Sunday, November 18, 2018

November Writing Challenge 2018 - 17 - Boring But Theatrical


SEVENTEETH CHALLENGE

Write something boring that is theatrically compelling
(subject matter boring, but tons of inherent theatricality)

Inherent theatricality- not exciting narrative.

But nah bro, like really boring- MORE boring than that. MORE! MOOOREE!

Instant death

People need to experience a sense of dread four sentences in and be squirming in their seats before the second minute has ticked over.

Then add inherent theatricality.

What we’re doing here is making a unique and powerful energy you can slam into the exposition or dream sequence of any play where you need to get INFORMATION OUT

True to theme… I will now subject you to my ...inherent ramblings.

Grumble harumph burp

So the new crop of theater professionals aka “those damn kids” have witnessed like 1,000 hours of stage time compared to… ??100,000?? hours of screen time- experiencing narratives that take place between commercial breaks, exist in the service of Marvel brawls, never had an author (reality tv), etc.

As a result- or probably it was always so- I find that nobody knows really WHAT theater is. They know like… where to find it if you’re looking for it. Like chocolate or pornography we know when it’s good or bad but we’ve been rather terrible at talking about why.

THERE IS NO BETTER DEFINITION OF THEATER (fuck Aristotle)


The definative definition: Theater is the interaction that occurs when one or more living beings defy a physical, social, or moral expectation inherent or established within a live, collective audience (theatrical) engaged in a shared/empathetic concern (drama).

Note that I separate dramatic concern with theatrical energy. You’ve totally been at a play where you know the narrative arc WANTS you to care about Jack Jackson the Jacksonville King of Jacks, but holy bejeebus you do not.

It turns out theatrical energy thrives inside the expectation current caused by dramatic narrative, but (like at a circus) doesn’t require it. And it can be completely absent like when a politician tells a tear-jerker about some wronged citizen his politics will fix.

When the two are intertwined, you find yourself at a play.

Types of potential theatrical energy:

Physical: unsustainable action (blowing air into a balloon, holding one’s breath); a break in repetition (ba-dum, ching!); acrobatic (dance, contortion, abnormalities); violence; illogical; or the breaking from these things.

Social: bigotry; base acts (nudity, body functions); insubordinance (familial, spiritual, or political); or breaking from these things.

Moral: cruelty; perversion; pornography; and blasphemy; or breaking from these things.

Example: a weatherman talks about the temperature variations of the Mojave during the past decade one month at a time while undressing

(subject matter boring, but tons of inherent theatricality)

BONUS ASIDE

When theater was at its most powerful, a few people wrote and read. I sometimes read things that act like LOTS of people were reading when Shakespeare was alive (and comparably so!) but like… not even close to a majority at his death in 1616. Words and facts and science like we know it are not necessary ingredients for what makes great theater.

****************

(this may accidentally be the opposite of the challenge, since I’m not sure it’s theatrically compelling yet, but I’m hoping the subject matter isn’t boring :)

(this is more of the Spellbound play, following up on the scenes I posted yesterday.  Sarah, wife of the love potion victim Auggie, in the previous act had arrived at the metaphysical supply store to engage Jeffrey in the making of the antidote.  Duncan works at the store.  Jeffrey has been flirting and Duncan against his better judgment has occasionally been flirting back, despite the fact that Jeffrey’s love potion antics run counter to basic good practices for wiccans and pagans.  Jeffrey got the spell out of his grandmother’s grimoire, which he brought to the store with him to start gathering the ingredients for the counterspell.  The last ingredient wasn’t handy at this store, but another store has a delivery on the way.

This is a work in progress.  In the previous draft there was no such scene at the store, so the three-way dynamic here is something I’m just getting my arms around.  Didn’t get as far into the scene as I’d like but I’m going to post what I have and keep working)



Lights shift.

MICAH and AUGGIE fade into the dark as

SARAH, JEFFREY and DUNCAN are revealed at the metaphysical supply store, studying grandma’s grimoire.

                          SARAH
While I’m not a fan of the present situation, I have to admit your grandmother’s spell work is impressive.

                          DUNCAN
The last of the ingredients should be getting here shortly.

                          SARAH
We can get started without it, then fold it into the mix when it turns up.

                          JEFFREY
So, what’s the first step?

                          SARAH
No offense but – actually, you know what, I take that back, I’m not really terribly troubled by offending you at the moment so – I don’t trust you.  You’re the primary reason we’re in this mess.  So I will be taking the lead on this counterspell.

                          JEFFREY
Understood.

                          SARAH
In order to do this quickly, though, I’m going to need help from both of you.

                          JEFFREY
Absolutely.

                          SARAH
I’m sorry if this is going to cut into the regular course of business.

                          DUNCAN
Things tend to start off slow, most days.  Plus, an in-house demonstration of magic in progress is never a bad thing.

                          JEFFREY
Like free samples at the grocery store.

                          SARAH
Actually no.  There will be no sampling.

                          DUNCAN
But it piques people’s interest in much the same way.

                          SARAH
Oh goddess.  The two of you aren’t - ?

                          DUNCAN
What?  No.

                          JEFFREY
Not for lack of trying.

                          SARAH
If we could stay focused on the task at hand –

                          DUNCAH
Right.  Sorry.

                          SARAH
If you have to step out to deal with customers, you go right ahead.  Where should we set up?

                          DUNCAN
Over here should be good.

                          SARAH
     (to JEFFREY)
Again, I don’t trust you.  So anything I have you measure out, I’m going to doublecheck that it’s the right item, and right amount.

                          JEFFREY
I want this to go well, too.

                          SARAH
Good.  That’ll get us to the antidote quicker.

                          JEFFREY
This is really cool.

                          SARAH
OK, no.  Let’s establish some ground rules.  This is not cool.  It’s a clusterfuck.

                          JEFFREY
Sorry.

                          SARAH
No, you’re not, and that’s the problem.
     (to DUNCAN)
I’m assuming the reason you didn’t stop him is that you didn’t realize what he was planning to do?

                          DUNCAN
No.  Sorry.

                          SARAH
But since he came back and admitted it - ?

                          DUNCAN
I’ve been trying to impart basic principles.

                          SARAH
Great.  So I’ll just stick to the specifics of now.
     (to JEFFREY)
You were working alone?

                          JEFFREY
What?  Yeah.  It’s not a terrorist sleeper cell, I was just goofing around.

                          SARAH
See, things like that make me want to slap you.  Or turn you into a newt.

                          JEFFREY
You can do that?

                          DUNCAN
It was a Monty Python reference.

                          JEFFREY
Oh.

                          SARAH
You dosed my husband with a love potion in connection with his very best friend in the world.  My husband has a past history of not having the best impulse control where his penis is concerned.  And he is currently writing a song for the man he thinks he’s in love with.  So things are not great, things are not cool, and that’s on you.  But you don’t seem terribly contrite and that bothers me on a whole host of levels.



(to be continued)





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