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breakinglight11The first piece I'm posting is an old one, since what I actually wrote today is spoilery for Mrs. Hawking part V. This is kind of a "deleted scene" from Gilded Cages— not literally so, but a depiction of an event that canonically happened in the course of that story, even though it didn't feature in the actual script.
I actually really like it. I think it does a really good job demonstrating the progression of Victoria and Reginald's relationship when they were young— their becoming friends, and more on his part, while still maintaining that undercurrent that something is wrong. There's a part of me that kinda wants to include it in the full script. But by the strictest rules of correct drama, you have to be so economical that you can't include anything that's not essential information. In the case of this scene, while it has some nice development, I don't think I can honestly say it tells us anything we don't already know. That Victoria is unhappy at home, that Reginald is troubled by the direction of his career, that he's starting to fall for her, that his impulse is to try and rescue her rather than let her act for herself, and that their lack of clear communication is putting them on a collision course. It's good stuff, but probably already clear from what I've already got in there. And the runtime is long enough as it is.
I did have lovely actors Cari Keebaugh and Jeremiah O'Sullivan do an informal recording of it. It was very quick and thrown together, but I enjoy doing them as they're small ways to realize pieces that will likely never be performed onstage.
#1 - Now Where You’re Standing
By Phoebe Roberts
VICTORIA STANTON, daughter of the lieutenant territorial governor
CAPTAIN REGINALD HAWKING, hero of the Indian Rebellion
Singapore, 1859
~~~
(A party. REGINALD pulls VICTORIA away from a group of others.)
REGINALD: Excuse me, but— might I cut in? Miss Stanton here has promised me a dance, you see. (whispered) I hope you don't mind.
VICTORIA: No. Thank you for that.
REGINALD: I thought you looked as though you could use the rescue.
VICTORIA: I hate these stupid parties.
(REGINALD takes her into his arms for a dance.)
REGINALD: That's clear. Unfortunately, now you'll have to suffer a dance with me. And I'm afraid I've no idea what I'm doing.
VICTORIA: It's just dancing.
REGINALD: We don't all know ballet.
VICTORIA: The way you ride and fence, and you can't do a box step? How ridiculous!
REGINALD: Well— thank you— I think.
VICTORIA: Did you learn in the cavalry?
REGINALD: It made a man of me, but I've been in the saddle all my life. Perhaps a trade is in order— your stars and your dancing, for my horses and navigation tricks.
VICTORIA: And sabers. Make it even.
REGINALD: Hm. If you like. Though I daresay we may get it from your father if I do.
VICTORIA: Blast my father. I hate him. I hate all of them.
REGINALD: That's hard.
VICTORIA: Is it, now? Well, Captain, why don't you spend nineteen years stuck here with them, and we'll compare notes.
REGINALD: Thank you, but the last few months have been enough.
VICTORIA: Getting to you, is it?
REGINALD: It's not here, precisely. It's— what I have to do.
VICTORIA: You mean be paraded about like a show pony?
REGINALD: That's certainly part of it. It's not what I signed on for, that's for sure.
VICTORIA: What did you sign on for?
REGINALD: To tell the truth? To do something that mattered. Something that was hard, but I work at it. Something with a purpose, to the good of the world.
VICTORIA: I see.
REGINALD: But it's been some time since I thought I was doing any good.
VICTORIA: Well. You've done me a favor just now. Nobody else would have pulled me out of that rat trap.
REGINALD: Surely there must be some obliging friend.
VICTORIA: And who would that be? One of the officers' idiot daughters? Some blockhead soldier?
REGINALD: I'm one of those blockheads, you know.
VICTORIA: (dismissive) You're different.
REGINALD: Do you think so?
VICTORIA: You don't think you know everything.
REGINALD: That's certain. But... aren't you lonely?
VICTORIA: I like to be on my own. Besides, I've got Malaika now. And Elizabeth too, I suppose.
REGINALD: (realizing how sad that is) Just your governess and your maid?
VICTORIA: Who else is there?
(Pause.)
REGINALD: You know, miss... it won't always be like this.
VICTORIA: How do you mean?
REGINALD: (trying to convey what he means without saying the words) You have your whole life ahead of you. You won’t be here under your father’s thumb forever.
VICTORIA: (scoffing) Ugh!
REGINALD: It might be hard to see now, but... before long you’ll be past all this. And someday, we’ll be looking back on it all and laughing that we ever thought it mattered.
VICTORIA: And you're certain of that?
REGINALD: I have to be.
VICTORIA: How?
REGINALD: Somehow, now where you're standing... I find it seems very close.
(Pause.)
REGINALD: Victoria... I— I— beg your pardon, miss.
VICTORIA: What?
REGINALD: Thank you for the dance, Miss Stanton. I hope the rest of your evening goes on better than it began.
