Day 25 Assignments

[Ron Berti]

<div>Ron’s Filled In Missing Scenes</div><div>

What I learned writing this assignment:

When I read the entire script from beginning to end, I observed a hole at the end of the third act, where my protagonist was left in the “lowest low” situation, followed immediately by forgiveness and recognition from his boss. So I wrote a scene in which the protagonist has two encounters with the enemy.

In the first encounter, he is faced with superior force, significantly superior force which he probably cannot defeat without resorting to his favorite cheat, the radio signal. So he refrains, and the barges go by. He’s learning to bide his time. Now, in fact the Commander may never learn of this moment, but my protagonist knows.

In the second incident, the protagonist restrains himself again, running an attack “by the book” with no secret signals. The 129 sinks two barges all by itself. This the Commander will learn about.

It’s now very clear to me how when knitting together the overall story, it’s entirely too possible to skip over some “holes” in the story, and this lesson is meant to provide a process for a higher level view, closer to the finished movie (as opposed to a collection of scenes).

I may have more to say about this, and more scenes to add.

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[Gerry Cousins]

Gerry Cousins – Solved Structural Problems

Lesson 24 (There were no missing or misplaced scenes) and Lesson 25

What I learned doing this assignment is that following your method, with all that it entails (disregarding that this is a stage play and not a screenplay) has taken me to a new way of working on a script. All the steps took me to an ending that makes sense.

ACT I, Scene 1: Opening/ Old Ways – The scene is engaging and the Protagonist, JENNA, is clear in both her behavior and dialogue. On the surface, SHE is clear about what SHE wants but the Old Ways keep her from talking (except for sub-text) about what’s going on with her personally.

Inciting Incident: Already exists when play begins takes us right into the moment.

Scene 2 – Plan in Action – While Antagonist, SID, absolutely does not want to follow JENNA on her journey, Together THEY write a terrific first scene for their play-with-a-play. HE becomes caught up in the character, MOLLY that they’ve created.

Scene 3 -.Turning Point – Encourage Antagonist by urging further involvement–, by sharing joint ideas and writing some more. Listen and pay attention to SID for his expertise with regard to Main Character, MOLLY, in play-within-a-play. Protagonist allows disclosure of personal information on the way to New Ways.

Scene 4 – More Plan in Action – Accomplish writing another scene with MOLLY and a psychic healing in the play-within-a-play.

Scene 5 – Challenge Old Ways/Midpoint:- JENNA and SID plan a trip together as JENNA challenges herself for independence.

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ACT II, Scene 1: React/Rethink – This is MOLLY’s scene as SHE challenges herself in a place SHE doesn’t know to find two once-upon-a-time gay friends and a piece of who SHE is.. Writers write autobiographically.

Scene 2: New Plan – Protagonist must deal with her feelings and the emotion of self-discovery.

Scene 3: Turning Point: Once again JENNA lives through MOLLY’s acting-out. However, while MOLY makes a decision, is it the right one for JENNA?

Scene 4: Altogether this was the most difficult scene for me to write. I was never satisfied with it in any of the many scripts of MARFA LIGHTS that I wrote. It’s probably the reason I took this course. And it was this course that told me why it never worked. But it still didn’t come easy. I have finally accomplished the Dilemma, Climax, Resolution, and this is definitely a New JENNA in behavior and dialogue, not the one I started with at the beginning of the play.

Dilemma – JENNA must make the choice to stay with her husband of 20 years or leave him.

Climax – JENNA and SID cut their trip short in order for JENNA to stop her husband from coming to Marfa..

Resolution – JENNA decides to tell her husband, SHE is leaving. SHE also tells SID that SHE’s not going to have a dalliance with him. Whatever happens in the future happens in the future.

