Saturday, November 03, 2018

November Writing Challenge 2018 - 3 - Say Goodnight To The Stars


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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