Week 2 Day 3: Character Subtext #1 – GET OUT

[Lynn Vincentnathan]

WATCH 1ST TIME FOR:

BASIC SCENE COMPONENTS — SCENE ARC, SITUATION, CONFLICT, MOVING THE STORY FORWARD, ENTERTAINMENT VALUE, AND SETUPS/PAYOFFS.

– Rose is introducing black boyfriend Chris to guests at her parents’ party, which seems a bit awkward at first (to be expected), but becomes increasingly very weird. The weirdest being the black guy Chris meets, who is very mechanical and doesn’t speak “black” or naturally, and when Chris offers him a fist shake, the black offers his hand (as if he’s a stilted very old white guy)

WATCH 2ND TIME FOR:

WHAT MAKES THIS SCENE GREAT?

– the expected awkwardness and usual questions about black virility creates an embarrassing situation, but it gets very weird as it goes.

WHICH CHARACTERS ARE OBVIOUSLY COVERING THE REAL MEANING BENEATH THE SURFACE?

– they seem to be saying, oh, you’re black, so what are all the stereotypes things we can ask to make conversation. It’s inept, bordering on rude. Like they just think of blacks as being bodies, not people.

HOW MANY WAYS DO THEY COVER-UP?

– one man talks about skin color, says white used to be in, but now black is. They all seem to be hiding something, but what. The cover-up seems to be the over-the-top they keep bringing up race and skin color.

WHAT CAUSES YOU TO BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING UNDER THE SURFACE?

– it almost seems they were all expecting him and are sizing him up for something to happen later. They ask/imply too stereotypical type of things over the top.

– the other black guy seems to fit right in with these awkward rich whites…. As if that’s where Chris will be made to go if he sticks with Rose.

WHAT MAKES THIS SCENE GREAT FROM A WRITING PERSPECTIVE

– all the party people, including the black, are making Chris very uncomfortable, as if he’s the animal object of their awkward attention… making the audience feel that discomfort. Like a fish in water that keeps getting hotter.