Chapter 5 — The Rehearsal Tape
Daniel inserted the first cassette into the old recorder.
The sound was rough.
Stage footsteps.
Actors laughing.
Someone moving furniture.
Then nineteen-year-old Evelyn’s voice:
“You missed the line again.”
Young Margaret laughed.
“Because you keep rewriting it.”
Evelyn replied:
“It’s my play. I’m allowed.”
More laughter.
Daniel smiled despite himself.
He had never heard his mother sound like that.
Free.
Loud.
Young.
The rehearsal continued.
Then director Paul Merritt entered.
He praised Evelyn’s script.
He asked whether he could show it to a theater committee.
Evelyn agreed.
Several weeks later, another recording captured Margaret confronting Paul.
Her voice was sharp.
Nothing like the quiet mother Daniel remembered.
“You can’t remove Evelyn’s name.”
Paul answered:
“The new draft is substantially rewritten.”
Margaret replied:
“The characters are hers. The ending is hers. Half these scenes are hers.”
Daniel looked toward Evelyn.
She was crying.
“I never heard this tape.”
Paul’s voice continued.
He argued that Evelyn was young.
Unknown.
The regional theater wanted a recognized adult writer attached.
He promised her involvement would still be acknowledged privately.
Margaret refused.
“Private credit isn’t credit.”
The recording ended.
Daniel stared at the machine.
“Mom knew exactly what happened.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then why did you stop speaking to her?”
Evelyn looked down.
“Because Paul told me Margaret had agreed to his version.”