Son Seungwan - Nova Entertainment
April 2018 - Acting Evaluation
Scene: Four-Way Call from Mean Girls
With @rkhyunakim @rkmin @bambamrk
When Wendy was tossing around ideas what she can do for the evaluation, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She originally wanted to do a scene from either Sailor Moon or some foreign-language musical. However, she realized that trying to master both another language and her acting was more work than she’d like. It could end up blowing up in her face rather than being rewarded for the risks she’d be taking. The perfect idea had come to her when she heard of Mean Girls the musical. It hasn’t been performed outside of USA, but she had managed to get hold of bootleg copies.
Nothing in the musical caught her attention, to her disappointment, so she had turned to the original movie to draw some inspiration. One scene caught her attention more than the others. Of course, it helped that at the end was an iconic line she still likes saying even today. Honestly, she hopes that the coaches don’t murder her for choosing to do a scene that involves the use of foul language. Oh well, too late for regrets. But either way, she thinks this evaluation will be interesting.
Her next problem was getting people to do the scene with her. After all, she needed three other people to pull it off with her. To her luck, Hyuna unni, Min sunbaenim, and Bambam oppa had all been interested to work with her for this evaluation. It also helped that most of them also spoke English, making the work and distribution of roles easier.
Despite being in the same company and having worked together several times, Wendy feels as if there’s still a bit of a wall set up between her and the rest of them. She gets along great with Hyuna unni, but a small part of her still approaches both Min sunbaenim and Bambam oppa with caution. As much as she’s fine with working with them both in a professional setting, she isn’t sure where she lies with them both. It’s not that she’s scared of them, but she sometimes feels like there’s a wall between them that she can’t break through.
With these feelings in mind, Wendy chuckles at the irony of the scene they’re doing. People revealing how they truly feel about each other. Despite having these feelings, they worked hard enough to make things perfect. It was much easier to practice since they’re all under the same company. As the evaluations approach, Wendy feels a little bit more confident coming into this evaluation now that she’s gotten some help from master actress Chaeyoung. She also prays that her chemistry with Hyuna unni, Min sunbaenim, and Bambam oppa has improved with all the times they practiced together.
Wendy plays Gretchen Weiners, the recently betrayed friend of queen bee Regina George. Her task is to enter Gretchen’s mind and bring out the emotions and thoughts the rich heiress is feeling as she hears her so-called friends say mean things about her.
“Hold on,” she says after hearing everything she just did. Regina just called her ugly and unfit for Spring Fling Queen. What kind of friend does that? And holy shit… Did she just call Karen a slut? She lets out a soft sob, as she saw Gretchen do in the movie. She’s barely holding it together as she calls Karen.
Wendy had studied and listened to footage of herself speaking while crying back when she was still skating competitively. There’s also the help she got from Chaeyoung to make her acting seem more natural and less character-like. She has to look like she’s just barely keeping it together, and she has to sound like it too.
Min sunbaenim as Karen barely gets to say hello, when she launches into the heart of the matter at once. “If someone said something bad about you, you’d want me to tell you, right?”
Wendy casts aside any notion of having to be more respectful toward Min sunbaenim. She pretends that she’s not older and a senior to be respected. In this scene, they are the same aged friends who have just been insulted behind their backs. They aren’t Wendy and Min sunbaenim right now, she tells herself. They are Gretchen Weiners and Karen Smith talking about Regina George.
Karen clearly doesn’t see the urgency of the situation. “What if it was someone you thought was your friend?”
After being brushed off, she makes a face. Clearly she’s not the priority here. Ugh. “I’m not taking this anymore,” she whispers to herself.
At Cady’s encouragement, she nods to herself. At least someone appreciates her worth as a human being.
Karen comes back, saying that Regina invited her to hang out without Gretchen.
“Do not hang out with her,” Wendy as Gretchen all but commands. She attempts to keep her face neutral, opting to convey the urgency in her voice.
Why?
Poor Karen. She deserves to know, but at the same time, Gretchen isn’t sure she should tell… She settles for “You don’t want me to tell you,” with a sigh.
Despite the assurance that she can tell Karen, Gretchen still has reservations. She makes a face when Karen clicks away.
Oh my God. She’s so annoying.
Wendy widens her eyes a little bit, to convey a mix of confusion and suspicion. Was this even supposed to be for her? “Who is?” she asks.
Who’s this?
“Gretchen…” she says slowly, trying to hide the suspicion and confusion from her voice.
Right, hold on…
While waiting for Karen to come back, Wendy moves over to the mirror to study her face. When that gets boring, she opts to tap her fingers against her legs. At this rate, she wouldn’t be surprised if Karen and Regina were talking about her behind her back. What is this betrayal? That’s it. She’s telling Karen.
Wendy makes sure to shift her eyes around her imaginary room, before settling on a random coach and nodding to herself, as if she had just made an important decision.
Ok, what is it?
“Regina says everyone hates you because you’re such a slut,” she says as quickly as she can. She whispered for fear someone else would overhear. She has to say it fast before she has second thoughts. Karen deserves to know the truth. She deserves to know who the real snake is around here.
She said that?
