bring me a dream - a play for radio

8/22/2019 Bring Me a Dream - A Play for Radio

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ROBIN WILLIAMS (RW4953-X756279X) A363 EMA

BRING ME A DREAM

A play for radio

by

Robin H. Williams

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CHARACTERS

DR. ALEXANDER MEINHOF Male, German accent, Mid 50s

JAMES DOHERTY Male, Early 30s

MARY CARTER Female, Mid 30s

MRS. LYDIA MEINHOF Female, Late 40s

NEWSREADER Male, Mid 40s

Baltimore, USA, 1950s.

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INT. BEDROOM, NIGHT. SILENCE, EXCEPT FOR F/X

RAIN AT WINDOW AND CLOCK TICKING

FOLLOWED BY SOUND OF MOVEMENT IN SLEEP

DOHERTY: (IN SLEEP - MUMBLING) No. Oh God No! What is it?

What, what have I done? (GASPING SOUND OF WAKING

AND BREATHING HEAVILY)

TO INTRO. MUSIC OPENING BARS OF MR

SANDMAN BY THE CHORDETTES - FADE OUT AT

00:29 (NB - MUSIC TO FADE IN/OUT THROUGHOUT)

INT. OFFICE, DAY. F/X INTERCOM BUZZER.

MEINHOF: Yes, what is it?

MARY: Your four-thirty, Mr. Doherty, is here to see you Dr. Meinhof.

MEINHOF: Ah, thank you. Send him in wont you? Oh, and

MARY: Yes Dr. Meinhof?

MEINHOF: As Mr. Doherty is the last appointment today, you may leave

once you have dealt with any outstanding correspondence.

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MARY: (IN BACKGROUND) You can go right in Mr. Doherty.

(INTO SPEAKER) Thank you Dr Meinhof. Ill see you on

Monday; have a nice weekend wont you?

F/X RUSTLING OF PAPERS ON DESK

MEINHOF: (PREOCCUPIED) Ah, er, yes Sally.

MARY: (INDIGNANT) Its Mary, Dr. Meinhof. I replaced Sally two

months ago.

MEINHOF: Yes Mary, of course, my apologies. See you on Monday. (F/X

INTERCOM CLOSING) Ah, come on in Mr. Doherty, nice to

meet with you.

DOHERTY: Yeahokayyou too. Where would you like me sit?

MEINHOF: Please would you lie down on the couch?

DOHERTY: (UNEASILY) Er, thank you Doctor.

MEINHOF: Now then, Mr. Doherty, I have received your file from Dr.

Rosenberg at Johns Hopkins and I have briefly digested the

contents. As far as I can see you are suffering from a recurring

dream which is troubling you greatly no? But please, Mr.

Doherty, describe to me this dream in detail and how it is

causing you so much concern.

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DOHERTY: (CLEARS THROAT) Okay Doctor. First you gotta understand

Im in no way dangerous, I swear to you. I cant talk to my

wife about this and its making it so I cant sleep at night. See

Im not crazy but this dream is making me feel like it and they

cant help me at Johns Hopkins; I just hope to God that you

can. In the dream Im sitting in my armchair at home and there

is the sensation that theres no one else around. My wife and

son arent there, even though in reality theyre always home. I

am sitting in front of our new television set; Senator McCarthy

is being interviewed onFace The Nationbut Im not really

listening. You seein the dreamI feel the guilt of having

killed someone, not just accidentally mind. I know I have

murdered them.

MEINHOF: If you dont mind me interrupting, who exactly is this person

you believe you have killed?

DOHERTY: Thats the thing Doctor, I have no idea. There is no detail, no

act; I just know that Ive done it. Its the same every damned

time; I wake at this point and for the moments after I wake I

still feel that I am a murderer. It can take the longest while for

me to realise that Im not. The worst part, and the thing that

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worries me most, is it seems to be taking longer and longer

every time.

MEINHOF: It sounds as though you have some feelings of guilt that may be

manifesting themselves in this way, Mr. Doherty. You have to

ask yourself, and you must be brutally honest, are you

internalising anything that could be causing this guilt? Could it

be a sense of guilt about your wife, or even your child, and this

is why they are not present in your dream no? You must search

inside yourself for these answers and I am sure when you do so

we will be able to begin to resolve this matter

FADE OUT WHILE MEINHOF FINISHES SPEAKING,

INTO MUSIC MR SANDMAN 00:30 TO 00:46

INT. OFFICE, DAY, F/X INTERCOM BUZZER

MEINHOF: Yes Mary, what is it?

