HDC Idol 2008-09

[ChronoGrl]

NE's excerpt came from John Hollingshead’s 1861 book Ragged London, a chapter appropriately entitled “The Back of Whitechapel.”

Whitechapel is an inner city district in London which, by the 1840s began to draw a reputation amongst London residents of being particularly impoverished and overcrowded. As Hollingshead decried in his book, it was the classic Dickensian London, filled with poverty, depravity and socioeconomic strife. And out of this vile, wretched womb was born one of the most infamous serial murderers of all time: Jack The Ripper.

For those of you who are not familiar with Dear Ol’ Jack, he filled the Whitechapel Autumn of 1888 with sadistic terror: murdering at least five victims and suspected of slaughtering upwards to eleven. His crimes were heinous; The Ripper targeted prostitutes, mutilating his victims with everything from tearing open the abdomen, to removing the uterus, to severing a body from the throat to the spine, organs emptied and missing. And after this trail of violence, the Killer was never found, leading to urban legends and tales permeating throughout Whitechapel and London culture.

Jack The Ripper alone has had significant influence on the horror genre. The man has been the subject of dozens of fictional and non-fictional pieces of literature, including Robert Bloch’s 1941 “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” and follow-up “A Toy for Juliette.” According to Wikipedia, “more than 200 works of non-fiction have been published which deal exclusively with the Jack the Ripper murders, making it one of the most written-about true-crime subjects of the past century.” Alan Moore’s From Hell graphic novel series (1991 – 1998) reimaged the Ripper’s tale, and this story was then adapted to film in 2001 by the Hughes Brothers. The vile act of his crimes (disembowelment, defilement, exsanguination) have been repeated throughout the horror genre, from gore sensationalist Hershel Gordon Lewis to modern directors Wes Craven and Rob Zombie in their studies of human violence and bodily desecration.

But what really connects Whitechapel to the history of horror was the cultural and social upheaval that surrounded those 1888 murders. The Jack The Ripper case was one of the first instances of true criminal profiling. Physicians worked close with police to create a profile of the supposed killer which, of course, was published in the cheap penny papers that circulated the streets. Jack The Ripper’s crimes were the media’s first true foray into the world of sensationalized gore. While there had been murderers prior to 1888, this Autumn in Victorian England marked the revolution of print media that sparked a cultural sensation. His crimes were known as “The Whitechapel Murders,” a title created by the police and spread throughout the districts. Whitechapel was the first city to truly embrace the voyeuristic side of fear, that side that shudders at the crime, but desires to read more about its atrocities. In a sense, this is the birth of the horror audience: A whole city captivated and intrigued by the abominable acts of one of their own.

What also makes the city of Whitechapel so iconic and culpable in these crimes was the advent of The Killer’s Note and the public reaction. Through the killer’s murders, both the police and various newspapers received letters, some of them claiming to be from the Killer himself. Some of them proven to be fakes. Regardless, the entire community, for better or for worse, was involved: Letters were published and greedily read in detail. In conjunction with the publicized criminal profile, the letters created a realistic Evil ready for consumption by the general public. Whitechapel was home of one of the first instances of pure true crime horror lust. And so horror perpetuates. In a city wrought with poverty and strife, stories of Jack The Ripper were, in a sense, escapism from the dull lives of the people. People began to recognize true horror as a macabre form of entertainment. In a sense, the horror audience was born and a precedent was set for the dark reverence of the mysterious serial killer. With this pure media frenzy and public enthusiasm, Jack The Ripper and Whitechapel created a pure legend that would influence the archetype of all future serial killers and the portrayal thereof.

[neverending]

Excellent essay, Chrono. Well done.

But my excerpt was cobbled together from several different sources. So there.

[ChronoGrl]

Originally Posted by neverending

Excellent essay, Chrono. Well done.

Thanks! :D

Originally Posted by neverending

But my excerpt was cobbled together from several different sources. So there.

Always have to get that last word... :p

You're right. It was Hollingshead who stood out the most, though. Reminded me a LOT of Blake's criticism of London (I'm such a Blake dork). I kept thinking:

I wander through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, marks of woe...

[Doc Faustus]

Always have to get that last word... :p

You're right. It was Hollingshead who stood out the most, though. Reminded me a LOT of Blake's criticism of London (I'm such a Blake dork). I kept thinking:

I wander through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, marks of woe...[/QUOTE]

One of his most intense, powerful works. Definitely apt when used to describe Whitechapel at the time. You should check out www.casebook.org. It contains transcripts of Daily Telegraph articles and everything.

[roshiq]

Originally Posted by ChronoGrl

NE's excerpt came from John Hollingshead’s 1861 book Ragged London, a chapter appropriately entitled “The Back of Whitechapel.”

Whitechapel is an inner city district in London which, by the 1840s began to draw a reputation amongst London residents of being particularly impoverished and overcrowded. As Hollingshead decried in his book, it was the classic Dickensian London, filled with poverty, depravity and socioeconomic strife. And out of this vile, wretched womb was born one of the most infamous serial murderers of all time: Jack The Ripper.

For those of you who are not familiar with Dear Ol’ Jack, he filled the Whitechapel Autumn of 1888 with sadistic terror: murdering at least five victims and suspected of slaughtering upwards to eleven. His crimes were heinous; The Ripper targeted prostitutes, mutilating his victims with everything from tearing open the abdomen, to removing the uterus, to severing a body from the throat to the spine, organs emptied and missing. And after this trail of violence, the Killer was never found, leading to urban legends and tales permeating throughout Whitechapel and London culture.

