Theatre
what is the playwright trying to say about reality and deception through the way characters talk,
behave, self-identify and interact with others?
Reading materials
1)
“Interview with Suzan-Lori Parks,” The Playwright at Work (2012), Tichler & Kaplan
Course Reader, pp. 664-682
2)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962), Edward Albee;
“Sodden Savages in Their First Flush,” New York Times (March 6, 2014), Isherwood
Course Reader, pp. 398-647
3)
Angels in America: Part I (Millennium Approaches) (1993), Tony Kushner
Course Reader, pp. 648-663
Prompt
Topic :
How do notions of truth, reality, fiction, and deception explicitly or implicitly inform the dramatic
development of plays? In other words, what is the playwright trying to say about reality and deception
through the way characters talk, behave, self-identify and interact with others? How do those issues
heighten the dramatic tension of the play? Choose one (1) play, either Angels in America: Part I
(Millennium Approaches), or Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, or Topdog/Underdog (as captured in the
documentary The Topdog Diaries). State your theory regarding the dramatic function of those references
to truth, reality, fiction, and deception, etc.Provide at least three examples that directly support
your theory and give evidence for your argument.
Your paper should be comprised of 850-1000 words, double spaced, 12 pt. font, 1” margins, and MLA
format.