iSpy and Sorel
iSpy: What did your mother say?
Sorel: She said nothing.
iSpy: Did your father agree?
Sorel: It’s a month away, no sense in telling him now. What did my girl tell you?
iSpy: She didn’t need to tell me. Provocation I am at my finest. You have never seen such a thing as me. Take some time to take me in - I have promises to give you. Wandering in the dark holding hands with virtue takes you where it takes you. I have no complaints about that.
Sorel: I’m only doing this for her.
iSpy: She’ll hate you if you believe that.
Sorel: I’m only doing this for her.
iSpy: She won’t forgive you if you tell her that.
Sorel: I’M ONLY DOING THIS FOR HER
iSpy: What did your mother say?
Sorel: She said nothing.
Next
Sorel: Can you teach me to write?
iSpy: I can teach anyone anything. Just ask your friend. He knows.
Sorel: I did; he loves you the most. He found everything he wanted with you. Sure, you may not have offered him much of a job, or a way to live like you offered us, but I say maybe that’s because you know I have more to offer. I am a VALUABLE ASSET. She is a VALUABLE ASSET. She is VALUABLE-ER. I’m only doing this for her don’t you know.
iSpy: Have you told her that yet? What did your father say?
Sorel: I don’t need to tell him. Two weeks is my deadline.
iSpy: It is true you both are VALUABLE. She provides much to this community. You provide her.
Sorel: What else can I provide?
iSpy: Do you have money? Do you have a burning desire to not see things through?
Sorel: I suppose I do! How far will that get me?
iSpy: Give me some money and I’ll tell you.
Sorel: I can get you the money. I have a way I’d like not to discuss.
iSpy: I don’t need to know. What did your mother say?
Sorel: I think she said nothing, but I can never remember. Here’s your money.
iSpy: Do you have any more? I need more to show you.
Sorel: Words are good for now, if you have any.
iSpy: No, no, It’d be a much better idea to show you. Just saying words isn’t enough anymore. Besides, I’m far more entertaining when I show, not tell. I bet she has money. Get some money from her. What about your friend? Did you ask your father?
Sorel: He doesn’t need to know. We can combine our money, if you see fit - if you see fit -
iSpy: Where is your friend?
Sorel: I thought you knew.
iSpy: He’s slowly going insane you know.
Sorel: That’s to be expected. I don’t talk to him much these days.
Next
iSpy: New BEGINnings.
Sorel: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so brazen.
iSpy: As well you should be.
Sorel: She told me never to do anything just for her.
iSpy: I told you I can make you a writer…
Sorel: But what about my friend?
iSpy: What about whom?
Sorel: You said he was slowly going insane. What happened to him? What is happening?
iSpy: Oh, I don’t know. Did I say that? I lose track -
Sorel: I told my father -
iSpy: - what? Who?
Sorel: I - told my father about you. He was entirely surprised.
iSpy: That is to be expected.
Sorel: I told him you could make me a writer.
iSpy: What did your mother say?
Sorel: She said nothing. I’m doing this for me.
iSpy: I bet that’ll make her happy.
Sorel: She is calm now, yes.
iSpy: You will be a renaissance here. You will make great works; you will become the face of the written word! I bet you can see it all right now: all of us, circled around you, as you hold your hands filled with poor copies of your words in the air, as we prostrate ourselves before you and beg your forgiveness.
Sorel: What about my friend?
iSpy: What? Who? Why did you interrupt me?!
Sorel: I thought you were done talking. I’m sorry.
iSpy: Don’t EVER interrupt me again! Now, where was I?
Sorel: You were saying how great a writer I will be -
iSpy: Ah yes! You will write great poetry, and I will give you money! You are a great poet, am I right?
Sorel: I may have been 5 years ago, but that was when I was just starting.
iSpy: Oh, of course. Well, that kind of thing never goes away. Did you get the money?
Sorel: I gave you money.
iSpy: I need more. Did she give me money?
Sorel: We both did.
iSpy: Well, I don’t have a record of that here, so as long as you can get me some more before you come here, there is no worry.
Sorel: Ok. I’m sorry for the mix-up.
iSpy: One last thing I must ask you.
Sorel: Shoot.
iSpy: Are you doing this for her?
