Information on the photo:
'Waiting for the train’ is by Tom Pepper, a medical student at King’s College, London. It won the 2013 CBRE Urban Photography Prize (Student category).
It shows three women sitting on a bench waiting for the subway train at 2 a.m. on a 34 Street platform, in Manhattan, New York City. It is summer (the temperature is unpleasantly high though it is late at night and underground).
'Waiting for the train’ is by Tom Pepper, a medical student at King’s College, London. It won the 2013 CBRE Urban Photography Prize (Student category).
It shows three women sitting on a bench waiting for the subway train at 2 a.m. on a 34 Street platform, in Manhattan, New York City. It is summer (the temperature is unpleasantly high though it is late at night and underground).
Tom’s winning image was captured as he
travelled home from sightseeing in Times Square on the subway. It was far more
than just a lucky snap, however, as he had earlier noticed the photogenic
quality of the arrangements, actions and expressions of people trying to pass
the time as he travelled across the city. Tom describes these three characters
as a perfect example of how interesting the simplest of human actions can be. Tom
said: “The photo was quite tricky to get because of the low light levels in the
station. In the end I balanced my camera on my rucksack and took several shots
in order to get this one”.
Thoughts on the photo:
The photo captures very well a moment of city life; it is "about" waiting, boredom, the banality and loneliness of urban existence. It is also about stillness and movement (waiting for the train to go somewhere else), daydreaming (being "somewhere else") and vulnerability (the danger of the "here and now", of the women alone in the early hours, in an oppressive underground labyrinth in NYC). It shows a banal situation that most people have found themselves in. It makes us think about the emotions we have felt in the same situation: boredom at having to wait, a little anxious (the underground is an unsettling place, with real and imagined dangers). Going underground, metaphorically-speaking, is to go down to hell... We ask ourselves worried questions: when will the train arrive, will it arrive, will it arrive on time, will I be late, will I get a seat, will there be someone weird on the train, will the train stop in a tunnel for no apparent reason, will I get to my destination on time, will I get lost, have I read the map correctly, will it be the right train, will I lose my ticket, will there be a controller, will there be a terrorist attack, will I fall or be pushed on the electric track?
The photo captures very well a moment of city life; it is "about" waiting, boredom, the banality and loneliness of urban existence. It is also about stillness and movement (waiting for the train to go somewhere else), daydreaming (being "somewhere else") and vulnerability (the danger of the "here and now", of the women alone in the early hours, in an oppressive underground labyrinth in NYC). It shows a banal situation that most people have found themselves in. It makes us think about the emotions we have felt in the same situation: boredom at having to wait, a little anxious (the underground is an unsettling place, with real and imagined dangers). Going underground, metaphorically-speaking, is to go down to hell... We ask ourselves worried questions: when will the train arrive, will it arrive, will it arrive on time, will I be late, will I get a seat, will there be someone weird on the train, will the train stop in a tunnel for no apparent reason, will I get to my destination on time, will I get lost, have I read the map correctly, will it be the right train, will I lose my ticket, will there be a controller, will there be a terrorist attack, will I fall or be pushed on the electric track?
For the more adventurous, a trip is also a bit
of an adventure, therefore exciting: discovering new places, new ways to get to
a destination, overcoming (potential) dangers and barriers, perhaps meeting new
people on the way, avoiding getting lost, stamina, initiative, accomplishment,
the pleasure and reassurance of getting to where you planned to go.
The austere setting looks like a stage or film
set (or a kind of temple?). This is because of the cold artificial light from above, and the way the
photo is centred on the bench, framed by the columns. Also, the platform edge reminds
us of a theatre platform. The large white letters "34 Street" on the
black signpost above tell us where the picture was shot, but its size and
position seem to give it some greater significance…
The faded early 20th century gold mosaic wall decorations, with a large white on blue "34" in the centre, are largely covered over by more recent small white tiles. Three small black tiles with "34" in white written on them can be seen on the wall behind each of the women. The mosaic decorations and the copper-coloured metal columns date from the construction of the subway line. There is a contrast between the relatively handsome “old” (the mosaic wall and the H. G. Wells-like columns) and the ugly "new" (the long wooden functional bench and the little white tiles clumsily covering over the mosaic). The two edges of the platform are in "danger" yellow.
