1CraigStroupe WritinginLayersCriticalMemoir

HowCanYouBeinTwoPlacesatOnceWhenYou’reNotAnyWhereatAll

FROMTHEFIRESIGNTHEATERALBUMDON’TCRUSHTHATDRAWF,HANDMETHEPLIERS:(Opening8secondsofalbumtoestablishtheunconventionalnatureandtoneoftheFiresignTheaterexperience)Off-micvoice:“We’rerolling….”SFX:Coughing,chairsscraping,indistinctvoices,thenonecomplainingvoiceemergesamongthehubbub,approaching:Janitor:“Youpeoplegottroubleshere?Idon’tknowwhyyoupeopleseemtothinkthisismagic.It’sjustthislittlechromiumswitchhere.Ah,youpeoplearesosuperstitious….”Churchyorganmusicbegins,thenunderandout:MUSIC:FadeupopeningfewinstrumentalbarsofSteelyDan’s“FM”astheFiresignTheatreclipcontinuesunder.Musiccontinuesundernarration,buttoolowtohearlyrics.(AfterthecoldopenfeaturingtheFiresignTheaterclip,theclipofthesong“FM”providesanaurabridgetothenarrativelayer.Thesongalsosuggeststhe1970shistoricalcontextandalsothefactthattheFiresignTheateroriginatedinearlyFMradioprogramming,whichofferedamoreopened,long-formalternativetothehighlycommercializedAMradioformat.)

NARRATORInthelate1960sandearly'70s,TheFiresignTheatrerecordedonCBSRecordsastringofexperimentalcomedyalbums¾long,strange,surrealsagas¾thatbecametouchstonesofthecounterculture.TheLibraryofCongresscalledthem"theBeatlesofComedy."In1971,inthequietsuburbanworldofTitusville,Florida,IdiscoveredTheFiresignTheatreonahome-recordedcassetteintheaudiocollectionofthelocalpubliclibrary.Itwasamysteryhowsuchacassettecametobethere.Buthowthealbumitselfwaswrittenandperformedwasevenmoremysterious—46minutesofcomedythatfeltmorelikeacodedmessagefullofsecretsthatIhadaccidentlyintercepted.Decadeslater,Iwonderhowthatdiscoveryaffectedme.Beyondthejokesandthestoriesofthealbums,IamonlynowbeginningtoseehowthetechniquesofTheFiresignTheater—bornoflate-60sinnovationslikeFMradioandmulti-trackrecordingstudios—wereamessagefromafuturethatnoneofuscouldhaveimagined.

MUSIC:fadeupendof“FM.”SILENCE:onebeatFROMDON’TCRUSH…(from2:20to2:50onthealbumtoestablishalbum’ssatireofhammybroadcastpreacherandreligiousservice)VoiceofReverendE.L.Mouse:“…icrophoneworking?Isitgoingtobeallright?”Audience:“Itgonnabeaaaalright.”ReverendMouse:“Ha,ha,ho!Youbet,DearFriends,itisgoingtobeallright.ItgoingtobeallrighttonighthereatthePowerhouseChurchofthePresumptuousAssumptionoftheBlindingLight.”Organmusicswelling

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2Solo,amateursingerbackedbyorgan:“Ohblindinglight,Ohlightthatblinds,Icannotsee,Lookoutforme”Sound:Singerfallingover.

NARRATORHowcanIdescribethequiet,sun-bleached,middle-classenclaveofTitusville,Florida,intheearly‘70s

MUSIC:JethroTull’s1971song“LocomotiveBreath”(fadeupunderasnarrationcontinuesthenfadesouttowardend)

—abedroomcommunitypopulatedbypeoplewhoworkedattheKennedySpaceCenteracrosstheIndianRiver,visitedtheWinnDixiegrocerystore,andwenttochurch?Duringhighschool,Titusvillerepresentedformeeverythingthatwassmall-minded,conventional,literal,andtediouslycommercial.

MUSIC:fadeinunderNARRATORandcontinues,slowlyuptomakeaudiblethelinefromthe“FM”lyric:“…nothingbutbluesandElvis,andsomebodyelse’sfavoritesong…”.

