The entire
play takes place "in" technology.
The humans on
stage are affected and perhaps the source of communications, texts, virtual
reality images, etc
Assume you can
influence the audience in any way- sending them all texts simultaneously-
allowing them to comment on the action on stage (write some choice ones!)
Does the
technology remove humanness? Or does it reveal it?
Does it have
its own intelligence?
Is there a
beauty in its restrictions?
Do gender,
race, age disappear or are they further accented?
Challenges
when writing with technology:
WHAT IS THE
THEATRICAL ACTION that physically removes us from stasis sets up a spatial
imbalance on the stage? (not simply with text)
Similarly what
is the DEFINING ACTION ON THE STAGE?
The key to
theater vs literary works (or cinema with its closeups) is that the DEFINING
ACTION should never be a change of mind- literally occurring behind a
character’s eyes… occupying .00001% of the visual space an audience member
sees… compared to 100% on a novel or like… 10-20% on a closeup camera shot.
So, the action
needs to be physicalized in some way by an actual human on a stage.
Cheesy
example:
I get a text
linking me to an article. I read it. I now understand that my past actions were
prejudiced and resolve to do better (literary can stop here) so I… take off my
coat and give it to someone who needs it and smile while hugging myself in a
shiver all the way home (physicalized).
*********
Still working
on the Spellbound play. Another scene -
Morning after
the sleepover, a continuation. Auggie
and Micah are working on that song.
*********
AUGGIE hands the guitar over to MICAH.
AUGGIE
OK,
you're going to take over the driver's seat now.
MICAH
What? You're still working on it.
AUGGIE
I
know but I've got the chords down now, and I want you to be able to play it on
your own, you know, in case I'm not around at some point.
MICAH
In
case you're not around? You're always
around.
AUGGIE
Micah.
MICAH
Right. I've really screwed things up this time,
haven't I?
AUGGIE
Hey. None of that.
MICAH
But
after the antidote, then what?
AUGGIE
Let's
just stay in the moment for now.
Whattaya say?
MICAH
OK.
AUGGIE
I
want to be able to give this to you.
MICAH
And
we're on a clock that's ticking down, and we don't know how long we've got.
AUGGIE
So
since you're not gonna let me jump your bones -
MICAH
First
chord?
AUGGIE
C
major.
MICAH strums the
chord.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
A
minor.
MICAH strums the
chord.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
F
major 7th.
MICAH gives AUGGIE a
look.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
Not
in your repertoire?
MICAH
Not
yet.
AUGGIE
Not
a bar chord guy yet?
MICAH
Not
yet.
AUGGIE
OK. Try this.
Set up and A minor.
MICAH strums it just to be sure.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
Now
move your second finger to the third string, and your third finger to the fourth
string.
MICAH does, slowly.
MICAH
I
always have to remind myself that the strings go from bottom to top.
AUGGIE
Because
your teacher taught you to name the strings going the other way.
MICAH picks from the top string down to the bottom
string, from low note to high note, from 6 to 1, calling out the names as he
goes.
MICAH
E-A-D-G-B-E
MICAH picks it again, calling out the mnemonic
device his teacher used.
MICAH (cont'd)
Eddie
Ate Dynamite. Good Bye, Eddie.
MICAH and AUGGIE share a laugh.
MICAH (cont'd)
Also,
the numbers go from high note to low note, not low to high. You work your way up a scale, it feels like
the numbers of the strings should do the same thing.
AUGGIE
But
they don't.
MICAH
But
they don't.
Music
is already a foreign language to me, and then it's constructed on things my
brain thinks are backward, so it takes me a minute.
AUGGIE
So
A minor.
MICAH strums the
chord.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
To
F major 7th.
MICAH talks himself through it as AUGGIE watches.
MICAH
First
finger stays the same, the other fingers move.
And -
MICAH strums the
chord.
AUGGIE
That's
my guy! Well done.
They look at each other.
Sharing this moment.
It's almost unbearable.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
So,
from the top -
Here. I wrote it down.
AUGGIE sets out a
sheet of paper.
MICAH
Thank
God.
AUGGIE walks him through it.
MICAH strums as he calls them out.
AUGGIE
C
major, A minor, F major 7th, G major.
MICAH
That
one I know.
AUGGIE
Ha
ha. Then it repeats.
MICAH goes over the first four chords again.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
Then
it's F major 7th, G major, E minor -
MICAH
Ooo,
another one I know.
AUGGIE pushes on.
AUGGIE
And
A minor. Then you repeat those four.
MICAH does.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
OK,
that's the verse. Now the chorus.
D
minor.
MICAH struggles a little with this one but gets it.
MICAH
Argh. Stretching the fingers.
AUGGIE
You
need to keep doing your scales.
MICAH
How'd
you know that's what my guitar teacher always says?
AUGGIE
Because
that's what every guitar teacher says.
Do your scales, limber up the fingers.
MICAH
My
scales are embarrassing.
AUGGIE
You
only get better with practice. D minor.
MICAH strums the
chord.
Then the other chords as AUGGIE calls them out.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
G
major.
C
major.
C
major.
And
repeat.
MICAH does.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
OK,
now D minor.
MICAH plays this and then the other chords as
AUGGIE calls them out.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
A
minor.
E
minor.
A
minor.
And
the big finish - this'll sound familiar -
D
minor.
G
major.
C
major.
C
major.
And
- done. You got it. That's the sequence.
You
want to try it again with a little rhythm pattern or something?
MICAH
Let's
just see if I can stumble through all the chords in the right order first.
AUGGIE
OK,
let's just go over it again. I'll cue
you.
And
I want to try out the melody and the lyrics over top of the chords while you
play.
Ready?
MICAH is both excited and a little terrified. He wants to get this right.
MICAH
I
think so.
AUGGIE
Don't
worry. It's just like falling off a
bike. Easiest thing in the world. We got this.
MICAH
Is
it always like this?
AUGGIE
Pretty
much.
It's
not always this easy.
But
I'm feeling inspired this morning.
So
we should run with it.
MICAH
I
think it get it now.
AUGGIE
What?
MICAH
Why
you never had a doubt about what you wanted to do with your life.
AUGGIE
Just
walk through the chords with me.
AUGGIE sings, prompting MICAH's chord changes with
a nod and a smile, or a pointing finger, as they stumble their way through a
rendition of the first verse and chorus.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
(sings)
I
blame
you
for
the
blush in
my
cheek.
Don't
tell me
the
heart's
just
a mus-cle.
To
touch
your
face,
your
hair,
your
hand;
I
hold
you
and
I
un-der-stand
There
was a
hole
at the
center
of my
life,
Hole
at the
center
of my
life,
There
was a
hole
at the
center
of my
center
of my
life,
But
life's
a
whole
lot
better
now
with you.
They made it.
MICAH
Wow.
AUGGIE
First
draft. It's a little rough but -
MICAH
I
love it.
AUGGIE
I
love you.
MICAH just looks at AUGGIE, too stunned to speak.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
Sorry.
MICAH
Don't
be.
AUGGIE
Second
verse?
MICAH
I
love you, too.
AUGGIE
Second
verse.
MICAH
Second
verse.
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