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Example of a minor project - Adaptation of story to Form. This presentation was presented in the digital lab : October, 2001 |
| (An excerpt of a play originally comissioned for the Ontario Science Centre) the Why of the What
a play about it all! the environment - our planet; natural phenomena: electricity, animals & nature; literacy: the alphabet and rhymes; sense & nonsense. Fun, silly and swift, there's discovery in word play. Cast: Professor Q. (PQ)- the archetypical philosopher/scientist/artist Denise (D)- a 12 year old scientist's apprentice Miss Missives (Mm)- a lovely, prissy librarian Taddeo (T)- 15th Century Artisan an alien (Au)- from the planet 'Discovery' In a series of short scenes and sketches, Professor Q. and his young apprentice, Denise, Miss Missives the Alien, & Taddeo all get involved in the discovery of the world.The actors play various roles and the many diverse scenes shift the action throughout the globe and our history. Each scene will touch upon or introduce people in history and concepts in development. - Beethoven, Bach, Leonardo, Einstein, Curie, Franklin, Bell and Banting to name a few … Diversity creates Energy - is the main theme of the piece. the Why of the What Before the play actually begins, the actors (except the Professor) go into the 'house' & play short bits in the audience. The Prof. remains on stage and 'invents' - setting a focus at the playing area.[once all actors arrive on stage] Prologue:
Denise: here's Taddeo to enlighten us with a piece of history. Enter the humble artisan. The year, 1495. The place, his master's studio … [As the actor steps forward for this period-style soliloquy, the general lights go down and a single spot comes up on the floor down right. The rear wall becomes illuminated with a single rich red hue making silhouettes of the other actors. They act out in silence the various references in Taddeo's speech.] Taddeo In the beginning, when the Almighty created heaven and earth, above all animals and foods man & woman were created, endowed with every virtue. And. After being so royally endowed they realized theoretically that by some means of living by labour had to be found. And so he started with a spade & she by spinning. Man afterward pursued many useful occupations, differing from each other; and some where, and many are, more theoretical than others; they could not all be alike, since theory is the most worthy. Close to that, man pursued some related to the one which calls for a basis of that, coupled with skill of hand: and this is an occupation known as painting, which calls for imagination, and skill of hand, in order to discover things not seen, hiding themselves under the shadow of natural objects, and to fix them, with the hand, to give them shape, presenting to plain sight what does not actually exist. [the red light now dims to black. A new light begins to come up on the screen - the actors have vanished and the screen reveals a series of slides depicting a brief history of art during this next part of Taddeo's speech - (Egyptian to Modern Art).] [Denise enters at the lab table, she is dressed as a new character - M. Curie, she is silhouetted against the slides. At work discovering Radium. She is slowly illuminated by a single spot near the end of Taddeo's speech] … And it justly deserves to be enthroned next to theory, and to be crowned with poetry. The justice lies in this: that the poet, with her theory, though she have but one, it makes her worthy, is free to compose and bind together, or not, as she pleases, according to her inclination. In the same way, the painter is given freedom to compose a figure, standing, seated, half-man, half-horse, as he pleases, according to his imagination. So then, either as a labour of love for all those who feel within them a desire to understand; or as a means of embellishing these fundamental theories with a jewel, that they may be set forth royally, without reserve; offering to these theories what understanding has been granted to me, as an unimportant practicing member of the profession of painting, I leave you all with these words: [Here M. Curie is slowly revealed to the audience by a single light. She is involved in her radium experiments at the work bench. It becomes late for her & …] … You, therefore, who with lofty spirit are fired with this ambition, and are about to enter the profession, begin by decking yourselves with this attire: Enthusiasm, Reverence, Obedience, and Constancy. & begin to submit yourselves to the idea of your craft and light … [Taddeo's light has faded on him as his words come to an end … M. Curie is now the central focus, she is at the work bench with her head cradled in her arms - asleep. the rear screen slowly becomes a solid orange. She awakes, gently and begins]
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