Monday, June 28, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Seven Snakes - The Characters Thus Far (This Script is still in development)
In order of appearance
Donkeyface - A nomadic entrepreneur and survivalist who runs his own delivery service out here in Skillet County. He used to have a wagon and a team of donkeys to drive it, but since hard time have hit the Skillet about a decade ago, his delivery service has had to sustain some unexpected downsizing. He is at least 50. Any man with that much mileage on his face and body who aint at least 50 would sure be a sorry sight in the eyes anyone. Wizened, Shaggy, Horny.
Mother - late 40's a free thinker who took a job working as an RN at the Skillet County Veteran's Administration Hospital because when the hard times hit, there weren't much else to choose from. A single mother. She has recently been afflicted with some sort of disease from which there is no cure. She is planning for her last days. She is ornery, perhaps having bigger balls then any of the old octogenarian veterans with whom she is charged to treat. Her daughter often refers to her as half woman/half cactus. She is rough and tough. The only person who ever sees a softer side would be her daughter, but even then that soft side might only be a dream.
Daughter - Our protagonist. Just barely 17, she is her Mother's Daughter. Not as tough, but she has an edge when you piss her off. She cares about this world, because it is the only world she has even known. Her Mother's death thrusts her whole way of life into chaos. Having lived most of her life out here on the Skillet, until the events of her story unfold, she has never seen a young man anywhere except on TV. It is this fact that helps explain all her confusion about the Man she encounters. She knows a little something about the birds and the bees, and she is used to the attentions of men, since she is the only target for the Octogenarians to aim their libidos towards.
The Judge - Leader of the Octogenarian Veterans. An Ancient yet potent military man. Extremely conservative in all aspects except for his dress and his taste in military equipment. He has an almost unquestionable authority over the other veterans at the Skillet County Veteran's Admin Hospital. He is into badges and medals and has been awarded many, some by the armed forces, some self awarded since the hard times hit and communication with the military establishment has been shoddy at best. He envisions himself as a protector of the citizenry and the American way. When severely confronted and offended he can and does become quite dangerous. His inflexibility becomes psychotic. The ultimate wingnut.
Sicko the Judge's Second Banana - Another Octogenarian Veteran. Probably more akin to a teabagger, birther, minuteman, ex rodeo clown. Sicko is xenophobic, foul mouthed, racist, and unrepentant. Whereas the Judge always attempts to maintain a dignified poise, Sicko has no problem expressing his most abhorrent and scatological prejudices. He is everything that is dumb and inevitable about the western style baddie/second banana villain.
The Man - A tall young dark skinned man reminiscent of Clint Eastwood. A variation on the man in black. He is the first of the seven snakes.
Mr. Hey - The sole surviving conscientious objector when the Judge calls for vengeance in the second act. Mr. Hey pays dearly, but he also gives his footlocker key and with it his hidden arsenal to the Daughter before he passes.
The Fourth Brother - A violent bandit who wants to avenge the death or his family, as well as punish the Man for his recent betrayals to the cause. A fundamentalist in the most frightening sense.
Agent R - Government Intelligence Agent. Sunglasses. Ear bud. Suit, Tie, Apron when necessary.
Agent T - Government Intelligence Agent. Sunglasses. Ear bud. Suit, Tie, Apron when necessary. A little more cautious than Agent R
The Fifth Brother - Kidnapped, Waterboarded, put through the same paces that those at Abu Grahib and Guantanamo were put through.
Various Octogenarian Veterans, as well as The Second, Third, Sixth, and Seventh Brother (double casting here is probable)
Donkeyface - A nomadic entrepreneur and survivalist who runs his own delivery service out here in Skillet County. He used to have a wagon and a team of donkeys to drive it, but since hard time have hit the Skillet about a decade ago, his delivery service has had to sustain some unexpected downsizing. He is at least 50. Any man with that much mileage on his face and body who aint at least 50 would sure be a sorry sight in the eyes anyone. Wizened, Shaggy, Horny.
Mother - late 40's a free thinker who took a job working as an RN at the Skillet County Veteran's Administration Hospital because when the hard times hit, there weren't much else to choose from. A single mother. She has recently been afflicted with some sort of disease from which there is no cure. She is planning for her last days. She is ornery, perhaps having bigger balls then any of the old octogenarian veterans with whom she is charged to treat. Her daughter often refers to her as half woman/half cactus. She is rough and tough. The only person who ever sees a softer side would be her daughter, but even then that soft side might only be a dream.
Daughter - Our protagonist. Just barely 17, she is her Mother's Daughter. Not as tough, but she has an edge when you piss her off. She cares about this world, because it is the only world she has even known. Her Mother's death thrusts her whole way of life into chaos. Having lived most of her life out here on the Skillet, until the events of her story unfold, she has never seen a young man anywhere except on TV. It is this fact that helps explain all her confusion about the Man she encounters. She knows a little something about the birds and the bees, and she is used to the attentions of men, since she is the only target for the Octogenarians to aim their libidos towards.
The Judge - Leader of the Octogenarian Veterans. An Ancient yet potent military man. Extremely conservative in all aspects except for his dress and his taste in military equipment. He has an almost unquestionable authority over the other veterans at the Skillet County Veteran's Admin Hospital. He is into badges and medals and has been awarded many, some by the armed forces, some self awarded since the hard times hit and communication with the military establishment has been shoddy at best. He envisions himself as a protector of the citizenry and the American way. When severely confronted and offended he can and does become quite dangerous. His inflexibility becomes psychotic. The ultimate wingnut.
