UPDATE: SO LATER THAT NIGHT WHEN MY BROTHER GOT HOME FROM WORK (HE IS 6+ YEARS OLDER, MORE PROFICIENT IN FARSI THAN I AM, AND ALSO OFTEN VISITS IRAN), I ASKED HIM WHAT HE THOUGHT THE PERSIAN WORD FOR “REMOTE CONTROL WAS” AND HE ALSO SAID THE WORD!!!!!! AND WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS A FAKE FILLER WORD, HIS FIRST RESPONSE WAS “WOW, WHAT????? SO THEY LIED TO US?????? WHAT ELSE IS FAKE??????? ARE THEY EVEN OUR REAL PARENTS?????”
SO GOOD TO KNOW THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS BETRAYAL.
If you use Firefox, you can go to the about:config page, search for "media.mediasource.enabled" and double click on it to set it to false. After you restart Firefox, all youtube videos will load entirely even when paused! This also affects other streaming websites :)
go to About:config
find media.mediasource.enabled and toggle it to false
find media.cache_readahead_limit and change it to 9999
find media.cache_resume_threshold and change it to 9999
additionally if you'd prefer mp4 to webm
also in about:config, find:
media.encoder.webm.enabled
media.mediasource.webm.audio.enabled
media.mediasource.webm.enabled
media.webm.enabled
and toggle them all to false
note!
this will limit video to 1080p
and use https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/dont-accept-webp/ to kill WebP
Fuck Google
“Arabian Street Artists” Bomb Homeland: Why We Hacked an Award Winning Series
In the summer of 2015, the American television serial “Homeland” was shot in Berlin. June and July saw parts of the city dedicated to capturing the doings of former CIA Agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) in her new role as security advisor to a German humanitarian oligarch, Otto Düring (Sebastian Koch). Amidst hints of a hacker conspiracy and secret agreements between the US and Germany, the show attempts to mirror real-life events with an Edward Snowden-style leak revealing a joint project by the CIA and the BND (German Federal Intelligence Service) illegally spying on German citizens. But unlike real life, this leak forced Germany to release all arrested ISIS terrorists.
The series has garnered the reputation of the most bigoted and racist TV series for its inaccurate, undifferentiated and highly biased depiction of Arabs, Pakistanis, and Afghans, as well as its gross misrepresentations of the cities of Beirut, Islamabad- and the so-called Muslim world in general. For four seasons, and entering its fifth, “Homeland” has maintained the dichotomy of the photogenic, mainly white, mostly American protector versus the evil and backwards Muslim threat. The Washington Post reacts to the racist horror of their season four promotional poster by describing it as “white Red Riding Hood lost in a forest of faceless Muslim wolves”. In this forest, Red Riding Hood is permitted to display many shades of grey – bribery, drone strikes, torture, and covert assassination- to achieve her targets. She points her weapon of choice at the monochrome bad guys, who do all the things that the good guys do, but with nefarious intent.
[…]
At the beginning of June 2015, we received a phone call from a friend who has been active in the Graffiti and Street art scene in Germany for the past 30 years and has researched graffiti in the Middle East extensively. He had been contacted by “Homeland’s” set production company who were looking for “Arabian street artists” to lend graffiti authenticity to a film set of a Syrian refugee camp on the Lebanese/Syrian border for their new season. Given the series’ reputation we were not easily convinced, until we considered what a moment of intervention could relay about our own and many others’ political discontent with the series. It was our moment to make our point by subverting the message using the show itself.
[…]
In our initial meeting, we were given a set of images of pro-Assad graffiti- apparently natural in a Syrian refugee camp. Our instructions were: (1) the graffiti has to be apolitical (2) you cannot copy the images because of copyright infringement (3) writing “Mohamed is the greatest, is okay of course”. We would arm ourselves with slogans, with proverbs allowing for critical interpretation, and, if the chance presented itself, blatant criticism directed at the show. And so, it came to be.
(graffiti text: Homeland is watermelon - arabic slang for “nonsense” or “a sham”)
(graffiti text: black lives matter)
(graffiti text: homeland is a joke and it didn’t make us laugh)
(graffiti text: homeland is racist, and #spyyyyy-soso in a reference to abla fatiha, an egyptian puppet accused of being a spy)
The set decoration had to be completed in two days, for filming on the third. Set designers were too frantic to pay any attention to us; they were busy constructing a hyper-realistic set that addressed everything from the plastic laundry pins to the frayed edges of outdoor plastic curtains. It looked very Middle Eastern and the summer sun and heat helped heighten that illusion. The content of what was written on the walls, however, was of no concern. In their eyes, Arabic script is merely a supplementary visual that completes the horror-fantasy of the Middle East, a poster image dehumanizing an entire region to human-less figures in black burkas and moreover, this season, to refugees. The show has thus created a chain of causality with Arabs at its beginning and as its outcome- their own victims and executioners at the same time.
Lanyon literally kidnaps Jekyll and takes him away to some spa by the sea or up in the mountains as a kind of intervention. He then dumps EVERY MEDICINE he has picked up on Jekyll at once. "NOOOO FRIEND NOOOOO you will not be depressed I will make damn sure of it >( I wasn't sure which therapy to go with so I decided to go with ALL OF THEM."
I may have already written this into the summaries but here's a thing I may have forgot:
When Hyde first tries to manipulate Jekyll into taking the potion, he unhinges reality in a way that (as Jekyll perceives it) Hyde seems to step out of the mirror-space and into the real world. (Or perhaps he first takes the form of Rachel. Jekyll senses that something is up, causing Hyde to shed his disguise and reveal himself.) Jekyll is at this point too deliriously tired to realize that it should be IMPOSSIBLE for Hyde to take on a body of his own. He is merely annoyed.
"Edward? Go back into the mirror. I SAID you're not to be seen out here."
Hyde himself could find it absurd how Jekyll is ordering A PART OF HIMSELF around as if he were a naughty child. This could indicate how detached Jekyll is from the part of himself that is Hyde. At that point in the story Jekyll probably wouldn't care if he IS wholly separate--it's all a means to and end (getting the Exhibition together) and he could care less about the fate of, say, his soul.
P.S. Thanks for the commentary, Cat! Sorry I haven't replied, really busy at work + super tired + too much shit to catch up on at home. Talk soon~
Frankenstein tries to give rambling advice to Jekyll about his view of the world. What he says is something like: "The end of the world looks different for everyone. For me, I was profoundly afraid of my creation. The thought that I might face him and be defeated was the worst thing I could possibly imagine. It was my own personal apocalypse. But that day came, and that day passed, and still the world did not end. Still I was alive. There is so much more to my life than I could ever have imagined, then.
"The same is true for you. You fear the demon inside you more than anything you can imagine. That is why you fight it. But you cannot fight it forever! Your apocalypse will come, and it will pass, and if you can find the courage to live through it you will find that there is more to your life than you now know."
........I imagine this half actually transpiring in half really badly worded phrases:
"It is only the end of the world!"
".....don't you mean, it's not the end of the world?"
"No, no, it IS the end of the world for you, but that is not the end of the world."
"......somebody PLEASE help Victor. I think he's having a stroke."
The other half would, in theory, actually be pretty profound sounding, and not circuitous and awkward like I've phrased it at the top.
Presumably Jekyll had to dance around revealing embarrassing personal secrets and declaring, “I am a soulless bureaucrat whore! England is a land of the damned! Our mountains are far inferior to yours!”
(note: for purposes of chapter breakdowns, we may want to have this scene happen right after Hyde wakes up in 'memory town', but with no idea where he is or how he got there. suspense??)
Rachel runs out to the Atrium to low hum of the Lodgers' murmurings. She tries to get them to help her, but the scale of the problem overwhelms them. Many are paralyzed with fear, worrying what Lanyon is planning to do to them. He is such an influential, venomous man, and without Jekyll to protect them, what chance do they have?
Others have already shunned Jekyll--he acted like such a gentleman, but in the end he was just a fraud, no better than any of us! These Lodgers want to follow Frankenstein out to the wilderness to live like Real Men (the Creature's response: Yeah no none of you are going with us.) Others still hatch totally impractical plans to escape or defeat Lanyon ("we should all turn ourselves invisible!" "We should make the Society into a steam powered airship! [a la the opening sequence to Monty Python's the Meaning of Life]" "Let's all pretend the Society is a candy shop! [from the Experimental Confectionary Scientist]" These louder voices all shout over each other and then begin fighting each other . . . basically, Rachel is getting nowhere with these assholes.
She runs into Jasper and, in desperation, breaks their stalemate and confides in her. What are they going to do? Jasper has been thinking hard on this question as well. She feels deeply indebted to Jekyll for all the help he's given her, and now would be the perfect time to pay him back, when he needs it the most. If only she could think up a plan! She looks around at the clans of Lodgers that have formed, each with their own little plan of what to do next. All of them are smart, with their own special skills, but they're no good to anyone when they're divided like this! They need a leader. Jasper knows she is no born leader, but then again . . . then again, if she doesn't try, who else will?
Jasper climbs on top of some crates--muttering the rules for presentation Jekyll taught her under her breath--and shouts for everyone to shut up. The Lodgers look up at her--less in obedience and more in curiosity, but she'll take what she can get. Jasper tells them she has a plan to get them all out of this, and then begins grouping the Lodgers together and handing out orders to them.
Rachel stares at Jasper in shock and admiration.
Character Arc Notes:
Jasper: BIG arc for her here. Motivated by a desire to help Jekyll, she takes on a big responsibility she didn't know she could handle. This is a stretch, but I'm hoping that her gradual arc of learning from Jekyll will make it believable.
Rachel: Put under pressure by the danger at hand, and left with no alternative (the Lodgers are dumb), Rachel talks to Jasper again. Forced to rely on her for help, she learns to admire Jasper for her bravery and is able to look beyond her gender.
Thematic Notes:
Um, I'm actually not sure what this would fall under? Maybe:
Controlling the Monster: Without any kind of control from Jekyll, the Lodgers quickly descend into chaos. They will need some kind of new leader in order to save themselves.
Imagery:
This scene takes place in the Atrium, probably lit by fluttery gas lamps. The Lodgers arrange themselves in little groups--their separation could be highlighted if each group had a separate little lamp to themselves, like a camp fire.
Business:
Concern: The Lodgers shouldn't act like SUCH idiots that we're happy to see them punished! They still need to be endearing, somehow, throughout all of this.
This scene really comes with two big character sequences here: one needs to show off the bizarre ideas of the Lodgers (+Frankenstein and the Creature) which can, in itself, show how quickly things will turn to shit without Jekyll's leadership skills to guide them. The other is REALLY FOCUSED on Jasper and showing this huge arc leap really clearly.
Okay so this is a weird fucking scene straight up.
Hyde descends into the surreal landscape that consumes him whenever he gives in to his own panic. This is, however, the first time that he has been completely transported from the real world--the place he is in bears no resemblance at all to his office. He stumbles through fuzzy scenes, some resembling real places, some an abstract mishmash of colors. All the while he hunts for Jekyll. He encounters scenes from his past--perhaps the past Jekyll relates when describing his depression--but the scenes are empty, or at least . . . definitely missing Jekyll. (Other characters might be there, or strange reflections of them.) It is hard to move around in this space. Everything runs together in a sort of Michel Gondry style. There are also a whole lot of animals.
Hyde follows a stampede of Church Grims and finally finds Jekyll crouched in a little herd of them. When Jekyll sees him, he immediately tries to run away, believing that Hyde wants to drag him back to reality so that he can rot in jail in Hyde's place. Jekyll refuses to let that happen. The police can never learn his secret, or else the Society's reputation will forever be ruined! He had hoped that if he just abandoned reality, he could disappear completely, and is dismayed to find that he still exists.
Hyde explains that he DOES need Jekyll to come back--but for slightly different reasons. He convinces Jekyll (fuck if I know how) that he has realized his mistake and is willing to cooperate with him in order to survive. It's hardly a worthy apology for everything that's happened, but they don't have time for a worthy apology, do they?
Seeing that he has changed, Jekyll agrees to help Hyde.
Character Arc Notes:
Hyde: Takes positive action to correct the error of his ways. Physically pulls Jekyll out of the mind-space.
Jekyll: Realizes that Hyde may not be the unstoppable, completely irrational force of evil he thought he was! By extension, perhaps at his core he himself is not so horrible.
Thematic Notes:
Controlling the Monster: This scene (should) show that it isn't necessary to control the monster--the very act of controlling was what made the monster act so monstrous in the first place. Left to his own devices, Hyde learns to make a rational decision, even if it means sacrificing some of his freedom.
Imagery:
Some fucking insane Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Paprika shit right here. Dream logic applies absolutely--essentially this is an extension of the surreal sequences earlier in the story, so this kind of dream logic should apply in those scenes as well.
Business:
There's all SORTS of fun shit that can go on in this sequence. Try and think of the strange, yet strangely consistent logic that applies in dreams, the way familiar locations merge together, the way people and events turn on a dime to fulfill the emotional core of a scene.
