“And, of course, Jude here will be our trusty stage manager.” Willa waves a hand in Jude’s direction, and he lights up under her attention. “So no worries about tonight,” she says. “You’ll all be stars, I promise.”

We wrap up the meeting by going over the rules, and there aren’t many. Be on time. Work hard. Love each other. And one last thing. Nobody outside the cabins after eleven o’clock. It’s a rule we’ve already broken, but nobody volunteers that information.

“Here’s a thought for the day,” Willa adds before she dismisses us. “In act four of Hamlet, the beautiful but doomed Ophelia says, ‘We know who we are, but not who we may be.’ I want you all to remember that. Think about it every single day while you’re here. Every moment, even. You came to Whisper Cove as one person, but if you’re lucky, you’ll leave here as someone else. Someone you can’t even begin to imagine yet.” She looks around our group again. “Let this summer set your soul on fire. Let it bring you to life, my lovelies. That is the real magic of the theatre.” She claps her hands. “Meeting adjourned. Now, someone please get Jude some breakfast!”

There’s another round of applause, and we all float in the screen door on a wave of chatter and excitement. A small woman stands up from a reception desk to greet us. Her curly brown hair is just barely held under control by an overworked headband. She doesn’t look very old. Late twenties, maybe. It’s hard to tell because of her huge glasses.

“This,” Jude announces, “is Glory.” He swoops in to give her a big hug. “Think of her like your big sister. She knows this place inside and out. You have any questions, or you need anything, you talk to Glory. She’s the real boss around here.”

Glory blushes. “Don’t listen to this one,” she warns us, and I notice her Boston accent. Or maybe it’s New York. Either way, it’s definitely not the Texas twang I’m used to. “Jude’s too charming for his own good.” She’s running her hands over her wrinkled skirt. Picking cat hair off her cardigan sweater. “Everyone knows who’s in charge around here.” She gives us all a nervous little smile. “Whisper Cove is Willa’s baby. I’m just lucky to be a part of it. But do let me know if you need anything.” She offers us each a peppermint from the bowl on her desk. “We want you to feel at home here.”

She seems kind, and I’m glad, since I’ve been assigned as her assistant. I start to introduce myself, but just then the phone rings, and Glory turns to answer it. “Whisper Cove Theatre. This is Glory. How can I help you?”