The Revolt of the Stage Props
Sundown
with Savanna only at the studio and while Nuala was busy working on the
Yedred movie.
Steelie and Maneisha agreed with this plan, after all, this was the Good
Times Roll studio, and they wanted to make sure it continued living up to
its name.
One day, the new prop shipment arrived. Among the items were the Practise
trees, and now the scenery could be set up to fit with the action.
There was some trouble when Sherry and Mike had to do their part in the
movie, so, joined Lily, Nuala, Maneisha and Steelie on the set. That left
Savanna all on her own, and sulking.
Savanna resigned herself to playing around one of the Practise trees that
wasn't on the set.
The first thing she did was tell it to shake.
The tree did.
Next, Savanna told it to bear Steelie's favorite banana snack on its
branches, and a Nuala face on top.
The tree did, but adding to the hilarious effect was the fact it was still
shaking.
Savanna laughed, and then said "Stop shaking."
It didn't.
"Tree, stop shaking!"
This time it stopped.
"Tree, turn back to normal."
It did.
"Tree, shed one of your branches.
The tree did.
Savanna now took the branch and moved it away from the rest of the tree.
She looked at it. "Branch, grow."
Nothing happened.
"Tree branch, grow!"
Still nothing.
"Argh!" Savanna snarled, making an ugly angry face. "Tree, grow!"
It still did nothing, much to her chagrin.
Heaving an exhasperated sigh, Savanna went back over to the Practise tree
and said "Regrow the branch you shed."
It did.
And then it occured to Savanna to try something else. Looking at the tree
again, she said in a commanding voice, "Tree! Grow and shed a Practise tree
branch!"
In a moment, a branch grew, then fell to the floor.
Savanna picked it up, moved away from the main tree again with this new
branch, and started giving it commands.
"Tree branch, grow a foot taller."
Much to her delight, it did.
"Yes!" She grinned wickedly. "Tree branch, shrink to two inches high."
To her great delight, it did.
"Sweet!" Savanna laughed malevolently. With that, she picked it up and put
it in her pocket. "You willshoot up my career as a great star!" she said
dreamily as she stole out of the studio for home.
In the mean time, there were problems On the set when some of the scenery
wouldn't cooperate. Instead of blossoming in a blaze of color at Maneisha's
command, a Practise tree toppled, decking Lily in the head with some of its
branches.
"Ow!" cried Lily.
"Stupid tree!" an exhasperated Maneisha huffed.
Unfortunately she happened to be facing another tree, which immediately
began chanting "Stupid tree. Stupid tree. Stupid tree."
"Tree! Steelie shouted, staring right at it, "Shut up!"
It did.
"Tree!" Lily chimed in, addressing the one that hit her head. "Stand up!"
It did.
"Whew." she breathed.
"Good, now let's get this--"
Maneisha was interupted by a crash as a pile of fake rocks not needed for
this particular scene tumbled out of their place and rolled all over the
set. The case storing them fell with them.
"Nuala, watch where you're pointing that thing!" Steelie warned, indicating
the magic wand.
"Sorry!" Nuala blushed.
The next mishap was Mike tripping over a cord during a dance move with
Sherry. He fell, knocking Sherry off balance, Sherry fell into Lily, who was
just about to cut in on them as part of the number. Lily went flying one
way, Sherry the other, and Mike got tangled up in some offstage wires that
powered the film equipment.
"I think we should take a break," Steelie suggested.
"Good idea." Maneisha agreed. "See you all back here in about half an hour."