Icarus Plays

Director’s Notes

Production Notes for “Sleepwalk”

By Michael Fisher, Theatre Director, Thurston High School
Development director for “Sleepwalk.”

The beauty of this script (and all of Bill’s work, I believe) is that producing it gives the director so many options. For though there are a few “wrong” answers, there are so many other strong possibilities. My goal here is to identify some important points and, better still, to encourage you to discover your own ways to bring them to life. What I want to avoid is to suggest that just because we did the show a certain way that it’s only way.

IT’S A PROJECT, NOT JUST A PLAY: First and foremost, I don’t believe this show should be done in isolation. Teen suicide and depression is a huge issue and the play brings up several concepts that need to be processed, both by the cast & the audience. To simply put the show on and not acknowledge the deeper issue or to call it “our teen suicide prevention project” is to diminish the importance of the topic and, worse still, to potentially cause what you’re hoping to prevent. Research shows that suicide prevention programs can raise awareness, but it is clear that the benefits are only seen when people have an opportunity to respond to the material.

Thus, it is important that the play be performed in conjunction with a wellorganized suicide awareness program. You can follow the program outlined in the guidebook, created by the fine people of Health World that accompanies the play, or there are a number of strong programs available. One that has certainly influenced my work with the play is the SAFE:teen program (for more information, contact SAFE:teen at their web site: www.safe-teen.com) and there are others as well. Above all, don’t take on this play without being willing and capable of dealing with the rush of questions and emotions it will bring up.

I also recommend that the director and even all the producing adults read up on suicidology. I recommend anything by Dr. Edwin Schneidman (especially “Autopsy of a Suicidal Mind”) and, for a different perspective, Carla Fine’s book, “No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One.”

TECH CONCERNS: Obviously, this is a play that is written to appeal to teens – an audience that is VERY visually oriented. However, that doesn’t mean that the play has to be a tech nightmare. There are a lot of good, simple ideas that can create great visual effects for little to no money. Again, please don’t take these ideas as prescriptive. If you’ve got a better idea that works for your production, go for it. However, be willing to filter your design through the lens of “does this draw attention to itself strictly as a cool effect or does it really help the understanding of the material?” You want to land on the latter.

