Pearls of Wisdom from Sherry Kramer

Each of the pieces of information below could probably be a separate post. But they all came at me fast and furious the other day, in an hour-long meeting with Sherry about my play, "Summer People." I'm still digesting it all...but here are a few of the pearls of wisdom, pulled out of context.

1. In tragedy, we need to work for "RETROSPECTIVE INEVITABILITY." We should get to the end, be able to walk backward through the play, and see how EACH ACTION OR DECISION, taken in order or context, led to the final climax. Be careful that one domino leads to the next. This is something Sherry also talked about (as have others) in terms of SET UP and PAY OFF. You HAVE TO pay off what you set up, and you HAVE TO set up what you pay off. Go through the play. Look for S. Dietz's "questions at the top of each page..." THEN (oh, duh, right, of course) CHECK TO SEE THAT YOU ANSWER THEM!!! That's the part I think I forget.

2. Maybe there is ROOM for repetition onstage. "ONE OF THE WAYS WE SIGNIFY VALUE IS THROUGH REPETITION" -- think of "The Piano Lesson" and how many times some things are brought back -- like no, Berniece won't sell the Piano, and by the way, the land Boy Willie wants used to be worked by his family as slaves. The rule of three (if you want the audience to remember something, say it three times) exists for a reason.

3. Says Sherry, "THE WAY TO MAKE SOMETHING MYSTERIOUS IS BY TELLING MORE, NOT LESS" Sherry's a big believer in magic onstage -- think Kushner's "theater is magic with the wires showing". She argues that "if you say something is magic, then it is" -- but it's more complicated than that. Think (again) of the Piano in "The Piano Lesson." How does August Wilson imbue the piano with power?
a) He references it, without telling us much "oh, that piano B.W. keeps talking about"
b) He surrounds it with mystery, elevating it -- why won't Berniece play it? What's with the carvings? Why can Maretha play it, but not Berniece?
c) He uses it in a story. "This is the story of the Piano. THIS is why it's so important"
d) He uses it for Final Effect. Now we know it's important, Berniece USES the piano to drive away the ghosts -- it turns out the thing DOES have power to CHANGE what is happening in the play.
She also argues that objects onstage need LITERAL meaning or use for their metaphoric power/magic to float free. Basically, that roots something so that it can float into metaphor rather than acting simply as an "unidentified flying symbol." It gives it a REASON to be in the play in the first place.

4. LAW OF FUTURITY -- Sherry brought up the Hitchcock example. 12 men in a room. They talk for 10 minutes. A bomb goes off. VERSUS: We see a bomb in a room. 12 men come in and talk for 10 minutes. A bomb goes off. In which instance do people pay more attention to what the men are saying? In the second. Sometimes knowing what will happen makes everything happening in the present more important.

5. YOU HAVE TO give your audience enough explanation of things that they know what they're following. YOU HAVE TO pay off what you set up (yes, I already said it. I'm repeating it, so sue me. See #2).