Sixth Entry

At the Malthouse. Week Two. The writer, Declan delivered the final draft of the script, a read through was done and then we lost the writer. He left. A chair was placed in the space in memory of him and his presence. So with the writer out of the room and only the empty chair left, the director and actors snuck back in a few of their favourite lines that missed the final cut. And with the old golden rule of 'silence gives consent' - the writer never made a challenge.

Chris "It's great that Declans not in the room."

Dylan "Blog That."

okay.

(it must be noted that these comments were said in jest. There is only love for the fabulousness that is Mr. Greene.)

As they started to block the first few scenes, a sense of physical and verbal violence became present. I started to reflect on being 15. And remembered not only the constant taunts and teasing that goes on, but also the practical jokes we entertained in. My classic one was the old crutches gag. I'd go into the "cool" area of the school, where all the yr 10's, 11's and 12's would sit around circle tables drinking cans of diet coke. I'd enter (an unwanted year 9) on my crutches and do a collapse right in the middle of the room. Letting my skirt fly up over my head and falling flat on my face, I'd then shudder in the embarrassment and scurry out of the room, all the while my friends would be huddled in the door cackling themselves. I did this so often, I don't know how it still got a reaction, but it was the throwing yourself around physically. Pretending to slam a locker in someones face and knocking them to the ground as groups of people walked by. An there was a really mad one, that involved being late to every French lesson and then one by one running in a state of panic yelling "Je suis retard" and falling one on top of the other until a pile of us lay in front of the teacher. We teased with a version a play violence, pulling out a persons chair as they sat down, throwing things at them and then looking away. And this was an all girls school so I can only imagine what it's like to be a boy, and what a group of teenage boys would encourage each other to do.

It was only recently walking down a main road where two large schools are located. It was that time of day 3.15pm and the school kids swarm the streets and you feel invaded. There was a tiny year 7 walking along with a huge backpack on his back, an older boy tip toed behind him and slowing unzipped the boys bag, one by one the tiny boys items began to spill out of the bag, until it all collapsed on the ground. He looked so crushed when he turned around and saw of sea of his peers laughing at him hysterically. Kids can be so cruel and really not even know it.