The atmosphere is somewhat oppressive and
claustrophobic, because of the neon strip-lighting, the lack of decoration, the cheap materials and faded colours, the stillness, the "lack of sound",
the lack of natural light (to tell us if it is night or day). This is an ugly place (though very clean). It is impersonal, uncomfortable, unwelcoming. The numerous bare rivet-covered columns remind us of the
oppressive weight above, of the fact that we are underground. This is not a
place you (hope to) stay for long in. It is not a place you feel safe in. We too
hope the train will come soon to take us out of here…
The three young women appear to us a little like
characters in a play, strangely still. Who are they, where have they come from, where are they
going? They give life (beauty indeed) to the artificial, lifeless, alienating setting.
They do not appear to know each other. They sit apart from each other, waiting. Lost in
thought, they seem tired (it is early morning) and vulnerable (the platform is eerily empty). The fact that they are not completely alone (they have each other) undoubtedly is a little reassuring for them. The women are nonetheless isolated; their
facial expressions and body language indicate this: one is looking at her own
face in a hand mirror, one is staring into space, and one is looking vaguely to
her left. They are as distant as possible
from each other though sharing a bench. They have in common the fact that they are women, relatively young, alone in the same place and in the same situation, but they remain for all that incommunicative strangers... Are cities not made up of millions of people just like these women, vaguely fearful of each other?
The women are also isolated from the world by being underground, on a narrow, empty, platform (the absence of crowd is disconcerting). And they are not "at" somewhere, they are going "to" somewhere; they are waiting in a non-place, in limbo. They are "lost" in a non-time; is it night or day?. Their transient situation makes them, in a way, non-people; their existence will only take on meaning again once they get to their destinations, where they will be able to communicate again with the people they know.
The three women are isolated too from us, the viewers on the other side of a dark and dangerous void (dangerous because of the electric rail tracks). They do not know they are being observed (that they are the objects of the photographer's gaze). There is no eye contact between them and the photographer.
The photo is a portrait of these three anonymous women. The way the photographer has captured the scene emphasises this idea of a portrait: the group is framed by the columns to the right and left, and each woman is framed by the columns on the wall behind. The symmetry gives the scene the formality of a Baroque (religious?) painting. The photo turns "ordinary people" into what look like allegorical figures; it makes them interesting or important...
The women are probably bored, impatient to get to their destinations, tired, uncomfortable (it is a warm night), a little worried (by the silences punctuated by the noises of the trains) and vulnerable. The smells are probably strong and unpleasant. We can try to guess what the women are like, their backgrounds, and what they do in life from their appearances and attitudes...
She looks bored, sad or just tired. She is staring into space. Describe her and her life, just like for the first woman (trying to avoid stereotypes!).
She is lost in thought, listening to music. She is elegantly dressed. Describe her and her life, just like for the first woman.
The women are also isolated from the world by being underground, on a narrow, empty, platform (the absence of crowd is disconcerting). And they are not "at" somewhere, they are going "to" somewhere; they are waiting in a non-place, in limbo. They are "lost" in a non-time; is it night or day?. Their transient situation makes them, in a way, non-people; their existence will only take on meaning again once they get to their destinations, where they will be able to communicate again with the people they know.
The three women are isolated too from us, the viewers on the other side of a dark and dangerous void (dangerous because of the electric rail tracks). They do not know they are being observed (that they are the objects of the photographer's gaze). There is no eye contact between them and the photographer.
The photo is a portrait of these three anonymous women. The way the photographer has captured the scene emphasises this idea of a portrait: the group is framed by the columns to the right and left, and each woman is framed by the columns on the wall behind. The symmetry gives the scene the formality of a Baroque (religious?) painting. The photo turns "ordinary people" into what look like allegorical figures; it makes them interesting or important...
Figures from the Elgin marbles (goddesses?)
(What are YOUR thoughts on the photo? Please send "comments"!)
The women are probably bored, impatient to get to their destinations, tired, uncomfortable (it is a warm night), a little worried (by the silences punctuated by the noises of the trains) and vulnerable. The smells are probably strong and unpleasant. We can try to guess what the women are like, their backgrounds, and what they do in life from their appearances and attitudes...
The woman sitting on the left
Physical appearance:
- White, light/olive skin (Hispanic?), difficult to say as the neon lighting is strong…
- Late 20s, early 30s (it is difficult to guess her age because we cannot see all of her face).
- Right-handed
- 5 ft 1 in (slightly smaller than average)?
- 140 lbs.?
- Slim (quite muscular legs)
- Black eyes
- Attractive thin eyebrows
- Quite heavy dark makeup, mascara, pale faced
- Medium-length, straight, shiny black hair
The way she is dressed:
- Dark denim jacket, long-sleeved, spread collar (open), long row of white buttons along the front, top to bottom, open cuffs
- Dark minidress (flower pattern?)
