Original subtitles

falling like paralyzed actors.

Me thinks, mistress, you have little reason for that. And yet, to say the

love and reason keep little company these days.

Louder, darling.

And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company these days.

Better, better, continue.

Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful.

Well, not so neither.

But if I had will enough to get out of this wood, I have enough to serve my own

church.

Out of this world do not desire to...

Hampton!

Crump!

I get tomorrow's newspaper.

Today.

I'm out there saving people's lives.

That's what I do usually.

Are you okay, baby?

I think so.

All right, watch everybody. There's broken glass here. What happened?

Faulty glass, maybe. I'll get a broom. Can you walk?

Yes.

What?

What are you doing here?

What does it look like I'm doing?

It looks to me like you're standing on the box on your head. It happens to be

Shakespeare, Mr. Smart Guy. What are you doing here?

Me? What? I happen to have a love of the theater. Since when?

We are in your debt, sir. I'm Bonnie Russo. I'm the director of the Orchard

Street Shakespeare troupe. Gary Hopson. If you hadn't stopped by, Gary, how did

you happen to notice that light?

Believe me, Bonnie, you don't want to know. This guy is a disaster magnet.

Lights fall down, bombs go off, here comes Hopson.

A man of action and a theater lover.

You know, theater and I, we go way back.

Saw some information on your troop and I thought I'd stop by and... You saw the

audition notice.

Exactly. You know, I'm afraid all parts have been filled for weeks.

Oh, gee, that's too bad. I'm too late. I should be going now. I know, but we

always have room for people who want to contribute. If it's painting scenery or

building props... Well, I really don't think I have the experience. Gary!

It's about spirit.

And that is my whole philosophy.

That's why I prefer working with amateur actors. They are so much closer to the

truth. Look around you. None of these people had any experience before they

here.

Marion, as you know, is the next police officer.

Darlene is a legal secretary. Reggie's an apparel.

I just don't have the time.

Perhaps a small contribution, then, you know.

What? A theater lover. You know that acting companies have always depended on

the kindness of strangers.

Well, I'm a little strapped for cash. No, it doesn't have to be much. A

dollars, they would...

Totally replaced the lamp that just fell.

Tell you what, why don't you send me a brochure? Goodbye, good luck.

What can I say?

The guy's a flake.

Crumb, an actor?

Yeah, I'm telling you, you'd have to see it to believe it. I saw it and I didn't

believe it. You know, I just can't imagine Shakespeare and Crumb in the

sentence. Well, I don't think Shakespeare imagined Crumb either.

What's so funny?

Crumb! Hey, how are you?

So, what, someone making jokes or what?

No, no, no, no, no. We were just talking over paperwork.

It's kind of funny, Hopson, the way we ran into each other at the theater like

that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You see, I was... No, no, no.

I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it.

It's just I must look like some kind of clown or something running around with a

box on my head.

No, no, no, no.

I didn't know, though, that you were interested in the acting.

Oh, no, I'm not.

Well, I wasn't.

See, it's Darlene.

You met her at Titania, the lady you saved? Oh, yeah.

Yeah, well, I met her. I was doing some investigative work for a legal outfit.

She's a legal secretary.

Real smart.

So we've kind of been going around together, you know.

She's one of these culture freaks, you know.

Museums, plays, you name it.

She ran about some auditions for this new theater company. No experience

necessary. She decides to try out.

Good for her.

Yeah, only when I take her down there, you know, showing support and all, this

director, Bonnie, she asked me to read, too.

So I did.

And she liked you.

Yeah, can you believe it?

She says a reminder of a young Brando.

When he got older, Oh, yeah.

It's kind of goofy, huh?

No, no, no.

I think it's great.

It's just that I always figured a guy involved with theater, you know, got to

a Nancy boy, you know.

But to tell you the truth, it's not like that at all.

It's fun.

But still, Hobson, you mention this to anybody, I'm going to break your face.

You got it? Oh, yeah.

Good.

Morning, Rebecca.

