31 Plays in 31 Days, #7 - “White Bikini”
Aug. 7th, 2020 12:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
breakinglight11I’ve been noodling on future episodes of Dream Machine in various forms. Scribbling out ideas for bits, planning episodes across a season— basically way overthinking this silly little side distraction of mine.
An idea I had for an episode was for Ryan’s ex-wife Veronica to show up. She’s a former model now turned businesswoman with whom he had an acrimonious divorce, and it seems like she’s hell-bent on destroying Ryan, even though he’s started to get his life together. A thing I like to do in my writing is use the audience’s preconceived notions to force them into complicity with a problematic point of view, and then once I’ve led their feelings in this direction, I pull the rug out and show them the error of their ways. I try to do it in Adonis, by getting the audience complicit the objectification that’s destroying him, and in Mrs. Hawking IV: Gilded Cages, where the audience’s sympathy for the Colonel is checked by her suffering over his romantic attention. It’s a tricky thing to do— I hope I accomplish it in these pieces —so it’ll likely take some work to make it happen in this piece too. Especially since Ryan’s deficiencies as a husband may be... stark.
I’ll admit, this section below doesn’t even try to do that. It’s mostly just a joke on Ryan.
If you'd like to check out episodes of Dream Machine so far, you can find them as follows:
1.01 - "The Show Must Go Off"
1.02 - "Requiem For a Dreamer"
1.03 - "Change or Die"
Day #7 - "White Bikini"
From Dream Machine:
“1.06 - The Onslaught”
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
RYAN DRESDEN, head of programming at Dream Machine, early fifties
DEREK KAPLAN, technical director at Pamplemousse Studios, mid thirties
Los Angeles, 2020
~~~
INT. PAMPLEMOUSSE STUDIO - DAY
Derek enters pushing a rolling tool chest. He maneuvers it into the storage area under the bleachers, only to find Ryan holed up there amidst the equipment, chain smoking furiously.
DEREK: If you’re looking to hot box yourself, the sound closet has less ventilation and no smoke alarm. You’ll die faster in there.
RYAN: My ex-wife has descended on the studio to destroy me, so I’m hiding out here. This is a place where people get work done, so it’s the last place she’s going to be.
DEREK: What have you done to warrant destruction?
RYAN: Haven’t evidenced enough recent suffering for her liking. So here she is, pouring poison in the ears of Ken Rafferty.
DEREK: Wait. You don’t mean Veronica Waters?
RYAN: She’s Dresden now. She kept that along with the kids and the beach house.
DEREK: You were married to Veronica Waters? I had her white bikini poster on my wall in high school.
RYAN: Yeah, well, white bikinis come off.
DEREK: ...awesome?
RYAN: Wait ‘til there’s two kids and no Photoshop.
DEREK: Yeah, I’m definitely siding with your wife on this.
RYAN: Tell you what, why don’t you marry her for fourteen years and we’ll compare notes?
DEREK: On behalf of my seventeen-year-old self, I accept that challenge.
Derek turns to go. Ryan calls after him.
RYAN: Don’t you dare narc on me, Kaplan!
DEREK: I don’t know, man. I’m not the kind of guy who keeps things from my wife!
An idea I had for an episode was for Ryan’s ex-wife Veronica to show up. She’s a former model now turned businesswoman with whom he had an acrimonious divorce, and it seems like she’s hell-bent on destroying Ryan, even though he’s started to get his life together. A thing I like to do in my writing is use the audience’s preconceived notions to force them into complicity with a problematic point of view, and then once I’ve led their feelings in this direction, I pull the rug out and show them the error of their ways. I try to do it in Adonis, by getting the audience complicit the objectification that’s destroying him, and in Mrs. Hawking IV: Gilded Cages, where the audience’s sympathy for the Colonel is checked by her suffering over his romantic attention. It’s a tricky thing to do— I hope I accomplish it in these pieces —so it’ll likely take some work to make it happen in this piece too. Especially since Ryan’s deficiencies as a husband may be... stark.
I’ll admit, this section below doesn’t even try to do that. It’s mostly just a joke on Ryan.
If you'd like to check out episodes of Dream Machine so far, you can find them as follows:
1.01 - "The Show Must Go Off"
1.02 - "Requiem For a Dreamer"
1.03 - "Change or Die"
Day #7 - "White Bikini"
From Dream Machine:
“1.06 - The Onslaught”
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
RYAN DRESDEN, head of programming at Dream Machine, early fifties
DEREK KAPLAN, technical director at Pamplemousse Studios, mid thirties
Los Angeles, 2020
~~~
INT. PAMPLEMOUSSE STUDIO - DAY
Derek enters pushing a rolling tool chest. He maneuvers it into the storage area under the bleachers, only to find Ryan holed up there amidst the equipment, chain smoking furiously.
DEREK: If you’re looking to hot box yourself, the sound closet has less ventilation and no smoke alarm. You’ll die faster in there.
RYAN: My ex-wife has descended on the studio to destroy me, so I’m hiding out here. This is a place where people get work done, so it’s the last place she’s going to be.
DEREK: What have you done to warrant destruction?
RYAN: Haven’t evidenced enough recent suffering for her liking. So here she is, pouring poison in the ears of Ken Rafferty.
DEREK: Wait. You don’t mean Veronica Waters?
RYAN: She’s Dresden now. She kept that along with the kids and the beach house.
DEREK: You were married to Veronica Waters? I had her white bikini poster on my wall in high school.
RYAN: Yeah, well, white bikinis come off.
DEREK: ...awesome?
RYAN: Wait ‘til there’s two kids and no Photoshop.
DEREK: Yeah, I’m definitely siding with your wife on this.
RYAN: Tell you what, why don’t you marry her for fourteen years and we’ll compare notes?
DEREK: On behalf of my seventeen-year-old self, I accept that challenge.
Derek turns to go. Ryan calls after him.
RYAN: Don’t you dare narc on me, Kaplan!
DEREK: I don’t know, man. I’m not the kind of guy who keeps things from my wife!
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