Words, words, words...

I could make love out of words as a potter makes cups out of clay 

love that overthrows empires, 

love that binds two hearts together come hellfire and brimstones

My letter to Juliet....

Dear Juliet,

How envious I am of your rare find of a gentleman lover who is head over heels for you as much as you are for him! Just once I would like to fall in love with a guy who has fallen in love with me, and not the idea of what could be me. How in the world did you get Romeo to see you for who you are and have him fall in love with that? I am always afraid that if I say all the things that are on my mind, show who I really am on the inside that I’ll come on too strong or too insecure. But I worry about what goes through their heads. I imagine the worst possible things, and I never know if my thinking is false and that I’m just overreacting. I hate being pessimistic, but I too often let the pains of my past compose the hopes of my present.

If you would like to write a letter to Juliet, and have it put into my play, please, feel free to post it as a comment or message it to me on facebook!! I would really appreciate the help. And if you want it put into my play, I will change the name so as not to give away the author of the letter.

Tho' Your Heart is Aching

Tho’ Your Heart is Aching

by Carlyn Holland

Character 1: female – has headphones on and an ipod [18 – mid 20’s; expression found in music]

Character 2: male – has a Bible in his hand [16 – mid 20’s; expression found in questions]

Character 3: male – has red bandanas around each wrist [15 – 19; expression found in poetry]

Character 4: male [20’s; dramatized by a film noir voice over]

[All characters are in position but the stage is completely black. Spotlight appears on Character 1,who is on her knees. There is melancholy music playing.]

Character 1: “I am like every one of you watching me right now. I feel the same pain that you felt when that special someone told you that you were no longer as special as you once were. I feel the same hurt that you felt when you realized that what you meant to them was nothing compared to how much they had meant to you. A lot of you have probably been made second to someone who is apparently much better than yourself; been the second choice that never got made. I know what it’s like to be in the shadow of some great.”

“I love too easily and am hurt far easier. But I long for that someone so strongly, with every fiber of my being that I destroy my already broken self over and over again by hoping that maybe this time, he will really mean what he says. But I guess, when you’re a romantic, everything sounds like magic….”

[Spotlight and music off. Spotlight appears on Character 2, who is standing, facing the audience with his head turned towards the ceiling.]

Character 2: “God! I don’t know if I can fake this any longer. I’m tired of lying to those around me; telling them that I agree with what they’re saying. But I don’t. I don’t know what the hell they’re even talking about. I know what I’ve been told all my life. And I know what I’m supposed to believe. But I don’t know if I do. If I even hinted to these thoughts to my parents or friends, there’d be an exorcism! Why is it so wrong to have doubts about what I believe? I’m only human. I’m known to fail quite often. But this certain “failure” is made out to be almost unforgivable. It’s as if I’m defacing the very idea of You by asking a question.”

“It’s not that I don’t think You’re there. I’m just tired of believing what everyone else says is truth. I want my own truth. I want to believe what I believe because that’s what I’ve decided to believe and not because it’s what I’m told to be what’s right. I don’t want to be a “perfect” little Christian who has all the answers and right things to say. I want to be a strong individual who has a relationship with the One that they trust with all their heart and believe in with all their might because they really know what and Who they believe in.”

[Spotlight off. Bongos sound and a spotlight appears on Character 3, who is standing with their back towards the audience.]

Character 3: “I sit

And I stand

And I see you not looking.

You think I’m scary.

Talk to me.

I’ll show you.

If scary is someone who has never been spoken to

Then yes….

I’m pretty damn scary.

Most people don’t even know my name,

My title,

My pseu-do-nym.

Then how could you know

That I hurt,

And long,

And pine….

Just for a kind word,

A smile,

Or brush on the shoulder

That proves to me that I do exist and am seen…

Past what’s in my head…

And in my mirror…

And in these words.

I see me, or what I understand to be whoever it is that I am.

Who I am I really don’t know.

Most people are defined by who they know….

Or who knows them.

I know no one….