Sorel: I’m doing this.
Next
Sorel: I almost hit someone in the street today with my car.
iSpy: Yes, be careful about that - most people don’t avoid that here.
Sorel: But the person didn’t even look at me?
iSpy: And why should they?
Sorel: Excellent question.
iSpy: Are you a great writer yet?
Sorel: No - yes - I don’t know. I thought you were going to help me with that?
iSpy: I only help those who help themselves. How have you helped yourself since you’ve come here?
Sorel: I don’t think I have. I suppose you’re right.
iSpy: I’m always right. Didn’t you know that? Ask your friend.
Sorel: I don’t talk to him anymore. He left here in a fit of combustion only so long ago, don’t you remember? It was quite the scene. His friend was robbed. He saw that as a sign to finally go. He had already accidentally cut off his finger at work the day before, selling sex toys to undercover husbands, and was promptly fired for doing so. I thought he told you.
iSpy: No, I must have missed it. Ah, well. Good riddance, am I right?
Sorel: I suppose you are.
Next
Sorel: She’s crying again. I don’t know what to do.
iSpy: What do you want me to do about it?
Sorel: She’s crying about you. She says you lied to her.
iSpy: I told her the same thing I told you. And I will not be held responsible for the actions of someone else.
Sorel: I know, you told her the truth. I suppose you’re right. It’s just -
iSpy: JUST WHAT?!
Sorel: Um, it’s just…you took advantage of her? She -
iSpy: She’s what! Not a woman?! I never take advantage of anyone! I offer them a chance - a chance - to change. To make their lives better! Is it my fault none of these people make good on that chance? Not at all! A man walks in the street because he has given up. He doesn’t look because he doesn’t think anyone can see him anymore. These are not because of me. I give people hope! I give people that chance to be seen!
Sorel: But I have given you so much money. And I am not a great writer yet. And she has given you so much money. And she has not been taught one new lesson yet.
iSpy: These are not my concerns! Whatever dreams you had about this place - about me - were your own.
Sorel: What about my friend?
iSpy: You have other friends!
Sorel: No I don’t - everyone here is insufferable. They are all filled with some kind of false promise.
iSpy: This is not my concern.
Sorel: No, I don’t suppose it is.
iSpy: Are you satisfied now?
Sorel: I suppose I am, though I am worried about one thing.
iSpy: (Sigh) Oh, what is it now?
Sorel: It’s just - my car.
iSpy: Oh, you have a car now?
Sorel: I need it so I don’t walk across the street.
iSpy: What is the matter with this - car?
Sorel: It’s shaking to pieces.
iSpy: Is it in pieces?
Sorel: Well, no, it’s just - you never told me - I mean, I never found out about the roads here. They’re shaking my car to pieces.
iSpy: So get a better car. I don’t see the problem.
Sorel: I don’t have any money.
iSpy: I thought you had a way.
Sorel: I gave you all the money given to me. The way is dead.
iSpy: What about your work?
Sorel: I gave you the money I made to make my copies of paper.
iSpy: There are other ways to do that now. Electronic. Everything is electronic now, don’t you know? It’s cheap, it’s freedom, and anyone can use it. I’ll give it to you free of charge!
Sorel: What about the money for my copies?
iSpy: What about whom now? You were saying?
Sorel: The roads are shaking my car to pieces.
iSpy: Well where are you going?
Sorel: I want to go home.
iSpy: What? Where?
Sorel: I’m afraid my car is too far shaken to make it back home. With each divot, each pothole undertaken, my car goes one less mile to home.
iSpy: The highway is safe.
Sorel: It’s snowing.
iSpy: Oh, well then you better stay.
Sorel: I want to go home.
iSpy: But you haven’t finished yet.
Sorel: She wants to go home.
iSpy: She is so close!
Sorel: They expect me to be home.
iSpy: Did you tell them about your car? They will be so disappointed in you…
Sorel: Her mom wants her home.
iSpy: There’s nowhere for her to stay!
Sorel: She wants to be with her mom.
iSpy: How long did that last before you met me?
Sorel: I suppose you’re right.
iSpy: I’m always right.
Sorel: On all accounts.
iSpy: I always keep count.
