Informal Writing Prompt #1

          The shadow behind the red curtain once dreamed of performing on Broadway and having her name in shining lights. She worked diligently everyday, and never let a bad performance get her down. One day while auditioning for a big role, she came across a short little man and soon realized he was the director of the upcoming Broadway show. She was ecstatic with her discovery and thought to herself, “This could finally be my big break!” She worked harder than she ever had before so that the man would surely see she was the perfect fit for his show. When it came time for the actual audition, the woman gave it her all and felt very confident with what she had done. The small man had a stern look on his face however and told her, “You are not skinny enough; the clothes won’t fit you. You are not pretty enough; the company will not want to put your face on anything. This is not the place for you.” The woman could not believe her ears and instead of defending herself, she simply walked away. Something inside her snapped, and she no longer had the burning desire for performing that she once did. She now realized she was just an ordinary person trying to fit into an extraordinary world, so she faded into the curtains never to be seen again.
          The small man realized the harshness of his words, but that was how show business worked. He then casted a young black woman for his role and knew that she would be the perfect fit for his performance. This woman was fresh out of high school and looking for any adventure she could find. Being cast in a Broadway play was just what she needed, but she was nowhere near prepared for the effort it required. The man pushed her everyday, constantly criticizing her to be more like the magazines and other stars and it wore the girl down little by little. On the night of the performance, she was so fatigued she could not go out, and the man’s show was ruined. The girl had been burned out from constant comparison and vowed to never search for adventure again. After this, the man realized what he had done to both women and decided that comparing someone to perfect Hollywood pictures and people is not always the way to go. He soon retired, and faded into the background along with all of the other lost stars.