"Ugh~"
Manhattan School of the Arts, in the acting classroom.
The room wasn't large, maybe around 70 or 80 square meters, with rows of desks. At the moment, it was mostly empty, with just seven or eight students scattered in the front rows. Luca was one of them.
He sat in the front row with a thick acting textbook, *Actor Training*, open in front of him. The book had 807 pages, about the size of a large dictionary.
Apparently, this book was a collaboration by several Broadway acting masters, filled with detailed theories and case studies. It covered classic theories of acting, the masters' interpretations, and their diaries on how they applied those techniques on stage.
One entry from Michael Chekhov was particularly interesting. In his diary, he recounted a night at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway during a performance of *Les Misérables*.
He played the lead role of Jean Valjean, and Gloria played the female lead, Fantine.
During one performance, Gloria unexpectedly passed gas—a really foul one, like a mix of rotten beans and potatoes. It made Michael feel nauseous. With a full audience, he had no choice but to endure the smell and power through the scene, completing the performance successfully.
Though the show went well, Michael wrote in his diary that it was one of his worst experiences on stage, and he would definitely remind Gloria not to eat potatoes before a performance again.
If Luca had only read Michael's diary, he would've sympathized with him. But after reading Gloria's diary, the story became less straightforward.
Gloria, a famous opera singer and co-editor of the book, wrote in her own diary that Michael was a rude, talentless actor who wasn't worthy of sharing the stage with her, and they had never even worked together.
So, who was telling the truth?
It was up to readers to decide.
Luca had read the entire textbook in about ten days, and finally found a helpful line in the diary of another famous actor, Leonard Pettit:
"Wow, Michael and Gloria make such an enviable couple. But I doubt they'll last long—they're in love with each other's roles, not each other. That's why I'd never fall in love with an actor."
Well, what an interesting book this was.
"Ugh~"
Luca yawned again as he flipped through the textbook in the sunlight.
"Luca!"
Mr. Brown, standing at the front of the classroom, adjusted his glasses and said, "You've yawned countless times since the class started. Am I really that boring?"
The other sleepy students immediately perked up, amused smiles appearing on their faces.
Luca shrugged. "Mr. Brown, I'm sorry. I've been really busy with work the past few days and haven't gotten enough rest. I didn't mean to disturb your lecture."
Mr. Brown nodded gently and smiled. "I think you need a strong cup of coffee."
"Thanks for the suggestion. I'll consider it. But I also have a proposal," Luca replied with a slight smile.
"Oh?" Mr. Brown motioned for him to continue. "Let's hear it."
Luca gestured around the nearly empty classroom. "Don't you think there are too few students attending?"
Mr. Brown frowned a bit. This was a general course offered by the school, free for students to attend. It was a foundational course aimed at improving their understanding of acting theory.
The course was heavy on theory and somewhat dry, so most students avoided it, even though it was free.
Mr. Brown didn't really mind the lack of attendance—whether there were many or few students, his salary wouldn't change.
Hearing Luca point out the problem, Mr. Brown smiled slightly. "Do you have a suggestion, Luca?"
Luca waved the thick textbook. "Mr. Brown, I've already read and even memorized the entire first half of this book. I'm sure many other students feel the same—we don't need such detailed explanations."
"Oh, really?"
Mr. Brown raised an eyebrow.
"If you're interested, feel free to ask me any question," Luca said confidently.
"Interesting!" Mr. Brown's eyes lit up as he picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the blackboard: *The essence of Symbolist Theatre*.
Luca thought for a moment before answering, "Symbolist Theatre uses symbols to express human emotions and societal ideals. These plays often draw from myth, tradition, fables, and religious stories, exploring love, death, fate, and the universe. It employs symbolism to represent abstract ideas, creating an ambiguous, mysterious, and multi-layered effect. Examples include Maeterlinck's *The Blue Bird*, John Synge's *Riders to the Sea*, and Hauptmann's *The Sunken Bell*."
"Now, talk about the characteristics of Ancient Greek Theatre," Mr. Brown followed up.
Luca responded, "Ancient Greek Theatre adhered to the three unities: unity of time, unity of place, and unity of action."
He went on to elaborate on his understanding of Greek drama. Mr. Brown kept posing questions, and Luca answered them all confidently, showcasing the results of his self-study and strong memory.
"Perfect!" Mr. Brown clapped his hands.
The other students followed suit, applauding in surprise. After all, they knew Luca as "Supermodel Luca," Armani's new spokesperson, a fashion icon. Seeing him yawn repeatedly, they had assumed he was just tired. No one expected him to be such a top student. The girls, in particular, looked at him with newfound admiration.
"Luca, you don't need to attend this class anymore. I'll give you an A when you graduate," Mr. Brown said with a smile.
Luca smiled politely. "Thank you, Mr. Brown. But although I've understood the first half, I still have many questions about the second half."
"The second half?" Mr. Brown was a bit surprised. The second half of the book was more like supplementary reading material, not critical for the course.
"What questions do you have, Luca?"
"In Leonard Pettit's 32nd diary entry, he says he'd never fall in love with an actor. Did he keep that promise?"
Mr. Brown was caught off guard for a moment, then laughed heartily. "No, he didn't. He married three actresses."
The classroom burst into laughter at this.
Luca smiled. Looks like the *'I'll never'* rule didn't apply here.
"Mr. Brown, did Michael Chekhov really say that Gloria passed gas on stage?"
"Wow, Luca, you should really become a journalist with all these great questions," Mr. Brown said, wiping his forehead.
Luca shrugged. "I think I'm better suited to be on the other end of the microphone."
"Yes, Luca, you're right. You're talented enough to be the star being interviewed," Mr. Brown said, smiling.
"Thank you, Mr. Brown. But did Gloria really do it?"
"No, of course not," Mr. Brown chuckled. "Gloria was a very professional actress. She would never make that kind of mistake."
"So, did Chekhov lie?"
The other students were now equally curious.
"No, he didn't!" Mr. Brown shook his head.
Now everyone was even more confused. If neither lied, then what happened? A classic case of *Rashomon*?
Mr. Brown smiled and explained, "Chekhov was a brilliant, perhaps even a great actor. He was so deeply immersed in his performances that he often experienced hallucinations."
"Oh?"
"Yes, hallucinations. In the early days, when he first fell in love with Gloria, every time they performed together, he would say that she smelled like violets, and it drove him wild."
At this point, most students understood and let out a knowing laugh.
Mr. Brown continued, "As Herzen once said, 'The beauty of love is in its intensity, but anything intense is short-lived.' Within six months, they started arguing, and soon after, Chekhov began saying that every time they shared the stage, he smelled nothing but a stench, making him feel sick."
"Ha-ha-ha!"
"Mr. Brown, did Mr. Monette really see a ghost at the Brookside Theatre?"
"Did Clark Gable really eat tons of garlic while filming with Vivien Leigh?"
After Luca broke the ice, his classmates started asking all sorts of fun, celebrity-related questions.
Mr. Brown cheerfully answered them, and soon the classroom was filled with laughter.
At around three in the afternoon, class ended.
Luca got into his car and pulled out his phone. "Miranda, are you all packed? Alright, I'm coming over now."
He was off to help Miranda move.
(End of chapter)