So these two... Cynthia and Lydia.
Can I share my thoughts about them for a minute or two?
I liked that their relationship started out rocky, created out of what I like to think is just plain one upping eachother.
Starting with them doing the 'repeat it back' exercise for the first time and what their teacher says as he wanders the room stuck with me.
"Pay Attention to your Partner. See Beyond Their Words."
So to see Lydia stating; "You're Scared" as an attempt to make her uncomfortable and succeeding when Cynthia leaves is a pretty damn good way to start an 'Enemies to Lovers' relationship if I ever saw it.
This is followed up with Cynthia helping the other Thespians coming out of their shells for roles that they wouldn't have necessarily believed themselves capable of doing and Lydia thinking that she should be the star, while the others are beneath her. It throws her off and has to restart her audition.
(Cynthia kicking her heels up on the chair during auditions was my kind of energy that I live for.)
Fast forward a little bit to the Halloween party, where Lydia recognizes Cynthia, even in full costume, because she 'walks like a neurotic pigeon'. (I will not lie, I laughed way too hard at that.)
And after convincing Lydia to help her run lines, they share a 'play kiss' and this changes things between them... They see eachother in a new light and the way they keep working through things with their 'rehearsals' I think both helps and also complicates their... I'll call it a situationship. So when Cynthia is told that things will end after the play, I feel like she finds herself on unsteady ground again and panics when she finds herself not wanting things to end because she enjoys being with Lydia.. But regardless, their 'relationship' is on a timer. A countdown.
Now I've been in musicals + plays where I both acted and helped out with set designs and props so I understand the nerves that come from being on a stage and preparing one. We were often doing 'warm ups' or 'exercises' an hour or two before curtain up to get rid of last minute nerves and jitters.
And it's here where I see the way they have changed since they first met.
Lydia's paying attention when Cynthia snaps. She sees more than Cynthia is letting on, like a good partner and I like to think that she used the 'Repeat it Back' as a way to calm the nerves- at first. And Cynthia, who at first is irritated by it and then after a moment, you can see her visibly relax.
Because this is normal. Practiced. Rehearsed.
And finally, Lydia stating that Cynthia is scared has a profound weight to me this time round. Only because Cynthia has told Nancy that she doesn't like being laughed at, and she doesn't like being scared of anything... She told her that in a moment of vulnerability and I believe she has only had moments like that with the Pink Ladies. Not so much with the TBirds.. Yet.
So for her to repeat it back to Lydia in a vulnerable state gives me a sense that she feels safe with Lydia enough to be vulnerable with her. Even if only for a minute or two. And Cynthia's own realization when Lydia repeats it back in the same soft tone makes me 'look beyond the words' in Lydia's case as well.
I take it as them saying they're scared about what they feel for eachother. Like 'Im scared for how I feel about this. Im scared too.'
They are being scared... Together.
And I think the revelation of that alone would still border on being both reliving and terrifying, so much so that I think that is why Cynthia leaves... It would certainly would be a lot to mentally take in.
The writers for this show did a damn good job and I applaud them for taking this direction between the two of them...
Again, these are just my thoughts, I may be wrong in my interpretation of things but I would love to hear opinions about this if anyone is willing to share.