- Open thong sandals
- Bare-legged
- Black leather handbag (big, floppy, cheap), with plastic soda bottle sticking out
What she is doing:
She is
putting on her mascara (we only see her wide-open eyes above the hand-held
rectangular mirror).
Let’s imagine her life...
From her appearance and attitude ("body language", the way she
is sitting):
She is not
wealthy (her clothes are smart but not expensive, plus she is travelling on the
subway). She has time to put on her makeup (maybe the train is late or not due
for a while?) or maybe she did not have time to put on her makeup at home and is
in a hurry (late for an appointment)? She seems relaxed however, her right leg
resting on the other, unconcerned by the presence of the other women or the
people in the train (including the photographer); she is doing something
intimate in a public space. She obviously cares about her appearance (but not
necessarily about how people she does not know might judge her). She's quite
smartly dressed (perhaps she has an important meeting or is going to work). She
is probably quite self-confident (or compensates her lack of self-confidence by
taking care of her appearance). She is lightly dressed as it is a warm night
(it can be stifling on the NYC subway in summer). She is not carrying a lot of
stuff; she is not going on a long trip.
Why is she going where she is going at 2 a.m., in the summer of 2013?
Perhaps she
has left her boyfriend’s place and is going to work (which is why she is
putting on makeup)? Or she wants to look her best for when she gets back home
(her boyfriend will be waiting for her).
What type of work does she do?
She is a
beauty advisor in retail cosmetics sales at Macy’s, working part-time. She
works until 10 pm. She is low-skilled and poorly paid. She likes her job but
does not appreciate the working conditions. She has a few friends at work.
A restaurant
near the Empire State Building where she spent the evening with girlfriends
from work.
Where is she going?
Back home to
East Harlem
What is her background do you think?
Puerto Rican
American. She was brought up by her mother. She lives with her boyfriend in a
small apartment. She would like to get married and maybe have kids, but the
couple do not have enough money. She is Catholic but does not go to church. She
is not particularly proud of her culture. She quite likes living in East
Harlem; it’s practical though the area is becoming more expensive.
What are her thoughts and feelings?
She is
frustrated at not being able to have a better-paid and more stable job. She
wants people to admire her and feels her employers do not appreciate her
efforts.
What are her likes and dislikes?
Are her opinions on things conventional?
What is her name?
What was her childhood like?
What were her happiest and saddest moments?
What are her hopes and dreams?
Does she get on with the members of her family?
Do her friends like her as much as she likes them?
What are her spare-time activities?
What is her personality?
- self-centred
- narcissistic (superficial)
- delusional
- self-delusional
- a blame-shifter
- dependent on others
- manipulative
- coquettish
- dishonest
- aggressive
- mean
- cynical
- sarcastic
- bored (in a rut)
- unimaginative
- ambitious
The woman in the middle
The woman on the right
Here are some more adjectives to describe each woman's personality:
- aggressive
- anarchic
- anxious
- bad
- suffers from "bad faith" (self-delusional)
- a blame-shifter
- boring
- bored (in a rut)
- charismatic
- committed (dedicated)
- considerate
- courageous
- cynical
- defiant
- delusional
- dependent on others
- dishonest
- dumb
- ego-centric
- generous
- happy-go-lucky
- hate-filled
- honest
- humorous, comical
- imaginative
- full of joie de vivre
- kind
- feels lost
- mad
- maniacal
- manipulative
- mean
- monstrous
- narcissistic (superficial)
- naïve
- nasty
- negative
- patient
- psychopathic
- rebellious
- sad
- sadistic
- sarcastic
- self-centred
- self-sacrificing
- self-assured
- suicidal
- tragic
- unimaginative
- wary (of strangers)
- weak-willed
- worrisome
- etc.
- student
- dancer
- teacher
- nurse
- police officer
- academic
- actor
- CIA agent
- receptionist
- astronaut
- advertising executive
- artist
- cleaning lady
- vampire
We have already described each woman and imagined their lives. They are almost real people to us now... Now, we need to decide what the play is going to be "about" (its "message") and what thoughts and emotions we want to convey to the audience. You might need to change your character descriptions according to what you want the play to convey. Below are some sources of inspiration, questions and suggestions to help you write your play and give it consistence:
> Use the MTA website (http://www.mta.info/) to find where 34 Street subway station is and
research what the subway in NYC is like (in particular 34 Street stop):
> Could the woman on
the left be aged 34? “What will you be like when you get to 34?” could be the opening
question for the women’s conversation.
> Could the three
women be modern versions of the three:
- Charites (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charites)?