------------------------------------------------
Scene 3: Escape Plan
Summary of Events
Jekyll wakes to find a crowd (including Rachel, Jasper, and Frankenstein) standing over him. He sees his wrists bloody and torn and, after uselessly interrogating Hyde about what happened, bandages himself. For a brief moment he believes his problems are solved, but then--another spontaneous physical transformation. Jekyll's return to reality--combined with Hyde's still mounting panic--have rendered their physical form unstable again.
Jekyll tries unsuccessfully to calm Hyde down, but the police sirens keep driving home the impending danger. He decides on a different route: He asks Frankenstein about his offer to leave the city together. Does that mean that he knows a way to leave the city unseen? The Creature explains that the Lodgers had been showing them a passage through the sewers (haha, set up), but he has not learned the full passage yet.
Jasper arrives and tells Jekyll that she and the Lodgers are going to help him. Jekyll protests, insisting that he doesn't want to get them in trouble for his mistakes. Jasper cuts him off: His attempts to solve all his problems by himself haven't ended so well, have they? This shuts Jekyll up, and Jasper explains her plan: A few Lodgers sent with them in the sewers to show the way, a few out in the streets to keep a look out, a good half staying here to keep watch over the Society. (She herself will stay with the Society crowd, while Rachel will go to look out from the alleys.)
Jekyll thanks them all for their help as the Lodgers scatter to quickly repack and retrieve all of Frankenstein's belongings. The plan seems settled: Jekyll will accompany Frankenstein and the Creature out of London, at least until the drama has calmed down.**
*this is an important arc moment for her and I'm not sure if it's fully set up yet...... work on this next draft
**at this point does he think he will still return to London?
Character Arc Notes:
Jekyll: Has made a positive commitment to try and save his own life. He also chooses "trusting others" over "control" in going along with Jasper's plan.
Thematic Notes:
Controlling the Monster: Jekyll is learning to put his new life lesson into practice--you don't need to be in complete control in order to have a hold on life. Here he takes a small step towards trusting Jasper and the Lodgers.
Imagery:
Jekyll's office--the scene will have a little bit of awkwardness, what with the shattered mirror and all. Jekyll must learn to live with awkwardness, with the people he cares about seeing him in a vulnerable state.
Business:
Not a great deal comes to mind. Maybe this is a decent time to bring back the little church grim to lick Jekyll's face--might highlight how humbled he has become (the very thought that he would admit to needing comfort from someone!).
------------------------------------------------
Scene 4: A talk in the sewers
Summary of Events
Jekyll puts the plan into action! Jasper's team gets to work covering up all suspicious evidence at the Society and Rachel's team spies on the police.
Jekyll's own end of the operation gets off to a rocky start: he has a difficult time negotiating the dangerous path down in the sewers and must decide to give control back to the still-unstable Hyde. Hyde handles the terrain easily but is useless whenever the slightest bit of strategy is required of him. They learn to switch back and forth, Jekyll coming out when they need to plan, Hyde coming out when they need to act.
A few blocks in, Hyde turns a corner and nearly runs headlong into Dr. Lanyon. Lanyon looks much worse for wear than he did at the Society. He is shaky, with an intoxicated but troublingly determined look in his eyes. More troublingly, he is carrying a pistol, which he aims at Hyde, intending to kill him or injure him well enough for the police to catch him--whichever one works.
Hyde (who is, as I mentioned, not really in a good 'planning mode') is at first merely annoyed. What the hell is HE doing down here? Lanyon explains that he had overheard the plans to capture Hyde after his escape. "I do know the things you lot whisper behind my back. Some of the things, anyway." Hyde dares Lanyon to try and shoot him, and must be reminded by Jekyll that he is not impervious to bullets. Jekyll convinces Hyde to let him take control. They switch out, and Jekyll tries to reason with Lanyon, to explain that he figured out a way to solve things, that everything is okay now.
Lanyon doesn't believe him. How can things be okay, when that demon Hyde is still here? Jekyll explains that Hyde can't just disappear--he is a part of himself. The only reason things ever got out of hand is because Jekyll couldn't accept that. Now he's realized his mistake and he wants to make up for it, but he can't do that if he's captured, if the world learned his secret.
Lanyon sees things differently. He thinks Jekyll must be terribly sick, sicker than he ever thought. He tells him, in a broken voice: "I realize this is partially my fault. I told you it was okay to fool people, I told you it was the appearance that really mattered. I didn't know that something so rotten had gotten into you. But I know better now, and I'm going to fix you. I will find the thing that's changed you and I will rip it out and everything will go back to normal."
Jekyll tries to tell him: There is no normal. There was never a normal! He is so sorry for lying to him and he will set things right between them, but for now he needs to get away.
Lanyon raises his pistol to Jekyll. He isn't about to enable Jekyll to continue the broken life he's fallen into. "Friends don't let friends become monsters." He hopes Jekyll will come with him quietly. Perhaps they won't need to even involve the police! They can solve all this on their own, just the two of them! That is . . . after he's dealt with the little band of friends he's brought with him. (And no sudden movements, my dears. Henry may be a useless bloody shot but I can assure you, I am not.)
Hyde whispers into Jekyll's ear: Let me out! I can take him by surprise. Jekyll agrees. Lanyon has barely enough time to register the switch before Hyde darts out to the side. Lanyon's bullet hits his shoulder, but a second later Hyde has grabbed the gun and wrestled it out of Lanyon's hand. He pins Lanyon to the wall with a predatory look in his eye. Jekyll talks him down and Hyde settles for gloating over his victory. "Hahah! I've got a gun now!" (The Creature prudently plucks the gun from Hyde's hand.)
The group escapes down the path, leaving Lanyon crumpled against the sewer wall. Above, he can hear the sounds of the police force passing. He knows what he must do next.....
Character Arc Notes:
Jekyll: Is given (haha, sort of) a variation on the choice he had in the first act--will he go with Lanyon or with Hyde? Here he defends his true nature against Lanyon and finally sides with Hyde, pretty much severing any chance of friendship between him and Lanyon.
Lanyon: Revealing a much darker side of his character. Refuses to accept Jekyll's choice and decides that he knows best how to help his friend, even if he has to hurt him in the process. When Jekyll refuses to accept his help, he resorts to force to get his way.
Thematic Notes:
Controlling the Monster: Lanyon is now trying to control the monster inside JEKYLL. Jekyll must try to convince Lanyon of the lesson he himself just learned but does not succeed. In the end he must trust the "monster" to help him escape the situation.
Imagery:
The sewers--pretty much the same as the first time we saw them! Although some research into how one moves around in them is necessary for the first part. How do these things all connect up?
The second half of the scene is largely a dialogue scene . . . how can we elevate that to something more cinematic? Shadow-play, a la The Third Man? Should Lanyon have Jekyll CORNERED, up against a water fall or a sewage facility or another, er, specific detail of the terrain?
Business:
This scene does rely on clear set up, earlier, of the relationship between Lanyon and the Lodgers--there needs to be a gradual arc of their "relationship": Lanyon has never truly liked them but put up a front for Jekyll's sake. When things go bad, that gloss of friendship goes away completely.
Hyde with the gun is a pretty derpy idea.
The first part of this sequence is a doozy and I kinda skimmed over it! I may want to make this a separate scene, since the way in which Jekyll and Hyde learn to work together is practically the "proof of concept" of the whole theme of the story.
Which parts of the sewers would Jekyll have a hard time getting around in? How would it look different when Hyde is running through the sewers verses Jekyll?
------------------------------------------------
Scene 5: Scatter!
Summary of Events
Rachel sees Lanyon talking to the police and guesses at his motifs. She sends a scout down to warn Jekyll, but he arrives just seconds before the officers, giving just enough time for the party to run blindly down the path. More officers seem to pour in from every exit, and before they know it, the group is split down the middle--Hyde in one group, Frankenstein in the other. By the time Hyde has managed to escape, he is utterly lost and has no idea how to rejoin the others. He climbs up to street level and finds the roads heavily patrolled. He needs to find someplace to hide, but . . . where the hell is he?
Jekyll scans the area. "I know where we have to go."
Meanwhile, Lanyon has led a group of officers back to the Society, where he suspects Jekyll will return. Rachel beats him there with time enough to warn Jasper, who is terrified by the prospect of taking on Dr. Lanyon. It took all of her nerve to rally the Lodgers around her, and those were people who liked her! Rachel reassures her and promises to stay with her and help out if she needs to--she knows Lanyon really well and knows how he thinks.
When Lanyon arrives, Jasper sticks to her cover story--none of them have had contact with Hyde since Frankenstein's arrival, and Dr. Jekyll hasn't been in today. Thanks to her meticulous re-organizing, the police aren't able find any evidence to the contrary. She has her moment of victory--but then an officer pops in the front door to inform the others that Mr. Hyde has been spotted.
Other meanwhile!: Finding himself closely pursued, Hyde hastily climbs to the rooftops, which inevitably attracts even more attention. (Jekyll: You are SO BAD AT SUBTLETY.) The police close in quickly, and Hyde just barely manages to reach his new sanctuary--Jekyll's old laboratory--and slam the door shut. The building is a fortress, with only one small window high up looking out. Hyde peers out, seeing the place surrounded. He has nowhere to go now.
Character Arc Notes:
There's not much really?? This is a pretty straightforward "peril intensifies!" sequence. Some simple notes:
Rachel and Jasper: Rachel is now offering more and more help to Jasper.
Jekyll and Hyde: Their list of options is being whittled down to almost nothing. It now looks like there will be no way for them to escape this easily.
Thematic Notes:
See above!
Imagery:
In order to convey the "closing in" feeling--which should make Hyde's actions more believable in this and the next scene--all compositions and camera choices should be all about making Hyde feel small and powerless, the police huge and menacing, and creating a general cramped, claustophobic feel.
Yet another scene taking place in the streets of London 8D;; oof those are never fun.....
Business:
Not a great deal, as this is mostly a series of escalations. The main business would probably come from Rachel and Jasper's interaction (Jasper's freakout, Rachel's awkward attempts to be nicer again) and Hyde's increasing spazziness (if I just go UP I'll be safe).
------------------------------------------------
Scene 6: End of the Line
Summary of Events
The laboratory is surrounded. A crowd has gathered by now, so that the police are almost flooded by eager passersby as well as all of the Lodgers, including Jasper, Frankenstein, and Rachel. Jekyll is safe inside--at least until the police axe in the door--but has nowhere to run. He is out of ideas.
Hyde--currently in control of the body--is in an even worse state, pacing uselessly and gagging in the musty air. To him the room looks troublingly like a crypt. His physical form is completely unstable. It is clear that if the police had him in their grasp for even a minute, they would learn his secret.
In mirror-form, Jekyll looks down at the Lodgers. More than anything, he regrets what will happen to them. He would do anything if he could spare them the punishment for his foolishness! And there is Lanyon making his way to the front of the crowd. Perhaps, he considers, he has no choice but to give in to Lanyon. It might not be so bad, he considers glumly, after the first few years. He could be rehabilitated, brought back into the Society, and all the trappings of his old, perfect life would be waiting for his return. Okay, so it sounded perfectly awful, but what other choice did he have?
A roving police torch sends Hyde skittering into the shadows. The light catches on a shiny blue bottle lost in the curiosities. Jekyll examines it, and an idea forms in his mind. He beckons Hyde, who, upon seeing the bottle, lets out a shaky bark of laughter. He grasps Jekyll's plan but cannot believe it. "You not serious!" But Jekyll is serious as the grave.
Profoundly fearful of death, Hyde tries to talk Jekyll out of this new idea. Think of what he will be giving up! There will be no going back if he drinks this potion, not ever--he will never be able to return to the city he's lived in his entire life. He will probably never see the Lodgers again. He will never ever truly be himself again--the person he had built up all these years. His facade will be broken forever, and he'll have to start all over from scratch.
Jekyll knows all this. It's not at all good, but it's the best he can do. He assures Hyde that everything will be all right, gently eases back into control, and drains the entire bottle.
Character Arc Notes:
Jekyll: Given this final choice--give himself up to the police or resist and save the Lodgers (risking death--certainly accepting the death of the life he knew).
Thematic Notes:
Look at your life/look at your choices: This is the biggest question--what does Jekyll value in life? Here he makes a choice between the life he knew and the life (or, that is, the survival) of his friends.
Imagery:
This all takes place inside the laboratory, so make heavy use of the imposing amphitheater structure and the spooky cobwebbed curiosities. They could almost form a kind of jury for Jekyll/Hyde, silently judging him for his mistakes. We're in the darkness just before dawn, but the main lighting source will be the police torches. Make heavy use of that.
It's a bit nice that Jekyll's "life" here ends with him drinking another potion, that iconic Jekyll and Hyde image. I would like more of these nice images in the story. *glares at self*
Business:
Obviously the main element of this scene is building to Jekyll's climactic decision, so on the forefront are: the despair and resignment he feels, considering his likely future, and the weight of the decision he makes at the end. That blue bottle is a BIG FUCKING DEAL and we have to be REALLY CLEAR what he is willing to sacrifice: his place in the Society, his personal relationships with the Lodgers, his reputation, his very sense of self will be completely shattered if he makes this choice.
