Righteous Insanity

RIP Harvey Korman

The news of Harvey Korman's death gave me a terrible jolt yesterday. Long before I was old enough to watch Saturday Night Live, I was a fan of the Carol Burnett show and her amazing cast. Individually they were brilliant. Together, they were what comedy troupes should aspire to be.

 

Harvey Korman was simply one of the funniest actors I've ever seen. True, he broke character and laughed more often than Jimmy Fallon; but who wouldn't when your co-stars are as unpredictable as Tim Conway? It was never a detraction from the scene when it happened; we laughed with him, because like us, he appreciated just how funny the people around him were. 

 

Unlike the majority of comedy actors, Harvey was three-dimensional; he could play the straight man or the clown. He was just as comfortable stepping back and letting his co-stars get the spotlight and the laughs (see "The Dentist" sketch from The Carol Burnett Show with TIm Conway) as he was stealing scenes (Hedley Lamarr in "Blazing Saddles").

 

If you've never experienced Harvey Korman, there's no better time to dig up some of his work. In addition to the aforementioned titles, I strongly recommend the little known Mel Brooks comedy "High Anxiety", featuring Harvey Korman as the derranged second incommand at a mental institution. (Note: "Blazing Saddles" is rated R, and "High Anxiety" is probably a PG-13 by today's standards; but the Carol Burnett Show is good clean fun for all ages.)

 

Anyone who aspires to write or perform comedy should familiarize themselves with The Carol Burnett Show. It's more than just clean comedy that has stood the test of time; it's sketch comedy at it's very best performed by an ensemble few have matched in talent and chemistry.

 

We will miss you, Harvey. RIP.

Home school study - Music and Spectacle

Aristotle said a great deal when he gave music and spectacle equal importance with the elements of story that we, as modern students of language, consider most important. But are they really on equal footing with plot, character, ideas, and language?

(Bear with me... I am a pro wrestling fan.)

Back in the day, wrestlers would come to the ring with no fanfare. Your typical wrestling match would begin with the wrestlers' names being announced over a loud speaker with no music and no fancy lighting. Not even a spotlight. The fans would cheer or boo, depending on if they liked that particular wrestler, but there was not much to it.

Then, along came Sgt. Slaughter, a former marine, who asked Vince McMahon Sr. if he could walk to the ring with the Marines hymn playing over the PA system. The crowd ate it up, and the promoter saw a golden opportunity. Now everyone has not only a theme song, but their own light and fireworks.

 

The music and spectacle that is the entrance of the modern wrestler has a powerful impact on an audience. Much like the trumpets that heralded the coming of kings in ancient Israel, theme songs inspire an almost Pavlovian response in a crowd. Some wrestlers are so connected with their fans, that the opening note (the bell of the Undertaker's theme) or sound (the shattering glass that precedes Stone Cold's theme) are enough to bring an arena to its feet.

Music is a powerful force in drama and film. Take the Star Wars movies, for example. George Lucas once said that the Star Wars movies were basically silent films. They would be more than incomplete without the musical score of John Williams. They would be empty. Music amplifies the story. It is the glue that holds the story together. It is the bridge that connects the story with our emotions.

Horror films are another great example of how music can create tension in an audience. If you have a copy of "Creature From the Black Lagoon" handy, fast forward to the scene near the end when the creature climbs on the boat and grabs Julie Adams, dragging her into the water. Watch it on mute, with no music. Then roll it back and play the music. See what a difference it makes?

Spectacle is obviously a huge part of modern film as well. Steven Spielberg used it to masterful effect in his films. The first time a brachiosaur is seen in Jurassic Park is a powerful example of the emotional impact spectacle can have on an audience. Yet even there, the spectacle is heightened by the themes of John Williams. It's something the movie audience at the time had never seen.

Many church drama teams have taken to human video - which is really just a fancy new term for mime without the makeup. In human video, actors will tell a story without words set to music. Take away the music, the effect of the drama diminishes greatly.

The traditional big church Easter pageant us a great example of music and spectacle in drama. In addition to the music that tells the story, the large set pieces, live animals, and makeup effects used in crucifixion scenes add spectacle to the drama. Some churches have even used flying rigs to send Jesus up into heaven at the end!

Writing exercises:

1. Let the students work in groupr or pairs on this one. Choose a story from the Bible that you want to tell using music. The drama can be all set to music, like a human video, or it can use music as a dramatic element, like in a horror film.

2. After you have chosen your story, write an outline or a simple script for your drama, indicating where and how music would be used.

