Playing Up BEFORE and AFTER

        To be honest, we haven't gotten as far as I would have liked. Part of the problem is that I am the only who has read the book. I really like the story and have grown attached to the characters which is why I was so adamant in my insistence that it was the text we should adapt. But I do concede that maybe the process would have been faster if we had done The Giver. This does not mean I regret my decision because, although we have been slow going, I am really excited about our script. We decided to stick to my pitched idea of showing parts of the story BEFORE and AFTER the moon in their universe falls out of its orbit and nature no longer plays by the rules. The story is pushed by this unbelievable event, but it really focuses on how a family's dynamic is completely altered. In doing this BEFORE and AFTER take, we can really highlight the differences in the relationships in this family after the world starts to end. My goal, which I believe is clear when looking at what we've chosen to do for our script, is to show a clear juxtaposition in the behavior of our characters. I've explained our individual characters the best I can and I think that having my my group mates write their BEFORE scenes helped them to understand their characters. We haven't been able to do a lot of discussing specific scenes or lines or behavior in class, but I do think everyone has a grip on who they are and how they change from that.
        I think going forward, we just have to keep pushing through, hopefully at a quicker pace. We really have to work on applying our scenes to only a small fraction of the stage, but in a way that allows the story to be told effectively despite the cramped quarters. We have to focus on staging and playing up our emotions so the transitions between BEFORE and AFTER are clear. I'm really looking forward to getting onstage and working things out because I think this has the potential to be a more serious, more depressing piece, which is something we haven't done this year.