Read Through

We had our read through December 8th in our Allman theatre. It was the week of finals and everyone was worn out and chatty but I really wanted to get to read it aloud. The scripts hadn't come in yet and I didn't know why. I found out later that week that it was because I hadn't paid for the rights yet. Lovely. We took down everyone's addresses instead so that I could send the scripts in the mail over break. We started at 5:20 and ended at 6:15. Keeping time is important so we know how long the show will run for. These are some things I noted in while listening to my lovely cast:

-Zacharias makes fun of Pepper's box and calls it "shabby," he is creating a cast order where people who are richer and have nicer things are better than those without
-we need to figure out how to change the swear words and words like "idiot" and "dumb" so that they are acceptable for elementary schools
-there is a song in the show and we need to figure out a tune for it
-why is Zacharias so mean?
-what is the Drum Major's motive for stealing the boxes?
-there is a lot of materialism and possession problems dealt within this piece
-using people's friendships to get things from them
-what does emptiness feel like? physically and emotionally
-the play stresses the importance of people over things
-the two friends fight about the silliest things
-manipulation
-how will we take a "nosedive" into a cardboard box?
-how will we mime creating a large arm and a small arm coming out of a cardboard box?
-I have a lot of blocking issues to work out
-Pepper is very shy
-is Zacharias a neat freak? does he have OCD?
-there is a huge change in roles during the middle of Zach and Pepper playing together
-we need to make a prop list
-we need to do a beat breakdown to make clear changes in the mood
-the emotions in the play seem very extreme

Overall, the read through was awesome! I adore my cast. They make me laugh and they are my dear friends. My stage manager came in ready to work with a binder all made up and color organized things. I'm very excited to get started working!

Absurdism as a Philosophy

The second discussion was about absurdism, because, after all, the play is an absurdist piece.

Here's the next item of thought!

"In absurdist philosophy, the Absurd arises out of the fundamental disharmony between the individual's search for meaning and the apparent meaninglessness of the universe" With this quote- think about something you've thought or done that you think is absurd. What is the meaning of absurdity in our lives? How is Noodle Doodle Box absurd? Have you ever done an absurdist piece before?

If you have a few minutes look over http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism the wikipedia page about absurdism. It gives a lot of insight into its meaning and its influence.

My Pepper responded with:

"Well from reading the Wiki page about Absurdism and thinking about it while I'm working, I would have to say it's pretty interesting and I'm sure I could have a 2-day long conversation about it. However none of you want to read that so I'll shorten it as best I can. Have I ever done anything absurd in my life? Well when it comes to the terms that we are talking in now than yes. Believing in a higher power is absurd (So says the wiki page) because that's just a human's way of trying to make sense of the universe. Now I guess I do believe in God but I'm not religious by any means. I was confirmed in the Catholic faith but I don't practice.

What is the meaning of absurdity in our lives?   Well I think the answer to that is very simple, a person who is trying to find reason for being. A human being is a very logical creature and as such is always seeking for answers. Well  one of the biggest mysteries is the reason we are put on this earth. So the absurdity in our lives is ourselves searching for the answer to that question.  What this Wiki page tells us is that if we accept that there is no true reason for our existence, then we will be free. This sounds a lot like Buddhism and spiritual enlightenment in the sense that we need to accept the world around us for what it is and not block this reality with our own lies.

Noodle Doodle Box is absurd because it's a piece about these two characters who live in their own world. I mean who wouldn't want to live in your own world and escape reality? Because they don't accept the the world for what it is, they in turn are being absurd! I've never done an absurdist piece before and I'm very much looking forward to this one!"

My Drum Major responded with:

"

Okay, so I was totally unaware of the fact that Absurdism is such a philosophical topic to discuss.  Here I was thinking of absurd as a word used to describe something that is ridiculous.  My mind works in thoughts of images and sounds, and when I think of "absurd", this image of an elderly British woman saying something to the affect of, "Rutherford, you're bloody absurd to walk down the street in your skivvies." 

So, looking for some clarification and simplification, I went to the dictionary offered on my trusty MacBook Pro :-) "Absurdism," it says, "is the belief that human beings exist in a purposeless, chaotic universe."  The implication here, just as it was on the wikipedia page, is that Absurdism is a philosophical viewpoint, just like every other nondescript belief we have that holds little or no evidence of existence.  I guess it is much like all of the other isms: Athiesm, Judaism, Hinduism, Catholicism (I too am a part of that one, Danny lol), Zoroastrianism, Shauniscoolism, Rastafarianism, Agnosticism, etc, etc, etc, and so forth.

