Eve sighed, "To put it simply...when you appear on that stage I want people to see Princess Olga or whatever part you are playing and not Arabella Mudd."

Arabella pulled a face. "Are you saying I'm no good?!" she demanded angrily.

She went over to the girl and place her hand gently on her shoulder, "You've got talent but it isn't any good if you haven't got the presence you need both on stage and off it. You need to learn to rise above the rabble and learn to ignore what is going on in the audience."

"But..." the jejune littl actress started, but Evelyn had some other advice to cut her off with. 

Stepping back, she sighed again, "You will also need to learn how to play the press as they can make or break a show. How's your relationship with the local newspaper?"

The girl brightened. "Oh, that's just fine and dandy. I got Mister McVay over a barrel: see, one time he printed a bad thing about me and I said I'd tell everyone he molested me if he didn't issue a contraction and oh, boy did that work! There it was in black and white, next issue. I mean, he probably pretty much hates me now, but he daren't print nuthin' too bad about me, even though I bet he'd like to!" she said proudly. 

Mrs Talbot looked up from her knitting and gave Miss Hardy an 'Oh Oh' look.

JulieS

Eve sighed heavily.  "Arabella, there's something you have to learn...threatening the press will not work in a places where they have more than one newspaper and more than one reporter.  Then there's also the problem of this Mister McVay hating you."

Before Arabella could say anything, Eve raised her hand, "You see the press have a habit of talking to each other and if Mister McVay tells his colleagues that you threaten him because he wrote an unflattering article about you, well...that won't help your chances of making it here or anywhere else.  Even if you change your name, Mister McVay will remember who you are now and if, as you say, he hates you then your career is as good as sunk.  In other words, the threat you made will come back to bite you one day."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Well, if want to be a successful actress, you need to march yourself down to that newspaper office tomorrow morning and apologise to Mister McVay for threatening him.  Hopefully, he is a congenial man and accepts it. Besides, if you don't make the effort to apologise, then tonight will be your one and only performance with the Excelsior Theatre Company and you will have to wait until another company comes to town."

Javia

Before Arabella could say anything, Eve raised her hand, "You see the press have a habit of talking to each other and if Mister McVay tells his colleagues that you threaten him because he wrote an unflattering article about you, well...that won't help your chances of making it here or anywhere else.  Even if you change your name, Mister McVay will remember who you are now and if, as you say, he hates you then your career is as good as sunk.  In other words, the threat you made will come back to bite you one day."

"Aww, pshaw! You worry too much, Miss Hardy!" Arabella laughed off the advice with a wave of her little hand. 

She shrugged her shoulders, "Well, if want to be a successful actress, you need to march yourself down to that newspaper office tomorrow morning and apologise to Mister McVay for threatening him.  Hopefully, he is a congenial man and accepts it."

Arabella put her fists on her hips. "Me? Apologise to old McVay?! Hoooo, that'll be the day!!" she chuckled. What an idea!!

"Besides, if you don't make the effort to apologise, then tonight will be your one and only performance with the Excelsior Theatre Company and you will have to wait until another company comes to town."

Arabella gasped and her mouth gaped. "You... you'd sack me, just because that old ratbag of a newspaper editor doesn't like me?!" she asked. She looked to Mrs Talbot and Mr Astin for support, but they just nodded their head in agreement with Miss Hardy. The young actress drew herself up to her full height, which wasn't very tall, but still, and tried to look dignified. 

"Very well, I shall proceed to the vile McVay's lair post-haste upon the morrow and there shall supplicate myself before his ungodly presence! THIS... I promise!" she cried dramatically. 

Mrs Talbot looked at Evelyn.

"You'd better go with her!"