| | Change of Title (I Think) For The Play I'm Not Writing
I'm supposed to be finishing the first draft of Wolf at the Door. I'm supposed to be working on Alcira. But I know better than to completely ignore my muse and to at least start a bit of writing when I'm inspired, even if it's on a different play than the ones I'm supposed to be working on.
Yesterday I was calling the play The Flower War, but now I think I may change it to The Abattoir. Flower wars or guerra floridas were ceremonial battles that the Aztecs held in order to capture people for human sacrifice, something they received as part of a treaty with their enemies.
The idea for the new new play came while I was reading Theatre of War, a HowlRound essay written by Guillermo Aviles-Rodriguez. It was the number of deaths he cited that made me remember the flower wars. What if they were brought back as a more "civilized" way to wage war and keep peace? So instead of each side losing thousands of people each year they agreed to each sacrifice 200 as a way of avoiding actual warfare.
How would they be chosen? What kind of system would a government institute to try and make it fair? A lottery? Sure, but surely bureaucrats would make it a little more complicated than just a simple lottery.
Now imagine five people brought to a windowless room with five individual desks on which rests a form and pencil.
MODERATOR:
You were selected by state lottery to report for Flower War selection. Guidelines for selection must be adhered to and I will be watching to moderate the selection process. The rules are as followed: You may not leave this room. If you do it will result in automatic selection. The guards stationed outside this room will immediately take you to the holding center. If you lay hands on another individual in this room this will result in automatic selection and the guards stationed outside this room will immediately take you to the holding center.
Individuals must willingly agree to become a Flower War selectee. Once you agree, sign the form on your desk. Once you sign you will be allowed to leave. You will be given two days to settle your affairs before reporting to the holding center.
You have ninety minutes. If in that time four selectees are not determined then all five of you will be taken to the holding center forthwith and all five of you will be Flower War selectees.
Once four selectees are determined the remaining individual will be released and your name will be Retired from the Lottery.
Any questions?
That's the idea for the play. The five have no names (well one does but it's a plot point) and end up addressing one another by the color of their clothing as they try to figure out who will sign the forms.
I think I need to go buy a journal so I can start writing exercises to get to know the characters (Green, Orange, Blue, Red and White) a bit better.
We'll see what becomes of it.
-M
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| | Posted 7/17/2012 9:31 AM - 128 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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