by Bevin Dooley
I think the most stressful part of a new project is where to begin; it's like cliff-diving. I've never actually been cliff-diving. I understand it's not only thrilling and adrenaline-pumping, but also harrowing and potentially life-threatening. But more terrifying than that is just the open space. Until you make contact with water, or ground, or jagged rocks, it's just you and the air and the emptiness all around you, plummeting downward to some form of end.
It's the same thing with writing, or theatre creation of any kind. So to have a guide of any form is so unbelievably helpful. We've started examining the works of Edgar Allen Poe, which is very intense and deep as a beginning place. Poe scares me a lot, not only as an artist, but also in the same way kids get scared by the thought of monsters under the bed, or something gangly lurking in the closet. There is something utterly chilling about his work, and the worst part about it - but also the best part - is that it is unspeakable. And because there's an aspect to his work that I can't properly articulate, I get nervous....I get paranoid. It's like that moment when you realize that you may not have locked the door, or turned off the stove before you went out. There's a fleeting sense of dread.
This is also a piece that manifests as dread in the pit of my stomach. Read the lyrics, listen to the song and let the fear set in.
WHAT'S HE BUILDING IN THERE? by Tom Waits
What's he building in there? What the hell is he buildingIn there?He has subscriptions to thoseMagazines... He neverWaves when he goes byHe's hiding something fromThe rest of us... He's allTo himself... I think I knowWhy... He took down theTire swing from the PeppertreeHe has no children of hisOwn you see... He has no dogAnd he has no friends andHis lawn is dying... andWhat about all those packagesHe sends. What's he building in there?With that hook lightOn the stairs. What's he buildingIn there... I'll tell you one thingHe's not building a playhouse forThe children what's he buildingIn there?
Now what's that sound from under the door?He's pounding nails into aHardwood floor... and ISwear to god I heard someoneMoaning low... and I keepSeeing the blue light of a[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/whats-he-building-lyrics-tom-waits.html ]T.V. show...He has a routerAnd a table saw... and youWon't believe what Mr. Sticha sawThere's poison underneath the sinkOf course... But there's alsoEnough formaldehyde to chokeA horse... What's he buildingIn there. What the hell is heBuilding in there? I heard heHas an ex-wife in some placeCalled Mayors Income, TennesseeAnd he used to have aconsulting business in Indonesia...but what is he building in there?What the hell is building in there?
He has no friendsBut he gets a lot of mailI'll bet he spent a littleTime in jail...I heard he was up on theRoof last nightSignaling with a flashlightAnd what's that tune he'sAlways whistling...What's he building in there?What's he building in there?
We have a right to know...
What's he building in there?What the hell is he buildingIn there?He has subscriptions to thoseMagazines... He neverWaves when he goes byHe's hiding something fromThe rest of us... He's allTo himself... I think I knowWhy... He took down theTire swing from the PeppertreeHe has no children of hisOwn you see... He has no dogAnd he has no friends andHis lawn is dying... andWhat about all those packagesHe sends. What's he building in there?With that hook lightOn the stairs. What's he buildingIn there... I'll tell you one thingHe's not building a playhouse forThe children what's he buildingIn there?Now what's that sound from under the door?He's pounding nails into aHardwood floor... and ISwear to god I heard someoneMoaning low... and I keepSeeing the blue light of a[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/whats-he-building-lyrics-tom-waits.html ]T.V. show...He has a routerAnd a table saw... and youWon't believe what Mr. Sticha sawThere's poison underneath the sinkOf course... But there's alsoEnough formaldehyde to chokeA horse... What's he buildingIn there. What the hell is heBuilding in there? I heard heHas an ex-wife in some placeCalled Mayors Income, TennesseeAnd he used to have aconsulting business in Indonesia...but what is he building in there?What the hell is building in there?
He has no friendsBut he gets a lot of mailI'll bet he spent a littleTime in jail...I heard he was up on theRoof last nightSignaling with a flashlightAnd what's that tune he'sAlways whistling...What's he building in there?What's he building in there?
We have a right to know...
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