• COSTUMES: Some of the characters are stereotypes, so it’s important that the audience readily & easily buy into the stereotype right away. Also, the costumes help exaggerate Dillon’s perceptions and add to the “tunnel vision,” so I believe the more exaggerated the characters, the more we’re adhering to the actual research on suicide. The ones that are most important, I’ve included below. You may contact Perri Allison’s (the original costumer for SLEEPWALK) at perriallison@msn.com for help on constructing the costumes.
  • Conscience: This character is supposed to be readily identified as a Puritan, fresh off the Mayflower. So, you want to drive this design as closely as possible to mass-media images of Thanksgiving. I recommend using really visible and obnoxious looking running shows.
  • Zen Master: Our design was driven by the Kung Fu master from the 2nd “Kill Bill” movie, though we used materials that were more readily available. The character is referred to as the “Zen Master from my video game” – that seems like a good place to start. We also sewed in a pocket inside a huge drooping sleeve so she could carry a water glass on stage without the audience seeing it. Also, drawing it out from a sleeve does a lot to support the cartoon stereotype. In our production, this actor also played the “music teacher.”
  • Amygdala: We chose to do this as cartoonishly as possible, so Perri designed and built a “muscle suit” that the actor wore. Certainly, I think it could be done without the suit, perhaps in a wrestling singlet or even some sort of weight lifters shorts. However, what appealed to me about the suit is the exaggeration of the Amygdala character stereotype (along with all the other stereotypical characters) that seemed to go along with Dillon’s tunnel vision and the tendency of suicidal personalities to “blow things way out of proportion.”
  • Inner Child: We designed a series of tearaway clothing in velcro & snaps that the actor shed as he grew up before Dillon’s eyes. He started out in a baby’s cap & swaddling gown then pulled it off to reveal a “onesy” pajama. He stepped out of that to Osh Kosh-like overalls and shirt with a colorful hat that he put on. The overalls came off and he was in jeans, then the shirt came off to a sports-inspired t-shirt and cap. The sports shirt and cap was ripped off to reveal a “Simpsons” shirt and then, the final costume was an exact replica of what Dillon was wearing. Always got a few gasps from the audience at that moment. Very cool. It’s a great effect, especially if it happens quickly and efficiently. In our production, The Inner Child also played Sigmund Freud. We accomplished this by simply using a tweed coat over the base child costume (yes, one more layer) and a corny nose, glasses and goatee. It’s a quick change to the Inner Child behind the screen then the actor roles through the screen as the first child. It’s complicated and you may to consider having a different actor play this role.
  • The Thought Police. We chose a decidedly “NYPD Blue” look for these characters – the “good cop/bad cop.” The Bad Cop as the trench coat, rumpled, tough guy and the Good Cop as a seductive female that both charms and confuses Dillon. Another possibility that a colleague suggested, which I really like, but lacked the time to develop, was to do something more “Matrix” – like: the Mr. Smith character.
• Pre-frontal cortex & amygdala speech: Conscience does a speech early on describing the actual medical development of the pre-frontal cortex and the effect of the amygdala on teen emotions. The speech is written in an Old English style and is, consequently, difficult to understand. Even if it were in modern English, the concept is so big that it would be difficult to communicate effectively. A couple of suggestions to help over come this:
  • Prep the audience in advance. If it’s a group of students who have done some preparation work on suicide, then include the medical facts about the pre-frontal cortex not developing in humans till they reach their mid-20s. If you’re doing the show for a community group that may not have had any preparation, include a short blurb on this medical fact in the program.
  • Create a strong visual to aide and entertain. We created a shadow play using Amygdala and some cut-outs & props while Conscience was delivering the speech. The Thought Police actors held a white piece of projection cloth (a white bed sheet is adequate) and turned on a strong light about two feet off the ground and upstage, center. Amygdala appeared between the sheet & the light source and created a shadow on the sheet. The actor playing Inner Child laid down directly behind the sheet and was masked by a black piece of material. During the speech, various cut outs and props were put up for Amygdala to vanquish. For example, when Conscience said: “over-throw all civility…” a smiley face cut-out popped up and Amygdala hit it. Or at “impulses to gain thy bread & meat…” a stuffed bunny popped up and Amygdala attacked and ate it. And when Conscience said “all predilections toward procreation and reproduction of thy species…” a Barbie doll went up and Amygdala wagged his tongue and grabbed her. And the audience roared.
  • I have to admit that I don’t think this is the best solution: it’s funny and entertaining, but it doesn’t do much to encourage understanding of the concept. Ideally, some sort of rear-projected animation that ran concurrent to Conscience’s speech would be very cool and way more beneficial to the understanding of the concept. My idea was to have an animation / cartoon that would start out with an animated Amygdala flexing & posing then over-powering a youthful, puritanical, prefrontal cortex. As Conscience’s narrative continued, we would see Amygdala peeking out and chasing down prey and then stalking a doeeyed female. I’m including the preliminary drawings that we developed to create an animation. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and money to do anything more. If you do something, please contact me – I’d love to see it! Perhaps you’d consider letting us post it on the site and make it available to everyone.