New Way – JENNA’s knows that her
choices define her

[Carol Dougherty]

Carol Dougherty’s Solved Structural Problem

What I learned from this assignment: It’s all interconnected, that’s for sure. I was working on the 24^th assignment and in order to do that, I’d started working on the beat sheet and the structure as I did that. When this assignment came out, I realized I’d done half of this already, and wanted to finish it before finishing the 24^th assignment, so I’ve switched the order. The 25^th one will be turned in today, the 24^th tomorrow. Hope that’s okay.

Act 1:

Opening/Old Ways: The opening scene engages us with the two most important parts of Pen’s life – her work and Terry. Pen is right in the middle of her performance, followed by interacting with her current lover and her director, acting in all of her usual habit energies. Everyone interacts in their normal, familiar ways so we see who they are right from the start.

Inciting Incident: Pen’s reaction to her first sight of Kate immediately makes us aware that she is powerfully impacted by this woman, though we don’t know exactly why yet. Pen’s reaction to Kate is to feel as if she’s pulled out of the grave she’s been buried in (figuratively) with Danni, since Danni’s death.

Turning Point: Pen’s habit energies (Old Ways) have changed her initial emotional response into Kate into treating her as a kind of game, one of teasing/seduction, with Terry’s upset being the fly in the ointment. In the rowboat/picnic Pen sees more of who Kate is and finds that she (Pen) is developing genuine feelings for Kate. Their interactions are no longer a game for Pen.

Act 2:

New Plan: Pen decides to try being friends with Kate, which will mollify Terry. She gets to know her on an everyday basis, and when things come up, she will employ her usual manipulations that have been successful with others.

Plan in action: Pen and Kate hang out together at work and outside, with Terry and Sebastian as well. Their lives are intertwined, and when an opportunity comes up, as in the informal rehearsal kiss, Pen reverts to her old ways/habit energy and tries to get Kate into bed.

Midpoint Turning Point: Until this point, it appears to be primarily a love story. Terry’s death makes it clear that the love story is essential to Pen’s journey, which is Pen dealing with herself and her life. The Turning Point forces her to go to her roots – who is she without Terry, without the theatre?

Act 3:

React/Rethink: With Terry’s death, Pen returns to the notion of being buried in a grave with Terry, as she felt she was with Danni. She isn’t sure she can navigate life without Terry. Pen’s journey has many layers – herself, her work, her relationship with Kate, and her relationship with others.

New Plan: Pen decides to go home to England and revisit her past to see if she can figure out how to move forward without Terry. She thinks she must do this on her own and without Kate, so she refuses to respond when Kate contacts her.

Turning Point: Pen makes the decision to return to both the theatre and Kate. She will accept the parts offered by Sebastian and she will tell Kate she loves her. The company seems pleased she is back, but Kate is hurt and angry that Pen ignored her plea for contact and refuses to even listen to her. She is polite and distant (much like Pen used to be). Pen will have to do something significant to get through to her.

Act 4:

Dilemma: Pen wants to love and be loved; she is also afraid to risk exposing herself to the risks of love (loss, rejection) because of her experience. She can either risk loving and being open to love, which leaves her open to loss and rejection not just by Kate, but also by the company and by audiences. If she doesn’t take the risk, she reverts to her life of solitude and distance, only now there is no Terry in her life.

Climax/Ultimate Expression of the Conflict: The fight to the death here is the fight Pen has with herself to open herself to her worst fears. She confronts not only Kate, but also the entire company with her apologies, her thanks, and her expression of love to Kate. The company accepts her apologies and thanks, but Kate walks out on her.

Resolution: Pen is completely open and honest with Kate, fully embracing the New Ways of risk and openness. Kate questions and challenges her and Pen never wavers from the New Ways, and the love she most wants is hers.

New Ways: The new ways are Pen’s willingness to be open and embrace the risk of loving and being loved. She no longer keeps everyone at a distance in her thoughts, words, and actions. She embodies the New Ways with herself, Kate, her work, and her relationships with others.

