Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Audition
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An audition... Not a bad idea, huh?
Jessica!
But isnt it the best card we have right now to fix this mess?
Jessica Brown, the one in charge of this meeting room, muttered quickly in English.
The Americans and Koreans gathered in the large conference room at Gwanghwamun Cultural Center were all seated around her.
Half of them were staff dispatched from Rainbow Pictures in the US for this project.
This time, Rainbow Pictures had teamed up with the Korean side to plan a massive production called RUN.
RUN had originally been an animation produced by Rainbow Pictures in America.
It had already been a hit there after being adapted into a stage play.
Once Koreas top major performance agency, Myeongwol Planning, decided to stage RUN, the people from Rainbow Pictureswho held the license for the Broadway versionhad come to Korea.
Jessica Brown was the team leader and a world-renowned stage director.
She was also the original director of the RUN that was still running long-term on Broadway.
Now, she had handed the reins to a junior and come here to lay the groundwork for the Korean production.
However, her perfectionist tendencies had stalled progress on the planning for RUN.
It had been a month since they arrived in Korea.
The team, half from Rainbow Pictures and half from Myeongwol Planning, met every day in this Gwanghwamun Cultural Center to plan the show.
At first, everything had sailed smoothly, like a ship with a full wind.
Jessica, who didnt seem to know the word roughly, had scouted the theater here, stage designers, and Korean staff herself, running around everywhere.
Casting for adult actors was mostly done or going smoothly.
So, whats the plan for the age restriction?
What had everyone sighing today was the casting for one role.
RUN was driven by a grandmother-grandson duo at its center.
The grandmother role was no issue.
A promising young actor could do old-age makeup, or a seasoned veteran could take it.
The problem was the grandson.
In the animation, the 7-year-old grandsons age wasnt a problem at all.
Theyd easily found actors that age for Broadway too.
But when Jessica insisted on casting someone around 7, just like the original, the Myeongwol staff pushed back.
Broadway and Korea were different.
There was a much bigger talent pool there, but Korea had few child actors to begin with.
And they werent talking TVthey wanted a real 7-year-old on stage live!
Kids are too risky for mistakes.
Why take that risk? We could have someone 15 or under do it without issue...
This wasnt some small showit was a blockbuster headed for one of Koreas largest theaters.
The risks of gambling were too high.
Most of the Korean staff voiced similar opinions.
Even some Rainbow Pictures staff, hearing about the local situation, thought they should adapt.
Theres a reason the protagonist is 7 in the original. And that vibe only a kid that age can giveno one else can pull it off. Thats my take.
But Jessica was adamant.
In the US, I put on the best show ever with a 9-year-old. Dont you trust me? Or dont you trust Koreas child actors?
No one could answer, so everyone stayed silent.
Jessica spoke again.
Then were all agreed. Lets set an upper age limit for the auditions.
How old...
5 and up. 10 and under.
Jessica! Even so, thats...!
Why? I wanted even younger, but I raised it to 10 considering Koreas situation. If that doesnt work, Ill have to tell HQ I need to rethink doing RUN here. You saying you cant handle it?
Jessica played her trump card.
The Korean staff groaned and shut their mouths.
Theyd poured tons of effort and resources into landing the Korean RUN production.
Now that Rainbow Pictures had sent their people, they couldnt let it fall apart.
...Fine. 10 and under.
Good. Then lets wrap the meeting on that note?
In the end, Myeongwols decision-maker raised both hands.
Jessica smiled brightly and stood.
Flip.
Hmm.
Flipping through scripts in the brightly lit practice room at Emergency Iron 777 had become my daily routine.
It had been almost two months since People in the Attic House wrapped.
The weather had hit midsummer, so humid and stifling you could barely breathe all day.
Englands summers werent this suffocating.
I came to the troupe every day to enjoy the cool AC.
Killing two birds with one stonebeating the heat and practicing acting.
Over the two months, the troupe folks dropped by often, and Moon Heesung showed up whenever he had a gap.
Once he knew I was here daily, he came a lot.
Always claiming he was busy, though.
He clearly wasnt that busy.
At first, everyone freaked out when Moon Heesung appeared, but now they treated it like no big deal.
His snacks always got a warm welcome, though.
Yesterday, I munched on the donuts he brought while reading scripts.
Kim Sangcheol had dropped them off this morning.
Three scripts total.
One of them would be our next show.
