Plays Read and Seen Throughout the Semester

The Shawl was written by David Mamet and depicts a character, John, living an everyday life. This shows the realism that theatre can portray. Miss A feels the need throughout to be controlled.

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone was written by August Wilson. It is set in 1911. The study of the play is in how the Juba is displayed. It is shown both in pieces and its entirety. The play questions identity and our search to find our own. Loomis is trying to find his own identity and spirituality after becoming a freed slave. This play helps describe African Americans background is relation to oppression. The character list includes:

• Seth Holly, a owner of a boarding house
• Bertha, Seth’s wife
• Herold Loomis was the main character who cut himself at the end of the production. This symbolized pouring ones own blood as an act of purification.
• Martha Loomis was his wife
• Zonia Loomis was his daughter
• Each character has their own unique song

Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress was written in 1955 at the beginning of the civil rights movement. Throughout the play there is a conflict between the director and actors. The play is partly centered around equality for African Americans and how they maintain their individuality while supporting their race as a collective. Chaos in Bellville is an melodrama, Meta-theatre (Play within a Play) and a Microcosm (Smaller version of Something Larger) The Characters include

• Wiletta Mayer
• One of the main characters who is often uneasy taking stage directions from her boss Al Manners
• Henry
• The Irish stagehand who provides some relief from frustration throughout the play.
• John Nevins
• One of the only educated black actors
• Millie Davis
• Sheldon Forrester
• A thesbian veteren and easily grabs the attention of the audience through his wisdom.
• Judy Sears
• A young inexperienced white actress
• Al Manners
• The white director who is often bossy and internally struggling with giving African Americans power to think freely.
• Eddie Fenton
• The stage manager
• Bill Owray
• The famous white actor that will help bring in the crowds.

Fire in the Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith was based on interviews she conducted following the 1991 Crown Heights Riot in New York. It is based on the racial conflict amongst minorities fighting for equal rights, particularly African-Americans and Jews. Fire in the Mirror attempts to answer questions about racial politics and multiculturalism.

Carmel Cato was the father of the African American boy that was riding his bike when he was hit by the Jewish driver.

Catastrophe by Samuel Beckett was written in 1982. The play holds a political theme while also being a sort of biography of the life of Vaclav Havel, a Czech playwright that was sent to prison. Regardless of the interpretation of Catastrophe when it is performed Beckett wanted the protagonist to be a martyr rather than a victim of sacrifice and conformity.

Rent’s music and lyrics were written by Jonathan Larson and opened in 1996. The term “rent” can also mean to be torn apart. This musical is atypical with its style of music. The style of music in this play is rock but unlike the rock genre individual songs this play provides a storyline of depth and allows characters to converse on top of each other. Also known as Polyphony, multiple voices simultaneously singing different things. The characters include:

• Mark Cohen is a white underground filmmaker in his mid 20’s.
• He is the narrorator and creates a movie as the end result of his experiences.
• Roger Davis is the suave leader of a rock band with a gritty sound
• Has HIV and is recovering from a heroin addiction.
• He is Mark’s roommate.
• Tom Collins is an African American who is a philosopher, anarchist, and aids activist. He is also Angel’s boyfriend
• Roomate of Roger, Mark, Benny, and Maureen.
• Benjamin Coffin III, Benny is an African American who has gone from the projects to riches
• Landlord of the apartment building.
• Joanne Jefferson is an African American lesbian that graduate from Harvard Law School
• Angel Dumott Schunard is a male drag queen in her 20’s
• Mimi Marquez is a latina in her 20’s drug addict with aids
• Maureen Johnson is a supporting actress with a young and hip attitude
• Joanne’s girlfriend and Mark’s ex

Rosmersholm was written by Henrik Ibsen in 1886. The play is based around a claim of physical evidence by the characters to explain the death of Beata but the audience never sees any of the discussed evidence. This play contains melodrama and realism. The audience must continuously translate the actions on stage. The characters included:

• John Rosmer
• Is a former clegy man that is influenced by Rebecca to give up his religious views. He is also the owner of Rosmersholm
• Beata
• Was John Rosmer’s wife who “committed Suicide”
• Rebecca West
• Is a resident of Rosmersholm and has a great deal of influence of John Rosmer
• Professor Kroll
• Is John Rosmers brother in-law and the headmaster of the local school house
• Ulrik Brendel
• Was a previous tutor of Rosmers
• Peter Mortensgaard
• A publisher of a local political newspaper
• Mrs. Helseth
• Is the housekeep at Rosmersholm

Talley’s Folly was written in 1979 by Landford Wilson. It takes place in a boathouse in Missouri during 1944. The characters, Matt Friedman and Sally Talley, unfold their web of distrust and uncertainty

Vagina Monolouges was written by Eve Ensler in 1996. The play attempts to talk about a taboo subject and educate the audience.

Looking for Richard is a documentary that debuted in 1996 and stared Al Pacino. It served as an examination at Shakespeare’s writing style and his continuing influence in popular culture. Pacino plays both Richard III and himself. The documentary interviews fellow actors working on the project, civilians, and Shakespeare scholars. The movie shows the process characters go through to become believable.

Shakespear in Love hit movie theaters in 1998 and was directed by John Madde, and written by Tom Stoppard. While watching the movie the audience must be able to suspend disblief for authenticity and accuracy. The audience must also make the distinction between love and lust.