Clarice, the understudy, stepped onto the stage that had seen the show’s star vanquished mysteriously while enacting the death scene just three days earlier.
Under the smoky stage lights, she recreated the classic role.
She brought a pathos to the character that not even Shakespeare himself had imagined. Delivered her dirge of dialogue with the solemnity of postcards sent from an execution. Indeed that night, Ophelia was reborn.
Unfortunately, the life into which she was reborn ended with Clarice’s most pedestrian delivery of the line, “It’s got nothing to do with me!” whilst being served a warrant for murder.
This is my 99 word response to a call for fiction surrounding a girl named Clarice issued by Charlie at Carrot Ranch. I have incorporated the three phrasal prompts offered this week by the OLWG #145 for good measure.
The phrases were:
smoky stage lights
postcards from the execution
it’s got nothing to do with me
Thru Violet's Lentz 
Jealousy, a murder plot, denial…
This is a wonderful work.
Thank you
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And here I thought all I had was a rather cliche who-done-it….. Thank you tnkerr..
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The way in which you describe her performance is almost mesmerising … then along comes the cop! Excellent Violet.
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Too bad she had to climb over a body to get her first real break….
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Ho ho, loved that ending!
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To sad an ending for s person with so much talent- even if she evidently had no scruples what so ever….
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Great stuff. And have you watched the movie?
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No! Wonder if it is on Netflix. Checking…. Oh, but which one did you see?
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Ophelia with Daisy Ridley released 2018 (I think)
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I have prime video and it will let me watch it for $15, which i am unwilling to pay, but I put it on my watch list in case it ever comes on one of my channels or for free. I love the whole idea of Ophelia and have written about her in the past.
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I paid £10 for the dvd. Mine to watch over and over.
I have to admit, I was a little hesitant. It’s not the Shakespeare version, and I didn’t know how it would go. But… it’s good 🙂
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Very well done.
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Thank you Sadje.
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Always a pleasure
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Great stuff. Made me think of a murderous All About Eve.
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Exactly! Me too!
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Great minds!
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Interesting and masterful take on the prompts
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Thank you, Jude.
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My pleasure
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Hey Violet, I’ve put the comments section up on my recent post. I had a feeling you might have had thoughts on it I’d have liked to know. but I was still trying to allow the comments when you read
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Superbly done, V. Loved the ending.
I’ll tell you a story involving Ophelia. In 1964 I auditioned for a role in Hamlet. I wanted to play Laertes but since the actress playing Ophelia had black hair the director gave the part to another, in my opinion very subpar, actor who had black hair. So unfair. During a rehearsal he hit the guy playing Horatio in the eye with his epee and I had to take him to the emergency room at the hospital, since I was the only guy with a car, he was okay and later went on to play Rolf in the movie Sound of Music. I’m still pissed about not getting to play Laertes, especially since a year later I dyed my hair black to play a Mexican character named Ysidro in a play for the same director. I would not have stabbed Danny in the eye. True story.
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Forgot to say, I played Guildenstern.
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What an interesting story as well as career in the theater you must have had. I could picture Rolf’s face when you mentioned him. Time to queue it up on Netflix. Thanks for sharing this with me.
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It’s fun to share stories like that. Your story was a good prompt, I just read it again. The year of Hamlet was 1963 actually. Danny was a real nice guy and boy were we all surprised when that movie came out, had no idea.
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Hmm… speaking of carrying things off well. Most fun read. I laughed out loud at the ending.
So interesting where a combination of prompts can lead. 😀
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An unexpected twist and predicament for the ambitious Clarice.
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This is so good Violet 💜
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Thank you Willow.
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Please
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