Speaker's ToolsSo the subject - Office. The trait - Underground. What do you associate with things underground. Don't worry about whether they're far - are on top or wherever.
Answer: Diamonds
John: Diamonds!
Answer: Subway.
John: Subway. Bart. And what about those guys who have those metal detectors. They try to find... Those guys who go across the beach looking for metal. And a doser for a water witching. Spelunker.
Answer: Drilling.
John: Drilling.
Answer: Divining rod.
John: Divining rod.
Answer: Earthquakes.
John: Earthquakes.
Answer: Gold.
John: Gold. There's a mother load of gold. Basement. Mold.
Okay, now. Cross pollinate. Remember you are doing a monologue. You're playing in a city you just happen to be near the first underground office and you want to make reference to it. Or you're doing an essay about that office. Or you're giving a speech for the people who work in this office. You can tell this office is different than most offices because in the cafeteria you just pull down the carrots if you're a vegetarian. Okay, what else? This office is different than other offices...
Answer: You look out the window and you see worm farms.
John: In other areas you look out the window you'll see a cow farm, here I saw a worm farm.
Answer: Non degradable plastic bags mess up your view.
John: Non degradable plastic bags mess up your view.
Answer: UPS has to send a Spelunker.
John: UPS has to send a Spelunker.
Answer: I wasn't a flunky I was a gopher
John: I wasn't a flunky I was a gopher. (laugh) When they say gofer - they mean gopher.
Answer: The only radio stations we can hear are from China.
John: The only radio stations we can hear are from China.
Sometimes you get an idea and you don't know what to do with it. I have an idea about 'rearranging the furniture' and 'earthquake.' I know there's a joke in there. I don't know what it is right now. I would just write that down. 'Earthquake' and 'rearranging the furniture.' Sometimes you get an idea and it's only half way there. Write the idea down and it will come to you later on.
Answer: The office was solar powered.
John: (laugh)
Answer: No, no... the workers were solar powered.
John: I still like the office was solar powered - talk about bad planning. It was great - well designed but solar powered.
Answer: We didn't have sky lights until they tore up Market Street.
John: We didn't have sky lights until they tore up Market Street.
Answer: We got a hole in the ceiling - all those metal detector guys.
John: Ooooh, what is it. Something in the middle like a stud in the ceiling, something like that. And one of those metal detector guys started digging.
Answer: When I finally climbed the corporate ladder, I was on the same level as everybody else.
John: When I finally climbed the corporate ladder, I was on the same level as everybody else. Okay.
Answer: Something about Earth Day.
John: Earth Day. Around here EVERY day is Earth Day.
Answer: I can see existentialists turning over in their graves - literally.
John: (laugh) Here when you retire they kick you downstairs. No, that's not exactly Combo... It's part Exaggeration technique and probably Reverse. Anymore.
Answer: We don't walk to the next building- we take BART.
John: Okay, something about going from one area to the other...
