Crazytown

RETURN TO DEADLAND

By RSO

Earlier this month, students from Pace University presented a reading of my musical Jasper in Deadland, which I featured in 16 installments last year around this time on my blog.  Check out some of the videos of their performances below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

RYAN SCOTT OLIVER wrote the music and lyrics for Darling, Mrs. Sharp, 35mm, Jasper in Deadland and more. www.ryanscottoliver.com
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JASPER IN DEADLAND (PART 15 OF 16)

A fight for life.
Music, Lyrics and Book by Ryan Scott Oliver

<< Jasper in Deadland (Part 14)
<< Start Jasper from the beginning

MR. LETHE
If there’s no trade, then she’s here forever.

PERSEPHONE
(Goes to AGNES.)  One day you’re just a girl playing outside when your mother isn’t watching.  And something terrible comes, and takes you away.  Sometimes terrible things happen, and no one can explain it.  There are no second chances.  That’s only a myth. 

(The DEITIES start to disperse.)

JASPER
Fight.

JASPER & AGNES
It’s never too late to live.

“LIFESONG” (Agnes)

AGNES
LIFE.  Please. 

(16-year-old Tabitha Elder as Agnes.)

JASPER IN DEADLAND (PART 16 OF 16)

The finale.  Brrr!
Music, Lyrics and Book by Ryan Scott Oliver

<< Jasper in Deadland (Part 15)
<< Start Jasper from the beginning

Small Town Street
JASPER is alone, walking to school.

WALK
(JASPER walks.  For a long time, nothing happens.)

(A snowflake falls.)

(It’s getting kinda chilly.  JASPER warms his arms, looks to the sky, and keeps going.  Getting colder still.)

(JASPER looks to the sky again.  Hm.)

(HE keeps walking, now warming his arms with a bit of a fervor.  It’s cold.  He picks at his T-shirt.)

 JASPER
Jeans and a T-shirt?

(Another snowflake falls.  And another. And another, until it’s snowing.  JASPER stops walking, and looks up, staring at the sky.)

(AGNES walks on casually, wearing a big puffy winter coat.  SHE’s eating a Pop-tart cold.)

AGNES
Boo.

(JASPER stares.)

What’s with the T?  … Didn’t you hear, some unexpected cold front just broke, and it’s gonna be like 20 degrees today and snowing—it’s already started.  It’s like, breaking news.  (Bites her Pop-tart.)  I mean, what do weathermen know, they’re just glorified actors, so—

(JASPER embraces AGNES like he’ll never let her go.)

Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow Jasper!  My shoulder isn’t healed yet!  Weirdo!

JASPER
You’re alive.

AGNES
Yeah, it was just a snakebite.  But you’re not gonna be if you wear that in this weather.

JASPER
I’ll… I’ll change into sweats at school.

AGNES
School?  You miss everything in Jasperland.  It’s a snow day, Jasp!  And the actor on TV was like, it’s not gonna let up for at least a few more weeks.  Big, sudden cold front on its way in.  They’ve never seen anything like it, they’re calling it an Act of God.

JASPER
Or Goddess.

“ONE MORE DAY OF SNOW” (Jasper, Agnes, Teenagers) 

AGNES
Okay, Feminist-leanings, I like that—but anyway, I’m totally feeling the divine intervention, because I was like, “Please give me one more day to finish this paper for Mr. Frawley—”

One More Day of Snow_1

JASPER
MY TOES ARE BOUND TO BREAK OFF
MY NOSE WILL CRACK IF I COUGH.
BUT OH, LOOK AT THE SNOW...

(The snow falls harder as other warmly-dressed TEENAGERS walk the streets, falling into snowdrifts, playing in the snow.)

EACH DRIFT IS SHOVELED AND CURBED
EACH LIFE COMPLETELY DISTURBED
AND ALL THE WORLD TAKES STOCK
AS ICE EVEN FREEZES THE CLOCK—

THE YEARS ARE GETTING SHORTER,
BUT I AM GROWING TALL.
LET THESE CLOUDS PART SLOWLY—
WE’VE GOT NOWHERE TO GO;
THERE’S ONE MORE DAY OF SNOW.

