The role of a lifetime 10

It was late into the evening, as Winston Cummings, head of casting for the studio, sat with his two assistants, Sarah Clark, and Noel Burton, reviewing the auditions from earlier that day, struggling to make a final decision.

“Come on guys, we need to make a decision here, I’d like to get home sometime before midnight”, Winton said looking over at the piles upon piles of pictures sitting on the table in front of him.

“Well we're almost there now, we've got our leading men sorted, and all of the supporting cast, we just need to decide on our Gabriella”, Noel said, standing up and sliding a few piles of pictures forward.

Winston lifted his arm, “just the maybe pile, Noel, we’re done with the other two”.

“Are you sure these are all a no”? Sarah said taking the no pile and flicking through the pictures.

“Toss them in the trash”, Winston stated, “we’ve talked about those girls for long enough, and we all decided they're not what we are looking for. Unless either of you have changed your mind? Noel”?

Noel shook his head, “No, I’m happy with the choices we made earlier”, he replied.

“Sarah”? Winston asked.

“Yeah, you’re right, I’ll get rid of them”, Sarah said taking the pile before walking over to the bin and dropping them in.

Noel nodded as he reached over and picked up the yes pile and counted through the pictures, “ok, we have eight girls, here, we need another two, shall I move these to the side, we’re certain on these right”?

“You know, I’m still not convinced putting the girl in the red dress through is the right decision, I think her name was Brittney”, Sarah said sitting back down and looking over at Winston.

“Noel, can you find her picture, lets take another look at her”, Winston announced.

Noel flicked through the pictures in his hand, finding the one he was looking for and placed it on the table in front of Winston, “I liked her, Winston, she may be inexperienced but, she had a lot of character and read the lines with so much emotion”.

Winston looked down at the picture in front of him of a blonde girl perched on the edge of her chair, wearing a short red dress and over the knee, wedge, suede boots. He thought back to earlier in the day and remembered the dazzling performance she had given, “I liked her too, Sarah, what are you having reservations about”?

(See image 10.1)

“I don’t know”, Sarah replied, “She just came across as fake, and who wears boots like that to an audition? So tacky”.

“I disagree, she didn’t seem fake to me, I think she was just very enthusiastic, mind you, I have to agree about her choice of wardrobe”, Winston said scratching his head.

“Winston’s, right, Sarah, I think she deserves a chance, her answers were spot on when we asked her about the character, the look we can change”, Noel added.

“Sarah”? Winston said pushing her to make a decision.

“Ok, she did read the lines really well, lets see how she does in the next stage”, Sarah replied nodding her head in agreement.

“Good”, announced Noel putting down the yes pile and picking up the maybe pile, “we’ve got eight then, we just need two more, who was your favourite out of these five Sarah”? he asked spreading the pictures out on the table.

“I liked her”, Sarah said pointing to the middle picture, “she really seemed to know the character and she's very experienced”.

Winston picked up the picture and turned it around to read the name, “Chloe Pennant”, he read aloud, “Any objections Noel”?

“No”, Noel replied, “she wasn’t very memorable for me, but I can see what Sarah means”.

“OK great”, Winston stated, “put Chloe in the yes pile, one more to go, Noel who was your favourite”? he said suppressing the urge to yawn.

Noel looked at the four candidates and pointed to the one on the end, “her”, he announced, “Jem Stevens, I ‘ve said since the beginning, she should be in the yes pile”.

“Noel, we talked about, this she’s too raw, she has no experience and was too nervous, the poor thing was shaking like a leaf throughout the audition, she even forgot her lines at one stage”, Sarah replied forcefully.

“Yes, I know, I remember”, Noel replied turning to Winston, “but are you really telling me she doesn’t deserve another shot? Remember when you described the look of the character to us this morning, isn’t that her, Winston”?

Winston reached over and plucked the picture from the table, eying up the girl in the sparkly pink dress and towering platform heels, “she does have the look”, he said in agreement.

(See image 10.2)

“Can she be trusted with such a big role though”? Sarah said looking over.

“Why don’t we give her a shot and find out”? Noel answered, “I mean it’s not like we’re making the final decision now, there are nine other girls to choose from if it doesn’t work out, who would you take in her place”? Noel said passionately, looking over at Sarah.

“Well, I guess, none of the other three wowed me, and you are right about the look, she does fit your description of the character, Winston”, Sarah replied, “I'll leave it up to you, Winston but I still think she’s a risk".

Winton once again looked down at the blonde girl with the large expressive eyes and full pouty lips, before looking up at the clock on the wall and finally letting out a yawn, “Well, either way, I'd say we’ve chosen some wonderful talent for the next round, “he said passing the picture to Noel, “put her in the yes pile, Noel, and let's call it a night shall we”?