• The Suicide Video. At the end of the play, Dillon’s suicide video plays for everyone to see. This is a very strong moment in the show since it feels so real and I encourage you not to replace it with something else. We did it by using an LCD projector, hooked up to a VCR or a digital video camera. We plugged the sound into the house sound system, using a standard XLR cable and a high-impedance to low-impedance adapter with a stereo phono plug to RCA adapter (both available at any Radio Shack). If you don’t have a sound system and you’re in a fairly small room, you could easily hook it up to a “boom box” with an auxiliary input. You can make the video with a camera and even use the same camera to play back the tape and use the same white projection cloth or bed sheet from the Amygdala scene and rear-project the video. We toured the show to multiple venues and had no problems whatsoever making this work anywhere we played. Even if you have to hold a hand mic to the LCD projector or video camera, the effect is well worth the effort.
• Set. All you really need is a sturdy table. Used to it’s full potential (sat on, climbed on, hidden behind, as an obstacle, etc…), it’s an excellent piece. We placed ours DR and made it the base for the Rock Star. It also served as Dillon’s bed.
• Lighting. It would be easy to create a complex lighting plot that would likely do a lot to support the show. However, I also think the show works without doing too much either. One thing that does seem important though is to establish lighting that creates a difference between when Dillon is in the dream and when he’s reliving moments with May Flowers and the Music Teacher. I’d also encourage some sort of “other” look for those moments with Zen Master, Amygdala, Conscience, the Thought Police, & Inner Child. Ideally, these should be well lit moments, because they tend to be stressful for Dillon. We used a blue wash & pin-pointed spots for the moments with the Rock Star and a warm wash for the moments with May Flowers (the one exception was the bedroom scene – we did that in a cool & warm spot to help with the mood). For the rest of the scenes, we did a combination of cool & warm to create brighter, but different looks for each of the other characters. At the end of the play, we wanted to sort of mimic the feel of a dramatic moment at a rock concert, so, as Dillon shreds the note and tosses it above his head, we lowered the front lights and brought up the US light to create a strong silhouette of Dillon. Also, pack the note with some extra chunks of shredded paper to add to the image – take it even a step further and rain confetti down from the ceiling on Dillon with the note – it catches the light and looks very cool. Don’t despair though if you’re doing the show with only the glow of whatever lighting is available: though it’s not a perfect solution, we’ve done it that way too and it still works.
• Sound. Music plays a huge part in Dillon’s life, so it’s important that some sort of rock theme be present through out the show. We commissioned a musician to write and record the theme music for this play, including the central “Sleepwalk” chorus that Dillon sings at the beginning and end of the show and the Amygdala “rap.” Licensing a production of this play includes the rights to use these music files in conjunction with the play (though any other use is prohibited). Besides the beginning and ending rock “Sleepwalk” themes, there are also “leit motif” files for the entrances of Amygdala, Inner Child, Zen Master, the Thought Police, & Conscience. Note that they are, mostly, the same chorus of the “Sleepwalk” theme, just played with different instruments. I used these as transitions to bridge the scenes as well as to play up the stereotypical characters. I believe the show is enhanced by using all the music, but, if I had to fall on side of “less is more,” I believe you can get by with only the opening & closing pieces and with the Amygdala rap sections. The files for all the music are available as mp3s either on the CD or via the web site. The only requirement is that you add a credit to your program: “Original ‘Sleepwalk’ theme composed by Doug Clark. Amygdala Rap, lyrics by William Mastrosimone, music by Zak Johnson.” If you’re having trouble getting the files, contact me at the email address below – I’ll be sure you get them. Again, it’s not a requirement that you use this music nor that the melody be the same as established in the files – you can always come up with your own.
  • Of course the other REALLY COOL option is to have your Dillon and Rock Star actually PLAY on stage. If you’ve got the talent to do that, I think it would be fantastic to have an amp on stage and live music. However, I also firmly believe that it MUST be good and sound like a real professional musician or else you lose credibility with your audience. You might also want to work out adding percussion & bass/lead guitar. Ideally, I think it would be very cool to have sort of a solo bass start the play and eventually, as Dillon gets it together emotionally, we get more and more of the band – would be a great metaphor. If you manage to pull that off, please let me know.
  • The Amygdala Rap: There are six files in all for this – three are samples sung by the composer to give the actor an idea of how the lyrics work with the music. Feel free to embellish around the beats or even to come up with your own rap accompaniment.
  • The Opening Track: The show opens with the “Sleepwalk” Theme. The actual melody of the song begins after the first 16 seconds of the tune. The lyrics are in the script.