 

BEHIND THE SCENE: JASPER IN DEADLAND (PART 15 & PART 16)

Does anyone still make a hat?  Or, what I did for love.
By RSO

First of all, if you're one of the few who is reading this post after having read all sixteen parts of Jasper in Deadland... thank you.  What you've read is a work in progress, and while it's certainly something I'm very proud of, it's by no means finished -- and you toughed out the stuff that's going to be revised just to get to the good stuff that will always be there.  Whether you consider yourself a fan of mine, or a musical theatre junkie in general, you're awesome and I'm darn grateful for you.

Secondly, a note about the ending.  When I "carded" Jasper, outlining first the skeletal structure of the acts (Cerberus; City; Gulf/Wasteland; The Factory; Elysium and Conclusion) and then the individual beats of the story ("Jasper meets Gretchen," "Jasper faces Ammut," etc.), I had anticipated that Agnes, like Eurydice upon whom she's based, would not come back to life.  It wasn't because I was being morbid or cold-hearted; only that I felt that the play was about coping with loss, and that Jasper, in the end, would find a renewed life and sense of spirit through losing his best friend.  It worked for My Girl.

But when I wrote the far more detailed treatment of Jasper, telling the play as a short story of thirty pages, when I got to the end, I couldn't do it.  Robert McKee (author of Story, which I've quoted countless times in these posts) might say that this is because, deep down, I am a happy ending person.  An optimist.  That I believe in this world (whether the world's fantasy or its reality), when someone works hard toward a goal, puts themselves wholeheartedly into, does it selfishly but ultimately realizes the goal transcends them and it becomes a selfless act, perhaps even a willing sacrifice -- that he must be successful.

Ask any of the students I masterclass for.  I believe, deep down, dreams come true.  And if they don't, you simply weren't practical in identifying your dream or you didn't work hard enough. 

JASPER RETURNS (AND CONCLUDES) NEXT WEEK!

By RSO

Oops... the weekend got ahead of me, and as some of you may have noticed, Loren Roberts and Gena Oppenheim held down the fort while I didn't post the penultimate entry in Jasper in Deadland.  D'OH!

But JID will be back next week with two entries (15 and 16), thus providing the dramatic conclusion!  YASSUH!!

See you then!

JASPER IN DEADLAND (PART 14 OF 16)

Are you there, God of Death?  It's me, Jasper.
Music, Lyrics and Book by Ryan Scott Oliver

<< Jasper in Deadland (Part 13)
<< Start Jasper from the beginning

JASPER
I’m not asking for you to make promises to me.  Only to yourself.

AGNES
I’ll try, Jasp.

(Statuesque PERSEPHONE bursts on, con suitcase, followed by stunted, fractured PLUTO.  LESTER THE LAWYER dodders on, carrying with some difficulty a briefcase, folders and various papers.)

PLUTO
‘Sephone, my Snowflake!  Stay a moment longer!  Please, o please!! 

LESTER
(He’s looking for something.)  Uh, good afternoon, Your, uh Highness, I’m Lester, your wife’s new attorney, here to discuss the um terms of your annual divorce.  Let’s see… “After spending half the year with you in Deadland and consequently bringing Winter and Fall to Earth, we confirm that Queen Persephone has fulfilled her obligation to you and may now return to Earth, returning Spring and Summer once again.”  Your signature, um, here.  Here.  And… here.

PLUTO
Don’t go…

PERSEPHONE
Goodbye, Pluts.  This year was almost bearable.

PLUTO
Then stay!

PERSEPHONE
Almost. 

PLUTO
O, my Snowflake… Go now, and melt like my heart while you’re away.  (HE embraces her, not letting go.)

(LESTER starts off, passing JASPER, who gets his attention.)

JASPER
Lester!

BEHIND THE SCENE: JASPER IN DEADLAND (PART 14)

Shedding light on the creation of a musical, discussing fundamentals, timeless struggles, and real revelations.  This week:
What's the most important part of a story?

A story is only as good as its final third.  A rickety start can redeem itself if it drives to a thunderous conclusion, but it doesn't matter how good the beginning is if the ending doesn't make any sense.

Here in Jasper, I'm trying to get the suspense high... will Jasper and Agnes make it out?  I have to have them face the end of the road... with Pluto and Persephone.  And I want to end the secrets, and put all the cards on the table... so with Lethe there, everything comes out.  The audience now knows everything.  They also know that it seems all hope is lost.  If I've done my job right, we are deeply invested in Agnes's fate, and moreover, truly unsure of what will happen next.

