31 Plays in 31 Days: #27 - "Gunning"

Another short scene from my ballet story for my graphic novel. Still need a name, probably something that is a play on Swan Lake. As you can observe from these pieces, I suck at titles.

Day #27 - "Gunning"

JOANNA: How did the audition go?

LISE: Great. Well, okay. Well, I have no idea.

JOANNA: You really have no idea how you did?

LISE: Oh, I don’t know. I might feel okay about it, but the way he looks at me, I don’t know if I can trust myself to judge.

JOANNA: Who, Jason? I seriously doubt he thinks as little of you as you seem to think he does. I mean, he’s given you roles before.

LISE: Yeah, but you don’t see how he is. Like… like no matter how hard I try, I am never going to do well enough for him. No matter how well I think I do, he always pushes for more.

JOANNA: No wonder you’re so stressed out. He sounds like a pain.

LISE: No! It’s not him. Joanna, he’s brilliant. He has so much talent and creativity, and all this passion for dance… if anything, it’s because I’m not good enough.

JOANNA: You’re an amazing dancer, Lise.

LISE: Not amazing enough. Not for him, anyway. But believe me, he’s not the problem.

JOANNA: Then what is it?

LISE: It’s… this other girl. This other dancer in the company.

JOANNA: Which one?

LISE: Her name’s Marina. Maybe it’s crazy, but I feel like… like she’s gunning for me.

JOANNA: Oh, come on.

LISE: Not like that! Like she sees me as competition, and she wants me out of the way.

JOANNA: Well, as far as I’m concerned, you are the dancer to beat.

LISE: She’s really good, Jo. And she’s good at all the things that were tough for me. She’s clean, she’s precise, she’s consistent… Jason’s got to see that.

JOANNA: Was she at the audition too?

LISE: Yeah.

JOANNA: How’d she do?

LISE: I wasn’t really able to watch her. But I’m sure she was great. She has so much focus, you know? I bet she wasn’t second-guessing herself, trying to gauge Jason’s reaction.

JOANNA: I hope you didn’t trip yourself up worrying about him rather than what you were doing.

LISE: Geez. That’s probably exactly what I did.

JOANNA: Don’t beat yourself up too much about it. That seems like exactly the way to psych yourself out.

LISE: I just… don’t know if I have it, you know?

JOANNA: I know. But that’s one way to never find out.

31 Plays in 31 Days: #22 - "Complement"

Another piece that came of thinking about my graphic novel project. Which still needs a name, now that I think of it. This'll need a lot of work, but I'm just struggling to get all my pieces done for the challenge.

The ballet they will be doing in the piece is Swan Lake. I didn't want to do that, as another prominent ballet-themed property The Black Swan used it recently, but its plot serves the rivalry I wanted so well.

Day #22 - "Complement"

(A rehearsal studio. JASON the director is flipping through a notebook. MARINA is carefully stretching her legs, the picture of focus. LISE enters, surprised.)

MARINA: What’s she doing here?

LISE: Where’s everybody else?

JASON: Nobody else today. Just the two of you.

MARINA: What for?

JASON: The two of you need to work on your performance in relation to each other.

LISE: What does that mean?

JASON: Odette and Odile need to be identical enough that you can be mistaken for each other, but different enough to create a contrast. Two sides of the same coin. So I want you to start working on matching each other.

LISE: Our styles are completely different.

JASON: I’ve observed that.

MARINA: Why would you pick us if you wanted two dancers that looked the same?

JASON: Are you even listening to me? I want the contrast too. But you’ve already got the contrast down. Now I need you to figure out how to complement each other.

(They look at each other warily.)

JASON: Show me the mirror dance. Tell me what you each notice about how the other executes it. Go on, already.

(They take their places facing each other and begin to perform a dance with movements that mirror one another.)

LISE: Slow down.

MARINA: Can’t you keep up?

JASON: It’s not a contest. What do you notice?

MARINA: Her arms are a technical mess.

JASON: Marina.

LISE: Yeah, well, you can’t pirouette on your left side.

JASON: Jesus, grow up, you two. Just do what I asked already.

(They continue dancing, watching one another.)

LISE: She’s… very precise.

