Posted 12:54 PM by Brian
It is finished. Act II scene 6 is up. I'm printing out the whole shebang and will pencil it up for more rewrite. I also have to pull out audition materials.

Posted 2:46 PM by Brian
Here are Act II scenes 4 and 5. One more scene to go!

Posted 4:20 PM by Brian
Oops, I left a couple of names off of the CAST LIST

BOYS
Tom Sawyer
Huck Finn
Sid
Joe Harper
The New Boy
Alfred Temple
Boys

GIRLS
Becky Thatcher
Amy Lawrence
Girls

WOMEN
Aunt Polly
Mary (Tom's cousin)
Widow Douglas

MEN
Injun Joe
Muff Potter
Doc Robinson
Injun Joe's sidekick at the treasure house
Judge Thatcher
Muff Potter's Lawyer
Sheriff (i.e. Bailiff)
Prosecutor
Witnesses

MEN or WOMEN
Schoolteacher
Sunday School Teacher
Preacher
The August Personage
Trial Judge
Preacher
Townspeople

Posted 3:15 PM by Brian
Act II, Scenes 1, 2, and 3 are now up!

Posted 4:30 PM by Brian
Act I, Scene 8 is here.

That's the end of Act I, now on to Act II! Hope it doesn't suck.

Posted 4:06 PM by Brian
Act I, Scene 7 is here.

Posted 4:48 PM by Brian
Act I, Scene 6 is here.

Posted 8:21 PM by Brian
I'm not doing much rewriting as I type in these pages. But I'm not "married" to the play as it was written down, either. More of a blend of the two. It's as if the synopsis helped so much (by giving me a structure to write toward) that I was able to get much of it right the first time.

Posted 4:10 PM by Brian
Act I, Scene 5 is here.

Posted 8:08 PM by Brian
Act I, Scene 4 is here.

Posted 2:39 PM by Brian
Act I, Scene 3 is here.

Posted 8:30 PM by Brian
Act I, Scene 2 is here.

Posted 4:33 PM by Brian
Act I, Scene 1 is here.

Posted 2:59 PM by Brian
BAH!

Blogger lost my template so I've lost all my customizations. I don't think there was anything vital there but it looked kind of nice.

Posted 11:18 AM by Brian
CAST LIST

BOYS
Tom Sawyer
Huck Finn
Sid
Joe Harper
The New Boy
Alfred Temple
Boys

GIRLS
Becky Thatcher
Amy Lawrence
Girls

WOMEN
Aunt Polly
Mary (Tom's cousin)
Widow Douglas

MEN
Injun Joe
Muff Potter
Doc Robinson
Injun Joe's sidekick at the treasure house
Judge Thatcher

MEN or WOMEN
Schoolteacher
Sunday School Teacher
Preacher
The August Personage
Trial Judge
Preacher
Townspeople

Posted 2:50 PM by Brian
Been awhile since I updated. I think it's because I missed a couple of the deadlines I set myself here, so I didn't want to face the blog again in that knowledge. However, I am still writing and am almost done with Act II.

Pluses:

Almost done with Act II.
Found Rough Draft, a program that purports to have an easy-to-use playwriting template.
Setup a writing area in my bedroom which I can retreat to when I need quiet to write.
I've started talking with a potential guitar player for the show, who might even be willing to do the music live.

Minuses:

Play's a bit bloated
Rewrite's going to be a challenge

Posted 12:52 PM by Brian
I actually sat down and started writing Act II last night! I thought that would take me a week of dithering! I wasn't really satisfied with it but I think I'll let it stew while I continue.

Posted 11:02 AM by Brian
Writing continues. I'm nearly done with Act I (draft) and getting into the groove of writing at home. I find that I have to simply sit down and do it. If I announce it, someone from the family will object; if I'm doing it and somebody bugs me, I just acknowledge them and then tell them I'm busy.

