The Leading Cat Refuses to Enter from Stage Left

Original cat comedy · Short read · Fiction

The script clearly said stage left. Morris entered from behind the audience, inspected a shoe, and sat down.

Tilly stopped the rehearsal. She explained the blocking through a series of determined looks. Morris agreed in principle, then left through the wrong doorway.

The human suggested moving the little cardboard stage. Tilly resisted. Great theater should not rearrange itself around one performer’s refusal to acknowledge geography.

Pearl, waiting for her cue, fell asleep. This removed the only available supporting actor.

At the next rehearsal, Tilly changed the script. Morris would now enter from wherever Morris happened to be.

The adjustment produced an unexpectedly natural performance. Morris remained behind the audience for the entire scene, creating a powerful sense of absence.

The human called it “just cats being cats.” Tilly preferred “immersive theater.”

By opening night, stage left had been abolished. The company celebrated its commitment to artistic freedom, which was considerably easier than persuading Morris to walk three feet in a particular direction.

Keep the comedy going

Part of The Cardboard Playhouse.

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