The actor and their entourage accept the PCs backstage, but they're reluctant to go along with whatever it is the PCs are wanting. The drama in the dressing room is likely to reach similar levels as the theater stage itself.

Default entries for the Opponents split damage, Counter movement, and effects. Composition of the mini-boss's deck (4-5 PCs) is of high importance here to shift the focus more in the preferred direction for your adventure. At 3 PCs, the Glamoured Beauty takes the place of the Entertainer as the lead actor.

Dresser  -  Chest  -  Hall

Dresser: Defense dice levels are increased by 1. Opponent Reactions that lack a Defense entry gain Defense: 1d2.
Chest: Strategy entries on items may also be played with an Action.
Hall: Actions gain Range: 2. Occupying entities may reroll any Argue roll once per Action if there are no enemies in this position.

• Glamoured Beauty
• Scholar
• Servant x2

• Entertainer
• Scholar
• Servant x2

• Entertainer
• Glamoured Beauty
• Scholar
• Servant x2

• The PCs begin in Dresser.
• The Entertainer and/or Glamoured Beauty begin in Dresser.
• The Servants begin in Chest.
• The Scholar begins in Hall.

When possible, the Servants will split their bonuses to separate allies rather than stacking them. Combined with the effect from the Dresser, this can make Opponents there difficult to defeat unless the PCs first take out the Servants. As such, the Opponents will try to block any movement toward the Chest.

Particularly in the 4-player setup, the Entertainer's deck build is critical. Fill it primarily with Actions and have the Entertainer spend its Strategy to draw a card to ensure additional Actions are available every turn. Opponents will need additional Damage output and/or Counter movement to be any real threat beyond waiting out the Round Limit here.

The PCs convince the actor to help them out, whether with information, connections, or some sort of ploy related to the theater.

The PCs are turned away. If they draw weapons to forcibly impose their will, they are successful in the short-term; however, each PC loses 1 Karma, and all NPCs involved will take the first opportunity to flee or otherwise turn on the PCs.

You can include the Entertainer in a 3-player setup if you want, replacing the Glamoured Beauty and the Servants. This might make the scenario comparatively stale unless you can put together an interesting deck of cards for the Entertainer in this situation. If you try this, maybe include a variety of different Actions, a smattering of Reactions that function very differently from The Show Must Go On, and the occasional interesting Strategy. Avoid Assists and be very selective with Interrupts. Consider removing the Chest position.

For a rougher confrontation, swap the Scholar for a Ruffian (tweak Threats and Jabs to target any number of enemies in any one position within range to take advantage of the Hall's effect). This will create a focus on damage; only cards in the Entertainer's deck can be relied on for Counter movement, so include plenty of them (or at least some options for rendering PCs Impotent).

The scenario assumes real arguments begin after the PCs have already been let in to talk with the actor. If you want them to have to (verbally) deal with guards at the entry, replace the Scholar with a pair of Assistants and swap the effects of Hall and Dresser. In this case the scenario is almost entirely about the Round Limit and could become rather frustrating. Ease this a bit by also exchanging the Servants for Shrill Objectors (which start in the Dresser for the Range but move to Chest once at least one PC makes it in).

More level 3 interaction scenarios