------------------------------------------------
Scene 7: What we saw from the cheap seats
Summary of Events
Standing outside, the Lodgers hear crashes and screams--Dr. Jekyll's screams, calling out for help! The police, who have been attempting to break down the door, finally force their way into the laboratory. As the door slams to the ground, an eerie silence falls. The screams have stopped.
The officers squint into the dusty darkness. At first they see nothing, but just as Lanyon arrives, pushing through their ranks, they see him--Jekyll crumpled at the base of the amphitheater seats. His clothes are disheveled and torn, as though there had been a struggle, and his limbs are crumpled at odd angles. But his attacker is nowhere to be found.
The police search everywhere for Hyde--surely he is somewhere in the room? Only Lanyon walks slowly towards Jekyll's body, unwilling to believe what he is seeing. He shouts for Jekyll to wake up, shaking him by the shoulders. This is a trick, this has to be a trick! Eventually one of the officers has to pull him away from the body, and he stands shaking, a hand over his mouth. Only when the police begin carrying Jekyll's body away does Lanyon accept that his friend is truly dead. Pain and regret are plain on his face, but as he follows the procession out, he mutters to himself: "Perhaps this is for the best. You're better off this way."
The Lodgers are hysterical. Jasper leans against Rachel, wondering if there is some way out of this. But Frankenstein--so rarely serious--is laser focused on Jekyll's body as it passes by. He exchanges a look with the Creature. Jasper sees this and asks what he saw. Frankenstein hushes her up, but Jasper gets the jist of it: there is some hope left yet.
She gathers the Lodgers together and leads them back to the Society. The Lodgers mill about restlessly, worried for their future. Jasper rallies their spirits. They can't just give up like this! Jekyll wouldn't want them to give up, not after everything he did to keep them afloat. They will need a new leader, though, someone who is up to the task of getting the Society up and running again, handling publicity and management but also cleaning up messes and crises, essentially operating as combination president and janitor?
She asks: Who would volunteer for that job? The Lodgers stare blankly. Reluctantly, Jasper volunteers herself and begins handing out jobs to re-decorate the Atrium.
Late that night, Jasper sees Rachel climbing up to the attic. She follows her and finds Frankenstein and the Creature, their bags packed. Jasper has an idea of where they are headed and asks if she can tag along. Frankenstein agrees--they could use an extra hand.
Character Arc Notes:
Lanyon: The end of the line for him. He decides that he would rather see his friend dead than live a "sick" life. This should be pretty damning for him as a character (though slightly softened by his grief at Jekyll's death and fervent attempts to wake him up).
Jasper: She's essentially had her arc, but here she asserts that she is asserting that she is willing to accept Jekyll's leadership role from now on, rather than in emergencies only.
Thematic Notes:
Look at your life/look at your choices: Lanyon refusing to accept Jekyll's true self, judging him even in death.
Imagery:
We're winding down the story--dawn has just broken. The first half of the scene takes place at sunrise and the second half in the glaring bright sun of the mid-morning. In general a "morning after" feel pervades.
Business:
The Lodgers should adopt a similar grouping system as they did the night previous. However the formation should look less intimidating now in the light of day--they look sad and ridiculous rather than conspiratorial.
Big important research question: What would the Victorians have done with a murder victim's body?
------------------------------------------------
Scene 8: Re-Animation
Summary of Events
(fuck I totally just wrote this entire scene and then tumblr refreshed for no reason and deleted it. Gonna try and re-write it, but faster. Some logical details may get left out.)
(There's some research I need to do about police procedures in Victorian London regarding "what the hell they would do with a murder victim's corpse". I fear some tricky logistics are gonna be involved, so some details of Jekyll's plan may have to change in the future, but for now, when I refer to "the cemetery" below, please substitute in "the morgue" or "a holding area" or wherever Jekyll's body would be.)
Frankenstein, the Creature, Rachel, and Jasper travel to the cemetery and dig up Jekyll's grave. They find Jekyll alive--very much surprised to be alive. He thanks Frankenstein for his vigilance. He had been relying on him, who had spent so much time around corpses, to know when one was not as dead as it ought to be. Frankenstein adds that he was glad to find a test subject for his "sleeping death potion" in the end.
They cover up the evidence of their grave-digging and prepare to part ways. Jekyll thanks Jasper for her brilliance and congratulates her on her new-found leadership skills. Rachel informs Jekyll that she will be staying at the Society to help Jasper adjust to her new role. (She blushes hard when Jasper comments on how helpful she has been and quips something along the lines of, "Well, SOMEONE had to help you out, you'd be useless otherwise." Blah blah blah cute romantic comedy banter.)
Rachel and Jasper leave for the Society, and Frankenstein, the Creature, and Jekyll leave London together. Jekyll looks back on the city, on the life he left behind. He has many regrets and knows he will be facing plenty of hardships in his new life. He's spent so much time trying to hide who he really is that it will probably take years--and a lot of hard work--to really understand who he is again. Still, he feels he has made the right choice. He believes the Society will do well, and he can find comfort in that.
Hyde is downright excited about the adventures that lie ahead. Bemused by his enthusiasm, Jekyll hands control over to Hyde, and he heads off with Frankenstein and the Creature into the woods.
Character Arc Notes:
Wrapping things up, establishing "and from that day on...." kind of things.
Rachel and Jasper: Their relationship is now patched up, Rachel's crush is re-ignited.
Jekyll: Has a brief moment to mourn his loss and accept that his journey of self-discovery is far from over. He still has a lot of emotional shit he needs to deal with, basically.
Thematic Notes:
Look at your life/look at your choices: Jekyll reflecting on ALL THE THINGS.
Controlling the monster: Jekyll knows now that giving up control of his identity is the only way he can move forward now.
Imagery:
Goodness, this depends on the research, doesn't it?
Business:
It's important to make clear, somehow, that Rachel's crush is still a romantic one, as opposed to one of those awkward "I have learned to tolerate your weird lifestyle, Jasper, and am willing to accept you as a flawed human being, in a purely platonic fashion" situations.
I have this surreal scene in my head of Hyde meeting Lucy (leader of the Forty Elephants) and trying to hang out with them when the police come in to raid the bazaar. Hyde would want to do something daring and rash (for instance, attack the police officers rather than run away) which Lucy doesn't understand at all. He sees crime as a grand adventure--she sees it as a means to and end. Maybe she wants to go back and sleep for the rest of the night (why bother going out? it's too much trouble right now) which befuddles Hyde.
Thematically, Lucy contrasts Hyde because she knows how to be responsible for herself. She has no illusions of perfect freedom and is extremely street savvy. She knows how to get what she wants in many different ways, whereas Hyde only knows how to get something by leaping up and grabbing for it.
At some point Rachel comes in and--maybe--chastises Lucy for putting bad thoughts in Hyde's head, which of course deeply insults Hyde. He is not a child who needs to be coddled!
Eventually Hyde's rashness would get him chased (while the Elephants are safely hidden away).
I think the popular idea of the mad scientist needs to be set up before we can start subverting it at all, so DEFINITELY the first act. Maybe Jekyll and Lanyon see a preview of the theater across the way? Either that or at the VERY BEGINNING, around Hyde's monologue. Either way it needs to be really clearly and really dramatically demonstrated.
Scene 15 maybe: the abandoned laboratory
Summary of events
Jekyll determines that the Lodgers will have an easy time breaking into his office, so it would be better to hide Frankenstein’s equipment somewhere safer. With a million apologies (seriously you don’t know how helpful this is), he asks Jasper to accompany him to his old laboratory in his home. He asks Jasper not too judge too harshly—the laboratory is an embarrassment to him, and he hasn’t taken anyone back there in ages. If she doesn’t feel comfortable, she can wait in the house. Jasper can’t imagine what he could have hidden there. He used to be an alchemist, so wouldn’t he just have a chemistry set and a bunch of bottles lying around?
Much more than that, it turns out. The laboratory is a grand old operating theater with tiered seating and a pretty chandelier. On every seat and table are wonderful, strange and deadly curiosities, seemingly a lifetime’s collection, all covered in cobwebs and a thick layer of dust. Jasper is astounded to find rare artifacts from supernatural creatures she’s only dreamed of encountering. It is all wonderful! Has Jekyll really had all this stuff locked away all this time?
Jekyll seems embarrassed by her enthusiasm. True, he used to love collecting these things, but … They need to stay here, out of sight. There are people—lots of people—who wouldn’t understand.
Jasper assumes: like Dr. Lanyon? Why does he care about that man’s opinion so much? (Now that’s a whole other barrel of worms that we could get into in this scene, the question of “woooow Jekyll REALLY likes Lanyon.) Jekyll responds that Dr. Lanyon wouldn’t understand, true, but there are many, many people like him, much worse than him, even. “I’m sure you know what it feels like to hear people whispering behind your back.”
Jasper isn't entirely convinced. She is sure there would be many more people who would love to see his collection. Jekyll insists: It wouldn’t be appropriate for a gentleman like him to surround himself with skeletons and smog mice. His glass cabinets are more than enough for him. Jasper presses on: What does he mean, 'a gentleman like him'? Is there an official rule book to what gentleman can and cannot enjoy? (Of course there isn't.) And if there is, why does Jekyll want to be 'a gentleman like that,' anyway? (It's not a matter of wanting it.) If he doesn't want it, then why does he do it?
Backed into a corner, Jekyll snaps at Jasper: He does it because it's expected of him, because he was born into a good family with every opportunity in the world. He has no right to want anything else! If he were to shirk his responsibilities and throw himself back into alchemy he would only become the ungrateful son who squandered the goodwill of his friends and family. "You act as if it would be so easy to change, but it's not. And I don't have to explain myself to some little street urchin--"
His own vitriol shocks him into silence. He apologizes profusely to Jasper for his rudeness--she was so helpful to him, and now he's insulted her and had an embarrassing breakdown right in front of her. Jasper accepts his apology, having been more puzzled than insulted.
Jasper asks if she can use some of the curiosities in her presentation. Jekyll agrees, eager to make up for his outburst—anything, if she can find a way to make them presentable! Jasper is sure that she can, and her enthusiasm encourages Jekyll. He apologizes again for being so gloomy—surely he is only worried about the Exhibition! There is only one thing to do with all that gloominess: turn it into action and power through until opening night, providing the best possible platform for her and the other Lodgers to shine!
Character arc notes
Jekyll: reveals more of who he used to be—less the perfect gentleman, more a rough but enthusiastic work in progress.
Jasper: gaining in confidence after the whole secret-related-debacle. Also shows how she can repurpose Jekyll’s flawed life philosophy into something positive.
Thematic notes:
Look at your life/look at your choices: WARNING! This could easily be a double beat from Frankenstein’s scenes. Make sure we aren’t revealing Jekyll’s nature TWICE because that would be so boring.
Imagery:
This laboratory needs to be shabby-dazzling! It should feel really sad that Jekyll feels the need to hide all this beautiful, morbid stuff from everyone.
Also of course this is setting up an important and potentially pretty unique historical building, be sure to really show off this set with shot choices.
This is also an opportunity to play with light a lot.
Business/jokes:
This is a potential place to really show Jekyll and Jasper as equals. Jekyll is at a vulnerable enough place that he needs a friend more than anything.
Also a potential place to hint at some unspoken sexual tension between Jekyll and Lanyon? Very much TBD.
————————————————————-
Scene 16: The Exhibition
Summary of events
Jekyll returns to the Society with new energy. The time for feeling sorry for himself is over! If he’s going to win out over Hyde he needs to take action now! The first thing he does is take every vial of the transformation potion and dump it out (this seems like a very specific action for him—may need to be set up better). He retrieves all the pill bottles Lanyon brought for him, takes as many as he can without making himself sick, and throws himself into the work of the Exhibition.
The next few days are a chaotic mess. Jekyll doesn’t sleep and spends all hours working with the Lodgers to get everything ready. Tensions are high, relieved only by the welcome help from the Creature, whose intervention allows them to rebuild the Atrium into something presentable.
Painful withdrawal symptoms from the transformation potion begin to show. Jekyll feels nervous, his heart beats irregularly and he is in a constant state of generalized pain. The upside to all of this is that Hyde has surely disappeared with the potion. He no longer fears his own weakness, he does not have the choice to drink the potion any longer. He feels that, if he can just make it through til the end of the Exhibition, everything will resolve itself.
But on the opening night of the ceremony, Hyde returns to taunt Jekyll. The initial showroom has met with tentative praise, and Jekyll needs only to give his opening speech to conclude the night’s duties. Hyde’s reappearance in the mirror-space unnerves him, and although he still believes there can be no way for Hyde to retake control after destroying the potion, Jekyll still fears that he might possess some power over him. This combined with stress and the withdrawal symptoms finally get the best of him: a minute after taking the stage, Jekyll falls unconscious.
Lanyon rushes to his aid while Frankenstein, who has been prowling the top floor in a pissy mood, stands up and takes notice.
Character arc notes:
Jekyll: has made a firm decision to destroy Hyde….. Cooperation between them is now totally impossible. They are at an all out war and cannot go back.
