From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

New York, Manhattan, 425 Lafayette Street, The Public Theater.

More than a decade later, this theater would show remarkable foresight, becoming the only theater among thousands willing to give "Hamilton" a chance.

It would not only witness the premiere of "Hamilton" here but also embark on an unparalleled legendary journey, recreating the glory of Broadway.

However, right now, it is still a small, relatively unknown Off-Broadway theater, making a name for itself by producing and supporting innovative plays.

The Public Theater realized early on that one of the main reasons for the decline of traditional arts lies in: conservatism.

If Broadway and London's West End cling to those classic adaptations year after year, refusing to embrace the times, refusing to keep up with the times, and refusing to explore further between commerce and art, the performance forms of traditional drama and musicals will eventually be completely eliminated.

They believe that these performance forms still have vitality, even if diverse entertainment forms such as television, movies, and the internet continue to bring impact, the theater stage still has its own unique charm; the key is to change the content.

Therefore, The Public Theater actively encourages innovation, even if it is shocking, even if it subverts tradition.

This small theater, which cannot even accommodate two hundred people, stubbornly and bravely occupies a place on the edge of Off-Broadway, striving to take root.

However, in New York, how easy is that?

Even if it is just Off-Broadway, away from the core area of Broadway and Forty-Second Street, land is still at a premium, and fierce competition puts them to severe tests.

A theater should be a theater, not a movie theater, nor a film shooting location.

Does The Public Theater care?

No, they don't care.

That's the "Spider-Man 2" crew. The rental fee for one day of shooting is considerable.

The Public Theater has no need to refuse, nor any room to refuse.

If used wisely, this money can at least help The Public Theater develop three brand-new plays.

In their opinion, this deal is very worthwhile.

At this moment, the "Spider-Man 2" crew is working intensively on filming at The Public Theater, and The Public Theater has cleared its schedule specifically for the crew.

Although Anson is injured, which means that all of Peter Parker's scenes must be suspended; it also means that other scenes can be filmed first.

A large crew like "Spider-Man 2," as long as they are willing, always has a way to ensure that filming continues —

Starting from the set and then to the shots, one by one, one by one, determining which scenes Anson must appear in and which he does not.

Then, the crew disrupts the timeline of the script and enters the "male lead absent" mode, and filming can still proceed smoothly and step by step.

Of course, this is not easy.

After all, Peter Parker is the absolute core of the entire movie, with Anson appearing in more than 70% of the scenes; coupled with the rumors that Sony Columbia was replacing Anson some time ago, people are more sensitive and more critical, and the crew must be careful, and a little carelessness may once again fall into a situation where everyone is pointing fingers and shouting to kill.

However, Sony Columbia still has their considerations —

Every day of delay, the production cost remains high.

Sony Columbia has invested too much money in this sequel project, and they can no longer continue to tolerate the crew's reckless spending.

Since the crew must wait for Anson, then effectively controlling cost expenditures during the waiting process is particularly important, which is also the result of the game between the two chief executives.

Obviously, Amy wanted to give the crew more time, but Michael, who had just been snubbed, appeared aggressive — the "Spider-Man 2" crew must control costs.

Michael needs to emphasize his position through such things and regain the initiative; Amy finally chose to compromise and push the pressure to the crew.

Regardless of what the producer and director think, things are settled like this.

Even without the protagonist, the crew continues to work; even though the male lead is recuperating from his injury, the crew continues to be busy.

Unexpectedly but reasonably, the entrance of The Public Theater seems deserted, with no reporters surrounding it, no crowds watching, and it is eerily quiet.

Without Anson, the "Spider-Man 2" crew seems to have lost all attention overnight, and compared with the thousands of crews that are also busy in New York City, there is nothing special about it.

From a positive perspective, the crew can finally devote themselves to filming without being disturbed, and the last thing they need now is distraction.

Not only outside, but also inside the theater is equally quiet —

Silence.

The whole audience held their breath and concentrated, fearing that any slight disturbance might affect the filming on the spot; but in the end, it didn't help.

"Cut!"

Sam Raimi's voice came, and without even waiting for Sam to speak, Kristen had already rubbed her face vigorously and apologized proactively.

"Sorry, my fault, 100%!"

"Sorry, let's do it again, okay? Give me a little time to adjust my breathing."

Without more words, one can feel Kristen's tension and frustration.

Sam looked slightly worried. He wanted to ask Kristen if she was okay, but the words came to his lips and he changed his mind, asking euphemistically.

"Kristen, do we need to take a break?"

Kristen waved her hands repeatedly, "No, give me a minute, a minute will be fine."

Sam opened his mouth. He wanted to tell Kristen not to rush, to take advantage of the time and take her time; but he didn't know how to express it, and after a slight hesitation, he swallowed all the words back.

The atmosphere of the crew is not right.

Honestly, Sam doesn't think it's the right choice to continue filming during this time. Anson is still in the hospital, and the rumors surrounding the crew are rife. Their every move is being put under a microscope.

Not only Anson, but the entire crew has also felt the impact. The aftermath of that paparazzi intrusion is quietly hidden in every corner. Returning to work without Anson returning to the crew is a severe test for everyone.

Sam doesn't think this is a good idea.

However, he has no say.

Moreover, regardless of Anson, life must go on.

The crew's work finally started again, after Anson was unexpectedly injured and hospitalized for a full five days; not only Sam, but the entire crew felt uncomfortable, and the spirit inside and out was not right, and they had not been able to get on track.

Filming did start, but it was completely without the previous vigor, and it was stumbling all the way. If there is a serious problem, there is none, it's just that the state has never been adjusted to the best.

The feeling is like after a hangover, daily work and life can proceed smoothly, but all the small details are slightly deviated, so as to affect the overall efficiency.

A kind of emptiness, a kind of confusion, a kind of tension.

However, they are not allowed to stop.