For a writing assignment in my Creative Writing class during high school, three students were chosen go to the front of the classroom and at the teacher’s count of three, hold a random pose and stay still. The rest of the class was to write on what they saw in the living statues.
The first student held up an imaginary gun, the second stood on one leg, and the third simply shrugged, unable to decide on her pose. That’s when I saw Gunman, Clumsyman and Compasswoman. I wrote a short story on their adventures but later decided to develop a play around these three characters.
In case you were wondering, the name “Xam Rohtul” is “Max Luthor” spelled backwards.
The Boy in Black character is based on a fellow student who wore the same black outfit to school every day; black shirt, black pants, black leather jacket and black gloves. Other students would tease him about his outfit but he was a good sport about it.
I do feel guilty for referencing the Indian characters as “sausages”. It does sound derogatory although that was never the intent. (It can’t be any worse than calling them “banana peels”.) Maybe it’s just the heightened sense of political correctness that comes with being a mature adult. Apologies to those sensitive souls who took offense.
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