all the world's a stage

birdie harwen; 24 broadway actress and model 2-time tony award winner, 5-time nominee

[birdieharwen]

haveharttt​:

Tyson was excited, to say the least. While he had never been the one to be ‘lucky in love’, he did enjoy being a part of other people’s story even if it was just because he was at the right place at the right time. A little while before, a man approached Tyson while he was sitting outside of the coffee shop. The man was going to propose to his girlfriend out front. The space had been where they met for the first time. He had set everything up-a friend was going to lead her down the rose lined street to the coffee shop where the man would be waiting with the ring. All Tyson had to do was unsuspectingly take a video. It seemed to be going well…that is until he noted a woman picking up the flowers that were laid across the sidewalk. To be fair, it was a pretty stupid idea to leave flowers strewn across a walkway and expect no one to pick them up. But Tyson wasn’t going to be the one to squash this man’s dreams. Instead, he swiftly moved towards the woman before it was too late. “Hey, so uh…nice flowers. But that dude over there is using them to propose to his girlfriend in like 20 minutes so like…if you could just put them back, that would be great. I’ll buy you your own bouquet if that helps you make the decision?”

Birdie rolled her eyes as the stranger asked her to put the roses back, but brightened instantly when he offered to buy her some more. “Deal.” She said, holding her hand out to shake, then holding out half the flowers she had gathered. “I’m Birdie, and it would go much faster if you’d help me but these back. Don’t know when this proposal is supposed to be happening and if I ruin it, I don’t think I’ll be getting my own bouquet.”

[birdieharwen]

john--miller​:

John had been following a rather odd trails of flowers since this morning when he’d stumbled across a new mural near his neighborhood. He’d wondered if there was anymore artwork at the end of the flowers when he’d stumbled across her. “Uhm,” he said, unsure of himself and a little awkward as he looked down at the bouquet. Turning his neck to glance behind him, he turned back to acknowledge her. “Was there a mural down that way too or just back the way I came? Because the trail definitely leads to this sick ass piece of artwork and I’m dying to see if there’s one down that way.” 

Birdie’s eyebrows drew together. “No, I don’t think so, but I wasn’t exactly looking for one.” She adjusted the bouquet in her arms. “I also started picking these up mid trail, so I didn’t see the beginning. I can show you the way? I’d like to see a sick ass piece of artwork.” Offering to lead a strange man somewhere by themselves probably wasn’t a good idea, especially after what she had been through, but Catalina seemed like a safe place, and hey, it’d probably be fine.

[birdieharwen]

vinny-silva​:

♠️

Vince had been at the studio for most of the day, and as much as he normally loved sitting behind a soundboard, today seemed to have the same grey filter that most things did over the last few months. Although he knew it was beginning to interfere with his career and collaborations with other artists, there wasn’t much he could do about the grief that seemed to linger regardless of what he did to try and work through it; then again those methods hadn’t exactly been what one would consider ‘healthy’. So instead of finding the nearest bar or reaching for his pills, he decided to take a walk in hopes it would help bring the color back into perspective.

It usually hard for Vinny to tune out his surroundings, but lately it felt like his brain was forcing shutdowns left, right, and center. If they had been any other flower they would have gone unnoticed like everything else, but when Vince nearly stepped on a rose laying in the middle of the sidewalk, it made him stop long enough to pick it up. Then another was dropped a few feet after, and another… Though he’d only picked up the one, his curiosity got the better of him and he decided to follow what looked like a trail of them around a corner. It wasn’t until he nearly ran right into a girl who seemed to be collecting them that he stopped, ready to apologize but was cut off before he could; both with her words and her face.

“I-” he nearly choked on the syllable, blinking as if he were dreaming before he blurted out a response. “Porca merda- Birdie?! How- when-” an avalanche of emotions seemed to bury him before he could even process them, seeing his sisters best friend standing there before him was enough to bring him to tears, but instead he stopped and cleared his throat, holding the rose out for her to take. “-I um, by the looks of it, this is yours..” he trailed off quietly before he spoke in the same quiet tone. “I haven’t seen you since… H-how are you?”

