The Creative Process
Strapline (Title: Two Coffee Cups)
A boy’s life gets turned around after having one important conversation.
Summary
James is taken to Ian’s psychiatric office. James has an obscure view of life and its purpose; he despises civil psychiatry and believes Ian’s council is ultimately pointless. James looks for every opportunity to leave the session, while Ian pays close attention to his patient’s challenges. James finds it difficult to express his own emotions and is sure that no one will ever truly understand him. However, throughout the course of the session Ian relays a reminder that we are simply human beings trying to make the most of our time on earth while our borrowed time slips away. As it turns out, James discovers that Ian is more like him than he initially believed.
Structure – Breakdown (five beats of a story)
- James wants to feel understood; so he meets psychiatrist Ian.
- James is initially obnoxious towards Ian’s drawing, whereas Ian is fascinated by his patient’s knowledge and behaviour towards him.
- Ian starts to delve into the human experience. He talks about love and pain, to try and grasp the reason behind James’ insecurities.
- Finally, James starts to appreciate everything that Ian says as it starts to make sense. He wants to visit Ian again.
- James returns for another meeting, only to find out that Ian has committed suicide. He realises that Ian’s drawing reflects how sometimes all you want is to disappear, but all you really want is to be found.
Character Tables
Factor Character name: James
|
Age |
22 |
|
Sex/Gender |
Male |
|
Class |
Middle Class |
|
Location/region where born/raised |
He was born and brought up in Exeter. After graduating from university, he now rents a dingy room in London. |
|
Background/Family |
James is an only child. His mum unexpectedly left him when he was little and has a dysfunctional relationship with his dad. If he doesn’t live up to his Dad expectations, he fears that one day he will be abandoned again. |
|
Education |
As a child, he struggled with temporary aphasia which made it difficult for him to express and communicate properly. James studied Drama and English Literature at university. His intelligence is heavily underestimated. |
|
Career |
He is ambitious. After only just graduating, he tries to find work in the film industry. He dreams to be a director. |
|
Personality |
James doesn’t like looking at people in the eye, as he feels it is too intimate. He is quick-tempered and rarely gives anyone a chance. He projects himself as a confident narcissist (façade), so people don’t know the ‘real’ him. Inside, he is riddled with self-doubt and hates people giving him advice. |
|
Social Life |
James had lots of friendly acquaintances when he studied at university, he only now realises that they are the sort of people who don’t benefit his life anymore. After being heartbroken, he only finds himself wanting to distract and focus on his career. |
|
Worst memory |
His mum disappeared. |
|
Happiest memory |
Going to the cinema with his Dad when everything made sense. |
|
How would they like to be seen? |
Confident, charismatic, funny. James doesn’t really care about what people think as they always let him down. Ultimately, he just wants to be treated like an adult. |
|
How do they come across to other people? |
Intelligent, creative, honest but obnoxious, strong-minded. He doesn’t want to let people in. |
|
What do they want? |
To have his life together but do it by himself. He’s very cynical. |
|
What is their biggest fear? |
Abandonment. |
|
What brought them here? |
His dad is worried about him. |
Factor Character: Ian
|
Age |
56 |
|
Sex/Gender |
Male |
|
Class |
Middle Class |
|
Location/region where born/raised |
Born and raised in the countryside by the Lake District. Grew up surrounded by nature and a caring family. Moved to London for work and sense of change. |
|
Background/Family |
His parents are now divorced. He married the love of his life who passed away nine years ago. Ian misses her every day and wishes they had enough time to have children. |
|
Education |
Ian studied English literature in Edinburgh and grew an interest in teaching. He became a lecturer in his thirties. He learnt through his students that everyone is always going through something, which inspired him to be a psychiatrist after his wife died. |
|
Career |
Ian is a Psychiatrist. He works very hard to help his patients feel understood and seen. |
|
Personality |
A good listener, a generously kind individual. Riddled with knowledge and appreciation for life and it’s served purpose. Tends to speak slowly when he is patient, calm and collected. |
|
Social Life |
Ian is lonely. He feels the absence of his wife, he misses the times when she was alive, which makes him severely unhappy. He still buys two coffees and has no interest in making friends. He is content that he will never love again but is grateful that life brought her to him. |
|
Worst memory |
Watching his wife become increasingly sick. |
|
Happiest memory |
Becoming a lecturer and meeting his wife. |
|
How would they like to be seen? |
Smart, witty, understanding. |
|
How do they come across to other people? |
Smart, witty, understanding, and kind. The best person to talk to. A best friend. |
|
What do they want? |
To help others. |
|
What is their biggest fear? |
Failing to help. |
|
What brought them here? |
His wife. |
Mood Board
Character: Ian
Structure Breakdown
|
Scene/situation |
Want (what is driving the scene) |
Conflict |
Event/complication (what happens to move the action on) |
|
James insults Ian’s drawing. |
James wants to fill the time of the session. |
James is obnoxious towards Ian; however, he is unamused by Ian’s reaction. |
James has been unsuccessful in killing the time and is now asked questions. Ian has James wrapped round his finger. |
|
Ian has worked out that James is trying to confront the past. |
Ian wants to help James. |
James doesn’t want to listen, or open up to a stranger. |
This rattles James, which results in him going off on a tangent about what he thinks pain is. |
|
Ian begins to realise; that his patient has difficulty talking about his feelings. James has a façade up when Ian talks about love. |
Ian wants James to understand that it is not his fault. |
James isn’t getting the picture. |
James still thinks that the love he once gave was a waste. |
|
James starts to be his authentic self with Ian. They start to build a friendly relationship. |
Ian wants to delve into the reasons why James hasn’t had a good relationship with his parents. |
James is paranoid about the thought. |
James fears that he will be abandoned if he doesn’t live up to his Dad’s expectations. |
|
Ian addresses a metaphor about how life is like a performance. |
Ian wants to show that everyone is going through something and how life has its problems, sometimes. |
James doesn’t recognise what this means. |
Ian knows that James will realise, one day, that they are similar people. Possibly, when it’s too late. |
Set Design
The set of Two Coffee Cups will be simplistic. The play takes place in a psychiatrist’s office. There would be a desk with a picture frame, two coffee cups, a pen and pencil, a vase and flowers and possibly a lampshade for dim lighting would be present. Ian and James would be seated in two chairs in the office. To underline the tidiness of Ian’s office and to give the impression he is put together, there might be a coat hanger (stage right), although it is not necessary.