MARY: Your four PM, Mr. Doherty, has arrived Dr. Meinhof.

MEINHOF: Thank you Mary, you may send him in. Mary, also I need to

speak with you about a discrepancy on one of our private

clients accounts. After Mr. Dohertys appointment could you

stay behind please?

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MARY: (PERTURBED) Eryesokay Dr. Meinhof.

MEINHOF: Very well we shall discuss it later. (F/X CLICK OF

INTERCOM CLOSING) Ah, come on in Mr. Doherty. Please

lie down on the couch. Now how are things progressing since

our meeting a week ago?

DOHERTY: Its getting worse Doc. The dream is happening every night

now, only its changing. I get flashes of images. Im in a park,

it could be Patapsco Park Im not sure, but I recognise things

from when I used to go there as a kid. It is so real; the damp,

musty smell from the dogwood trees; the gurgling of a stream

and the chickadees overhead (F/X, STREAM, BIRDSONG,

PANICKED MOVEMENTS, RUSTLING OF LEAVES.) The

overwhelming sense of guilt is still there too. It becomes

consuming and I am looking at the ground and I know

MEINHOF: What, what do you know James?

DOHERTY: I know that in the ground is a body (PAUSE) and Ive put it

there.

MEINHOF: And it is now that you wake?

DOHERTY: No, it always comes back to my home; the sitting room, the

television, the guilt, oh GodDoc, the guilt. I dont how much

more of it I can stand.

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MEINHOF: Did you do as I suggested? Did you search your soul to find

why you may feel this sense of guilt?

DOHERTY: Well Doc, there is one thing thats been getting to me. I swear

to you I never looked at another woman in all the time Ive

been married to Amelia, but recently there was this one girl,

Candy; she was a secretary who filled in for a while where I

work.

MEINHOF: And this is which place?

DOHERTY: The sugar refinery down on East Key Highway. All the guys

loved Candy though; I mean it wasnt just me and I kept it to

myself. Some of the other fellas used to say things to her, you

know suggestive things, it used to make me mad but she would

just laugh it off, I couldnt understand how she didnt find it

offensive mind. I know if my Amelia had heard things like that

she wouldve flown off the handle.

MEINHOF: And what has happened to this young lady now?

DOHERTY: I dont know, she was just a temp. I guess she moved on, I

aint seen her around for a while now, and to be honest with

you Im glad about that; I dont need that kind of temptation. I

mean other guys wouldve maybe acted differently in my

position if you know what I mean.

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MEINHOF: Yes, James I understand and I am glad you have been open

with me in your feelings towards this girl but I think there is

more to it than that; after all you are only a man. I am sure we

have all felt urges of this kind in our lifetime (LONG PAUSE)

it is human nature. You must not allow this guilt to overwhelm

you. You have made the right choices and therefore you need

not reproach yourself. Now, there are a number of exercises I

want you try over the coming week before our next session

FADE OUT AS MEINHOF IS TALKING - INTO MUSIC

MR. SANDMAN - 00:47 TO 00:55

INT. OFFICE, NIGHT

MEINHOF: Come on in please Mary. Now, as you can see there appears to

be a discrepancy on Mrs. Millers account. It would appear that

although she has had eight consultations with me in the past

two months, I can see only payments received for six. Now

Mrs. Miller always pays, according to our records, in cash. Is

that not correct?

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MARY: Erwellyes Doctor Meinhof, thats right. Maybe she just,

er, forgot to pay the last couple of times. Ill tell you what, you

leave it to me and Ill call her and sort things out. Dont you

worry yourself about those matters; Ill take care of them for

you.

MEINHOF: But Mary there is something rotten here.

MARY: What do you mean?

MEINHOF: I spoke with Mrs. Miller herself earlier today, and she assured

me that she handed the cash to you personally. So where is the

money, Mary?

MARY: (FALTERING) II dont kno

MEINHOF: Now I think you do. While you were out at lunch today I took

the time to examine our financial records and found that there

are funds missing from several of our other clients accounts

also. Now you will explain yourself to me or you can explain

yourself to the police; the choice is yours.

