Viola in the Spotlight Read Online Free PDF Page B

don’t really want to go.”
    “The fresh air will be good for you,” Mrs. P says.
    “That’s what I hear,” Andrew says agreeably.
    I take a taste of the chicken. It’s very lean, spicy hot, and so tender I can cut it with my fork. The bite is so delicious, I close my eyes to savor it.
    “I’m so happy to be home,” I say dreamily. “I missed the international cuisine of Brooklyn.”
    The Pullapillys laugh. “You’re so dramatic, Viola,” Caitlin says.
    “There are some things in life that are over the top, and this chicken is number one on the list!” I assure them. “The Basmati Palace in South Bend can’t compare, trust me.”
    “So your grandmother is in Arsenic and Old Lace ? I enjoy revivals. I really liked Arms and the Man at the…” Mr. P looks at his wife.
    “The Classic Stage Company,” Mrs. P says.
    “My wife is not only my partner, she’s my memory.”
    “We go to so many plays, it’s hard to keep up,” Mrs. P explains.
    “And a lot of musical concerts,” Caitlin says.
    “That’s how you fell in love with music,” Mr. P says.
    “It helped,” Caitlin admits.
    “Devica is a lovely flautist,” Mr. P says proudly, gesturing to Caitlin’s younger sister.
    “Do you play an instrument?” I ask Abel, who is ten.
    “I play the piano,” he says.
    “You guys should have your own orchestra,” Andrew says.
    “Someday,” Mr. Pullapilly says. He spoons some cool chopped salad onto my plate; there are cucumbers and tomatoes with a yogurt dressing.
    “It’s so nice to have you both home,” Mrs. Pullapilly says.
    Mr. Pullapilly isn’t kidding about a band. This is a family of overachievers. They don’t just learn an instrument for fun, they aim for Carnegie Hall. Caitlin doesn’t read one book by an author, but all of them. The science projects that come out of this house are something to see. Caitlin didn’t show up with a barometer made out of a milk carton (like me); she made a cotton gin, engine and all. The Pullapillys play hardball, and they play to win.

    The rehearsals for Arsenic and Old Lace are “chugging along,” Grand says, which is a totally old-fashioned way to describe it, as the play takes place in 1941, the era of the Super Chief and high-speed trans-American trains.
    My summer plans have yet to take shape, but I’m working on it. I’m putting together a virtual tour of Grand’s career, a kind of mini-documentary, gathering photographs and bits of film she appeared in and weaving them into a story, which I plan to give her on opening night.
    Right now I’m working on Grand’s résumé picture from 1965. I listen to my voice-over:
    “Once actors get over the excitement of getting the part, they wrestle with how to play it. The director’s job is to stage the show, but also to bring out the best in each actor. Coral Cerise has worked with some of the greats: Michael Langham, Garland Wright, and now, Les Longfellow.”
    I click off the audio and begin adjusting Grand’s image on the screen. I start in tight close-up and pull back until her full face is revealed. In this shot, she looks a lot like Cleopatra might’ve looked, big black eyeliner and straight black hair. She definitely has star quality.
    There’s always a story behind any show Grand appears in. There’s always a cliffhanger to the whole thing, and this one is no different—like will or won’t Grand win the part, will or won’t she win the spot on the coveted bus-and-truck tour, and will or won’t the show itself run longer than five performances? Even Arsenic and Old Lace wasn’t a done deal until the moment the contracts were signed. Grand and George had already worked with one director, who cast them, and they liked her. She was replaced with Les Longfellow when the play went to Broadway. Usually, the director would recast, but Grand and George were very lucky. Mr. Longfellow liked them enough to keep them.
    Big whew.
    George plays the leading man, Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic.