ballet – kennethgerety

“The curtain rose to reveal the wooden balcony on the left of the stage set against a background depicting rocky shores. Onto this balcony tip-toed a figure dressed in an old-fashioned sleeping gown, a comedic mask over his face with an exaggerated nose but small eyes, and a smile of thin teeth. The figure gesticulated extravagantly to the shore backdrop, out towards sea, then clasped his hands to his breast and began to twirl and hop.

“I sat among a substantial crowd, far more than I ever would have expected after the first night. They were all quiet with respect and attention. It sent shivers through my limbs, this silence.

“Somehow, even with all of my theater experience, I’ve never gotten used to such a large group of silent people. You would think at least one of them would speak, to joke with a companion or whisper some flirt. As it was, I felt an insidious nagging thought that I was attending some religious ceremony where all must be solemn to complete the ritual.

“The figure from the balcony disappeared off-stage, lights growing dim as the set was altered from an outdoor scene to the den of the figure’s house. A fireplace illuminated a small semicircle before it, where sat an armchair, ottoman, coffee table and rug. The dark shape of the figure approached these flames, again tiptoeing and hopping as he moved along.

“Ushers dressed in gray hoods and cloaks, those with the fabric shimmering as slime, stood at each entrance to the theater. If they were actual employees, or members of the cast waiting for their time to come, I could not conclude. This might’ve been some addition to the spectacle, an added element for audience participation.

“The figure on stage lifted a fire-poker from a rack against the wall. He spun about and thrashed and stabbed the air as if he were some swordsman. For all I saw, he appeared nothing more than an imaginative boy, a child on the stage.

“And then … a sound … a gasp? This broke the silence in such an immediate way—though it was barely a whisper—as to send my heart stammering.

“One of the ushers disappeared, I’m sure of it, and I swear I saw one of the entrance doors close … and just before it closed, a pair of feet being dragged outside…”