- Parcae (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parcae)?
- Witches (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Witches)?
- Sisters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_%28play%29)?
- Stooges (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Trois_Stooges)?
- main characters in "Huis Clos", the play by Sartre?
> What is in each of the women's bags ($ 150,000, a gun, a costume, a musical instrument)?!
> Could you introduce other characters, for example a subway guard or the Station Master (he could make comedic announcements, read out poems or quotes, etc. because he is bored, or maybe he could take his job a little too seriously...)?
> Check out this winning portfolio of photos on the theme of people waiting on a subway bench: click HERE!
> Think about theatrical (or film) genres and useful plot devices:
- Kitchen Sink drama and soap operas
- self-referentiality ("this station looks like the scene of a play")
- sci-fi movies (the Twilight Zone; Dr Who)
- Docudrama
- Talking Heads
- Musicals (like 42nd Street)
- MacGuffin
- Pastiche (of "Huis Clos"?)
- Films set in the subway
Theseus?
> Could the Manhattan grid
plan, and the subway “labyrinth” be a source of inspiration (introduce a “Minotaur”
character and a “Theseus” character?).
> Could the subway be symbolic of being trapped (in a routine)?
> Could your play be about women’s views on the world and on themselves?
> Has the train been delayed (for a reason that is unclear)?
> Perhaps something catastrophic is happening above ground...
> It's the near future (dystopia)...
> The car is going to hell or heaven...
> There's a killer on the loose in the subway; who will save us?!
> It's difficult in life to: "feel" (be clear about one's feelings), be "free", find friends, find "happiness", not feel lonely, not feel "trapped" (in a routine), find love, change your job or your way of life (habits), admit one's failures or weaknesses, not blame others (society, upbringing, background, etc.) for one's failures (shortcomings of character), etc.
> Existence/the world is absurd...
> Loneliness (the incommunicability of one's thoughts and feelings, difficulty in understanding and expressing one's feelings or situation).
> Anomy (purposelessness of one's life; is society too rigid or are social norms breaking down?)...
> Deviance, madness, suicide...
> Being free to exercise one's freedom of choice makes you feel anxious; it is difficult to be courageous and committed.
> To start the play, an interior monologue for each woman would seem appropriate (so we would get to know her thoughts and feelings, etc. and understand her subsequent reactions).
A "Hells Angels" Minotaur?
> Could the subway be symbolic of being trapped (in a routine)?
> Could your play be about women’s views on the world and on themselves?
> Has the train been delayed (for a reason that is unclear)?
> Perhaps something catastrophic is happening above ground...
> It's the near future (dystopia)...
> The car is going to hell or heaven...
> There's a killer on the loose in the subway; who will save us?!
> It's difficult in life to: "feel" (be clear about one's feelings), be "free", find friends, find "happiness", not feel lonely, not feel "trapped" (in a routine), find love, change your job or your way of life (habits), admit one's failures or weaknesses, not blame others (society, upbringing, background, etc.) for one's failures (shortcomings of character), etc.
> Existence/the world is absurd...
> Loneliness (the incommunicability of one's thoughts and feelings, difficulty in understanding and expressing one's feelings or situation).
> Anomy (purposelessness of one's life; is society too rigid or are social norms breaking down?)...
> Deviance, madness, suicide...
> Being free to exercise one's freedom of choice makes you feel anxious; it is difficult to be courageous and committed.
> To start the play, an interior monologue for each woman would seem appropriate (so we would get to know her thoughts and feelings, etc. and understand her subsequent reactions).
> What is going to happen to make the women speak to each other? Is it something:
- fun (Subway Spa, buskers, soap box speaker, the Station Master takes himself for a DJ/poet, etc.)?
- frightening?
- worrying, like all the lights go out?
- exciting?
- creepy (like one of the women is in fact a vampire)?
- positive (like someone comes to sit on the bench and tells the three women a story about something unexpected that happened to him/her)?
- puzzling?
- extraordinary (life-changing), like the women discover they are in fact related?
- unexpected, like the train is delayed and the station agent leaves the microphone on?
Subway spa!
> Think of music that could make the banal scene into something amazing:
- http://www.citylab.com/commute/2012/07/ten-best-songs-about-subway/2519/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9CuZD69pJ8
> You could use the sounds of the subway to create atmosphere:
Finally, start elaborating the plot, the monologues and dialogues... Enjoy!
Below is an example of a one-act play (or 15-minute short film scenario) inspired by Tom Pepper's photograph... Have fun performing it (warning: it's rather dark...)! Click on "Read more..."!