The person stumbled into her, throwing her off her balance. Before she could completely orient herself again, the familiar accent threw her off. She had heard those exact words from that exact mouth before, but the context had been slightly different in the past. Birdie froze, her throat tight as she watched her best friend’s brother fumble with his words. If she could have spoken, she was sure she would be doing the same. As she took the rose, though, her throat seemed to release. “They’re, uh, not really mine. I just found them and, well, free roses?” She shrugged, her attempt to be comedic falling flat even to her own ears.

At the mention of their last time seeing each other, at...Birdie shook her head slightly, trying to clear the images of her best friend being lowered down, quickly followed by the memory of her best friend’s brother. “Hi, Vin.” She finally said. “I’m...well to be honest, I’m not great.”  Her shoulders slumped a little. too exhausted all of a sudden to keep up the charade. “You?”

[birdieharwen]

wolfeharwen​:

“I’m looking forward to it! You know how much I hate to brag but I’ve perfected a lasagna recipe that’s even better than moms. Just don’t tell her that because she’ll fly all the way out here for a cook-off and I’m not quite prepared for that.” He faux-shivers dramatically at the thought. “Jesus…when was the last time we were all together?” Wolfe really had to rack his brain. It’s not like they didn’t have family gatherings now and then but it was rather difficult getting everyone at the same place at the same time these days. Someone was almost always missing. That’s why he made so much of an effort to keep in touch with them, save for when he was having one of his episodes and would hole himself away for weeks at a time. That they were used to and it’s a part of the reason he hated himself to such an extent.

He smiles through his negative thoughts, berating himself because this wasn’t at all about him and redirecting his momentary lapse of focus back to his sister. “Wine! I remember your favorite, at least I hope it’s still your favorite!” He says as he bounces off towards the bar at the opposite end of the room. After grabbing the bottle and one glass because he definitely intends to be sober for this, he makes his way back to the nook and pours a cup for her before taking a seat across from her and continuing to prepare the spread. “No rush, Birdie. Whenever you’re ready. Always.” He smiles and places meat he’s already excavated from its shell in front of her. 

At the idea of their mom flying down just to kick Wolfe’s ass at lasagna-making, Birdie let out a genuine laugh. Probably her first in a while. “I, on the other hand, would love that. Get to see Mom and eat lasagna? Man, that sounds nice.” Birdie had been on a strict diet for...years, honestly. If she wanted to model in LA as well as sing, dance, and act on Broadway, she had to stay in shape. Otherwise, she’d end up like Marissa Jaret Winokur, and her only lead would be Tracy Turnblad. But now that she was taking a hiatus of sorts, she was free to eat whatever she wanted, to an extent. “And last time we were altogether was someone’s award ceremony, I think. Don’t remember whose, but it was probably mine. I lose track.” Birdie teased, flipping her long hair over her shoulder dramatically. 

Birdie couldn’t help but squeal as Wolfe brought out her favorite bottle of Montrachet, a bottle that was not available in grocery stores. She graciously accepted a glass and a plate, thanking him. Taking a sip, the younger Harwen sighed. “Yep, definitely still my favorite.” A moment later, she took a breath. “So everything started about a year, a year and a half ago. A little after my latest show began it’s run. The cast was great, my understudy Leila was great, the production team was great. We meshed so well and had so much fun, like a family. Like a show is supposed to be.” The brunette smiled sadly at the memory. “Then weird things started happening.”

[birdieharwen]

wolfeharwen​:

Having one of his sisters show up was quite a pleasant surprise, although he did nothing but wish the circumstances were different when he saw just how upset she was when she had first arrived. The single most important thing to Wolfe was his siblings and even though they were all close as they could be despite their own busy schedules, Wolfe made sure to try and keep in contact with them as much as possible and let them know his door was always open. He also knew how fiercely they all valued their independence and that they weren’t children anymore as well which is why as much as it pained him, he knew to let Birdie have breathing room to work through whatever was going on.