Stay tuned for the final two parts of Jasper in Deadland to find out if I did my job!

JASPER IN DEADLAND (PART 13 OF 16)

It turns out life is just a game of checkers.
Music, Lyrics and Book by Ryan Scott Oliver

<< Jasper in Deadland (Part 12)
<< Start Jasper from the beginning

(The factories; Mr. Lethe's office.)

MR. LETHE
Now what’s the game?

JASPER
Checkers.

(AGNES bursts in.)

AGNES
Jasper.

JASPER
AGNES.

(THEY embrace.)

AGNES…

It was you, the whole time!

AGNES
I didn’t know—

JASPER
I had forgotten what you looked like—

MR. LETHE
Kids, I’ve got a 4 o’ clock and I can’t be late.  Is it a deal?

(JASPER extends his hand and MR. LETHE takes it.  A checkers game appears.)

JASPER
It’s a deal.  (Recovering, then to MR. LETHE.)  Agnes is gonna play.

AGNES & MR. LETHE

What?           

MR. LETHE (CONT.)
Those aren’t the terms!

JASPER
I never said I would play, only that a game would decide it—and you shook on it!  (To AGNES.)  One game of checkers and we can leave here.

MR. LETHE
What have I got to worry about, playing against a loser like her?

AGNES
But, Jasper—you know I hate checkers!

JASPER
(Urgently, privately.)  Play to win.  It’s only a game of checkers.

Checkers

BEATRIX
(Appears with a case file, direct address.)  Oh, boy…  Agnes hates checkers.  Probably because her sister was so good at it, and Agnes always lost.

(MR. LETHE starts playing AGNES.)

But see, the reason she always lost was probably due to the fact that, Agnes’s sister?  Was the Teenage Checkers Grand Champion six years in a row.  Yeah, yeah…  So though Agnes never won a game against her, she did learn a thing or two.

AGNES
King me.

BEATRIX
Though Agnes never won against her Grand Champion sister, she did win with everyone else.

(BEATRIX disappears as AGNES skips all MR. LETHE’S players and wins.)

JASPER
Victory! 

MR. LETHE
But—

AGNES
I win, Mr. Lethe.

MR. LETHE
(Long beat.  Then—) … NUTS!

(*ZAP* and blackout.)

BEHIND THE SCENE: JASPER IN DEADLAND (PART 13)

Shedding light on the creation of a musical, discussing fundamentals, timeless struggles, and real revelations.  This week:
When does a show demand reprises over new numbers?
By RSO

You may notice in most musicals, Act II has significantly fewer unique songs than Act I.  West Side Story has only four, as an example ("...Pretty," "Somewhere," "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love" and "...Krupke"), compared to Act I's eight or nine; Oklahoma only has three ("Farmer," "All 'Er Nuthin'," and the title song), compared to Act I's ten.

This is significant in part because songs-per-minute, the pace of unique songs begins to slow significantly.  I'll ascribe this to the fact that audiences can only hold onto so much new music at once, and reprises, longer scenes, and non-song material make the medicine go down a little bit better.

Furthermore, reprises emphasize musical "points" already made and (ideally) the story further highlights and strengthens the return.  I've found that in Act II, when story is, more than ever, driving full speed ahead with little time for asides and character-developing songs, we need as much music to translate the action as possible.  We search for any possible moment of dialogue or story here that can make use of existing material, keeping the action musical while remaining forward.  Oftentimes it's here that the score becomes whole or falls apart.

When I'm writing songs for any part of the show, I often ask myself if the themes and ideas as presented in the song lyrics could carry us through more than just the moment of origin.  As an example:

• When I wrote "Goodbye, Jasper!" I was writing not only the menacing chorus's refrain but also Agnes's dying words;
• In "Living Dead," Gretchen's triumphant "being dead is awesome!" could become Agnes's "being dead is all I have."
• Jasper's speculative, advisory "Stroke by Stroke" could become a desperate call to action later on.
• And naturally "Agnes" could be repeated ad finitum whenever needed because "Agnes" will always be an important subject in the show.

It may be useful to note that songs like "Hungry for Your Heart," which feel so thematically specific to one moment, come off as perhaps less important than those which extend past one circumstance.