And no one knows me.

The only thing that causes me to feel any sort of emotion

Other than that of being alone…

It is cold…

And sharp…

And glistens in the light.

But you wouldn’t know about that would you?

You’d actually have to see me,

To see the scars…

That I so unashamedly display.”

[Bongos sound and spotlight goes off. Spotlight appears, along with jazz music and the sound of rain, on Character 4, who is sitting in a chair, facing downstage right, with his head in his hands. Character 4 never actually speaks. His lines are presented by a film noir off-stage voice.]

Character 4: “He was a rare kind of man. The kind that you wished there were more of. Sure he had his faults; his problems. But he never talked about them. He just dealt with them, silently, in his own way. He never burdened anyone with anything. He was a nice guy. He loved talking to people. He could strike up a conversation with any sort of stranger in any sort of place. It was his favorite pastime, and he had a lot of free time.”

[Spotlight, music and rain off. Spotlight appears on Character 1, who is on her knees. There is warm, light-hearted music playing. ]

Character 1: “I met this one guy, at a coffee shop. He sat down at the table next to me….and smiled. He had a gorgeous smile. His eyes smiled too. They were the kind that drew you in instantly, and you knew that he could be trusted. But I see that in a lot of guy’s eyes. Some of the sweetest ones ended up lying. But this guy, I don’t think was capable of a lie.”

“I smiled back, and he told me that I had the prettiest eyes he had seen all day. That was the only thing he said the entire conversation that had any resemblance of flirting. I realized that he just wanted to talk. He asked me questions about myself and he seemed genuinely interested. We talked about everything under the sun. I don’t even know how we came up with some of the things we talked about. I just know that after I left, I realized that for the first time in months, I wasn’t on the verge of tears. And I’m pretty sure, I was smiling because I was happy, and not because I was pretending to be.”

[Spotlight and music off. Spotlight appears on Character 2, who is standing facing the audience with his head turned towards the ceiling.]

Character 2: “I was getting coffee the other day and this guy walks over to my table, smiles at me and then starts up a conversation. It was kind of awkward at first because I had never met this guy before, but something about him kept me interested. He asked about my friends, and I laughed this cynical type of laugh. That was a mistake. He knew instantly that I had a story to tell about the people in my life. And somehow, he got it out of me! I’ve never met this guy before and here I am telling him about how I have denounced everything I believe about You only so I can rebuild my faith on what I choose and not what I’m told to choose. I told him about how everyone in my life was beating me down when all I needed was support; someone to tell me that it’s ok to ask questions.”

“This conversation went on for hours and by the end of it, I was really expecting to be preached at or ridiculed or yelled at. But the guy just smiled and congratulated me. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if he was serious or mocking me. I asked him why he congratulated me and he said, “For being one of the few in this world who fully understand the idea of faith.” I was still a little confused and he saw that so he went on, “Most people see faith as what is preached to them in church or by the elders. But faith is an individual experience all centered on the idea of love, love in any form. Even Jesus said the most important of these is love. It doesn’t matter how you get to God, as long as you get there with love.” He was the first person to ever make me feel like I wasn’t a traitor.”

[Spotlight off. Bongos sound and a spotlight appears on Character 3, who is standing with their back towards the audience.]

Character 3: “I come here often

To sip my coffee

And watch you chatter about your lives

While I write, pathetically, about my lack of one.

Sometimes I even perform,

On nights where the mic is open.

But you don’t hear what I say

Because you’re too consumed

With the pathetic ramblings of those who apparently matter

More than I ever have or ever will.”

“But then he walked in

And sat down at a table right in front of me

And listened.

He never took his eyes off of me while I spoke.

He never even bought coffee or

Met someone later on.

He walked in

Sat down

And listened to what I had to say.

Before he left...

He smiled.”

[Bongos sound and spotlight goes off. Spotlight appears, along with jazz music and the sound of rain, on Character 4, who is sitting in a chair, facing downstage right, with his head in his hands. Character 4 never actually speaks. His lines are presented by a film noir off-stage voice.]

