No, that's not the name of the play... =\
A month or two ago, I mentioned that I had wrote a play based on A Winters Dream and Through the Looking Glass. Someone replied asking to see it. Unfortunately, it was not typed up at the time. As Im sitting here right now, Im bored as hell, cable internet is down, and Im listening to Symphony X. So I figured, why not.
The assignment was for my 10th grade acting class a few years ago. We had to create a play based on a theme that consisted only of movie quotes, magazine/novel/play excerpts, or music lyrics. We could not modify them in any way. I had 5 people in my group. Two of them were chicks who wanted to do our theme on love and peace. Another was a chick who stayed neutral, and the other two were myself and this other guy. Naturally, we wanted war or power. After a day of bickering, I finally came with a neutral idea everyone accepted: Dreams.
For the rest of the 2 weeks my teacher gave us to work on this, the rest of the group almost did nothing. The neutral girl (who I was really into at the time) gave me some Shakespeare lines I could use that were related to dreams, but that was it. I was pretty much writing this whole thing myself.
So I turned to my favorite band, Symphony X, and my second favorite band at the time, Dream Theater. I also added some other power metal band that had a song about dreams. I dont remember the name of the band because they sucked. Anyway, I went to the school library and printed out all these pages of lyrics. I literally had about 15 pages on me. I then went through the heinous task of cutting out all pertinent lyrics and gluing them onto a sheet of paper. The neutral chick helped me a bit with this part as well.
Finally, I had the script done. For like another week, we had problems getting all 5 members in at any given day so it never got off the ground. About 2 days before we actually got on stage to perform, thats when we started practicing. What a pain in the ass that was.
Alice: Really stupid, ugly dyslexic chick who couldnt act to save her life but insisted on playing the part with the most lines.
Mother: Neutral hot chick. I felt bad that I couldnt give her more lines. She did good.
Good: Other chick. She did well.
Evil: This guy who really fucking overacted his part.
Narrator: Me.
The rules before we went on:
- No props, just a barren stage
- Everyone had to wear the same colors
- Everyone was allowed to have their scripts in front of them
- Lighting was allowed
I write most of this in play terms. CCxCR would mean that a character standing in the very center of the stage would walk to the middle right of the stage. Once again, I typed up all of this, bored off of my mind because the internet was down.
And now onto our feature presentation
Scene 1: Bright lights.
Alice (laying down CC): I was told theres a miracle for each day that I try.
I was told theres a new love thats born for each one that has died.
I was told that thered be no one to call on when I feel alone and afraid.
I was told if you dream of the next world, youll find yourself swimming in a lake of fire.
Mother (kneel beside Alice CC): Although your words are empty, I can hear now, what you feel inside.
The night is drawing closer, you feel you have to hide.
Your fears are never wrong or right, everything is either black or white.
Alice: If thou shouldst never see my face again, pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.
Mother: One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
We all dream; we do not understand our dreams yet we act as if nothing strange goes on in our sleep minds, strange at least by comparison with the logical, purposeful doings of our minds when we are awake.
Dreams are the touchstones of our character.
Its time to close your eyes now, begin your fantasy what does it mean?
Wake your dreams (commence now ) into reality.
In a winters dream Ill be there for you
In a winters dream Ill be there for you
::Blackout::
Scene 2: Very dark/dim lights.
Alice (CC Standing): Everythings so strange, the same but rearranged. Through a birds eye view-Can it all be true?
Good (Off stage): Here we are on the crossroads of forever
Shining star lights the way.
Walk with me on the winds of time.
::Everyone freezes instantly everytime the Narrator is about to walk on stage and they always stay frozen until the Narrator leaves::
Narrator: Like shes been here before, locked behind the door, held within the grasp of mystic hands.
Good (Light blue spot light follows Good. Alice CCxCR): Look to the other side, reach the undefined, curious to what she doesnt know.
Step through the empty air, reveal what wasnt there, a fantasy-her looking glass world.
Narrator: Lifting shadows off a dream once broken, she can turn a drop of water into an ocean.
Good: Parting visions in my head calling out your name!
It screams to be heard! Voices in my head!
Someone is trying to break through the dream,
Ruin and take all the things that youve done.
Alice Alice Run Alice Run
(Alice CRxCC)
::Blackout::
Scene 3:
Narrator: And she listens openly.
Dark shape above in the sky, captures her prismatic eye.
Again she walks in wonder with no, with no tearful good-byes.