3. Looking at your drama, what elements of spectacle can you incorporate? Can you use costumes or props to make it more real or dramatic? What sort of surprises can you give your audience within the drama?

4. Allow the students time to work on the scene. Then come back for another session with music, and allow them to rehearse further. Each group will present their drama, using music. Groups can enlist help from other groups if they need more actors or someone to press play on the CD player.

Further Questions:

Have one of the groups perform their drama without the music or spectacle elements. As a group, discuss the difference that the music and spectacle made on the drama. What was the difference with and without those elements?

Home school study - Language

Language is the glue that holds the first three unities of drama together.

Language conveys story; the dialogue between characters guides us through the exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. Stage drama in particular is a mostly verbal form of storytelling. We cannot get into characters inner thoughts like you can in prose fiction, and visuals are not as easy to pull off as they are in film. Therefore, the playwright must rely on language to tell his or her story.

Language also conveys character. It allows us to form judgments of character just by the way people use it. Close your eyes, and you can tell the difference between a country bumpkin and a Wall Street tycoon by their grammar and diction. If you've ever seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, for example, you can distinguish the knights and royal characters from the peasants by how they speak English. The knights use more sophisticated language; the peasants speak cockney.

By way of conveying plot and character, language also conveys ideas. Again, we do not want characters delivering sermonettes. But through their words, we will learn the lessons inherit in their stories. Abstract ideas become concrete thanks to the words our characters speak.

Writing exercises:

1. Choose a story from the Bible that has two characters. You can use part of a larger story, but the scene must have a beginning, middle, and end. Spend a few moment brainstorming on these characters. Who are they? How do you think they might speak? How can you use language to distinguish between them?

2. Write a script of the story using the two characters you have chosen. As you are writing, be sure to:

a. Move the story forward using their dialogue, with each line building on what has gone before.

b. Convey who the characters are. Avoid having them say "I'm Elmer Higgins the world champion chicken plucker." He can introduce himself as Elmer (unless the other character already knows him), but don't have them come out and say who they are. Use the dialogue to tell us without specifically stating who these people are.

3. Read your scripts aloud with the group. As you do, critique on another on how well you've told a story, how well you used dialogue to define the characters, and how clearly the ideas and thoughts of the story are presented.

For further discussion:

1. Language us a good way to convey character in part because we judge people in every day life based on the way they speak. What sort of judgments do we make about people based on language? Is it fair to judge people in this way? How would God want us to make our judgments about others? 

2. Language in drama can be tricky, because characters often say one thing and do another. Are we guilty of the same thing in real life? How does that affect the way other people look at us?

Home school study - Idea

Ideas/Thoughts are the messages that writers convey, consciously or subconsciously, through their writing. Every story has at least one idea. The larger the story, the more ideas you are likely to encounter.

Writers who set out intentionally to address a certain idea often struggle with writing a good story. The tendency among many writers, including Christian writers, is to become preachy. Remember, your job is to tell a story. Leave the preaching to the preachers. If you find characters are starting to preach and give long monologues, cut the line entirely and find another way to deliver the message without the sermon.

Here's a writing exercise for exploring ideas in writing:

1. Have each student write down a character name and one or two word description on a piece of paper. It can be as simple as "Bill - Cowboy" or "Hannah - Business executive." Have them write down a second character name and description on a second piece of paper. The two characters can be similar, related, or completely unrelated.

2. On the second piece of paper, have the students write down some sort of conflict. For example, there could be an argument over who was at fault in a car accident; or a sports contest; or a negotiation of some sort.

3. Have the students pass the second paper along to someone else. They will then take the first character, created by them, and the second character, created by someone else, and write a short script that pits the two characters in the conflict written down with their second character. (To save paper, have them use the pages they wrote characters and descriptions on to write their scripts; the trees will thank you.)

4. Have the students pair up, and read each play aloud. As a class, discuss the story, the conflict, and see if you can identify the ideas or themes the author has written about. In other words, what message did the writer convey through their story?

5. At the same time you are identifying themes, dig your Bibles out and try to find a verse than can correspond with each play.

For further discussion:

1. How could you use these scripts in ministry? Are they useable? Could they be adapted?

2. Did you find yourself writing consciously writing on the themes in your work?

3. Do you agree with the message in your drama? What does that theme or idea mean to you?

4. Think about the last movie you saw. What messages did it convey? Were they worldly messages, or did they agree with a Biblical worldview?

5. Can you think of a "worldly" movie that had a strong Christian theme within it? Why do you think that happens, even with writers who are not Christians?

