“We do on stage things that are supposed to happen off. Which is a kind of integrity, if you look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.”
I wonder what pretend projects will be thrown my way today. I wonder how many of the people around me are actors. I wonder if anyone knows that I am on to their little charade.
I will not spoil their fun. I will play along. I will pretend as though I am an important part of the workday process proving my relevance within the context of their storyline. When the final whistle blows, I can feel proud of my efforts, regardless of how phony the tasks may have been.
At times, the actors on the other end of the conference calls are quite compelling. Their characters have been developed fully with depth, having not just one motivation for their actions, but several pulling them in all different sorts of interesting directions. I even find myself emotionally connecting and sympathizing with some of them...a well crafted play, indeed.
Some of them need work, though. Conveniently neglecting to mute their phone while typing loudly...anyone can tell the difference from real typing and pretend. If you're going to pretend type, at least pretend type something real rather than pecking random characters on the keypad. I understand the necessity of including these rather subtle details into the plot for authenticity. By God, do it some justice for crying out loud.
The pointless typing is but one of the obvious giveaways.
Phony foreign accents are another. When you ask where they're from because you can't quite pinpoint the dialect, a mishmash of an answer ensues. "Oh, I was born in Pretendland but moved to New Fakeshire, spent a lot of time doting about in and around Fauxville, and of course me mum is from West Lessismore, and that's why I talk the way I do."
Right. Or maybe you just need to hone your wee little craft.
I can see those writers now, sitting around their brainstorming table, discussing what fun obstacles they can throw my way. I can't say I blame them, for they are tasked with creating a compelling story with substance and drama complete with heroes and villains, trials and challenges, crossroads and plot points. But like every well told story, a fitting end game is required. Writers often know their results prior to writing the first page which begs the question...what do they have in store for me? How is this going to end? Are they building a mystery that I have to solve? Am I protagonist or antagonist? Am I the main character or am I merely playing a bit part? Am I more Hamlet or Rosencrantz?
Is this a satire? Is this a tragedy?
All characters found within today's Jazz Hands are fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Day one-hundred and sixty-three complete.
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