MARY: (NERVOUSLY CHANGING TONE) Okay Doctor look, I can

explain. Money has been really tight for me and Ive had some

serious debts that I had to settle. I swear to you Im gonna

repay every cent. In the meantime (SEDUCTIVELY) Im sure

there is a way around this situation. Maybe we can come to

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some other sort of arrangement? (F/X SOUND OF PAPERS

BEING SWEPT OFF DESK)

MEINHOF: Mary, as you know I am married man and I have the utmost

respect for my wife.

MARY: (LAUGHING PLAYFULLY) Ha! Thats not what Sally told

me. She told me allabout you, now I wanna see that side of

you too. Come on, Herr Doctor

MEINHOF: OhMaryNoI can not (CAPITULATING)

TO MUSIC MR. SANDMAN - 00:55 TO 01:12 (FADE)

INT. OFFICE, DAY, F/X INTERCOM BUZZER

MEINHOF: Yes Mary?

MARY: Its your four-thirty, Mr. Doherty.

MEINHOF: (CURTLY) Send him in.

MARY: (QUIETLY INTO INTERCOM) Okay Baby.

(CONFIDENTLY TO DOHERTY) You can go right in now

honey.

F/X DOOR SLAMMING

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DOHERTY: (AGGRESSIVELY) You got anything new to say to me?

MEINHOF: I beg your

DOHERTY: I said you got anything new to say to me? Ive been coming

here for weeks, spending money I aint got, and I dont have

jack to show for it. These dreams are getting worse and you

havent done a goddamned thing thats helped me get rid of

them.

MEINHOF: ButMr. DohertyJamesWhat of all I have told you?

That your dreams are projections of parts of your inner self that

have been ignored, rejected, or suppressed. What of the

breathing exercises, the meditative processes we discussed?

Have none of these had any effect?

DOHERTY: They havent done a damned thing you stupid old fart!

MEINHOF: Now, James. There is no need for this level of aggression. I

am sure that if we are able to relax ourselves a little we will be

able to find a way forward for you.

DOHERTY: Er okay sure.

MEINHOF: Now, I feel that your difficulties may have gone a little beyond

my capabilities as an Oneirologist and I believe you may

benefit from (PAUSE) perhaps a different level of

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psychological assistance, shall we say? I have here some

tablets that I think you should take twice a day for a short

while; just as a precautionary measure you understand? They

may aid you with sleeping at night a little too no? Take one

now James, here is some water for you. (PAUSE) I am not

going to treat you anymore James, but I am going to

recommend another practitioner who may be able to help you.

DOHERTY: (MELLOWING) Okay Doc, thanks.

MEINHOF: Now I am going to ask you to go home and relax for the rest of

the evening. I shall call you tomorrow to advise you of the next

course of action.

DOHERTY: Soso youll call me tomorrow then yeah?

MEINHOF: I can assure you of that James. Goodbye.

DOHERTY: Okay Doc, thanks.

F/X DOOR CLOSING, THEN TELEPHONE BEING

PICKED UP AND DIALED

MEINHOF: (ON TELEPHONE) Ah, hello I would like to speak with

Doctor Fischer. (PAUSE FOR RESPONSE) Oh dearer

would it be possible for me to please leave a message for him.

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(PAUSE) I have a patient that I believe I am going to need to

refer to him. The patient is displaying evident signs of

schizophrenic tendencies; aggression, delusions and he may

become a danger to himself and others around him in time. I

have given him a short course of Thorazine to aid with his

distemper for now and sent him home. When Doctor Fischer

returns on Tuesday I would wish for him to call me so I may

furnish him with some more details

TO MUSIC MR. SANDMAN 01:13 TO 01:20

INT. OFFICE, NIGHT, F/X DOOR OPENING THEN

SLAMMING, FIST SLAMMING ON DESK

MARY: What in the hell is going on? Mrs. Millers just left here and

told me that she handed her cash to you, and youve told her

thats the new arrangement for future payments! Are you

cutting me off? Is that what this is all about?

MEINHOF: Please, Mary. Settle down. I am merely getting the practices

accounts in order. I can not have you taking money directly

from the coffers; it will not work out that way. I can (PAUSE)

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afford you a small allowance against ourarrangements shall

we say?

