Wednesday, November 10, 2021

A new art form

Only daring brave people will be interested.  You get a somewhat cockeyed script but you perform it cold with no earlier readings or rehearsals.  The performance is live over the internet using Zoom.  The script begins with Act 4, scene 3.  Don't bother to look for the pages that come before - there aren't any.  This is a one scene play.  A sweet and innocent [older] girl comes into a room where four corpses lay about.  Aaaaaaaaah!  Horrorrrrrrrrrrrrr!


One of the actors just joined the production just yesterday but that doesn't matter.  The cast has not read the play together before.  One of the actors has only an out-of-date version of the play but gets sent him an up-to-date script by email during the performance.  Mention to him that his next line occurs in the middle of page 5.  


The twists and turns of the plot are unusual.  The murderess confesses that she took out the playwright because he wrote such a twisted, inferior plot.  Right there on stage, you can see her smacking her lips and smiling with pleasure at the satisfaction she has achieved with just a few killings.  The audience for the performance is not a large one but they are sophisticated, experienced elders with plenty of life experience.  They clearly perceive the level of self-control and the sensitivity to character needed to use this art form.  Just the sheer bravery and confidence needed is breath-taking all by itself.


Don't look for this level of wisdom and broadmindedness elsewhere.  It is going to be decades before this new art form is widely available, but I can feel your level of anticipation from here.

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