TOOT 5

SAY WHAT?

We move on, now, to the subject of theatrical language -- that other material (in addition to character) from which plays are molded. Actually, I told you half of what I think I know about the topic when we discussed character. Now I'll move on to the other half.

UNDER THE SEA

Text and sub-text; you may be familiar with these terms. Text, of course, is simply the words on the page, what's spoken; sub-text is what's being said between the lines, or under the language; a communication that's unspoken but powerful nonetheless.

You could think of sub-text as the submerged part of an iceberg:


The submerged part of the iceberg, of course, is much larger than the part sticking out of the water. In the same way, in some plays (any of the plays of Harold Pinter, for instance, or many of David Mamet's) what's not being said -- the things the characters choose to withhold or the unspoken emotions passing between them -- in other words, the sub-text -- is much more important than what is being said.

On the other hand, we can think of other sorts of plays (those of Bernard Shaw, many of Tom Stoppard's and Beth Henley's) as mutant icebergs: almost everything's above-water, expressed, articulated, yelled even -- and very little that the characters are thinking or feeling goes unspoken, remains submerged. (I bet you had no idea, when you enrolled in this course, that you'd be learning about aberrant iceberg topography, did you?) This is the sort of thing you really have to see, and hear, in action, so rather than give you snippets from both types of plays here, I'll recommend you to some viewing (and maybe a bit of reading) in the Handout.

The plays and playwrights I've mentioned define the ends of the spectrum -- most plays will fall somewhere in the middle, mixing the two ways of approaching dialogue freely. In creating strong character voices, for example, we're focussing on the play's text. But how is sub-text generated?

Well, one way is through the strategic use of beats, pauses, and silences -- especially the first two. Every writer seems to use these in a slightly different way (and god knows they can be overused). To me, a beat, as in

JOE: Well I'll be going now.
(Beat.)
Actually, I think I'll stay.

is a split second hesitation, indicating an interruption of or sudden change in thought. The pause, as in

SUE: I want you to go. I want you to go now.
(Pause.)

MARY: No.

is longer and indicates some thought or emotion passing silently between the characters. And the silence, as in

MATT: And that's all. That's all we did.
(Silence.)

lasts longest of all and indicates that the conversation has been exhausted and there's really nothing more, spoken or otherwise, to be said.

That's how I use them. I feel myself teetering on the edge of pedantry. The point here is that the sub-text in a script is often created by actors rummaging around in its beats, pauses and silences.

But more important is what I call "thinking past the first response."

THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES

This can also be a simple way to create lively, playable dialogue. When I write a line of dialogue like "Hi," the first thing that comes to mind as a response is probably another -- that's right -- "Hi."

UMA: Hi

OPRAH: Hi.

How much more interesting, though, if I write:

UMA: Hi.

OPRAH: What do you mean by that?

In this case, I've thought past the first, most obvious response to one less obvious. Again, I could write:

PHIL: Is that what you're wearing?

AMY: Yes. Why? Don't you like it?

But this has richer sub-text:

PHIL: Is that what you're wearing?

AMY: Why do you want to hurt me?

because the actor has to think the more obvious response (or something like it) to get to the line of dialogue I've actually given her. That's another pretty good definition of sub-text: actors thinking.

EXERCISE 5:

This is a cooperative exercise: you 'n me together. Which means it'll only work if you return my serve.

Below, I'm going to give you an opening line of dialogue. Just one. I want you to respond by e-mail with a line of dialogue written by "thinking past your first response." Don't put down the most obvious thing -- put down the next thing. (Still with me? Ask if you're still not clear on the concept.) Then I'll respond to your line of dialogue in the same way. We'll continue in this way, one or two lines a day, through the rest of this week.

Ready? Here's the first line of dialogue.

BILL: Nice day.

Your turn.

POST-IT NOTES

"Basically, it ain't my job to write plays that other people are writing."
- George F. Walker (Nothing Sacred, Love and Anger)

To Handout 5