31 Plays in 31 Days, #10 - “Iron Fist"
Aug. 10th, 2022 10:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
breakinglight11This one builds upon yesterday's piece, #9 - "Marcelina Anastasia di Gregorio Tremaine". Inspired by the talents of actress Liz Salazar, I thought it would be fun to send her character Meredith on a journey of making up an imperious persona that would give her the strength to assert herself as a producer. But, not only would the lack of personal accountability drive her mad with power, it keeps her from developing her own professional authority, which is a good struggle for a character to work through.
Here's a scene, which is rough but at least a bit funny, of Derek confronting her over what she hath wrought in her alternate persona of Marcelina Anastasia di Gregorio Tremaine. (Long complicated names make me laugh.)
Day #10 - Iron Fist
From Dream Machine
By Phoebe Roberts
Los Angeles, 2020
MEREDITH BARRY, writer’s assistant and producer in training, early thirties
DEREK KAPLAN, technical director at Dream Machine, mid thirties
~~~
Meredith strides through the studio with a newfound strength and confidence. She yells down a costume assistant quibbling over fabric sourcing.
MEREDITH: Tough titties, Marcelina said your budget was firm! You got wool army surplus blankets, cut ‘em up and make ‘em work!
She slaps two pots together to run off the crew members milling around the craft services sable.
MEREDITH: Your contracts specify a lunch break was exactly one hour! Get a move on, or I’ll get Tremaine down here!
A goat wanders into her path, staring up at her with its oblong pupils.
MEREDITH: What are you gawping at? Marcelina has spoken!
The goat runs off, bleating in terror. She turns, satisfied, to find Derek standing in her path.
MEREDITH: Derek! You look strangely idle. Are you going to get back to work, or do I need to tell Marcelina Tremaine on you?
DEREK: This has gone too far, Meredith. Marcelina Tremaine has gone mad with power.
MEREDITH: No, Derek, don’t you see? She’s the solution to everything! Look how orderly everyone has become— the vendors, the teamsters, even the goats are behaving better!
DEREK: Yes, you whipped this place into shape— but now you’re ruling with an iron fist! Everyone is terrified that if they make a mistake, they’ll bring down the wrath of Tremaine. She’s traumatized the assistants, overworked the grips, and run off all the stage door paparazzi! Without blurry set photos, how will the Reddit trolls theorize without context now!?
MEREDITH: A producer keeps the production in line, Derek. Where once there was chaos, now all the little worker bees are neatly in line, busily executing upon the orders of a true leader.
DEREK: But for how long? First rule of cabling, Meredith— when you pull things too tight for too long, something’s going to snap.
MEREDITH: I thought “don’t kink the coil” was the first rule.
DEREK: Second rule! Cabling’s got a lot of rules! Whatever, it doesn’t matter— you got to get rid of Marcelina Tremaine!
MEREDITH: Don’t you understand!? I am Marcelina Tremaine!
DEREK: Then you are responsible for stopping her!
MEREDITH: But that’s the whole point, Derek! Marcelina Tremaine cannot be stopped!
Derek looks around in a panic as lightning strikes all around them. Meredith’s head snaps up to glare at the lighting grid.
MEREDITH: (Marcelina voice) Klieg! What did I tell you about fixing that circuit!?
Here's a scene, which is rough but at least a bit funny, of Derek confronting her over what she hath wrought in her alternate persona of Marcelina Anastasia di Gregorio Tremaine. (Long complicated names make me laugh.)
Day #10 - Iron Fist
From Dream Machine
By Phoebe Roberts
Los Angeles, 2020
MEREDITH BARRY, writer’s assistant and producer in training, early thirties
DEREK KAPLAN, technical director at Dream Machine, mid thirties
~~~
Meredith strides through the studio with a newfound strength and confidence. She yells down a costume assistant quibbling over fabric sourcing.
MEREDITH: Tough titties, Marcelina said your budget was firm! You got wool army surplus blankets, cut ‘em up and make ‘em work!
She slaps two pots together to run off the crew members milling around the craft services sable.
MEREDITH: Your contracts specify a lunch break was exactly one hour! Get a move on, or I’ll get Tremaine down here!
A goat wanders into her path, staring up at her with its oblong pupils.
MEREDITH: What are you gawping at? Marcelina has spoken!
The goat runs off, bleating in terror. She turns, satisfied, to find Derek standing in her path.
MEREDITH: Derek! You look strangely idle. Are you going to get back to work, or do I need to tell Marcelina Tremaine on you?
DEREK: This has gone too far, Meredith. Marcelina Tremaine has gone mad with power.
MEREDITH: No, Derek, don’t you see? She’s the solution to everything! Look how orderly everyone has become— the vendors, the teamsters, even the goats are behaving better!
DEREK: Yes, you whipped this place into shape— but now you’re ruling with an iron fist! Everyone is terrified that if they make a mistake, they’ll bring down the wrath of Tremaine. She’s traumatized the assistants, overworked the grips, and run off all the stage door paparazzi! Without blurry set photos, how will the Reddit trolls theorize without context now!?
MEREDITH: A producer keeps the production in line, Derek. Where once there was chaos, now all the little worker bees are neatly in line, busily executing upon the orders of a true leader.
DEREK: But for how long? First rule of cabling, Meredith— when you pull things too tight for too long, something’s going to snap.
MEREDITH: I thought “don’t kink the coil” was the first rule.
DEREK: Second rule! Cabling’s got a lot of rules! Whatever, it doesn’t matter— you got to get rid of Marcelina Tremaine!
MEREDITH: Don’t you understand!? I am Marcelina Tremaine!
DEREK: Then you are responsible for stopping her!
MEREDITH: But that’s the whole point, Derek! Marcelina Tremaine cannot be stopped!
Derek looks around in a panic as lightning strikes all around them. Meredith’s head snaps up to glare at the lighting grid.
MEREDITH: (Marcelina voice) Klieg! What did I tell you about fixing that circuit!?
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