Although it's now May, Halloween in NY is full on. I went to no less than six parties in one week, the highlight was being a zombie tourist on a Gravehound bus blaring skull-splitting techno in the massive Greenwich Village Parade. So by the weekend I was running a bit thin on costumes and party number four was in a few hours. That's when inspiration silently struck. I dressed up as a mime (as best I could) and made a cartoony cardboard clock that showed the time moving back from 2AM to 1AM. I even taped "fall" and "back" on my knuckles. I was (perhaps) the world's first DAYLIGHT SAVINGS MIME. What I failed to realize is that the costume I thought was so clever would come to be a metaphor for one of my creative failings.
The first problem occurred when I wore the costume to a warehouse party in Bushwick. Now usually Daylight Savings Time happens in-an- around Halloween, but this year it wasn't. So my friend pointed out that the costume would have been far more effective the following week. Whatever...I thought people would have no problem getting it. Of course, I was wrong. Granted I didn't make it easy on them, because whenever someone came up and asked me what I was I made them guess and only gave non-verbal cues.
Okay, you're probably thinking I'm a monumental asshole...and I'll give you that. However, much to my surprise only one person gave up outright. I'd like to think my success rate was due to my engaging nature and awesome physical performance skills, but more likely it was the fact that most people were too fucked up tipsy to feel the inherent rage that mimes usually elicit. It became an interesting social experiment. The average time to guess the costume was about six minutes. Women got it faster, but men liked the play on words better. I was having an unexpected amount of fun, but then that night took a turn straight down into a deep, dark rabbit hole and the brilliance of my concept was sullied (no, I'm not telling u why).
But as I am a glutton for punishment (as are all screenwriters by definition) and the next weekend was actual Daylight Savings Time, I decided to unleash the mime on a huge Decompression party at the Queens museum. Surprisingly, the venue gave us full reign and there were special interactive pieces in many of the galleries, several DJ areas throughout the building and a full set of outdoor installations under the watchful eye of the World's Fair Globe. The costume was a definite icebreaker and, again surprisingly, garnered the attention of several ladies including a Russian dressed as a dark angel...who had apparently left most of her clothes back on cloud 9.
To be honest, I don't think she quite got the costume, even after the explanation, but she was friendly/half-naked enough, so we hung out the rest of the night. The party went off with Hare Krishna's going nuts outside and manic dancers tearing apart the decorations within, but it came to an end since it was a museum after all. We decided to check out the after-party, but at that point another guy was poking around. Even though he was getting increasingly territorial, I was chill because it's hard to be an aggro mime. Plus, he got lost at the second party so it was basically me taking pictures of the Russian (she insisted, which got a bit weird truth be told).
The sun was coming up, so we decided to leave. She was going to Coney Island and I was headed for Williamsburg, so we split a cab. That's when the interloper re-appeared and asked if he could get a ride. She politely agreed (mistake), but once we started rolling it became apparent he had other ideas in mind. He quickly turned the conversation to sexy-time. He asked if she was bi-sexual (yes), then said he was adventurous and asked about my stance on guy-guy-girl (no, dude). It was my exit, but he was displaying full-on creep factor so I stayed in the car for another 40 minutes! It was a good call, cause he launched a full-frontal assault. I did my best to help the Russian deflect and, as expected, when we got to the destination she said goodnight and went home. (Note: I hung out with her under less sketchy circumstances later and she said she had no idea he had such an agenda).
So there we were. Since it was a week after Halloween, I was the only one in costume. An old lady started pointing at me and saying "clown, clown" in Russian. As we walked to the train the dude told me how he had been gunning for the threesome. I pointed out that would have involved me, but he said that was cool, cause she was hot. Christ! I put up with him on the ride back because the train was full of working class people going to the early shift on a Sunday morning and I was in a fucking mime costume. What made it worse was when dude found out I'm a writer/creative director, he started schmoozing me. I finally left him to transfer trains. I got off and had a fresh raisin cinnamon bagel on Bedford. Then a car pulled up, I thought it was some people ready to harass me, but it was a friend/neighbor just getting in from the airport. They were wondering what the hell I was doing, so I explained...in mime.
Onto the creative connection.
At one point during my adventures I said to a friend I'd immediately go steady with any girl who came up to me and said, "Daylight Savings Mime, right?" My roommate even said I should post a Craigslist ad and I offered the title, "Daylight Savings Mime seeks someone to Fall Back on." However, although I loved the costume and people were amused after they learned the punchline, it wasn't accessible enough. I had let cleverness lead the dog by the tail, which is alright for a costume, but not so good for a screenplay. I think certain types of writers (me) sometimes forget that the point is to reach people, which means that story and characters should be the foundation of their work, not style. So a lessoned was learned and nobody beat me senseless. What more could a mime ask for*?
Yeah, you got me, all this happened last year. But for some reason I felt like writing about it now. Granted every day in NY feels a bit like Halloween...that's why I luv it!
I'll be up there soon, hopefully! I'm moving to Panama Fl, and then over in NY if all goes well. So I read your entry...but why is it Halloween? Is this an old story from last year, or is Halloween actually being celebrated in NY right now for some reason?
Anyways, I didn't know you were a hero ^_~ Nice work Super Mime, we need more chivalrous writers and mine in this world. "sometimes forget that the point is to reach people, which means that story and characters should be the foundation of their work, not style" well said. :) Have a good day!
Welcome to the interweb zone's dopest gangsta screenwriting site (whateva that means) - set in Brooklyn, starring me, Silent P and yo mamma. Dig it. <3g
"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they're listening to."
ink or lead. are you writing with ink or lead? are you strong in your ideas or are they moldable with life? ...then, there's the part where lead "led" becomes lead "leed." with what you're writing, what you are saying, are you leading? what direction are you taking those who hear it, who follow? ... it's really just about making something out of the art, making it a mission instead of just a word. good luck on your own art!
D says: Rock around the clock, DP.