MARY: An allowance? Are you crazy? What the hell do you think I

am; some two-bit call-girl? You had better do some serious

thinking Alex. Because if you dont, sure as hell Im going

straight to your wife; your clients; your colleagues; in fact

anyone who might take an interest in our (MIMICKING

ACCENT) arrangements.

MEINHOF: Maryplease. There is no need for this, I am sure we can

work something out that ismutually beneficial.

MARY: Youre damned right we can! You can benefit me with a

hundred dollars a week on top of my salary and I can benefit

you by only opening my mouth for the rightreasons.

MEINHOF: (WEARILY) Very well, it would appear I have little choice

MARY: Damned straight. Im going home now; dont even think about

calling on me later, I wont be there.

F/X DOOR CLOSING, MEINHOF SIGHS, CLINK OF

DECANTER BEING OPENED AND DRINK POURED

INTO GLASS, RADIO BEING SWITCHED ON, INTO

NEWS ITEM.

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NEWSREADER: the Watkins Committees final report said the senator from

Wisconsin should be censured for his conduct in Senate and his

treatment of General Ralph Zwicker. Senator McCarthy has

referred to the Committee as "the unwitting handmaiden of the

Communist Party." The investigation continues (PAUSE)

And finally on WCAO Baltimore News; Maryland State Police

have made a final plea for information regarding missing

twenty-one year old Candy Roberts of Ellicott City. Miss

Roberts has been missing since September 3rd when she left

work as a temporary secretary at Domino Sugar Plant in

Baltimore for home in Ellicott City and has not been heard

from since. The Police are urging anybody with information to

come forward before the case is filed under the three month

(F/X CLICK RADIO OFF)

TO MUSIC MR. SANDMAN 01:21 TO 01:33

INT. OFFICE, DAY F/X DOOR OPENING AND

CLOSING

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MEINHOF: (BRIGHTLY) Ahh, Mr DohertyJames Please come on in

and lie down on the couch.

DOHERTY: Whywhy have you called me back in here Doc? I thought

youd done all you could for me.

MEINHOF: Wellthere is one more method I believe may be of some help

to us. It is a form of hypnosis which I believe will allow me to

identify the origin of your problem and therefore find a more

suitable way of treating it. You must trust me, James; I only

have your best interests at heart.

DOHERTY: Ohokay Doctor. If you think itll do some good then Ill

give it a shot.

MEINHOF: Good, good. Now you must listen to everything I say very

carefully and follow absolutely every instruction I give you. Is

that understood?

DOHERTY: Yeahsure.

MEINHOF: So, you must now take a good, long, deep breath and close your

eyes. Now relax the muscles around your eyes to the point

where those eye muscles wont work, and when youre sure

they wont work, test them and make sure they wont work

You must have complete relaxation in those muscles around the

eyes Now, allow that feeling of relaxation to go right down

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to your toes (LONG PAUSE) That is complete physical

relaxation, now I wish to show you how you can achieve

mental relaxation as well as physical. I am going to ask you to

start counting, when I tell you to, from a hundred backwards.

Each time you say a number, your relaxation will double, and

by the time you reach ninety-eight you will be so relaxed there

will not be any more numbers Begin counting...

DOHERTY: One hundred

MEINHOF: Double your relaxation and watch the numbers begin to

disappear

DOHERTY: Ninety-nine

MEINHOF: Watch the numbers disappear

DOHERTY: Ninety-eight

MEINHOF: I am going to lift your hand and drop it. When I do this, the

rest of the numbers will just fall away, and all that will be left is

the sound of my voice, all you will hear is my voice, all you

will understand is my voice. (LONG PAUSE) NowI know

what you have done to the girl. You must go to that night; the

last night you saw Candy and tell me what is happening.

DOHERTY: (LONG PAUSE, THEN DARKLY) I can see Candy leaving

the office now. Ive finished early but Im waiting for her. I

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know she wants it, and I know she wants me to give it to her. I

watch her walking out the gates up Key Highway towards the

bus station; so I turn on the motor and drive outta the gates.

Its Friday night so I know shes going home. I tell her Im

heading to Clarksville anyway so I can give her a lift; save her

getting the bus and shes okay with that.

MEINHOF: You must tell me what happens in the car.

DOHERTY: Were out on the Pike near Patapsco River Lake. Weve been

talking all the way; Ive been making her laugh and I can tell

she wants me by the way shes twisting her hair and the way

her cute legs are crossed in those stockings. Im pulling over

now; the road is desertedbut she changes. Shes asking me

all these questions like; Why are we stopping? Whats wrong?

