Open Wardrobes

Claudia's comments on names started me thinking about how this relates to writing (as obsessed as I was about if I would be cast, I hadn't even thought about that side of it!). Finding the right names in a play is for me a measurement of how well I really understand the characters. If I can't figure out the name, odds are I haven't cracked that character yet because once I do the name usually becomes clear. The character has to have this name, it's just who they are (and they know it). For example, in writing The Princess and the Moon I just knew that the main character's name had to be Lizzy. It was the name that best described her personality. She's not a Sue or even a Betty, but definitely a Lizzy. And when you think about it, this is exactly the idea someone is getting at when they comment on how so-and-so either does or does not fit their name. In the Old Testement people are given names that have definite meanings that are specifically chosen, often based on the circumstances of their birth. Significance is also placed on the giving of a new name, such as when God renames the patriarch Jacob Israel.


But back to the writing side, the names of characters also help create a certain atmosphere. In Princess, for example, the princesses were given old-fashioned names because it fit the feel of the piece. One of the names, Nadia, was what gave the character its direction - without even being fully conscious of it, the character developed to fit the name I had already chosen.


It is part of the process, understanding who the characters are, giving them names, giving them form. And they will usually let you know when you've got it wrong.