It’s Sharon’s 18th birthday and Gary has forgotten. She doesn’t remain angry for long; they share a delicate, sweet moment sat back to back on the ‘box’. Again, the staging and acting appears film-like (a false real situation), that is less realistic due to the presence of set, props and audience (obvious benefactors of a theatre production). There is a slight twist, however, as Gary makes small sexual gestures that are dramatically ironic, as the audience are aware of them but Sharon isn’t (flickering his tongue at her etc). This is a realistic action, but not for the context; it is the sort of thing a guy might do in front of his mates, which makes it realistic. But he probably wouldn’t do it if he were to be alone with his girlfriend – it is an act put on to amuse his friends, and in this case the audience which is why it isn’t realistic to context as in real life there isn’t a constant audience.
Sharon shows Garry her birthday present – a new car – a good car.
Gary wants to take his mates out with them (members of the audience), Sharon disagrees and gets annoyed, but when he shows no particular care or understanding she decides to find some mates of her own. This section simulates Sharon and Gary racing in their own cars to the Buzz Bar (a nightclub, or a metaphor for the experience?) each with their own mates in the car, having a great time. Again, there is evidence of influences from ‘film style’, with ‘gangster’ jazz/blues that suggests an element of investigation or conspiracy.
Suddenly there is a dramatic change in atmosphere, from excitement and exhilaration to alarm worry and shock. Sharon has hit a Rabbit. Not only is there a change in the atmosphere, but a change in the style of the piece, and a change the whole direction of Sharon and Gary’s fetish; things begin to get serious. These changes all back each other up to add emphasis to the change. Sharon and Gary move on from being intrigued by cars and the Buzz that they have to offer, to becoming almost obsessed with this Buzz; the fun and games turns into a more sinister frightening concept – potentially fatal. The direct acknowledgement of the audience turns into a more conventional relationship where the audience becomes private onlookers of the situation. Lots of action and emotion all at once - Sharon feels guilty and shaken, and Gary not so. They search for the Rabbit and when they find it, it isn’t quite dead – Gary kills it. He tries to comfort distressed Sharon, telling her that it’s not her fault and that she needn’t worry so much, but she gets angry. This small incident has shaken her so that she’s suddenly realized that there are dangers in driving. At first it appears that she’s upset and guilty about the rabbit, and sending Gary on a guilt trip. But then her realization becomes clear and she says, “next time it might not be a rabbit”, showing the depth of her concern. This shows the differences in human reactions over the same issues. At one point Gary says “girls – all that fuss”, emphasizing how these differences perhaps help define the masculine or feminine character.
Gary and Sharon row before Gary drives away in his car. He is alone, speeding through the night. The music is undefined and confused. Gary is stressed and angry. Road rage pulses through him as his grip tightens on the steering wheel and his foot pushes down. He narrates his feelings and actions in the first person. Then there was another car – they were in the country so its lights were bright. Road rage burns. Gary was different; driving was shaping how his character was acting - he became aggressive and competitive. Then he stopped.
Gary tells Sharon about how he feels when he drives fast; adrenaline, scared – really scared, excited. The buzz. Sharon gets it too, as does everyone. Gary justifies his lust for driving fast by comparing it to other potential dangers (drugs, alcohol), and talks about how other people; trusted people in society drive fast. He’s only 18 and he thinks he’s got it all down; thinks he’s “done the math. So it’s OK.” He talks about being 18 as if it symbolizes being grown up, which in many cases it does. In driving however, it marks a point of inexperience and naivety.
When Sharon and Gary next go out for a drive, in Sharon’s new car, she lets him take the wheel. But Gary got the timing wrong.
THE CRASH
Synchronized car movement, at one with each other. Slow motion set the atmosphere that strongly contrasts the things she was saying: “Things fly past”, “shooting by”
Bright lights and soft, clam, repetitive music were used to set the scene.
