Of an old year going out, and a new year rushing in, and the redesign of myself as a writer. I do wish all of you the best.
I was looking at what F. Scott Fitzgerald had to say, earlier this morning and it fits so I had that up over in Facebook, and again here. 2019 was a very crummy year, and so… this was a conjunction the other night, very massive, of Venus and the Moon hanging low over my city.
First I am so incredibly lucky to have Matt and Anne, because, well Matt and his Phantastic fiction class, and now Anne who is an actress, and has so much depth. So on the whole Method Acting thing. These are like my fave actors, this style. So I recently have been watching some things on that. For me acting is like magic? To watch actors in films and in plays. I have no idea how this is pulled off by them, to inhabit a character. As a writer, it is very easy for me to understand and know my characters? But the idea of setting a stage, or an emotional stage for them. This is the making of a work of art for me.
Anyway that Talent Show, and seeing Matt and all the others up on that stage, the last night of the Conf. I haven’t always stayed because sometimes so exhausted, but the times I have, it’s just this really beautiful thing that comes together. I know Vanilla Suede is very poignant, because of the music I wrote it to. So this is a total rewrite in a sense because edited from the shorty that was just dialogue. So, music for me is the way I write everything? My ideas on the songs I have chosen to illustrate the feelings.
So I printed out the play, but we can make notes to that – this is the cover. So what the play is about for me – character MARINA, and the longing for love, the sort that was 1929, except that she is in the here and now, of this generation. It’s not like that for TRENT character. Let’s assume that TRENT is so broken (backstory) a few pages back, but he has this brave face in the face of this generation, he is a cheerful character, all surface smiles and no one can see the pain? MARINA is flip, as in the song I played, and yet, in these poems they will chose by themselves, hers, and then the ee? Well this will be totally improv as an insert. It isn’t that she is flip, as very wounded and non-trusting. She lets TRENT lead, but heart is shattered glass, she does not show. This whole method style is that you pull something up out of your own depths in order to become a CHARACTER. The characters then, are part of HUMANITY in a kind of transcendence? I think this is how the audience is moved, and it is so magic to me. I am the luckiest person on earth right now, and I am smiling as I say it. I mean the TALENT SHOW! So this is proving I have some. Am I ever lucky.
I’m just so lucky because for me I am going to see the words come to LIFE? I can’t explan how much that means for me to see that. It’s everything, so anyway this is what I am watching this morning and I am really glad Carmen and Walter can be like the directors because they both come from that tradition, as does Anne, so Matt has nothing to worry about. So anyway, I am watching this today Method Acting a little – so excited! Just know that, there are not RULES, just words on a page for the actors. So, the theme: Love conquers all, even death. My image for this is that, we have to keep going, in life. We keep going, and so MARINA and TRENT are doing this. Yesterday I walked down by the harbor and spent some time talking to a man about Odin my dog. He was walking and we started to talk about the country at this time, and he said he was a quadriplegic. He has walked himself out of that. It was very moving to me, and so think of it like that. Two characters with the woundings that this generation has lived, in the soul. And then, when they dance, and she says: “I’m afraid” this is where TRENT takes the lead. I know it will be so beautiful. Sigh. Yeah. No way to be able to thank the two of you but the Rose Peeps? I think I can give you the prettiest gift. Actually those. But you two are the gift to me.
VANILLA SUEDE
a play by Adrienne D. Wilson
for
Walter Dallenbach
copywright SBWC 2019
based on her short story Vanilla Suede first published at ERWA c. 2013
CAST OF CHARACTERS
THE MOURNERS an assorted group of people at a funeral
TRENT a man in his 50’s, divorced
MARINA a woman in her 50’s, divorced
CORE THEME: Love conquers all, even death
SCENE
A temporal space on a black stage
An apartment, a balcony, moonlight
TIME
The present
STYLE OF ACTING FOR VANILLA SUEDE = METHOD ACTING
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.
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
VANILLA SUEDE
ACT ONE, SCENE TWO
“Moonlight Serenade”
SETTING: TRENT APARTMENT
Look: EMPTY STAGE, only a table with a portable record player. There is an opened wine bottle and two empty glasses. Trent has invited MARINA over before they are both about to go to Halloween Party together, for a drink. This will be liquid courage for Trent. He has invited her in friendship.
