Firstly I want to say when someone or anyone recommends that I read a play because I quote “I will like it” it immediately sends alarms bells ringing in my head. How do they know what I would like, and what gives them the right to proclaim this. However I now sit with hat in hand feeling completely delighted that someone (Donald) suggested that I should read this text as it reminded him of my own developing solo performance. In simple terms the play or text is a masterpiece in witty, misleading and provocative writing, and I can’t remember the last time I laughed out loud at something so basic. Simply it is genius.
The play or text Thom Pain is about nothing, it is one mans account of his life told on various degrees of tangents. Funnily enough throughout the play there is an underlining story about a young boy in a cowboy suit that never comes to fruition. It connects deeply to my own perceptions of solo performance in my chosen style, as in my performance I am constantly setting something up I.e. an event that will never nor has any intention of coming to a distinct conclusion. The text itself is filled with clever one-liners that are provocative or just plain stupid, there are the irrational thoughts of a man who seems controlled but on the very edge. I feel its style is simple non-exclusive and highly approachable.
I think the opening is by far the most interesting aspect of the text as honestly it is such a non-starter that completely lowers your expectation and lulls you into a perspective of a passive spectator. I also love the fact that it honestly makes you wonder if you wondered into a performance or someone’s emotional breakdown. Looking at my own work I think (if I am allowed to say this) there are strong albeit amateur connections to his work and my own. I’m taking that as the biggest compliment to my own developing solo performance style.
To give you a brief example of Will Eno’s writing I want to share the opening of the script as in my view this should give the clearest example of what the show should be:
Enters in darkness, darkness remains. Footsteps re heard. Pause. A match is lit, to a ciggertte. It is snuffed out, accidentally, without the cigarette being lit.
How wonderful to see you all.
A second match is lit, and is, again, accidentally snuffed out.
I should quit.
Pause.
We should define some terms here. Then maybe, you get a little story. So. From the New Century Dictionary of English (Rustling of paper, in the dark.):
Quote, “fear:
1. Any of the discrete parts of the face, as in the eyes or mouth, or eyes.
…
(Pain, 19, 2004)
THOM PAIN TRAILER. (BASED ON NOTHING)
(PrintRoom, 2012).
I think looking into the development of my own performance I will draw focus on elements that use humor and large unconnected tangents to lead my narrative forward. For example as I am planning to talk about or avoid talking about procrastination I will lead my viewers on a merry chase that ultimately has no point; very much like that of Thom Pane. I think that looking into my own style I will try to establish certain styles and use informal language and mundane props to establish a strong connection to an almost child-like atmosphere. I aim to ultimately create a whimsical performance as apposed to one that evokes paranoia or entrapment. I think from my writing exercises the one problem I will face is creating effective tangents that will lead my story forward but will not over-saturate my work. However I do want to highlight areas in my performance that do draw on real accounts or of popular opinions or ironically “self help books.” I also feel I should very much like Eno use comedy to underpin my writing. I also think a dramatic or mundane entrance would to be interesting to explore.
Work Cited.
Pain, T. (2004) Thom Pain: Based On Nothing. London: Oberon Books.
PrintRoom . (2013). The Print Room presents Thom Pain (Based on Nothing) by Will Eno. [Online Video]. 3 September 2012. Available from: https://youtu.be/WOC66s_R01M. [Accessed: 14 April 2016].