Home school study - Character

Characters are the people in your story. They can include a protagonist who is usually the main character and often the hero. The protagonist has a goal; there is something they want that drives them to act. By pursuing their goal, we then have a plot, or story to tell. Often times there are forces or people that oppose the protagonist in their quest. This person is called the antagonist. Their goal may be to stop the protagonist from achieving their goal. They may share the same goal as the protagonist, with the added goal of achieving their goal before the protagonist can.

The pursuit of the goal leads to conflict, which can be internal or external. Often times protagonists have both internal and external conflicts that are connected. By achieving the external conflict (such as winning a race or finding treasure), the protagonist can also resolve their internal conflict (such as finding self-esteem or love).

Characters also have strengths and weaknesses. These traits will affect their ability to reach a goal, and may help or hinder them from overcoming obstacles. A character climbing a mountain may have physical strength but be afraid of heights.

Writing exercises:

1. Pick a character from any story in the Bible. They can be a good guy or bad guy, an antagonist or a protagonist. Read the story, and identify that character's goal.

2. Make a list of strengths or weaknesses this character has.

3. Write down anything else you can identify that makes this character unique.

4. Identify any obstacles or people that oppose your character. What is the relationship between your character and the obstacles?

5. Looking at your character's strengths and weaknesses, identify some other character "types" that could possess the same traits. For example, could your character be a cowboy? A Wall Street trader? A dirty cop? A lawyer? A super model?

6. Take one of these different types and create a new character, based on the original. Identify their goal and their opponents or obstacles. Write a short outline, telling the new character's story from their point of view. Remember the outline you learned from the previous lesson on plot.

For further discussion:

1. We already identified some "types" that your character compares to. Have you seen this type of character in other movies or literature? Who are they?

2. What lessons can we learn from your character? What do we learn from their actions? Their strengths? Their weaknesses?

3. How might your character's fate have changed if they had made different decisions? What if the bad guys chose to be good, or the good guys did something wrong? Would we learn anything new from this example?

Home school study - Plot

In "Poetics" Aristotle defined the six unities of theater:

Action (Plot)
Character
Ideas and Thought
Language (Dialogue)
Music
Spectacle

Here's the first in a series of lesson plans that will help your students tackle the unities of theater and dig into God's Word.

Plot - This is the story told in the drama. Plot Is the series of events. "A bear wakes up in the woods. He meets a magic frog. The frog sends him on a quest." And so on.

Plot can be broken down into elements familiar to any student of literature.

Exposition - The story begins, we meet the characters.
Inciting incident - The event that really gets the story moving.
Rising action - The main character pursues a goal, overcoming obstacles. Tension builds. This is the bulk of the story.
Climax - The main character wins or loses.
Falling Action/Resolution - The aftermath and ending of the story.

Writing exercise for students

1. Have your students select a Bible story. Not just a favorite scripture, but something with a storyline: David and Goliath, Jonah and the hhale, the conversion of Saul, etc.

2. Have the students read their story and identify the plot points: Exposition, Inciting Incident, Rising Action, Climax, Resolution. In addition have the students identify the major and minor characters, and the themes of that story.

3. Have the students create an outline or a synopsis of a brand new story uses the same kinds of characters and teachers a similar theme as the story they chose. The story should follow a similar outline as their Biblical story. They can set it in any time frame, any genre. Encourage them to be as creative as possible.

4. Share your Bible stories, outlines, and new stories with the rest of the group.

For further discussion:

1. Ask the students if they can identify movies, books, or other stories that follow a similar plot as theirs. Many movies, for example, have a David and Goliath type of structure. Many more movies have a Christ allegory. Where do they see similar stories to their own?

2. What does your story have to say to our world today?

3. Why do you think this story appears in other places, even if they are not Christian sources?

Vince McMahon and Aristotle

How do I know that the WWE is theater in the traditional sense? Because of Aristotle.

Thousands of years before Hulk Hogan was born, the foundations of theater were laid in Greece. They were forged by the playwrights of the Greek theater and solidified by the philosopher Aristotle. In his book "Poetics", a must read for any student or teacher of theater, he laid out the six unities of theater: Action, Character, Ideas, Language, Music, and Spectacle. These six unities can be found in almost every type of dramatic production, from the stage to the screen and back. And they certainly define the theater of the absurd that is WWE.

Action - Plenty of it. Not just the matches, but the storylines. Love triangles, betrayals, family feuds, power grabs, revenge. You name it, they do it.