AT RISE:
TRENT paces around his empty apartment nervously awaiting MARINA’S arrival. This is shown in PANTOMIME perhaps with “Sugar Mountain” playing. For instance he could MIME himself as brushing his hair, he keeps checking his looks in the mirror. Both TRENT and MARINA live in a small town, and so some of the MOURNERS will also be at the PARTY they plan to go to. They have been friends in the way that they have known each other across many years and even in their marriages at parties and social events. They had not seen each other in many years, until the funeral. Now they are both divorced.
I love the imagery in this one for TRENT inner state.
WE HEAR A KNOCK AT THE DOOR (sound of knocking)
MARINA
Trent I’m here
TRENT
Just a second, I’ll be right there Marina
MARINA
(entering from stage left)
TRENT
(warmly)
You look beautiful
MARINA
(smiles softly, turning to show him a tilt of her new shoes)
TRENT
(smiling)
Let’s have a glass of wine, shall we?
MARINA
(glances around apartment and heads over to bookshelf – this can be pantomime and she says)
I can’t believe you have read e.e. cummings, he is one of my favorites
TRENT
I have a favorite one
MARINA
(smiles softly at Trent)
So do I
TRENT
Another glass?
MARINA
(nods, smiling, hands her glass to him so he can refill it)
TRENT
(Pantomimes looking through records til he finds it)
Moonlight Serenade have you ever heard that?
MARINA
I don’t think I have
TRENT
I’ve got it around here somewhere
MARINA
(to opening of the song)
It’s beautiful
TRENT
Want to dance?
MARINA
I’m not sure I know how
TRENT
You just relax and let me lead
MARINA
What if I trip you?
TRENT
You won’t
TRENT
(very gently and softly, with great male confidence, places her hands into a position for a slow dance to Moonlight Serenade, they begin to move every slowly)
My hand goes here and yours goes there, now we’ll just sway a little in place before we start moving
MARINA
(slowly starting to relax, in a slow whisper)
That’s nice, like this
TRENT
(nodding softly against her)
Your hair smells so wonderful
MARINA
Does it?
TRENT
You’ve always smelled like that
MARINA
I’m afraid
TRENT
Of what?
MARINA
The past and the future
TRENT
Don’t be.
MARINA
I can’t take any more death
TRENT
This is the worst decade isn’t it?
MARINA
I think it is
TRENT
You know what we have to do?
MARINA
(spoken very softly, against him, she almost exhales at the word and the feeling of relief as she says)
No
TRENT
Try and love
MARINA
What if that’s not possible?
TRENT
It is. Put your head on my shoulder
MARINA
You’re so warm
TRENT
Am I?
MARINA
Strong. You feel so strong. Stronger than me.
TRENT
Maybe
MARINA
What did you do after Janine?
TRENT
Rambled
TRENT
(pauses for some time, softly says)
What did you do after Evan?
MARINA
Folded up
TRENT
You don’t seem folded to me
MARINA
I don’t?
TRENT
No
MARINA
Our grandparents, they lived in such a different time
TRENT
1929
MARINA
All those years they were together
TRENT
Yes, mine too
MARINA
They knew about love
TRENT
(nods, slowly, pressing her more tightly)
They did. I’ve made so many mistakes
MARINA
I feel like that too at times. Maybe it’s this era we have lived
TRENT
Shhhhhhhhh
MARINA
That feels good Trent. Having your arms around me.
TRENT
Good
MARINA
You’re warm. It’s like you are solid
TRENT
(rubs his stomach)
I’m solid, as solid as can be. Feel
MARINA
You big silly. I wasn’t expecting a washboard
TRENT
Yes you were
MARINA
No, I wasn’t
TRENT
Let me hold you?
MARINA
What do you mean?
TRENT
It’s been years since I’ve touched anyone
MARINA
Trent?
TRENT
It would feel good Marina
MARINA
I haven’t since Evan
TRENT
Janine cut me off at the end
MARINA
She did?
TRENT
The last ten years. It’s been so long
MARINA
I can barely remember Evan, Trent. I never thought I could go fifteen years without sex, you know?
TRENT
Me neither
MARINA
How did we do it?
TRENT
I don’t know. Love’s a funny thing
MARINA
After marriage?
TRENT
Yeah. Let me put that song back on.
MARINA
Okay
END SCENE FADE TO BLACK
VANILLA SUEDE
ACT ONE, SCENE THREE
SETTING: TRENT’S Apartment, BALCONY SCENE
AT RISE: In soft light, we see MARINA and TRENT a little giddy from the wine, having danced away the sadness of the funeral of their old friend.
TRENT
Which one of the poems is your favorite, can you read it to me?
MARINA
It’s somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond.
