Friday, October 2, 2009

What is the language contributing to the piece?

Here’s some dialogue from "Bug", by Tracy Letts .

The language creates class and race, for me - white, working or working-poor, and drug-addled - the tone and style ring pretty true.

Letts brushes in their characters and backgrounds by degrees. The action introduces these three people - freebasing, smoking, drinking, Agnes and R.C. kiss goodbye . When Peter says "I pick up on things." and Agnes asks "What things?" the scene draws in tighter. Peter is revealing something about himself, something secret. Agnes might be curious, or she might be humoring him, or both...but in any case, she asks. She doesn't change the subject. it's a small turn, but she is going to be a real mess by the end of the play, and so is he. It starts in this scene, with these small words.

Agnes and Peter's vocabularies are close but not identical. Peter's words and sentences are usually more complete than Agnes's. He sounds more polished than Agnes - of course she's half in the bag, but still. Agnes refers to Jeanne Dixon, the no-longer-famous psychic - by giving her that, Letts shows us Agnes's age group - and when Peter responds with who's that? you can read that he's younger than Agnes.

There's all kinds of hell gathering in the corners, but its not obvious how much hell. He has a lot of control, and great timing. Copying this was interesting, because you have to go slow. You can see better. Here in this little bit, I see short words + many actions = tension.


A little background:
Agnes is freebasing in a motel, with her friend R.C. and some guy named Peter, who've just come from a party. Also, Agnes’s violent ex-lover of two years has been calling her at the motel - he shouldn't know she's there. She's worried. R.C. gets a phone call from her girlfriend, and leaves to pry her out of some trouble she got into at the bar. Peter stays behind.



(R.C. darts out, pulling the door closed behind her. AGNES and PETER take each other in.)

AGNES: You want one last drink? PETER: I guess I’ll go then.
Quick beat Quick beat

I should get to bed Yeah, I could have another Coke.

Agnes: Help yourself.

Peter: Thanks.

(Agnes tidies the room, dumping some empties, cleaning an ashtray. Peter gets a Coke from the fridge and wipes the top of the can with his shirtsleeve.)

You've known each other awhile.

AGNES: Few years, I guess.

PETER: I just met her tonight.

AGNES: Why'd you change your mind about the party?

PETER: I don't know. It just didn't seem like my cup of tea.

(He opens the Coke)

AGNES: Have a real drink, for Crissake. People who don't drink make me nervous.

PETER: I make people nervous anyway.

(The air conditioner cuts off.)

AGNES: Why's that?

PETER: 'Cause I pick up on things, I think. That makes people uncomfortable.

AGNES: Pick up on things.

PETER: Things not apparent.

AGNES: That's a talent.

PETER: Mm-hm.

AGNES: What do you pick up from me?

PETER: You're lonely. I know that much.

AGNES: Doesn't exactly make you Jeanne Dixon.

PETER: Who's Jeanne Dixon?

AGNES: She was...y' know, that psychic, told Teddy Kennedy that Jack'd get shot.

PETER: Oh. You live here?

AGNES: Yeah.

PETER: In the motel?

AGNES: Yeah.

PETER: That's weird.

AGNES: Why is that weird?

PETER: I don't know.

Beat

Can I put on some more music?

AGNES: Yeah.


2 comments:

  1. There's a place where Agnes and Peter talk at the same time - I couldn't format it right.

    See page 12
    http://books.google.com/books?id=jBt7m0GIvU4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=bug&ei=ZPvGSu6bOo7okASupZTBAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

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