I Am a Masterful Scriptist!

So I have been super busy with school and work and life. And I realized something I'm not going to be able to update this blog with any sense of normality. So from here on out, no more promises of incomplete work to be posted at some ungiven time, and no more apologizing for not updating in forever. So without anymore blogy business, I have a post!

So this semester I have been taking a Theater Appreciation class. This would be great, I thought to myself, I already love theater so I'll just breeze through the class. Turns out that Theater Appreciation is more then just learning how to like theater.

So we've  done some interesting stuff and I thought I might share some of it with you. So the first thing I wanted so show off is the set I designed. Our task was to design a set or a pair of coustumes for a one act play  that we had written earlier. I used one of my CAD programs to whip something up real fast, Here's what I made:

I 

This is what I wrote about it:

"When I was writing the short play “Artifact of Imagination” I knew that I wanted a feel that was a cross between Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. Those two franchises have created a interesting genre, where archaeologists rush bravely into old forgotten temples to rescue the magical artifact before the evil bads or villain could lay their filthy hands on it. Saving the world, dodging traps, facing snakes and other heroic deeds.

The only scene in Artifact of Imagination, takes place in the villain's basement, which he uses for storing some of his less displayable items along with his equipment. To convey this I started with a cement floor and walls. Two plain wooden doors on either side of the stage provide exits.

Selves and crates contain artifacts as stage dressing, and one crate contains a sword rusted firmly into it's sheath. Canvas tents and other iconic archeology equipment would fill in the remaining spaces. The chair is a central point of focus in the play. While it isn't a complex item it is central to the plot. We start with Katie tied to it and later Dr. Steed it tied to it by Katie. So we have two main point for the chair to fill. First that someone can be tied to it, and second that it isn't too complicated (so it doesn't distract the audience)." 

This of course doesn't make much sense if you haven't read Artifact of Imagination. Artifact of Imagination was my submission for our play with a single scene with two characters who both want something. (For those of you who don't know, a beat is a way to signify a short pause. Such as "What? (Beat) NOOOOOOOOO!")

 

Characters:

Dr. Steed: An arrogant archaeologist. Well respected by the general populace but not his peers. It is known that he often hoards artifacts in his massive mansion and rumored that he will do anything to get his hands on anything over a few hundred years old.

Katie Brend: A new comer to the field of archeology and a recent graduate of University of Rostock. Katie has not had much luck finding a job that she can stand for more then a few months and was unemployed when she accidentally found the dig of the century, in her grandmother's back yard.

Scene: A partially lit cement room with doors on either side of the room and a few plain wooden crates in the foreground. In the background are more crates, canvas tents, shovels, and pickaxes.

Artifact of Imagination

(Dr. Steed is pacing behind a chair that Katie is tied to. Katie is unconscious.)

Katie

(Wakes up and groans.)

Dr. Steed

Ah, good you are awake.

(Walks around the chair.)

Katie

Where'm I? Who're you?

Dr. Steed

Surely you recognize me?

Katie

Oh, Dr. Steed! It's a please to meet you. My name is- (Beat) Um, Doctor, why am I tied up?

Dr. Steed

Because Katie Brend, you incredibly lucky girl, you have something that I want.

Katie

I do? I have something that a world-wide known millionaire archaeologist wants?

Dr. Steed

Yes!

Katie

If you're talking about my signed copy of The Hobit--

Dr. Steed

Do not play innocent with me, young miss! (Starts to pace.) I am sure that you know the item that I speak of. In your paper on the archaeological dig that you finished exactly 4 months and 9 days ago you mention on the third page that you removed an artifact that appeared out of place with the surrounding artifacts.

Katie

Yeah, there were a few things like that. Do you have a picture of it?

Dr. Steed

Arrg!

(Walks out the door on stage left)

Katie

(Frees herself. She then opens one of the crates. Inside she finds a sword in a sheath. She tries to pull it out but it is stuck.)

Dr. Steed

(Enters with picture and sees Katie)

You! Put. That. Down. Do you know how much that cost me--

Katie

(Brings sword, sheath and all, down on Dr. Steed's head, knocking him out. She drags him to the chair and ties him to it. She notices the picture that he was carrying and picks it up.)

Dr. Steed.

(Groans)

Katie

Dr. Steed, from this picture I gather that you are wanting the half of the fabled Oozamalakian pendent that I found.

Dr. Steed

Of course you silly girl, nothing else in that silly dig of yours was worth my attention. The pendent has the secrets of an entire civilization locked inside it. With the whole thing I could-- (Beat)

Katie

Go on.

Dr. Steed

I will not fall for that mental trap.

Katie

But I think you could do the evil mastermind monologue very well!

Dr. Steed

This is not one of your useless books! Knowledge is power. And the masses of information that pendent could unlock are incredible! The accounts, scattered across the world, all imply that if you can combined the two fragments then you will be able to accesses this gloriousness knowledge!

Katie

And you want this knowledge?

Dr. Steed

Yes!

Katie

And guessing from the fact that you kidnapped me you'll do anything for it?

Dr. Steed

Yes!

Katie

And you already have half of the pendent?

Dr. Steed

Yes! No. Why would you think that I have half of one already? Both halves haven't seen the light of day for hundreds of years. All we have are scattered accounts of people finding a half and disappearing.

Katie

This picture you grabbed. Who sent it to you?