Hyde: should be 100% fighting for his life here. Is putting his all into hanging onto his life by making Jekyll’s a living hell.
Frankenstein: The final event causes him to see Jekyll in a new light. This kind of thing-the fainting-seems to suggest that something is more at stake for Jekyll than Frankenstein realizes. Jekyll has the haunted look about him that Frankenstein had when he was younger (should this be set up more?)
The Lodgers: are working with Jekyll but only under coercion at this point. Their relationship is still fractured.
Theme notes:
Controlling the monster inside: Jekyll makes an extreme choice to completely silence Hyde so that he can meet his goal of putting on the Exhibition.
Imagery:
Lord knows the Exhibition should be a marvel on a scale I can hardly wish to design.
Business:
This section all but mandates a montage. Study good montages that show pressure and stress! The Devil Wears Prada?
The Creature should be really adorable helping out, especially when contrasted with Frankenstein’s pissy refusal to cooperate. Don’t forget this because it needs to pay off really cleanly at the end of the scene!
——————————————————————————————
Scene 17: Post-exhibition
Summary of events
Jekyll wakes up in his office with Lanyon standing over him. It is much later, and he is more than sure that his stunt earlier has ruined the Exhibition. Too exhausted to hold back, he admits to Lanyon that things are much worse than he has been willing to say. He lets slip that he is worried about Mr. Hyde—an admission which Lanyon leaps on. He is still in contact with that lunatic? Why? What power does that man have over him?
Jekyll is rescued when Jasper bursts through the door, announcing that she is going to be recommended for a grant (God I have no idea how this shit works???? Help???). Her presentation went over really well. A lot of the Lodgers’ presentations went over well! They’re going to celebrate, and they should join them!
Jekyll does join them in a joyous after party. The success of the Exhibition returns hope to him, and with that hope he is able to relax and enjoy his time with the Lodgers, rather than just bossing them around.
But Lanyon cannot relax. He is troubled by this news about Hyde but knows it would be no use asking Jekyll now. Instead he goes up to see the only people not taking part in the celebration, the Creature and Frankenstein—an awkward encounter, given their first meeting—and pleads his case: would Frankenstein please tell him everything he knows about this Mr. Hyde? He explains to them the history of his and Jekyll’s friendship, the melancholia and its unexplained return. Jekyll has never hidden anything from Lanyon before, so why would he do so now….?
Meanwhile the party has spilled out into the streets as the Lodgers parade from coffee house to coffee house in the scientific tradition. Jekyll has a marvelous time and eventually falls asleep with the group at a nearby inn, feeling more peaceful than he has in weeks.
Character arc notes:
Jekyll: under stress, Jekyll reveals a secret to Lanyon. He gets relief from that stress when he hears Jasper’s news and believes he has won out over Hyde.
Lanyon: Learns that Jekyll is keeping a secret from him. Goes searching for information about Mr. Hyde, forming an alliance with Frankenstein.
The Lodgers: make a connection with Dr. Jekyll. They now appreciate the work he did and now see him again as a peer and a friend, not just a boss. Essentially their relationship is prepared with the party.
Thematic notes:
Look at your life: Jekyll has an introspective moment in the first half of this scene but it is interrupted by the party.
Controlling the monster: The party seems to confirm that ‘complete control’ is the way to go for Jekyll.
Imagery:
Jekyll’s office….. Hyde could be fucking around in the cabinets and whatnot, visually demonstrating Jekyll’s mental state and whatnot
Hey coffee houses! That should be something fun to research!
Business:
What could Jekyll and the Lodgers talk about? This seems like a good moment to expand on Jekyll’s secret whimsical side and love for travel. He could impress the Lodgers with his impressive tolerance for alcohol and his surprising knowledge of foreign lands. This should be a good character revealing scene but a lot lighter in tone than the others.
This is the first time we really see a serious Lanyon. Up until this point he has not realized how serious the situation was and has acted cheerful and….. Can-do-ish.
———————————————————————————————
Scene 18: everything is out of control now!
Summary of events
Jekyll wakes to the horrifying realization that he has transformed in the night into Mr. Hyde! Jekyll retains control of his mind, but he is still out in public in the body of a wanted criminal. He sneaks back to the Society, a task made more difficult by Hyde’s consciousness, which can now seize control over his mind at any minute … For a few moments at a time. The result is an utterly confused path back to his office, half fighting against himself and half fighting the terrain of the streets and the rooftops.
He drops down into the Society by a skylight and finds himself in the attic, where Frankenstein and the Creature are preparing to leave (note: in previous scene the Creature would probably be reluctant to help Lanyon on account of wanting to leave more quickly). Frankenstein—who is now eager to empathize with Jekyll now that he suspects they may be very much alike—drops what he is doing and tries to talk to Jekyll. Jekyll tries to get away, but Frankenstein stalls him long enough to discover his secret (at least, the very bare bones facts). Jekyll escapes and locks himself in his office, but Frankenstein follows him and tries to talk to him through the door. The Creature follows, worried that his laster will delay their departure. The commotion soon attracts the returning Lodgers, and a small crowd gathers outside the door.
Character arc notes:
Jekyll: Turns out his original control plan won’t work! Tries to sort of control the new situation he is handed but he is has no idea what to do about his seemingly incurable quantum state! Also he is forced to reveal a lot about himself to Frankenstein.
Frankenstein: is now extremely invested in Jekyll’s well being (at least, enough to satisfy his infinite curiosity). Is now an ally to Jekyll, though his help may not be what Jekyll wants right now.
Creature: oh fuck gotta keep Frankenstein from getting distracted and getting us in trouble somehow. We should just leave Jekyll alone.
Hyde: Has absolutely no long term plan yet but, like an indoor cat clawing at the front door, will take any opportunity for freedom he can get.
:Thematic notes
Controlling the monster: clearly Jekyll’s method of coping wont work anymore. Now in order to contain Hyde he will have to quarantine himself.
Look at your life: Frankenstein is about to really make his lifestyle changing pitch to Jekyll and right now Jekyll has no choice but to listen!
Imagery notes:
Use really stark, ‘morning after/walk of shame’ style lighting for the opening of this scene. The super judgy light of day KNOWS WHO JEKYLL REALLY IS.
Business notes:
It’s going to be really hard to sell the back and forth battle between Jekyll and Hyde in this scene. Maybe there can be some sort of visual cue that separates Jekyll-Hyde from Hyde-Hyde, a combination of posture and shape language? And his eyes, of course! Maybe there is some precedent in the story of Hyde imitating Jekyll and vice-versa?
-----–—---------------------------------------
Scene 19: office confessional
Summary of events
Frankenstein tries to talk to Jekyll through the door, saying that he understands their situation, that they are much the same, in their experiences. He has just enough presence of mind (or perhaps this occurs only by luck) not to fully give away Jekyll's secret.
The eavesdropping lodgers cannot quite parse out what he is talking about. A good chunk of this heart to heart is currently TBD--this is an opportunity to really delve into some topics if they've been left out so far. The gist of the situation is that Jekyll is listening desperately, and Hyde has grown so powerful that he seems to fill the room with darkness and shadows. Jekyll is having a hard time hearing Frankenstein at all over Hyde's taunts. Frankenstein tries to reassure Jekyll that hope is not lost. He doesn't have to defeat his demons in order to survive. There is another way, if he will let him show him! Frankenstein suggests that he could stay here in London and help him.
The Creature cuts in with a hasty addendum. No, they REALLY cannot stay. But what if Jekyll came with them? Frankenstein is so stubborn that he could really use a doctor who knows what he's doing....
Meanwhile Lanyon has arrived. He runs to the door and tries to talk with Jekyll. To his frustration he finds that Jekyll still won't tell him everything, insisting that he needs to leave, there is nothing he can do to help. Lanyon persists, eventually forcing through the door. Hyde has just managed to seize control. Still in Jekyll's body, he knocks Lanyon unconscious and escapes out into the street.
Character arc notes
Frankenstein: is now totally on Jekyll's side, trying to change Jekyll's perspective so that he can survive
Jekyll: is now desperate enough to listen to Frankenstein--too bad it's too late for him to follow his advice smoothly. He is now turning to Frankenstein for help, rather than Lanyon.
Lanyon: his suspicions are vindicated! Something terrible is happening to his friend!
Thematic notes:
Controlling the monster: Jekyll loses control of Hyde by the end of the scene. Look at your life: Jekyll is now fully willing to listen to Frankenstein because all of his own coping methods have failed.
Imagery:
The scene inside the office should be really surreal and nightmarish. Jekyll's view of the entirety of reality is now clouded by Hyde. Here, more than in any other scene, it would be appropriate to show Jekyll and Hyde in separate bodies, to show just how real Hyde has become to Jekyll. Hyde choking Jekyll, standing over Jekyll, etc.
Business:
Not much, this is a pretty dramatic scene? But given what a confrontation-y scene this is, it would be most appropriate here to make references to the musical or my boards I made of Confrontation, etc. so that I can be sure to milk this concept as much as possible.
Hyde is on the loose and high off his own victory. He is invincible! He tears through the streets heading nowhere but out, out, out, and within moments the police have sighted him. Officers chase him through the streets but Hyde is not the least bit concerned. When cornered, he attacks officers at random, killing one, and makes his escape.
Frankenstein sends the Creature out to capture Hyde. He discovers him in an alleyway, knocks him out, and drags him unseen through the London sewer system to the Society.
Character arc notes
Hyde: Believes he has achieved his ultimate goal and is, for the moment, completely unaware of any consequences. In a complete state of mania at this point.
Thematic notes:
Controlling the monster: Obviously the monster has won out in this scene. An outside force is required to step in. A bit ironic that Frankenstein's monster is the one to reign in Jekyll's monster.
Imagery:
Most of the scene takes place in London streets, in a kind of hallucinogenic haze (similar to Rabbi's Cat?) Possibly, Hyde is only vaguely aware of the officer's death--everything is color and light and glee to him right now.
The sewers is an interesting idea I just came up with! Apparently they were a really vast and interesting network. There were a lot of vast and interesting networks built under London in that era. It could be nice to introduce this area further or set it up somehow, if only to establish the Creature and Frankenstein's escape plan. How did the Creature learn about the sewers? Maybe he talked to some of the Lodgers? Simply, maybe one of the Lodgers tells him about the sewer system right before he leaves to find Hyde. Maybe some of the Lodgers go with him in order to help track him.
Maybe, in fact, the Lodgers use some Science Technology to help track down Hyde and communicate with each other during the search.
Business:
Maybe, in fact, the Lodgers use some Science Technology to help track down Hyde and communicate with each other during the search.
Indeed, I rarely ever thought of the search itself as a real part of the scene, but the question of "where the fuck did Hyde go??" is an interesting one. Maybe it could help build suspense!
The Creature ties Hyde to a chair and sets him in the middle of the Atrium. The Lodgers peer down from the banisters of the floors above. When Hyde comes to, Lanyon rushes forward and demands to know what he has done with Jekyll. Hyde, still manic, only laughs at him: Stupid Robert! He really doesn't know, does he? Lanyon interrogates him, shaking off Frankenstein when he tries to step in to explain. Hyde continues to taunt him, but soon he begins to act strangely--his grip on his mind is slipping. Jekyll regains control and looks around in horror at Lanyon. The physical change follows soon after and the crowd breaks out into gasps and frightened murmurings.
Lanyon stumbles back in horror. Jekyll apologizes to him (and to the Lodgers) for everything--for keeping this secret, for creating Hyde in the first place, for not being able to keep it together for them.
Lanyon is barely able to respond. He says that he wishes Henry had told him sooner. He would have been able to help if only he'd known the truth! He could help, just like the last time. This forces Jekyll to explain the truth about his depression, how it had never really lifted, but he had pretended it did when Lanyon tried to help so that he wouldn't appear ungrateful. All the while he began to fear more and more that there was something terrible and broken about himself, which is why he created Hyde, so that he might separate all those parts from himself and control them, but now it's gone so wrong. . . .
Lanyon has a difficult time accepting that the (in his eyes) barely human Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll are really the same person. He half believes that Hyde has performed some kind of black magic on him. He has a much easier time transferring the blame on the Lodgers. Surely this is all their fault somehow! Surely they knew! Or if they didn't know, they encouraged Jekyll to go down this dark path with their unnatural interests. They will get what's coming to them!
Lanyon stumbles out of the Society. Jekyll watches him leave in despair. He asks the Creature to lock him in his office. Hyde is so powerful that he's not sure how much longer he will have control over himself. He wants to make sure Hyde won't be able to get away once he is gone.
Lodgers, all others: It's hard to gague their reactions at the moment, but from Jekyll's POV they seem to be judging him just as harshly as Lanyon is. It seems as though he has lost the trust and love of everyone he cares about, who have all gathered together to witness his shame.
Character arc notes
Jekyll: Is forced to reveal his secret to everyone and tell Lanyon the truth about their past together. Believes that his life is all but over and is planning for the end--he is at his lowest point. He deeply regrets that the Lodgers might have to suffer because of him but hardly knows what to do about it. He hopes that his last-ditch plan will save them but barely has the will to believe it.
