So now I am going to try and break the short story into blocking it out. Watching this and other vids today.
I am looking at this, and will try and use WP to do it, then get printed. I don’t have a way to “create” this style of formatting, what a drag, oh well. Consider me a rank beginner, but I am doing this for Walter and all I can think of is the way he taught me to move time using Lawrence of Arabia and the match scene. I have the dialogue, so now it is a matter of fleshing out what that looks like as a temporal art form. I am so excited about this omg. Becoming a playwright before your and my very eyes. It’s like a long forgotten dream.
So, looking at this for style: https://ptfaculty.gordonstate.edu/lking/CPF_play_formatting2.pdf
VANILLA SUEDE
a play by Adrienne D. Wilson
(based on her short story Vanilla Suede first published at ERWA 2013 as Valentine Bonnaire)
copywright SBWC 2019
MUSIC
CAST OF CHARACTERS
THE MOURNERS an assorted group of people at a funeral
TRENT a man in his 50’s
MARINA a woman in her 50’s
CORE THEME: Love conquers all, even death
For Walter Dallenbach who taught us screenwriting, using the Match Scene in Lawrence of Arabia.
SCENE
A temporal space on a black stage
An apartment
TIME
The present
STYLE OF ACTING FOR VANILLA SUEDE = METHOD ACTING
The LIGHTING in this play is EVERYTHING, because the settings are STARK and MINIMALISTIC. The play will be shown by the movements of the actors with ACTION and the SHOWING OF EMOTION via THE BODY ACTIONS, so this is VERY DRAMATIC LOOKING.
So, REALISM.
I will try to write it showing the sorts of actions, except I know that the ACTORS themselves will KNOW the parts of TRENT and MARINA and can access these feeling states through the body. I will do my best to write the bodily actions today.
VANILLA SUEDE
SCENE ONE, ACT ONE
SETTING: We are at a funeral attended by several mourners. They are all friends who have known the deceased. The stage is PITCH DARK BLACK. These are the MOURNERS and all of them form a circle around a capstone laid flat on the floor. ONE WHITE CANDLE sits near the capstone on the grave. Each MOURNER carries a FLOWER to represent taking flowers to a grave. EACH MOURNER PRESENTS THE EMOTION OF SADNESS IN DEAD SILENCE almost as a PANTOMIME.
AT RISE: We see the lights slowly come on to illuminate a group of people. In silence and slowly one by one while doing a pantomime style set of grief actions similar to Marcel Marceau audience watches them each in turn place a flower near the candle. They will show grief as EXPRESSION on faces and BODY. At the LAST MOURNER we hear the words, “TAKEN TOO SOON.” THE MOURNERS HAVE WALKED SLOWLY UPSTAGE INTO COMPLETE DARKNESS TO EXIT IN TURN STAGE RIGHT AND LEFT. Characters TRENT and Marina are the only two left on stage. The LIGHTS move to their faces and TRENT is the first to speak, after a long audible sigh.
(I can use psychodrama techniques to help teach this) – GESTALT via Modern Dance)
(note- use circular space to pull emotions from mourners as dance/experiential)
TRENT
(letting out long and deep sad sigh)
Sometimes you just need to be held.
(he looks at MARINA, as he says this – lights illuminate their faces only)
MARINA
(looking sadly up at him)
What do you mean?
TRENT
It helps, especially when life throws you curve balls
MARINA
Maybe you’re right
TRENT
I am
MARINA
What about the ghosts of the past
(she moves away from him, looks off into space as if she is remembering all the ghosts of people and her marriage, that ended very sadly)
TRENT
Forget ’em
MARINA
What if I can’t?
(she looks back at him across a great void on the black dark stage, light illuminates her expression, which is of a lost thing)
TRENT
You have to
MARINA
I can’t
TRENT
You have to
(he looks off into distance, across the great black void of space and we see him turn back to face her)
TRENT
Going to that Halloween Party tomorrow?
MARINA
I might
TRENT
Let’s go together
(he puts his arm around her, as a friend would, after the sadness of the funeral – not romantically, as a friend. They begin to walk a little, lights are on the two of them, as full bodies now)
TRENT
What are you going to wear?
MARINA
I thought I might go like the 1920’s. I saw some shoes.
(says this wistfully)
TRENT
What kind?
(he perks up out of sadness, gives a little smile at her)
MARINA
Vanilla suede with a tiny strap,. My grandmother would have worn shoes like that, while the moon shimmered off the surface of the lake. My grandfather would have taken her in his arms.
TRENT
A different time I guess
MARINA
It was
TRENT
People fell in love
MARINA
I guess they did
END SCENE – STAGE FADES TO DARKNESS AGAIN
Scene two will take place at TRENT’S APT.
This will be DANCE SCENE and this is not Tennessee William’s Glass Menagerie by a long shot.
Omg I DID IT, I have figured out where to break it.
Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Adrienne Wilson 