I’m opening a Virtual Reality Bar. For reals- Redline VR
THE TENTH CHALLENGE: WRITING IN THE REVERSE ROUND (VR)
Virtual Reality
movies are essentially theater in the reverse round, with a touch of 3D movie
immersive LOOK-OUT! gimmicks. Let’s write one!
Okay, so let’s
picture the reverse round play- heretofor economically not viable, but now it
has international commercial potential in the form of a VR movie.
An audience of one is
seated in the middle on a swivel chair. We never move and are immersed by a
soundscape. Actors can come and go from anywhere, placing us in the middle of
the action.
We can be visible and
active (a baby, a bound captive, a person in vegetable state, a sentient
object).
We can be invisible-
a fly on the wall so to speak.
Special effects
example: A bullet can be fired and fly right through us.
Staging: We can be
placed in the middle of a Thanksgiving table. We can be the turkey!
What works in this
format? A sense of encroachment. Reveals should require a head-turn.
(It's killing me not to do these prompts right away but I have rough draft of a play to finish. More fun for later.
For now, just under the wire, I had to stage a war with puppets)
ACTRESS 3 drops her puppet arm to become CYMBELINE,
appearing alongside ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS, puppet).
ACTRESS 3 (CYMBELINE)
And
now, a war.
ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS,
puppet)
This
happens a lot in Shakespeare.
ACTRESS 1 reanimates the QUEEN puppet on her arm
for commentary.
ACTRESS 1 (QUEEN,
puppet)
Because
there isn't enough going on in this play yet.
ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS,
puppet)
Meanwhile,
back in Rome, they receive my message calling for reinforcements, since
"King" Cymbeline is reluctant to pay the required tribute.
ACTRESS 3 (CYMBELINE)
I
told you, expenses.
ACTRESS 1 (QUEEN,
puppet)
As
if a war is cost-free.
ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS,
puppet)
Meanwhile,
back in Rome -
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Well,
here I am, still in exile, convinced my wife has betrayed me. So I hired someone to kill her. That's very likely done by now. I probably should have taken a bit more time
in considering that move. A bit
permanent. And irreversible. Without Imogen, what's the point of living
anymore?
ACTRESS 3 switches out the CORNELIUS puppet for the
IACHIMO puppet and sidles up to torment Posthumus.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Hey,
Rome's starting a war with England.
They're looking for recruits.
Wanna go?
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Sure. What have I got to lose?
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Cheer
up, buddy. Women love soldiers. You'll find a new lady, if I don't find her
first.
ACTRESS 3 drops her puppet arm briefly to become
CYMBELINE.
ACTRESS 3 (CYMBELINE)
(cont’d)
I
probably should have taken a bit more time in considering the whole "not
paying tribute" idea. This whole
"war" thing has gotten a bit out of hand.
ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS, puppet) appears, backed by his new
servant ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN/Fidelis), ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS), and ACTRESS 3
reanimates the IACHIMO puppet on her arm (and will shortly be talking to
herself).
ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS,
puppet)
I
am back, as promised, with troops.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet) (cont’d)
Taking
the king prisoner - that's bound to get me laid.
ACTRESS 3 (CYMBELINE)
(cont’d)
I
beg your pardon.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO, puppet)
(cont’d)
Not
you. The ladies.
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN/Fidelis)
And
there are no ladies here.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
(to IMOGEN)
Do
I know you?
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN/Fidelis) is momentarily confused,
since she thought she saw this guy's headless corpse not that long ago.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS) is apparently just as easily
confused by a change of clothes on Imogen's part.
ACTRESS 1
(IMOGEN/Fidelis)
It's
nice to see you with your head on your shoulders, my good man, but no, we do
not know one another.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Are
you certain? Because there is something
awfully familiar about you.
IMOGEN is still, understandably, less than thrilled
with Posthumus' previous lack of faith in her.
And, you know, the whole contract killing thing
which required her to go undercover as a boy in the first place.
ACTRESS 1
(IMOGEN/Fidelis)
I
don't see how, sir. I am a stranger to
you, and you are certainly a stranger to me.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
If
you guys are done, could we get on with the capturing?
ACTRESS 2 reanimates the GUIDERIUS puppet on her
arm, to join
ACTOR 1, who steps forward as ARVIRAGUS, and
ACTOR 2, who is the first cast member to have to
juggle two puppets, one on each arm, as he now also needs to be BELARIUS,
standing in opposition to his other puppet, LUCIUS.
