Another post that can be summed up by the statement: Meredith is emotional and thinks too much.

Last semester I took my first playwriting class here at SC. Though not my first stab at writing for the stage, it was definitely my most developed work. I spent the entire semester dancing around a specific topic that for certain reasons is becoming more and more of a soapbox for me. My final scene was a culmination of the work I'd done in the past months and the beginning of the work I will pursue further, as soon as I have some free time to devote to writing it. Titled, "If Doves Don't Migrate," the scene will eventually be the climax of a play in which I will focus on the relational struggles of three different couples in different life stages. The topic: Sex. And God. As I get older, having been thrown my share of curve balls, I've become increasingly interested in how Christians perceive sex. Really, anyone who breathes upon this earth is going to encounter struggles when it comes to physical relationships, but I am especially curious as to how a chaste, Christian couple makes the transition from "avoiding sexual immorality" (which unfortunately often gets translated as avoiding sex altogether--as if the act itself is immoral, rather than its abuse) to enjoying a literal Song of Solomon. Or what about the two, at their second year anniversary, who find it too hard to wait the two years before they finish school and can get married? Then take all of that, layered with a history of sexual abuse, and you have the scene's focal character, Camille. A heavy topic, I know--which is why I really want to take my time to develop all of the story lines. I'm going to need some more research and perhaps some more life experience before I'll really feel confidant that my play is worth putting out there. But for now, I did want to share a little taste of what I've been working on. I hope that this work turns into a conversation piece--something to bring to light issues within the Christian community and really the world as a whole. How do we deal with damage? And how does God fit into that? While the scene itself ends with an ambiguous-bordering-on-depressing tone, the message I want to convey is that there can be healing and God is good. Funny. Sounds like my life theme.

So here is where I wanted to include a little snippet of the scene. I figured I could just pick some good bits and edit the content some in order to make it appropriate for all my readers. Time for one of my famous digressions: I have a certain beef with sticking to "clean" language and "nice" scenic moments. Though I try, in my everyday life, to avoid certain language, etc. that might be construed as offensive, I feel that artistically and thematically, certain actions and words create a stronger dramatic effect and help to better express truthful, real-life moments. After all, when you are in the midst of traumatic situations, most of your filters go out the window. And on stage, if you don't push the envelope just a little, how can you expect any reaction from the audience. People don't remember "nice" plays; they remember the poignant moments that stirred their dormant passions or nearly induced vomiting.

And, of course, my favorite theatrical elements of this scene are as such, so I'll end with a bit of outline, which will have to satiate you for now. The basic frame of the scene is a conversation between Camille and Monika about the events of the night before. As they talk, Camille reenacts the scene for us. Monika watches Camile and Jacob, due to be married in a week, as a fourth person, Ryan, unseen by all but Camille, enters. He is "the rapist"--a title that deserves quotes because whether or not he truly raped Camille is ambiguous, depending on one's definition of rape. Ryan, in a manner of speaking, forces Camille to explain to Jacob the exact events of the assault. It's violence, panic, prayer, and a questionable resolution: can there be forgiveness, should there be forgiveness, and how do you erase the past?

Well, I think I succeeded in bringing up plenty of topics without really answering any of them. Enough to keep you up at night, I suppose. But I guess that's kind of what I'd like for the full play to do. I'm trying not to make too many judgements on my characters as I write because I still don't have conclusive evidence to set my stance in these areas. Much of what I've thought in the past has been challenged, and I'm sure it will continue to be so. Perhaps I'll divulge more as seems appropriate, but I think this shall be all for tonight. Bullet points for those that need things wrapped up in little bows: I'm writing...it's about psycho-emotional-girly things...with a Christian slant...and not suitable for all ages.