ThatpartofFloridaseemedasunrelentinglyuncreativeinspiritasitwasmercilesslyhot.IlistenedtoWORJinOrlando,about40milesaway—aprogressiverockstationthatmightaswellhavebeenbroadcastingfromLondon.IrememberIwouldgotothelow-slung,newlybuiltpubliclibrarytosoakuptheairconditioningandwriteshortstoriesandsonglyrics.OnedayIfoundinthelibrary’ssmallcollectionofcassettesamysterioushome-recordedtapeinaplasticcasewithahandwrittenlabel,“TheFiresignTheatre.”Notracktitles,nopictures,noexplanation.Itwastheonlyunfamiliarornon-commerciallyrecordedtapeinthecollection,andIcheckeditoutandtookithometolistentoonthesinglespeakerofmylittlecassettetaperecorder.

FROMDON’TCRUSH…(from7:19to7:40onthealbum,obliquelycontinuingReverendMouse’sservice,whichthenfadesunderthesoundofGeorgeTirebitertalkingtohimselfashe’swatchingtheserviceontelevision,andsoonswitchesthechanneltoacommercial.ThisclipdemonstratesthekindofaudioeditingandlayeringthattheFiresignTheaterpioneeredfordramatic,comicpurposes):SXFonalbum:Airplanecrashlands.Flash:“I’mdown!Thankyou,DearFriends,I’mdown,I’mgroundedsafeandsound,trailingcloudsofglory,I’mdown.AndI’mmarching!Yes,DearFriends,I’mmarchingtodinner!‘CauseGodamighty,I’mhungry!Yes!I’mhungry!Safeandsoundandhungry!”

NARRATORThedialogueonthealbumwasalmostpoeticinitsrhythm,initsintentionality.Butwhocouldimagineitsintention?Liketheweirdshiftofthechurchservicewhichapparentlymadeeatingthesolefocusofworship.

FROMDON’TCRUSH…AudienceatService(answeringFlash’slastlineabove):“We’rehungry!”Flash:Ofcourseyou’rehungry!I’mhungry!We’reallhungry!Solet’seat!

3Audience:“Let’seat!”Flash:“Andhesaidtheword!”Voice:“Whatwasit?”Flash:“Andweateit!Hotdog!Andwhatwastheword?”Audience:“HotDog!”Flash:“HotDog!Yes,DearFriends,amightyhotdogisourLord.I’mnottalkingabouthate.I’mtalkingaboutAte!DinneratEight!Let’seat!”Voice:“Moresugar!”Flash:[continuesontheTVinthebackground]:Ah,thegloriesoffood,thecommunicationofcommunion.EthylandRosenburgarepassingamongyouwiththeplates….”George[yawnsandwakesfromnap]:Mustbefouro’clockinthemorning.Isureamhungry.”Flash[under]:Iwantyoutopickofthoseplatesandeatofthecondiments,thenIwantyoutofillyourbodiesandyourmouthsandyourmindswiththethoughtsandrealitiesoffood…”.

NARRATOR

I’mtryingtorecoverwhoIwaswhenfirstheardDon’tCrushThatDrawf,HandMethePliersandwhatIthoughtofit.Thetapewas,first,amysteryinalifethatseemedshortonmystery.Somebodyintownhadcopiedthisfromsomewhere:Ididn’tknowwho,or,whereorwhen¾amessageinabottle.Therewasnointernettolookitup.IjustknewthatwhatIwashearingwaschaoticandstrangebutalsosomehowpurposeful.Ittookthreelisteningsoveracoupleofeveningsjusttograspthebasicstructureofthealbum¾aformerchildmoviestar,GeorgeTirebiter,watchingTVallnight:areligiousservice,assortedfragmentsofcommercialsandshows,andpiecesofseveralofhisownoldmovies.

FROMDON’TCRUSH(7:19):Flash:“DearFriends,Jesussaid,‘Letusbeaschildren.’Andwhatdochildrendo?Theystuffthemselvesfromdaytonight.Theyeat.Theyfillthemselveswiththerealityofexistence,myfriends….(SermoncontinuesontelevisionuntilGeorgespeaksagaintohimself):George[looking]:“Nocookiesleft…glassofgreenmaraschinocheeries….Halfajarofmayonnaise….no,that’smymescaline.LaughingCowCheese…Jeezus!Boyismymouthdry![WalkingbackandturningupTV]Flash[under]:Wemusteatofourfriendsthebirds,ofourfriendsthecows,ofourfriendthepig.Yes,it’sgoodtoeatafriend,myfriend.Andwhentheduckcomesdownwiththemagicword,whatistheword?”George[yawns]:“I’msohungry….There’snothingtoeathere!”Flash[under]:Thewordis‘Food!”Andweatehim.Eat!Eat!SFXonalbum:TVclickArnieBohunk:[onTV]“…urroundedbyathin,thin16-milimetershell,andinsideit’sdelicious!”George[aside]:“I’llbet.”Arnie:“That’sArnie’sWholeBeefHalves—WeDeliever.Thirsty?George:“That’sme!”Arnie:“Wouldn’tyoulikesomeofthisOldFilipinoCreemy,comin’inshortsandquarts?”George:“Yeah!”Arnie:“Andtubsofslaw.”George:“Gimmetwo.”