Posted 8:50 AM by Brian
I'm finally writing again!

I also taped a bit of "Beautiful Brown Eyes" for a demo I'm doing of the show's music. I have to do it over again, as this was my first attempt at multi-track recording. And my playing sucked.

Problem: the schoolroom scene is already loooong with just Tom & Becky. How on earth would I work in the tick fight? I'd like to do the tick fight so as to get the Becky/Tom "engagement" action outdoors. Otherwise I'm telescoping the Becky/Tom "engagement" to occur in the classroom (with the teacher asleep) and losing a lot of plausibility that way.

Posted 9:03 PM by Brian
I think I've found Becky's theme! "Beautiful Brown Eyes," p. 118 in Music For Millions.

Also checking out "Soldier Soldier Will You Marry Me" for Tom.

I'm almost decided on "Humoresque" for Huck, and still leaning strongly toward "Dreadful Wind & Rain" for Injun Joe.

If I can get a theme for Aunt Polly I'll be set. Then a few more miscellaneous cues...

Posted 3:50 PM by Brian
I might be able to get away with this. Have to hear the melody first...(sound's not working on this dratted computer).

Posted 4:33 PM by Brian
I started driving in to work around June 10, when my old semi-reliable Plymouth Reliant bit the dust and I got a newer car...no more reliance on MARTA for me.

That's about the time my writing fell off, of course. I'd been struggling through the Tom & Becky school scene and needed an excuse to slack off. But I'll be getting back into it.

I also did a couple of shows: A Little Princess and The Music Man, both of which came out very well. I received amazing kudos for my part in The Music Man, not to mention had a lot of laffs.

So...what next? I have to carve out time to write. I have to find it in my home life. I might have to be insistent on it, if previous attempts to do my own thing in the home are any indication (that's not strictly fair: I get to practice my guitar whenever I want. But...silent pursuits have been less likely to get the easy consideration that making music does. We'll just have to work it out.)

And I need to finish that Tom/Becky scene.

My goal right now is to get the thing into rewrite by time for Midsummer Night's Dream auditions, so I can try to be in that.

Oh, also Judy McElroy volunteered for SM! Woo-HOO! This is a major load off my mind...Judy's the best SM we've got, bar none.

Posted 3:26 PM by Brian
Still writing. I used up a composition book and started a new one. I'm writing the warts scene. Have a feeling I'll need to trim that a bit.

Posted 6:46 PM by Brian
Wow. The writing is going great. I've written up through the fence painting scene.

I'm writing in longhand on the train. Man, that train trip just flies by.

I spoke with Kirk yesterday, and he recommended (and I concur) that we need to get Injun Joe good & dead; my idea to leave his fate up in the air would disturb any kids in the audience. Eh. It's not strictly a kid's show (it's a family show) but there will be kids there.

Man, he said something else...what was it...

Posted 9:02 AM by Brian
I got some good feedback from Allen on the summary. Thanks, dude! He helped clarify the length issue a little for me. Since this is a part of the "family series" and not just a "children's show" the length could be ok, but there are places to trim. (I'm shooting for under an hour for Act I and under 45 minutes for Act II. But man, there's a lot in Act II. Maybe we cut the finding the treasure and just have the boys determine to look for it in the cave. Good closing...???)

So, naturally, I've come up with something to add. I need to incorporate Sid's comeuppance! I've already glossed over the schoolmaster's comeuppance, but what with Injun Joe getting his that's probably enough adult comeuppance (albeit not provided directly by Tom) in the show. The schoolmaster's comeuppance occurs during the school graduation in the book, a scene I've cut completely. I just don't see a place to stage it.

Sid's comeuppance is more important though, because it's brought on by Tom as a very direct consequence of Sid's brattiness. More later.

Posted 10:10 PM by Brian
Here is the first take of a summary for my play! Download it and tell me what you think!

