Art Therapy for Maturing Divas

The Brief

As you know, we are now called The Literal Challenge or TLC – so to celebrate that, let’s write a play about TLC.

“What? Second challenge and all you’re giving us are letters?! I expected far more!”

“Well, there is more! Loads more! In those three letters there is a whole range of possibilities”…

Perhaps set it in a spa, where customers receive special (!) TLC.

Perhaps write about a couple arguing about a Tables, Ladders and Chairs wrestling match (google it!).

What about a play consisting only of lyrics by the great band TLC, or just pick one of them – a monologue about a T-bone steak? About someone’s Left Eye? About eating a chilli? (This is far too early in the process for me to betray my age in such a way).

What about three characters talking but never using the letters T, L and C?

Or… go at it from a completely different angle. Take a hot bath and give your body some TLC as you free write (maybe don’t take any electronic devices though).

And of course – you could just write about THE LITERAL CHALLENGE!

The Exerpt

LUCY:             Impudent child. Tried to tell me there were rules. I told her I’d been cursing like a sailor before she’d been born and I wasn’t likely to stop any time soon, and when she’d been a    medic in a war zone she could maybe think about lecturing me. Fuck… was it knit six, perl three or knit five, perl two? (she begins ripping out stitches)

RED:               This is why you never complete anything.

DORIS:           It’s not about the finished project. It’s about the stimulation of the creative act. Making art is good for the brain.

RED:               We’re not ‘making art,’ we’re coloring in pictures. You’re just using a brush instead of pencils or crayons.

DORIS:           It is, too, art. I choose the brushstrokes. I choose the picture. And you, you select the colors you use. Or do you see a lot of cats striped pink and yellow?