Character 4: “That’s how I met him; at a coffee shop one day. I like to watch people and I had seen him come in the door. I could tell that he was thinking about something real hard, but I’m not much of a talker, so I didn’t say anything when he sat down at the table next to me. But like I said, he loved talking to people. He looked over at me and smiled, and just starting talking. We talked for hours at that coffee shop. We went through probably what were 3 pots of coffee. I don’t even remember what we talked about to be honest. I just know that when I left, I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so cheerful and important. I can’t explain it. I just know that he had made my day, with just a simple conversation. I couldn’t get him off my mind for the rest of the day. I even smiled at a stranger that I passed on the sidewalk, and I never smile at people. I never really thought anyone deserved my smile unless they did something nice for me. I wasn’t about to give something like that of myself to a stranger who did nothing to deserve it. But after meeting him, I couldn’t help but smile.”

[Spotlight, music and rain off.]

What will your verse be?

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Poetry, beauty, romance, love...these are what we stay alive for. You are here. Life exists and I guarantee that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"

"Dance like a dervish..."

“It’s not what you say about him, it’s what you don’t say. There’s not an ounce of excitement, not a whisper of a thrill. I want you to get swept away. I want you to levitate. I want you to sing with rapture and dance like a dervish. Be deliriously happy, or at least leave yourself open to be. Love is passion, obsession, something you can’t live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. And how do you find them? Well, you forget your head and you listen to your heart. The truth is, there’s no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven’t lived a life at all. But you have to try. If you haven’t tried then you haven’t lived. Stay open, who knows, lightening could strike.”

I love this.

Character Expansion

I apologize for the post being weird....I don't know why it formatted like this.

Title Ideas:

Cover Up

Unmasked

Transferred

Character 1:

Female

On her knees

[possible masks as costume]

Desperate for someone to prove her wrong

At the end of her rope

Too many failed relationships

Too many second place finishes

She’s been lied to and used

She trusts too easily, therefore she has been hurt

She is a romantic; a poet; a dreamer

She lives in books and stories

She doesn’t want to give up, but she sees no other way out

No one knows how hurt she is because she wears a mask for her friends

This character will have a dance number, performed on her knees

[her pain is hidden by the mask that she puts on]

She wants someone to be genuine towards her, expecting nothing in return

Character 2:

Male

Standing, facing the audience

He stands in a very defensive stance

He is “arguing” or “explaining” to God that he doesn’t know what to believe

anymore

When he asks questions, his family and mentors scold him

The books he has read and the lessons he has been taught by professors has made

him question what he has been told

Now he is trying to figure things out on his own but he is looked down upon for

this

He will perform his dialogue towards the ceiling

This characters dialogue may possibly be presented in Shakespearean dialect.

[he hides his anguish and confusion with a good, Christian boy attitude; he does

the routine and says the right things; he never questioned anything; he just took

everything he was told as truth.]

He wants someone to tell him that it’s alright to ask questions and that one

day, there will be an answer

Character 3:

Male

[actor must have long hair]

Standing, with their back towards the audience

He suffers from self-destruction in the form of cutting.

His dialogue will be presented as spoken word poetry

He has been ignored his entire life

His family ignores him because he is “different” from them

No one at his school seems to notice him

He has never felt or understood love, therefore religion has no interest to him

He feels alone

He does not feel abandoned because he has never felt wanted before

He has never been made fun of or hurt by others, he’s just never been noticed

He cuts so that he can feel a different kind of hurt than emotional

His heart can’t take any more pain, so he transfers that pain to his physical body

[his pain is hidden within his words that he shares with no one]

He wants someone to smile at him, so that he knows he does exist outside of

his own head

Character 4:

Male

Begins sitting in a chair with his head in his hands.

