a fun robotics play

[evlpoptrtofdoom]

Hello all,

A few members of Team 175 Buzz Robotics have been assigned, in English class, to write a play about robotics and perform it for the class.

Sounds crazy, doesn't it?

The thing is, we are at a loss on what to write about. We were thinking something along the lines of a play about how FIRST robotics competitions are not just 'geeky' or 'dorky' gatherings of teams and their robots, and taking video at our upcoming regional to try and show this.

However, we are not sure if this is the way to go...since FIRST is basically the best experience of our lives, we want to make sure we can show how exciting and rewarding this program is for all involved.

Any input from the Robotics crowd would be greatly appreciated, and any ideas that are used in the making of our play will be credited to the contributor(s).

[Dorienne]

Make the scene in a Chairman's interview. Talk about the team and what you've accomplished. They will realize it isn't all about robots.
=]

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

I like Dori's idea, but I think the concept of robots will appeal more to your class. Use that somehow.

May I suggest you dress up as Robots and do the play from that point of view maybe? I know when I'm in class, people dressing in silly costumes always helps the atmosphere.

[Conor Ryan]

If your really at a loss, and I mean reallllly at a loss, you may want to check out some of the stories people made in the past years about the divisions in Atlanta, some of them are funny, but it's quasi-robotics related and may be of some assitance.

Some helpful links:

• Fairytale for Galileo
• Archimedes Assault
• Archimedes Abduction
• The Stange Story of Newton
• There are a bunch more of links in the Championship Event sub-forum but you have to dig them up.

They are crazy, but they may give you somewhere to start.

[Mike Schroeder]

ask that wacky bunch on Team 48 They did a rousing Rendition of You lost that runnin feeling from Top Gun for IRI a few years back

[IraJason]

Originally Posted by Eugenia Gabrielov

I like Dori's idea, but I think the concept of robots will appeal more to your class. Use that somehow.

May I suggest you dress up as Robots and do the play from that point of view maybe? I know when I'm in class, people dressing in silly costumes always helps the atmosphere.

You should definitely do that! Then you can have one of your guys fall on their back, and have their legs going in the air... represent the poor team(s) that flip(s) over during a match

[ScoutingNerd175]

Originally Posted by IraJason

You should definitely do that! Then you can have one of your guys fall on their back, and have their legs going in the air... represent the poor team(s) that flip(s) over during a match

Well, of course that would ::never:: be an accurate description of our robot! Lol, you know I'm lying. I was thinking we might do something where one team does something really graciously professional for another, or that could be a part of the plot, haven't thought of what that would be yet (or discussed it with the pop-tart)

[Rick TYler]

Here are some things that you might want to think about:

1. How long will it be? If you are talking about a 5-10 minute sketch you will have time to make one point.

2. It has to be a story. Think about a sentence like this, "this story is about a [person] who wants [something]." Your play will be then about how [person] achieves, gets, or doesn't get [something]. For example: "Rocky is about an aging boxer who never really had much talent who wants to win the big fight to prove that he is a real man." Or, "The Blues Brothers is about two musicians who want to put their band back together and earn $5,000." If you have a simple statement like this, it will help guide your efforts to a conclusion.

3. Make sure your protagonist has some obstacle to overcome. Conflict is the heart of story telling.

4. Focus on story -- not themes. The story can contain a theme, but it will be the story that is memorable.

5. Given your audience, I'd try to include some humor.

How about a scene in the pits. Our heroes make up a rookie team trying to get their BLT working for its first match. It isn't going so well. A mentor (dripped in sweat) is going through the notes from the inspector. He doesn't understand the notes, and clearly doesn't know much about robots. A couple of students are frantically messing with wires or sweesecheesifying or pneumatics or something. People walking by start to slow down and notice the drama going on. A girl asks if she can help. Another student offers to rewire the fuse block. It's like elves on Christas Eve -- all pitching in to help. We hear a PA announcer calling the rookie team to the field, and miraculously the BLT is -- barely -- ready in time for its first match. The people who were helping sort of melt away. Who were those people? FIRSTers. Fade out.

[tbush503]

It might not be practical for what your doing, but I'd try to include a cheering section to show the extremely high energy at competitions.

[evlpoptrtofdoom]

Thank you all for your suggestions!

The next few days in school will be interesting as the Buzz kids decide what to start working on.

Your submissions have really sparked our imaginations, and we are excited to get going with this assignment!

We are actually planning on writing as much of the play as we can on our 8ish hour drive to the Chesapeake regional Wednesday afternoon/night, and taking some videos and such at the competition. Any of you who are planning on attending that regional, come and stop by Buzz's cheering area to see how we are doing, and maybe we can get you in some of the video!

Once again, thank you all for your help. If anyone new has any more ideas on the play, feel free to go ahead and keep submitting--we will take all ideas into consideration

If possible, we'll post the script and/or video of the play for all of you to see after its done.

[phrontist]

Continuing with Mr. Tyler's idea:

Start with one event description ("Rocky wants to win a fight to prove he's a real man"). Then break it down into three smaller events. Then break those down. Continue recursing until you've got a complete plot, which in your case, will be very soon.