Upper West Side Manhattan, April 15th 2016

I was casted for the role of the swan king.

I guess nowadays people don't create anymore, they just copy existing things and call it inspiration.

Everything becomes a copy of a copy of a copy.

This play is a take on the ballet Swan Lake and also a take on the 2010 movie Black Swan.

I'm the swan king which means I have to play the white swan and the black one. Each one with their own personalities.

The white swan so pure, fragile and fearful.

And the black swan powerful, reckless and sensual.

The director is kind of creepy. He has this ideas for the play like giving realism to it.

Well I guess I have to use the method in this play.

I don't have an understudy because nobody seems to get to play the duality of the role.

So I can't fail because then I'll screw up this show.

So I already watched both the Swan Lake and Black Swan so I know what I have to do.

But the director says he wants everything to be real.

Like breaking the fourth wall. I don't know what that means and I'm afraid of it.

Lincoln Center Theatre, April 17th 2016

We're rehearsing, there's a good looking girl over there.

I can see by the way she's standing up, that she's the princess. The one I will fall in love with.

Then there's this old man, he's not that old.

But you know how we young people describe people who seem a bit older than us.

He will be playing Rothbart.

This is not going in a dance way, it's not ballet.

It's a play so there's got to have dialogue and movements.

Today we're rehearsing the first scene.

Ian – Good afternoon everyone today we'll rehearse the first scene.

Ian – Jordan, Philip come to stage and let's do it.

I sit on the bench with my crown on.

My character name is Odilon which is the male form of Odette.

Philip appears. He's playing Rothbart.

Rothbart – How dare you sit on the bench of my forest?

Odilon – I'm sorry sir but I was just wandering through this magical forest and I decided to sit a bit to rest.

Odilon – I've been walking for many hours.

Rothbart – This is my forest and I don't let anybody walk in it without my permission.

Rothbart – And I don't recall giving you permission to be here.

Odilon – Sorry sir I didn't mean to bother.

Rothbart – You're infuriating me with your politness.

Rothbart – You don't seem to know who I am and now I have to punish you.

Rothbart – As you like so much this forest that you dare to walk in it without my permission I turn you into a swan.

Rothbart makes some hand moves as he is casting a spell.

And I have to make a costume change in that moment to an all white costume with white feathers.

That symbolizes the transformation of the prince into a swan.

Odilon – What have you done to me sir? Why have you casted a spell on me?

Rothbart – Enjoy now you have my permission to be in this forest.

Ian – Good performance. I want all of the perfomances to be like this.

Ian – You are all dismissed, tomorrow we will rehearse the princess appearence, the ball scene

Ian – And the finale, the suicide of the white swan.

Ian – Jordan I see you're great at playing the white swan.

Ian – Now I want to see the black swan.

Jordan – Oh don't underestimate me.

Jordan – I have seen the Black Swan and I can deal with this type of duality.

Jordan – Trust me I really can handle with duality .

Ian – Okay then, we'll see about that tomorrow.

Lincoln Center Theatre, April 18th 2016

I'm back at the theater and now we're getting ready to rehearse the rest of the show.

Ian – Hi.

Ian – I'm not in a day for being all polite.

Ian – So let's start from the princess appearence.

Clara is playing the princess role, princess Sigrid. In the original is a prince, Prince Siegfried.

Sigrid appears at the forest for some walk.

She loves to walk in forest but this particular one is getting her attention.

She looks to a lake and sees a white swan resting.

She gets closer to the swan and the swan wakes up. It's almost the sunset so the swan will return to his human form.

Sigrid – What? Am I seeing right?

Sigrid – Weren't you a swan a few moments ago.

Odilon – It's a long story.

Odilon – I was walking in this forest and I think this forest has a owner and it's an evil sorcerer.

Odilon – He has to give permission to people walk in his magical forest.

Odilon – So be careful.

Odilon – In punishment he turned me into a swan but now I found out that I can return to my human form at the sunset.

Sigrid – Well that's quite bad. I'm sorry for you.

Sigrid – I'm princess Sigrid.

Odilon – I'm prince Odilon, nice to meet you.

Sigrid – I have never seen a prince so handsome like you.

Odilon – Oh thank you princess.

Sigrid – You're really handsome. I guess a lot of princesses are always buzzing around you.

Odilon – Not really. You're the first one.

Sigrid – That's a bit surprising.

Sigrid – I'm having a ball in a few days. I want you to be there.

Sigrid – Would you accept it?

Odilon – Sure. I will be there.

Sigrid leaves the scene.

Ian – Good performance you both.

Ian – Clara you were beautiful, Jordan still great but I'm only seeing the white swan.

Jordan – Then let's head to that scene.