What wikipedia doesn't say much about is Absurdism as a type of theatre (as Adam's Intro to Theatre class taught me :-) ), much like Realism, Naturalism, and Theatricalism.  August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone (and pretty much any other work of his) is an example of Realism, as it includes a legitimate depiction of African American life.  Tony Kushner's Angels in America on the other hand leans much more toward Theatricalism, as it's unrealistic appearance of Mr. Lies and The Angel take away from the legitimacy of the story but add to the performance in the way it is supposed to be presented to the audience.

Noodle Doodle Box falls into neither of these categories.  It takes place in a world entirely different from what we are used to.  With the exception of a peculiar psych ward or two, there is probably no place on earth where two people would have such concerns over boxes, nor would anyone really be so interested in stealing said boxes, as they...uhm....are boxes. The boys live in their own alternate universe, quite meaningless, and filled to the brim with chaos that they create with the help of a pesky ass of a drum major. 

As far as absurdism in our own lives? Well, I think that it is a personal opinion as to what is Absurd and what is not.  This branches away from the technical definition of Absurdism, I know, but everything we do could honestly be considered "absurd" by someone else. I think getting gauges in one's ears is absurd, but others do not. Other "absurdities" are defined by morality and social norms.  Murder, for example, is considered absurd by most (only the few, like Ted Bundy perhaps, may disagree).  Homosexuality (or bisexuality or transsexuality) is considered absurd by some (though thankfully it seems like the number is decreasing), ha ha but obviously some people would disagree with that :-). "

And my Zacharias responded with:

"

Omg. Danny and Shaun, guess what?! I'M CATHOLIC TOO! ZOMG!! I'm confirmed (St. Stephen---what's your guys' confirmation names!? lol!) but I find myself increasingly more moving away from the Catholic Church. I haven't been to mass since like the weekend of welcome catholic mass. I still pray and have a close connection to God, I believe, but I find it so hard to be part of an institution that downright does not accept me for who I am. Well, okay, I had to take some "sexual integrity" class in high school since i went to catholic school and I guess the teaching is that homosexuals are tolerated and should be respected, but that they can't express their attractions or love. Excuse me? An institution that I am paying money to is telling me tat I can't express fully the person that God made me? That I can't have the same rights and ability to pursue love, like heterosexuals? I think that is a bunch of bologna. That issue aside, my parents just got divorced, so that issue comes up to. The family is totally looked down upon. And don't even get me started on the bogus annulments. Annulments say that the marriage was never really valid, that the love was never really genuine. I beg your pardon? In a way that is kind of disgracing my existance in a way, saying that I wasn't really made out of love, when at the time it was genuine love. Furthermoreee! Okay, I think the very core fundamental ideas of the Church are wonderful. Do unto others, help the poor, love your neighbor, and just to live a good, moral life, but that really got lost underneath a bunch of rubbish. Jesus' teachings are really so AWESOME, but the church has become so corrupt and hypocritical. The catholic church CONSTANTLY tells us how we need to donate to less fortunate, etc. etc. but it seems hypocritical to me when they spend thousandsssssss of dollars on unnecessary church renovations. and look at Vatican City...everything is literally GILDED! Vatican City is the 5th most wealthy country in the whole world, even though its like one square mile in size. It's kind of sad. I'm sure it's absolutely beautiful to see, but if they really listened to their own teaching, it would be the poorest country in the world. Okay, I'm done now. I don't know what set me off, but I just had to let that out.

So, on the conversation of absurdism..It's a very interesting philosophy, the idea that exists between thought and reality. Pretty cool when you think about. Remind you of something? Well think about what wiki says, "It's not 'logically impossible', but rather 'humanly impossible'" Isn't this, more or less, what our imagination is? Of course, imagination does not always include absurd thoughts. For example, since I was very young, I would love to plan and imagine trips that probably wouldn't happen, but it was very much humanly possible (if I had money), so that isn't really absurd. However, I believe absurdism always includes imagination, and that being said, absurdism, I believe is way more common than initially thought by most. Everyone imagines absurd thoughts from time to time. For example, As Danny suggest, trying to find the meaning of life. Something that is not humanly possible. We can't find a paper with the answer to that question, but we can try and make sense about it and imagine what that answer might me. I think it is such a fascinating psychological and philosophical theory because I think it is absolutely crucial to our lives. And to tie it back into the theme of childhood, it is absolutelyyy crucial to childhood to try and make sense out of things that humans just can't tangibly grasp.. (or to "imagine absurdly" right?) I think absurdism is looked at negatively alot actually, but I think it is so good for humanity because not only does it give us a new dimension to imagination and something to strive to become and improve, but it offers hope! Which makes life worth living. As the wiki page states, many individuals look towards a higher being, which of course can be defined in this theory. Faith is very much logically possible, yanno? but it's not really humanly possible. Can't prove there's a God. but it's that "absurd" hope that gives so many people a drive to live! Faith is one example of the hope that absurdism provides in our life. Absurdism--believing in the humanly impossible--shows people and children that there certainly can be a better life out there. 