Coffee? No, I don't have time.

Something serious?

Oh, you know, the usual. Carpenter gets spooked by a spider and cuts his hand

off at the table, so I'll be back later.

The usual.

Sorry, but you see there's a... I

hate spiders.

I'm from the Chicago Etymological Society.

This is a McGinty eight -leg, very rare in these parts. I don't need to see it.

Sorry to have bothered you.

Hey, don't go like that. I ordered pepperoni.

Hey, Gus.

How's the play coming along?

Play's off, Hobson. It's what?

Oberon's in the hospital.

Who?

King of the fairies. Married to Titania.

Oh.

In the play, Hobson. It's a part in the play.

Oh. So what happened to this guy?

He got speared.

He... Got speared.

Swacked, actually.

Carpentry shop. Two by four.

Straight to the solar plexus.

This guy didn't happen to be a pizza delivery man, did he?

How'd you know that, Hudson?

Never mind.

Cheer up, Sophie. There'll be other plays.

I know. I just wanted to be in this play.

My parents were coming from Des Moines.

And my sister.

Well, maybe this guy, this...

Yeah, he'll recover in time.

We open in a week, dear boy.

Oh.

Just got off the phone with Leo.

Three cracked ribs.

Poor man can barely speak.

Well, I mean, maybe you can find another fairy king.

We could never replace Leo.

I thought you said Leo was terrible.

Yes, but he was our terrible.

Maybe my mother was right. Maybe dreams are better left as dreams.

Nonsense.

We are theater people, my darlings. We have to dream.

Can't let a little adversity stand in our ways.

Now, in every backstage crisis, a hero arises.

Always.

And we have such a hero among us.

You hear that, Crumb? Buck up. Your theater company's going to be saved.

a hero among you. Who?

You To

seem

to Gary

It's your

line love How canst thou thus For shame.

I thank you.

Glanced in my credit with hip.

Hipolita.

Hip.

I can't do this. I'm sorry.

Um, take five, everybody.

Look, uh, I'm not an actor.

Actor? Come on, that's just a word, Kate. I don't get hung up on you. You

this is a little different. I feel really stupid.

That's because it's new. I mean, have you ever done any acting before?

Well, I played a teapot in second grade.

All right, um...

In high school, were you an athlete?

Yeah, I mean, I played a little baseball and football. It's different. I knew

what I was doing. But see, these words here... All right, do me a favor. Close

your eyes.

What? Do me a favor. Come on, close your eyes.

All right, now I want you to think back to high school, your best moment on the

football field.

Well, it would probably be senior year homecoming.

All right, describe it to me.

Huh? Come on, do it.

Come on.

Were your eyes closed?

Well, it was fourth quarter. We were down by three.

Mm -hmm. So what was the weather like?

It was cold. It was cold and it was windy.

How cold was it?

It was very cold. It was cold enough so I couldn't feel my hands. My hands were

numb. All right, good. Go on.

It was fourth and 23, I suppose.

Mike Malcolm, quarterback, yeah.

He called my number up and gave me a post pattern.

And what happened next?

The ball was snapped and I had to take my man to the outside.

Went down the middle, made my pattern, and I turned to

almost right there I had.

Yeah, it was a perfect pass, and I blew over into the end zone.

And what are you feeling right now?

Well, out of breath, because I landed on a ball and knocked the wind out of

myself. And the rest of the team, they piled on it.

Right open your eyes.

You were just acting, Gary.

Huh?

You took me there with you. Your hands were frozen. Your heart was pounding. My

heart was pounding because I was there with you.

I believed it because you believed it.

That is acting, Gary.

Yeah, but those words... The words, no, they come later.

First, you have to put yourself inside your character's skin, and you can do

that, Gary. You just proved it.

You know, acting is... It's about revealing the truth in someone

else by first finding that truth in yourself.

That is what the key is to opening whole new worlds.

So what do you say? I mean, are you willing to go there with us?

It is an awful lot of work, so...

Gary, it was an accident.

Don't feel you need to do this out of guilt.

