Indecisive

[u/JakkuJac]

I have this meta-theatrical play idea and I’m not sure where to take it

I’m a first-time playwright developing a 35–40 minute one-act play for a theater festival, and I’d like some feedback on the concept because I can’t genuinely decide.

The basic premise:
A playwright hears an announcement for a playwriting festival and begins creating a play. He chooses people from the audience to become his characters and assigns them roles: a Main Character, Lover, Sidekick, Rich, Poor, and the Eye/Authority.
MC and Lover are from a Poor family
Sidekick from Rich

At first, they simply follow his script. But as the story progresses, they start questioning their roles:

The Lover doesn’t want to simply be the hero’s “shadow.” Symbolizing women who are reduced to supporting roles

The Sidekick wants recognition beyond the role assigned to him, his sexuality also connects him to LGBT discrimination.

The Poor - central question is not merely how to survive, but when he gets to actually live.

The Rich doesn’t want to be reduced to a stereotype.

The Eye/Authority, initially just a puppet enforcing the script, eventually becomes aware enough to being the first character to confront the Playwright.

The Playwright doesn’t see himself as evil. He genuinely tries to fix their problems by rewriting the story, but his solutions still don’t satisfy them because he’s still deciding what is best for them.
Eventually, the Playwright breaks down, and his tears symbolically cause a flood across the manuscript. While the Main Character goes to confront him, the other characters deal with the flood themselves. (A reference to the flood control issue here)
The Playwright finally starts listening to them rather than simply rewriting them. They begin working toward a new story together.

Then an alarm goes off:
“And that is 40 minutes! Our maximum time given!”
The Playwright argues that he hasn’t finished the ending. Finally, he gives the Pencil, which represents power, to the audience. To remind that the audience, the people has the power. Asking “what will you do now

BLACKOUT.

I can’t decide how it should end. My draft where:
The one above, or The flood drowns all the other characters to signify the lives taken by the real actual flood. I don’t know even know what the mc and playwright we’ll talk about during that confrontation.

[u/Shoddy_Juggernaut_11]

This is similar to pirandellos 6 characters in search of an author.

[u/helpfultran]

I think you're risking making something Clever™ instead of telling a story.

[u/Mysterious-Lab974 → u/helpfultran]

I agree. OP should read David Ball "Backwards and Forwards"

[u/Aveliability]

Okay first, I LOVE this idea. I think it has serious potential. I do have a few questions first, though.

1, when you say you’re going to select characters from the audience, are you talking about the actual audience or a simulated audience onstage?

2, do you picture the MC and all his characters being the only characters in the show, or are there other characters outside his play universe that interact with him as well? I think keeping the MC with exclusively his created characters would be the best option, but that’s just my two cents.

3, what do you mean exactly by the flood? I’m a little confused as to what the purpose of it is supposed to be.

[u/JakkuJac → u/Aveliability]

1. Simulated audience seating with the actual audience.

2. Yes, only the MC and all his characters!

3. The flood is mainly my way of referencing the ongoing flood issue in the Philippines, particularly the ineffective band-aid short-term solutions, in which the MC is actually doing.
   I’m still figuring out exactly how to integrate it into the plot, so I’d really appreciate ideas on making it feel like an actual story event rather than just a political metaphor.

I’m open to removing the flood, but I don’t have an idea what to write yet

[u/Mysterious-Lab974]

Great concept! There is too much audience participation for a 35-40 minute show and too many themes going on. Pare the cast down, cut the audience casting and focus on one conflict. 

[u/JakkuJac → u/Mysterious-Lab974]

Oh, sorry! I didn’t make that clear. I don’t mean actual audience members are asked to participate. The characters are played by actors who are already seated among a simulated audience, pretending to be regular audience members.

The poor and rich are actually merged into backgrounds of the trio, but they’re represented by a person as their parents.

[u/Mysterious-Lab974 → u/JakkuJac]

Alright great! That concept is not going to work for a festival. Also, there are still too many characters and too many themes. 

[u/Far-Recover-9383]

This won't be much help, but in reading your summary, the climax came when "an alarm goes off" -- point being that Death interrupts all our stratagems and goals: ultimately, we are who and where we are.

[u/Joralemonster]

Seems like you have a premise here, but what are the ideas, here? How do the characters change and what actions do they take to get what they want? Whose story is this? What’s the “dramatic question,” i.e. what is the audience waiting to see the main character attempt/succeed/fail at? Does the device of casting audience members actually serve the story?