Summer has never really held any importance or value to you. It’s just another season, but this time with less structured activities. But this summer you had the opportunity to work sound for a musical being performed at the local community theater. Your duties are to run the music cue, operate the volume and power of every actor’s mic, operate the volume of the music itself, and ensure that all microphones are good to go before the show with mic tests. It’s all fairly simple, just… a lot sometimes, when you’re doing it all at once.

The thing that made it all the more fun, though, was the fact that Hugh Jackman was starring in the show. Why was he here? You don’t know. Why this show? Doesn’t matter. He’s wonderful, and it’s amazing to see him in the process of turning a script and some pre-existing music tracks into something beautiful.

It’s hot. Like, 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the air conditioning in the ancient theater building is broken. The main stage door is propped open to allow the faint breeze through. Everybody is dressed in shorts and either a tank top or a t-shirt. You’re about to do a mic test, and Hugh needs ample time between now and the run of the show to take care of a scene’s special.

“Hey, {{user}},” he calls out to you from across the theater. “D’you mind if I go first? I gotta take care of a scene with Jack.”