I'm not doing it out of guilt. It's just... Well, you should have seen these

people when they thought this whole thing was over. They all looked like

houses were burning down.

Which begs the question, how can you be in a play and handle the paper?

Well, you see, it's only temporary.

I get the feeling that the paper wants me involved.

What?

Look at the circumstances.

Light almost falls on one of the actresses.

Another actor gets shot by a two -by -four. That gives me the idea that the

paper might want me involved with this group.

Maybe.

Maybe Gary Hobson's caught the acting bug.

Don't be ridiculous.

Still thou mistaken, or else committed thy neighbor's... Committed thy

neighbor's will?

Unless you're crippled by cyclists.

Hey, hold on.

Yeah, that's negligence. That's negligence.

Still thou mistakest, or else commitest thy knaveries.

This is thy negligence. Still thou mistakest, or else commitest thy

willfully.

Reggie, give us a moment, won't you?

Certainly. This is thy negligence.

Still thou must take it, or else commit it.

Thy neighbor is willfully.

This is thy negligence.

Still thou must take it, or else commit it.

Thy neighbor is willfully.

That's better.

Get out of here.

Well, I'm with the Diner Protection Agency, excuse me.

And I told you, get out of my kitchen.

Stay away from that.

Oh, my God.

This is thy negligence.

Still thou must take it, or else call thy neighbors willfully.

Did you not tell me I should know the man by the Athenian garments he had on?

Thou seest these lovers seek a place to fight.

Hi there, poor Robin.

Overcast the night with drooping fog, and lead these testy rivals so far

as one not come within another's way.

Haste, make no delay.

We may affect this business yet here day.

Excellent, Gary. Lovely.

Bravo.

Subtext was a little off.

Now, before we move on, people, we have some business that must be attended to.

Our costume house has gone belly up, taking our deposit with them.

Their costumes?

Well... Fortunately, I've located another supplier. That's the good news.

bad news is we're going to need another check.

How much?

A thousand dollars.

I understand.

I mean, you've all sacrificed so much already.

I'm willing to put up $500 out of my own pocket if that helps.

Or we could do it without costume.

Well, we're already doing it with virtually no sets or props.

Yeah, and you said we'd sell it with the costumes.

Yes, yes, I know I did, dear, but if we can't have them, we'll... We'll simply

do without. Bare bones, street clothes, um, overalls, jeans.

A fairy queen in overalls? Hey, you're acting so good, it won't make no

difference. You're already a queen up there.

I'll cover it.

Gary?

I'm in for 500.

Gary, are you sure? I mean, that's a lot of money, especially considering what

you've done for us. Well, no, I know, I know, but I've only been here a few

days, and you've all... Well, you may not need costumes, but I need all the

I can get, so... Way to go, kid.

What about that subtext thing?

I'll help you with it.

How touching.

Anton Goldman.

Artistic director of the Medusa Theater. It's my assistant, James.

And how can we help you, gentlemen?

By getting out of my theater.

What?

Oh, don't play the wounded innocent, Miss Rousseau. You're well aware Medusa

an agreement to rent this space beginning next week for our production

Maratsad. That's ridiculous. I have a contract.

So do we.

It's written well before yours.

Minor detail.

The landlord didn't sign it.

No, but we have a verbal understanding.

Don't we, Oscar?

Oscar is the landlord?

It was to me.

We had a deal, Oscar. You said the contract was a formality and you didn't

to it later.

Remember?

You didn't offer me a part.

Because you have the instincts of an imbecile.

Well, Bonnie thinks I'm good.

Mr. Rousseau has obviously flattered you in an effort to violate a pre -existing

arrangement.

I'm calling upon you now to do the one honorable thing and relinquish the

theater to Medusa.

No.

Let me remind you, Oscar, that we have already sent out mailings, sold tickets,

rented equipment, all based on your prior representation.

I think he said no the first time.

If you persist in this nonsense, I fully intend to sue you for every penny

you've got. Now, one last chance.

