The Cast Of A Broadway Show [Fictoid]

Chester, dressed as a dwarf gargoyle with a rubber nose, tapped with a taloned finger cast in silicon the advertisement he cut out of the newspaper with scissors.

“Explain this to me,” he said in a calculating voice.  “What’s the arithmetic that let’s producers score record profits while we suffer?”

I peered at the paper he presented; yeah, the producers were taking an extra 1% off the top while trimming down our salaries.

“You’ve got to be dedicated to your craft,” I said.

“I’m dedicated towards eating!” Chester roared.  For an actor of such small size, he possessed a mighty voice.

“What do you propose we do about it?” I asked.

“Strike!” he shouted, always quick with an answer.  “Refuse to go onstage without a better contract, a more equitable contract.”

“There will always be specialty acts -- “

“A piddling difference.  The bulk of the protesters are on our side already.”

The thought of some of those producer tough guys standing in for performers made me giggle.

Chester glared sternly at me,  “It’s time to leave the shelter of our dressing rooms,” he said, “and face the singularity of our checks!

“Who’s with me?”

“We are!” a thousand voices shouted, and with that Broadway went dark.

© Buzz Dixon