Pillowman + Katie Mitchell
The Pillowman is about Katurian, a writer of dark short stories who is arrested because a series of child murders closely resemble his work. During police interrogation, it's revealed that his brother Michal has copied the stories in real life. We learn their parents abused Michal to inspire Katurian's writing, which explains the violence in his stories. When Katurian realises Michal is dangerous and unremorseful, he kills him to stop further harm. Katurian is executed, but one officer secretly saves his stories, suggesting art still has value.
The key themes within the Pillowman
Art and responsibility – whether writers should be blamed for how their stories are used
Violence and innocence – particularly the suffering of children
State power and censorship – control of ideas in a totalitarian system
Storytelling and meaning – stories as a way to cope with trauma and survive
Moral ambiguity – blurred lines between right and wrong
Katie Mitchell:
The six layers are:
Character biography: The incidents in a character's past which create their behaviour in the present.
Place: The location where the action of the scene happens.
Time: The year, season, day of the week and time of day the scene takes place in.
Immediate circumstances: The incidents that happen in the 24 hours before the scene starts that affect the character's mood and behaviour.
Events: The changes in the scene that affect the thoughts, feelings or actions of all the characters.
Intentions: What the character wants the other character(s) to do, feel or say