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Paddy
Moderator
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Okay. Let's see how many people I can muster in one hour. We'll call it a practice run.
At 3pm today, EST, Saturday, Dec. 30, find me in the chat room with your challenge. A flash works like this...I will give you an exercise, and you have one hour...no more, no less, to write. If you can write a complete piece in an hour...great. If you get a really good start on a longer piece, also good...so don't worry about finishing, don't worry about editing.
At 4pm EST, you post your exercise in The Playwright's Gym - Feedback, under it's own thread. Everyone who participates is required by my law to comment on everyone else's piece. VERY IMPORTANT: These are flash pieces. Note, I did not say critique, I said comment. It's very important to realize in most cases, these are not finished, not edited, more of a tip your head and spill to the page exercise. Please don't go into depth on an unfinished piece. Give your impressions...I loved this, this confused me, but always keep in mind that they are flashes, and not polished bits of literature.
3pm EST = 8pm in England, noon in LA, 2pm in Missouri, ect.
For those of you too shy to come into the green room, here is the exercise. Technically, you could do it any time you had an hour...don't read on, until you have the hour...having a day to mull about it isn't in the spirit of the game.
Then post and comment...
THE EXERCISE.
Emotional Reversal. Write a play using the idea of playing against expectations. For example, write a comic piece, where the underlying emotion is sorrow. Or a tragedy, where the underlying emotion is humour. A good example is the funeral of Chuckles the Clown in Mary Tyler Moore. Remember, he was dressed as a peanut and was trampled to death by an elephant. During the episode, Mary was disgusted by the rest of the cast for their jokes and snickerings. Having gotten it all out of their systems, it was Mary who lost it laughing during the funeral service, while they were all somber.
Other examples are a play about optimism, where the subtext is cynasism, or vise versa, anger/tenderness...I think you get the picture.
Go write. You have an hour. Then post in the feedback section and comment on other's work.
Have fun.
Paddy
Last edited on Sat Dec 30th, 2006 07:09 pm by Paddy |
shirleyk
Member
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Paddy, sorry I missed this. Sounds like a really interesting challenge. I hope you'll consider doing it again.
Shirley
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Paddy
Moderator
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Absolutely, Shirley.
I'm thinking that it was a good practice run.
I'll give everyone more notice the next time.
Paddy
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shirleyk
Member
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Thanks, Paddy. I should have more time to check this site now that the holidays are over. I told myself no play writing for a month, until I literally get my house in order, but this morning, wouldn't you know it? I woke up with ideas for three new plays, two for young people and one for seniors. Better than never getting new ideas -- right?
Shirley
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Paddy
Moderator
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When the muse bites you in the bottom...
Get writing.
Paddy
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shirleyk
Member
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So THAT'S how it works! Turning my back is actually a good thing then. Who knew?
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mac
Member
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paddy, this is a great idea/exercise. i may not always feel up to your challenges (and i'm actually sorry i missed this one), but they always spark something in me...usually envy, but that's a different issue.
thanks for coming up with these exercises. i'll have more sanity to pay better attention to them soon ... i hope.
mac
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scenedreamer
Member
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I too love these challenges. In fact I think this one inspired something from me. Though not memorable, it lead to something else. Great idea.
sd
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BrianRobertNeal
Member
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I can't get in the Green Room, my company's server won't let me.
Brian
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Paddy
Moderator
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Brian.
No worries...the green room is a bit of an added bonus...chance for people to meet. When I did this flash, I also posted the exercise in the gym.
I'd like to do another....maybe people could give me an idea of day/time? Please include EST or GMT or whatever space/time continuum you are presently in.
Paddy
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mac
Member
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but paddy, i'm currently choosing to exist outside of normal space/time. what do i give as a suggestion in this instance?
xx
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Paddy
Moderator
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How many nono-seconds from the rise of the left handed moon?
Paddy
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mac
Member
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30.257. that's as accurate as my equipment can measure. i have new equipment under development that will be actualized outside of normal space/time, which should increase its accuracy.
thanks for your flexibility in this.
mac
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alan0198
Member
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so, Paddy, any plans for the next one? Tell us in advance--my schedule is wildly erratic, so can't really plan anything too far in advance--in rehearsals at the moment, and tech week starts Monday, so all is chaotic.
Alan
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