Popular Mechanics Voice: Begin With a Tone

Popular Mechanics

Voice:

Begin with a tone of somberness designed to match the atmosphere of the story.

What follows is a story about a disintegrating relationship. What had begun as something pure and beautiful as the white snow outside has become filthy. The story begins with the narrator telling us that "the snow was melting into dirty water."

Drop voice down even more, almost to the point of a whisper, echoing the change that is about to occur.

"Cars slushed by on the street outside, where it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too."

Pick up voice in volume, almost to the point of shrillness to echo the fight about to come. Pick up vocal intensity as the story continues.

The woman runs into the kitchen and tries to hide her child and herself from the coming wrath. It becomes evident from her fear that this is not an isolated incident. He has hurt her before or he has hurt the child before. She knows that if he gets his hands on that baby, something horrible will happen. As it turns out, she was right.

More intense to the point where you are desperate in your voice. Open eyes wide. Grab at the air, like you are trying to pull for that child.

They struggle over the child, she desperate to hold on to the baby, he just as desperate to get him. What results is a moment of tragedy. "He would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard."

Body:

During the presentation, the body should be a mirror of the action. The movements of the couple particularly should be reflected by you.

A man and a woman are fighting intensely as he packs his bags, prepared to leave her and their relationship for good.

Make hand motions like you are packing these invisible bags.

The woman comes in screaming that she is happy he is going. He ignores her screams which frustrates her even more.

Then (pick up head and look about as if you've just had an insight) he realizes that she is holding their baby in her arms. (hold an invisible child to your chest, protecting it as if it were your own) The child is never named, only called "the baby." This is because the baby himself doesn't matter. He is symbolic of their relationship and how much it has deteriorated. The man is determined to have the child no matter how it affects the woman and no matter what is best for that child.

Use dramatic hand motions, jerking the hands with each sentence to show the coming danger.

Drop your head, eyes to the floor, arms at your sides slack.

"In this manner, the issue was decided." It is unclear from the text what exactly happened to that child, but it seems evident to me that they have killed it in their struggle. As he was a symbol for the happiness they once shared in their relationship, his destruction is the final death knell for that relationship. In killing him, the couple has destroyed the final symbol of goodness in their coupling.