JUNE 11
DRAMA
Tunnel Story

Acted: Opening – Sarah
Opening – Joel
Intro – Sarah
Intro – Joel
Meeting

Advice from audience:
- Don’t mention ‘visiting relatives’ in Sarah’s intro. It should just be implied. Mention how old a niece might be instead.
- Joel should speak louder when in a monologue.
- Some of the action was confusing while not centre-stage.
- Absurdist theatre lends itself to different positions, making off-centre action appropriate.
- Instead of using the back of the stage to cross sides, a treadmill could be used instead(?).

June 18
DRAMA

- Script – coming along
- ending ideas still undecided?
- good ending:
both go back to village ‘X’
- other ending:
go to opposite villages, one is bombed

Pros/Cons: - lack of communication appropriate for absurdist theme, the idea of a chance encounter – and the breakdown of conversation – promising ending could lead to negative implications.
- happier ending could be nicer for the audience, but would probably lessen the emotional impact.

June 24
Drama

Story: Sarah and Joel enter the tunnel from their villages. (Scene 1)
Joel monologue (Scene 2)
Sarah monologue (Scene 3)
Encounter (Scene 4)
Chase (Scene 5)
Sarah gives up (Scene 6)
End (Scene 7)

June 27
Drama

Absurdity – lack of communication/breakdown of communication; world being dark & threatening; pointless, repetitive; mysteries unimportant, unexplained.

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Scene 1 - Sarah enters tunnel from village, calm and peace.

 

Background projection - village on SL and tunnel entrance on SR - SFX bright happy noises; birds chirping etc.

 

[SARAH walks on from the left wings of the stage with her parents. She is grinning nervously. She then notices she’s forgotten her suitcase and runs back offstage to retrieve it. She walks back on, looking sheepish. She hugs her parents tightly and walks towards the right wings, turning around every few steps and waving back at them.]

 

SARAH:      Goodbye, I’ll see you in a few days! Bye! I love you!

 

[Exits.]

 

LIGHTS DIM, SOUND BECOMES OMINOUS

 

 

Scene 2 - Joel enters tunnel from village, Nazi attack in progress

 

Background projection - burning village on SR and tunnel entrance on SL - SFX air raid and bomb noises etc.

 

[JOEL grabs his suitcase and runs, panicked, SR to SL, sits down in tunnel entrance and weeps. Exits.]

 

LIGHTS AND SOUND FADE OUT

 

Scene 3 - Sarah crosses tunnel

 

[SARAH walks on slowly from the left wings of the stage, talking to herself.]

 

SARAH:      So… how old would Mary be by now? I think she’s… four, maybe? Wow, it’s been so long… a whole year since I last saw them all, I hope she still likes dolls… but girls always like dolls, don’t they? I know I still do…

 

[Exits.]

 

Scene 4 - Joel crosses tunnel

 

[JOEL stumbles onstage, dragging his legs. He looks tired and dazed. His words sound distressed.]

 

JOEL:         I can’t believe it, they can’t be, it isn’t, it’s a dream. Not real. A dream. Not real. It can’t be. A dream, not real. They’re not dead! They’re not! This can’t happen to me… I just need to wake up… wake up… and then they’ll be there…

 

[Exits.]

 

Scene 5 - Meeting

 

[JOEL enters from SR and starts crossing the stage, head down muttering to self.]

 

JOEL:         Dead… gone… am I all alone now? Is it even worth crossing through this tunnel, when no one’s waiting for me on the other side? looks down Oh, my shoelaces.

 

[He sits down to tie his shoelaces. Shortly after he stands, SARAH enters SL.]

 

SARAH:      noticing him Hello! Nice day for a walk through a tunnel, don’t you think?

 

[JOEL ignores her and exits SL.]

 

SARAH:      Excuse me? Sir!

 

[Follows him, shouting “Excuse me, sir!” backstage.]

 

Scene 6 - Chase

 

[JOEL enters from SR and start crossing stage when SARAH enters and grabs his arm.]

 

SARAH:      Hey, wait! Where do you think you’re going? Its rude to ignore people!

 

JOEL:         turning around They’re dead! All dead! Nothing matters anymore, no one’s left!

 

SARAH:      stunned, she giggles What… who’s dead? Are you feeling all right?

 

JOEL:         stares at her so seriously Everyone.