IT’S ALL ABOUT CHARACTER. Ultimately, what makes “Sleepwalk” work is the audience identifying with the characters they see on the stage. So, though the stereotypes are funny, what really matters is the actual effect they have on Dillon. Also, I’m a firm believer in the power of objective on character and that the quality of character is determined not so much by what they (we) say, but what they do and the choices they make. Some things to consider:

• Dillon: Dillon is in this place because of his desire to end his pain – typical of many who consider suicide. If the actor thinks of that as an overriding objective for the entire play, then his interactions with all the characters become more logical and honest. At the beginning of the play, Dillon thinks his pain is ended because he’s finally with his Rock Star idol, however the Rock Star pushes Dillon to identify that he is in danger. Note that Dillon in all his scenes is constantly trying to run from the confrontations and that all the characters confront his constricted vision – something that causes him more pain. It’s not until the end of the play when he finds it within himself to confront his own pain that he finally finds a path to release. Thus, I believe it’s important for the actor playing Dillon to constantly ask himself “what is the pain Dillon is confronting in this scene and how does he struggle against it?” On a more practical side, it’s much more convincing at the beginning of the show if the actor has a high comfort level with the guitar and is capable of really singing the opening chorus. The play is somewhat ambiguously written for the Rock Star & Dillon to be either bass (a bit easier to fake, if your actor has no experience as a guitarist) or lead guitar players, so, if you’ve chosen for them to be bass players, it’s ok to modify the “strat’” lines with May to “bass” if the director chooses bass guitar over lead guitar.
• Amygdala: Amygdala is the only antagonist in the play. Though the other characters (including The Thought Police) put Dillon through pain, it’s part of a grander scheme to get him to a healthier place (tough love). Amygdala, however, has selfish reasons for keeping Dillon confused and off balance and in every one of his scenes he is attempting to do just that. So, the actor should use a through line of “Always throwing Dillon off balance.” It’s not an easy task for Amygdala: he must always contend with those who would help Dillon, so his tactics must change each time and each time he wins, he should celebrate his victory. That also means he must mourn his losses: for example, Amygdala is impotent to counteract Zen Master when she’s on stage – note that he acquiesces when the Zen Master asks for “just one moment, please.” However, when the Zen Master leaves, he heaps a huge depression on Dillon. Amygdala enters after many of the lessons that the other characters attempt to teach Dillon, only to undo their good. He’s a powerful character, but he also must risk loosing. He finally looses when Inner Child, Zen Master, Conscience, and the Rock Star all work together. Speaking of the ending, it’s important I think to keep in line with the research and to not totally obliterate Amygdala. One never really beats impulse, they only learn to control it by taking off the blinders and fighting temptation with reason and perspective. So, at the end, Amygdala still must be seen as a threat to be constantly monitored, not a defeated foe. He says; “I’ll be back, you can count on it” and the audience must believe him. The goal is not to show a defeated Amygdala, but a controlled one.
• Rock Star: Since the Rock Star is based on Kurt Cobain, it’s easy to simply parrot the stereotype. Instead, I would suggest that the Rock Star is NOT a stereotypical, self-centered celebrity. After all, he is a personification of everything that Dillon admires and, in many ways, is the amalgamation of reason, restraint, and perspective that Conscience, Zen Master, & the Thought Police represent. Thus, a potential objective for this character is to “force Dillon to admit to his problem.” And the Rock Star has a lot of resources at his disposal. Though we didn’t allude to this in our production, we saw the Rock Star as the one responsible for conjuring up the other characters (except, of course, Amygdala). If the play is the hero’s journey, the Rock Star is the wizened mentor and the rest of the characters (except for Amygdala) are allies. He also forces Dillon to see his life through the perspective of his friends (May) and his actions (the funeral). This doesn’t mean that it’s easy – we thought the Rock Star was really frustrated with Dillon by the end of the play. To him, the answers are all so easy (especially now that he’s learned from his mistakes) and it should be easily apparent to Dillon, especially since they are such kindred spirits, musically.
• Conscience: We really liked that this character is female – really added to the comedy of the opening and, on a deeper level, we liked the message that it sent about males needing a female to provide perspective (though the boys in the cast pointed out that a girl’s conscience is likely male – not sure if that’s a competition thing or not, but I’m willing to accept the mystery). All of the secondary personifications, Conscience, Zen Master, Thought Police, and Inner Child, have the same objective: “To tear off the blinders that keeps Dillon from seeing the truth” or “to teach.” Conscience likely has the most difficult speech in the entire play; the amygdala/prefrontal cortex speech. First of all, there’s a lot of science there – never the most stimulating for a teenage audience. Add to that the Old English dialect and it’s a recipe to lose the audience completely. Thus, it’s vitally important that this actress be slavishly accurate with the words and the diction. Also, she must have a clear understanding of the science she’s explaining. Several of the words are archaic, so if the actress doesn’t understand “somnambulist” it’s important she look it up. Accept nothing less. It’s an important role that requires work.
• Zen Master & The Thought Police: We choose to play these characters as females – not for any particular thematic reason, just because that’s who we had. And it works. I think these characters could be male or female, however it is not a case where you are forcing females to “act” male. Let them be the sex they are; the stereotype does most of the work. The Bad Cop was actually considerably funnier played by a girl; we double cast this role so, at one time, it was played by a tall, athletic girl who was quite the physical match for Dillon. In another performance it was played by a shorter, thinner lass. However, hidden behind sunglasses and ensconced in a trench coat, she projected a menacing exterior and the audience enjoyed both the physical intimidation and the irony of the interactions.
• Inner Child: This is also an important role. We determined there was something purposeful about this character and that Inner Child knows exactly what he’s doing with Dillon. It’s as if he’s engineering his own growth from infant to teen to make a point and then saving the note & the video as his final trump card. We thought about this character as the little brother who drives Dillon nuts in his first scene and the older brother in the last who refuses to let him fall.

Finally, keep the show moving. What I most enjoy about Bill’s work is the pace of the dialogue – things move along at a good clip, but at important moments, it slows or stops and you earn your pause. It’s hard sometimes for young actors to grasp the subtleties of pacing, but it’s excellent practice, making the play not just an exercise in suicide prevention, but a challenging and rewarding piece of theatre.

If you’d care to correspond with me, my email is mfisher@sps.lane.edu – I’d be interested to hear about your production and welcome your questions and comments. Good luck and all the best for great production.