Lanyon: Feels horrified and betrayed, feeling too big emotions to direct them at Jekyll. He lashes out at the Lodgers but is too overwhelmed to make good on his threats--yet.
Thematic notes:
Controlling the monster: Jekyll has totally lost control--
Look at your life: --but is now forced to come clean about his past and his reasons for creating Hyde.
Imagery:
This scene takes place in the Atrium, with all the lights out except a glaring spotlight on Jekyll. The upper floors should be all in shadow--Jekyll can only see the glint of the Lodgers' eyes staring down at him like a huge jury. Rachel, Frankenstein, the Creature, and Lanyon all stand in the shadows, stepping forward into harsh light when they need to interrogate him.
This will also require that I get MUCH BETTER at depicting acting on the part of both Jekyll and Hyde.
Business:
I will have to keep track of the Lodgers' reactions very carefully. They need to seem horrified and frightened, so that, from Jekyll's point of view, they are seeing him as a monster. But it needs to be ambiguous enough that it's believable when they all flock to his aid later on.
The Creature locks Jekyll in his office. Hyde gloats over his victory, wondering what will become of Jekyll now that he has completely lost control? Will he be forced to witness every act of atrocity Hyde commits, powerless to stop it? Will he eventually become corrupted completely, so that none of his friends will even be able to recognize him for the good man he used to be?
What happens is that Jekyll gives up fighting entirely, not only fighting for control but fighting to exist at all. He fades even from the mirror-space, and after a moment Hyde realizes that he is completely alone, his taunts echoing in an empty room. He tries to pretend that he isn't perturbed by this. He has total freedom, after all! But it's hard to ignore the sirens outside, and claustophobia sends him spiraling into a panic before long. He paces the room, shaking, trapped by his own design.
Rachel opens the door. She recovered first from Jekyll's confession--the sciencey magic of it all is still a lot for her to process, but she never stopped caring about either Jekyll OR Hyde, so she can't just abandon them. Seeing Hyde in a weakened state, she coaxes him into seeing reason. She makes him see that, even if he were to escape London, he would never truly be free. He would live in constant fear of imprisonment--she knows this is true, she's seen it countless times before. The only way to escape his fate is to bring Jekyll back, somehow. He needs to find balance in his mind and in his life in order to survive.
Hyde agrees. But he doesn't know how to bring Jekyll back. He stares hard at the mirror, demanding that Jekyll return. When this doesn't happen, Hyde grows desperate, finally smashing the mirror in frustration. Glass shards slash his wrists, and he stares at his own blood flowing out of him, delirious, unable to move. He falls to the floor and the world goes white.
Character arc notes
Jekyll: Gives up his life so that Hyde can never be traced back to him. Believes, at this moment, that he has no choice but to forfeit his life.
Rachel: Helps Hyde see reason: true freedom is an illusion, in order to live you must compromise.
Hyde: Achieves his dream of complete freedom, but it is not everything he hoped for. He realizes that he is much worse off without Jekyll. He falls into despair, but with Rachel's help he decides to bring Jekyll back, giving up his dream of freedom in order to survive.
Thematic notes:
Controlling the monster: Jekyll gives Hyde total control, and in that moment Hyde is forced to face reality. But at the end of the scene Hyde realizes on his own that he must change. The monster has learned to control HIMSELF (so was it really necessary for Jekyll to control him in the first place)? Still, perhaps Hyde has learned his lesson too late.
Look at your life/Dream of perfect freedom: HYDE is the one forced to really look critically at himself. Without Jekyll he has no one to blame for his problems but himself.
Imagery:
This scene takes place in Jekyll's office, with the curtains drawn. Still, the lamps of the police should be constantly shining through the cracks, illuminating Hyde's face, invading the room. The room should feel small and claustrophobic and descend into surreal imagery as Hyde grows more and more unhinged.
The mirror is SHATTERED here. The symbolism of a shattered mirror hardly needs to be explained, especially coupled with Hyde's BLOOD.
Business:
Be sure to give Hyde a good chance to gloat before reality sets in. Then EXISTENTIAL PANIC, and the surprising turn that he is FRIGHTENED to see that Jekyll is gone for good. He should call out for Jekyll like a frightened child.
Rachel gets to be real smart when convincing Hyde here. Manipulating, using reverse psychology, absolutely using Hyde's delirium to her advantage.
Jekyll returns to his office to recover. Hyde, in a state of mounting anxiety, pesters him all the way back, convinced that his betrayal MUST have been a misunderstanding, a joke. There is simply no way that Jekyll would ever abandon him! But his other self gives him no such reassurance.
Once alone, Jekyll lays down the law: Hyde will not be allowed out anymore, at least, not until the Exhibition has finished. He is essentially grounded. The punishment is actually rather light—he will only need to lie low for a few weeks—but Hyde has never had even the slightest restriction placed on him before, and he takes it badly. He cannot believe that Jekyll won't allow him to even go to the black market bazaar, which will close by the end of the week. He screams and rages, but Jekyll pays no attention. He sees Hyde as an immature child, annoying but ultimately harmless. He tells Hyde that there is no use complaining—he had no choice, after the way Hyde acted last night.
Rachel bursts in to tell him that something is happening with Frankenstein. He seems to be waking up! Jekyll follows her out, leaving Hyde’s reflection lingering in the glass cabinets. He realizes that, as he is now, he has absolutely no power over Jekyll.
Character arc progression
Jekyll: He is clearly the one in power here. Jekyll is sticking resolutely to his decision in the previous scene. He uses his normal method of dealing with adversity--using CONTROL. He believes, at this moment, that he has solved his conflict with Hyde and does not see him as a threat.
Hyde: Hyde transitions from disbelief to anger to intense fear. He is realizing for the first time that Jekyll can be a formidable enemy, and at the moment, he has no idea what he can do about it. His normal method of dealing with adversity (complaining followed by RAGE) has completely failed, and he will have to devise a new strategy to deal with that. Also, he gets a nice little specific goal in this scene: he wants to be allowed to go out so he can go to the black market bazaar.
Themes addressed
Hyde’s love of freedom
Jekyll ‘controlling the monster’
Recurring imagery
Jekyll’s office … so the drapes would be involved, probably thrown wide open, casting a heavy, unpleasant morning light into the scene. (Drapes open means he is complying with LANYON'S will.)
The cabinets: specifically in the ending image of Hyde ‘trapped’ in the reflections
A possible area for creativity: when SUPER RAGING, Hyde’s reflection can turn really expressionistic, even abstract. I should probably experiment to find out what that would look like. Theoretically, this would make for a fun contrast when Jekyll is able to poo-poo this ghastly apparition. (Do an experimental drawing of that?)
Recurring business/jokes
Specifically, Hyde is upset because he wanted to go to the ‘black market bazaar’ he talked about in Act I Scene 3. The bazaar gives specificity to his new goal—initially he doesn’t want “ultimate freedom” so much as he really just wants to go to the place to do the thing.
Over the course of the story his attempts to go the bazaar have been foiled and foiled again. He may actually succeed in getting there on his mid-act night out and get into a fight at the actual bazaar or get caught up in a raid.
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Scene 2: Frankenstein Wakes up!
Summary of events
Jekyll finds the Lodgers swarming around Frankenstein, who seems to be in the grips of a fever dream. Jekyll tends to him and, for the moment, Frankenstein's breathing becomes softer and regular. Meanwhile, the Creature has been pondering over the fanfare that he and his creator received since their arrival. Jekyll explains a little more about Frankenstein's legacy and how he has affected the current generation of rogue scientists, perhaps just hinting at his own fanboyishness for the Frankenstein mythos (but not, I am sure, repeating the earlier story beat with Hyde, because that would be dull and boring)*. Clearly Jekyll is a bit excited about meeting his idol, as are the Lodgers, who practically swarm at the door for a peek inside.
But when Frankenstein wakes up, he has different feelings on the subject. He immediately leaps out of bed and tries to escape out the window. It turns out that Victor Frankenstein is not quite the morose, philosophical man described in legend. In person--at least, in this moment--he is more like an angry bull-dog: tiny, yappy, and far too belligerent. He sa he had never wanted to come to London, and much less to see the famed Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll's reputation has begun to travel internationally, but Frankenstein sees him as a charlatan, ruining the nobility of rogue science with his sugar-coated approach to business.
Jekyll tries to appease his new patient, which only makes Frankenstein hate him more.
Character arc progression
Jekyll: We get a hint of Jekyll's secret passions, but most of the scene is devoted to a big "fuck you" for Jekyll, who is now faced with a man who is absolutely immune to his every charm. In essence: "My childhood idol just called me a slut." (A media slut, that is.) In this scene, Jekyll is still using his tried and true methods, trying to please Frankenstein so that he might like him.
Frankenstein: We learn that Frankenstein is less the morose anti-hero of legend and more of a harebrained mountain man. He hates Jekyll and is clearly at ideological odds with him.
Hyde: Is mostly an observer in this scene, but he takes an interest in Frankenstein--a potential ally?
Themes addressed
'Controlling the monster inside' -- Jekyll's life philosophy of perfect control have somehow earned him Frankenstein's contempt. Frankenstein sees him as SHALLOW.
The great beyond -- Jekyll's idealized image of Frankenstein betrays a secret longing for something beyond his sheltered life.
Recurring imagery
Nnnnnot sure. This is a pretty static scene which happens almost entirely in one room. It could use some sprucing up, imagery-wise.
Recurring business/jokes
The Creature treats his own wounds by sewing himself up, to the astonishment of the Lodgers.
We get to see a tiny bit of Jekyll doing science here, but notably he gets all his supplies from the Lodgers.
The Creature acts like a put-upon wife at times: "See what I have to put up with?"
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Scene 3: Frankenstein Wakes up!, Part II
Summary of events
With the Creature's help Jekyll manages to subdue his guest. Now he has to set up a proper room for him to begin treatment, but Frankenstein is still set on causing him as much trouble as humanly possible. He refuses all but the most difficult accommodations (the enormously inconvenient attic). Jekyll tries to talk him out of it, but Frankenstein draws the Lodgers to his side--what could be more exciting than a mad scientist doing experiments in a spooky attic? It is a smart move. Not wanting to discourage his beloved Lodgers, nor wanting to appear even the least bit inhospitable, Jekyll does his best to accommodate everyone. Chaos quickly ensues, with the Lodgers happily ransacking the rest of the Society to meet Frankenstein's every desire, lugging expensive furniture up flights and flights of stairs.
In the midst of all this, Rachel comes to Jekyll with a problem of her own. (I suppose it could be evening by the time this happens.) Jekyll is exasperated--all right, what ELSE has gone wrong today?
Rachel is struck by how quickly Frankenstein has managed to unravel her normally pristine employer. She examines Jekyll and determines he dearly needs a break. Did he even get sleep last night? Jekyll is reluctant to step away from the atrium floor, but that doesn't stop Rachel. She brings out a table, a comfy chair, and a pot of tea and sits him down. Jekyll obeys wordlessly, looking to be in a bit of a daze, accepting the tea without resistance when she pours it. He takes a few sips and gradually calms down.
Hyde watches this little ritual with keen interest.
Jekyll thanks Rachel and apologizes for his earlier rudeness. Now, what had she come to talk about?
Rachel sheepishly admits that she fancies Jasper and isn't sure how to proceed. Jekyll encourages her, greatly relieved to have a problem he can actually solve. Rachel seems reluctant, so Jekyll offers her an easier solution: why don't they go together to help Jasper move her lab equipment to the Society? (JEKYLL AS WINGMAN, YEAH.)
(Now this last bit is kind of weird, timing-wise. PLEASE SEE NOTE BELOW about possible changes in Act I, Scene 4. but:)
Jekyll and Rachel go to help Jasper, who has piled all her things into sealed boxes. Rachel is markedly silent through the visit, but Jekyll believes things are going pretty well. He facilitates the conversation so that these two immensely awkward people actually seem to be socializing with each other. They spend most of the day helping Jasper get everything moved into her new room--which, Jekyll notes, has a very good view of the theater across the street (he covers up the window with a box--he'll deal with that later). Jasper begins to unpack, and Jekyll leaves her and Rachel to chat.
Believing he has finally done some good for the day, Jekyll strolls back into the Atrium, only to find that the Lodgers have totally dismantled it. Half of them have gone to bed already, but Frankenstein's furniture is scattered across the various floors. Overwhelmed, Jekyll simply walks across the floor to his office, shuts the door, and slumps onto his couch.
(And the next scene could well take place much later in the night. Maybe Hyde spends a lot lot lot of time coaxing Jekyll into a state of hypnosis. We could also get a set up for the weird dream world Jekyll goes into?)
Character arc progression
Jekyll: Already things are getting out of hand. Jekyll feels an enormous amount of pressure put on him but has no way to find relief. At the end of the scene, gets pushed beyond the brink of what he can put up with, leaving him VERY SUSCEPTIBLE to Hyde's influence.
Frankenstein: He now starts to act out against Jekyll. How far can he push him before he snaps?
