“I’m afraid we’re a little busy right now,” she said. “Maybe some other time. Tell you what. I’ll call you.”

She meant those last two words to sting, for whatever reason.

“I have some unfortunate news,” Donna said. “In a few hours, this will all be shut down. I came down here to tell you that you should get your things out while you can.”

“What are you talking about?” Trevor said, stepping forward.

“Peddle it elsewhere, dear friend,” Mrs. Amberson said, puffing slowly on her cigarette. “We have full permission from the owner.”

“The owner didn’t look into the zoning laws carefully enough. You can’t perform here. It violates several city ordinances.”

“People have before,” Trevor said insistently. “We’re the third show in this place.”

“They would have been booted out if the shows had made the radar at the right places.”

“No,” Trevor said. “No. The city can’t kick us out twice.”

Mrs. Amberson dropped her cigarette, jabbed it out with her toe, and stepped forward to where Donna was standing. She looked quite menacing.

“If you want to pick a fight, pick it with me,” she said. “I’ll settle this with you in private. Leave them out of it. They didn’t do anything.”

“This isn’t me,” Donna replied. “There’s nothing I can do about this. You should have been more careful. A lot more careful. But we should talk, Amy. Give me a call when you’re finished up here. You already have my number.”

With that, she was gone, her shoes clacking in the echoey garage.

“What just happened?” Trevor asked. “Is this for real?”

Mrs. Amberson grappled for another cigarette.

“Listen,” she said, fumbling with her lighter. “I think we’re going to have to get creative. In twenty-four hours, we have a crowd of reviewers, agents, and other creative types coming to see you do Hamlet in this fantastic new production. And they will see a show.”

Silence from the group. Just the echoes of their shuffles, and the shriek of an ambulance stuck in traffic out on the street. Mrs. Amberson’s spell, which had held the cast in its thrall for weeks, was visibly weakening. Half the cast looked angry. Half looked down.

“There is nowhere,” Trevor said. “Maybe we can find somewhere in a few weeks, but by then…”

“What about the rehearsal space?” someone asked.

“Another group already moved in there,” Eric said.

Scarlett turned to see how Spencer was, but he had rolled back under the stage to block it all out.

“I found a place for you before,” Mrs. Amberson said. “It’s just a matter of…”

“We blocked this space,” Trevor said, his voice rising with emotion. “We advertised for this space. We don’t have the time or the money to move it now. We have lights coming, props…”

The reality of the situation settled on the group. Scarlett saw them all sagging. Stephanie started to cry softly. For the first time since Scarlett had known her, Mrs. Amberson looked a bit cornered. She turned and walked lightly to the other side of the garage, out of sight. Scarlett followed her. She was leaning against a concrete bumper letting the cigarette burn away between her fingers.