Variations of a Frightful Night

     This is a play which I have written by pulling material from our in-class assignment to write about a man getting mugged and crossing it with the idea of the renowned play Variations on the Death of Trotsky. It consists of a single event told in various ways depending on who the person being addressed is until finally we are shown the truth when he is reporting the incident to the Po-o. This piece was rather fun to write and i hope it's fun to read.

Scene I

Late summer night breaching on a twilight hour in downtown San Luis Obispo on the corner of a street outside a movie theater which list of movie advertisement had flickering letters and the metal gates drawn closed over the ticket booths. The theater is perched on the corner with an entrance to a parking garage on either side of it and the last dwindling lights inside are falling asleep with the town. The only comfort in the darkening abyss came from the street lamps above. The center one was brighter than the others and acts as an overhead spotlight for the center stage.

A young gentleman's voice is heard through the still and empty set  begins the play by addressing a women with a more middle aged voice. 

JOHN: Mom! Mom! Mom! 

MOTHER: What John?

Enter from stage right: A college student in his early twenties walks out from the side door of the theater and crosses through the light on the right side of the stage in front of a dark alley.

JOHN: I was walking out of the movie theater and this guy came out of no where. 

Enter a scraggly man in his mid thirties from the dark alley next to the movie theater exit wearing a black hood and a pair of dark navy Levi’s holding a knife.

JOHN: He took my money and threw me to the ground. He had a knife and everything.

Man approaches the student in the darkness between the lights and confronts him under the center spotlight and demands money before violently shoving the student to the ground and running off into the night.

MOTHER: Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!

JOHN: I’m fine. I just didn’t know what to do.

Stage lights fade out and actors reset under the darkness.

Scene II

Same exact setting as the beginning only this time the man is addressing another male who sounds like he is around the same age.

JOHN: Bro!

MAN: What’s wrong John?

Enter John from stage right again passing through the same street light in front of the alley.

JOHN: I was coming out of the theater when this 6’8” guy wearing a leather jacket pulled a gun on me.

Enter the same mugger though this time he is wearing a black leather jacket and wielding a 9mm.

MAN: WTF?! Broski are you alright?!

JOHN: Yea dog, he tried to take my money but I managed to knock the gun out of his hand with a round-house kick.

John performs a maneuver and disarms the thug attempting to get the jump on him.

MAN: No way! Did you beat his a$$? 

The attempting mugger shoulder checked John and ran off into the street.

JOHN: He got lucky and dropped me on the curb before I had a chance.

Stage fades again and the actors reset themselves.

Scene III

Same setting but the man is addressing a girl this time.

JOHN: Sorry it took me so long to return your call Dian.

GIRL: Thats okay. I’m just glad you did.

JOHN: You’ll never believe what happened to me tonight.

Enter John in the same manor.

GIRL: What?

John makes his way through the light in front of the alley once more.

JOHN: This guy jumped me as I was leaving the theater. He asked for my money,

The attempting criminal engages John once more.

JOHN: I tried to talk to him, calm him down you know?

John talks to the man using hand gestures to help him calm down and understand that he didn’t have to do this.

GIRL: OMG! Baby, are you okay?!

JOHN: He just had this look in his eye like he was desperate or something. I gave him the money and he grabbed it so quickly that I stumbled and fell and before I knew it, he was gone.

John handed the man some money who eagerly took it. As John tripped over himself, the would’ve been mugger disappeared into the night.

GIRL: OMG! You are so brave! If you need anything Babe just let me know.

Stage fades away again and the actors return to their starting positions.

Scene IV

Same setting as in scene I but now John is explaining the situation to a male police officer with a reassuring voice.

Enter John in his same style.

JOHN: I had just walked out of the theater down town, when this man wearing a black hoody and some jeans approached me.

Enter the mugger once more.

POLICE OFFICER: Okay could you describe him in further detail so our sketch artist could get an accurate picture?

JOHN: He was maybe 5’10”, caucasian, reeked of alcohol, and he carried a pocket knife.

POLICE OFFICER: Okay then what happened?

The mugger extended the knife in Johns direction, swaying as he did so. He demanded money and John emptied his pockets showing that he had none to give. The mugger the shoved him to the ground in disbelief and staggered off into the alley down the street.

JOHN: He demanded money and when I explained that I didn’t have any, he shoved me down into the street and took off into some alley farther up.

Stage fades to black one last time.

I Am More

              This is a poem which was inspired by children and their imagination to create something extraordinary out of something ordinary. I also hoped to send a subliminal message that life is what you make of it and that no matter how bland, bleak, or plain something may seem; there is always something much greater that can come of it.I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

List Of Lists

This is a piece that we did as an in-class activity that I took and tried to expand upon. It was inspired by a website that used various lists, phrases, objects, etc and to make a list of a list. I found this activity pretty enjoyable and creative and I hope you enjoy reading mine as well.

1. Names given while placing a Starbucks order:

• Sponge Bob
• Timone and Pumba (with a partner)
• Lord Voldemort
• Daddy Warbucks
• Batman
• Sweet Baby Jesus
• Nobody???

1. Things I plan on doing but never get around to:

• Getting my motorcycle license
• Studying for the SAT
• Washing my car
• Hitting the gym
• Homework
• Cleaning my room
• Doing Laundry

1. Things that worry me:

• My brother’s homemade fireworks
• When she doesn’t respond to a bad joke
• Getting a test back
• Driving through Richmond
• Walking into a cobweb and not seeing the spider
• When you get that awkward stare from someone you don’t even know.

