Angel of Light (A Zak Bagans Story)

Chapter 114: Interviews

Author's Note: * = Name changed from episode

Chapter 114: Interviews

After we all had finished eating breakfast, we headed to the Main Street in Tombstone, where both "Big Nose Kate's Saloon" and "The Birdcage Theatre" were located. It had been five years since the guys last investigated here, at "The Bird Cage Theatre".

"Big Nose Kate's Saloon" originally got its start as the "Grand Hotel" in September of 1880, and was declared as one of the finest hotels in the state. However, the hotel's life was cut short on May 25, 1882, because of a devastating fire, in which only the bar area survived. The building was rebuilt - although with several changes - and was given the name it has today.

"The Bird Cage Theatre" had it's first grand opening on December 24, 1881, and quickly gained a reputation as one of the wildest, wickedest theatres between New Orleans and San Francisco. It operated 24 hours a day, every day, from 1881 to 1889. Legend states that twenty-six people were killed during that time, and that over one hundred and forty bullet holes still remain in the building.

Upon arriving and meeting up with some of the locals, Zak discussed an idea he had thought of the night before. He suggested filming a short scene where they have a "tense encounter" as the guys "re-enter" Tombstone for the second time, and the locals would try to get them to leave. But, before guns are about to be drawn on both sides, the locals would change their minds and let them through peacefully.

The locals loved the idea and were all for it.

Zak had wanted me to be a part of the scene too, but I felt it was better if it was just the four of them, since it was always the men that did those type of confrontations back in the Wild West. Zak realized I was right, although still seemed upset that I wouldn't be a part of the scene, so he "officially" declared me the director of the scene. I'd be responsible for how the scene looked, the dialogue they spoke, and how it was shot.

I was beyond stunned that Zak was giving me such a big responsibility so early on in my time with the crew, but despite my nerves, I was determined to do the best damn job that I could. I wanted to make Zak proud.

While the few locals that would take part in the scene got a bit of makeup done, we also got two women – one of them Ashley – to agree to be a part of the scene too. They would be dressed up as Saloon girls, standing off to the side watching the men. When the men begin making moves for their guns, the girls would panic and quickly usher each other away from the scene.

While they were getting prepped, I sat down on the wooden deck of a nearby building with a notepad and a pencil and, rather quickly, had managed to come up with the brief exchange of dialogue. I was quite surprised with how easily it had come to me. When I showed it to Zak, he immediately approved of it and thought it was great, and thanked me for taking this on. I was thrilled with his response.

"Thank you for believing in me to be able to do it...I just hope I live up to the shows standards," I said softly.

Zak leaned down and lightly gave me a kiss on the cheek, and then smiled at me as he pulled back.

"You always do doll, you'll do great," Zak reassured me.

I smiled in response before we both headed toward the others to show them the "script" I had come up with, and then I started getting to work setting up cameras.

It took a couple of takes to get the scene down, and I made sure the cameras got the close ups I wanted, in order to show the intensity of the scene. I also took several takes of Ashley and a local girl and their "blink and you'll miss it" scene. Obviously, we wouldn't see the final result until editing later, but I had made sure to film them from plenty of different angles in case Zak wasn't happy with my own ideas.