Newsletter – April 13, 2024
I’m currently directing a production of Peter and the Starcatcher and I had a discussion after rehearsal with the actor playing Black Stache. We were talking about about a line in the play (spoiler alert: I’m about to reveal a joke from the play). His character complains that the treasure he seeks is as elusive as the melody in a Phillip Glass opera.
It’s a funny line if you’ve ever heard a Phillip Glass composition. His minimalist music is often very repetitive and upends the standard concept of melody.
But would the audience get it?
Suddenly our casual observation turned into a sitcom writer’s room in my head. What else would be elusive and funny? And why? I turned off my podcasts during the long drive home and teased out the possibilities like a kitten unraveling a cashmere sweater.
As elusive as…
…a melody in a Mariah Carey medley
…a closed-door meeting at a cat convention
…a charging station in Chattanooga
…a greased pig at the state fair
…a credit score in cryptocurrency
…the pickle in a game of pickleball
…a bar of soap in a gang shower
…Waldo in a windstorm
The play makes copious use of alliteration so I tried to incorporate that in my ideas as well.
The Waldo one is my favorite. It can be a challenge to find the right balance of what is elusive and what context makes it funny.
Eric Margerum 