Shes telling me she just wants to go home, that she has a

boyfriend and he used to play linebacker and hell kick my ass

when he hears about this. I tell her to stop pretending; that its

me she wants. Then she reaches out and thumps me right in the

face. I can taste blood in the corner of my mouth as I watch her

jump out of the truck. Im running after her, (F/X RUNNING

THROUGH RUSHES AND PANTING) off the road into the

reeds by the river and as I catch up her with she falls to the

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ground face first. I lay on top of her but she starts screaming. I

tell her to shut up, SHUT UP! But the bitch wont stop so I

push her face down into the muddy water. I can feel her

shaking underneath me. Her arms are trying to reach round to

claw at me so I push down harder; then in time the shaking just

stops.

MEINHOF: You must tell me did you leave her there?

DOHERTY: Im putting her in my truck, under the tarpaulin in the back; it

smells musty and damp. Im driving to Patapsco Park; I know

exactly where to take her.

MEINHOF: James, you must listen to me. Are you happy with what you

have done?

DOHERTY: Whos James? (COLDLY) Whats done is done. She got what

she deserved.

MEINHOF: Yes, yes, she did. My secretary, Mary, looks at you the same

way as Candy did no? You have seen when you walk through

the office her eyes follow you everywhere. You have seen how

she teases you; the way she bends over the desk when you are

looking. She is the sort of girl that wants it too but she will

never let you give it to her. She needs to be taught a lesson; the

same lesson you taught Candy.

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DOHERTY: Yeahshe does

MEINHOF: Now listen to me carefully. You must repeat tonight what you

once did with Candy. Mary will be walking from this office to

the bus station at six-o-clock this evening, you will offer her a

lift; she lives in West Friendship, so you will drive the same

route along the Pike. You will find a quiet location and there

you will put her to the test. If you find that she will not play

the game then you must deal with her, exactly as you dealt with

Candy. James will not be coming back until the next time you

go to sleep; after this James will return. Now you must tell me

that you understand the instruction I have given you.

DOHERTY: I understand.

MEINHOF: Good, good. Now I am going to begin the process of

reawakening you. As I count back up to one-hundred you will

begin to feel movement in your arms and legs and your

conscious self shall begin to leave its relaxed state. Now I shall

begin counting, ninety-seven ninety-eight

FADE TO MUSIC - MR. SANDMAN 01:34 TO 01:56

INT. OFFICE, DAY

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MARY: But I dont see how this is gonna work out!

MEINHOF: It is simple, my dear. I have already explained to you. This is

a way of settling your financial worries without having to

cripple the practice. I will be following you all the way, just

out of sight, but I will make sure that I get enough pictures of

you together in the car to use to blackmail Doherty. All you

need to do is give him a little kiss and then as soon as he tries to

take things any further I will come and get you, you have

nothing to worry about.

MARY: Oh, baby, if youre sure Im gonna be okay. And hes loaded

right?

MEINHOF: A huge inheritance my dear; recently. Now go, it is nearly six.

I shall follow you at a safe distance.

MARY: Okay baby, you just make sure youre there when the time

comes.

MEINHOF: I shall be where I need to be

F/X DOOR SLAMMING SHUT, LONG PAUSE, THEN

F/X OF TELEPHONE BEING PICKED UP AND

DIALED, PAUSE FOR ANSWER

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MEINHOF: Ah, Lydia my dear. I am just letting you know I shall be home

a little earlier than usual tonight, my last client cancelled. I

would very much care for some red meat for my supper;

perhaps a steak no?

TO MUSIC - MR. SANDMAN 01:57 TO 02:03

INT. BEDROOM, NIGHT F/X CLOCK TICKING THEN

A DULL SMASH OF GLASS IN DISTANCE

LYDIA: (STIRRING) I think Rascal wants to go out, I can hear him;

you go Alex.

MEINHOF: (MUMBLING) Das schweinhund...

F/X SOUND OF MEINHOF GETTING OUT OF BED

AND SHUFFLING DOWNSTAIRS, STAIRS CREAKING

AND SWITCHING ON KITCHEN LIGHT WITH

ELECTRIC BULB BUZZING

MEINHOF: (QUIETLY) Youwhat are you doing here? Jameswhy are

you here?