1. Signs that it’s over:

• When she turns her read receipts off
• When she kisses someone else
• When she goes on vacation without telling you
• When she changes her name, hair color, and address
• When she stops laughing at your corny jokes
• When her status changes to single and ready to mingle
• When all your photos have her dogs head on your body

1. Things on my bucket list:

• Sky diving
• Wing suit skiing
• High speed chase
• Getting a Motorcycle
• Storming a field
• Due ragazze in una notte
• Married with two kids and a dog

Six Word Memoir

 

                This is a six word memoir about my life. This was inspired by an idea that we were shown in class and I took it and wrote about something that relates to my favorite passion ever, soccer, as well as to everyday life. I attempted to make it sound deep and inspiring to those who get knocked down on a daily basis as I once did.

Dust Off, Stand Up, Go Again.

My Name

            This is a piece that we were encouraged to write by our teacher. She had us look up the meaning of our names and reflect on how much they compare to our actual personalities. I found this exercise to be strangely ironic and kind of entertaining. I hope you will be entertained as well.

            If you look up Jason Paul you’ll find that my first means Healer and my middle name means Noble, so I guess you could say that I’m supposed to be a noble healer. This couldn’t be further from the truth. First off I can’t stand the sight of blood and every time I see a needle chills race down my spine. I literally have to leave the room whenever someone’s being opened up in a T.V. show.

            I wasn’t even supposed to be a Jason Paul; I was supposed to be a Jaclyn. This was much more fitting as it means honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations, courageous, determined, original and creative. It means that I’m a born leader. These descriptions hold true to almost all aspects of my life. I have been made captain every year that I have played club soccer as well as a season of both high school soccer and volleyball. While I’m not so sure how honest I am (I guess I’m being honest when I say that), I do maintain good grades, I’m fairly creative and inventive, and I can be courageous depending on the circumstances surrounding the situation. I guess this is just God’s way of showing that I truly am a Jaclyn at heart.

Memoir

      This is a piece in rememberance of a night that I had enjoyed greatly. We were asked to write a memoir about several events that were inspired by six different promts. I chose to share this one with you and I hope you enjoy it.

      My favorite meal and one of my fondest memories is when my old girl friend, Sierra, had come

over for dinner. My parents had gone out of town and my brother was spending the night at a friends

 house so we were all alone with the house to ourselves. I had spent well over an hour making some

fancy-smanshy dinner yet I can’t even remember what it was that I had made. As we sat there at the

table enjoying the warm summer breeze and looking out across the backyard we continued what I

could only describe as a conversation yet it was so much more than that. We were fully engaged in

one another, even when we would cease talking we would continue the communication silently. We

spoke through our body with the simplest of gestures, a touch of our hands the light flicking of her

feet agains mine and our eyes emphasized the scene. Her brilliant sea green eyes glowed like the

stars’ twinkle above our heads, never losing contact with my own. Hours must have gone by as we

sat there talking about what I wouldn’t have even classified as small talk yet we both valued like it

was some divine wisdom whispered to us by an angel. When it was time for her to go we cleared our

untouched plates and I drove her home. As I was walking her to her front step she stopped not

halfway there, leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. As she withdrew our eyes met again and we

leaned into one other. This time her lips landed on mine and we embraced in the magical climax of

the night. Then her dad turned on the sprinklers. I took the hint grinning and walked her to the door

making sure to use my coat to stop the water from soaking her dress.

The Two Stood Face To Face..... And Then There Was One.

          This is a piece that was inspired by a scenario that we have all heard of if not played a role in in some way, shape, or form. I hope that this story line never falls upon someones experience and that after reading this one may even choose to create a better ending to the story if they should ever find themselves in a similar predicament. This was given to us as an assignment and I was to begin and end my story with a given intro and concluding phrase and I attempted to base mine off of a plot that most wouldn't think of at first. 

         The two stood face to face, surrounded by vociferous music that’s only competitor was the uproarious crowd, both of 

whom were in their own world oblivious to the ruckus transpiring around them. The two stood there gazing into one 

another’s eyes, wondering who would make he first move and even doubting whether or not one of them would even 

make it.

            They remained motionless like two statues in centered in a bustling square. The girl was all too familiar with her 

surroundings and the boy was obviously anything but; a novice to the predicament which he managed to spur himself 

deeper into. Finally, after much self preparation and encouragement, the boy boldly made the first motion, leaning deeply 

into the girl. She eagerly met him halfway and the two of them embraced in a long awaited kiss. But it was yet to be the 

climax of their night.

            The boy was immediately confronted by a sense of passion and fulfillment as it was the first time he had been 

graced by the touch of a woman’s lips upon his own. Excited, he withdrew his arms from around her figure and traded 

only to grasp her hand and lead her away from the prying eyes which had frozen in their tracks. As they witnessed the 

fireworks fly around the room originating from the spark between the two romantics.

              Hoping beyond hope to act like a master thief he attempted another heist to capture yet a second kiss. The girl, 

feeling less enthusiastic than she had anticipated, was becoming embarrassed by attaching herself to someone viewed 

as lesser than herself on the social food chain that is always disclaimed yet always finds its way into existence. Scared 

that her status and reputation would be jeopardized, she began to pull away from the boy. Confused, the boy asked what 

he had done wrong.  “It’s not you, it’s me.” The infamous phrase that scars too many and leaving only a few to make it 

through life without being torn apart by the words. “I’m just having second thoughts that’s all.” she stammered.

         In a last ditch effort to shroud his conflicting rage, disbelief, and depression that stormed across the sea that is our 

emotion, he choked out a reply “I understand.” but it was beyond too late for the girl had already turned and left to search 

for a more suitable companion leaving the boy alone and dumfounded by the sudden turn of events, so he sat there in 

the hallway and crawled deep with himself. And then there was one.