NOVEL WEB Chapter 5: The script has arrived
Time slowly passed by as Liam sat on the couch.
'When will this email arrive, it is already 9:00am' He thought, as he refreshed the page again.
> 1 New Notification!
"Finally!" He said, as a grin quickly formed on his face.
> Subject: The Audition Script
"Finally!" he muttered to himself, his grin widening. Tapping the email open, he began to read.
> Dear Liam West,
Thank you for your patience.
I have Attached the script for the second round of auditions. The piece you'll be performing is a monologue from the play 'A Thief's Redemption.'
> Your character, Victor Callahan, is a former thief confronting his estranged daughter after years apart. The scene should heavily focus on the emotions of the character, the regret, the sadness and other emotions.
>Please prepare thoroughly and bring your best to the audition. We're looking forward to your performance.
Paul Carmichael
Stardream Casting Agency
Liam exhaled slowly.
"Victor Callahan, huh?" he muttered, as he scrilled down to open the attachment paul attached to the email.
The script loaded, after downloading.
Scene 4: Redemption
The monologue began with Victor standing in the shadows, speaking to his daughter who wasn't yet visible on stage.
Victor:
"I never wanted this for you. Not the anger, not the pain... I thought I was protecting you by staying away. Turns out, all I did was leave you vulnerable. And now you hate me. You have every right to."
Liam paused, reading the next few lines silently.
His lips curled into a smile as he muttered, "This is some… heavy-duty stuff."
Standing up, he cleared his throat and positioned himself in the middle of the living room.
"Alright, let's see what i can do."
He straightened his back, took a deep breath, and began his practice session.
"I never wanted this for you…" His voice cracked halfway through, and he immediately stopped. "No, no, that's not it," he muttered, shaking his head. "Too weak. Victor's not just sad—he's fighting with himself."
Liam took a step back and tensed his shoulders.
Closing his eyes, he tried to channel Victor's regret and guilt.
He opened his eyes again, staring at a figure, an imaginary daughter in the corner of the room.
"I never wanted this for you. Not the anger, not the pain…" His voice was stronger this time, but it still felt off.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, better, but not enough emotion. Victor's gotta feel like he's choking on regret."
He stepped back again, this time pacing slightly as he rehearsed. "Alright, Victor, let's try this again."
He was full immersed in the novel that he started adressing himself as Victor.
Planting his feet on the floor, Liam took another breath, lifting his head as if speaking to someone out of his reach.
"I never wanted this for you. Not the anger, not the pain…" His voice wavered slightly, trembling with emotion.
He paused, as if searching for the right words. "I thought I was protecting you by staying away." His hand reached out, trembling, as though he were speaking directly to someone he longed to hold.
"Turns out, all I did was leave you vulnerable. And now you hate me."
He took a step forward, his expression crumbling into a raw and desperate struggle. "You have every right to."
Silence filled the room as he lowered his hand.
He stood there for a moment, his breath heavy, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Yeah," he muttered to himself, his lips moving into a faint smile.
"That's better."
Feeling a surge of confidence, he repeated the lines again, this time varying his tone and experimenting with pauses in between certain punchlines.
"Victor's got layers of emotional baggage," he murmured, pacing again. "He's broken, but he's trying. He's got to sound… human."
Liam spent the next hour going over the lines, trying different approaches.
At times, he played Victor with barely restrained anger, his words sharp and clipped. Other times, he softened his voice, letting the sorrow seep into every syllable. Each time he repeated the play, it brought something new to the character.
By the end of the practice session, Liam collapsed onto the couch, drained but satisfied with his progress.
"Okay, Victor," he said, grinning up as he stared at the ceiling. "I think we're getting somewhere here."
His phone buzzed on the cushion beside him.
He glanced at the screen.
> Upcoming shift at StarCoffee
"Right," he muttered, sitting up. "Can't let them fire me before I make it big. Otherwise, i will have to live on the streets." He stretched.
Despite the exhaustion from the practising he had done, he felt much better.
"I can finally work towards my dream, knowing that my efforts are going to be rewarded." He smiled, as he got dressed for work.