A Beasthood · The Lights
The Odeon
Places, please. Leave this morning's you in the wings.
Their gift: The Role. A part played fully makes a Beast braver, grander, a stranger, a king from a play, for a night. The cost: Play anyone too long and your own name thins.
About 500 Beasts call The Odeon home.
The place
To the Odeon every warehouse is an old playhouse and every pavement a stage. Marquees advertise shows long closed and not yet written. Greasepaint, warm velvet, boards that creak on cue.
Their gift, and what it costs
The Role. Play a part fully and for one night you become it: braver, grander, a stranger, a king from a play, and everyone believes it. The cost: play anyone too long and your own name thins, so players hear their real names in the wings before the bows.
What they want, and what they fear
Want: a full house, and the Understudy back. Fear: an empty house, with a player still speaking.
People you might meet
- Confetti (Clown), Improv captain, in the wings that night. Breakfast, daily: "Toast. But make it tragic."
- Bravo Esposito (Clown), Script lead, spent last week on the roof rehearsing the Understudy's part, stopping at the bows: "To bring them back."
- Ros Hartley (Cocker Spaniel), Vault lender: wants every rookie braver for a night. Six years one stern queen; the Vault shouts "Ros!" every morning.
- Celestine Abara (Sheep), old lead, the Quiet Week's loudest yes. Bravo: "Celestine even retired to a standing ovation."
Neighbours and old business
- Studio 66 poaches players. The Odeon swears that night's lead left for the Carpet, and wants back a rookie's ovation the First Reel cut: its price for carrying the Studio's names.
- MoBA painted the Understudy three times: three balaclavas.
- Ramone Alley borrows Odeon actors and calls a part "a mask". Unforgivable.
Books from The Odeon
A Beast's Book is written from their holder's choices.
No Book from The Odeon is open yet. A holder of a Beast from here can begin theirs in the game.
More about The Odeon
Their scarTwo years ago a lead walked out before curtain, and an understudy the Odeon barely knew went on and gave the best show the Beastside has…
Two years ago a lead walked out before curtain, and an understudy the Odeon barely knew went on and gave the best show the Beastside has seen. The prompter's count: four hundred at curtain-up, four hundred and one at the bows. Next morning the Understudy gave their name into keeping and asked everyone to stop saying it. Theirs is the one Hush face that came loose: every Beast who meets them remembers a different balaclava. The Odeon says it's because they gave away a part along with the name.
In the Grey Year, Odeon players played the brave ones cut-off Beasthoods needed; some played too long.
What they argue aboutScript vs Improv: who opens the next run.
Script vs Improv: who opens the next run. Script builds parts line by line; Improv makes the best ones up on the spot.
This seasonThe Understudy came home to ask for a Quiet Week from the next run's opening night.
The Understudy came home to ask for a Quiet Week from the next run's opening night. Script would rather recast the part; Improv won't play a Beast who asked to be let go. The third vote is after Saturday's matinee; the second lost to a standing ovation for itself. The Understudy has a ticket.
The Hush hereRetired leads, Beasts who chose to stop playing, keep grey doors on Marquee Mile and sew grey thread into old costumes.
Retired leads, Beasts who chose to stop playing, keep grey doors on Marquee Mile and sew grey thread into old costumes. Their case is the Role's cost: this season three players needed their names shouted twice. A dark week means every real name said daily by a voice that wants nothing played: Beat Street's, which promises not to sing them. Old leads are for, rookies against, Confetti undecided, out loud.
PlacesGrand Stage: four hundred seats; in its arch, the Thin Bill: every part that nearly took its player, all called back.
- Grand Stage: four hundred seats; in its arch, the Thin Bill: every part that nearly took its player, all called back. The Demon Lords close every season here and have never needed a Calling.
- Room 7B: the Understudy's dressing room, unlocked.
- Prompt Booth: the prompter knows every line and refuses to act one.
- Costume Vault: borrow any costume, owe a favour.
What they think is going on"The world is a stage that forgot its lines."
"The world is a stage that forgot its lines." The Grey is the house lights coming up too early.