Gretchen almost feels bad, but she owes Karen the truth. Wendy makes sure to show that in her face by looking to the side and keeping her mouth set in a firm line. “You didn’t hear it from me.”
She waits for Karen to put the phone down. Now they’re even. She puts on her best ‘sorry not sorry face’ when Cady points out that she was a little harsh.
She lets out a soft scoff. “Ugh, whatever, she has a right to know.”
She puts the phone down, now that her part is done.
After Hyuna unni says “Boo you, whore,” Wendy lets out a sigh of relief as they all bow. This was one of the more fun evaluations she had done, but she also hopes that this helps improve her relationship with the more senior trainees in the company. It’s been two years, and she hopes that this helps bring them a little closer.
[ msg to: ricky ] do you think i'm getting old? [ msg to: ricky ] sorry i texted the wrong number on accident [ msg to: ricky ] please don't read that
[` text to jin hyung: why are you asking me [ message deleted ! ][` text to jin hyung: of course you ar [ message deleted ! ][` text to jin hyung: i can see your wrinkles from h
[ message received ! ] sorry i texted the wrong number on accident please don’t read that
[` text to jin hyung: ...weirdo[` text to jin hyung: you should ask min noona she loves when people bring up old age especially you
kihyun had never considered himself to be outgoing (regardless of whether or not it was true). that was why his new status as a nova trainee frightened him, though, at the same time, it also excited him. it was a new experience, something he could adapt to with time—while things would undoubtedly feel confusing and difficult at first, he liked to believe that he’d grow accustomed to it with the passage of time. the first step he knew to take was getting to know the other trainees, though some introductions he overthought more than others.
"oh, uh, hey,” he greeted, hoping that he wouldn’t embarrass himself too much during their conversation (if it could even be called that yet). “i’m kind of new here—well, not kind of new, i’m definitely new here—so i just thought i’d introduce myself.” light, almost embarrassed laughter sounded from within him as he rubbed the back of his neck, though it soon subdued as he lowered his hand back to his side. “i’m kihyun, and it’s, uh... nice to meet you.”
december twenty-fourth. 12월 evaluation ✦ merry christmas, seoul !
the twenty-fourth comes quicker than she realizes, and her performance repertoire is as ingrained into her muscle-memory as what she had for last night’s dinner, a memorable meal considering it happened to be the most she’s eaten due to her busy schedule. it passes, the appetite, a common notion she’s begun to appeal to when the constant overwhelming workload includes practices, formation changes and line distributions; an endless cycle that’s been a familiar friend in her life for the past four months. and as horrible as it did sound, jihyun didn’t quite mind.
she liked keeping busy, she liked watching people come together in time for the holiday season; actually was enthralled with the late nights and the small conversations she’s held with everyone at their most vulnerable moments. where exhaustion exists and formalities are dropped because of it. then again, also knowing it was a possibility it would be her last evaluation as a trainee seemed to sweeten the deal : made her work harder, want to spend a little bit more time with those she knew she’ll miss in the new year.
the day goes by and night soon falls; seven pm sharp do metaphorical curtains rise and everyone is in position. the first stage begins and it’s the song that has jihyun rushing from where she stood among the other trainees, pushing past others to sneak a peek from the wings. watching with warm hearts and a proud smile as jongin and minyoung sang on stage. their voices mingling together in a way jihyun could only remember so fondly. days of their time in new york coming back to her as they sang, tales of obnoxious karaoke and sleepy carols had nothing on what the two were performing on stage.
it all comes back to her and as warm as it makes her feel, revisiting fond memories; she’s sad she can’t join them -- retreats before they can see her. her regrets left on the back burner as she’s back to reciting the lyrics of her own performances. when it ends, she spots them in the crowd so easily ; a hand rising in acknowledgement as she waves to them from where she stands in the crowd, amidst the rest of the trainees going here and there, to and from the stage -- trying to keep their nerves under wraps as the concert continued. because at the end of the day, it was still an evaluation and as much as she wanted to wrap her friends in her arms and congratulate them on how well they sounded -- it was best to leave such wishes for the end.
they all still had a show to put on. and jihyun knew better than anyone that putting a half-assed performance for the crowd would be her own undoing. so, she does as she’s told ; instructed by staff to stand where they need her to. waits for her turn to enter the stage, microphone attached to the silk of her cheek by clear tape.
one breath, two -- eyes face the wall behind them, backs to the crowd. the voices from behind already buzzing in her ears before the music begins. the excitement that sinks into her veins, energizing her -- reinventing the thoughts that had clouded her in misery earlier. the smile she dons when she turns, choreography mended into her very bones, becomes more genuine as the song continues -- to the very last bow, it brings the festive holiday spirit back into her eyes.
it continues throughout the concert; ( a sensation that jihyun thanks when it all ends ) from one performance to another. as be my baby comes, she’s rather thrilled for the performance. and unlike her performances at royal survival, save for a few, she feels a liveliness in her -- one she can say isn’t specified as competitiveness or desperation. this one keeps her happy, smile growing wider as she dances around the stage; each movement made to mirror another trainees from beside her. it lacks the christmas-time spirit, unfortunately, but they make it work.
jihyun was sure she could supply enough christmas spirit for the performance if they needed it.