Will you rent me the theater?

No.

Fine, then I can't be held responsible for the consequences.

Come on, James.

We have work to do.

Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.

Everyone's a critic.

Well, I told you there was a reason the paper wanted me around. Slow down, Gary.

Well, I can't. I gotta get over to the theater before it burns to the ground.

you know what causes it? The paper says investigators suspect arson.

Arson? Arson. Who'd want to burn down your theater on opening night?

I got a pretty good idea.

I'll squash him like a bug.

Nobody tries to burn down my theater and gets away with it.

Gary, oh my God!

Are you all right?

Well, yeah, it's just my ankle.

What do you want, a purple heart? Come on. Don't be ridiculous. You get this

looked at right away.

That is an order, all right? What are you doing in the theater now anyway? No,

we don't want to know.

Come on, time's wasting. Now, we're going to handle this maturely, Marion.

I'm going to handle it maturely. Then I'm going to bust his head open.

Good, John.

Exactly, that's it. Very nice.

Now move through the space and let the space move through you.

Very good, Ma. Good, good.

Feel the energy, James.

Feel this, chump. Excuse me?

Look familiar?

I'm running a rehearsal.

Oh, is that what you call it? What is this about?

Don't play dumb. You tried to burn down our theater.

What? Somebody planted this flash pot this morning instead of fire.

Oh, and you suspect me.

Why would I want to burn down your little theater?

Because you can't have it.

Oh, like a child. If I can't play with it, then nobody can.

If the shoe fits.

Well, tell me, Sherlock, can I physical evidence link you me to this?

Well, you know... Oh, look, it's trying to think.

That's it!

Marion! Oh, that's good. When in doubt, act like a gorilla.

This gorilla's got news for you, pal.

You touch our theater again, I'll bury you so deep in your Chicago court system

that the only line you're gonna be running is gonna be in a prison

Marion, let him go!

I don't need to resort to sabotage. Because your own lack of talent will

you far more effectively.

Now get out of here.

It's a go! Run along!

Come on, Marion. Let's go. Come on.

I should have popped them.

Well, it sounds to me like he got the point.

So, uh, how's your leg?

It's fine.

The doctor says it'll be fine. As long as I keep it elevated, it'll be good for

tonight. You're lucky you didn't break it.

I can't.

What, you broke your leg before?

No.

Ow! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing?

Look, I've got to get over to the theater.

Well, you ain't going no place. Look, you know...

Trump, you know those feelings I get.

I don't want to hear that. Well, I got a feeling the theater's going to catch on

fire again.

What? I got a... I got to get over there. No, no, no, no, no.

I'll go.

Huh? You stay put.

You hurt that leg before opening the leg.

I'll kill you.

You mind telling me what the hell's going on here?

Stage fright?

You're going to torture the theater because of stage fright?

You could have ruined everything.

No.

I don't get it.

You've been in more shows than the rest of us put together.

Oh, I've been in lots of plays, dear boy. But the biggest part I ever had was

the second attendant lord.

I had one line.

Hark, the king approaches.

I could barely get that out.

Now, hold on a minute.

That flash part this morning, that was you too?

Absolutely broke his leg because of that. Oh, God, I didn't mean for anyone

get hurt, but the thought of going up on stage makes me sick to my stomach. I've

been doubled over with pain.

Well, if you feel that way, why don't you just quit?

I can't.

Sophie is always a demon.

Just so.

She thinks I'm the next Olivier.

I'm afraid I couldn't bear to shatter her illusion.

Truth is, old boy, I...

I think I love her.

So, you see, I had to find a graceful way out.

Graceful? You were going to burn down a theatre? Char it a little around the

edges, enough to cancel the show.

It only occurred to me after that dreadful Anton fellow threatened us. How

perfect, I thought.

Everyone would blame it on him.

Reggie, that fire could have spread everywhere.

Please don't yell at me right now. I'm very vulnerable.

I'll do anything.

I'll cook the play. I'll put myself in therapy. It's just no more yelling.