Character - Vince McMahon continues to create a never ending parade of distinct and entertaining characters, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and goals.

Ideas - This relates to dramatic themes and messages. The theme of good vs. evil is a recurring one, but there are plenty more at work.

Language - Lots of it. Plenty of monologues and dialogues keep the storylines moving. Dusty Rhodes, The Rock, Chris Jericho, and Rowdy Roddy Piper are among the best at creating unique, character-specific, entertaining dialogue. Go to youtube search for "Piper's Pit" to see some of the best.

Music - Everybody has an entrance theme, and they are used to great effect. You want to see a Pavlovian response? Play just the sound effect of breaking glass from the beginning of Stone Cold Steve Austin's music over the loud speakers in a crowd of wrestling fans. The Undertaker's bell, the opening chord of Motorhead's "The Game", and "If you smelllllllll..." all generate the same type of response.

Spectacle - Smoke, lights, pyrotechnics, cage matches, hardcore matches, ladder matches... there's a ton of spectacle.

Of course Aristotle can be applied to much more serious material. This was just a little exercise to show how relevant his work is to the theater today.

Looking for the Devil

The classic Petra song "Judas' Kiss" begins with the backwards masking message "Why are you looking for the devil when you should be looking for the Lord?" Their question, originally posed to rock fans seeking Satanic messages in the music, could well be posed to today's Christian film crowd.

I hop on the a Christian film message boards every now and then and usually come away reminded of why I avoid them. The majority of these boards, and the folks on them, are focused solely what's wrong with Hollywood film. The devil is in The Golden Compass, V for Vendetta, Harry Potter... on and on and on. Some brave souls enter the fray to say, "But look, here's a Christian message," only to be shot down quickly by the Satan Patrol.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be aware of what's going on. There are folks out there with anti-God agendas, and we need to be wary of the messages they are sending. We should also be saavy to see when the truth of God shines through their work. But as filmmakers, not simply folm watchers, I think we would be better served by spending more time on what they're doing that we're not doing.

We're not making better movies. We're not writing better scripts. We're still coming off as rank amateurs because our directors, actors, writers, etc are untrained hacks who believe a garbage script that teaches the gospel is better than a well-crafted, well-written film that is anti-God.

News flash: garbage is garbage. And as Christians, we should think more of our God than to continue giving him garbage.

We need writers who will study screenwriting. Not just study the craft, but perfect the craft. We need directors who will do the same. We need to discuss what we're doing and how to make it better. We need to sharpen each other as artists so that we can tell stories and make movies that even non-Christians will get excited about.

Your average film goer is not going to go to a movie for the message. They want to go because it's a darn good movie. You make it good, and they'll go see it.

Stop looking for the devil, and start looking to develop the talents God gave you. Alan Moore may be anti-God, but he's a far better writer than anyone that was involved with Left Behind. That should not be, and it won't be until our screenwriters stop obsessing over how anti-God he is and start obsessing over the art and craft of screenwriting.

Morbidman - Coming soon to Indianapolis!

Sonshine Theater, a new Christian drama ministry in Indianapolis, is in its inaugural season, and this summer, they will be bringing the world's most morose super hero to Indy - Morbidman!

Morbidman Meets His Maker will open this summer. For details on auditions and tickets, bookmark Sonshine's website:

http://sonshinedramaministry.org/

For more on Morbidman go to http://www.morbidman.info

Point of View

The "world" is not shocked by people living together.

They are not shocked when couples get a divorce.

They are not shocked by teenage drinking.

Abortion, pornography, suicide, drugs, sexual assault, lying, disrespect, rebellion... these things do not shock the world.

To those of us in the church, these things are still shocking. That's because we believe in sin. We believe God designed the world to be a certain way, and any deviation from God's plan shocks us.

The world left the concept of sin behind decades ago. They have no moral center, no sense of right and wrong, and they've accepted the fall out as just being "normal."

If you're producing drama for the church, by all means continue with your "shocking" scenes of divorce, infidelity, and teenage rebellion. You can still shock the faithful. But if you're writing to reach a lost world, it's high time you shift your paradigm.

The world does not see things as we do. If we want them to see things God's way, we must (1) understand their worldview, (2) begin our drama productions with their perspective, not ours, then (3) gradually bring them around to see it doesn't have to be this way.

I'm not saying we need to write vulgar, violent, sinful material. We just need to learn to write characters in a sinful world who are not shocked by sin, placing them in stories that will reveal to those characters - and consequently our audience - the way to Christ.