Curtains Page #3

- I'm an actress.

- You're an actress.

There's an echo in here.

Your turn will come.

What makes you think you can act?

- I know I can.

- Could?

- Can.

- So, act.

- What?

- Act for us.

I could do a prepared piece.

I've seen them all before.

You're such a perfect lady.

So beautiful, so refined.

What if you weren't so gifted?

How would you act then?

- I don't think...

- Good.

Don't think, just do it.

Make yourself ugly for us.

Can you?

What if your face were different?

It could be one day, you know.

Hideous, repulsive.

Put it on.

Put it on.

Now seduce me.

No words.

You can make sounds

if you like, but no lines.

No touching. Just the mask.

Use your eyes, your mouth...

and horrible beauty.

Make me love you.

Make me desire you.

You're beautiful remember?

You can't be denied.

This is a mask, too.

Are you satisfied?

All right, page 58,

the seduction scene.

Medics!

You want me to sit there, right?

Right.

Ah, so...

I guess you're wondering

why I called you here, right?

Well, Doc, you see, it all started when

my mother locked me in the closet.

I was 21 at the time.

You want me to wear the mask?

No, that's not necessary.

Too bad. Might be an improvement.

Mm.

Oh, boy, this is what

you call bombing, right?

Are you on something?

Oh, God, don't I wish.

Oh, I'm on nerves, actually.

Sheer, raw nerves. And if

we don't get on with this,

I'm liable to break down

right before your very eyes.

Oh, I don't think that's

necessary either.

In fact, this whole

session isn't necessary.

Why?

- You're a very talented...

- Joke, right?

Good for a laugh but

nothing serious, is that it?

Oh, yeah, tell me

something I don't know.

What makes you think

you're right for Audra?

I'm as right as anybody

else you've got here.

I mean, God damn it, you haven't

spent five minutes with me

and now you're telling me

I'm wrong for the part?

Why? Because I haven't got a staple

through my navel

like that centerfold?

Because I wouldn't pirouette into bed

with you and skate on your face?

I mean, what the hell are

you looking for anyway

and what do you want from me?

I mean, who the f*** is Audra anyway?

You enjoying yourself?

Showing a little bit of Audra.

You bastard.

Where's the mask?

What do you mean?

What the hell are you

up to, Samantha?

What am I up to?

You bring five totally different girls

here on a bogus casting session

for a part that was

mine in the first place,

and you ask me what I am up to?

No more. I wouldn't

bother to kill you,

except I'm so looking forward

to every last ounce of blood

seeping out of your wretched body.

If I believed in demons,

I'd damn your soul forever.

I'd put a stake through your heart

if only you had one, you bastard.

Oh! Oh.

No, no, no, no, no.

You're a man seducing a woman.

Now forget your sex.

Enter into his imagination.

Become one with him.

Use your vulnerability.

No!

Brooke?

Christie.

What about her?

She's dead.

No, you've had a nightmare.

- No.

- No one is dead.

- But I saw her.

- You're imagining things.

Let me take you to your room.

- No.

- Maybe I should.

We'll continue later.

- Come on.

- Please, no.

- There's nothing there.

- Please.

Come on.

- Come on.

- No, no, no, no!

- Come on!

- Please, no!

What the hell is frightening you?

Christie.

- Christie.

- Don't, don't go in.

There's absolutely nothing in there.

Go on, take a look.

Don't, please.

There, in there.

No!

Come on.

Come on. You're gonna lose it.

Get some rest.

How is she?

I don't know, the door's shut.

Stryker's probably

trying to calm her down.

I'll bet.

Why would she say that?

Christie's dead?

She's been drinking a lot.

Yeah, but that doesn't explain

Amanda never arriving,

Matthew's disappeared. I'm scared.

Maybe Brooke is smarter

than we think.

What do you mean?

Brooke is acting just like Audra.

Well, yeah, I suppose,

but aren't you being a little...

- Cynical?

- Yeah.

Well, all's fair in love

and auditions.

It's like old times,

isn't it, Samantha?

Audra herself couldn't

have done it better.

I thought that doctor was

going to go into shock.

Are you going to play, Samantha?

Why have you brought

those girls here?

Forget it, Samantha.

Perhaps, once you were Audra.

Today...

Tell me about Audra.

What is it you want to know?

What's she like?

Is she anything like me?

Is she anything like the others?

Can't you tell me?

Help!

Patti!

Brooke! Somebody!

Damn it! Come on!

Oh, come on.

Matthew!

Help, somebody!

Help! Help me!

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Come on.

Oh, please.

Come on, shut.

Please.

No! No! No!

No! Oh no!

Please, no!

Oh!

There's plenty more

in the refrigerator.

Audra would know how to

open a bottle of champagne.

She would have smashed the

bottle against the counter

and drank from the broken neck.

How do you know'?

It's what I would do.

Too violent.

Audra was mad.

Did you know that I was in an asylum?

I heard you were sick.

He thought so.

He left me there.

Stryk?

I had myself committed to

learn what Audra knew.

And what did you find out?

That an actress must

always be in control.

If you know what you're doing,

you're doing it wrong.

That's what Stryker would have said.

We're the same.

He would have liked that.

He was fond of disciples.

Young, pretty ones.

Was?

Where is he?

Gone.

He left?

He's dead.

It wasn't supposed

to be like that, I...

It's all over now.

Go back.

Go back to the acting classes

and the dinner theater,

the chorus line.

Wait tables, be somebody's secretary,

get married, grow old together.

Forget about Audra.

Have I shocked you?

I'm not sorry.

- Tell me what you've done.

- I killed Stryker.

You want to call the police,

go ahead. I'm not going anywhere.

Don't worry, I won't hurt

any of your friends.

It's only me.

What do you mean?

They're dead, too.

What?

You?

Why?

Have you ever wanted

something so badly,

you'd do anything for it?

Me?

I wanted to be an actress.

I mean, I wanted to be

in pictures so badly,

I screwed a guy from Fotomat.

You know when they say

in and out in 24 hours?

He was in and out in 24 seconds.

Well, I know what you're wondering.

The question is, can she act?

Right? That's what you're wondering.

Can she make it? I mean, can I act?

Just ask my boyfriend.

Better yet, ask my mother.

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