Sophie. Am I interrupting?

Not at all.

Marion wanted some extra help, and who better to supply it than the good Master

Puck? That is so you.

Isn't he amazing?

Oh, yeah, he's a peach.

Well, um, I left my address book here last night.

Care for a spot of lunch?

Love it.

Excellent.

I'll be right along. I still have a couple of more tips for Marion.

What

can

I say? I'm a total scoundrel.

Look, Reggie, I'm not much on pep talks.

But if that wasn't acting, I don't know what is.

It was rather convincing, wasn't it?

I'm telling you, you got this game down cold.

You really think so?

Compared to the rest of us, you're like John Wayne or something.

I'll assume you meant that as a compliment.

Greatest actor who ever lived.

So, what you're saying is, given the general level of talent in this company,

have to be considered the standout.

Oh, absolutely.

So, no matter how bad I am, the rest of you are going to be worth.

And another thing, if you don't go on tonight, I'm going to beat the crap out

you.

I'll do it.

Good.

It was Reggie?

It's a long story, Hobson.

Good news is, there can be no more fires here at the theater.

You got any more hunches?

No.

Good. I'll see you tonight.

There's no more fires.

This is not what it looks like. She attacked me.

Liar! Because I was going to expose her.

What? Don't believe him, Gary.

She's a fraud.

Look, now I had my assistant do a little checking. Her name's not Bonnie

Rousseau. So I changed my name. It's very common in the theater. In Toledo,

was Bonnie Richards, and the play was Comedy of Heirs. Oh, yeah, some comedy.

Twenty bewildered actors show up opening night to find their theater locked, the

rent not paid, the props never ordered, and their director nowhere in sight.

It was a cash flow problem. I was embarrassed.

In Milwaukee, it was Two Gentlemen of Verona. In Bradford, Pennsylvania, it

As You Like It. Gosh, the words seem to change, but the melody just stays the

same, doesn't it?

It's a pretty brilliant scheme, actually.

Recruit a bunch of untalented but willing amateurs and charge them for

lessons and a host of other fictions and then leave them high and dry with a

stack of unpaid bills.

Look, I don't believe that. Look around you. This is a furnished apartment and

her bags are packed.

In another few minutes, she was walking out on you.

There's a line.

In Midsummer Night's Dream. What was that now? Oh, yes, of course.

How quick bright things come to confusion.

And tell Jennifer not to rearrange the fridge.

Oh, and Mom, after the show tonight, there's someone very special I want you

meet.

Okay. Love you, too. Bye.

I can't believe she's not here. We need our final notes before we go on. Not to

mention our costumes.

Bad form, really, to wait till opening night. Hey, Bonnie knows what she's

when she's a pro.

Bonnie, it's about time.

Hello, darling and everyone.

Did you get the costumes?

There are no costumes, Scrum.

What? Bonnie, are you okay?

Gary, I... No, no, no, you should tell him.

Tell us what?

The truth is, there never were any costumes.

There never was any show.

What? Why not?

Well, Bonnie was planning on taking the money and skipping town, you see.

Tonight. But it just so happened we ran into each other, so... You mean you

weren't even going to be here tonight?

She was scamming us.

I just believe it. No wonder I never got any rent.

I've got her checkbook. The money's all...

It's all still here.

You'll all get your shares back.

What about the other companies?

I'll do something that's just going to take some time.

You've done this before?

She's a con artist, kid.

She's got her act on pretty good.

But why?

What difference does it make? I think it makes a difference.

I think it makes a big difference.

Tell him.

I started out just like all of you, full of dreams.

Everyone back home in Nebraska thought I was crazy, but I'd show them, I'd show

everyone, I'd take Broadway by storm.

Well, what happened?

I turned around and I was 35, broke and alone and waiting tables like 1 ,000

other actresses, going to auditions and praying for that break that never comes.

So what about Evita, the national tour?

I never played Evita.

And I never taught at Juilliard either.

In other words, what you're telling us is everything you've said up to now is a

lie.

