ENTER THE SPOTLIGHT!Enter the Spotlight is a short roleplay spotlighting the debut of Macho Daniels from his point of view. It goes over the thoughts of Daniels, as he gets ready to enter the spotlight of a new wrestling league. After talking to a stagehand, it's finally time for Macho to enter the spotlight. Can Macho overcome his nerves as he steps through the curtain and steps into a new world?
_____ (The camera cuts to the back of the arena, right in front of the curtain in which many of the ZHL superstars come in and out of each evening on ZHL Television. Standing there is newcomer Macho Daniels. He’s busy looking at himself in the mirror with a large spotlight in front of, all while talking to himself, and switching his head position to see how he looks in the light. Just then, a stagehand walks up to him.) Stagehand: Mr. Daniels. You’re up. Daniels: Hey! Do you think I look better like this? (poses his face.) Or like this? (Jumps around and poses the other way.) Stagehand: I really don’t know. Daniels: It’s important to me. Do you know how important good lighting is? My buddy, Sexy, was telling me that the main reason he never was a star was because the lights in the low rent promotions he was in never gave him the proper lighting to show off his sexiness. There’s a tip for you, if you ever want to become a wrestler. It’s not what you say, but how damn good you look. Stagehand: (dryly.) I’ll take that under consideration. (Macho goes and opens the curtain.) Macho: Egad! That is one silent crowd! Are they always like this? Just how bad of a match am I following up? Stagehand: I really don’t know. I was just told to tell you that you’re on. Macho: Had I known that I would be given my big chance in front of a silent crowd that isn’t much bigger than the crowds I wrestled in the indies, I would have stayed in the indies. You know, I cancelled a tag match with Raffo for this! Stagehand: Who? Macho: You know…Raffo! I’m sure you’ve heard of him! Everyone loves Raffo! Stagehand: Right. Well, good luck. Macho: Thanks, my good man! (waves as the Stagehand leaves.) Yeah….for nothing. Idiot! (Macho stands there for a few seconds, making sure his hair is good, and waiting for the pyro to go off.) Macho: Oh, come on! Hit it! Hit the pyro! I don’t want this macho face being ruined in errant pyro incident on this show! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! With a fury, the pyro starts booming in front of him. The ever intelligent Daniels puts on some sunglasses and earplugs as the bright colors of yellow, orange, and blue flash before him, booming like cannons during a large scale battle. He can hear his music now. It’s the Falco classic, Macho Macho, and people think Falco is just that Rock Me Amadeus guy. Harrumph! Philistines. Macho jogs in place for a minute, waiting for the pyro to stop firing before beginning his first ascent to the rings of the ZHL. He goes first through the traditional black curtain and then through another curtain of smoke that’s left over from the pyro blasts announcing his arrival. Macho Daniels quickly walks out on to the stage. The arena lights blaring on him are bright and the intense heat they emit is causing him to sweat a bit. He surveys his surroundings, while posing for the crowd. He sees the usual wrestling crowd fare: the tired eye parents carting around their little brats, wrestling dorks who appear as if this is the first time they‘ve left the house in a month, beer bellied middle aged men, hicks who came here straight from the trailer, and even the occasional attractive woman, who must have gotten lost on the way to the club. They are in their weekend best of wrestling t-shirts, jeans, and trucker hats. They are holding a number of signs, most of which Daniels neither understands nor wants to. Macho: (muttering to himself.) Yep. It’s a wrestling crowd. (Macho continues his march towards the ring. For the most part, the crowd doesn’t care about him. They are too caught up hoping to see the big stars of the ZHL, whoever those are. They are of little concern to Macho Daniels. He continues looking around, and sees a mildly attractive woman standing there in the aisle, trying to get someone to notice her. Macho takes the time to flex for her, and even lets her feel his impressive abs. The poor woman is in ecstasy. Her boyfriend is there next to her, not looking pleased. Macho just smiles slyly at the poor chump, who’s watching his girlfriend, feel up another guy. He tries to say something, but it lacks emotion and vigor. He’s not stupid. He knows he can’t compare to this. Macho walks off, carrying his head proudly, and still sporting a massive grin.) Macho: (to himself.) I probably just made her year. (With that, his short jaunt down the aisle is completed. For some, that first jaunt down the aisle of a wrestling show is more like a long march, especially with a crowd like this. Some have compared to a man being led to the gallows. Not Macho, he views it as his first steps to greatness because, really, who can stop him? He enters through the red, white, and blue ring ropes, and lifts up his arms in triumph. The crowd looks unimpressed. Whatever. This dance is just starting, and, by the end of the night, they will be eating out of Macho’s hands. He takes the microphone from the ring announcer, an attractive blonde. Macho didn’t catch her name, but whatever, it’s not important. He doesn’t want to marry her; he