Alice (CCxCL): Im not afraid
Evil (enter from CL. Dark red spotlight follows): I am the helper with the power of Gods.
Angry and ready to fight!
Pain in my anger makes lightning seem weak!
Alice (jumps back): As my spirit falls, I must not leave this world.
But I lost my resistance, heaven held before me.
I can see the fires are churning.
Evil (starts inching towards Alice): Im flying through dreams with a mission to kill.
Dream child gives orders and I make the kill!
Narrator: The night shed a tear to tell her of fear and of sorrow and pain shell never outgrow
Evil (right near Alice): Death is the first dance, eternal!
::Alice runs CCxCR::
Narrator: The royal child, in a rage of desperate fury
Shattering all that lies before, screaming dolls fall to the floor.
Now remove the masque, thats obscuring this dimension.
Illusions so clear to me now, her invention is unwound.
Alice: Im walking inside this evil dream.
::Blackout::
Scene 4: Alice standing alone in CC
Narrator: And there she stood in mystery,
Searching for the final ring within
A dream, (dream within a dream)
Dream within a dream
Alice (falls to knees): Im asleep yet Im so afraid.
Good (enters from CRxCC): Is it as it seems? Or just a dream within a dream?
(Dream within, dream within a dream)
Alice: Stop with all the lies! All the questions so confusing.
Answer the riddles they deny, losing hope, the child cries!
Good (kneels down and puts hand on Alices shoulder): The citys cold blood teaches us to survive.
Just keep my heart in your eyes and well stay alive.
Alice: Empty minds still wait, Im here.
Captured by light my spirit rides through the night.
And if I dream to wake will it embrace me?
When the story fades and all is said and done,
I can not wait pray for daybreak
Will it escape me?
Good: Dream on
Do you believe all the things that youre seeing are true?
The starts where the ends leading you.
Do you believe alls as twisted as one would perceive?
Seek the answers and soon youll believe!
Evil: To die, to sleep
To sleep, perchance to dream, ay theres the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause; theres the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
Narrator: White on her right, red on her left
Talking in riddles, on ears fallen deaf.
Good: If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended, that you have but slumber here. Wile these visions did appear, and this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream.
Evil: Theres no more freedom!
The both of you will be confined to this mind!
Good (starts to get up): as I know all is contented, and wonderful in those dreams, in loves way, and when you awake, I hope the sun is shining, as you start a new day.
Evil: I am the helper with the power of gods.
Angry and ready to fight!
Pain in my anger makes lightning seem weak!
Good: When you arise, the birds will welcome you, with a song just for you.
Returning tonight, I now will lovingly fade from your dreams, as you start your day anew.
Evil: Now Im gonna make you awake from this dream
Right now!
Good: Escape the dream like an unwritten book.
Evil: I am the helper with the power of gods
Angry and read to fight!
Pain in my anger makes lightning strike down
Now Im gonna make you awake from this dream
Right now!
Right here!
::Blackout::
Scene 5: Mother at CC kneeling next to a laying down Alice. Brighter lights.
Mother: Right now
Right here
Right now
Narrator: Swimming in a field of souls the dreamer had awakened,
Her eyes and mind and heart had all caught up to her,
But to all else she was but a fleeting image.
Her noble purpose, even in the darkest hour brought about the light of day,
But as her graceful arms cut through the fog, she ceased to move.
Twas her poetical conclusion as the dream shed spun had run out of thread
And in the knick of time, she was back in her bed.
Alice (opening eyes): Awoke at dawn to calm the storm inside of me
Mother: As you woke this morning and opened up your eyes
Did you notice the tear-stains lining your face?
Narrator: As the rain is pouring down, tears of sorrow wash her mind.
Drifting with the current, this stream of life flows on.
Mother: You were having a bad dream.
Alice: But it wasnt a dream! It was a place!
Somewhere like a scene from a memory,
Theres a picture of a thousand words.
Eluding stares from faces before me,
It hides away and will never be heard of again.
Narrator: She seems alone and silent,
Thoughts remain without an answer.
Afraid and uninvited she slowly drifts away.
Alice: Shades of night, fall upon my eyes.
Lonely world fades away.
Misty light, shadows start to rise.
Lonely world fades away.
Narrator: Before the leaves have fallen
Before we lock the doors
There must be the third and last dance,
This one will last forever
::Blackout::
THE END
Highest grade in the class.