But as the act goes on, there must be new information revealed and new feelings explored, and there we may find space for new songs.  In many ways these songs will rear their heads and demand their moment, demand to not be a reprise or dialogue -- and these often, will be even stronger songs than Act I songs for that very reason.

RYAN SCOTT OLIVER wrote the music and lyrics for Darling, Mrs. Sharp, 35mm, Jasper in Deadland and is currently at work on Freaky Friday for Disney Theatricals. www.ryanscottoliver.com
EMAIL HIM |  FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | FANSITE | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

JASPER IN DEADLAND (PART 12 OF 16)

Jasper makes a deal, and Agnes makes a move.  BOOM!
Music, Lyrics and Book by Ryan Scott Oliver

<< Jasper in Deadland (Part 11)
<< Start Jasper from the beginning

JASPER
Let her go, or else.

MR. LETHE
Yes yes yes, boy and so I shall—if we can come to a little agreement.  If you leave, I will free her, returning her soul to the City just as she was before you showed up, make her a middling little mapsellin’ angel again, and wash out all her memory.  She’ll be happy once more.  Everything returns as it should be, Life and Death resume as planned.  What do you say, Jasper? 

(JASPER says nothing.  The factory floor, THE CHUCKSTER bringing AGNES to a long conveyor belt.)

THE CHUCKSTER
(Handing her a putrid smock.)  All right all right, take this smock—‘t’s’got a coupla puke stains own it, but ‘at’s all right—and let’s git you over to this here conveyor belt.  Since you were so good at bottlin’ stuff up up thar, seems fittin’ to me that you should help the Man Upstairs cap his goods.

AGNES
(Examining the bottle.)  Mr. Lethe?  All this is his?

THE CHUCKSTER
Now you ever see that episode o’ I Love Lucy where she’s puttin’ choc’lates on a conveyor belt, but it gets stopped up so she puts ‘em all in her mouth?  Whoo-eeee, my fav’rite episode!  Well, if this conveyor belt gets stopped up, t’won’t be funny ‘cuz then you’ll be double-did.  And double-did means POOF, right out of (French inflection) ex-is-TAHNS.  Right, ladies?

ALL 49 DAUGHTERS OF DANAUS
(Variously in their own tempo.)  That’s right.  That’s right.  That’s right. (etc.)

THE CHUCKSTER
Shut-up!  Now, git to work, Lucy.  HYAH!  (Slaps HER hard on the back, and goes.)

AGNES
SO LONG, JASPER, SO LONG.
STAY STRONG, FRIEND…

A FACTORY WORKER BESIDE AGNES
When that psychotic redneck’s not looking, drink the water.  It’ll take the edge off…

AGNES
What edge?

A FACTORY WORKER BESIDE AGNES
It’ll make you forget.  You won’t remember… anything.  That’s what the river water does… Makes you forget.  Quick, he’s not looking.  Drink!

AGNES
I’ll forget everything…and everyone?

(Lethe’s office, MR. LETHE is picking and eating something from a bowl.)

MR. LETHE
I say, since you got here, I’ve been thinkin’.  A swimmer, such as yourself, has got to be the greatest fighter.  After all, human bein’s are not inherently water creatures, it’s most unnatural for them to be in the water, cut off from oxygen.  And so to survive, they have to kick and pull, and struggle just to stay afloat… or they die.  And that’s so like Human Life, isn’t it?  Some of your species’ finer men have suggested humans are natural survivors, but I strongly disagree.  Don’t you?  Doesn’t a human have to kick, and struggle, just to keep afloat?  Or die? … Pomegranate seed?

JASPER
If I have half her soul, and she has half of mine, you don’t have complete claim on her.  You can’t keep the half that’s mine.

MR. LETHE
I say, then let me just split her in half!

JASPER
Let me just stick around for a while and see how it goes up there.  I don’t think your boss will like that.

MR. LETHE
You wouldn’t.

JASPER
I’m a fighter, Mr. Lethe.

(MR. LETHE can’t help but laugh at a worthy opponent.  The factory floor.)

AGNES
… SMALL DETAILS BEGIN TO BLUR,                         
TILL THE PERSON THAT YOU WERE                        
SEEMS SO DISTANT.                                    
WAS THAT YOU?
AS EACH MEMORY ERASES,
THE PHOTOS OF FAMILIAR FACES
SMUDGE AND BLOT—
BUT YOU WON’T CARE A LOT—!
YOU’LL FORGET YOU FORGOT—!