Posted 9:30 PM by Brian
I've written up through Aunt Polly's opening scene. Starting on the fight with the new boy. I still need to type in my summary!

Posted 10:20 AM by Brian
Injun Joe's theme might be "Dreadful Wind And Rain." I'm not sure it's historically accurate but that doesn't really matter to me. It's got a good folksy sound and it's about murder.

Posted 10:19 AM by Brian
The play synopsis is complete! I now will start writing scenes, as well as give some of my mentors a look at the thing to make sure it's not too long. First I have to type it up.

I have actually a few concerns I need answered:

Is it too long?
Is the second act too dark? What to do if it is?

I don't want the play to come across as problem solving. I have a number of problems to solve but I want the play to be thrilling, exciting, and funny.

Posted 10:59 AM by Brian
I'm toying with the idea of stunt casting for the Dr. killed by Injun Joe. Maybe a local politician or businessman. It's a crucial role but only has 5 minutes stage time. Why not use it for some community outreach? It'd be cool to get our Mayor or maybe a coach involved.

Posted 9:31 AM by Brian
Practicing my guitar last night, I was doing an exercise from my book consisting of changing from major to minor up & down the neck. This could become the seed of an Injun Joe theme...

Posted 9:30 AM by Brian
I finished my synopsis last night! That is, the precis of the book. It's not a very precise precis, unfortunately, but it really helped me in working toward figuring out how to tell the story.

Posted 11:04 AM by Brian
Here is a link with contact info on Bobby Horton, one of the people who did the music below. No E-mail address, though. I'm doin' it! His phone number is there, too.

Posted 11:04 AM by Brian
Music from the Mark Twain series that Ken Burns did. I'm hoping to get some charts and permission to use the tunes. Most of the tunes are probably public domain, anyway, so I could recreate them any way I wanted.

Posted 11:06 AM by Brian
Finished listening to the tape. I have a growing impression of the look and feel I want for this show. Sort of a cross between the Andy Griffith show and Night Gallery...the sweetness and humor of the adventures, along with the scariness of the cave and Injun Joe. But not too scary, not nightmare scary.

Posted 9:42 PM by Brian
OK, I'm writing! I started the outline tonight. Basically I'm taking the chapter headings below, and brainstorming the shape of the stage production from those bones.

I uploaded to my Yahoo! briefcase.

Posted 8:37 PM by Brian
Eureka!

Preface

Chapter 1 -- Y-o-u-u Tom -- Aunt Polly Decides Upon her Duty -- Tom Practices Music -- The Challenge -- A
Private Entrance

Chapter 2 -- Strong Temptations -- Strategic Movements -- The Innocents Beguiled

Chapter 3 -- Tom as a General -- Triumph and Reward -- Dismal Felicity -- Commission and Omission

Chapter 4 -- Mental Acrobatics -- Attending Sunday-School -- The Superintendent -- "Showing off" -- Tom
Lionized

Chapter 5 -- A Useful Minister -- In Church -- The Climax

Chapter 6 -- Self-Examination -- Dentistry -- The Midnight Charm -- Witches and Devils -- Cautious Approaches
-- Happy Hours

Chapter 7 -- A Treaty Entered Into -- Early Lessons -- A Mistake Made

Chapter 8 -- Tom Decides on his Course -- Old Scenes Re-enacted

Chapter 9 -- A Solemn Situation -- Grave Subjects Introduced -- Injun Joe Explains

Chapter 10 -- The Solemn Oath -- Terror Brings Repentance -- Mental Punishment

Chapter 11 -- Muff Potter Comes Himself -- Tom's Conscience at Work

Chapter 12 -- Tom Shows his Generosity -- Aunt Polly Weakens

Chapter 13 -- The Young Pirates -- Going to the Rendezvous -- The Camp-Fire Talk

Chapter 14 -- Camp-Life -- A Sensation -- Tom Steals Away from Camp

Chapter 15 -- Tom Reconnoiters -- Learns the Situation -- Report at Camp

Chapter 16 -- A Day's Amusements -- Tom Reveals a Secret -- The Pirates take a Lesson -- A Night Surprise --
An Indian War