What i find interesting is the idea of one performer playing the part of two separate characters- it is a very compelling situation and leaves more than enough room for interpretation. you handled it well, with your change of direction of looks, so bravo! I wanted your face to look different on each side, though. could you grow half of a mustache for this performance next time? wear half of a pair of glasses? ( that may or may not be called a monocle..) anyways, the possibilities are endless here and that's what makes a really great piece, i think. Like the Beckett, it seems a little nonsensical at times and is amusing and confusing all at once. I was most pleased with Sorel insisting to go home in several different ways: "I want to go home.She wants to go home.They expect me to be home.Her mom wants her home.She wants to be with her mom." It creates a sort of tension in the listener to hear this urgent repetition, desperate with attempts to persuade iSpy. Why do we have to persuade anybody? Why must a man insist in five different forms that he, and she, must leave? what does that say about the quality of human empathy? it reminds me of my dad telling me i actually do not want to go out; i am tired and it's late. No, dad, i'm leaving.
ReplyDeleteYour performance reminded me of Godot a lot, probably mostly because of the repetition. I think it was a bit more serious than Godot, though. I interpreted iSpy as representing some kind of institution, maybe religion, maybe government. One of the things that made me think of religion was iSpy’s insistence on getting paid for his mysterious services, it sounded like he promised to grant wishes. However, the name iSpy made me think of “big brother” and I felt like it could be applied to the government as well. Either way, it seems to be about Sorel being taken advantage of. He trusts iSpy to help him out and it seems that iSpy doesn’t have his best interests in mind. It brings to mind questions about authority figures and where their power ends, or what constitutes abuse of power. This is a great theme. I think the fact that you performed it by yourself gave it another dimension. It emphasized the confusion that I think Sorel felt in the situation, and also the repetition within the lines.
ReplyDeleteThe fast pacing and mysteriously urgent linearity of your dialogue reminded me a bit of Tarantino—I felt that including specific pop culture references or metonymies (from real life or imagined) might enhance the surreality or convincingness of your language, if you wished to play either of those tonal elements up. It seemed like the script wasn't necessarily written for one person to read both parts, but you pulled off performing it that way well. I agree with Kay that costume possibilities or even body language exaggerations could assist you in differentiating between the two characters. You could almost work with your piece to generate a Fight Club-like psychological tension—the split identity of authority figure versus underdog resisting unification on stage until something ultimately explodes.
ReplyDeleteThe misery and self-loathing present in this play are evidently inspired by WAITING FOR GODOT, but, unlike in Beckett's work, they rarely step aside to allow for humor. This is an unnerving tactic, to say the least, but I found myself appreciating it. iSpy is relentless! (In a proximately correlated aside, I think this type of relentless pursuit appeals to the "victim" in us all, and explains the immense and enduring popularity of zombie fiction.) Also: the spare, dialogue-only text is reminiscent of Churchill's FAR AWAY without being derivative, and the well-crafted use of repetition features as a faithful nod to Gertrude Stein. Matt Catania has clearly studied his material well.
ReplyDeleteThe thinly veiled autobiographical nature of ISPY AND SOREL, which suggests a tie-in with the author's previous blog posting, lends an unexpected air of continuity, and it makes me all-the-more envious of those of my classmates who were privy to the performance. (From what I've gleaned, the implied duality of the single performer was quite worth seeing.) Regardless, I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Matt. Well done, sir.
Matt,
ReplyDeleteThe dialogue in this piece was really interesting, as well as were the characters. The form of speaking really interests me. My only suggestion would be to have utilized someone else to read one of the roles. Also making it clearer, the jumps in scenes because if you hadn't been there to tell us when scene changes were, I would have been confused about what was going on. Overall, interesting piece!
-E
Upon reception of my classmates/colleagues works I became entranced by a single word that I unconsciously associated to each piece. Now I don’t want these words to be misunderstood as entrapments to their art; these words are purely a minimalist’s interpretation of the works. So with this understanding in mind, the word that I intuited from your piece is…
ReplyDelete< Fractured >
Your work/examination of identities and how they are controlled/dictated by position and language is what captivates us. Your movement in and out of these different identities provides a salient commentary on how we as individuals can change personalities just as quickly and easily. As I always say, I enjoy the schizophrenic feel of your pieces.