Probably just because this was the first time they’d heard the words, out loud. Together. The character of Ashley was a driven, focused hedge fund manager. In the read, Carly tackled those characteristics with gusto. Evelyn played the character of Mandy, a kindergarten teacher who understood the value of stopping to smell the roses and appreciating the little things. Lauren missed the lighthearted portions of Evelyn’s reading. Carly’s Ashley was real, raw, and identifiable. But Evelyn brought an edge to Mandy that kept her from feeling relatable. While it wasn’t at all Lauren’s job to worry about those kinds of things, she loved the play so much that she’d taken a silent interest. She thought about how she would have delivered those lines, identifying moments of comedy for Mandy that were entirely missed or glossed over in the read. Luckily, she had a feeling Ethan would be working on eliminating some of Evelyn’s bite in the coming weeks. He’d been furiously scribbling notes as they’d read, stealing glances at the two of them. The six other members of the cast had tracks in which they would play all the other roles in the show. Some would take on as many as seven different characters before the journey was done. This was going to be a ride.

On their first official break, Carly stopped by Lauren’s chair. “You’re Lauren, right? From the voicemail.”

Lauren stood and offered her hand. “Yes, I’ll be the PSM for the production. Nice to officially meet you.” She was caught off guard by the vibrancy of blue in Carly’s wide Disney princess–like eyes once they were up close for the first time.

“Likewise.” Carly quirked an eyebrow. “PSM? Sorry, you may have to help me out with the theater lingo. I’m still stuck in camera speak. I have very little experience with stage work.” She closed her eyes. “That’s not even true. I have zero experience.”

Aha. She was that green when it came to live theater. “Not a problem. Stands for production stage manager. Think of me as head stage manager, and Trip is my number two.” She pointed at Trip, who poured himself a cup of coffee. “I’ll be organizing and helping Ethan implement a rehearsal strategy. I’ll also be in charge of maintaining the show once he moves on after rehearsal. I also do a myriad of other things. For example, if you ever need help with your lines, let me know. We can set up a session.”

“You have a lot going on.”

“I do, but I’m no stranger to the job.”

Carly pointed at her and smiled, exposing how her whole face lit up when she did. “Above all other stage managers. Got it. Anyway, sorry for that late entrance. I’ll try and be better.” She held up a finger. “Scratch that. I will be.”