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DOHERTY: There is no James. Just me here.

MEINHOF: Where is Mary? Whatwhat happened on the road?

DOHERTY: I taught her a lesson, just like you told me to Doc. You were

right; turns out she didnt want me to give it to her after all. We

stopped on the old Pike by the lake. She let me kiss her a little

but when I wanted to do more she (PAUSE) did a strange thing.

She started calling out for you. She started screaming at me

about how you were gonna come and save her. But then when

you didnt come she panicked and ran. Just like Candy;

straight into the reeds but she was even slower; those heels.

She was screaming out for you Doc, but you werent there. I

tried to get her to shut up, I didnt want to hear it, but she just

wouldnt stop. She kept yelling about how you were both

setting me up about how you were gonna blackmail me and

how I had money from an inheritance. She wouldnt believe

me when I told her; screamed at her, that there is no money.

Yeahit was a set up alright, wasnt it Doc? But not what that

poor bitch thought. It wasnt easy, but I made her tell me

where you lived. You know she was crying out for you as she

drowned, but a funny thing; she had even less fight in her than

Candy.

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F/X OF MOVEMENT, SOUND OF HEAVY OBJECT

SCRAPING ALONG KITCHEN SURFACE

MEINHOF: PleaseJames We can work things out

DOHERTY: James isnt coming back. There is no James. You killed him.

MEINHOF: Please No

F/X THUD, SLUMP OF BODY, DRAGGING AND

OPENING AND SHUTTING OF DOOR, CAR ENGINE

STARTING THEN DISAPPEARING INTO DISTANCE,

LONG PAUSE, THEN CREAKING OF STAIRS

LYDIA: Alex? Alex? Where are you Alex?

TO MUSIC - MR. SANDMAN - 02:03 02:08 - THEN

SOUND OF RADIO TUNING TO

NEWSREADER: therefore when the Democrats take over in January, Senator

McCarthy will no longer be permitted to chair the Senate

Permanent Investigating Subcommittee. (PAUSE) Youre

listening to WCAO Baltimore News. After the strange

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disappearance of both eminent psychologist Dr. Alexander

Meinhof and his secretary, Mary Carter, over a week ago;

Maryland State Police are still none the wiser as to their

whereabouts. It is not fully clear at the moment if the two

events are linked but Dr. Meinhofs middle of the night

disappearance from his home in Mount Washington is thought

to have been under suspicious circumstances. Added to the fact

that after investigation there appears to be discrepancies in Dr.

Meinhofs practices accounts, the police believe there is a

strong possibility that the disappearance is in fact an elaborate

vanishing act on the part of the good doctor and his secretary.

Now over to Broderick Carver with the sports

RADIO TUNING - BACK TO MUSIC - MR. SANDMAN

02:08 TO 02:24 (END OF SONG)

Running time 30 Minutes

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Commentary

Before writing the piece I embarked on a fair amount of research into dream

interpretation and therapy; reading some extracts from Freud and Jungs work

amongst others. During the creative process, however, I took care not to stultify the

dramatic flow with the overuse of psychological terminology as it had the potential to

make the dialogue tiresome during the consultation scenes. Whilst conducting the

psychological research I uncovered a noteworthy piece of information concerning Dr.

George Kelly, a 1950s dream therapist, in an online biography. It concerns the

treatment of regular, everyday people and reads as follows; It was surprising, he

thought, how readily these relatively unsophisticated people took to these

explanations of their problems. Surely, given their culture, the standard Freudian

interpretations should seem terribly bizarre? Apparently, they placed their faith in

him, the professional. (Boeree, 1997) I found this fact most interesting and it led to

the ideas that underpin the play; the balance of power between the doctor and his

patient; the misuse of this power; and the change in status throughout the course of the

piece.

The choice of time period, which I discussed at length in TMA04, is apt for several

reasons; the rise of psychotherapy as a form of treatment in this decade, and my

personal desire to set a piece in a non-contemporary time period, being among them.

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However, the main rationale for the setting was the complete lack of available

information regarding conditions of this kind to the general public at this time. In this

day and age people are able to self-diagnose any number of conditions by picking up

their telephones, or logging on to the internet. For the purposes of this piece, Doherty

needed to be completely in the doctors hands; initially seeming helpless to the

listener. At first, the centre of control lies firmly with Meinhof. However during the

play, the balance of power shifts from doctor to patient and back and forth until the

final scene.