When she shows up at his door for the first time since she arrived he opens it, taking the stuff in her hands and sets it down beside them to wrap his arms around her in a hug, lifting her feet off the ground in the process. He holds her like that for way longer than is necessary but he can’t help it. On top of being happy to have her around, he’d been worried about it her and it’s a relief she feels in good spirits enough to have come over for dinner, no less.

When he finally sets her down his smile is about as big as it can be, he picks up the food and gestures at her to follow him in, leading her to the breakfast nook. “And here I thought I’d be the one cooking for you the first time we got around to it.” He spouts playfully as they reach the table and starts pulling things out of bags. “Man, I haven’t had one of these since I arrived on the island and brought one in celebration. It’ll be a lot better with company! Especially my favorite. You’re my favorite, don’t tell the rest.” He finishes off whispering dramatically as if they can actually hear the running joke he tells all of them and knows they all know he tells them all the same thing, and in his own weird way he means it. They’re all his favorite. “How are you feeling though?”

The oxygen left Birdie’s lungs in an audible whoosh as her older brother performed his best boa constrictor impersonation. The lack of air didn’t stop her from laughing wildly though, her arms pinned by her side as she smiled genuinely for what felt like the first time since the understudy incident. Normally at this point, she’d slap at him playfully and demand to be put down, but Birdie just let it happen this time. He had been so respectful of her distance, even though she knew it must be killing him, and she appreciated it immensely. 

“Thanks, and you can cook next time.” The younger woman said with a wink, gratefully unloading the bags into her brother’s arms. “I don’t think I’ve had one since....God, since the last time we were all together!” Birdie sighed, thinking back to the Harwen Family Dinners. It was always such an event when everyone was all in one place. That was something that Birdie missed, having spent so much of her youth in New York. As he stage-whispered in her ear about being his favorite, though, a taste of it came back. She replied as she suspected all her sisters did: “You’re my favorite, too.”

“Wine?” Birdie asked as they began dishing out food. “I’m going to need at least one glass if we’re getting into this.”

[birdieharwen]

who: birdie & open (@catalinastarter​)

where: any street

when: mid-afternoon

Okay, so one rose could have been an accident. Maybe even two...but Birdie was holding the beginnings of what seemed to be a massive bouquet of roses she had picked up off the sidewalk. Especially if the roses leading around the corner were any indication. Birdie hadn’t seen this many roses since the last show she performed. Clearly, she had stumbled upon some sort of grand gesture. But...she had already picked up a half dozen, she might as well get a whole twelve. Looking around to see if there were any clue as to what this might be, the young brunette bent down and picked up another, only to straighten and find herself face to face with someone else. “It’s not stealing if they’re on the ground.”

[birdieharwen]

abbykennedy​:

J U L Y , 31ST / AT  —  SCOOPS. OPEN STARTER @catalinastarter​​​.

          Pregnancy this time had been harder than all of the times before, and not just taking in consideration what had happened with her husband, no. Having twice as many baby took a toll in her body which meant that her morning sickness this time was still extending and her cravings had been twice as weird from the pregnancies before. After deciding she was quite possibly too restless to stay at home and lounge around, especially when she was adamantly big at six months, Abigail took her car keys and left her kids to enjoy a day with their father as she went out for ice cream and a bag of Doritos… maybe flaming hot Cheetos, or fries? She hadn’t made up her mind yet, but she knew from the way her mouth was watering that her mood would be inevitably better once she got all of her ingredients and mixed them together. Standing in front of the window at Scoops that afternoon, choosing a flavor seemed to be taking longer than usual and while she knew some people were quite possibly getting annoyed at her, she couldn’t make up her mind. “What’s your absolutely favorite ice cream flavor? Does it go with pickles, Doritos, flaming hot Cheetos or fries?” The brunette asked the person who was nearest to her, maybe with narrowed options she could choose more than one.