Hyde: Hyde observes how Rachel influences Jekyll and will apply those observed skills in the next scene.
Rachel: Reveals her crush on Jasper.
Jasper: Fucking oblivious as shit.
Themes addressed
'Controlling the monster inside' -- Jekyll's life philosophy of perfect control have somehow earned him Frankenstein's contempt. Frankenstein sees him as SHALLOW.
The great beyond -- Jekyll's idealized image of Frankenstein betrays a secret longing for something beyond his sheltered life.
Recurring imagery
The Society needs to transform into a magical wonderland into a hopeless mess. HOWEVER, please note how many times this imagery crops up in the near scenes, it may be a case of diminishing returns. IT MAY BE BETTER to leave Frankenstein and the Lodgers for a bit and reveal a HUGE MESS at the end as the final blow that gives Hyde his in to try to manipulate Jekyll.
We see Jasper's apartment again (note that I originally had us going out to the slums with LANYON in scene 4, but that scene has been replaced with the theater scene. Thus: We see the slums HERE.)
Recurring business/jokes
Watching Jekyll in his near-comatose state should be cute.
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Scene 5: Just one bite couldn't hurt.....
Summary of events
Jekyll falls into a fevered half-sleep. (Perhaps stress like this brings out his insomnia. It is hard for him to tell what is real and what is not.) Hyde stays alert--he has an IDEA. He paces around the cabinets, and after a time he begins speaking to Jekyll, adopting the cloying, coddling tones Rachel used to get him to drink his tea earlier. He tells him: Look how hard you're working! Why is everyone being so difficult with you? You really deserve a break, just a little re-invigorating. You'll feel ever so better in the morning. . .
Hyde leads Jekyll over to the cabinet where he keeps the transformation potion. This little segment could be dramatized in a number of different ways: Maybe in Jekyll's half-dream, Hyde takes on the form of someone he really likes and trusts, like Rachel or Lanyon or Frankenstein (as Jekyll wished he was). Perhaps it takes place in a complete dream state, with Jekyll sleepwalking. Or the room could simply be depicted in a really surreal way, as if Jekyll is intoxicated.
Meanwhile, morning has arrived and so has Lanyon. He is horrified by what has happened to the Society. He attempts to confront Frankenstein, but a suspicious Creature blocks his way. Being obviously no match for him, Lanyon looks for answers elsewhere. He goes to Rachel, who tells him she's a little worried about how Jekyll has been acting today (could his depression have returned?). Lanyon knocks on Jekyll's door. Inside.....
Jekyll is just about to drink the potion, but the knock brings him back to reality. He stares down Hyde's reflection in horror--what are you capable of? But he will have to deal with that later. For now he only has time to tightly lock the potion's cabinet, check himself hastily in the mirror, and wobble over to the door.
Lanyon is not entirely fooled by his cover-up act, but more pressing matters are at hand. They were SUPPOSED to be entertaining important guests at the Society in half an hour. They absolutely need to make nice with their moneyed public because, after the whole Frankenstein and Moreau thing, people are beginning to think Jekyll is trying to start a civil war or . . . maybe enslave the population with Science? (Lanyon explains all this, out of breath.) And before then something needs to be done about that Frankenstein character. . . .
Jekyll starts--Frankenstein? He had meant to begin his treatment last night, but then he fell asleep....! He runs off in the direction of Frankenstein's room.
Character arc progression
Jekyll: Is shown at a really weak moment here. Realizes that Hyde can be a REAL THREAT to him. We can learn, through Hyde's choice of manipulations, some secret desire for Jekyll. Perhaps he craves acceptance from the people he cares about?
Hyde: Has just begun to understand his own power over Jekyll. He is TAKING BACK CONTROL, but now that he has been thwarted once, he will look for a new method of attack.
Lanyon: Realizes now that there may be something bigger going on here, but at the moment believes Jekyll is sick with stress. His relationship with Rachel gets rekindled, a little.
Themes addressed
'Controlling the monster inside' -- The beast is growing stronger! Jekyll has to try harder to silence him!
Recurring imagery
The imagery can get CRAZY SURREAL here and is mostly TBD. Hyde transforming the room? Waking dreams?
Also, the trashed Atrium comes back, this time seen from Lanyon's POV.
Recurring business/jokes
Lanyon meeting Frankenstein should be interesting, since they are pretty much polar opposites!
We can begin to see here how well Lanyon and Rachel get along. They are old BFFs!
However the meat of the scene goes to Jekyll and his craziness.
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Scene 6: A question game
Summary of Events
Jekyll runs up to see Frankenstein, intent upon doing a quick examination and then running off with Lanyon. He is horrified to find Frankenstein much worse for wear, now properly confined to his bed, and apologizes profusely for not coming earlier.
But even now Frankenstein finds a way to be belligerent, resisting even the most basic examination from someone so hateful. Still trying to be accommodating, Jekyll tries to figure out exactly what Frankenstein hates about him and how that can be resolved. He is sure he can get Frankenstein to like him. If Frankenstein thinks him a liar and a crook, he will offer a trade off--for each bit of examination, he will answer one question for Frankenstein, anything he wishes to know. Frankenstein's questions are intensely probing, trying to uncover some deep truth about Jekyll that might explain why he has chosen to do such damage to rogue science. Jekyll is made immensely uncomfortable.
Jekyll tries to answer honestly (a convenient little pocket of time for backstory exposition, carefully chosen), but Frankenstein's questions delve into areas that he has rarely thought about in years, much less spoken about. Inevitably his answers are a little evasive, a little vague. They are also necessarily short. Lanyon, who doesn't understand why Jekyll is so concerned for this crazed mountain man, is urging him out the door. In the end Frankenstein is left with only half answers, and his method of stalling has allowed Jekyll only to begin his examination.
Character arc progression
Jekyll: He is still trying to be accommodating, but the question game he comes up with shows just how little of himself Jekyll is willing to talk about--or even think about. We get a peek into his past and hopefully ask a lot of questions, like: What are the experiments he conducted in his past? Why did he 'abandon' them? Why doesn't he want to talk about them?
Frankenstein: Stays pretty much the same throughout. Still stubborn as fuck.
Themes addressed
'Controlling the monster inside'/Perfect outer image: Jekyll's facade is coming directly under fire in this scene.
'Look at your life. Look at your choices': Frankenstein's questions inevitably force Jekyll to justify his choices in life, but Frankenstein himself is not doing so intentionally..... yet.
Recurring imagery
This scene would take place in Frankenstein's NEWLY REDECORATED ATTIC. It should probably exasperate Jekyll--it looks just like a mad scientist's lab would look, and it is ABSOLUTELY THE OPPOSITE of what Jekyll wants to show to the world.
We should get a nice view of some antiquated medical equipment here.
Recurring business/jokes
The examination process itself should be carefully observed and interesting to watch.
Aside from that, it's mostly a pure acting scene between Jekyll and Frankenstein.
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Scene 7: Cheering Charms from Dr. Lanyon
Summary of Events
Jekyll leaves feeling preoccupied. Lanyon accompanies him via hansom cab to Lanyon's house, where he has hastily rescheduled the afternoon's entertainment.
Here Lanyon has a moment to take a proper look at Jekyll and realizes that he really does look . . . not quite as perfect as usual. Jekyll explains: It's this business with Frankenstein that's bothering him. He's being so difficult! Why can't he get Frankenstein to trust him? Is there something wrong with him?
Lanyon doesn't understand why his friend cares so much about this Frankenstein, but he reassures Jekyll: there is absolutely nothing about him worth hating. He's the most likable, upright, honest man he knows! He assures Jekyll that everything Frankenstein is saying is only the ravings of a sad old man. No soul-searching is required--Jekyll is fine just the way he is. Perhaps, Lanyon suggests, the only reason he feels self conscious is because all this madness has been going on, what with Moreau and Mr. Hyde, and . . . oh! "You're not still worried about what happened to Mr. Hyde, are you?"
Jekyll very much does NOT want Lanyon looking any farther into the Mr. Hyde thing. He denies everything, but Lanyon is not quite convinced. "Henry, I know you. You have such a warm heart that you would care about even a dirty little gutter rag like Hyde."
Jekyll is determined to show Lanyon that he is not worried about Hyde, that he is actually just fine. He goes on to totally nail his hosting duties to the guests. Lanyon is impressed but, as everyone mingles after dinner, he notices some small nervous tick in his friend, something so minor only a very old friend could see it. Something is still the matter with Jekyll.
An idea comes to Lanyon. He has a treat for Jekyll, something he knows will cheer him up. He brings him to Bethlam Asylum* to show him what has become of Dr. Moreau. Moreau is chained and heavily sedated, looking more animal than man, a shell of his former self. Lanyon presents him to Jekyll proudly: Look how we've defeated this hateful mad scientist! See, you don't have to be afraid of him attacking you ever again. He got the fate he deserved. The good and righteous will always win out in the end.
The sight secretly terrifies Jekyll. He sees not a defeated enemy but a premonition of his future self if he cannot control Hyde, or the fate of the poor Lodgers if he is not there to protect them. But he feigns relief for Lanyon's sake, pretending that his initial look of horror was only in reaction to seeing the dangerous Dr. Moreau again.
(This little extra bit doesn't quite fit in here but I just want to write it down for wherever it does fit in:)
As he leads Jekyll out, Lanyon brainstorms ways to keep him in tip-top shape for the Exhibition. He promises to bring cure-alls and tablets from every pharmacy within a five mile radius, anything to keep Jekyll's mind off that nasty Dr. Frankenstein and on what's really important: making the perfect presentation!
*and if this scene takes place here, maybe Hyde's scene can be moved? To a slum or something? Maybe Rachel's house?
Character arc progression
Jekyll: Gets a big reminder--in the form of Dr. Moreau--of what is at stake should he lose control of Hyde. Continues his pattern of CONCEALING INFORMATION from Lanyon.
Lanyon: Is beginning to realize that there could be something wrong with Jekyll, but has not become suspicious yet that something more serious might be at stake. He is in CONCERNED FRIEND mode. But also, we see that darker, judgier side of him in his gleeful condemnation of Moreau (and also of Hyde!). Lanyon is a man who believes he is practically a different species from the 'criminal classes' and sees them without sympathy or humanity.
BIG NOTE: With this scene in mind, we may not have to delve SO much into Lanyon's character in Act I, which currently has the burden of a whooooole lot of information and character building.
Themes addressed
'Controlling the monster inside': Jekyll sees Moreau's fate in himself.
'Look at your life. Look at your choices': Lanyon encourages Jekyll NOT to rethink his life. He's not crazy, Frankenstein's the one who is crazy! OMG that guy is such a jerk don't listen to him Henry ILU.
Recurring imagery
Bethlam should be AS SCARY AS POSSIBLE. You don't ever want to end up here!
We see Lanyon's house--the guy should look really well off. This shows that he is in a higher social status from Jekyll and (from a more practical standpoint) why he can afford to provide backing for the Society.
Recurring business/jokes
Hyde should be weighing more heavily on Jekyll's mind at this point. Find interesting ways to show him visually as more of a threat.
The post-dinner scene is a good opportunity to show the intimacy of Jekyll and Lanyon's relationship. What is that one perfect detail that only Lanyon would notice?
Lanyon's pure delight at seeing Moreau punished, contrasted with Jekyll's quiet horror, should be entertaining!
There's quite a lot of Lanyon pulling Jekyll aside for little heart-to-hearts..... try not to make them boring plz.
There's a lot of opportunity in this scene, and the next few scenes, to really watch Jekyll trying HARD to control his emotions. It's a nice contrast to the direct conflict he faces with Hyde--with Lanyon especially, Jekyll has to do everything he can to hide his feelings because he fears Lanyon's judgment SO MUCH. If done well, it can hint nicely at the unspoken past that will be revealed in a bit.
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Scene 8: Talking about our private lives
Summary of Events
A couple small scenes: Hyde tries to open up communication with Jekyll. "Lanyon's being a bit of a prick, isn't he?" Jekyll does not take this comment well: "He's my best friend and he's only trying to help! How can you attack him like that?" They snap back and forth and Jekyll confronts Hyde over the hypnotism stunt he pulled earlier. Hyde defends himself and stands his ground--"I just want to go out! Just look at you--you're a mess already! How are you gonna survive without me for two whole weeks?" Jekyll takes that as a challenge: “You think I need you? You think you have any power over me, beyond your little magic tricks?” (in a way that is totally not a double beat, somehow).
Rachel checks in, and we get an update on how her romantic pursuits with Jasper have progressed. Basically, she's stalking him--not that she words it quite so plainly to Jekyll. Assuming Rachel to be soul of pure heart, Jekyll continues to encourage her and suggests that maybe they should actually . . . interact at some point. Rachel could ask for advice, Jekyll instructs her in the official rules of courtship, at which point we might bring up the fact that Jekyll is conspicuously unmarried, and has not pursued anyone romantically since . . .
Jekyll trails off here, and Rachel gives an understanding nod. She encourages him to look for someone new, a notion which Jekyll rejects with an exhausted smile. Oh, if only he had the time for such things!