During the drafting process I attempted to use various well placed social, historical

and cultural references to make the time-setting clear. In practice, though, I felt these

appeared clunky and somewhat contrived, and did little to assist the narrative flow.

Therefore I made the decision to use just one fixed reference point for clarity; Senator

Joseph McCarthys communist witch-hunts and his subsequent censure in December

1954. I hope that the incidental appearance of the news item, added to the use of a

memorable piece of 1950s music, enable the listener to establish a sense of place and

time. The inclusion of The ChordettesMr. Sandman (1954) adds a sense of irony,

and an almost sinister perversity to the play. It also, of course, offers a method of

seamlessly juxtaposing each scene. The use of the radio tuning from the song to the

final news article, and back again, is also convenient as a platform for the final news

item; without it I believe the item may have appeared bolted on.

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With reference to varying the dramatic action, I have used the change in status, rather

than the change in setting, as the main conduit for this device. It had initially been my

intention, as suggested in my feedback for TMA04, to introduce other voices to act

out certain key scenes, for example Candys pickup and subsequent murder. I found

during the writing process, however, that due to the short running time of the play and

more importantly the crucial addition of the subplot; the affair between Meinhof and

Mary; that this was not necessary. As discussed in Chapter 9 of Neale, the

interweaving and symbiosis of the subplot and the main story is essential, and in this

play it becomes the key factor in the changing of status and eventually the shift in the

balance of power between Meinhof and Doherty.

In relation to the drafting and editing process; the initial step-outline I produced was

invaluable. I must admit I had not used this particular method of preparation until

TMA05, but I shall be for future drama projects. Using the handbook model from

Chinatown (1974) in Chapter 9 of Neale, I gave each scene a short summary title

suggesting its narrative content; this immediately adds direction and guidance to the

writing procedure. Initially in the interest of running time and avoidance of repetition,

but eventually to the benefit of the plays plot credibility, I removed a scene

completely. Scene 8 in the step outline was entitled What have I done? and

consisted of another session between Doherty and Meinhof following Marys murder.

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The scene did not work on two levels. Firstly, the hypnosis, which I based on Dave

Elmans rapid induction script, and recounting of events had a repetition which I felt

unnecessary; it is far more sinister when Doherty recalls the events directly to

Meinhof in the final kitchen scene. Secondly, the shift between Dohertys normal

character and his alter-ego is more believable if he does not return to the James

character in the interim period between the murder and the final confrontation with

Meinhof.

I hope that the listener would attempt to rationalise Dohertys schizophrenia, even to

the extent of trying to establish when and where he is truly himself and when his alter-

ego consumes him. It is possible, for instance, that upon being questioned by the

police following Candys disappearance (a situation that would surely have arisen)

Doherty could have either been completely unaware of the situation, or purposefully

misled them; either way the outcome would have been the same. There are also

possibilities for the listener to imagine that, in his schizophrenic state, Doherty could

have committed other murders; hinted at in the line I know exactly where to take

her. Apparently, the idea of schizophrenia and dream-like states being confused is

common in patients suffering from this condition; The delusions experienced by

those with schizophrenia have been likened to the experience of illusory dreams that

have come to be interpreted by the subject as actual experiences. (Kavanau, 2000)

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On a final note; at times, during the creative process, I have felt concern that the

narrative voice is somewhat misogynistic. However, I believe that this voice and

sentiment is justified given the time setting and am satisfied with the result of this

calculated risk.

Word Count 1046

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Reference

Ballard, P. (1954) Mr Sandman, Cadence Records

Boeree, Dr. C.G (1997, 2006) George Kelly Personality Theories, Available from:

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/kelly.html (Accessed 16 April 2012)

Chinatown (1984) film, Roman Polanski (director), Robert Towne (writer)

Elman, D (1984)Hypnotherapy, Westwood Publishing Co ,U.S.

Kavanau, J.L (2000). Sleep, memory maintenance, and mental disorders, Journal of

Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 12 (2): 199208.

Neale, D (2009) in Neale (ed.)A Creative Writing Handbook, Milton Keynes/London,

A & C Black Publishers Ltd, in association with The Open University

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bring me a dream - a play for radio

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