Lately, I’ve been herding the squirrels of my middle school students into performing a play and the battalion of my high schoolers into performing a different play, both of which I penned early in the semester for them. The result has been a lack of writing time. Or sleep.
(I’m updating this now only because I set aside this night to see a magic show that was cancelled.)
The texts will live outside of Skybridge, and they will carry with them both artistic and specific pedagogical intents. The arc of one character — Charles — lands where it does partly because I wanted to challenge the actor to be intense and emotional. To make him a better actor. This also serves the plot of the play, as well as what I want the audience to take from it, yes, so it’s not going to seem like a strange appendix or mutated limb.
I wonder what hidden agendas appear in the plays we think we know best?
***
The ISIS Play
Earlier this year, my (now) roommate and friend Caleb Britton approached me with this, “I’ve been thinking about these kids who run away to join ISIS.”
And now we’re starting to write a play about the people — a person — someone leaves behind when he runs off to join, well, ISIS.
I have nothing smart to say right now. Nothing profound. Just a simple moment to report.
Briandaniel Oglesby 