None grabbed me like Kang Yonghwis first one where I debuted.
Siu!
Ack! Scared me.
I shot a grumpy look toward the door.
It was Kim Sangcheol from this morning.
Ever since I started sticking around the troupe, he popped in whenever, rambling about nothing useful. Now I kinda found it annoying when he showed up.
Uuung, Troupe Owner.
Whats up?
I looked up at him from my seat, and he grinned, dragging a chair over.
Siu, wanna try an audition?
Audition?
I knew that word.
I closed the script Id been skimming and sat up straight.
Yeah!
Whoa, saying yes without even hearing? Heh heh.
Perfect.
Lately, Id been itching since I could only practice, no stage time.
None of the scripts from Kim Sangcheol today blew me away, but they werent bad.
Especially in my current spot with no say, any chance to get on stage was gold.
All three had kid roles, after all.
Guess they planned to put me on for whatever we picked.
Which one?
Um, embarrassing to say it myself, but...
I was pretty famous around Daehakro now.
People recognized me on the street, and at the troupe, directors from other groups, actors, all sorts came to say hi.
Thats why Kim Sangcheol kept me here, right?
I looked up at him with sparkling eyes, and he beamed, spilling the details.
Heres the thing. This big company, Rainbow Pictures from the US, came to Korea for a huge show. Teaming up with the Gwanghwamun Cultural Center folks.
Uuung? And?
The leads are a grandma and her grandson. They just posted an open audition for the grandson!
Wooow!
A bigger stage!
Score!
I picked that up from a drama lately.
Wait, hold on.
Hold on hold on hold on.
Troupe Owner.
Yeah? Whats up?
Im not doin this one, right?
I pointed to one of the scripts hed given me.
Scripts with kid roles.
Everyone else at Emergency Iron 777 was adults except mewhod do those parts?
Oh, that? Dont worry. We got it covered.
Uuung? Troupe Owner, I dont gotta do this stage?
Wasnt that why you kept me?
I looked up at him, confused, and he chuckled.
Ay, its fine, Siu. How many years we been doing shows? We can handle one kid role.
But still... You kept me here to do shows, right?
Enough. I told you beforedont have to stick to our shows. Siu, I believe youre gonna make it huge. I just wanna see it with my own eyes. Im not dragging you along to make my success. And me, Kim Sangcheol? Im already pretty successful without your help.
Uuung...
Still, how could you just let me leave the troupe like that?
After thinking hard, I shook my head.
No way. I wanna do this one here.
Hey, loyalty matters.
Gotta repay a favor first.
I grabbed the script Id pointed to and held it out to him.
He looked shocked, eyes wide, then burst out laughing.
Puhaha! You little guy. Sticking to your loyalty, huh?
Uuung!
No need, really. Wait, Siu. You really wanna show loyalty?
Yesh! I got good memowy.
Haha, then get even more famous and come back. Thats better for the troupe. Go swim in bigger waters, get experience, then promise to do our next show. Hows that?
Hmm.
Better, right? More audience will come. You get more famous. Best of both worlds.
Pheas... pheasant? Whats that mean?
I nodded, memorizing it to ask Uncle later.
Kim Sangcheol seemed nicer the more I knew him.
Felt bad for thinking he looked like a toad at first.
Uuung. Okay. Thanks, Troupe Owner.
What? Thanks? Uhaha! This kids the real deal. So cute I could die.
Eeee! Stop it!
Kim Sangcheol ruffled my hair like crazy after hearing thanks.
I pouted and smoothed it down.
Sigh, gotta cut back on cute stuff to protect my style.
Or hell yank it all out.
Siu. But youre not cast yet, okay? Just in caseIm saying auditions are big experience for actors. Dont get bummed if you dont make it.
You think Ill fail?
I asked seriously curious.
Tilting my head, his face got a weird look.
...Dunno. Limits 10 and under, so mostll be older than you, but somehow... when you say it, feels like you wont flop.
Uuung. I wont fail.
Kek. Yeah. Ill handle the audition signup for you.
I nodded big and grinned at his words.
He dropped a stack of papers with the audition notice in front of me, said hed make a call and left.
Alone in the troupe owners office.
I stomped my feet excitedly and grabbed the paper confidently.
But lifes got no easy paths.
Uuum... dunno?
Not even 10 minutes after declaring to Kim Sangcheol I wouldnt fail, I hit a wall.