Chapter 17 -- Memories of the Lost Heroes -- The Point in Tom's Secret

Chapter 18 -- Tom's Feelings Investigated -- Wonderful Dream -- Becky Thatcher Overshadowed -- Tom
Becomes Jealous -- Black Revenge

Chapter 19 -- Tom Tells the Truth

Chapter 20 -- Becky in a Dilemma -- Tom's Nobility Asserts Itself

Chapter 21 -- Youthful Eloquence -- Compositions by the Young Ladies -- A Lengthy Vision -- The Boy's
Vengeance Satisfied

Chapter 22 -- Tom's Confidence Betrayed -- Expects Signal Punishment

Chapter 23 -- Old Muff's Friends -- Muff Potter in Court -- Muff Potter Saved

Chapter 24 -- Tom as the Village Hero -- Days of Splendor and Nights of Horror -- Pursuit of Injun Joe

Chapter 25 -- About Kings and Diamonds -- Search for the Treasure -- Dead People and Ghosts

Chapter 26 -- The Haunted House -- Sleepy Ghosts -- A Box of Gold -- Bitter Luck

Chapter 27 -- Doubts to be Settled -- The Young Detectives

Chapter 28 -- An Attempt at No. Two -- Huck Mounts Guard

Chapter 29 -- The Picnic -- Muck on Injun Joe's Track -- The "Revenge" Job -- Aid for the Widow

Chapter 30 -- The Welchman Reports -- Huck Under Fire -- The Story Circulated -- A New Sensation -- Hope
Giving Way to Despair

Chapter 31 -- An Exploring Expedition -- Trouble Commences -- Lost in the Cave -- Total Darkness -- Found but
not Saved

Chapter 32 -- Tom tells the Story of their Escape -- Tom's Enemy in Safe Quarters

Chapter 33 -- The Fate of Injun Joe -- Huck and Tom Compare Notes -- An Expedition to the Cave -- Protection
Against Ghosts -- "An Awful Snug Place" -- A Reception at the Widow Douglas's

Chapter 34 -- Springing a Secret -- Mr. Jones' Surprise a Failure

Chapter 35 -- A New Order of Things -- Poor Huck -- New Adventures Planned

Chapter 36 -- Conclusion

Posted 8:19 PM by Brian
Hey! Seek and ye shall find!

The Strange Case of Tom Sawyer and the Disappearing Chapter Headings

Mark I. West
UNC, Charlotte

I have included Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on my list of required readings for my children's literature course ever since I started teaching this subject in 1984. Because children's literature courses are in such a high demand at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, I frequently use a lecture format to accommodate as many students as possible. Unfortunately, with 150 students in the class, I cannot tell if they are keeping up with the readings without giving regular quizzes. For these reasons, I was recently thumbing through my old Bantam edition of Tom Sawyer, trying to come up with a few new reading questions. I came to chapter 24, which deals with the consequences of Tom's decision to identify Injun Joe as the actual murderer of the doctor, and I happened to notice the
heading. It reads "Splendid Days and Fearsome Nights." This heading appealed to me, so I typed it out and then asked my students to explain its significance.

The next day, right after I finished distributing the quiz, a student raised her hand. "Dr. West," she said, "our copy of Tom Sawyer doesn't have chapter headings."

I suspect I'll find them here.

Posted 8:17 PM by Brian
Don't mean to dis Dietz, whom I understand died last year or so.

One thing I like about the book on tape is the descriptive chapter headings. That could really help my writing. They're not on the web site I found earlier. I'll have to find them. I wonder if they're Twain's own, or what? They're kind of droll.

Posted 1:54 PM by Brian
I'm still enjoying the book on tape, but Norman Dietz's women all remind me of the "girl" on Kids In The Hall, Kathie with a K.