ACTOR 2 (BELARIUS,
puppet)
Though
wronged and driven into exile, this is still my country, and you are still my
king. I, and my sons, are here to rescue
you!
ACTRESS 2 lowers her puppet arm for a moment to
become POSTHUMUS, who is struck by Belarius' words. In his way, he begins to process them as his
own, and switch allegiances in the battle.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Though
wronged and driven into exile,
this
is still my country,
and
you are still my king!
I
shall join them in rescuing you from this invasion!
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Dude! You're on our side!
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
You
banged my wife and stole my reason for living.
I don't know why I was fighting alongside you to begin with. Swords up, douchebag!
ACTRESS 3 lowers her puppet arm for a moment to become
CYMBELINE.
ACTRESS 3 (CYMBELINE)
I
may be king, but I haven't forgotten how to use a sword!
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
(excited for a second)
Hey! Isn't that Fidelis over there?
ACTRESS 2 reanimates the GUIERIUS puppet on her
arm.
ACTRESS 2 (GUIDERIUS,
puppet)
It
couldn't be. He's dead remember. And the wolves ate him.
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
(very disappointed)
Oh. Right.
Somehow, five people and their assorted puppets do
battle.
ACTRESS 3 as CYMBELINE battles her puppet IACHIMO
who his trying to capture the king.
ACTOR 2 has puppets battling on each arm – BELARIUS
vs. LUCIUS.
ACTRESS 2 as POSTHUMUS fights alongside her puppet
alter ego GUIDERIUS.
ACTRESS 1 as IMOGEN/Fidelis and ACTOR 1 as AVIRAGUS
are the only humans with no puppets in play, fighting on opposite sides, though
ARVIRAGUS is a bit conflicted since IMOGEN/Fidelis looks so much like the boy
he loved and lost. And IMOGEN/Fidelis
can’t really work up much fight against the man she knows so recently aided her
in the forest.
When the dust settles, CYMBELINE, BELARIUS,
GUIDERIUS, ARVIRAGUS, and POSTHUMUS join forces and quickly overpower LUCIUS,
IACHIMO, and IMOGEN/Fidelis.
ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS,
puppet)
Well,
this didn't go as planned.
Somehow, ACTOR 2 manages to play the role of PISANIO
with puppets on both his arms. He pops
up to take orders as usual.
ACTRESS 3 (CYMBELINE)
Take
them to the dungeon. We'll arrange for
some speedy executions. That should
teach Rome I'm not to be messed with.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
Yes,
my liege. Certainly, my liege.
As ACTOR 2 (PISANIO) makes his way over to the
cluster of prisoners, he crosses paths with ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS), and they catch
each other’s eye. They like what they
see.
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
(shyly)
Hi.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO) looks around for a second to make
sure ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS) actually meant to address him.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
(equally shyly)
Oh. Hi.
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
Stop
back after you put the prisoners in the dungeon.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
OK.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO) now also has a dejected LUCIUS
puppet on one arm, grabs the IACHIMO puppet from ACTRESS 3 and herds ACTRESS 1
(IMOGEN/Fidelis) off toward the exit.
Suddenly ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS) hurries over to the
departing “crowd.”
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Hey!
I don't really have much of a reason for
living - long story -
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
Former
master, it's me. I know. I remember.
I was there.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Right! She cheated on me. I had you kill her. Kind of rash decision on my part in
hindsight.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
Yes. It was.
ACTOR 2 reanimates the dejected LUCIUS puppet on
his arm for a moment.
ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS,
puppet)
Excuse
me, are you taking us down to the dungeon or - ?
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
This'll
just take a minute.
ACTOR 2’s LUCIUS puppet waits impatiently for his
fate while a couple of peasants stop to chat.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
So,
I didn't realize quite how much I'd miss her, after I ordered her killed. And maybe I should have talked to her first,
not taken a stranger's word for it.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
Hindsight's
always 20/20, my lord.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Anyway,
now that the war's over and I'm still not dead - no woman, no war - execution's
looking really good to me. Mind if I
just slip myself in alongside all the other Romans?
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
If
you really want to join the rest of the prisoners on death row, I'm not going
to stop you.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS) embraces ACTOR 2 (PISANIO).
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Thank you! Thank you -
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS) still can't remember
Pisanio's name.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
Pisanio.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTHUMUS)
Thank
you, Pisanio!
ACTOR 2’s LUCIUS puppet pipes up again.
ACTOR 2 (LUCIUS,
puppet)
Now?
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
Yup. Off to the dungeons with the lot of you.
(to be continued)
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