TRENT
I don’t think I know that one
MARINA
(clearing her throat a little)
begins to read https://poets.org/poem/somewhere-i-have-never-travelledgladly-beyond
TRENT
Did you see the moon tonight?
MARINA
No
TRENT
Take my hand, let’s go see
MARINA
(puts her hand in his, he leads her to the balcony)
Funny old moon
TRENT
Ever see the face, I did once
MARINA
Really?
TRENT
I’ll never forget it
MARINA
I don’t want to say anything
TRENT
Me either
MARINA
What if our lips
TRENT
Met?
MARINA
I don’t know
TRENT
Let me make love to you
MARINA
Must be the moon or that song or?
TRENT
It’s you
MARINA
We’ve always been friends
TRENT
(kisses her on her neck)
MARINA
If you keep that up I might melt
TRENT
You look so beautiful in this moonlight
MARINA
So do you
TRENT
I think we should lie down
MARINA
On this balcony?
TRENT
We can use my jacket and make our bed out of moonlight. I just want to hold you. It’s been so long since I felt a woman underneath me.
MARINA
Starts to cry a little
TRENT
It’s okay if you cry Marina, I understand
MARINA
It’s been so long
TRENT
Do you know how I want this to be Marina? Like the Moonlight Serenade neither of us ever had in our marriages.
MARINA
I thought I’d be rusty
TRENT
I guess it’s the kind of thing you never forget
MARINA
You’re crying
TRENT
Must be the magic
MARINA
Must be the moonlight
TRENT
Must be you
MARINA
Must be you Trent
TRENT
Put your head on my shoulder
MARINA
But Janine was
TRENT
Forget it. Life can be Heaven or Hell here on earth.
MARINA
Your eyes are twinkling
TRENT
Stars, I saw them for the first time
MARINA
I did, too.
END FADE TO BLACK
So I am cutting out the love scene, and inserting something more PG. Then I am going to format this shorty without the notes. The fact I was able to even do this? Yay how fab. for me this is Talent Show. Because I’m the writer. To see the words being acted is everything because bringing my characters to life before my eyes.
ACT ONE, SCENE THREE
SETTING: TRENT’S Apartment, BALCONY SCENE
AT RISE: In soft light, we see MARINA and TRENT a little giddy from the wine, having danced away the sadness of the funeral of their old friend.
TRENT
Which one of the poems is your favorite, can you read it to me?
MARINA
It’s somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond.
TRENT
I don’t think I know that one
MARINA
(clearing her throat a little)
begins to read https://poets.org/poem/somewhere-i-have-never-travelledgladly-beyond
TRENT
Did you see the moon tonight?
MARINA
No
TRENT
Take my hand, let’s go see
MARINA
(puts her hand in his, he leads her to the balcony)
Funny old moon
TRENT
Ever see the face, I did once
MARINA
Really?
TRENT
I’ll never forget it
MARINA
I don’t want to say anything
TRENT
Me either
MARINA
What if our lips
TRENT
Met?
MARINA
I don’t know
TRENT
Let me make love to you
MARINA
Must be the moon or that song or?
TRENT
It’s you
MARINA
We’ve always been friends
TRENT
(kisses her on her neck)
MARINA
If you keep that up I might melt
TRENT
You look so beautiful in this moonlight
MARINA
So do you
TRENT
I think we should lie down
MARINA
On this balcony?
TRENT
We can use my jacket and make our bed of moonlight. I just want to hold you. It’s been so long since I felt a woman underneath me.
MARINA
Starts to cry a little
TRENT
It’s okay if you cry Marina, I understand
MARINA
It’s been so long
TRENT
Do you know how I want this to be Marina? Like the Moonlight Serenade neither of us ever had in our marriages.
MARINA
I thought I’d be rusty
TRENT
I guess it’s the kind of thing you never forget
MARINA
You’re crying
TRENT
Must be the magic
MARINA
Must be the moonlight
TRENT
Must be you
MARINA
Must be you Trent
TRENT
Put your head on my shoulder
MARINA
But Janine was
TRENT
Forget it. Life can be Heaven or Hell here on earth.
MARINA
Your eyes are twinkling
TRENT
Stars, I saw them for the first time
MARINA
I did, too.
END FADE TO BLACK
*notes
I think this whole play can be done with the lights, so no need for sets other than a table, a capstone, a candle, the record player and record, the book for ee, a few flowers. I can’t believe I did this with it. MAGIC! ❤
So more backstory on character interiority MARINA and TRENT before we move into DANCE SCENE.
