[Stylist] One of Jewel's Jottings from yonks ago [

[thearamsay at rogers.com]

Hi, Jewel.
Thanks for sending this along. I found it quite amusing.
I liked the interaction between Gail and Morgan. 
Was this your first play? 
I once tried to write a musical when I was in college, studying radio
broadcasting. 
Do you like to go fishing as well?
Thea

www.thearamsay.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Stylist <stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jewel via Stylist
Sent: September 27, 2019 9:49 PM
To: Writers' Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>;
deidreandlouise at gmail.com
Cc: Jewel <jewelblanch at kinect.co.nz>
Subject: [Stylist] One of Jewel's Jottings from yonks ago [

This is a short play that I wrote a long time ago and that is explained
before the action commences, but just an additional word or two before that.
As I said in my introduction, I am never conscious of a story being created
in my brain:  It seems as though it, that vast organ,  always sets aside a
little area which can be filled by a story etc when one is ready to step
forward and take centre stage.

When I kept goats:  and that, although I wish it wasn't so, wasn't yesterday
folks!  , it was quite amazing how many times solutions to problems and a
whole swath of other things, would all become clear when I was sitting
beside the goat, on the stancheon, milking, and this play was one of them.
I heard the announcement on the radio re the play-writing competition, and
my first thought was that, though I would love to enter it, I had no idea of
what material I could work with 'sorry for the poor gramatical construction
but "with which I could work" sounds a bit prissy!  ], however, by the time
I had finished the morning's milking and had come back to the house and sat
down in front of the computer, the play was there and all I had to do was
"let my fingers do the talking!"  so on with the motley!

--------------------

This is a play that I entered for a competition sponsored  by Radio New
Zealand.
The rules were that:
The play had to take place in summertime in New Zealand; It had to contain
the words:  "SP15" and "Are these your jandals?"  translation:  jandals:
what, I think, most of you call flip flops.  Jandals Kiwi talk for Japanese
sandals, in Australia that bit of simple footwear are thongs].
It had to alude to someone being someone else's cousin.
I think that they were all the rules.
I wrote this many years ago, and today, decided to put it in Jewel's
Jottings, but when I went to get it, I found that the file name was there,
but the script was not, so I am reconstructing it from memory.

-

       GONE  FISHING

       or
        BUCK  TEETH  AND  FISH  HOOKS

-

Shrill whistle followed, after short pause,  by female voice in a
conversational tone.
Oh!  there you are, Buck!  where have you been?  On the beach by the look of
you!
What have you got there?"

In louder voice speaking to someone in another room of the bach.
"Morgan!  We were going to take the launch around to the back beach for a
day's fishing, and half the day has gone already, and you are still in bed!"
Sleepy Male voice.  "alright--alright--alright Gayle!"  The way you nag,
anyone would think you were my wife,  my mother, but never my cousin!  I am
on holiday, if you have forgotten!"
Gayle.  and half of it will be gone if you don't get your A into G and get a
wriggle on!"
Sound of scuffling from next room followed by Morgan's muffled  voice.
"They should be here under the bed, but they aren't, so where have they
gone?"
Gayle.  "THEY!"  Whaat are these THEY! that should be under the bed?  Have
you been stowing women under there?  If so, my deepest sympathy goes out to
the ladies of the night!"
Morgan.  "Come now, Gayle!  I am but a simple country lad from darkest
Australia!  How would I know of such sinful delights!  It is my thongs of
which I speak. Apart from a horde of bloodthirsty mosquitoes, the only
visitor I have had, and an unwelcome one at that, was that great furry
mountain you tell me is a dog who burst in here at some unearthly hour,
with, it seemed to me, the expectation that I was going to accompany him
somewhere!  Did I have news for him!
Gayle.  Now, dear cuz!  You know that Buck thinks that you are the cat's
pajamas!  goodness knows why, and all he wanted was that you should go to
the beach with him to stir up those lazy seagulls.
As he couldn't have you in the flesh, he settled for you in the smell.  Are
these your jandals? 
Thongs to a simple country lad from darkest Australia!!
Fade out ...   Fade in.
Gayle.  It is going to be a blazer, so we had better put on a liberal
coating of sun block.  The best I have is SP15, so that will have to do.
Ready Morgan!  Ready Buck!  tat tahs"  excited bark.
Morgan.  You are not taking that useless lump surely?"
Gayle.  Well, of course I am.  It is better to have a Newfoundland onboard a
fishing boat than to not have a Newfoundland onboard a fishing boat!"
Fade out:  fade in.
Morgan.  "Here we are, supposedly, fishing, but fish have been conspicuously
absent.  Not a suggestion of even the tiniest nibble, so I will waste no
more time, but will go for a swim."
Splash, followed by bark and another splash.
Gayle.  "It's OK Buck!  Cousin Morgan isn't drowning!"
Fade out ... fade in.
Gayle.  Morgan!  By the way the clouds are building up, I would say that we
are in for a summer storm, so we had better make it for home!"
Sound of swimmer approaching boat.
Morgan.  Permission to come aboard cap'n?"
Gayle.  "You ar welcome :  fair nymph from the deep.  "COME  BUCK!  your
time is up"
Morgan.  I thought that that lump of a dog was a useless sort of hound, but
he sure can handle himself in the water!  How are we to get him aboard?
Gayle.  "Have no fear dear, the gear is here.  Just drop the ladder over the
side and he will do the rest."  Here he comes!  Morgan:  what is that he has
in his mouth?  Why!  what do you know!  Buck's caught a fish, and not a bad
'un by the look of it either.  First your jandals, now a fish!  Where will
his talents end?"
Morgan.  I protest the thongs  [cough--cough] jandals;  they were stolen
property, but I must concede that the fish was caught with his own
endeavours.  Does he have a recreational fisherman's licence?
It is rather embarrassing to admit to have come out for a day's fishing, and
the only fish caught was by the dog.
There's no doubt about it!  When things look at their most boring,  the
furry black mountain can be counted on to buck things up.
Laughter and barking from canine hero.

-

Gayle and Morgan are, in real life, my sister and her son, not her cousin.
My play did not win the first, second, third, or even fourth prize, but as
there were 150 entrantss, there were a lot of budding, and already budded
playwrites who didn't either.
When I started to write it, and it only took an hour or so, I had,
absolutely no idea of how the plot was going to work out.

         Jewel
Oh, Buck was my Newfoundland guide dog at the time.
---  


_______________________________________________
Writers Division web site
http://writers.nfb.org/
Stylist mailing list
Stylist at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/stylist_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
Stylist:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/stylist_nfbnet.org/thearamsay%40rogers.com