This play write was a very interesting one. With its rapid changes in plays, it was a little hard to follow. This play consisted of 7 total plays within. At the beggining the house manager reads a monologue explaining some theater etiquite, such as turning off cell phones and no flash photogrophy, then proceeds to tell the audience to feal free to use their remotes in their seat to change the play whenever they wanted. The first play is an "English Mystery", a play based in the 1960's in a big house, the characters of this play are Emmaline the house owner and Beaton the butler. They are getting ready for a party with Clifford the guest of honor and also Emmaline's husband, and other guests who are, inspector Swift, and COL.Hardwicke. The second play that this play write has in it, is "The Comedy". This play is about an writer (Irv) who has came down with writers block. He had recently read a play by Krupfeld who has stolen Irv's family story. With Irv knowing this he plans for revenge and plans to steel Krupfeld's wife from him. Helping Irv is Sammy who is Irv's friend. The third play in this story is Shakespeare's Richard the III. I this play Lady Annes husband was murdered and Gloucester thinks he knows who kills him, he thinks it is Edward who had Murdered him. The fourth play introduced is "The Russian Play". This play is set in the 1870's, Irina is arguing with Nickolai about staying in his hometown to learn the ways of his ancestors and learn to farm as they did but Irina doesnt like this idea. The fifth play is "The Performing Art Monologue" in this play Marsha is the only character and her character is basically an audience member who is commenting and reviewing the plays and giving information about her own life. The sixth play in this book is "The Avant-Garde Play" which is about a man and a woman in a hotel room and when they get settled they realize there is a dead man in the room, this play consists of the man and woman trying to find out what to do about the body. The seventh play in this book is "The Southern Play". This play is about a southern family gathering. Aaron Puckett the main character and Raginald his father. They are all gathered at Grandmammy's house and waiting for Luke (Aarons stepbrother). The play starts off with Aaron and his father fighting about how Aaron feels about their family and how he wants to move to New York City. When Luke arives he talks and shares about his adiction with raising fish.This Play was by far the most confusing and interesting peice of literature i have ever read.
A quick, fun play to read. The idea was very interesting, and the execution was solid, despite some technical challenges. Although I do have a problem with the foreword: Fleischman said that high school theatre departments could only choose from "Grease" and "Romeo and Juliet," but there are tons of amazing high school companies performing interesting, diverse, and modern plays. I feel bad that he thinks we are limited to such a small repertoire; in the last year alone, my school has performed 4 plays that were not from that list, from many genres and playwrights.
What do You think about Zap: A Play (2005)?
Picked up this little book because the cover called out for attention. A play specifically written for high school productions because the author was sick and tired of seeing Romeo and Juliets kiss on balconies or Olivers! ask for more porridge. Because the television remote has given us the attention spans of goldfishes, the author devises a play that combines several noted plays that one "zaps" back and forth from: Richard III, an Agatha Christie type mystery where everyone is a polite dinner guest but someone is always a murderer, a Chekhovian bit "peopled with once-proud families enfeebled by dreaming and scheming," a shot of Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon, Samuel Beckett, and topped off with a post modern monologue by a teenage Juno character, dry-humored, and alternately wise and bored beyond her years. This could have been so much better than it was. But the writer gets cool points for attempting to save me from another cheesy production of Grease. And now, for the connect the dots portion of the review. Below are snippets of dialogue from the play(s). Which bit belongs where? "MRS. HARDWICKE- how lovely it would be if the war were to end in the springtime, because I have this absolutely precious linen dress with a brocade bodice...""LUKE- I think Belle might be hurt. She's my favorite salamander. She's the one I found down by the river. You know the place. You all do. Down there where they found the-found the-found the body, found Grandpappy's body.""MARSHA- My mother stayed home till I was in middle school. Then she got a part-time job out at the mall at Jingle Bell Lane, one of those shops that sells Christmas crap the whole freaking year.""NIKOLAI- Look! There's Great-Grandfather. He really is quite charming, Irina. And he's steeped in generations of knowledge about farming. Let us take advantage of this opportunity to absorb the rural wisdom gained from his own father and grandfather and great-grandfather and great-great-""GLOUCESTER- Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit-""IRV-Are you kidding? I'm through with women! I told you! Her stuff's everywhere. She gave half my things to the Salvation Army when I was out. Her cats want to sleep on my head.""WOMAN- Do you suppose they'll charge us for our corpse, even though we didn't order it?"
—Jen
