No more typewriter scenes....

Background:  In "Typewriter", one player (the “narrator” is off to the side typing a story while the other actors come center stage to portray the different characters in that story.  Sometimes, the narrator leads the plot; sometimes, the players on stage are controlling it.

One night in 1999, I was leading a rehearsal of beginners with a focus on storytelling.  Typewriter is a nice game for that since it is so narrative. 

Christiana had seen it performed at a show and wanted to try the narrator role.  Normally, Christiana is strongly focused but she tried several times to get started and kept hesitating and fumbling.

I stopped her to interject with some support.

“Just take your time, Christiana.  Envision the paper in your hand, put it in the top of the machine, roll it down…”

“I'm trying,” she replied, “but it’s hard because I've never seen a typewriter.”

All of the muscles in my face fell.  “What?”

“I mean, I've seen them in old movies, but I never really paid attention to how they work.  I learned typing on a computer keyboard so there's no place to put paper in.”

I stared at her, feeling the lines in my face deepening as fifteen more hairs turned grey instantly.  We continued the scene but I don’t think I was fully present again for about ten minutes.  It had never occurred to me that there are adults to whom a typewriter is as alien as a quill pen.

Milo Shapiro, "San Diego Theatresports"

San Diego, CA  USA