Cast it three ways
Storytelling stuff worth sharing
Had my first helping of turkey this week at a luncheon for the Sarasota branch of MOAA (Military Officers Association of America). Got me all excited for smoking my own turkey in a couple weeks…
I am not a Military Officer, but I was the guest of Estrella Engelhardt, who was sharing the story of her beloved Navy man Jim (you can check out her memoir of their love story, LETTERS TO JIM, at Ibis Books).
However, after spending so much time with veterans and Special Forces operators the last couple weeks getting LAST OUT up, I felt right at home. :)
Let’s get to it!
Storytelling Tip o’ the Week
Just started up my Playwright’s Playground class yesterday. The first question I inevitably get asked in playwriting class is, “How do I format??” So I’ve got a template at the ready to share, built out of best practices and the most commonly preferred standards for literary departments and potential producers.
Once formatting is out of the way, the second question is almost always about how to make dialogue sound realistic. Dialogue is, after all, 95% of a play. And for playwrights who are just starting out, the trap is that all the characters sound alike, and—even worse—that they also all sound like the playwright.
I forget which mentor I stole this from, but the fastest way to bypass the dialogue trap is to cast your play three ways.
Cast Number 1: imagine you have an infinite budget. Cast your play with famous actors. Stage, screen, living, deceased, whatever. You can put Patti LuPone next to Cary Grant and Meryl Streep next to Denzel Washington. No star refuses you.
Cast Number 2: now cast your play with famous people from history. Stay away from actors. Use musicians, politicians, entrepreneurs, etc. You can put Mary Shelley next to Julio Iglesias and Steve Jobs next to Harriet Tubman.
Cast Number 3: cast your play one more time using people from your life. Family, friends, colleagues, co-workers. People you know intimately, people you are shoulder-to-shoulder with day by day. Your best friend from fourth grade. Your aunt. Your favorite boss. Your least favorite boss.
You can just write this out or build collages from pictures, whatever format works best for you to get each character three-dimensionalized in your mind.
You can adjust this casting as your characters evolve and start to talk back to you.
But having a Patti LuPone-Mary Shelley-Aunt Sue image in your head for character X… Suddenly you will hear their voice. Their dialogue will have to come out in a way that is different from every other character, and—even more vital—different from YOU.
Recommendation
Check out THE GREATEST NIGHT IN POP, a documentary on Netflix about the recording of “We Are the World” back in 1985.
I got to watch it this week. Not only was it a big ol’ dose of nostalgia, but it was calming and encouraging to watch this huge collection of talent (and egos!) come together for a shared cause.
And on the artistic side, it was fascinating to watch how each singer approached the work. How they figured out their approach to their solos, how they crafted the music.
And since there were no managers or entourages allowed inside the studio, you also get to see these superstars stripped of their superstar-ness. They are all in awe of each other. Humans are just humans.
Quotable
Huey Lewis was part of the “We Are the World” recording session. A solo line that was meant for Prince fell to Lewis when Prince didn’t show. And even though Lewis had just topped the Billboard chart a few months earlier, he admits he was “out-of-my mind nervous.” Not only was he filling Prince’s purple shoes, but…
“I was a rookie, man, and I was just supposed to sing in front of Stevie Wonder and Al Jarreau and Lionel Richie? Forget about it.” —Huey Lewis
And as for Prince not showing?
“Artists like to be in control of our environment, and when you walked into ‘We Are the World,’ you were not in control. For Prince, that was a little too much out of control for him to deal with.” —Lionel Richie
Humans are humans.
Bestsellers!
A quick shout-out to Ibis Books authors Carrie Seidman and Dan Landon for cracking Bookstore1’s Bestseller List this week! Last weekend’s Local Author Book Fair must’ve gone pretty darn good.
The Podcast
NEXT EPISODE COMING MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18
Rachel Schaeffer, a pioneer in narrative therapy and creator of Story Alchemy, joins Jason Cannon on the Page & Stage Podcast. With her fascination for understanding the human mind, she offers an antidote to unquestioned, harmful beliefs that often become bad habits, leading to fear and overwhelm. Through the four pillars of Story Alchemy—creative journaling, meditation, mindful movement, and a connection to nature—individuals are encouraged to realize their patterns and alter their narratives for better mental health.
Watch for this episode in your inbox first thing Monday morning.
Thanks as always for reading, and have a great weekend!
Jason “Human” Cannon