A grouchy Hyde would probably torment Jekyll over this: Of course you aren't in a relationship! You can't stand the thought of anyone getting that close to you, to seeing the real you!
And now to the meat of this scene: Jekyll goes to finish his examination with Frankenstein, hoping he will be able to diagnose and treat him that evening. Frankenstein continues to push him with these questions into a new and interesting direction (TBD???). He learns about Jekyll's past obsession with human duality, although his attempts to understand WHY Jekyll has obsessed over that subject are frustrated--it is possible even Jekyll himself doesn't know. Jekyll tries and fails to explain to Frankenstein his understandings of good and evil.
Perhaps Frankenstein also pesters Jekyll about his conspicuous bachelor status. The Creature (catching up with Jekyll, perhaps, on a quick supply run) assures Jekyll that Frankenstein is hardly in a position to judge--he hasn’t formed a single new human relationship in over fifteen years. Jekyll confesses that the whole marriage thing is secretly a sore spot for him--one area of his life where he has not lived up to the expectations of Society. Why, Lanyon was married by the time he was out of college!
The Creature asks why Jekyll cares so much about Lanyon. After a brief attempt at denial, Jekyll admits that their relationship may be more than an ordinary friendship. He tells him a strange story from his college years, a drunken, confused night in Jekyll’s bedroom that he only half remembers and Lanyon has never mentioned. The Creature wonders why Jekyll has carried this memory with him for so many years without ever attempting to resolve or understand it. He concludes that Jekyll and Frankenstein aren’t so different after all--they both are cripplingly neurotic and can’t deal with even the most basic of human emotions. (To drive the point home, Frankenstein overhears just the end of Jekyll’s story and thinks it is hee-lar-ious because “Kissing your friends?? Zhat is so veird!” Frankenstein is an immature asshole sometimes.)
Jekyll and Frankenstein do, however, manage to bond over a shared interest in alchemy. There is a spark of friendship ignited, and with Frankenstein so weak, his brash personality softens. Perhaps Jekyll confesses his admiration for Frankenstein and admits that sometimes, he wishes he could be more like him. It would be nice if he could go back to the old days, doing experiments in his old laboratory....
But then Frankenstein pushes Jekyll too far. He encourages Jekyll to pull out his old chemistry set and continue his alchemical work, beginning with Frankenstein's medicine. Jekyll refuses--his experiments were only ever a pursuit for a foolish and idealistic young man, not a public figure with a whole Society's reputation on his shoulders. He can’t just drop all his responsibilities and go on a Fun Science Romp with him. Besides, his experiments never worked, and he couldn't just use Frankenstein as his guinea pig (think what bad press that would bring!). He will only be using medicines made by those Lodgers who are properly trained to produce medicinal formulas.
Frankenstein becomes stubborn again. If that is the case, then he refuses to be treated by Dr. Jekyll at all. He will die here! See what bad press THAT brings! The Creature tries to reason with him but to no avail--he sighs and tells Jekyll to come back in a couple days. He will surely have to change his mind sometime.
Character arc progression
Jekyll: Something TBD happens with the mini-Hyde scene. Frankenstein forces him to dig deep and justify himself again, this time focusing on really basic--frustratingly basic--ideas: what is good and evil? what deep thing inside you drove you to create your life's work? The questions are SO frustrating that they erect a wall between Jekyll and Frankenstein and increase their animosity towards each other. BUT it is really unsettling Jekyll and will make him more vulnerable and less sure of himself in later scenes!
Frankenstein: Gets a tiny spark of connection with Jekyll, which only makes him ANGRIER when that connection is abruptly cut off. He has to leave this scene doubly pissed at Jekyll (again, not in a way that is a double beat, sigh--maybe his new goal is to antagonize Jekyll SO HARD that he forcibly breaks down Jekyll's barriers?)
Themes addressed
'Controlling the monster inside': Jekyll's mini-scene with Hyde?
'Look at your life. Look at your choices': Again Frankenstein questions Jekyll, but this time goes TOO FAR and forces Jekyll to close up completely. However by this point Frankenstein has done enough work on Jekyll that he cannot really ignore the feeling of doubt that something in his life is TERRIBLY WRONG.
Recurring imagery
Back in Frankenstein's laboratory-- Jekyll is in an extremely unfriendly environment.
Nonetheless there are parts to this scene which should feel warm and intimate. Think of the whispered scenes in Amelie between Amelie and her neighbor, speaking about her insecurities by speaking about an unnamed woman in a painting.
Recurring business/jokes
This level of honesty is REALLY HARD for Dr. Jekyll, and he should be doing every avoidance trick in the book to avoid his own feelings of discomfort. He will project, he will speak in broad generalizations, he will use visual aid to add humor to a deeply serious subject (his unresolved obsession with human duality, explained, perhaps, with pepper and salt shakers on a chess board). He will subconsciously change the subject like CRAZY.
Jekyll and Frankenstein's brief friendship moment should be ADORABLE AS SHIT and we should want to root for their friendship, so that when it falls apart it feels real shitty.
The Sad Gay Story between Jekyll and Lanyon should be undercut by Jekyll’s basic inability to accept his own feelings. He describes the climax of the story--when Lanyon drunkenly kisses Jekyll--as: “It felt like . . . er . . . emotion?” prompting the Creature to groan, “‘Emotion’? Good God, you’re just as bad as Frankenstein.”
(Hey Frankenstein has seemingly never encountered his sensation-play double. Wasn't there supposed to be a scene of Frankenstein traveling through London so we could see exactly how much he hates it? Could Hyde handle that?
Note: PLEASE check for any loose plot threads! When you see a new element introduced, be sure to trace it through the entire story to make sure it pays off.)
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Scene 9: Glass Cabinets
Summary of events
This scene could open with a brief check-in from Hyde. I think we've really lost his perspective since Scene 1 and his motivations need to be evolving, but clear.
Jasper pulls Jekyll aside, eager to show him her presentation. Unfortunately that presentation is . . . completely awful, from the haphazard scattering of specimens to Jasper’s own ill-fitting formalwear (she looks like a dog squeezed into a tuxedo). Jekyll struggles to find anything constructive to say about it. Finally he decides to instruct by example.
Jekyll takes Jasper into his office and shows her the glass cabinets that line the walls. This is HIS presentation. Whenever anyone comes to visit, this room tells them everything they need to know about him: He is respectable, orderly, discerning, trustworthy. Each cabinet is custom made to fit in a neat set that perfectly offsets the overall shape of the room, and exactly one curiosity is placed neatly within each box. It looks infinitely professional.
Jasper is impressed but also intimidated. Would she really have to become like this in order to be accepted at the Society? Even with all Jekyll's help, she is not sure this is something she can achieve, or even something she would want to achieve.
This last sentiment troubles Jekyll. Why wouldn't she want to be like this? Is there something wrong with him? Could it be that Jasper has seen the same flaw in him that Frankenstein saw?
He quickly changes tactics, directing her to his cheval glass. He tells her: It is perfectly fine to do things your own way, so long as you are aware of your presentation. For instance . . . he steps in front of the mirror and begins to inspect himself (as he did in Scene 4) but hesitates--Hyde is staring out at him angrily. The reflection unsettles him so he nudges Jasper in front of the mirror instead. "On the second thought, let's start with you."
He steps Jasper through his methods. Compared to the careful measurements and design of the cabinets, these new rules are easy to follow: use good posture, make clear but not too intense eye contact, open up your chest, project your voice. He adjusts her suit so that it fits a little looser but gives her more freedom to move. All useful tips for Jasper, who tends to stand in a perennial cringe. At the very end Jekyll and Jasper look into the mirror to see the improvement made (though a lot of work still remains). "This mirror is your greatest tool," says Jekyll. "Here you can remake yourself into anything you want."
Hyde paces the cabinets, impatient--who knows when he'll next get a chance to manipulate Jekyll? Who knows if it will ever work?
He follows Jekyll and Jasper out of the room and go to Jasper's room. Here, Jekyll begins tinkering with Jasper's presentation (with permission, of course!) to see what can be salvaged. Jasper watches closely. Now with something to occupy his hands, Jekyll cautiously edges around the subject that has been bothering him since Frankenstein's arrival: "Jasper . . . am I bothering you with this?"
Jasper insists that he is not--he is being so helpful! Jekyll goes on to explain (in a very avoid-eye-contacty way) that he fears he's been doing things all wrong. What if Frankenstein's right? What if he's just hurting people, creating the Society, forcing an image on them?
Jasper has a different perspective: Maybe his way of thinking doesn't work for everyone, but it works for some people! It's really helped her! This news relieves Jekyll a little.
Hyde crouches, bored, in a window reflection. What can he do to regain his freedom? He taps a finger irritably. Jekyll begins tapping as well. Hyde realizes that, if he focuses very hard, he can seize control of Jekyll's body a little at a time. For the moment he keeps this knowledge entirely to himself, but he practices, little by little.
Character arc progression
Jasper: Gains a very specific tool for self improvement. Also, she has just begin to question Jekyll's views on life. Jasper here is starting to step out of a pure mentee position--she is beginning to teach Jekyll a thing or two.
Jekyll: Starts off explaining more of his views on life (in what hopefully is NOT a double beat). When questioned by Jasper, his anxieties brought on by Frankenstein's questions double. This brings him to actually voice his concerns for the first time--a surprisingly honest step for Jekyll.
Themes addressed
'Controlling the monster inside' -- Jekyll explains more of his views about perfect control.
'Look at your life, look at your choices' -- Jasper questions Jekyll and Jekyll asks her for reassurance. She gives him a different perspective.
Recurring imagery
Mainly, Jekyll's office and the GLITTERING CABINETS.
Also the MIRROR.
And! Specific details are required for Jasper's fail-tastic presentation.
Recurring business/jokes
The office really needs to be designed by this point.
Jasper being TOTALLY ENTHUSIASTIC yet TOTALLY CLUELESS about how shitty her laboratory is.
Maybe the cabinets can be clockwork, as they were in an early roleplay? Again, design these things.
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Scene 9-ish
Summary of Events:
Here are a few loose scenes that need to be placed:
Lanyon brings in remedy after remedy for Jekyll, cluttering his office with bottles and making Jekyll nauseous more than once. Jekyll pretends to get better and then hides the extra pills later, making Lanyon think he's taking regular doses.
Jekyll and Lanyon go to see an early showing of the theater across the street. Jekyll is embarrassed by the garishness of the performance but also notices how much the theatergoers enjoy the spectacle of the special effects and make-up. They've come just as much to enjoy the monster story as anything. This gives him an idea.
Jekyll comes across the Lodgers gathered in Frankenstein's room, listening with rapt attention to a story he is telling. Jekyll feels torn--the story is a fascinating one, and he listens from the corner for a while, but the moment the Lodgers notice him, silence falls. They expect punishment from him, or for him to tell them to get back to work. An awkward moment passes as Jekyll understands how distant he has grown from them.
He excuses himself and goes to talk with the Creature. He asks if the Creature will appear formally at the Exhibition--he is sure he will be able to draw a crowd. (Earlier the Creature promised Jekyll 'anything I can do to help' in exchange for Frankenstein's boorishness.) But the Creature is hesitant. He is not sure it will do any good to be gawked and stared at like some side-show performance. Jekyll understands.
And somewhere in here we can stick that scene with Rachel and Jasper (is it right to have all these kinda low-tension scenes next to each other like this? Or should it be distributed more evenly with more high-octane stuff?). Rachel and Jasper have a cute little bonding scene on the roof (IDK what the fuck they're doing there, but it feels Utena-y). It would even be a romantic scene if Rachel weren't such a little weirdo romance-phobic shit and Jasper were less incredibly fucking clueless.
Character Arc Notes:
(in general a bit hard to describe with the vagueness here)
Jekyll: Feels extremely disconnected from the people around him, especially the Lodgers and Lanyon.
Lanyon: Pretty much consistent! He's just making good on a promise he made in an earlier scene.
Rachel/Jasper: Bonding moment! You can totally see this relationship working. Really.
Thematic notes:
'Look at your life, look at your choices' -- Jekyll's disconnect from the Lodgers and Frankenstein, coupled with the unpleasant medical regimens Lanyon has set down for him. Has he really made the right choice in life?
Imagery:
The rooftop where Rachel and Jasper are should be super romantic. Maybe Rachel knows about the romance of the rooftops because of Mr. Hyde (but let's not have them talk TOO much about Hyde. Bechdel test and all.)
Frankenstein's attic, when the Lodgers visit, should feel really homey and welcoming to everyone but Jekyll.
Business/Jokes:
Lanyon's medicines should be really period accurate and kind of charmingly absurd. Hydrotherapy might be mentioned. His enthusiasm for these little cure-alls should be ENDLESS.
This entire scene is almost totally TBD, but SOMEHOW Hyde hones his ability to seize control of Jekyll's body and forces him to drink the potion. The manipulation scene will probably have to be heavily tweaked so that this is not so much of a double beat.
