Characters (5 in total) 1 female, 4 males
Philip 30-35
Oliver 30-35
Sylvia 30-35
The Man/Peter/ doctor 35-45
Key words
Homosexuality
Tradition
Relationships
Changing times
Changing opinions
Sex addiction
Promiscuity
Cheating
Affairs
Stigma
Prejudice
Naughties
Fifties
Time 1958/2008
Set
-1958 apartment, living room and hall way. -2008 same apartment with modern touches such as a tv, lamp computer.
-2008 a modern London office at Blissful magazine
-1958 the park, park bench in autumn
-2008 Sylvia's flat and hallway modern
-1958 a doctors surgery desk, two chairs maybe an examination couch
-2008 the park bench
Place London
Specificity could transfer to other big cities in England and he world. Could work well as a piece in counties less tolerable of homosexuality
Synopsis
The Pride discusses and examines the changing attitudes towards homosexuality in 1958 and 2008.
The play intertwines between traditional 1950's and liberated, sometimes overtly liberated 2008.
In 1958 Philip and Sylvia are married and typically homosexuality is not a subject often discussed let alone tolerated. When Sylvia brings home her manager to meet her husband Philip, events change. Though it was illegal to practice homosexuality in England then it because clear that Oliver is Gay. Events transpire and Phillip eventually has an affair with Oliver over a period of 4 months.
Due to the illegalities of it, Phillip had buried his homosexual tendencies from the age of 13 when he discovered that he liked boys rather than girls.
Eventually Sylvia leaves Philip, and Philip checks in for therapy treatment that will "supposedly" cure him of his homosexuality. Even Philip finds his feelings to be disgusting and wrong. He is yet to understand and accept that his sexual preference is natural to him.
In 2008 there are similar characters, but rather they are the 2008 versions of.
Oliver is overtly promiscuous amongst the Gay community, taking the any opportunity to have anonymous sexualised encounters with other men. It backfires after his boyfriend Philip discovers what he is doing. Consequently their relationship ends and Oliver discovers that he he is deeply in love with Philip, though it may be to late to get him back. Olivers sex addiction shows the opposite end of the spectrum compared to 1958. Because he is able to do what he wants, he has abused this freedom and is the very thing stopping I'm from functioning in relationships and life. Sylvia pointing out that it's ok to have a normal homosexual relationship without having to cheat.
Sylvia is an actress, dating an Italian named Marco and struggles to maintain a relationship focus with her best friend, Olivier at her beck and call. She eventually comes straight with Oliver, no pun intended, asking him to back off a bit and allow her to grow in relationship with Marco.
Eventually Philip returns to give it a go with Oliver.
Both time settings highlight the extremes that homosexuality has gone through. The ridiculous attitudes of the fifties and the arguably to liberalised 2008 show the struggle and fight that homosexuality has done through and is still going through.
Monologues and duologues etc...
Pages 13-22. Three Hander.
(7 mins) 1958. Sylvia introduces her manager Oliver to her husband Philip. They exchange pleasantries about life and Oliver's travels over drinks. It's all very civilised, traditional and keeping with the period.
Pages 35-43 (7 mins) Duologue
2008, After letting himself in, Philip catches his newly ex boyfriend Oliver in the middle of a sexual role play with a man dressed as a Nazi.
Philip is not so shocked having already discovered that Oliver cheated on him previously, after giving a stranger a blow job.
Oliver tries to win Philip back by declaring his love for him, and admitting that he is a sex addict, addicted anonymous meets with men.
Pages 44-53. (7 mins) Duologue
Sylvia and Philip of 1958. Sylvia challenges Phillips behaviour towards Oliver. Phillip has a hung that Oliver is a homosexual, so keeps him at a distance. Phillip of course is doing this because Oliver triggers his desires for other men, in a time where homosexuality is illegal.
Oliver turns up drenched at Phillips door. Sylvia is away for the week.
Oliver tells Phillip that he is in love with him, after a previous unseen sexual encounter. Phillip tries his best to get rid of Oliver and deny his advances. In the end of the scene Phillip collapses in Oliver's lap and in an emotional reaction he rips Olivers clothes off and rapes him. This is a result of Phillips life long denial as a homosexual.
Pages 78-81 (varied in length depending on how you cut it down) Peter is the founder of Blissful magazine which is aimed at straight men aged 18-30. He delivers a Monologue pitching an idea he has for the magazine. He is taking to Oliver (2008) who is a journalist. He asks him to write a column about homosexual sex, giving straight men an insight in to a life that have not experienced. There are some touching and funny moments within his speeches.
Pages 89-97 (6 mins) Oliver turns up at Sylvia's door with a bloody lip after being "accidentally" hit in the face by an anonymous sex partner. This Duologue is a profound exchange between the two. Sylvia tries to talk Oliver out of his promiscuous lifestyle and in to one of more self respect and love. At the same time breaking the news that she has spoken to 2008 Philip, announcing that he will be joining them at 'Pride' in the morning. Oliver is thrown and excited by the news of seeing his ex. Sylvia drops a bomb at the end by saying telling Oliver that she needs to not see him so much, with him being very overbearing at times and needy, instead she wishes to spend more time with her boyfriend.
Pages 97-102. (7 mins) This duologue takes place in a doctors surgery. 1958 Philip is talking to a doctor about treatment he is about to receive. The treatment is a type of therapy that helps treat his homosexuality or "perversive behaviour". It is a clear reflection of the attitudes of the time when even the homosexual is disgusted with himself, no acknowledging that it is what he truly feels is ok and something natural to himself.
Page 101. (3 mins) The doctor within this duologue delivers a monologue, discussing the treatment that Philip of 1958 will go through to "cure" his homosexuality, including: being locked In a room with no windows, being exposed to homosexual, pornographic material, being injected three times throughout the night casing him to throw up violently, whilst suggesting he throws up on the floor as a reminder of the treatment. Presumably this process is to remind Philip of the traumatic experience he is about to go through, which should trigger him in to seeing his natural homosexual feelings as something unnatural.
Pages 104-105. (2-3mins) Sylvia of 2008 sits with Oliver 2008 after the 'Pride' march. Her monologue discusses people's attitudes towards the word 'Gay' and how people use it Ina derogatory way. She then discusses, quite profoundly that being gay doesn't mean you have you have continue in ways that homosexuals used to operate before it was legalised. She encourages Oliver to not hide in parks having anonymous secret sex, nor that he needs to sleep around. But he was s able to be gay and live in an open caring way with no secretes or self sabotage.
The writer. Links to other plays
Alexi Kaye Campbell
Alexi Kaye Campbell
Written by Josh Ashley-Smith
No comments:
Post a Comment