From The Notebook: A Study on Sarah

As I run through my notebook on this Christmas Eve eve and the third night of Chanukah (...right?), I have come to an odd conclusion that's both good and bad: most of what I wrote down ended up in the play. The good part is that "hey, it seems like a lot of my first ideas were good enough to stick around for the current draft!" The bad part is, "oh crap...there goes a lot of blog content." For the most part, the only things that were cut were far too sexually explicit lines from Vicky (specifically when she's with Will).

However, I have found some interesting little bits on the character of Sarah.

At first, Sarah (named Suzanne as a back-handed homage to my cousin of the same name) was just a character to tell the audience how time was moving on, specifically when she'd yell out her journal entries by which day it was, like an inmate in Shawshank. Clearly it would be an annoying roommate (as so many are) and would upset the main character (always Alison, always Elvis Costello influenced), but wouldn't be more than just a secondary character.

Eventually, the character blossomed into something bigger, and I think the impetus came with this selection which was cut from the play, mostly because it is far too close to Parker Posey's brilliant ad-lib in Dazed and Confused (1993). It comes roughly around page 34, as part of the reason Alison goes to go to Beth and ask for a new roommate. It was replaced with something more emotional and gave way to a bit more background on why Alison is so darn man hating. But first, there was:

Alison: hey, can you clean up your side of the room? (approx)
Sarah: Hey, can you clean the stupid off your face?
Alison: What?
Sarah: Didn't think so

Sarah goes back to writing her journal.

From that point forward, Sarah's part grew and grew if only because I loved writing her part. She even filled a hole later on when I had no one else for Will to talk to about the Alison situation, specifically after he tried to woo her and she tried to destroy his manhood. Who else but Alison's roommate, Sarah? My love for her grew further after I'd send the play out to a small cadre of friends and Sarah was almost universally loathed. Every time someone would say "oh I just wanted to STRANGLE that Sarah girl!" my heart would grow four times. And then a bell would ring, and Clarence would get a free venti skinny mocha. Wait. Backspaaaaaaace. Free venti skinny wings.

There should hopefully be a Christmas gift (read: post) up on the day, so check back, cause all I'll be doing is watching the NBA for about 11 straight hours. Thanks, Jesus !