4Arnie:“Sorry,onlyoneTubperfamily.That’sWholeBeefHalves—WeDeliver.Everywhere.”LocalAnnouncer:“OffernotgoodaftercurfewinSectorsRorN.”George:“Theynevercomeupintothehills,thoseguys.”SFXonalbum:NewsteletypeonTV.NewsAnnouncer:“ThisistheHouroftheWolfNews.BigLightinSkiestoAppearinEast.SonicBoomsScareMinorityGroupsinSectorB.Andthere’sHamburgerallovertheHighwayinMystic,Connecticut.”FROM“QANDA”(42:56,PhilAustin):“ThesecretmessageswerebeingpassedbypeopleascommercialastheBeatlesandRollingStones…

NARRATOR:PhilAustinoftheFiresignTheater,speakingin2010

FROM“QANDA”(42:63,PhilAustin):…andallthesepeople—all,likeyou,wereplaying,inourmindsatleast,tryingtolookforconnections.Wewerealldesperatelytryingtolookforconnections.AsImentionedbefore,wewerescaredshitless.”

NARRATOR:TheVietnamwar,thedraft:theseterrorsbelongedtothoseafewyearsolderthanme.ButeveninTitusville,Florida,in1971,weknewthatthe‘60sweren’tover,andthatthevisionofwhateverwouldcomenextlayinallthelooseendsofthings,theunmadeconnections.

————————————————————————————————Sources

FiresignTheatre.Don’tCrushThatDwarf,HandMethePliers.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLZOXm3zY1wFiresignTheatre.“Q&A”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y7FjypYcnIJethroTull.“LocomotiveBreath.”Aqualung. SteelyDan.“FM.”GreatestHits.

Addendum:HighlightsoftheScriptFormatforNewMediaWritingStudents

51.NamingYourPurpose(Genre)Thisisaverybriefbutcrucialelementofthescript.Bychoosingtonamethegenreyou’reworkingin,you’relettingthereadersofyourscriptknowupfrontjustwhatyourpurposeis—whattoneandshapeyou’relookingfor.Infact,you’relettingyourselfknow!Areyouwritinghorrorfiction?apersuasiveargument?amoviereview?apersonalessay?Intheexampleabove,youseetheminglingoftwogenres:criticismandmemoir.Whateveryourgenre,youshouldhaveexamplesinmind(orfindthemtolookat).Ifyouputthenameofagenreatrandomhere,oruseagenrewithoutreallyknowingwhatitis,yourreaderswillbeexpectingsomethingdifferentfromwhatyou’reofferingthem.

2.DirectionorCommentsNoticethatyoucan(andshould)includecommentaryordirectiontogivethescriptreaders¾includingactors,directors,andtechnicalpeople—anideaofwhateffectsandmeaningsyou’reintending.

3.WordsfromClipsIfthewordsinaclip(asonglyricoradramaticscene)addorsuggestmeaningtoyourscript,besuretotranscribethosewordsintoyourscript.ThisisanimportantaspectofWritinginLayers:wordshappeninginthislayerspeaktowordshappeninginthatlayer—allbecauseyou’veeditedthemtogetherinthisscript.

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4.Clipsvs.OriginalDialogue/MonologueNoticethatsomepassagesinthescriptarejustifiedleftandsomeareindentedaninch.Wordsfrom“clips”(alreadyrecordedbysomeoneelseorbyyouatanearliertime)arejustifiedallthewaytotheleft.Wordsthatyouwriteandneedtorecordareindented1inch.Whatifyouwriteandrecordfictionalclips,likethedramatizationsofactorsperformingthewordsspokenbysomeonewhowasn’torcanneverberecorded?Ifyourscriptrequiresthatthewordsberecordedbyyou,thosepassagesshouldbeindented.Youcanincludeanitalicizeddirectionorcommentinparenthesistomakeclearthatthispassageshouldsoundlikeaclipandwhythatsuitsyourpurposes.