just wants to admire her assets. Admire he does, as she leaves the ring, and Macho seems impressed with her form. He’ll get to the crowd in a moment. They don’t matter as much as this ring announcer.) Macho: (to himself, flashing an arrogant smile.) Nice. (The final bars of his theme song start to fade, and it’s time to get down to business. Macho quickly composing himself before getting serious.) Macho Daniels: Hello ZHL. I know what you’re wondering. What’s this macho dude doing here in our little federation? (Someone in the crowd yells out, “We don’t care!”) Take it to the internet, kid! Maybe if you make the words big enough, someone will listen. (He shifts gears up, takes a deep breath, and begins pacing around the ring.) You know, my journey, my quest, all started a few years ago, really. I was but a wee boy, growing up in some small town in the USA, much like this one. (Some small “USA” chants start.) That’s right! I’m American…like you! (laughs.) Anyway, much like right now in this ring, I felt like I was better than all the people in my town. You know, when you’re as macho as me, you can’t help but feel superior. (The crowd boos.) Don’t worry. I’m sure none of you here understand because I have looked at this crowd, and, let me tell you, I didn’t see anyone here who is even half as macho as I am. (The boos get louder.) You know, it’s too bad, too, because that means that no one here will understand the plight of the Macho-American. We must suffer in silence…. All while looking at our abs and our macho complexion, while we’re out with some hot broad… The fifth one this week and it‘s only Tuesday. (winks.) And we think, “Boy! It sucks to be this macho!” But I guess that’s why I’m getting paid to be here, and you’re paying to be here because people can’t get enough of Macho Daniels. (More boos. This crowd is getting hostile.) I’m getting off track. My apologies, but I like to talk about how macho I am. (He pauses and smiles some more, while the crowd is letting him have it with boos.) Well, I was wrestling in some indy, in front of like 200 people or something. I was tussling with the mighty Tyson Hogan. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. If not, look him up, he’s a legend. (Thumbs up, cheesy smile.) Anyway, I locked him in a chin lock and I was sitting there, thinking, because that’s what I do during chin locks, I think about things, about life, and how awesome I am, and about what I could be doing at this moment if I wasn’t chin locking this dude. To me, locking on a chin lock is akin to what some of you might do while going to the bathroom. It’s a very introspective time for Macho Daniels. Heck, sometimes, in my hotel room, when I need to think, I’ll lock a chin lock on a pillow, and get to thinking. (thinks.) Hm… .Do pillows have chins? I just thought about that. Interesting, (He pauses and composes himself again.) Carrying on, I was holding this brute in a chin lock, and I was like, “Why am I doing this in front of like 100 people in some armory in the middle of Kansas?” Why, by gum, I could be doing in front of like 1,000 people in like, here, you know, Tallahassee. (The crows boos.) Not Tallahassee? Oh, right! I’m in Atlanta! (More boos follow.) Charleston? Lincoln? Dover? Tappahannock? (The boos continue to reign down with various obscenities from some in the crowd.) It doesn’t matter. I like to think that I can remember the name of the city, but, really, if I screamed out Augusta (The crowd starts cheering wildly.) that you would just give some “OMG! He knows our city!” cheer, and, really, I’m not that kind of professional wrestler! (More boos.) But enough about you. You’re not important. (Boos.) After this, you’ll go back to your jobs as garbage men, cashiers, waitresses, office jockeys, or whatever it is that non-macho people do, and I’ll still be macho, only in another, better city. (The crowd doesn’t seem too happy about that remark.) No, I am here to talk about my competitors in the ZHL. I’ve seen what you can do, and I’m not that impressed. Bring the camera a little closer. (The camera zooms in on Macho’s charming face.) Oh! That’s the spot! ZHL, it’s time you faced reality, I’m smarter than you, I’m stronger than you, I’m more attractive than you, and I’m just plain better than you, so enjoy your time in the spotlight because your day of Macho Reckoning is here because, soon, very soon, me, Macho A. Daniels III will be coming out to that ring, and defeating you. Don’t be scared. It has happened to much better wrestlers than you guys. It’s nothing to be ashamed about. You’ll be part of history as I stand on this ring post. (He walks over to the ring post, and climbs on top of it, holding his hands out in the air.) Holding the ZHL Title proudly above my head, while the adoring crowd yells out, “Macho! Macho! Macho!” Wooo! (He waits for a response, but gets nothing.) And you’ll know that you were one of the guys who were defeated by a legend in this business. You can brag about the time you lost to me to your friend, your family, your grandchildren, and even random people on the street. A friend of mine got squashed by some fellow named Brock the Pulverizer once like 8 years ago, and he still brags about it! You may not be the champion, but you’ll be part of something even better….you made a legend! Woo! (With that, Macho Macho blares back up, and Macho goes to exit the ring. The scene quickly cuts to a commercial.) |