Jack The Ripper alone has had significant influence on the horror genre. The man has been the subject of dozens of fictional and non-fictional pieces of literature, including Robert Bloch’s 1941 “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” and follow-up “A Toy for Juliette.” According to Wikipedia, “more than 200 works of non-fiction have been published which deal exclusively with the Jack the Ripper murders, making it one of the most written-about true-crime subjects of the past century.” Alan Moore’s From Hell graphic novel series (1991 – 1998) reimaged the Ripper’s tale, and this story was then adapted to film in 2001 by the Hughes Brothers. The vile act of his crimes (disembowelment, defilement, exsanguination) have been repeated throughout the horror genre, from gore sensationalist Hershel Gordon Lewis to modern directors Wes Craven and Rob Zombie in their studies of human violence and bodily desecration.

But what really connects Whitechapel to the history of horror was the cultural and social upheaval that surrounded those 1888 murders. The Jack The Ripper case was one of the first instances of true criminal profiling. Physicians worked close with police to create a profile of the supposed killer which, of course, was published in the cheap penny papers that circulated the streets. Jack The Ripper’s crimes were the media’s first true foray into the world of sensationalized gore. While there had been murderers prior to 1888, this Autumn in Victorian England marked the revolution of print media that sparked a cultural sensation. His crimes were known as “The Whitechapel Murders,” a title created by the police and spread throughout the districts. Whitechapel was the first city to truly embrace the voyeuristic side of fear, that side that shudders at the crime, but desires to read more about its atrocities. In a sense, this is the birth of the horror audience: A whole city captivated and intrigued by the abominable acts of one of their own.

What also makes the city of Whitechapel so iconic and culpable in these crimes was the advent of The Killer’s Note and the public reaction. Through the killer’s murders, both the police and various newspapers received letters, some of them claiming to be from the Killer himself. Some of them proven to be fakes. Regardless, the entire community, for better or for worse, was involved: Letters were published and greedily read in detail. In conjunction with the publicized criminal profile, the letters created a realistic Evil ready for consumption by the general public. Whitechapel was home of one of the first instances of pure true crime horror lust. And so horror perpetuates. In a city wrought with poverty and strife, stories of Jack The Ripper were, in a sense, escapism from the dull lives of the people. People began to recognize true horror as a macabre form of entertainment. In a sense, the horror audience was born and a precedent was set for the dark reverence of the mysterious serial killer. With this pure media frenzy and public enthusiasm, Jack The Ripper and Whitechapel created a pure legend that would influence the archetype of all future serial killers and the portrayal thereof.

Splendid, Chrono! :cool:

Overall, I think it was the best test for the challengers of HDC Idol so far. Great works by both the judges and the contestants!:)

[_____V_____]

This is Alky's answer to Austin's task...

The year is 2015. In 2010 you wrote a play, "Ravished", that took the world by storm. The Gershwin Theatre, where your play premiered, has contacted you to write another play that will have the audience spellbound to the end. What would your play be about, what year will it be set in, and what actors would you prefer?

Originally Posted by alkytrio666

Exodus
A play by Kevin Nash

The play would take place in the year 2025- not too far from the then present, but also not so distant that slang, clothing, etc. would be rediculously altered.

The first act would center in on a small cottage in a somewhat secluded forest- the setting in relation to the rest of the world would be irrelevant, and hence not mentioned. In this cottage a family would be introduced consisting of a man, his wife, and their daughter and son. They seem happy enough together in their home; through family dialogue around the dinner table it would be established that the father runs a samll farm and that they made their money through those crops. Highly religious, the family says grace before and also after their dinner, to endcap the conversation in which the audience gets to know them.

The family heres a knock at the door, and the father answers it. In the doorframe stands a large, dark man with wings. Big wings. The father invites him in- he is one who would never refuse shelter- and the dark man sits himself next to the fire. As the family ask him about his travels, he informs them their meeting was no accident- he sought them purposefully, and for good reason.

The reason is this: a war has begun between the United Nations, and soon the world is to end. This man, obviously a superior being, was sent to collect this family to join one other for an exodus- the families are to be taken elsewhere and to start life anew. The apocalypse of the Earth is now inevitable, and this man has been sent to give the people of Earth a chance to start fresh.

The second act finds the members of the family eagerly but nervously preparing for the journey. They are told by the father to only bring a few select important items, that God would supply them with whatever was necessary. The family memebers take turns blurting out questions, starstruck by the wisdom of this creature. He answers them directly, but is not talkative. Most of the dialectic activity comes from the family.

Finally, he embraces them and the stage goes dark. When it brightens again, they find themselves surrounded by gorgeous but barren land. There doesn't seem to be life, and the people of the family roam across the stage curiously.

"Here you are," the dark man speaks. But the family seem nervous. They ask where exactly are they, and the figure replies that of course they are on Earth. They seem perplexed- they question him further, but the figure only repeats his early explanation- that a few select beings are to start life anew. He explains that this isn;t the first time that time has been reset, and it may not be the last.

He walks off stage, leaving the family to presumably start from the very beginning, alone on the Earth save one family, who might be anywhere.

Curtain.

Of course, this is a plot outline, I am not actually writing the play, so many things would need fleshing out.

Thank you for the good challenge, Austin!

I would like to request all Judges to send me their grades for the Goblins.

Then we move on to the FINAL TEST of the Preliminary Round, which will be for the Elves.

[neverending]

Alky- this is an interesting scenario, but it lacks one thing every dramatic exercise MUST have- CONFLICT.

The family accepts this being's story at face value? You allude to some "questions" but it needs to be stated in clearer terms what the central conflict is.

[Doc Faustus]

I'm with Neverending. It lacks dynamism.

[hammerfan]

I agree with neverending and Doc.

[hammerfan]

Chrono, very well done.