Navigating the Space of the Stall

As I get ready to work on a rewrite (much later than I had anticipated), my mind goes to space.

A bulk of the action in Handicapped Stall takes place--in a bathroom stall. The way I have it written now it's as if the two characters who share the space have all the room in the world. In the Dramatic Writing class I took last term, we talked about space and how it affects our writing and the world our characters live in. Space is at a premium in part of Handicapped Stall. During our run through last week, I was reminded of this. I also realized Anne goes to use the bathroom, but after she runs into Corrine, she doesn't use the bathroom. In the reading, the actors and director helped me realize the story is still believeable, but it has challenged me to think about how to incorporate these details to make the story even better and to work with the small space the bathroom offers.

Hearing the actresses read my work has been beneficial and inspiring. I'm able to hear how the dialogue flows and what works and doesn't. My pen moves quickly as I hear the words. Usually it's me trimming extra words or finding clunky dialogue. During one reading, I put a question mark next to one very clunky piece of dialogue only to discover my director, Sara, did the same. I'm thrilled to be working with someone on the same page as me.

DD and Melissa have also done an amazing job of bringing Anne and Corrine to life. Hearing my characters come to life in a theater setting is quite a thrill for me. I'm looking forward to hearing the piece in front of an audience as it continues its path from a class assignment to a larger piece that I hope someday will make a compelling short film.

Big thanks also to Michelle for stepping in to read our stage directions and for her insightful input!