| Words and Wants |
| Wednesday, 13 May 2009 |
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It’s easy to take words and wants for granted. I know what I want, and I know how to ask for it. Most of the time. Characters need the right words to articulate what they want. When I focus on their unique language and motivations, I am being true to their story. Artists, like characters, bring their own perspectives to a project: these are the words and the wants of the playwright. Language is not only the words themselves, but also the order in which they’re placed. A character may say: restroom, bathroom, or the john. Each word provides us with clues about this person. Is he formal, socially polite or somewhat crass? A text that reads, “Let’s go, Marci” is very different than one reading, “Marci, let’s go.” Each character has their individual cadence, speech pattern and story-telling technique. During a production last year, an actor said to me (in tech week no less), “May I give you a piece of advice? Contractions are your friiieeeends.” To which I countered, “I won’t is certainly not the same as I will not!” His–observation–highlighted what I already knew: the actor did not know his character. Intentions drive the motivation behind the “want.” Several actors, and a director or two, have suggested that italicizing or underlining words for emphasis is unnecessary – even annoying. Of course I’ve also been told that it doesn’t make a hill of beans difference what I do because they’re just going to take a Sharpie to it anyway. With out-of- town workshop productions and festival readings where the playwright isn’t present, why would I not drop breadcrumbs? I have attended performances where even though the motivation only makes sense if it’s interpreted one way, a different intention was played. The entire thread was lost if but only for a page or two. Unfortunately, when I’m working on the small canvas of a 10-min play, I can’t afford a derailment due to a misinterpretation of a beat. I believe it’s better for me to provide all theatre artists involved in the project with too many clues rather than too few. As a playwright, I must be diligent in clarifying the language and the intentions in the story. I must remain willing to re-examine every turn of phrase or moment of silence. I find it a privilege to work with artists who are dedicated to the text and character intentions. When the script is in their sturdy hands, I’m open to almost anything. The words and the wants are the character relationships, and they in turn, are the story. I choose my words carefully. They may seem capricious, or perhaps predictable, but I assure you – they are not. (No contraction for added emphasis.) |