It's time for my evil side come out. As I'm preparing to get into character, Elliott appears.

Elliott (whispering) – Let's do it, we're a team remember?

Elliott (whispering) – I'll help you fulfill the black swan role.

I'm now playing Odiel, the black swan.

Elliott takes control of me. As I enter the ball with Philip, my evil side is coming out.

We are supposed to dance in this play, I mean it's a ball so.

The princess is waiting for me. I go near her.

And when she's ready to waltz I flinch and make her come after me.

I'm demanding for her to come after me. Like a bad guy.

Elliott is smiling to me and leading me to do the role perfectly.

The princess claims she is in love with Odilon but she is really claiming love to Odiel.

So Rothbart makes a magic spell and Sigrid finally sees the true version of ourselves.

Ian – Okay stop.

Ian – That was amazing so great.

Ian – Now it's the finale. The epithome of the play.

Ian – Jordan you were really great as the black swan.

Ian – I have to admit that I did underestimate you.

Ian – But you can do duality.

Jordan – I told you so.

The scene changes and they set a prop that resembles a cliff.

Behind it there's a big pvc mattress that will soften my fall and not actually make me die.

Ian – Okay so now it's the finale.

Ian – Jordan I want that white swan realness again, this time I want more fearfulness and heartbreak.

The princess comes after me heartbroken.

Sigrid – My sweet prince I didn't meant to do that I was deceived.

Sigrid – I'm all devoted to you.

Odilion – It's too late, I loved you dearly and you betrayed me.

Odilion – There's only one way for me to get my human form again.

Sigrid – Please don't.

Odilion (between tears) – It's my last chance.

I run to the top of the cliff.

I look to the princess with a heartbreaking expression.

I look to the audience seats and then I jump the cliff and fall on the pvc mattress.

Ian – Alright. This is great.

Ian – I guess we're ready to opening night.

Jordan – Already? What about tech week and previews.

Ian – You don't get to say how I run my play.

Ian – If I say we're ready to opening night, then we're ready.

Ian – Opening night will be in 20th April. You're all dismissed.

He's nuts, what if something bad happens on opening night.

He can't afford any mistakes and neither can I this is my breakthrough.

This will give me the notoriety to get more roles.

Elliott is back and I'm really scared.

Is he even real? Is he a spirit?

Why is he haunting me and helping me in evil roles?

Lincoln Center Theatre, April 20th 2016

I'm in my dressing room dressing a double costume.

A costume that embodies the prince and the white swan.

There's a few notes beside the mirror. It's from Roderick and Sam.

Oh great they're in audience. This is awesome.

A tech man says I have to get onstage now. The play is about to start.

So you already know how it goes.

The play is short and it goes so fast I didn't even notice that I have to get to my dressing room to change my costume.

When I'm all fully dressed I find Elliott at the door.

Jordan – What do you want now?

Jordan – I don't need your help to the play anymore could you already beat it?!

Elliott – You signed a contract with me and I will follow you every step of the way.

Jordan – Ugh I'm regretting that so much now.

Jordan – I gotta go bitch.

I go onstage and enter with Rothbart it's the deceive waltz scene.

The dance is intense, Elliott doesn't stop looking at me.

But somehow it's helping me portraying an evil character.

At the end everyone applauds me and Elliott is backstage looking at me.

I bow to them and leave the stage.

It's the finale scene.

Another costume change. Now for an all white costume.

I go onstage and a shadow follows me. It's Elliott.

Jordan – What are you going to do now? I don't need you in this scene.

Elliott – No, man, I'm not here to help you.

Elliott – I just heard your director wanted realism to the play so I decided to take it up a notch.

Elliott – Break a leg.

Jordan – Stop messing with me.

I go onstage and it's the finale. The suicide of the white swan.

The princess comes after me heartbroken.

Sigrid – My sweet prince I didn't meant to do that I was deceived. I'm all devoted to you.

Odilion – It's too late, I loved you dearly and you betrayed me.

Odilion – There's only one way for me to get my human form again.

Sigrid – Please don't.

Odilion (between tears) – It's my last chance.

I run to the top of the cliff.

I look to the princess with a heartbreaking expression.

I look to the audience, there's Roderick and Sam sitting together.

I look at them with the same heartbreaking expression and then I jump the cliff and fall.

But there's no mattress. I'm bleeding and full of pain.

I'm getting dizzy and I can only hear people clapping.

The last thing I see and hear is Elliott.

Elliott (in a snake-ish voice) – You've made it!

I close my eyes and Elliott vanishes.

The director comes to see me since it was expected for me to do a curtain call.

Everyone is shocked, the audience is starting to get uncomfortable and alarmed and starts to leave.