For MARINA
(wise, wounded by love)
ARCHETYPE = The Wounded Feminine
(wary)
For character interiority MARINA listen here
TRENT
Trent has been very wounded by women. He is willing to take another chance but his heart is set up for disappointment. Nevertheless – he remains the STRONGER of the two. Willing to take the lead and take a chance.
For TRENT many of his girlfriends did not want him to father their children. In his marriage, his ex-wife cheated on him, under his nose, and so he was humiliated.
ARCHETYPE = The Wounded Masculine
Character Interiority TRENT listen here
Character interiority for BOTH listen here
PLAY VANILLA SUEDE
ACT ONE, SCENE TWO
“Moonlight Serenade”
SETTING: TRENT APARTMENT
Look: EMPTY STAGE, only a table with a portable record player. There is a opened wine bottle and two empty glasses. Trent has invited MARINA over before they are both about to go to Halloween Party together, for a drink. This will be liquid courage for Trent. He has invited her in friendship.
AT RISE:
TRENT paces around his empty apartment nervously awaiting MARINA’S arrival. This is shown in PANTOMIME perhaps with “Sugar Mountain” playing. For instance he could MIME himself as brushing his hair, he keeps checking his looks in the mirror. Both TRENT and MARINA live in a small town, and so some of the MOURNERS will also be at the PARTY they plan to go to. They have been friends in the way that they have known each other across many years and even in their marriages at parties and social events. They had not seen each other in many years, until the funeral.
I love the imagery in this one for TRENT inner state.
WE HEAR A KNOCK AT THE DOOR (sound of knocking)
MARINA
Trent I’m here
TRENT
Just a second, I’ll be right there Marina
MARINA
(entering from stage left)
TRENT
(warmly)
You look beautiful
MARINA
(smiles softly, turning to show him a tilt of her new shoes)
TRENT
(smiling)
Let’s have a glass of wine, shall we?
MARINA
(glances around apartment and heads over to bookshelf – this can be pantomime and she says)
I can’t believe you have read e.e. cummings, he is one of my favorites
TRENT
I have a favorite one
MARINA
(smiles softly at Trent)
So do I
TRENT
Another glass?
MARINA
(nods, smiling, hands her glass to him so he can refill it)
TRENT
(Pantomimes looking through records til he finds it)
Moonlight Serenade have you ever heard that?
MARINA
I don’t think I have
TRENT
I’ve got it around here somewhere
MARINA
(to opening of the song)
It’s beautiful
TRENT
Want to dance?
MARINA
I’m not sure I know how
TRENT
You just relax and let me lead
MARINA
What if I trip you?
TRENT
You won’t
TRENT
(very gently and softly, with great male confidence, places her hands into a position for a slow dance to Moonlight Serenade, they begin to move every slowly)
My hand goes here and yours goes there, now we’ll just sway a little in place before we start moving
MARINA
(slowly starting to relax, in a slow whisper)
That’s nice, like this
TRENT
(nodding softly against her)
Your hair smells so wonderful
MARINA
Does it?
TRENT
You’ve always smelled like that
MARINA
I’m afraid
TRENT
Of what?
MARINA
The past and the future
TRENT
Don’t be.
MARINA
I can’t take any more death
TRENT
This is the worst decade isn’t it?
MARINA
I think it is
TRENT
You know what we have to do?
MARINA
(spoken very softly, against him, she almost exhales at the word and the feeling of relief as she says)
No
TRENT
Try and love
MARINA
What if that’s not possible?
TRENT
It is. Put your head on my shoulder
MARINA
You’re so warm
TRENT
Am I?
MARINA
Strong. You feel so strong. Stronger than me.
TRENT
Maybe
MARINA
What did you do after Janine?
TRENT
Rambled
TRENT
(pauses for some time, softly says)
What did you do after Evan?
MARINA
Folded up
TRENT
You don’t seem folded to me
MARINA
I don’t?
TRENT
No
MARINA
Our grandparents, they lived in such a different time
TRENT
1929
MARINA
All those years they were together
TRENT
Yes, mine too
MARINA
They knew about love
TRENT
(nods, slowly, pressing her more tightly)
They did. I’ve made so many mistakes
MARINA
I feel like that too at times. Maybe it’s this era we have lived
TRENT
Shhhhhhhhh
MARINA
That feels good Trent. Having your arms around me.
TRENT
Good
MARINA
You’re warm. It’s like you are solid
TRENT
(rubs his stomach)
I’m solid, as solid as can be. Feel
MARINA
You big silly. I wasn’t expecting a washboard
TRENT
Yes you were
MARINA
No, I wasn’t
TRENT
Let me hold you?