A month or two ago, I mentioned that I had wrote a play based on A Winters Dream and Through the Looking Glass. Someone replied asking to see it. Unfortunately, it was not typed up at the time. As Im sitting here right now, Im bored as hell, cable internet is down, and Im listening to Symphony X. So I figured, why not.
The assignment was for my 10th grade acting class a few years ago. We had to create a play based on a theme that consisted only of movie quotes, magazine/novel/play excerpts, or music lyrics. We could not modify them in any way. I had 5 people in my group. Two of them were chicks who wanted to do our theme on love and peace. Another was a chick who stayed neutral, and the other two were myself and this other guy. Naturally, we wanted war or power. After a day of bickering, I finally came with a neutral idea everyone accepted: Dreams.
For the rest of the 2 weeks my teacher gave us to work on this, the rest of the group almost did nothing. The neutral girl (who I was really into at the time) gave me some Shakespeare lines I could use that were related to dreams, but that was it. I was pretty much writing this whole thing myself.
So I turned to my favorite band, Symphony X, and my second favorite band at the time, Dream Theater. I also added some other power metal band that had a song about dreams. I dont remember the name of the band because they sucked. Anyway, I went to the school library and printed out all these pages of lyrics. I literally had about 15 pages on me. I then went through the heinous task of cutting out all pertinent lyrics and gluing them onto a sheet of paper. The neutral chick helped me a bit with this part as well.
Finally, I had the script done. For like another week, we had problems getting all 5 members in at any given day so it never got off the ground. About 2 days before we actually got on stage to perform, thats when we started practicing. What a pain in the ass that was.
Alice: Really stupid, ugly dyslexic chick who couldnt act to save her life but insisted on playing the part with the most lines.
Mother: Neutral hot chick. I felt bad that I couldnt give her more lines. She did good.
Good: Other chick. She did well.
Evil: This guy who really fucking overacted his part.
Narrator: Me.
The rules before we went on:
- No props, just a barren stage
- Everyone had to wear the same colors
- Everyone was allowed to have their scripts in front of them
- Lighting was allowed
I write most of this in play terms. CCxCR would mean that a character standing in the very center of the stage would walk to the middle right of the stage. Once again, I typed up all of this, bored off of my mind because the internet was down.
And now onto our feature presentation
Scene 1: Bright lights.
Alice (laying down CC): I was told theres a miracle for each day that I try.
I was told theres a new love thats born for each one that has died.
I was told that thered be no one to call on when I feel alone and afraid.
I was told if you dream of the next world, youll find yourself swimming in a lake of fire.
Mother (kneel beside Alice CC): Although your words are empty, I can hear now, what you feel inside.
The night is drawing closer, you feel you have to hide.
Your fears are never wrong or right, everything is either black or white.
Alice: If thou shouldst never see my face again, pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.
Mother: One of the most adventurous things left us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams.
We all dream; we do not understand our dreams yet we act as if nothing strange goes on in our sleep minds, strange at least by comparison with the logical, purposeful doings of our minds when we are awake.
Dreams are the touchstones of our character.
Its time to close your eyes now, begin your fantasy what does it mean?
Wake your dreams (commence now ) into reality.
In a winters dream Ill be there for you
In a winters dream Ill be there for you
::Blackout::
Scene 2: Very dark/dim lights.
Alice (CC Standing): Everythings so strange, the same but rearranged. Through a birds eye view-Can it all be true?
Good (Off stage): Here we are on the crossroads of forever
Shining star lights the way.
Walk with me on the winds of time.
::Everyone freezes instantly everytime the Narrator is about to walk on stage and they always stay frozen until the Narrator leaves::
Narrator: Like shes been here before, locked behind the door, held within the grasp of mystic hands.
Good (Light blue spot light follows Good. Alice CCxCR): Look to the other side, reach the undefined, curious to what she doesnt know.
Step through the empty air, reveal what wasnt there, a fantasy-her looking glass world.
Narrator: Lifting shadows off a dream once broken, she can turn a drop of water into an ocean.
Good: Parting visions in my head calling out your name!
It screams to be heard! Voices in my head!
Someone is trying to break through the dream,
Ruin and take all the things that youve done.
Alice Alice Run Alice Run
(Alice CRxCC)
::Blackout::
Scene 3:
Narrator: And she listens openly.
Dark shape above in the sky, captures her prismatic eye.
Again she walks in wonder with no, with no tearful good-byes.
