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Writing A Play for Asexual and Aromantic Representation


AceCase47

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Hello All,

 

I don't know if this is the correct forum to place this in, but it seemed like a best fit. Anyway, I am writing a play. The play is about the experience of Asexuality and Aromantism in current world as well as playing with the idea about what if society was even more obsessed with sex and love and the ingrained heteronormativity that is prevalent in both of those. Now, since my experience is not everyone's, I had the idea to make a post on here about the play and ask for some assistance in writing something authentic to our shared experiences. 

 

Right now, I am sort of stuck on where I want the play to go, and have two timelines. One exists in a different world - whether post apocalyptic or different timeline entirely is unclear - and this different world is obsessed with the idea of finding "the one" and has developed a system that matches you with the person you are most compatible with. The other idea, would be a collection of stories from both myself and others about our experiences now, along with poems, songs and other arts imbued within the piece. I have no idea which one of these to do, or if theres a way to incorporate both...? I have some of the first world written as well as some of the other idea. I guess what I am looking for is, for anyone willing, to anonymously share experiences that you have had in your journey of understanding your orientation. Any credits I give will be AVEN as a whole, not to individuals as this is anonymous. I would really love the help if anyone is interested in sharing, and of course I can answer any questions people have as well. This play is a part of my senior project at college, but there's no real timeline to finishing it. As we say in theater "the work is never done", so I plan to keep working on this play well after college as well. 

 

Anyway, that's about it for now, I hope to hear from you all! Thanks!

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I think a combination of both would be really interesting, but if you have to pick one, the first option would probably be the most interesting. Let me know how it's going/if you want help. 

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IDK this is a third idea you might not like that, but when I heard "aromantic and asexual representation" I imagined a play with characters discovering who they are and coming out to people who have negative assumptions and responses to them, being a fictional representation of ace and aro experiences. But, then, is it entertaining? idk. 

 

I think both your ideas seem fine to me. I'd definitely want to watch such plays. 

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Confusionreigns

I am an allosexual who has just learned that my wife believes that she is grey sexual.  After 43 years of marriage.  

 

I have started writing a play about me.  It has tragic undertones and I meant it to be a comedy.   

 

As for your play - which idea feels most real - or if they both do - you know the combo works

 

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I think the first idea about a different world is very appealing. The second idea ,imho, seems difficult to implement as everyone's experience is so very different. 

As for my personal experience, someone told me last-to -last year they are demisexual, I looked it up and found it resonated with me. However, after a bit of soul-searching I found that I had been repressing my wholly asexual side and was afraid to admit it. Turns out, I am aceflux and at any point of time I remain in the asexuality or gray-asexuality spectrum. 

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No doubt option 2 would play well on a college campus--series of vignette shows often do--and there is real value in sharing the stories of real people. 

That said, as a theatre goer, I would be far more interested in seeing a production of option 1.

 

Merging the two together feels like it would be necessarily contrived and not do justice to either.  No sense manipulating real people's stories to function in an artificial world, which I think would somehow de-authenticate them; similarly, no sense in constraining your own creativity in story telling by making yourself beholden to the sanctity of real people's stories.

 

Work on the one that moves you more in the moment, and when you hit a point when it stops moving you, shift your focus to the next.  Plenty of time for multiple story-telling projects ahead of you!  

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Maybe you could have the characters in this alternate world have some of the real life experiences of you/friends/random people who tell you their stories. That might help as a point to get started. Also having realistic character experiences within the fictional world might make them more relatable. Couldn't the asexual/aromatic people in that place still be paired with 'the one', it would just be the person that they would be able to share a connection with, as surely all the connections wouldn't necessarily involved a sex or romantic love. Maybe they would even be paired with other asexuals/aromantics. I happen to be both, so I think it would be interesting to see that, good luck.

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Heh, the match machine keeps spitting out "nones," leaving some poor case worker (who is also a none) to try and get them all paired off manually!  But while the people happily connect with one another and become friends, they never do end up getting down to business.  Just an idea.  Actually, that might make for an interesting movie or series...

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