Setting the Stage (Cast vs. Crew)

Ella Amani has been dreaming for years about becoming the stage manager for her middle school drama production, so when she is finally picked by Ms. Pickler, she is thrilled. Her best friend, Levi, also would rather be in the crew than on the stage, but he has bigger things on his mind than Curie the Musical. Ella is a bit stressed herself, since her Iranian parents have set up their own business and expect her to watch out for her three younger sisters. In addition to the awesome responsibility of listening to auditions, and having keys and the prompt book, Ella has to turn her hand to managing a diverse crew, not all of whom want to be there, as well as snotty actors. Sixth grader Sebastian joins the crew because his older sister Rose is one of the stars, and he has a bit of a crush on Levi. Willow's corporate lawyer parents are making her do an activity after she got in trouble for vaping. Kevin was homeschooled on a boat. The crew does a good job with their various tasks, even though stars like Jordan keep playing practical jokes and aren't at all grateful for all that the crew does. As her parents put more and m ore responsibility on her when she has the least amount of time to deal with it, Ella does not appreciate being taken for granted! She often vents to Levi, but he has limited patience; he's been in kinship care with Sam and Pearl, second cousins on his mother's, since she and his father have struggled with issues that complicate raising him. He's gotten a call from his mother, who wants to meet up, and while Levi would like to live with her again, in his heart of hearts, he knows he is better off with Sam. As with any play, there are always complications, like Ella having to take her sister to a dentist's appointment during Hell Week. Will Curie the Musical go off without a hitch? We'll have to wait until book two to find out.