Chapter 33: Temporary Addition
"Ollie Berry is a First Tier Vocal Apprentice at Mist Tower. Both her parents are professional actors from the White Horse Opera Troupe, having entered the industry even earlier than me. Their acting skills are commendable, but..."
Looking at Ollie Berry's sweet and cute face, which, while pleasant, was not particularly stunning, Liji Silks shook her head in disapproval.
"The character Natasha in 'Bloodshadow Rose' is reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the Rose Kingdom. While Ollie Berry is indeed pretty, she clearly doesn't fit the character's description."
All the auditioning actors present were professional opera performers who could recite the entire script of 'Bloodshadow Rose' backwards.
Therefore, each of them had a thorough understanding of every character in the play.
Even though a thousand people might have a thousand interpretations of Natasha, they all had a standard for measuring beauty in their hearts.
And Ollie Berry's appearance clearly did not align with the collective imagination.
"However, her singing and acting are quite good. Among young actors, she's certainly worth learning from."
As she spoke, Liji Silks couldn't help but glance at Janna beside her.
For some reason, even though they had just met last weekend, this week, Liji Silks felt that Janna had become even more captivating.
"Could it be that this girl has Abyssal Succubus blood? Otherwise, why would even someone like me be attracted to her?"
Just a few glances made Liji Silks feel her ears slightly warm.
At this moment, Janna, who was entirely focused on her competitors, had no time to notice Liji Silks' rich inner thoughts.
As a newcomer to opera performance, Janna's biggest shortcoming was experience.
And as a peer with rich experience, Ollie Berry indeed had many aspects worth emulating.
"Mr. Shuka, could you please perform a scene with me?"
Originally intending to find a chair to sit for a while, Shuka Berg looked towards Roman Roland, who was seated in the center of the judges' panel, upon hearing Ollie Berry's sudden request.
After receiving a nod from Roman Roland, Shuka Berg smiled and walked to the center of the audition hall, standing two meters away from Ollie Berry.
"Of course, no problem. Which scene would you like to perform?"
"The scene where Natasha first meets young Loki."
"No problem."
With Shuka Berg's agreement, Ollie Berry smiled and curtsied, then took two steps back, took a deep breath, and squatted on the ground on tiptoe.
"La la~~ la la la~~"
"Why do the south-flying sparrows flee the frost? Why can't a young girl find a place on the battlefield—"
Contrary to her sweet appearance, Ollie Berry's singing and melody were powerful and full of momentum.
At this moment, she seemed to embody Natasha, the girl who fled the matchmaking banquet and hid alone in the back mountain out of spite.
Recklessly throwing off the cumbersome skirt that bound her legs, she sat on the ground, loudly expressing to the sky her desire to join the army and fight, rather than staying at home, repeatedly meeting strangers for arranged marriages.
"Who's there?"
After finishing her song, the "Natasha" who was about to stand up suddenly noticed someone hiding behind the nearby bushes.
"Ahem... sorry, I didn't mean to hide here."
Responding to "Natasha's" loud questioning, Shuka Berg, who was cooperating in the performance, clutched his right abdomen in pain and saluted "Natasha" with a hand to his forehead.
"Are you a soldier of the Rose Legion?"
"Yes, I am Loki, the whistleblower of the Rose Legion. I was attacked by the Bloodkin on my way back... ahem!"
"Don't speak for now; your injuries are severe and need a priest's healing."
Seeing the torn wound on "Loki's" right abdomen, "Natasha" disregarded the noble etiquette of gender separation and directly stepped forward to support the staggering "Loki."
"Cut!"
With Klan Roland's light clap, the previously anxious Ollie Berry immediately switched back to her original sweet and proper smile.
"Your singing was excellent, and your performance details were well-handled."
"Thank you, Director Klan, for your comments."
The five-minute audition time had quietly passed, but Shuka Berg did not rush to call the next auditionee. Instead, he walked to Klan Roland's side and whispered a few words to him.
"Miss Ollie, the judges request an additional impromptu scene. Is that okay with you?"
"I have no problem!"
Seeing Shuka Berg and Director Klan whispering, Ollie Berry still maintained her smile but subconsciously bit her lip.
Upon hearing Shuka Berg mention the additional scene, the anxious Ollie Berry's face immediately lit up with a delighted smile.
"Then let's add the scene where Natasha learns of her father's death in battle and cuts her hair to join the army."
"Hiss—"
Upon hearing this, all the auditionees present looked at each other, and even a few girls auditioning for the role of "Natasha" couldn't help but gasp.
"Oh my, starting with such a difficult scene? The judges are being too demanding this time!"
Hearing Liji's complaint, Janna, who was frowning, also nodded unconsciously.
The scene in question mainly depicted the story of Natasha, a girl with a childhood dream of becoming a hero, who, upon learning of her father's death at the hands of the Bloodkin, resolutely decided to join the army.
One of the highlights of this scene was Natasha's emotional breakdown upon hearing the news from Loki, followed by her gradual recovery and determined decision to cut her hair and enlist.
When Janna first read this part, she couldn't help but recall the story of Mulan from her previous life.
Her father's past kindness and the girl's resolve for revenge stirred Janna's emotions, creating an indescribable sense of immersion.
However, this highlight was also one of the most challenging scenes for actors.
While expressing intense emotions, they had to ensure their singing was not affected by crying, which was a significant test of their skills.
When Liji Silks first taught Janna this part, Janna practiced repeatedly but always fell short in emotional expression.
"Miss Ollie, do you need extra preparation time?"
Seeing Ollie Berry hesitant, Shuka Berg gently reminded her.
"Thank you, Mr. Shuka, but I think I'm ready... This time, I'll have to trouble you to continue performing with me."
"No problem."