T.O.M.A.H.W.O.D.E.

I was inspired last night to remember a story idea I came up with a year or two ago. Son wanted to rent "Cats", and the entire concept got me remembering. So, after one or two years "cooking" in my head, the story began to be written. I posted it on Cat in the Buff.

What was cool was that remembering T.O.C.A.T.Y.M. reminded me of an earlier story, dating back two - may be three - years ago. That story was the inspiration for T.O.C.A.T.Y.M., and it was called, T.O.M.A.H.W.O.D.E.

T.O.C.A.T.Y.M. was conceived of as a television show. T.O.M.A.H.W.O.D.E. was to be a stage production for the theatre company I want to create. It would be a regular performance, done in serial style, almost like a daytime drama, only it would be a comedy.

I couldn't find any of my original notes. Would have bet large sums of money they were on this computer, but they weren't where I expected to find them. So, I started over. Some things are different, but the general idea remains the same. This is what I came up with.

This saga goes back at least two or three years from May of 2009. The original intent was that it be an on-going serial at a playhouse. Episodes could even be filmed. I seem to have lost my original concept pieces, but as I remember they included these:

The Old Man: He is a bit of an enigma. Perhaps he is an aged wizard who no longer practices his craft (much). He tends to be a bit grumpy, but is truly quite generous of heart. He may be out of shape, but he’s not fat. He complains about (to) his wife, but he really loves her deeply. Generally, he likes to sit in his soft chair near the fireplace, and any effort to move him is met with resistance. He has a staff, kept in a corner (offstage), which flies magically to his hand whenever he needs to rise from his chair. His name is never used. His wife calls him “Old Man”, and most others have taken it up as his real moniker.

The Old Woman: She may, or may not, be portly. She should be significantly shorter than The Old Man, in any case. A gentle woman at heart, she has learned to play hard in order to get what she wants from The Old Man. She caters to him, but not without letting (especially) him and others know how it has put her out to do so. Ultimately, she loves her man and will defend him to the death – when she is not fighting with him herself. She is a wise, but simple, woman, who cares more about house and family than about larger issues. She always seems to be cooking something for someone. To everyone else, her name is Mayarya, but The Old Man does not use it anymore. To him, she is “Woman”, or “Old Woman”.

Jedrek (The Son): He is in his early twenties and still quite handsome. His charm and goods looks have made him the object of affection for one particular young woman of royal blood. The problems with their relationship, of course, stem from his family roots – particularly The Old Man. He gets along well with both his parents, but is closer to his mother by matter of course. The Old Man and he are in something of a competition. They snipe at each other, but The Old Man loves his son very much, and Jedrek is closely bonded to his father.

Nida (The Daughter): She is young, beautiful, sassy, intelligent, daring, and she is sought after by every male (attached or not) who has ever seen her (excepting her father and brother, of course). Her mother gives her conservative instruction while The Old Man tends to spoil her. As a result, she is much closer to The Old Man and uses his love for her to get her way. Her goal is to be a mighty sorceress, and she’s ever coaxing her father to teach her. The Old Man never quite admits he knows anything, but she gets her lessons all the same.

Heber: Friend to The Old Man. Ever supportive of his old friend, Heber is somewhere near The Old Man in age. Could be older, or younger, but not by much. He has some knowledge of The Old Man’s past, but he keeps it close, only occasionally granting hints of the well of knowledge at his disposal.

Eufemia: Friend to Mayarya, she is the same age as The Old Woman. Loyal and wise, she is The Old Woman’s most trusted sounding board when she needs to vent, usually about The Old Man. A one-time beauty, her age now conspires against her appearance. But she was never as beautiful as Mayarya. Not in the eyes of The Old Man, anyway.

Tadzi: Friend to Jedrek. Playful and irresponsible, Tadzi is ever encouraging Jedrek into mischief. Consequences are something to be considered after the fact, not before.

Shikita: Friend to Nida, Shikita is openly in love with Jedrek, who sees her as an attractive, but young, girl. Undaunted, Shikita is ever alert to opportunities to lavish Jedrek with attention.

Danica: Jedrek’s true love. She is also in love with Jedrek, but his social standing is in the way of their betrothal. However, once she can convince her father to allow it, she will marry Jedrek and “live happily ever after” in his arms. She is a bit possessive. Sometimes ruthless.

Marid: The Old Man’s nemesis. Marid has been given the task of ferreting out illegal sorcerers, and he has set his sights on The Old Man. Unfortunately for Marid, he is something of an idiot and none of his efforts to trap The Old Man into revealiing his secret past work. The Old Man publicly grants Marid little heed, but the evidence suggests he likes to play with Marid’s mind. Something which requires little effort on The Old Man’s part.

Edacious: The Old Man’s pet, which guards the homestead. Edacious is never seen but is often heard and mentioned. The intention is for the audience to believe Edacious is a small dragon. The family calls him by his name. Others refer to him as “it”, or “that creature”.

That is the ensemble. The would, naturally, be other characters which come and go. Perhaps some could even become part of the ensemble cast in time.

Since it is intended to be an ongoing show, there is no main plot. It is a show about love and family, and the silly things people go through for having both.