JASON: Right. She finds marks and she hits them. You find something, Marina.

MARINA: She’s fluid. Seamless from one step to another.

JASON: Yeah, everything flows.

MARINA: I feel like I’m dragging my through so you can match me.

LISE: You’re too staccato, it’s all choppy.

MARINA: I’m not compromising just to make you look good!

JASON: Jesus Christ, get over yourselves. I don’t have time for this. If I wanted to do a show with just one dancer on the stage for two hours, I’d just do it myself and not bother with any of you. Go take a break, and when you come back, I expect you to be ready to work.

(MARINA storms off.)

LISE: I can’t work with her.

JASON: Oh, save it.

LISE: She hates me. She isn’t going to cooperate.

JASON: Then you make it work. You’re the lead, the show’s on you.

LISE: Oh, God.

JASON: But hey, you’ve got it all down, right? Just so you know, Cechetti couldn’t turn on his left side either, you know.

LISE: Really?

JASON: He choreographed all his pieces so that he never had to. And he has a whole method named after him.

(JASON turns to exit.)

JASON: Find some way to make it work, Lise.

31 Plays in 31 Days: #21 - "Don't Tell Anyone"

Working out more bits for use in my graphic novel. Right now the one particular thread of it is standing out in my mind, so I am writing out pieces involving that thread while I have the inspiration to do so.

Day #21 - "Don't Tell Anyone"

(MARINA is collapsed in a heap, her face contorted in pain. LISE rushes over.)

LISE: Marina, what's wrong!?

(MARINA struggles to pull up her tight. LISE comes over and helps her.)

LISE: Here, let me...

(MARINA's knee is bulgy and covered with a dark bruise.)

LISE: Oh, my God...

(She stands up to go.)

LISE: I'll— I'll go get someone. I'll get Jason—

(MARINA heaves herself up and clamps onto Leto's arm to stop her, pulling her close so that the two girls are facing each other.)

MARINA: No! Not Jason!

(MARINA drags herself up from the ground.)

LISE: You need help!

MARINA: What I need is for you to shut up!

(MARINA sits and extends her injured leg in front of her.)

MARINA: Shut up and grab onto me.

LISE: What?

(MARINA grabs LISE's arms and places her hands on her calf just below her swollen knee.)

MARINA: Grab on! Right here!

LISE: O-Okay...

MARINA: Now pull.

(LISE looks up at her in horror.)

MARINA: Just pull!

(LISE pulls tentatively.)

MARINA: Ahhhhhh!

(LISE releases her leg.)

LISE: Marina—!

MARINA: Just do it!

(Again LISE pulls, face screwed up and turned aside. MARINA grits her teeth in agony, but her knee back into place. She makes a small sound of mixed pain and relief.)

MARINA: Ahhh! Oh, thank God!

(MARINA grabs onto LISE.)

MARINA: Now help me up.

LISE: You need a doctor or something—

(MARINA reaches down to roll her tight back down, holding onto LISE for balance.)

MARINA: I have to go back on!

LISE: You can't go on like this!

MARINA: Watch me!

LISE: Marina—

MARINA: And don't you dare tell anyone about this! Don't you dare.

(MARINA dances back out as if nothing happened. LISE hangs back, looking after her in shock.)

31 Plays in 31 Days: #20 - "Last Shot"

Been picking away at my graphic novel idea. So today's piece is an important scene near the climax of that story that I want to adapt for the comic. I feel kind of bad spoiling what's supposed to be one of the most powerful moments before I even introduce the story, but I had to write something for today, and it was one of the most fully formed moments in my mind.

I am borrowing an element of my ten-minute play Fountain Thoughts, of the performer who is reluctant to go on and runs away to wade in the water while she's trying to make up her mind. I think this can be a powerful motif and tie into some thematic elements of the greater story I'm working out.

Day #20 - "Last Shot"

(LISE wades knee-deep in a pond. MARINA approaches in a cold fury.)

MARINA: So is it true? Are you going to bail on the performance?

LISE: I don’t know if I can do it.

MARINA: My God. You are gutless.

LISE: You don’t understand!

MARINA: What’s there to understand? You’re punking out!

LISE: They don’t need me.

MARINA: Jason picked you.