(HEL enters the factory floor and passes the CHUCKSTER.  AGNES is distracted by their conversation.)

THE CHUCKSTER
Hel, is Mr. Lethe done with that boy yet?

HEL
Minutter på best, they making the deal.  Lunsj, now, Chuck.  Farvel.  (Mee-NOO-tuh paw best, Lonch, FAH-VELL.)

THE CHUCKSTER
Yeah, whatever you say.  (Catches AGNES looking at them.)  What’re you lookin’ at priddy kitty?!  You best not stop up that machine or I’ll make you a little less priddy!

(AGNES keeps to herself.  SHE’s getting an idea, building courage.)

AGNES
Jasper.  I’ve gotta save him.

FALL IN, FALL IN.
WHO’S TO SAY YOU'LL SURVIVE?
FIND OUT HOW DEEP...
LEARN THE SECRETS THEY KEEP
AT THE BOTTOM WHERE YOU ARRIVE…

(To the WORKER beside her.)  Stop capping the bottles.

WORKER
What?

AGNES
The belt will jam and we can escape!

WORKER
But after 3000 years, how can I stop?  They’ll… they’ll…

AGNES
They’ll what?  The Norse guards are on a break, it’s just the redneck.  Come on… live a little.

(They stop capping.  KA-PUT, KA-POW, BOOM!!  The machine jams as Agnes steps back towards the DAUGHTERS.)

THE CHUCKSTER
…The Hell is going on--!?  Whar’d she go!?

AGNES
(To the DAUGHTERS.)  Sorry about this, girls.

(She trips one and they all fall over.  SPLASH!  SPLASH!  The place floods!)

THE CHUCKSTER
Priddy kitty, I’m gonna skin ya when we clean this mess up!

AGNES
Hey, old man!  Yeah—you.  Take five and let that boulder fall!

(SISYPHUS hesitates, then lets go of his giant boulder.  It rolls downward, towards THE CHUCKSTER and the machine.)

THE CHUCKSTER
Smart Kitty. 

(THE CHUCKSTER is crushed under the boulder.  The factory is a disaster!)

AGNES
Which way to Mr. Lethe?

ALL 49 DAUGHTERS OF DANAUS
(Variously in their own tempo.)  He’s upstairs.  Take the elevator. (etc.)

AGNES
Thank you!

ALL 49 DAUGHTERS OF DANAUS
(Variously in their own tempo.)  Don’t mention it. (etc.)

(Lethe’s office.)

SECRETARY
(Entering.)  Mr. Lethe, the girl’s caused a flood in the factories.  The workers are rioting.

MR. LETHE
I say, don’t sound so upset. 

JASPER
How about a game?  And winner takes the pot.

MR. LETHE
What kind of game?

JASPER
I’ll name the game, you name the terms.

MR. LETHE
I don’t know what you’re at, boy—but I’ll step in your mess.  If the game goes my way, you leave, and the girl stays here.  If you win, I’ll send you to Elysium to take your case up with Pluto.

JASPER
That all?

MR. LETHE
Just about.  Now what’s the game?

JASPER
Checkers.

(AGNES bursts in.)

AGNES
Jasper.

JASPER
Agnes.

Go on to Part 13>>

Read the "Behind the Scene" article on this portion of Jasper here.

RYAN SCOTT OLIVER wrote the music and lyrics for Darling, Mrs. Sharp, 35mm, Jasper in Deadland and is currently at work on Freaky Friday for Disney Theatricals. www.ryanscottoliver.com
EMAIL HIM |  FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | FANSITE | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

The above excerpt of Jasper in Deadland is taken from a developmental draft workshopped by the Pasadena Musical Theatre Program in August 2011.  it is neither the final version of this work and neither the complete work nor any portion of it is, as of this posting, available for performance or licensing. 

Jasper in Deadland was originally commissioned by the Pasadena Musical Theatre Program. 

Photo credit: Matthew Murphy.
Photo 1: Alex Kownatzki and Chris Vidimos.  Photo 2: Tabitha Elder, Julia Byrne, Miriam Sulker-Hall.  Photo 3: Alex Kownatzki and Chris Vidimos.
Costumes by Gwyneth ConawayBennison, Lighting by Curtis Mueller, Sets by Kurt Boetcher, Puppets by Michelle Finston.