compendium of mini-works
Last year I had a one minute play performed in a festival in Noo Yawk, so here's a (borrowed) idea: a writers' self-indulgence, sorry - festival, of very short works where the only thing in common from one piece to the next is a limited number of key stroke characters [stage directions and musical annotations included]. The compendium of works would be an extraordinary clash of ideas... A play with 200 characters, anybody?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sheree Tams on
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“THE GAMES WE PLAYED”
by Oberon Wildbore (thats me)
ACT 1
SCENE ONE
ELAINE
When I was eight I would pour a big old buscuit tin full of odd buttons over my sisters face. She would lie on the ground face up trying to keep perfectly still with her mouth and eyes shut tightly, trying not to breath. I would start pouring very slowly, watching the rainbow of colours spread over her face and the floor around her. The constant stream of the buttons would threaten to suffocate her. She would be forced to turn away or open her mouth to the buttons as the velocity and flow increased We called this game “christening”. It was usually the result of a dare and this was the loosers penalty.
SCENE TWO
SUSAN
As the years went by we developed new games. One involved an imagined adoption agency that would offer last chance on an unwanted baby. My sister would be the agency representative and I would beg and plead with her the last baby. Finally she would agree and then transformed into the last baby. But the last baby was unruly and horrible, pinching and punching and hitting and squealling and biting. I would end up taking it back. The guilt would keep me awake at night.
SCENE THREE
ELAINE
We would play the same games over and over with the same outcome.
My sister died. There is nobody to play with anymore. -
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Permalink Reply by Terry Victor on
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Sheree, can you tell that story in only 200 characters? That's 200 keystrokes except space. If you can squeeze the power of your piece into such a compact form it will be devastating. TVx
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Yes I will. Thanks Terry.
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GAMES
Sc 1
Tin of buttons tipped on her face. Rainbow of colours on cheeks and floor, Baptism.
Sc 2
A shop that sells babies. unwanted,unruly, horrible, pinching, punching, squealing.
No thanks.
Then Guilt.
Sc 3
The same games with the same outcome.
Until death.
Curtain -
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Wow!That packs an emotional punch.
Thank you.
TVx -
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Permalink Reply by Peter Cox MBE on
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Like it Sheree - a chilling innocence.
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Here's another experiment with form: a three sex act romantic comedy. TVx
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Sex acts.docx, 57 KB
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Permalink Reply by National Theatre Wales on
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Encouraged by a message from Brad, I have just spent a wonderful moment an a half catching up on the compendium. Really rather special! And I love Terry's principle that these should be subjected to exactly the same kind of demands and critique re development, staging etc that a rather fuller play might receive. It's also a really great use of the site - particularly as Terry has been the first site pioneer to put downloadable script files onto the site - easily done, and so easy to download and read. In relation to the whole question of how this site might work best for writers, is there a role for posting more lengthy scripts and getting feedback from a peergroup of writers? And would this be a way (bearing in mind copywright and confidentiality questions) for writers to share scripts with NTW in a very easy way?
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Hi Terry
Much as it would have made my day to start it with three sex acts it appears not to be in a Word Doc. (Or am I missing a trick?) Fascinating as all those heiroglyphs and little squares are I'm an old fashioned kinda guy who prefers letters, words and standard punctuation. When you get a mo... -
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Hi Peter,
Sorry not to have got your day off with a bang however I am happy to offer you my Sex Acts in an older format.
You should be warned before reading: contains non-traditional grammar.
I have been playing with a compressed means of indicating gender and attitude combined with a passing of time - in a single keystroke. Also different typefaces for the proponents and stage directions painted blue.
Hope you can open it this time.
TV - Attachments:
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Sex acts.doc, 72 KB
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Gym Bunnies
Sc 1
Jon: anticipation
Joe: hide your face
Sc 2
Jon: heavy breathing whirlpool, bubbles brake the surface
Joe: slippery and salty steam baths
Sc 2
Jon: memories of your widows peak
Joe: planters warts with erotica, use the back door -
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Things are definitely getting steamy; nice imagery. Once you get a taste for these 200 character adventures they are quite addictive aren't they?
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