The motif of Jekyll's changing eye color to signify 'who's in control' should probably be introduced here. Possible other things that need to happen--the idea that the dominant personality can 'slip' under pressure?
Character Arc Notes:
Hyde: a big WIN for him . . . somehow.
Jekyll: This is the first time he really experiences TERROR and HELPLESSNESS, which should inform his acting when he finally regains control later.
Thematic notes:
'Controlling the monster inside' -- one of Jekyll's greatest fears now comes to fruition!
Imagery:
The scene takes place in Jekyll's office. Maybe some of the cabinets get smashed, and Jekyll will have to hide this fact somehow before the Exhibition?
--and if so, maybe Hyde's arm gets slashed, or something (a convenient time to highlight Hyde's fear of blood, or to let Frankenstein actually be useful for once and bandage Hyde's arm)
Business/Jokes:
--a few suggestions are above, but I really don't know enough about the mechanics of this scene to guess at that.
Hyde is loose! Now he can do whatever he wants! His first instinct is to run off to the bazaar, until he sees Frankenstein making his own escape from his attic*. It is raining, but he doesn't mind. Being in no particular rush (he has all the time in the world!) Hyde follows Frankenstein, who has the rather amusing goal of walking right out of London. "You city folk, you haff do not know vhat it means to valk!"
Hyde jokes, "Oh, is that ALL you mean to do tonight?" As it turns out, it is not: Frankenstein also means to stop by the local cemetery and search out a particular specimen of eyeball he's been looking for. But the sickness gets the better of him--Frankenstein collapses. The Creature, awaking to find his master gone, swoops in and brings Frankenstein back inside (he only got about a block of so away). Hyde follow them back inside, curious.
Frankenstein and Hyde get to talking. They get along like old friends, as it turns out. Hyde is fascinated with Frankenstein's freewheeling life and Frankenstein is thrilled to find someone who shares--even exceeds--his animosity for Jekyll. They even begin scheming against their mutual enemy before the Creature steps in. He doesn't want Frankenstein getting even MORE in the way of his own treatment. To make a point, he tells Frankenstein that he will be participating in the Exhibition, as Jekyll requested, because sometimes you have to put up with a bit of unpleasantness to get what you want. Then again. . . .
Might Hyde know a thing or two about the medicine Jekyll intended to make? Frankenstein likes him enough that he certainly wouldn't object to taking treatment from him. A bit of coaxing is required--framing it not so much as 'helping Frankenstein' as 'getting to do fun science things!'--but Hyde soon agrees.
Hyde yanks his old chemistry set out of Jekyll's office and does the alchemy thing. He has a brief talk with the Creature as he works. You are such an amazing creation! Why do you stoop to putting up with Frankenstein? The Creature explains his reasons, but it turns out not to be the answer Hyde wants to hear. A little disgruntled and a little bored with the proceedings, Hyde leaves Frankenstein and heads again for the bazaar.
*why Frankenstein chooses RIGHT NOW to make a break for it, I'm not sure. Maybe he was waiting until both the Creature was asleep and Jekyll was nowhere to be found?
Character arc notes:
Hyde: A big bonding scene with Frankenstein. We also see that he seems to get the most delight out of practicing science--the exact kind of science that Jekyll seems completely reluctant to do now. He may let slip some information about his past?? He also gets some advice from the Creature that will come back to haunt him later.
Frankenstein: Becomes friends with Hyde!
Imagery
London streets--seen mostly from Frankenstein's POV. He hates all this smog!
The chemistry set--should be exciting and whimsical as physically possible. OMG Hyde loves science SO MUCH.
Business
Frankenstein and the eye, which will come back later.
Hyde and Frankenstein's friendship should be very appealing, a reflection of what Jekyll really wishes his relationship with F could be.
Hyde and science--this should really be the first time we see Hyde take an interest in something not explicably 'wicked'. It's against the character type he has assigned to himself, but his love for neo-alchemy overpowers him.
Rachel sees Hyde leaving and tells him to stay inside. The police are surely looking for him, and the rain has picked up--the streets are nearly flooded already. Hyde ignores her, so Rachel follows behind him in the alleyways, unseen.
Hyde makes it to the bazaar and even manages to encounter the Forty Elephants Gang, a wicked band of thieves he admires (have I mentioned them before? oops*). Then the police come in for a raid. The Elephants, professionals that they are, escape instantly, but Hyde gets caught up in the chaos, fighting blindly. Rachel comes to his rescue before he can get killed, but they both end up chased by the police. Rachel, who is familiar with all the strange windy alleyways of London (unlike Hyde, who only knows the showy rooftops), leads them to her family's old home in . . . some neighborhood.
(Note that this entire section used to take place in Bethlam asylum, and I'm just rewriting this whole thing now. Not sure if this version of the scene will really work better than the other one.)
The chase, and the claustrophobic little room they hide in, unsettle Hyde. Normally, at this point in the game he would have already transformed back into Jekyll, let him handle the fall-out. But he can't give control back to Jekyll--who knows when he'd next be let out? (Er, in the previous scene, maybe Frankenstein somehow accidentally convinced Hyde NEVER to give control back to Jekyll.) Feeling back into a corner, Hyde starts to panic. He has absolutely no built in filter for his emotions, no way to regulate his thoughts. He quickly spirals out of control . . . until Rachel throws a blanket over him, as one might do to a cat. This seems to calm Hyde somehow, at least well enough for her to hand him a cup of tea.
Hyde settles back into the room, re-orienting himself with the real world. He admits he is impressed by Rachel's street smarts--she even held her own against the Elephants themselves!--but has a hard time marrying this new image of Rachel with her quaint, mousy exterior. He doesn't understand why she would choose to work in such a boring, sterilized place like the Society when she could be out here, living in perfect freedom!
The idea is hilarious to Rachel. This, freedom? Perhaps now she gently calls Hyde on his bullshit. He's obviously not who he claims to be, isn't that right? He's no lower-class lab assistant, not really. He's certainly not from (whatever neighborhood he claims to be)**. His accent's all wrong, it keeps slipping into something really posh. She always figured he was some rich boy who'd run away from his family and was slumming it somewhere in Soho. Hyde is not happy to hear his persona put into question, but Rachel assures him: It's all right! She won't tell anyone! She just doesn't understand why he wants to do this in the first place.
Now, depending on how far I want to go with this scene, the conversation could extend to Rachel explaining her family's history, and why she doesn't want to end up that way (and maybe mention specifically that Hyde reminds her of her own brothers). Or maybe Hyde just might notice all the family portraits and not comment immediately on them.
One way or another, the police get wise on Hyde's location. Hyde's panic returns, worse than before, as the police threaten to break down the door. Rachel helps him escape through a window, and by the time he arrives back at the Society he is a total paranoid mess. Eventually he loses grasp of himself completely, giving Jekyll a chance to seize control back and drink the transformation potion.
*This seems a good area to illustrate Hyde's 'want' in the story. He idolizes the leader of the forty elephants, Lucy _________ because she is, in his mind, the ideal of an absolute evil badass who gets to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. It never occurs to him that there might be more to the life of a thief than wanton pleasure and wickedness.
**haha yeah sorry I KNOW I didn't set this up beforehand.
Character Arc Notes
Hyde: Nearly achieves his goal! But in encountering REAL criminals, it becomes obvious just how different he is from them. He sees that none of them do things just for the fun of it--a crack in his world view. Discovers a weakness he didn't realize he had--he can't control his emotions, and they can totally immobilize him. However because of Rachel's help, he is able to ignore this problem for the moment.
Rachel: We learn a lot about her backstory, and she questions Hyde's motivations quite a bit.
Themes addressed:
Hyde's dream of perfect freedom: Is brought into question. Another roadblock is introduced--Hyde's own out of control emotions. If he got what he wanted, would he even be able to enjoy it?
Imagery:
Exact location of the second half of this scene is still TBD! However, as it is now, it seems like a great opportunity to explore another specific part of London we haven't seen. Not the slums really but still a poorer area, probably awkwardly close in location to a big railway station. Not at all a comfortable place.
And specifically it would be FULL of little details pertinent to Rachel's life. The room they hide in should really be rich with specific objects that make the place feel homey, almost as though visiting a memory from her past.
And at the same time, we do want to emphasize elements that make Hyde feel as though he were in prison. Maybe there are bars on the windows that cast prison-y shadows everywhere?
Oh, and the bazaar should be totally mad and full of everything Hyde could ever want.
AND THE RAIN STORM is important too shit maybe this scene should be broken up into two parts? A partially flooded London should be really cool okay yeah fuck this needs to be two parts lololol.
Business/Jokes:
Hyde trying to manage in the rain/flood
Rachel doting on Hyde like a sick child
Hyde meeting and interacting with Lucy from the Elephants--how different is she from the person he imagined?
Jekyll sits shaking in his office, trying to figure out what to do next. He is now very much frightened of Mr. Hyde and isn't sure he has the strength to continue his work with the Society.
Meanwhile, Rachel has decided to pay an early morning visit to Jasper, with the excuse of bringing around biscuits. She surprises Jasper while she is changing clothes (which actually was her goal all along) but discovers something a bit shocking…..
Rachel bursts into Jekyll's office in a panic and announces: Jasper is a GIRL! Jekyll struggles to compose himself and tries to calm Rachel down. "Jasper is still Jasper, is he-- she not?" He tries to convince her not to go spreading the news everywhere.
Jasper slinks in, quietly terrified. Jekyll reassures her that he will keep his secret and that he will not think less of her for lying. And he truly does not see anything wrong with her at all--a bit ironic, seeing how much wrong he sees in himself. Jasper fears Jekyll is sugarcoating things, given how distressed he looks. Jekyll insists that he IS out of sorts, but not because of her, he swears!
A loud thunk, followed by screams, rings out from upstairs. Jekyll and Jasper run to see what caused it.
Character Arcs
Jekyll: Jekyll's personal crisis is reaching a fever point, but a quick-fix solution presents itself: Rachel's freak-out allows him to focus on other people's problems and ignore his own.
Rachel: Freaks out over Jasper! She listens to Jekyll's words of advice but hasn't had cause to take them to heart yet.
Jasper: Her path towards self-assurance is thrown off by Rachel's discovery.
Thematic Stuff
'Controlling the monster inside': Jekyll doesn't see anything monstrous in Jasper at all at this point, but hasn't made the connection between her and himself yet. He considers her problems to be totally separate from his own.
Imagery:
This scene pretty much takes place in Jekyll's office. He should be surrounded by Hyde at the opening and break free as he becomes immersed in Jasper's problem.
Business:
This is pretty straightforward, but this panicky thing IS a side of Rachel that is not really visible in any other scene.
Jekyll is REALLY starting to lose it by this point. Should be a really marked contrast between public and private personas at this point.
(When he gets rid of his transformation potion he starts popping the pills that Lanyon gave him.)
Jasper could probably be really knowledgable about the city and how recent building projects have totally displaced the slums and the various people and supernatural animals who live there. This could impress upon Jekyll the idea that Jasper has more potential than he's realized yet.
Jekyll and Jasper find Frankenstein testing out a potion he acquired on one of the Lodgers (the rest are gathered in a tight circle around them). Jekyll pushes through the crowd to find the Lodger still and pale as a corpse. Jekyll is horrified, but after a beat the Lodger shakes himself and gets up. Frankenstein declares the experiment a success. "And zhat vas vith only a small drop of the stuff! Let's see vhat happens vith a whole spoonful. . . ."
This is the last straw for Jekyll. He storms over, rips the bottle out of Frankenstein's hands, and gives him a good yelling. The Lodgers are stunned--they have NEVER seen Jekyll lose his temper before. Frankenstein looks satisfied. Finally he knows what Jekyll really thinks of him! Disappointed with himself as much as anyone, Jekyll confiscates the potion along with a great deal of the equipment the Lodgers have brought for Frankenstein. Jasper offers to help carry the equipment out and the two leave together.
Character Arc Notes:
--Jekyll/Frankenstein: Frankenstein has finally broken down Jekyll's defenses enough to get a very raw outburst from him. I believe Jekyll will explain here exactly what he thinks of Frankenstein and defend his beliefs and methods in a very hurt manner that highlights how frightened he is. "This is the ONLY WAY any of us can survive" or similar.
--Jekyll/Lodgers: (I don't think I've been tracking this relationship but) This is the breaking point of their rebellious children/strict parent relationship. They now begin to understand that Jekyll has vulnerabilities. He is not only a soulless authority figure to fight against.
Thematic notes:
'Look at your life/Look at your choices': Jekyll defends his beliefs, but in a bit of a "last scream of the dragon" way. It's pretty clear at this point he wouldn't be able to return to his old way of life even if he wanted to.
Imagery:
Scene takes place in Frankenstein's lab, showing it at first, fully decked out in mad scientist paraphernalia, and then starkly empty.
Business:
--The 'dead' Lodger needs to be REALLY convincingly corpse-like, and there needs to be a very strong beat where it seems as though Frankenstein has really killed him. (Maybe the Lodgers would make fun of him for not getting the joke? adding insult to injury) That way, hopefully, the audience will be able to feel Jekyll's anger at being scared so badly.