MARINA
What do you mean?
TRENT
It’s been years since I’ve touched anyone
MARINA
Trent?
TRENT
It would feel good Marina
MARINA
I haven’t since Evan
TRENT
Janine cut me off at the end
MARINA
She did?
TRENT
The last ten years. It’s been so long
MARINA
I can barely remember Evan, Trent. I never thought I could go fifteen years without sex, you know?
TRENT
Me neither
MARINA
How did we do it?
TRENT
I don’t know. Love’s a funny thing
MARINA
After marriage?
TRENT
Yeah. Let me put that song back on.
MARINA
Okay
END SCENE FADE TO BLACK
Next scene will be Balcony Scene (edited from Original to be more PG)
Next scene will have them reading EE to each other – the fave poems.
On METHOD ACTING – handy tuck in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_MhhxXSGmo
On Method and Realism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE0prIjgmMY
MARINA
Yes
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So more thoughts on the characters and so forth this morning and thankfully I can tag my actor and actress in FB with all of this because they can talk between themselves about how they want to “BE” Marina and Trent. So this is a very Romantic play. However these two MARINA and TRENT, like most, had many relationships before marriage, and then marriage went sour for both of them. Giving this backstory now. On the invention of what the backstory is, this will be something each actor can know, and pull from. When I say this I mean the deep betrayals that can happen. The crux in this is the ability to try for actual love again but the hesitancy about doing that.
I am so happy I have these two actors you would not believe it. For one thing their looks are perfect as they are playing a certain age, in life. The marvelous thing about the last night at the Conf is that everyone is exhausted, but the show is a calming time and so what I am going to do is change the words. To make them PG, except maybe for one that TRENT says because this line is the crux on many levels, so, this can be worked out when we all get to the Conf. If there is discomfort with the usage of a word, but I don’t there will be.
Notes on SCENE #1 and the MOURNERS
The flowers the MOURNERS carry. I found some great chalice shaped flowers the mourners could carry. I was going around and around thinking which sorts of things, but another thing that would be cool is maybe to have the actors find a FLOWER. Why I say this. The MOURNERS are like PANTOMIME since only ONE OF THEM has a line “TAKEN TOO SOON.” The MOURNERS can be any ages, and hopefully we can get six or seven volunteers to flesh out that part. On costumes for the MOURNERS, they can wear anything they would like, just be themselves. For the PANTOMIME, this could be things like WIPING AWAY TEARS, anything that these actors can pull from that has been a LOSS in their own lives whether PEOPLE or say, an ANIMAL. That sort of thing. We are just pulling up the expression of sadness from the depths. So EACH MOURNER will look like themselves BEING SAD in front of the TOMBSTONE.
I want that part to be VERY DRAMATIC looking. By this I mean as each steps forward to place a flower on the grave of their friend. So this takes place one at a time as each steps forward and places the flower. TRENT and MARINA will be the last to do this in SILENCE and then he will turn to her with “SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO BE HELD line.
THE MOURNERS can watch Marcel Marceau here to have an idea of the SILENCE and how he pulls that up and out. EACH MOURNER will look DIFFERENT in their expression of sadness, by the PHYSICAL EXPRESSION of that, IN TOTAL SILENCE as PANTOMIME. This could be something like wiping away tears of a hand to the heart, a deep sigh and so forth. Hopefully we will get volunteers, because this will be THEM in a PLAY! But also then they can go watch the play! after EXITING the STAGE.
I will get this whole thing printed out at Fed Ex, so everyone gets a copy! Sorry it isn’t coming at you in proper form. Though the play has words, the most important thing in this is going to be ACTION on the part of these characters. It is very subtle in places so I am going to try and use PANTOMIME as Marceau to show you that. I have no worries at all about the actors for TRENT and MARINA. I am going to ask Carmen and Walter to help us pull it off. The Lighting should not be hard because whoever does that over the last few years, it’s been so gorgeous. Last year there was a white curtain? Maybe we have a curtain similar for the effect? Of a stage curtain. It could be that white one? Just whatever will work and be SIMPLE. To give the MOURNERS an idea of how powerful their parts actually are? Watch this.
Also watch this to see how much power a Pantomine has, with the audience. This is for PEOPLE PLAYING THE MOURNERS to understand that they have really big parts because they are setting the stage for what happens NEXT.
Here is the mime giving a workshop on Pantomime, just beautiful.
