She is an angry actress and shouts, ‘Apologies, monsieur Copain!’
He laughs out loud. ‘Good on you, child. Now I know you have a voice! Climb up on stage, and we’ll begin.’
She climbs the stairs at stage left and walks to the centre. She has not yet reached there when he walks off to the right, descends and positions himself at her feet.
Now what?
‘Juliette, right? She nods. ‘Juliette, so, do you actually know what this play is about? Admittedly, I haven’t given you much…’
She declares, ‘“You are not prepared to be mine. Not fully and unconditionally.” I suspect the play is about a relationship between two people, an unequal relationship, a power relationship.’
‘Very good. It’s about a sadomasochistic relationship, as it used to be called — I like this classical term. Between a dominant and a submissive and, classically, this would be a master and a submissive woman. 50 Shades of Jazz, you know. You are here for the role of the latter.
‘It’s true, someone should write a book or play about a mistress and a submissive man. Well, there is Venus im Pelz maybe — where the master becomes the submissive and the submissive the mistress, so that is interesting – but more recently, and a popular story? I am thinking about it, I really am, to write about a mistress and a submissive male. However, my play “Attendant sans Défense (Helplessly waiting)” is in the classical tradition, of master and submissive woman. That’s the perspective, my frame of reference.’
He adds, mumbling, ‘regardless of our own reference frame, yours and mine.‘
She can only guess what he means. She thinks she knows her own reference.
He continues, ‘Do you know what I’m talking about? Do you know anything about S&M? Are you experienced?
‘No! What do you think? That every woman is a slave?’
‘This is not about me, although I wrote the piece. Nor about you, although you hope to act it. I asked you the question if you know anything about S&M and have experience with it. You don’t have to lie.’
‘Yes, I know what S&M is and that there are masters, mistresses, so-called slaves, male and female. And I’ve tied up a lover before and been there myself.’
‘Very well, that helps. And Juliette, you’re an actress, I know you’re good, have had success, but have been out of it for a while. I can only guess why.’
She looks cross. ‘Well, it may have been due to illness!’
‘You are betraying yourself. So, you weren’t ill. You were having relationship trouble.’
‘As if you know. It’s none of your business!’
‘Ok, fine, it’s none of my business. I just guessed and guess that I am right. What I wanted to say is, you’re a good actress and can therefore empathise with the role of a submissive woman, whether you have experience with submission or not, but especially if you were out for so long because of relationship issues.’
‘Indeed, I can!’
‘But a bit of experience always helps. Never mind. As you say, it is not really my business. I was just making conversation. Whatever. Pardon me.
‘Well, the play is about a classical case, a classic submissive woman, like Justine or O. Or cute little Anastasia, if you like. The play doesn’t name the slave, that is, in my play the heroine has the first name of the actress, so Juliette in your case. Just so you know.’
‘Fine. I don’t mind.’
‘You should care. You should feel honoured. Very honoured…! Whore!’
‘What? Beware, monsieur Copain! I am the actress, not the role.’
‘And this is an audition. You play and I play with you. The actress is the role. Understand?’
Juliette frowns. ‘OK, but I’m both. Please bear that in mind. I accept that you are playing.’
‘It’s good that you accept. I have made my point. Now, something else. You should know that you will be naked in the play. Like a classical slave, available at all times and not owning her own body. Is that okay?’
The actress lets out a deep sigh and shrugs her shoulders.
‘Well… What can I say? You are overwhelming me. I’d rather not be, that is, not if I don’t have to. But if it’s the role… In King Lear by your colleague Andersen, I played the role of Cordelia and was naked for the entire play. I had to get used to it, but at some point, it felt right. It fitted in with our conception of the play.’
‘I know. I saw you in that play. And talked to Andersen about you. Whether that was really functional nudity…? Andersen laughed and confessed he just had you naked because he could. But anyway, I saw you, the nudity was appropriate, you were good and that’s why I invited you to audition and, indeed, I waited for you for half an hour. Glad that you’re here, Juliette.’
Juliette smiles. Oh, what does that smile express? Shyness, readiness for the challenge? Could it be a heart-warming combination of both? Oh, women… You never know now, do you?
‘At your service, monsieur Copain. You name it.’
‘That’s what I wanted to hear! Now, get undressed! I didn’t heat up this great hall for nothing.’
‘Gee… In Lear I was never alone with the director. I don’t know if I can tolerate this, you hear? Are you sure you’re not abusing your position of power now?’
‘Well, whore, would you like a confidant there? Legal Proof of Good Behaviour about me? We are playing, Juliette. It is not Sylvain Copain-Auzières, the person, who commands you, but the director of the play. Strictly business. And play.
‘So, I repeat, disrobe.’
For two or three seconds we see the actress standing still, frozen. Then she sighs and bends down to take off her pumps. With the shoes in her hands, she stands up again and says, ‘Can I trust you, Monsieur Copain?’
Copain laughs out loud, in a theatrical manner. His face looks like thunder. He is playing, of course.
‘Do you take me seriously, Juliette? Who do you think I am? Not a case of #Metoo here. Which I fully support, by the way. I am a respected director. No Weinstein! Or even an Andersen. What about you? Compared to me, you’re nothing! You do need this role, harder than I need you to play it. Sorry, I am transgressing… I take all of that back.
‘Regardless, be an actress!’
They stand there for a minute, eyeing each other, like the toreador eyes the bull and vice versa. (Who is which?) Then, Copain sighs and calls out,
‘Damn it, get undressed, girl. I want to see you. And I want to see you do it. Now!’
The actress ponders that he might be right. Copain can hardly be called a friendly director. He is known as extreme, she has heard the stories, but as far as she knows he makes no distinction between men and women. And he makes extremely good plays. Yet she still hesitates to expose herself to him, here, alone together in this great theatre.
‘Can you turn round, please?’
‘Yes, I can. And I can dismiss you too.’
He stands below her, looks up at her. He is relaxed, hands on his hips, but clearly in charge.
‘What kind of actress are you? One who doesn’t want to be seen? Well, Juliette, you’d be the first. Think about it again, but do not think too long. I would suggest, don’t be yourself now, play your role, that of Juliette, a slave. The actress Juliette stays dressed in the role of the slave Juliette. Think of it this way, if that makes it easier for you.’