mother know you still love and adore her and thank her for getting you this far in life. George nodded "We are going to clean out the old costume room today, we have volunteers coming for the theater and stage,wish it could be professionals, we just cant afford it."

Elizabeth smile faded for a moment "i'll be right back." she tore after Ryan's mother, and stopped her from leaving the front door "Hey, Mrs. B." Elizabeth called out, she didn't want the woman to leave not just yet. "Mrs. Benrad!" Elizabeth caught up to her "Please... please don't be mad at Ryan, it's not his fault." she said gently, the last thing she wanted to do was cause a fight between mother and son. "I have seen lots of talented people hold on to there mothers and still not get as far as Ryan has gotten today. You've done a wonderful job with him, just don't be mad him please." There was an ernest look in Elizabeth's eyes as if she was trying to prevent something that had happened to her indeed a long time ago. "If you want you can come to rehearsals, he's going to make a great Sir. Joseph. I just have to see him audition first." Elizabeth smiled "Most important thing is that his family is their to support him."