He ends lying face down on the floor, as if he has jumped from a window or

building

This character will never speak. All of his dialogue will be presented as film noir

by an offstage voice accompanied by dark jazz music and the sound of rain

He is a “Jesus” like character or martyr

His purpose is to make others happy

He is drawn to those suffering, publicly or privately

He can sense their pain and knows what they need

For the moment that he offers that comfort that others need, he takes the pain that

they feel and suffers for them

So for one hour or one day, those who normally know nothing of pain, can

breathe and smile for possibly the first time in years

On this certain day, he encounters 3 different people with 3 different types of pain

His burden becomes so heavy, that he cannot bare it for even a day

He takes his own life, in order to rid those 3, that he has met, of their pain, so that

they may have a better life

Theme:

Sometimes, we are all so wrapped up in our own problems that we forget to acknowledge the suffering of others. If we would just stop for one day, worrying about ourselves and look out, we may see someone screaming out to us. Sometimes, a smile, a hello, a helping hand, and kind word is all it takes to turn someone’s life around. Sometimes, the person who makes a difference in our life is the same person who needs our help in return. But again, we’re all so consumed with our own lives and problems, we often times never return such a simple, yet life-altering favor.

Structure of the Play”

They begin by telling of their suffering, in their own different way, and how they have masked it. Then, they tell of their encounter with a stranger one-day. Lastly, they express how that one encounter changed the way they thought about themselves. The 4^th character explains his 1) purpose in life, then 2) his encounter with each person, then 3) his consumption and death for their pains.

Shall I Write A Play???

For my playwriting class, we have to write a 10 minute play, which is the equivalent to 10 pages of dialogue. I was not really excited about this assignment because I was lacking in the idea department and I wanted to write something that was some what humorous. I've realized that I can't really write humorous. So I'm sitting in class and I see a stage with 4 people standing on it at random places. I saw them on a completely black stage with no light and, at points of dialogue, spotlights would hit each character. I wanted them all on stage at the same time so the audience doesn't know they are there until the spotlight hits them; no entering and exiting the stage. Then I saw each of them on stage in different positions, to add contrast and a distorted view of balance. I saw one character on their knees, one standing in a defensive way, one with their back to the audience and one lying down on the ground. I hadn't seen any gender yet, but these different positions reminded me of different forms of suffering.

After much deliberation and thought, and still not quite right, I decided that the character on their knees would be female and her suffering idea is "I have no hope. I am at a dead end. I can't try anymore. I see no point in it. I can only wear this mask for so much longer." She is the victim of failed love interests. The character standing defensively is a male who is arguing with God about his beliefs. All of his dialogue will be presented upward towards the ceiling. his suffering idea is that all of his beliefs have been challenged and what he has based his whole life on is now nothing but a mix of confusion. The character with their back towards the audience is also male and he is suffering with the idea of self destruction and represents those who cut. His dialogue is presented as spoken word poetry. The character on their back is male. Originally I had him beginning on his back but after speaking with a few colleagues I decided to have him start off sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. This character, in a way, represents each of the other characters but at their breaking points. This is what connects each of them: each person suffers in their own way, but sadly, this is how most of them end.

Each person will have probably 3 turns to speak. The final spotlight after each person has had 3 turns to speak will be a spotlight on the guy in the chair, lying face down on the ground as if he has just jumped from a window or building.

At some point in the girls dialogue, i want the spotlight to shine on her and their be distressed music and have her do a choreographed number while still on her knees, and that's the only thin that happens in that spotlight. The guy in the chair, I don't think I am going to have speak at all. When the spotlight hits him, I want it to be film noir-esque. With light jazz music playing, the sound of rain and an off stage male voice explaining his struggles. Then, the guy with his back turned, like I said earlier is a spoken word poet. Possibly having a bongo hit a few times once his spotlight comes on before he speaks. The defensive stanced guy, I thought about having as a shakespearean genre with him speaking in shakespearean language, but I'm not sure.

After typing this all out, I don't really like the message that is being portrayed, so I'm going to try and come up with a more calming or hopeful ending, but this is just what I have so far. I also need dialogue, obviously, and also, a title.