The shops in Ventura had been completely exhausted. There were only so many times one could go to Byrd or Pretty & Perky, or at least that’s what the managers said. How long does it take to get new inventory, anyway? Regardless, Birdie found herself venturing down to Lafayette Square after someone recommended a shop to her - Island Threadz. She was thrown off by the usage of a z when an s would be perfectly appropriate and perhaps a bit less...niche. The young woman’s train of thought was derailed by a sudden question from a very pregnant woman. Birdie stopped in her tracks and turned to her. “Uh, I haven’t had ice cream in a couple years, but I don’t see how ice cream would go with any of those things.”

[birdieharwen]

who: birdie and wolfe (@wolfeharwen​)

what: closed starter

where: wolfe’s place

when: 7 pm, a week and a half ago

It had been a few days since Birdie had arrived on Catalina Island, but she had only seen her brother a handful of times, by her own doing. It had only been about a week or two since the incident with Leila, and she hadn’t been quite ready to talk about it. Wolfe, of course, had been completely understanding. He hadn’t pushed her to talk, had given her space when she needed it, but still checked up on her and helped her settle in. Birdie had lucked out in the big brother - or only brother - department, that was for sure.

But now, Birdie felt ready. She had to talk about it, at least to someone other than the police. Plus, her mom had threatened to go down there herself if she didn’t talk to someone, anyone. So, massive amounts of food in hand, the young brunette walked down the street - she picked a rental close to Wolfe’s place, it made her feel safer - and onto her brother’s porch. She had to kick the door instead of knocking, or else she would lose everything in hand. When he came to the door, Birdie offered a meek (an adjective that never described her) smile and a shrug. “I brought a boil. Surprise?”

[disneydreamdaze]

[birdieharwen]

jackadler​:

STARTER FOR: Anyone / Open … @catalinastarter​ LOCATION: Underground Rich Studios. SETTING: Morning.

Has one ever experienced the opposite of writers block? Because that was exactly what Jack was going through. The words simply wouldn’t stop flowing. He’s even writing songs in his sleep now, opening his eyes only to hear a melody sounding from his throat and mind that he somehow conjured in a dream. He’s spent mornings and nights turning over in his bed as fast as he can to grab his phone and sing into the little speaker located at the bottom. At first, they sound like nothing but gibberish and random rhymes. But once he’s in the studio, it all comes together like waves of sudden magic. 

You’d think this burst of newfound inspiration would diminish the ache to drink or do whatever drug he could get his hands on. But, somehow, it makes that one sensation worse. While every sense living inside him seemingly thrived, his desire to break his sobriety suffered. He was so content right now, so his mind instantly thinks…why not? 

With another session finished, Jack packs up his guitar and heads out, carrying the instrument on his back like a backpack. On his way out into the summer morning heat, he hears a conversation going on to his right. His gaze averts to the source. At first, he’s ready to leave and mind his business before he hears..something? A line? Inspiration? Who knows. But he can’t quite let it slip from his fingertips. So, he approaches them, “Sorry, this is gonna sound weird but..can you say what you just said again?”

A call from her agent had woken Birdie up that morning. Apparently, a hiatus didn’t stop Diane from calling her about anything and everything. Today, she called to inform Birdie that her last show needed her to lay some vocals for a new deluxe edition album they were making. That was how she found herself outside Underground Rich Studios, digging her phone out of her bag as it rang with Diane’s ringtone once more. “What, Diane?” Birdie snapped, agitated that she wasn’t respecting her wishes for a hiatus. This time, though, the news Diane had left Birdie close to tears with disappointment. One of her favorite directors was looking to cast Christine in Phantom of the Opera, and Birdie had made the list. 

The thought of heading back to the city, however, made Birdie’s skin crawl. She wasn’t yet over the incident with Leila, her understudy. Wasn’t ready to be back on stage. Heartbroken, the young actress told Diane she would have to turn it down. Slumping against the wall, she sighed and began to sing softly. “Close your eyes, for your eyes will only tell the truth / and the truth isn't what you want to see / in the dark it is easy to pretend / that the truth is what it ought to be...”

