In directing The Long Way Around I've begun to articulate emotions in terms of depth vs. intensity. These are two scales on which I see emotions operate. Some emotions run very deep, but may not be intense. Some emotions are very intense, but don't run very deep. The strongest emotions are those that are both deep and intense, while weak emotions are neither.
The easiest topic to explain this concept (as per usual) is sex.
The easiest topic to explain this concept (as per usual) is sex.
Deep, but not intense: A marriage of many years where both parties love each other on a fundamental level, but the spark has gone out.
Intense, but not deep: A one night stand--it's fun, but the connection you form is ephemeral, and it doesn't take long before your memory of the experience is more powerful than your memory of the person.
Both deep and intense: A long-simmering romantic tension finally gets addressed, and both parties are way into it. It's built on a long foundation of friendship and the blossoming of romance is the cherry on the top.
Neither deep nor intense: A blind date where both parties are trying, but the connection just isn't there, and it doesn't seem like it will be.
While intense emotions can drive very strong reactions, they don't have the staying power of deep emotions. If a couple with a deep foundation of love has an intense argument, the depth is likely to trump the intensity, simply because the intensity will fade over time, while the depth endures. (Finding forgiveness for your partner because you have a long-term picture of what your lives together look like).
That said, intense emotions that function in opposition to deep emotions can cause those deep emotions to become shallower, particularly if the intensity is renewed. (Anger functions in opposition to love; a partner who becomes spiteful over time can destroy the deep love that carried them into this relationship in the first place).
In a conflict between two characters, framing the emotions and lines in terms of depth vs. intensity allows us to explore the complexities of a given interaction. Oftentimes the lines address the intensity of a given moment ("I can't believe you spent all our savings!") while the subtext addresses the depth (translation: "You didn't even ask me? I thought we trusted each other."). The intensity of the anger/worry in the lines plays against the depth of the trust/love in the subtext.
More thoughts on this another day; for now, must dash to rehearsal.
Intense, but not deep: A one night stand--it's fun, but the connection you form is ephemeral, and it doesn't take long before your memory of the experience is more powerful than your memory of the person.
Both deep and intense: A long-simmering romantic tension finally gets addressed, and both parties are way into it. It's built on a long foundation of friendship and the blossoming of romance is the cherry on the top.
Neither deep nor intense: A blind date where both parties are trying, but the connection just isn't there, and it doesn't seem like it will be.
While intense emotions can drive very strong reactions, they don't have the staying power of deep emotions. If a couple with a deep foundation of love has an intense argument, the depth is likely to trump the intensity, simply because the intensity will fade over time, while the depth endures. (Finding forgiveness for your partner because you have a long-term picture of what your lives together look like).
That said, intense emotions that function in opposition to deep emotions can cause those deep emotions to become shallower, particularly if the intensity is renewed. (Anger functions in opposition to love; a partner who becomes spiteful over time can destroy the deep love that carried them into this relationship in the first place).
In a conflict between two characters, framing the emotions and lines in terms of depth vs. intensity allows us to explore the complexities of a given interaction. Oftentimes the lines address the intensity of a given moment ("I can't believe you spent all our savings!") while the subtext addresses the depth (translation: "You didn't even ask me? I thought we trusted each other."). The intensity of the anger/worry in the lines plays against the depth of the trust/love in the subtext.
More thoughts on this another day; for now, must dash to rehearsal.