I did a piece in high school called "Good-bye to the Clown" which was about a young girl's imaginary friend the clown (me!) Though it was never really defined in the absurd genre, there certainly were elements of absurdism...that little girl thinking about something that just isn't humanly possible. Not so different from the Noodle Doodle Box in that manner because both stories really take place in that in between...in that "imaginary" world that lies between thought and possibility. In "Good-bye" though, the story kept snapping back to real life, so I am very excited to live in that imaginary world throughout the duration of the show in Noodle-Doodle. "

I was once again impressed with their answers and responded with:

"

What wonderful long answers you all had! I'm so excited to start this journey into absurdism with all of you! A lot of you brought up religion which I didn't expect but makes complete sense. An all powerful God that you can't see who is all knowing and sent his only son through the Virgin Mary what??? I am not Catholic OH NOS (I did watch an awesome documentary called Deliver Us From Evil about priests molesting children...whoa that's a big issue) however I am a Lutheran which some people call diet Catholic or Catholic light lol. Wiki says "Even with a spiritual power as the answer to meaning, another question arises: What is the purpose of God? This dude believed that there is no human-comprehensible purpose of God, making faith in God absurd itself." And I think that's where we all are in our lives today. We aren't children who play all day and ask crazy questions that they don't comprehend and we aren't adults doing our day to day jobs just living on doing what we were told was right to do, we're at that stage where we question the meaning of things. What purpose does a relationship have for me? Religion? Education? Marriage? Children of my own? Those are biggies, I would say we mostly say "why the hell is this cafeteria food so bad? What is the meaning? Are they trying to kill me?" But you get what I'm saying.

 

The beauty people encounter in life makes life worth living, that's what Camus said. We create our own meanings, everyone's is separate. Mine I would say is to inspire children to lead lives that make them happy in which they can find beauty. I like that absurdism is lead by integrity not morality. I think it's perfectly ok to be in love with two people at one time, most people find this ridiculous. As long as I remain celebate to one person though and follow my own integrity, I don't see a problem.

Charlie I completely agree that following your own sexuality to your own integrity without the interference of others is the ideal situation and I think absurdism would support that. It's absurd to say that a man loving another man sends you to hell. Who decided that and what does it even mean? And Goodbye to the Clown sounds adorable and also like a beginning to you sorting out your own ideas and opinions which is really cool.

Shaun I love your idea of absurd, I can hear that British woman now LoL! Also I think you're right that absurdism is left up to one's own person. We have to find what we believe and accept to be absurd. Plus I'd love to see two people in a psych ward fighting over boxes. Hilarious. I also think in images and can see both very clearly haha.

Danny I agree that the meaning of life is the key in finding what's absurd. It's absurd to paint my fingernails because it has nothing to do with the meaning of life lol. I also agree that it does sound like Buddhism.

 

As Corinne, I have a lot of issues with the meaning of things. I don't like to do meaningless things. I don't like to give respect to people who don't deserve it and things like that. I get in trouble a lot for my rebellion against the everyday that I refuse to accept because it's absurd. I think it's ridiculous to be nice to my grandmother when she's saying that I should do things that I don't agree with. I think it's ridiculous to not date a girl because it's not right when I love her. So I guess I elude the absurdism. I go to faith and my elders and believe and hope in them and sometimes I am very let down. I have a lot of hope for the future and Camus says I can live in the moment to the fullest without hope. I don't know. I'd rather live by integrity though that's for sure. I'm confused now.

 

All I can say is that I'm excited to explore this world without meaning and I hope we can show others some meaning in it even though it doesn't have any. Whatever that means."

 

By this time my house was getting chaotic and we didn't have time left to email, however I think we got a lot accomplished.

Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast

Over winter break, it was impossible for me to rehearse my one act. So instead- I had the actors email me back and forth ideas as if we were at a real table talk. Here are some of the things we talked about:

For the First Discussion Starter I gave my actors this quote and then asked them to respond to it:

 

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”——The White Queen, from Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

 

My Zacharias said:

"I really like that quote, Corinne. I think it is the essence of childhood. You know, when we were kids we would believe in crazy things. Not just Santa and the Tooth Fairy, but, that we really could do anything we wanted! The children's chorus in Joseph is so precious and one of them told me that they were gonna be on Broadway anddd be a veterinarian. I'm like, "good for you, girl!" Obviously we all know that's pretty unrealistic and society definitely thinks so, but I think that's what makes childhood so precious is just the thought that anything is possible. Childhood is so fantastic and maybe that's what makes it so amazing is just believing in the impossible. Those hopes and beliefs are what really drive children into the next chapters of their life. Look at all of the messed up people there are in the world and one thing a lot of them have in common is a really bad childhood. There's clearly a link. You know, I've heard it said that parents really shouldn't let their children believe in Santa because it's a big fat lie, etc. etc, but believing in impossible things is such an important part of childhood and really should be nourished throughout childhood. You know children are so fragile and what you say can obviously affect them long term, but they are also so impressionable and if we help them to believe in the impossible, then they have so much hope for the future and for their lives and for humanity that it just carries them and makes the world a better place. I wish our society wasn't so logical all the time, if that makes sense. Though things might be impossible, if we all believe everything is possible we will all really go places and change the world. So, good for the child in Joseph who believes that she can be on Broadway and be a vet because she might make it one day. I know I rambled alot and probably didn't make that much sense, but yeah."

My Pepper said:

"Well what that quote makes me think of is how awesome this show is. It just makes me think of how cooky and unrealistic the show is. I mean Two different sized arms! A box that changes colors! How cool! I think it shows how important childhood is. I mean if we were all boring and dull and didn't use our imagination when we were little, who would we be today? We wouldn't be who we are! "

My Drum Major said:

"Lewis Carroll's "Wonderland" is a place that is very unlike the world in which we live.  Right now, each of us wakes up each morning on our breaks and gets ready to go out to buy things for people or to go to work or to prepare for an audition, etc.  But the characters in "Wonderland" have more imaginative and fanciful worries and cares: not to be late for a very important date, not to be sidetracked by massive-ass talking flora, and which pill is going to make me normal sized as opposed to fat as a cruise ship.

The White Queen lives in a place where nearly everything IS impossible by our standards.  If seeing is believing, she believes so very much of that which is, perhaps, only to be explained by imagination.

Zacharias and Pepper live in their own world built around imagination.  When they wake up in the morning, their worries amount to figuring out what games should be played that day, or just how many things one CAN do with a flipping box. They live in a fashion that is completely built on their imaginations. In a way, I see the Drum Major as the one element of reality that Zach and Pepper have, although briefly, in their lives thus far. Reality comes to them in a heavy dose, teaches them a wonderful lesson, and then leaves as quickly as it descended upon them."

 

I was astonished at their responses and I said:

 

"I agree with all of you for sure. It's the essence of childhood-believing in ridiculous things. And we definitely lose it somewhere in life. I love that Charlie brought up Santa Clause-so many of us adore that fantasy that retailers and producers market items based of him and he doesn't even exist! I also love how Danny brings up the fact that using our imagination has created the very essence of who we are today. Believing in crazy shit has made us exciting people with aspirations. And I love that Shaun really compared Alice in Wonderland to Noodle Doodle Box-both of which are unrealistic, fantastical, absurd children's stories. I agree that the Drum Major is the element of reality that teaches them a lesson but I think that they need that fantasy world to live in. Also- absurdism tends to point out and exaggerate those silly little worries that we deal with everyday that don't really matter in the scheme of things "What will I eat for breakfast?" "Should I take a bathroom break now?"

To add on my own opinion, I believe that it is essential that we carry on the fantastical ideas along with us. The greatest things were created by either mistakes or huge ambitions. People who take risks. I'll tell you right now my baby brother was fearless when he was 2, he'd dive headfirst into the water at the beach and practically drown himself. He does and says what he wants without thinking of the consequences and so do Pepper and Zach and Alice. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail, but each time we learn something about the world around us and ourselves and I hope that through this process we all can do the same."