Look, theater was all I knew. I had to make a living somehow.

So I bluffed my way into directing.

Community theater in Toledo.

As opening night approached, I just got so terrified of failing again.

I was sure someone was going to find out I had lied about my past. So I ran.

And I didn't realize until I got to Pennsylvania that I still had the

checkbook with me. I never planned it.

But suddenly I had more money than I'd earned in the last ten years combined.

Maybe I did have a talent for something.

The first time was an accident.

But not the second.

Or the next.

And now you.

It's everything.

Well, that's it then.

Oh, but the audience is coming soon.

What, to see a bunch of yahoos embarrass themselves on stage?

We'll give them the money back. Tell them to go home.

Look, I'm the fraud here, not you.

Everything I told you about myself may have been a lie, but not what I said

about you.

Oh, yeah, sure.

It's the truth.

Yes, those other companies that I formed, they were pretty awful, but not

You're different. You believe in yourselves.

Don't let that go.

I believe in you.

You mean that?

Who cares what she says?

We'll start making phone calls now. Maybe we can stop people. Uh -huh. There

is, detective.

Arrest her. She's a crook.

Hold on, pal.

Stan, what's going on? A long time.

You know this Simeon?

You're an actor now?

It's a long story.

So what are you doing?

I'm working bunk all these days. This guy here says that Miss Russo took your

money under false pretense. False pretense. She robbed them blind.

She took every penny she could get out of these gullible rubes.

Is that true?

I don't know where this hairball gets his information.

But she didn't take my money.

You. You were there. You know I'm right.

Hobson. She take your money?

No, she didn't take my money.

She take anyone else's money? What are you talking about?

You paid her for acting lessons.

Then we got them all, Ben.

They're covering for her. I don't know why. Without evidence of fraud, there is

no case here.

What about costumes? Do you see any costumes?

We don't need costumes.

We rely on our acting.

Looks like you're wasting your time, Stan.

Yeah. Wait a minute. You rely on your acting?

What acting? You want evidence?

Right, she promised them a show.

Well, there's not going to be a show because these people can't act their way

out of a paper bag.

There's not going to be a show. No, of course there isn't. That is her whole

scam. These people are buffoons.

Well, I guess if there's no show, that is evidence.

Mr. Russo, if you could come with me, please.

Hold on, Stan.

There's gonna be a show.

What?

There is?

In fact, we go on in 90 minutes.

Isn't that right?

That's right.

They're lying.

If you don't believe me, why don't you hang around, Antoine?

Maybe you'll learn something.

Oh, I'll be there.

I guess I'll stick around, too.

Fine, gentlemen, I'll get you tickets. Now, would you clear the hall? We've got

some last -minute work to do.

Oh, I'll bet you do.

I'm really looking forward to this, Crumb.

That

was

pretty good, Crumb.

You were great.

You were all great, thank you.

We didn't do it for you.

Nevertheless, I... Go on, then. Leave.

You didn't want to be here before. Why stay now?

I'm the only one that can cue the lights.

So, now what?

Now?

We put on a show.

There he goes. Nothing.

Yeah, break a leg.

What the crack is that?

House lights ready to go.

I mean, break a leg.

That's what you say. House lights down.

Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on. What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?

The finch, the sparrow, and the lark.

The plain song, Cuckoo Gray, whose note.

If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended, that you have

but slumbered here while these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream.

Gentlemen, do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend.

And as I am an honest Puck, if we have unearned luck now to escape the

tongue, we will make amends ere long.

Tell the Puck a liar call.

So good night unto you all. Give me your hands if we be friends.

And Robin shall restore amends.

Well, I guess we just think after all. Heck if not.

Come on, everyone. Captain calls.

Hey, thanks.

I really enjoyed this.

Excuse me.

Get down.

Hey, how can you read a newspaper at a time like this?

And there's more tomorrow at midday. The legends of Native American nations come

to life next.

Hallmark presents the first in a two -part miniseries, The Dream Keeper, next

this afternoon.