CHALLENGE #3: Say goodnight to the stars.
Tonight, there will
be a modern rain dance. Convert it for a time and place that is personal to
you- and therefore (odds are) it does not involve indigenous Americans. There
must be a sacrifice. It may or may not “rain.” Someone unexpected will die and
this spurs the play’s last action- saying goodnight to the stars.
Due 11/4 @ 7am cst
Background: Red
Theater got its start by breaking down student performances- and the problems
they were having in talking about each other’s works.
First, we forbid
moral notes.
A play couldn’t be
bad because it… idk burned a Bible or espoused racist or misogynistic
beliefs, or idk bad things, right? But that’s not what we talked about.
Condemnation is for clergy; we were interested in making theater not
propagandic platitudes. I’d grown up in a not-so-distant time and
not-so-far-away place where plays showing homosexuals or saying the LORD’S NAME
IN VAIN were also criticized of being immoral and not worthy of the stage. I
was tired of these notes. They were often a side distraction. They didn’t make
the theater better. They felt irrelevant.
How could Red company
members give notes?
A. Personal- how does
the play capture something unique and personal about the human experience- how
well does the performer own the material- how does the play make me feel
MORE aware of myself DURING the performance than I did before it began. (not
after contemplation later)
B. Theatrical- how
does the play participate in “inherently theatrical actions”- what things
couldn’t I take my eyes off of- what actions created imbalance or provoked a
feeling for the need for change.
Ultimately this is
because all theater (before the church’s perversion of theater into morality
tales)- ALL THEATER- sprung from one of two sources.
1.
Campfire stories (personal) are about us. How we came to be who we are. How are
we different from others? What are our mistakes and triumphs? It evokes a sense
of awe and humility for our ANCESTORS- and projects into the future a sense
that we will someday also be spoken of (good or bad) at the fire. It’s about a
desire for control
2. Rain
dances (theatrical) live in the NOW trying to provoke or woo the gods to change
the course of nature- to save us from ourselves. An appeal for justice or
forgiveness from a higher power. Sacrifice. Weaponry. Evokes a sense of
conflict with humankind’s place in the universe. It’s about a desire for chaos.
Tonight, make
modern rain dance.
********
(continuing with the
Cymbeline riff)
The flirtiness most likely continues as ACTOR 1
(ARVIRAGUS) and ACTOR 2 (PISANIO) take on the next stanza.
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
and ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
No
exorcizer harm thee,
Nor
no witchcraft charm thee.
Ghost
unlaid forbear thee.
Nothing
ill come near thee.
Quiet
consummation have
And
renowned be thy grave.
ACTRESS 3 takes up the IACHIMO puppet.
ACTRESS 2 drops her puppet arm to her side and
resumes the role of POSTHUMUS
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Welcome
to Rome! I bet I can bang your
girlfriend.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
What
a strange thing to say when first meeting someone.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Well,
I get tired of guys going on and on about how faithful their girlfriends
are. I figure if I bang their
girlfriends, that'll shut 'em up. Plus,
if I bet them, I get money. I also like
sex, so it's a win-win all around for me.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
Are
people really bored in Rome?
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
What
do you say?
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
First
of all, she's not my girlfriend, she's my wife.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Even
better.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
Second
of all, no.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Come
on. Just a little bet.
ACTRESS 2 reanimates the GUIDERIUS puppet on her
arm and talks to herself for a moment.
ACTRESS 2 (GUIDERIUS,
puppet)
This
seems very rude. I could cut his head
off.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
(cont’d)
I
can handle him, I'm quite good with a sword, but thanks.
ACTRESS 2 (GUIDERIUS, puppet) (cont’d)
Don't
mention it. We're brothers-in-law, after
all.
ACTOR 2 reanimates the BELARIUS puppet on his arm.
ACTOR 2 (BELARIUS, puppet)
Neither
of you know that yet.
ACTRESS 2 (GUIDERIUS,
puppet)
Eventually.
ACTRESS 2 drops her puppet arm to become just
POSTHUMUS again.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
The
fact that you won't even bet me makes me want to just sail off to Britain and
find your wife and screw her.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
It's
a fool's errand, my friend. We exchanged
tokens of our love and fidelity.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Oh. Well.
If you exchanged tokens -
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
She
gave me this ring. I gave her a
bracelet. We shall wear them and remain
faithful to one another until we are once again united in love.
And
I have a servant of mine keeping an eye on her.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
Not
only am I going to bang your wife, when I do you're going to give me that ring
as payment of our bet.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
I'm
not betting you.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
I'm
still banging your wife.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
Well,
sir, when you do not bang my wife - and you will not bang my wife - I will not
only keep this ring, you will pay me instead a sum of money, yet to be
determined, and I will get to engage you in a sword fight. And I'm very good in sword fights.
ACTRESS 2 (GUIDERIUS,
puppet)
Oh! Oh!
Will you cut his head off?!
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
I
will certainly try. It seems like the
only way I'll keep him from saying things like -
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
I'm
off to Britain to screw your wife!
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
She
won't screw you.
ACTRESS 3 (IACHIMO,
puppet)
I
am very persuasive. And good looking.
ACTRESS 2 (POSTUMUS)
I'm
a better dresser.
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
He
is. No one dresses as well as Posthumus.
ACTRESS 3 drops her puppet arm and becomes
CYMBELINE again.
ACTRESS 3 (CYMBELINE)
But
I'm a king.
ACTOR 1 reanimates the CLOTEN puppet on his arm.
ACTOR 1 (CLOTEN,
puppet)
And
I'm a prince.
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
Well,
I'm certainly not marrying my father.
And I'm still not marrying you.
I'm already married.
To
a very snappy dresser.
ACTOR 1 (CLOTEN, puppet)
But
that's all you've got right now, isn't it?
Clothes.
Not
a man. The man is gone.
All
that remain behind are the clothes.
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
I'd
rather spend time with the clothes than you.
ACTOR 1 (CLOTEN,
puppet)
Fine! Be that way.
Enjoy your husband's empty clothes.
They won't keep you warm at night.
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
Actually,
that's exactly what clothes are designed to do.
ACTOR 1 (CLOTEN,
puppet)
You
know what I mean!
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
Yes. And I'd rather be wrapped up in his clothes
than your embrace.
ACTOR 1 drops his puppet arm and becomes ARVIRAGUS
again.
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
Wait? He doesn't have any clothes in Rome?
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
Of
course he has clothes.
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
Oh,
I found myself strangely titillated by the idea of that for a second.
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
He
took clothes.
He
just couldn't take all his clothes.
He
has a lot of clothes.
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
Oh.
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
And
some he left as a pledge that he would return to me again one day.
ACTOR 2 has dropped his puppet arm and become
PISANIO again.
ACTOR 2 (PISANIO)
That
is so romantic. What could possibly go
wrong?
ACTRESS 1 reanimates the QUEEN puppet on her arm
for a brief aside.
ACTRESS 1 (QUEEN,
puppet)
Please.
ACTOR 1 (ARVIRAGUS)
One
day he will return, and wear his clothes again.
ACTRESS 1 (IMOGEN)
Well,
when we're first reunited we'll probably be a little too busy for him to put
*on* any clothes, but eventually yes. He
shall wear them again.
(to be continued)
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