Sicko the Judge's Second Banana - Another Octogenarian Veteran. Probably more akin to a teabagger, birther, minuteman, ex rodeo clown. Sicko is xenophobic, foul mouthed, racist, and unrepentant. Whereas the Judge always attempts to maintain a dignified poise, Sicko has no problem expressing his most abhorrent and scatological prejudices. He is everything that is dumb and inevitable about the western style baddie/second banana villain.
The Man - A tall young dark skinned man reminiscent of Clint Eastwood. A variation on the man in black. He is the first of the seven snakes.
Mr. Hey - The sole surviving conscientious objector when the Judge calls for vengeance in the second act. Mr. Hey pays dearly, but he also gives his footlocker key and with it his hidden arsenal to the Daughter before he passes.
The Fourth Brother - A violent bandit who wants to avenge the death or his family, as well as punish the Man for his recent betrayals to the cause. A fundamentalist in the most frightening sense.
Agent R - Government Intelligence Agent. Sunglasses. Ear bud. Suit, Tie, Apron when necessary.
Agent T - Government Intelligence Agent. Sunglasses. Ear bud. Suit, Tie, Apron when necessary. A little more cautious than Agent R
The Fifth Brother - Kidnapped, Waterboarded, put through the same paces that those at Abu Grahib and Guantanamo were put through.
Various Octogenarian Veterans, as well as The Second, Third, Sixth, and Seventh Brother (double casting here is probable)
Friday, June 25, 2010
Seven Snakes - Inspiration Two
One of my artistic heroes, Guy Maddin, talks about having a space to create. He fills this space with pictures that inspire him to want to tell stories. I'm going to do that a little bit here at the blog in relation to the Mammals' new show SEVEN SNAKES
Who is the JUDGE in SEVEN SNAKES?
Every western needs its baddie, and our head baddie is an Octogenarian Veteran nicknamed the Judge. I was trying to remember what inspired this character. Combing through Google images, I found these images and I couldn't resist the visual comparisons.
It is an established stereotype in art and literature, the high ranking military man whose sense of duty,dogma, tradition becomes corrupted by xenophobia and hubris resulting in potentially catastrophic displays of power. Sometimes it isn't a military figure, but it appears to almost always be a patriarchal presence. For instance a statesman, law officer, high ranking administrator.
They are our elders, but they are not our fathers. We should not mistake their compassion of convenience with anything approaching paternal concern, even if they themselves make that same mistake.
Self proclaimed Abrahams that always see themselves as heroes regardless what darkness they enable, they insist we perform the role of Issac. They lift the sword slow in anticipation of the divine throat clearing itself in warning.
Who is the JUDGE in SEVEN SNAKES?
Every western needs its baddie, and our head baddie is an Octogenarian Veteran nicknamed the Judge. I was trying to remember what inspired this character. Combing through Google images, I found these images and I couldn't resist the visual comparisons.
It is an established stereotype in art and literature, the high ranking military man whose sense of duty,dogma, tradition becomes corrupted by xenophobia and hubris resulting in potentially catastrophic displays of power. Sometimes it isn't a military figure, but it appears to almost always be a patriarchal presence. For instance a statesman, law officer, high ranking administrator.
They are our elders, but they are not our fathers. We should not mistake their compassion of convenience with anything approaching paternal concern, even if they themselves make that same mistake.
Self proclaimed Abrahams that always see themselves as heroes regardless what darkness they enable, they insist we perform the role of Issac. They lift the sword slow in anticipation of the divine throat clearing itself in warning.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Seven Snakes - Inspiration One
One of my artistic heroes, Guy Maddin, talks about having a space to create. He fills this space with pictures that inspire him to want to tell stories. I'm going to do that a little bit here at the blog.
This shot from Once Upon a Time In The West inspires me. So many of the images from this movie burned themselves into my brain, and from those borrowed visuals some how SEVEN SNAKES slowly percolated in my mind.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
We want you to be a part of our next show - SEVEN SNAKES!
The Mammals are holding auditions on July 24th for our next production called SEVEN SNAKES. Part Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Part The Searchers, Part Naked Lunch, Part Romeo and Juliet, Part Beauty and Beast. That's a lot of parts!
SEVEN SNAKES is an apocalyptic western set 30 years from now in the remains of what was once The Arizona desert.
A Young Woman must choose sides as a Group of Octogenarian Veterans of Foreign Desert Wars engage in a mythic battle with a team of mysterious masked gunslingers known as the Seven Snakes.
The Mammals are currently looking for actors of Latino, Arabic, or Native American descent to audition for the team of gunslingers.
The Mammals are also looking for Men of all ages and types to audition for the roles of the Octogenarian Veterans.
This will be a huge ensemble piece in the spirit of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah.
If you would like to schedule an audition or ask questions, then email us at themammals at gmail dot com.
Please share this audition notice with any actors who you think might be interested!
Rehearsals Start August 1st
The Show Previews Sept 18th and opens Sept 25th running Fridays and Saturdays thru November 6th
Sunday, June 06, 2010
What's Next?
So, MEATLOCKER is now the past. The Mammals are going to set aside Noir for now and get ready for our first foray into the Western. Coming soon - SEVEN SNAKES
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