She is describing how the event was; slow motion, loud in the car. She repeats “He got the timing wrong.” (Music changes – calm and dragging.)
A limp, impersonal, expressionless dummy is used to represent Sharon flying through the windscreen, this minimizes the audience from feeling sorry for the character/actor as this would draw attention away from what’s trying to be expressed). In slow motion the dummy is moved by actors, careful and controlled showing exactly how she went through – tumbling and somersaulting. The dummy was left sprawled on the ‘box’ that had red material spread out from each side onto the floor. Lighting was also red; the use of red symbolizing blood. (Music confused, appealing to the senses – helping the audience to empathize with the situation. Faces expressionless. She is rushed to hospital. She dies. The actor that played Sharon describes her injuries: “
...Ruptured left kidney
Fractures. Lower leg left. Right fibula.
Fractures. Both ankles
Knee. Smashed
3 ribs broken
Left lung collapsed
Lower jaw dislocated.
Tongue severed.
.... Sharon died...
the actor then turns into an authority figure, police. Whilst the dead body lies limp at the centre, the Sharon actress/police actress accuses Gary of killing Sharon. His body language changes as it is revealed that he has lost Sharon as well as being ostracized from school and society. He becomes closed, hushed voice, his feet shuffle, and heavy breathing. Sudden burst of emotion. Gary looks over Sharon’s dead body with shame and regret.
Acting
- Realistic – believable characters and scenario
- Non-naturalistic – adults playing teenagers. Use of dramatic devises such as slow motion; not natural in real life.
- Actress played different roles:
- Mother: non naturalistic, non realistic, child’s perception, outsider
- Narrator: narrates own death: not a pleasant thought, disturbing concept
- Prop: when Sharon pushes Gary in his car she is acting as an expressionless prop whereas Gary is very visual; this makes sure to divert as little attention away from him as possible.
- Police person: the authority figure that arrives when Gary crashes and kills Sharon at the end of the play.
- Audience participation: when in role as Sharon, audience members were treated as if they were part of the mise-en-scene (and the play world) originally, whereas when playing the narrator, the audience was treated as an audience.
- The actors got to know the audience a little prior to the play in order to utilize them later
- During the play the audience were asked about issues; they used comedy to cover serious issues e.g.
- On stage – give audience adrenaline for empathy like a real situation
- Names were used as examples, matching stereotypes of people with their stereotypes car.
- Mime skills showed extensive control; obviously thoroughly rehearsed
- When talking on the phone to each other, they were not facing each other. This showed that although on stage they were only a few meters away from each other, in the play they were not near to each other; the actors were completely dismissive of each other’s presence in person and focusing only on the conversation.
- A lot of male vs. female – tension, argument and competition, highlighting gender centered differences. Often very funny.
- Emotion shown through facials i.e. anger, distress – arguments. Disgust – rabbit.
Characters
- Diverting any negativity or blame to each other, consequently pointing ‘the finger’ away from themselves. Always striving to gain status; Sharon stands on the ‘box’, effectively using level to represent status
Sharon:
- Confident
- Intimidating
- High status; standing on ‘box’ to lower Gary’s status
Gary:
- Ignorant/naïve
- Delusional
- Change in volume of voice; when angry is was very loud suggesting lack of emotional control, possible insecurities/immaturity, possibly doesn’t feel heard
- Jumping around, accentuated gestures (open body language)
- Melodramatic – works well with teenage energy
CONTRAST
- Stop, silence, thoughtful
Lighting and Sound
- Lighting to show night: orange and blue (two intensely contrasting colours), and powerful white for daytime.
- During argument: flashing lights, very intense. Speech thrown between the two; call and response. Loud music, shouting, strobe lights – drastically tense.
- When the actor playing Sharon transforms into Gary’s mum, there is a small comical slow motion section where the lights darken to create the appropriate atmosphere.
-
Red gel used on lights for the crash, representing blood (death)
