From The Director's Chair From Stage to Screen: The Transformation of JACOB from play to screenplay The transformation from a play transcript to a screenplay transcript is often a daunting task. The two are separate mediums, one more visual, the other verbal, for example, and often times, a play script can sound stale and dull if not handled correctly when transformed for the screen. This being said, JACOB is now a very different beast, one which I actually prefer over the stage version. To me the script has evolved into its finite and final form, and I am finally content with what has been written for many aspects of the play, including the Greek Chorus. Understand, the Greek Chorus is a tool in the theatre, often times representing the masses, or 'the people', if you will. There was no Greek Chorus in the conception of the orginal play of JACOB back in 1997. They were included during sweat inducing, often times heated meetings with the first director. The play, in its original form, contained only three characters. The first director wanted to add a chorus, representing who knows what, and I, as a young, fledgling playwright, obliged, not having a clear vision for the chorus. During that first production, it soon became apparent that the director's vision for the play not only did not match mine, but the cast as well. With roughly two weeks before the opening night, there was a revolution of sorts, and I ended up being forced to take the helm to fix things and bring everything together, including this chorus that I had no idea what to do with. In that first production, I came upon the concept of using the chorus as they would have been used in a Greek tragedy, though again, their inclusion in the production wasn't fleshed out enough for my liking. There was something unspecific about their identities and it troubled me, even though the production itself was a success. When I next had the opportunity to direct the play, this time at a theatre on Rockerfeller Plaza, on the weekend leading up to September 11th, 2001, I did not include the Chorus in the production at all. (Although, other companies who had produced the show in the interim, and since have included the chorus). In that, pared down production, I returned to my initial conception of three individuals. When it came down to work on the screeplay for BLACKAngel Films, I was immediately faced with the notion of the Greek Chorus. What the hell was I going to do with them? The answer became to make them each, specifically, as individualistic as possible; with a definite purpose and place in the context of the narrative. Sounds obvious, no? Thus, they each became to represent one of the following: Trust; Infatuation; Obsession; and Despair, and their roles in the fabric of the film will add, finally, a much desired layer of intensity, emotion, and fear. I can now say, with all honesty, that I have managed to flesh them out, and let them breathe, which I think they were begging for since that first production. Staying on the characters, the roles of JACOB and the IDEAL have changed over the course of time, mainly in the exploration of the characters depicting them. In the first production, a production I now hold near and dear to my heart, the roles were played by two best friends. (The Ideal was called simply Demon). These guys were friends of a dear friend who showed up at the audition and blew everyone away. And the kicker is, these gents were not very experienced actors. They were driven, and dedicated, and knocked the performances out of the park. They were also very health conscious body builders, which made the dynamic between the two characters very interesting to say the least, and left many an audience member salivating in their seats. As a side note: The Ideal was, and is, a straight man, while Jacob was played by a bisexual. For the 2001 production, not wanting to repeat myself, I chose a very different set of looks to portray the characters. This time, using two straight men, I chose a very uppity, conservative type to play Jacob, and a more gothic rocker type to portray the Ideal. Their performances were fine, although completely lacking in chemistry and sexual tension, causing the production to lose the intimacy and dynamic of the structured relationship between the two characters. For the film, I chose to go back to the initial set-up and the structure of the short story which the play was based upon. I chose a Jacob in his late teens, and an Ideal in the prime of Manhood. Jacob is only coming to terms and understanding of his body and self, and the Ideal has mastered both. It is a risky option, yet pays off exquisitely, and Kris and Samuel are pushing their limits to give the roles everything they require and more. Structurally, the screenplay remains abstract, which allows the words and monologues to continue to exist. Thus, not much of the dialogue has had to be lost. The final third of the script did go through some alterations, and, let me just plant the seed of a spoiler here, there is now a song, sung by one of the characters. It is a sequences I am very excited about, one that is sure to be as creepy as all hell. What is so amazing about the visual medium of film, which lends itself perfectly to a script like JACOB, is that the camera can focus on what you want the audience to focus on, where in a play, you must rely on lighting, staging, and dialogue to pull focus. What film has lent to JACOB is the blurring of emotions and reaction. For instance, there can now be a sequence where the words spoken are so vile and horrible, yet the camera shows a close up of a man running his hands over his own chest, while the words are audible on the soundtrack. Not only is this juxtaposition an asset for an abstract cinematic exploration, but it will have a very interesting effect on the audience, one that the play never could. In the film, the audience will get to know Jacob and the Ideal intimately, without footlights and a stage in the way. It is guaranteed to be one very intense, and in the words of Mr. Colt, “Fucked up” ride. Until Next Time. Peace