Surviving the Applewhites

Jake discovers a forgotten cigarette buried at the bottom of his bag and decides to go to the woods for a smoke, accompanied by Winston. Yet, after just two drags, he realizes he doesn’t like the taste smoking leaves in his mouth and that “he’d never liked it” (150). Returning to Wit’s End, he is met with the sight of the barn doors flung wide open and everyone working to clean out the space. Cordelia calls out to him and tells him that he’s supposed to help Archie and Hal. Jake is shocked to see Hal come out of the barn—he’s about Jake’s size, dressed in black, and has long reddish hair.

Over the next 10 days, everyone throws themselves into making the show happen. The Applewhites put aside their snappiness and frustration, working together harmoniously and happily. The entire estate undergoes a remarkable transformation—the barn becomes command central, Wisteria Cottage serves as the costume shop, the wood shop is converted into the scene shop, and rehearsals take place in the dance studio. Govindaswami tirelessly prepares food for everyone and delivers it wherever needed. Each member of the family has a role to play, and Jake finds himself pitching in wherever he’s needed. The story gets picked up by newspapers across the state, and television news reporters start showing up. Randolph becomes a polarizing figure, portrayed by some as a hero and by others as a villain. One afternoon, Jake is approached by a reporter who asks him if he’s the kid who burned down the school in Rhode Island and if he had anything to do with the fire at Traybridge Little Theatre. Jake offers a cryptic “no comment” (154).

E.D. sits in the schoolroom, and a butterfly flutters past her, drawn to an overripe cantaloupe. She reflects that the days of the Butterfly Project seem very far away—the show has taken over everybody’s lives. Tonight is the first dress rehearsal, and it’s raining. Bad weather could be a problem, as the stage layout requires actors to run around the exterior of the barn to exit on one side and re-enter from the other. Though they’ve prepared umbrellas for the actors, the crew remains unprotected from the rain. E.D. glances at her to-do list and smiles. She feels a sense of pride, recognizing that her meticulous organization has played a crucial role in keeping everything on track—she has “focused everything she had on getting things organized and keeping them that way” (156).

Jake is now involved in the narratives spun by local newspapers. Some depict him as a reformed delinquent, while others insinuate a link between the fire in Rhode Island and the incident at Traybridge Little Theatre. Despite the controversy, tickets are selling fast. Today, Bernstein is fretting over the impending arrival of his television crew. As E.D. reflects on these developments, a butterfly lands on her hand. Jake walks in, dressed in his usual dark clothes but missing his eyebrow ring, earrings, and scarlet hair. E.D. is taken aback, and Jake asks her whether his new appearance lends credibility to his role.

Winston is unsettled by Jake’s altered appearance and initially keeps his distance, hesitant to be petted. However, Jake eventually wins him over with treats. Despite Jake’s claim that he isn’t bothered by bad press, deep down, he wants to shed his reputation as “the bad kid from the city“ (159) and be recognized for his acting talent. He watches from the window as the camera crew arrives, and Bernstein comes running, shaking hands with everybody. A limousine then pulls up, and Marcia Manning, a familiar face from television, emerges, promptly assuming control and giving directions to everyone present.

As Jake is arranging chairs in the barn, E.D. enters in search of Winston, informing him that Marcia wants photos of all the animals. She mentions that the adults have already been interviewed. In the living room, Marcia sits reviewing note cards. When E.D. and Jake enter with Winston, Marcia squeals at the sight of the dog. She notices Jake and asks who he is, expressing disbelief that he could be the delinquent she’s heard of, as he doesn’t have scarlet hair. Jake confirms his identity, but Marcia suggests using old footage of him in the documentary. Suddenly, a butterfly flutters into the room and lands on Marcia’s hand, causing her to shriek and spill her coffee. As chaos erupts, Jake grabs E.D. and Destiny’s hands, and the trio dashes off to the schoolroom, laughing.

In the morning, E.D. finds herself rushing from one responsibility to the next, making sure everything is ready. Her father remains unworried about the weather, claiming that the “theatre gods [are] on their side” (165). Marcia and the television crew add to the frenzy, wielding microphones and intruding on the preparations. As the audience begins to arrive, the barn fills up. E.D. is astonished by the turnout. Taking a deep breath, she signals for the lights to dim. Bernstein starts playing the overture on his accordion, and the actors take the stage. E.D.’s stomach is tied in knots: “She didn’t think stage managers were supposed to get stage fright” (167). However, as the performance unfolds, she is relieved to see that everything is going smoothly.

As the performance nears its conclusion, a sudden downpour rattles the roof, so loud it drowns out the music and prevents the actors from hearing their cues. E.D. instructs the sound technician to increase the musicians’ volume, but he insists that it’s already at maximum. To pass the time while the storm abates, they engage the audience, inviting them to join in singing a beloved song from the show. Once the rain eases, they resume the play, accompanied by Bernstein’s accordion. The audience responds with enthusiastic applause. Suddenly, all the lights go out. With a scene still to go, E.D. quickly brainstorms a solution. Jake’s character, Rolf, is meant to use a flashlight to see the von Trapps and decide not to turn the family over to the Nazis. Without stage lights, the audience will see whoever Jake illuminated but not recognize Rolf holding the flashlight—the crucial element of Rolf’s love for Liesl might be lost. E.D. quickly devises a plan—she suggests using the candles meant to be held by the nuns during the final song. She explains her idea to Jake, envisioning the nuns forming a semicircle on stage. She’s excited and confident her plan will succeed.

A few days later, the family gathers in the living room to read the reviews of the show. They’re all positive—one even suggests the new Wit’s End Playhouse could host a whole season of productions worthy of Broadway. Randolph is ecstatic at the idea. Sybil says they can’t consider doing a whole season, and Randolph proposes two productions a year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Hal is thrilled by the praise for his sets, feeling validated as a set designer. Jake is pleasantly surprised to find himself mentioned in the reviews despite his small role. One critic lauds his “mature performance,” and another praises his “mellifluous voice” (174). Jake even plans to send copies to his parents. Destiny, too, receives praise.

A butterfly lands on Govindaswami’s shoulder, then perches on the edge of his glass, sipping from it. The television crew has departed; their equipment was fried by the lightning bolt that knocked out the power. Bernstein wasn’t too upset and still managed to sell an article on how television’s mass-market focus cheapened art to the journal that had initially assigned him the Sybil Jameson story.

The Sound of Music is now running for another week. Jake reflects that soon, everything will return to its usual rhythm. Bernstein plans to stay and work on his book about the Applewhites while Govindaswami prepares to lecture on cooking as meditation at an ashram. Randolph received an invitation from a theater in Pennsylvania to stage a rainbow version of The Sound of Music for their Christmas show. E.D. is already revising her curriculum plan, replacing the completed Butterfly Project with a new one on goat husbandry. As for Jake, he’s certain about one thing: He wants to be on stage again, unwilling to “waste a mellifluous voice and commanding stage presence” (176). Destiny asks Jake what color he will dye his hair once the show is over, suggesting he dye it blond like his own. However, Jake opts to retain his natural brown hair color.