OK, no pages out. How am I going to write this thing? I've never done this before. I need to sit down and make myself do it. That means I need to carve out time to do it, and that's hard. But I'm going to do it.

Posted 2:11 PM by Brian
Man, that Norman Dietz roxs. I got the book on tape from my library. His reading is masterful and I could probably just play it for the boys in the show.

I had another insight while listening to it in the car on the way in this morning, but dang if I can recall it now.

I'm thinking Siddy might narc on Tom for the fight instead of the water pump. The water pump scene is too cute, though. What to do, what to do?

Posted 3:11 PM by Brian
Now you can buy the book!

Posted 8:40 PM by Brian
Here's the pages I hope to get out this week: Opening scene. Aunt Polly calls Tom; he ignores her and goes about his business, has the fight with the new boy (Could be Becky's brother). Aunt Polly discovers the damage to his clothing and sentences him to whitewash the fence.

Posted 11:48 AM by Brian
So, did I make it to bovious.com?

Posted 9:24 AM by Brian
Well, looks like it's goodbye Geocities. I just got notice they're ending their FTP service! Idjits...I honestly wonder if this was a response to the blogphenom. I'm going to move the blog over to http://www.bovious.com/blogs/tomsawyer.htm within the next few days. Guess I registered that puppy just in time!

Posted 3:50 PM by Brian
Well, I asked some friends about the appropriateness of including Jim, the slave boy, in his one scene with Tom. I felt it would be wrong to present him as a happy, comical character (as Twain does), yet to omit him could be seen as cowardly, and including him with extra baggage beyond the scope of the play (children's theatre). Then, Allen gave me a great idea for writing the scene! I'm still torn, but if I can get a good Jim I think I'll leave it in.

Here's what Allen sent:

I'd say keep the essential elements of it:

1. The boy doesn't want to help Tom do the whitewashing because he knows he'll get swatted for it since he was expressly told NOT to help and to carry on with what he should be doing.

2. He's swayed by being bribed by something which, to him, outweighed the consequences (e.g. the white alley and the peek at Tom's sore toe)

He exits, you hear a loud smack offstage, and he makes a quick running cross to grab his water bucket, holding his sore behind as he runs. Take out the phonetic spelling of his dialogue so it doesn't come across so Amos & Andy and I don't really see a problem with the scene itself.

Posted 11:30 AM by Brian
Simply amazing resource which I'm about to use (first) to setup Microsoft Word to format the thing properly; hopefully a template will follow.

I anticipate using this a great deal.

The Playwriting Seminars

Posted 9:53 AM by Brian
Two Aunt Polly speeches: one as part of Tom's fantasy sequence (Declaiming, in words provided by Tom: "I should have taken greater care of that fine young paragon of boyish virtue etc. etc.") then a real one when Tom comes back from the Island and spies on her, this one heartfelt and moving and not at all like what he thought it would be.

I honestly have read the book so many times that I sometimes think these things should have occurred to me before. I suppose thinking in theatrical terms brings out these contrasts more sharply. Like I'm really looking forward to the unmasking of Injun Joe ("The Spaniard").

Posted 3:29 PM by Brian
I started my actual written work last night: creating "idea," "scene," and "character" index cards. I'm hoping to avoid creating a too-schematic version of the story, though, so there are aspects that can't be carded. Or not.

Posted 2:13 PM by Brian
A nice e-text of the novel: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Posted 1:56 PM by Brian
Great-looking source of music. Especially check out the Levy Sheet Music Collection at Johns Hopkins University

Sheet Music Collections

I was kind of disappointed that Stephen Foster doesn't make the cut, time-wise. But with resources like this, I should be fine.

Posted 1:43 PM by Brian
Welcome to the TomSawyer blog. This is where I will keep resources related to my creation of a stage adaptation of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer for the New London Theatre.