LISE: Well, you can dance both parts! That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?

MARINA: Jason didn’t want me. He wants you.

LISE: Well, Jason was wrong. I don’t have it.

(Pause.)

MARINA: You selfish little bitch.

LISE: What?

MARINA: You haven’t thought about anybody besides yourself since you came out here to wallow.

LISE: I just don’t want to screw this up for everyone.

MARINA: Unbelievable. You have no idea how to push, do you?

LISE: What? Of course I do! That’s all ballet is!

MARINA: You never had to push. You’re all talent, all perfect form. It was always easy for you, wasn’t it?

LISE: I worked hard too!

(MARINA splashes into the water with her.)

MARINA: Worked through what? You never had anyone ever tell you that your legs were too stocky, or that your hips were too tight. You never had to fight against a turnout that wasn’t wide enough, or too-short ligaments, or… or…

LISE: Your knees.

MARINA: Yeah. Or knees that never seem to loosen up, no matter how long or how carefully you work them. You’ve never had to do that, have you?

LISE: No. But I know what it’s like to work through the pain, Marina!

MARINA: Really? You know that it’s like to keep pushing and keep pushing no matter how much it hurts, until eventually you work them so hard they can’t take it anymore.

LISE: I saw. It’s bad, isn’t?

(Pause.)

LISE: Isn’t it?

MARINA: You have no idea.

LISE: You won’t be able to go on much longer like that.

MARINA: Exactly! Don’t you get it? This is my last chance! It’s going to blow, Lise. I know that, I’m not an idiot. It’s only a matter of time.

LISE: So why are you doing this to yourself? Do you want to ruin that leg forever?

MARINA: What’s the use if I can never dance again anyway?

LISE: Is that worth being in pain for the rest of your life?

MARINA: Ha! Too late for that now.

LISE: Oh, God.

MARINA: I’m on my way out, Lise. I’m going to go out on top. And I can’t do that if you bail out. You’re the one they want to see.

LISE: Marina, you are a beautiful dancer.

MARINA: Not beautiful enough. You’re the one that has the talent, the skill, the passion, the look… everything they want. Jason saw it, that’s why he picked you. And I could never stand you because… you’re everything I’ve always wanted to be. This was… supposed to be my whole life. Now I’m going to have to figure out something else. That’s going to be hard enough without… without getting my one last moment. People are going to see me one more time. They’re going to see what I can do. But the only way that’s going to happen is if they come to see you. So you can’t bail on this now. You can’t do that to me.

LISE: Marina—!

MARINA: Don’t you ruin this for me. Don’t you take my last shot from me!

(She storms away, leaving LISE alone in the water.)

31 Plays in 31 Days: #19 - "Pushing for Perfection"

This short piece is something I may use as part of my graphic novel project, which will be about rival ballet dancers. This may be the words and imagery that opens the piece. I thought getting some thoughts out about it might help me figure out what it should look and read like.

Day #19 - "Pushing for Perfection"

(LISE, a ballet dancer, is folded up in a traditional “sleeping” position. She sits up and faces the audience, hands folded in front of her.)

LISE: In ballet, there is a traditional motif of the dancer sleeping and waking.

(She rises fluidly to her feet and takes a few balletic steps forward.)

LISE: She rises, unfolding like a flower, light as air… and then she goes into focus. First.

(She snaps into full first.)

LISE: Second.

(She snaps into full second.)

LISE: Third, fourth, fifth.

(She goes through full third, fourth, and fifth in quick succession.)

LISE: Ballet is closely codified, sharply defined. Tendu.

(She extends her left leg before her.)

LISE: Dégagé.

(Her left leg pops into the air.)

LISE: Ronde du jamb.

(She rotates the leg in the arm so that it’s behind her. She lowers the leg, still extended, to the ground, and moves her arms to first and arabesque.)

LISE: An established repertoire of movements that form the building blocks with which all choreography is designed.

(She slowly, deliberately begins to dance.)

LISE: The practice in its entirety consists of learning and honing the performance of this limited repertoire.

(She executes a piqué turn.)

LISE: The company is run like an army, and we are the soldiers.

(She lunges and combres.)

LISE: It requires total focus and concentration.

