Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Boat to Tallinn – Chekhov-like
This was a note I just made to myself. I'm in the middle of finishing the Devil in Helsinki story, in a short story format that will eventually become the script. It's the method I've used thus far, with every page of short story equal to between 2-8 pages of script. At the moment I'm at page 47 of the script and page 5 of the short story of the middle and ending. I think I will probably end up with another 7-12 pages of short story and another 60 or so script pages.
And I just got to a point where the two main characters will be taking a slow, winter boat from Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia (about a 4 hour journey through the ice) and I made the note, Chekhov-like to myself to remind me of the trip that we took to Estonia through the ice with Kelly and Frank. It was a surreal situation. It very much reminded us of a boat ride to limbo.
Kelly was enthusiastic about the potential staging of "Three Sisters" on board the boat. And so I wrote the note to myself so that I would remember the atmosphere of that boat ride and apply it to the boat ride in the story. But then it dawned on me, I have no idea what Chekhov-like is like. I don't think I have ever read anything by the man.
So what the hell did I make that note for? That's what I'm getting at here. I make a note for myself to use a particular Chekhov esthetic with the boat ride, but I know I don't know what that really is. All I know is that if Kelly would stage "Three Sisters" there, it must be pretty damned Chekhov-like. And since I was on the boat, and I remember what it was like, I am therefore assuming through a very weak osmosis, I now know what Chekhov-like is like. But don't make me take a test or anything. I would fail miserably.
This was a note I just made to myself. I'm in the middle of finishing the Devil in Helsinki story, in a short story format that will eventually become the script. It's the method I've used thus far, with every page of short story equal to between 2-8 pages of script. At the moment I'm at page 47 of the script and page 5 of the short story of the middle and ending. I think I will probably end up with another 7-12 pages of short story and another 60 or so script pages.
And I just got to a point where the two main characters will be taking a slow, winter boat from Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia (about a 4 hour journey through the ice) and I made the note, Chekhov-like to myself to remind me of the trip that we took to Estonia through the ice with Kelly and Frank. It was a surreal situation. It very much reminded us of a boat ride to limbo.
Kelly was enthusiastic about the potential staging of "Three Sisters" on board the boat. And so I wrote the note to myself so that I would remember the atmosphere of that boat ride and apply it to the boat ride in the story. But then it dawned on me, I have no idea what Chekhov-like is like. I don't think I have ever read anything by the man.
So what the hell did I make that note for? That's what I'm getting at here. I make a note for myself to use a particular Chekhov esthetic with the boat ride, but I know I don't know what that really is. All I know is that if Kelly would stage "Three Sisters" there, it must be pretty damned Chekhov-like. And since I was on the boat, and I remember what it was like, I am therefore assuming through a very weak osmosis, I now know what Chekhov-like is like. But don't make me take a test or anything. I would fail miserably.
// posted by Howard @ 12:35 AM 