A voice kept Birdie from continuing, and she turned to come face to face with...Jack Adler? They had never met before, but Birdie had listened to his music more than once, and her show had even been nominated for Best Musical Theater Album the same year he was. A bit thrown off, she managed to keep her composure and reply, “Oh, um, it’s a song from Phantom of the Opera.” The young woman sang the stanza again. “I wish I could take credit for it, but I can’t. Andrew Lloyd Webber is a genius.”

[birdieharwen]

stellahartlcy​:

She was sitting comfortably in a chair, one leg crossed over the other as she scrolled through Pinterest in search of some new ideas for a photoshoot she had to work later that afternoon. She was relaxed, in her element, and content- at least she was until a familiar name called out by the barista had her spine going rigid. No, it couldn’t be. Eyes darting up from the tablet screen to look around the small cafe in almost a panic, Stella felt bile rise up into her throat as she spotted the young woman whom she’d once looked upon with an almost motherly eye, the woman who’s affair with her husband had ruined Stella’s marriage. So when Birdie turned to search for a seat, Stella’s eyes quickly lowered back to the tablet as she hastily shut it off and began to pack up her things, hoping that while Birdie searched for a seat she’d be able to slip out unnoticed. But as with Stella’s luck, her plan never came to fruition as the young actress approached and treated her as an old friend- something that made the older woman’s skin crawl as a scowl overtook her usually friendly features.

“Birdie.” She choked out her name, voice almost shaking with an anger she hadn’t realized was still inside of her. “Please don’t touch me.” Staying seated as she was afraid her legs wouldn’t hold her wait if she tried to stand, a flood of emotions she’d sworn she’d rid herself of keeping her tethered to her spot, Stella stared up at her. Birdie had always been a beautiful girl, the years clearly not having been unkind to her, but even with their friendly- almost familial past, Stella’s hands still itched to reach out and cause some type of physical harm. Show the young girl just a fraction of the pain she herself had felt at the realization of the affair. Just one of many. “This is my home.” She said through gritted teeth, eyes narrowing as her voice lowered, “I think the better question is what are you doing here? Are you here to try and take that from me, too? Haven’t you caused enough damage?”

The ice in her once-friend’s voice stopped Birdie in her tracks. She had never heard that tone from Stella before, at least not directed towards her. The complete look of joy on the younger woman’s face froze into one of sheer confusion. Taking a slight step back, Birdie spoke hesitantly. “Oh, that must be why it sounded so familiar...wait, take it from you? No.” She shook her head as if it would clear the fog of bewilderment surrounding her. “Damage? Stel, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I only came here because my understudy stalked me and held me at gunpoint!” Birdie exclaimed, trying to keep her voice at least somewhat quiet.

[birdieharwen]

who: birdie and stella (@stellahartlcy​)

what: closed starter

where: catalina coffee & cookie co.

when: 2 pm

“Vanilla chai tea latte with soy for Birdie!” Called the now-familiar voice of the barista. Birdie had only been on Catalina Island for the last two weeks, but had quickly become a regular at the coffee shop in Lafayette. It was almost a ritual: Birdie would go on a run in the afternoon, stop by the cafe for a bit, then run back home. Thanking the barista - what his name again? Aiden? No, Ethan - Birdie took her drink and turned to find a seat when a familiar face caught her eye. “Stella? No way!” The younger woman exclaimed loudly, approaching her old friend with enthusiastically open arms. “I would hug you, but I’m a little sweaty.” Birdie wrinkled up her nose and gestured towards her body, clad in a coordinating sports bra/leggings set. “God, I can’t believe you’re here! And after such a long time! At least now I know someone other than my brother.” She laughed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

[stars-bean]

Gilda (1946) dir. Charles Vidor

[daniellecamp]

[travalicious]

[onlytwitterpics]

[birdieharwen]