These answers are incorporated into the 24^th assignment, which will be turned in tomorrow with the appropriate scenes.

[Angelina Fluehler]

Angelina Fluehler – Solved Structural Problems!

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” Checked the 4 Act structure again. It looks pretty good.

Instructions: 1. “how does the incident invite and propel us into the journey?” – Yeah, I have that one. 3. I feel good about my 4 Act structure; 2. and 4. Check!

[Danielle Dillard]

In doing this assignment I learned about really analyzing my script and adding missing scenes and/or enhancing missing & current scenes:

Act 1

Opening/old Ways: Tina has a pattern of picking the wrong men to date. She moves too fast in relationships and moves her new love interest in her home without really knowing them. She exposes her kids to new relationships, and it has an effect on them.

Inciting Incident: Tina receives a grim prophecy from a woman at her church about her ways.

Turning Point: Tina’s current boyfriend ends up taking advantage of her to the point she wants to move on with someone else. She kicks this man out of her home. Her kids know someone else will soon fill his place. The unknown of who it is can be scary & intriguing at the same time.

Act 2

Tina decides to date again, but her new love interests is more interested in younger women which makes Tina feel worse about herself.

Tina decides to stop looking in clubs and tries to attract “better” men by going to museums, lectures and volunteers more at her church by recruiting new members.

Tina meets Barry, a guy who is interested in being a Sunday School teacher at her church, but in subtle ways his interests are more in the little girls at the church, not Tina. Tina is blind to his nuances.

Act 3

Tina spends time with Barry to the point she moves him in, and he immediately bonds with her children. There is extra attention he gives her daughter, Jayla. Tina learns that Barry lied about his job, now she doesn’t trust him and wants him to leave. He becomes abusive. It causes her to look within.

Tina goes to therapy and realizes she has a lot of pain from her past. She wants to work on her emotional issues and heal from the past. She’s beginning to see her dysfunctional pattern.

The stronger she tries to be, the more Barry breaks her down.

Act 4

When Tina finds out Barry is a pedophile, she must choose between her kids’ safety and having a man. She kicks Barry out but didn’t expect for Jayla to run away looking for him.

Tina must get her daughter back before Barry hurts her, but she can’t find them. She turns to her church for support and prayer. Her church family helps. Tina looks within again and wants to change. This forces her to repent and rely on faith that her daughter is kept safe.

Tina’s prayers are answered, and she gets Jayla back unharmed. Now she decides to completely change her life.

Missing Scene 1 – Tina talks to Jayla about Barry

INT. CAR – NIGHT

Tina sees Jayla standing on the street corner shivering. She quickly pulls over to her. Jayla gets in the car and Tina drives off.

TINA: Don’t you ever run away like that again…

JAYLA: I’m sorry.

TINA: I’m so glad he didn’t hurt you. Running after this man like he your daddy and –

JAYLA: He is!

TINA: No, he’s not!

JAYLA: Yes, he is and you pushed him away.

Tina pulls over and parks. Jayla’s a little scared.

TINA: Barry’s not a nice guy, Jayla. There’re things you don’t know about him. Grown up things.

JAYLA: Like what?

TINA: He’s not nice to little girls. I mean, he is in a way, but he can change. He’s not like a daddy. He’s like…

JAYLA: Oh no, like Mr. Nelson?

TINA: Who’s Mr. Nelson?

JAYLA: There was this girl at my summer camp last year. Melanie. She said Mr. Nelson, a teacher at her school, touched her. Her parents got him fired.

TINA: You didn’t tell me any of this…

JAYLA: Well, you were busy dating Tito then. I didn’t think you would really care.

Tina is hurt.

TINA: I’m so sorry, Jayla. I exposed you and Daylen to guys that were not the best.

JAYLA: So, who are you gonna date now?

TINA: No one, baby, no one. I’m working through some things. I’m trying to get right. I want to be a good mother, do things different this time.

Jayla smiles and hugs Tina.