(She pirouettes.)

LISE: Constantly pushing, striving for a perfection that can never be achieved.

(She relevés with her arms in fifth and extends her other leg before her.)

LISE: By its very nature, I will never, ever be good enough.

(She slowly fondus, finally crouching on the ground.)

LISE: I understand why a dancer would want to sleep after.

(She folds herself back up into the sleeping pose.)

Beginning work on my graphic novel project

Right now I'm doing my first bit of actually productive work on figuring out the plot for my graphic novel assignment. I always have trouble when I try to start a project without already have an idea for it, as opposed to starting the project because I was struck by an idea. But I think I've got at least the seedling of a plotline. Ages ago, I wrote a ten minute play set in the same universe as To Think of Nothing, about the first actress to play the role of Selene in Cassander's play being afraid that she's not good enough for the role, and not good enough for her acclaimed director, who she regards with a kind of reverence that might hint at something more. I like the bones of that play, but it should really be rewritten now that I've grown as a writer. I want to adapt the idea of this piece for the comic, because I click with the concept at least enough to begin, though I am still deciding how much I want to stick to it or deviate from it.

I go often to using theater as my subject matter, because I know and love it well. I can get engaged and write intelligently about the process of making theater. As of this writing, my two one acts that have been performed use theater as subject matter, To Think of Nothing and Merely Players. From there, To Think of Nothing spawned Fountain Thoughts, and that little piece I wrote to practice iambic pentameter. Eventually I'd like to write other things in that universe. Then there's Merely Players, from which I am in the practice of adapting the larp Break a Leg. There's also Just So, which lovingly mocks the kind of people that are sometimes drawn to theater. I hope to not overuse it, but when I'm having trouble figuring out what to work on it's a good shortcut to getting myself invested in the material.

The question now is whether to follow the thread as it appears in Fountain Thoughts or to just use it as a jumping-off point. I know I want a major concept in the piece to be a rivalry between two female artists, played by niobien* and blendedchaitea*. But a scene I worked on today that I am really feeling makes the most sense if Rachel's character, at least, is a dancer. Now, I could make it so they are both dancers and actresses-- certainly a thing that happens --but perhaps just to move myself away from my typical milieu I should make this a story about dance rather than theater. I'm even lucky in that my two first choice models are talented dancers. But if I did that, I'd be concerned that my lesser familiarity and understanding of that process would make me less able to depict an interested story within it. I guess I'll have to work on the plot a little more to figure out which setting would support it better. I just know I really like the one scene I did today, and that at least requires dance.



Adviser meetings went well, projects set

Met with both my advisers this morning to nail down my projects for the semester, and I feel good about them. My playwrighting adviser is going to be Jami Brandli, who I've admired because of both how cool she seems and how young she is to have become a successful writer; she's got to be less than forty, and yet she's one of my teachers. And I've read some of her work, she's really good. I decided to be very frank about the stuff residency makes me struggle with, and she was very understanding, which I appreciated. I will in fact be working on Mrs. Hawking, which excites me. Jami is interested in plays that focus on women's narratives, so I think she will appreciate what I'm trying to do. I also have to write an eight to ten page essay on an aspect of the playwrighting craft that I struggle with. Not sure what that subject will be, but I think the focus on a weakness will teach and improve me a lot.

The other project I am going to do is some kind of comic. My adviser here is a really nice graphic novelist named John Rozum who is giving me a ton of freedom to experiment with the form, which is cool. I don't know what my plot is going to be yet, but I have decided I want niobien* to model for my main character, and I want blendedchaitea* to feature prominently as well. First of all, I think they are lovely girls who I would enjoy taking pictures of. Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, I have seen that they are remarkably good at conveying information with just their expression and body language. I knew that about Carolyn from her awesome performance as the pantomime character in Merely Players, as well as when she modeled as Daphne the tree ballerina/wood nymph. But Rachel first struck me when she was a dancer in Charlotte's Nennivia movement piece. Though she never spoke, I was impressed by how she always got across just what she was thinking from her physical expression alone. So I think they will make excellent physical actors to represent characters in a medium where the visual is so important. I'm sure I'll need more people to play other characters, but I know I want to prominently feature those two.