VICTORIA: Are you going? Why?
REGINALD: Please understand me, miss, when I say... it's almost closer than I can bear.
I actually really like it. I think it does a really good job demonstrating the progression of Victoria and Reginald's relationship when they were young— their becoming friends, and more on his part, while still maintaining that undercurrent that something is wrong. There's a part of me that kinda wants to include it in the full script. But by the strictest rules of correct drama, you have to be so economical that you can't include anything that's not essential information. In the case of this scene, while it has some nice development, I don't think I can honestly say it tells us anything we don't already know. That Victoria is unhappy at home, that Reginald is troubled by the direction of his career, that he's starting to fall for her, that his impulse is to try and rescue her rather than let her act for herself, and that their lack of clear communication is putting them on a collision course. It's good stuff, but probably already clear from what I've already got in there. And the runtime is long enough as it is.
I did have lovely actors Cari Keebaugh and Jeremiah O'Sullivan do an informal recording of it. It was very quick and thrown together, but I enjoy doing them as they're small ways to realize pieces that will likely never be performed onstage.
#1 - Now Where You’re Standing
By Phoebe Roberts
VICTORIA STANTON, daughter of the lieutenant territorial governor
CAPTAIN REGINALD HAWKING, hero of the Indian Rebellion
Singapore, 1859
~~~
(A party. REGINALD pulls VICTORIA away from a group of others.)
REGINALD: Excuse me, but— might I cut in? Miss Stanton here has promised me a dance, you see. (whispered) I hope you don't mind.
VICTORIA: No. Thank you for that.
REGINALD: I thought you looked as though you could use the rescue.
VICTORIA: I hate these stupid parties.
(REGINALD takes her into his arms for a dance.)
REGINALD: That's clear. Unfortunately, now you'll have to suffer a dance with me. And I'm afraid I've no idea what I'm doing.
VICTORIA: It's just dancing.
REGINALD: We don't all know ballet.
VICTORIA: The way you ride and fence, and you can't do a box step? How ridiculous!
REGINALD: Well— thank you— I think.
VICTORIA: Did you learn in the cavalry?
REGINALD: It made a man of me, but I've been in the saddle all my life. Perhaps a trade is in order— your stars and your dancing, for my horses and navigation tricks.
VICTORIA: And sabers. Make it even.
REGINALD: Hm. If you like. Though I daresay we may get it from your father if I do.
VICTORIA: Blast my father. I hate him. I hate all of them.
REGINALD: That's hard.
VICTORIA: Is it, now? Well, Captain, why don't you spend nineteen years stuck here with them, and we'll compare notes.
REGINALD: Thank you, but the last few months have been enough.
VICTORIA: Getting to you, is it?
REGINALD: It's not here, precisely. It's— what I have to do.
VICTORIA: You mean be paraded about like a show pony?
REGINALD: That's certainly part of it. It's not what I signed on for, that's for sure.
VICTORIA: What did you sign on for?
REGINALD: To tell the truth? To do something that mattered. Something that was hard, but I work at it. Something with a purpose, to the good of the world.
VICTORIA: I see.
REGINALD: But it's been some time since I thought I was doing any good.
VICTORIA: Well. You've done me a favor just now. Nobody else would have pulled me out of that rat trap.
REGINALD: Surely there must be some obliging friend.
VICTORIA: And who would that be? One of the officers' idiot daughters? Some blockhead soldier?
REGINALD: I'm one of those blockheads, you know.
VICTORIA: (dismissive) You're different.
REGINALD: Do you think so?
VICTORIA: You don't think you know everything.
REGINALD: That's certain. But... aren't you lonely?
VICTORIA: I like to be on my own. Besides, I've got Malaika now. And Elizabeth too, I suppose.
REGINALD: (realizing how sad that is) Just your governess and your maid?
VICTORIA: Who else is there?
(Pause.)
REGINALD: You know, miss... it won't always be like this.
VICTORIA: How do you mean?
REGINALD: (trying to convey what he means without saying the words) You have your whole life ahead of you. You won’t be here under your father’s thumb forever.
VICTORIA: (scoffing) Ugh!
REGINALD: It might be hard to see now, but... before long you’ll be past all this. And someday, we’ll be looking back on it all and laughing that we ever thought it mattered.
VICTORIA: And you're certain of that?
REGINALD: I have to be.
VICTORIA: How?
REGINALD: Somehow, now where you're standing... I find it seems very close.
(Pause.)
REGINALD: Victoria... I— I— beg your pardon, miss.
VICTORIA: What?
REGINALD: Thank you for the dance, Miss Stanton. I hope the rest of your evening goes on better than it began.
VICTORIA: Are you going? Why?
REGINALD: Please understand me, miss, when I say... it's almost closer than I can bear.
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