Alice (CCxCL): Im not afraid
Evil (enter from CL. Dark red spotlight follows): I am the helper with the power of Gods.
Angry and ready to fight!
Pain in my anger makes lightning seem weak!
Alice (jumps back): As my spirit falls, I must not leave this world.
But I lost my resistance, heaven held before me.
I can see the fires are churning.
Evil (starts inching towards Alice): Im flying through dreams with a mission to kill.
Dream child gives orders and I make the kill!
Narrator: The night shed a tear to tell her of fear and of sorrow and pain shell never outgrow
Evil (right near Alice): Death is the first dance, eternal!
::Alice runs CCxCR::
Narrator: The royal child, in a rage of desperate fury
Shattering all that lies before, screaming dolls fall to the floor.
Now remove the masque, thats obscuring this dimension.
Illusions so clear to me now, her invention is unwound.
Alice: Im walking inside this evil dream.
::Blackout::
Scene 4: Alice standing alone in CC
Narrator: And there she stood in mystery,
Searching for the final ring within
A dream, (dream within a dream)
Dream within a dream
Alice (falls to knees): Im asleep yet Im so afraid.
Good (enters from CRxCC): Is it as it seems? Or just a dream within a dream?
(Dream within, dream within a dream)
Alice: Stop with all the lies! All the questions so confusing.
Answer the riddles they deny, losing hope, the child cries!
Good (kneels down and puts hand on Alices shoulder): The citys cold blood teaches us to survive.
Just keep my heart in your eyes and well stay alive.
Alice: Empty minds still wait, Im here.
Captured by light my spirit rides through the night.
And if I dream to wake will it embrace me?
When the story fades and all is said and done,
I can not wait pray for daybreak
Will it escape me?
Good: Dream on
Do you believe all the things that youre seeing are true?
The starts where the ends leading you.
Do you believe alls as twisted as one would perceive?
Seek the answers and soon youll believe!
Evil: To die, to sleep
To sleep, perchance to dream, ay theres the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause; theres the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
Narrator: White on her right, red on her left
Talking in riddles, on ears fallen deaf.
Good: If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended, that you have but slumber here. Wile these visions did appear, and this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream.
Evil: Theres no more freedom!
The both of you will be confined to this mind!
Good (starts to get up): as I know all is contented, and wonderful in those dreams, in loves way, and when you awake, I hope the sun is shining, as you start a new day.
Evil: I am the helper with the power of gods.
Angry and ready to fight!
Pain in my anger makes lightning seem weak!
Good: When you arise, the birds will welcome you, with a song just for you.
Returning tonight, I now will lovingly fade from your dreams, as you start your day anew.
Evil: Now Im gonna make you awake from this dream
Right now!
Good: Escape the dream like an unwritten book.
Evil: I am the helper with the power of gods
Angry and read to fight!
Pain in my anger makes lightning strike down
Now Im gonna make you awake from this dream
Right now!
Right here!
::Blackout::
Scene 5: Mother at CC kneeling next to a laying down Alice. Brighter lights.
Mother: Right now
Right here
Right now
Narrator: Swimming in a field of souls the dreamer had awakened,
Her eyes and mind and heart had all caught up to her,
But to all else she was but a fleeting image.
Her noble purpose, even in the darkest hour brought about the light of day,
But as her graceful arms cut through the fog, she ceased to move.
Twas her poetical conclusion as the dream shed spun had run out of thread
And in the knick of time, she was back in her bed.
Alice (opening eyes): Awoke at dawn to calm the storm inside of me
Mother: As you woke this morning and opened up your eyes
Did you notice the tear-stains lining your face?
Narrator: As the rain is pouring down, tears of sorrow wash her mind.
Drifting with the current, this stream of life flows on.
Mother: You were having a bad dream.
Alice: But it wasnt a dream! It was a place!
Somewhere like a scene from a memory,
Theres a picture of a thousand words.
Eluding stares from faces before me,
It hides away and will never be heard of again.
Narrator: She seems alone and silent,
Thoughts remain without an answer.
Afraid and uninvited she slowly drifts away.
Alice: Shades of night, fall upon my eyes.
Lonely world fades away.
Misty light, shadows start to rise.
Lonely world fades away.
Narrator: Before the leaves have fallen
Before we lock the doors
There must be the third and last dance,
This one will last forever
::Blackout::
THE END
Highest grade in the class.