Dr. Steed

Why should I tell you.

Katie

An exchange of information. A mutual increase in power.

Dr. Steed

What could you tell me that I do not already know?

Katie

I know something about this photo that you don't.

Dr. Steed

Fine, I agree. What do you know.

Katie

I'm not the one tied to a chair anymore Doctor. (Pause) That was an invitation to spill the beans.

Dr. Steed

The picture was sent to me by a man called Roechmen. Perhaps you have heard of him? Why would you want to know? You said yourself that you have the half of the pendent.

Katie

I've heard of Roechmen. If you'll excuse me Doctor, I have a reclusive archaeologist to find.

Dr. Steed

Wait. I gave you what you wanted, now what is that I do not know about that photograph?

Katie

This isn't a picture of the half of the Oozamalakian pendent that I found.

(Exit stage left.)

Dr. Steed

What? (Beat) Oh. Drat.

Katie

(Off-stage) Where are the bloody stairs.

Dr. Steed

I have not lost! You can look all you want Katie Brend, but you will never find your way out of my labyrinth of a basement!

Katie

(Enter stage left)

Or I could just try this door.

(Exits stage right)

Dr. Steed

Drat!

Well I think that's enough for now, until next time zombie killers!

Zombie Killing Technique #95: Ultra-short pulse lasers.

Writing and Role Playing Games - Part 2

First of all I must share a link. My blogger buddy Esther is taking a trip to Europe with People to People and she is blogging about it in a blog dedicated to the trip. You can find links to both her blogs on the right of the screen, my blog list. Now back to your irregularly scheduled blog.

Once again I've vanished on my faithful readers. The few that I have. Well when we last met Barret was a vaguely defined character, he had to start somewhere. So that is where we are going today.

First I started with something that was not my creation. The world's back story.

"History: It has been 75 years since the nuclear exchange that caused a holocaust on a global scale. In the Atlantic Ocean a US carrier fleet somehow managed to avoid the ensuring global annihilation. For years the fleet tried to establish contact with the Pentagon and the government stateside. After a while they began to give up hope, and they switched the broadcasts to an automatic loop. After 70 years someone finally answered the call, and gave the all clear. It two months since then and the Admiralty have been debating whether to answer the call, and return home."

Now that about a year ago. Since then Rook, the GM, has added bunches of additional story, most of which our characters still haven't found. Now I started to build the framework that would become Barret.

At this point, Barret had no name or personality. I just wanted to play a sniper. I knew that I needed to play a Marine or Navy type person with Marines being slightly preferred. Once I had a very basic idea of what role I would play in our little group of adventures I could start working on back story.

I think the first thing I came up with was his parents. His father would be some sort of mid-ranking officer in charge of a small island base and his mother would be a disabled Navy Seal vet. Soon after that formed in my head I decided that he would be a trouble child. And that's how it went, small bits and pieces coming together to become a character. Finally what I ended up with is this:

"When Barrett Black was born in a small look out/agriculture base on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, great things were expected of him. The youngest of three children of the Navy Commander in charge of the base and a retired Seal sniper. And even at a very young age it looked like he would follow his mother’s footsteps and become a Seal, sometimes sneaking up on trained Navy crew and Marines.

However as he grew from and child to a young teenage he found two things: a intense love for and ability with guns, and a talent for getting in trouble and often getting away with it. The first was fine, his Father was the most likely cause for his love of guns and his Mother for his talent with them. When he first demonstrated his powers with and firearm to his amused parents at age 12 he surpassed the requirements to become a Marine. His talent for getting in trouble on the other hand would cause a good deal of strife.

Constantly going though restricted areas, especially the armory, had him thrown into the brig on a dozen occasions. Not only that but at age 16 he found a book about slight of hand magic tricks and taught himself how to use them. Again his knack for trouble took over and he learned that the magic tricks could be used for more then just entertainment, and swiped an ID card from an officer.

This was the final straw for Barrett's Father, who requested transfer to a ship command. With in the month he was MIA presumed dead and his ship sunk. This was a huge blow to Barrett, doublely so because his oldest brother had be aboard the ship as well. Left with his Mother, his Sister, and a gaping hole in his heart, Barrett threw himself into his training and shooting he finally began to live up to his Fathers expectations, it would grieve him for the rest of his life that he would never see his Father's approving smile.

Barrett's family

Father: Commander Vendrie Black – MIA (Navy)

Mother: Lieutenant Commander Marry Brent Black – Honorably discharged (Navy Seals)

Brother: 1^st Lieutenant Mak Black – MIA (Marines)

Sister: Lieutenant Valarie Black (Navy air force, fighter jet pilot)

Himself Corporal Barrett Black (Marine DM)"

One part of Barret's birth was choosing his name. His surname, Black, was simple, however I often have a problem choosing  first names. One of my friends cheerfully suggested I use Lastat. I thought this was a interesting name and was going to use it until another one of my friends informed me that my first friend got the name from a homosexual vampire. Yet another friend suggested Barret, which suited Barret quite nicely. Not only does the name fit his personality, but it also happens to be the name of a well known gun manufacturer.

 Well this post is no doubt getting longer then your attention span so I'll come back to this another time. Coming soon, (yes I know I said that last time too) a post about how to be a good patient and my experience with getting stitches!

Zombie Killing Technique #96: BOOM! HEADSHOT!