, BY WILLIAM INGE DIRECTED BY DAVID CROMER

INTIMATE AMERICAN CLASSIC COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS

Standards 3

Guidelines for Attending the Theatre 4

Artists 5

Themes for Writing & Discussion 7

Mastery Assessment 9

For Further Exploration 10

Suggested Activities 17

© Huntington Theatre Company Boston, MA 02115

April 2015

No portion of this curriculum guide may be reproduced without written permission from the Huntington Theatre Company’s Department of Education & Community Programs

Inquiries should be directed to: Donna Glick | Director of Education [email protected]

This curriculum guide was prepared for the Huntington Theatre Company by: Marian Eiben | Education Intern with contributions by: Donna Glick | Director of Education Alexandra Truppi I Manager of Curriculum & Instruction Marisa Jones I Education Assistant COMMON CORE STANDARDS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

STANDARDS: Student Matinee performances and pre-show workshops provide unique opportunities for experiential learning and support various combinations of the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts. They may also support standards in other subject areas such as Social Studies and History, depending on the individual play’s subject matter. Activities are also included in this Curriculum Guide and in our pre-show workshops that support several of the Massachusetts state standards in Theatre. Other arts areas may also be addressed depending on the individual play’s subject matter.

Reading Literature: Key Ideas and Details 3 Reading Literature: Craft and Structure 6

• Grades 8: Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents • Grades 8: Analyze how differences in the points of view of the in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through character, or provoke a decision. dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

• Grades 9-10: Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those with • Grades 9-10: Analyze a particular point of view or cultural multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature. develop the themes. • Grades 11-12: Analyze a case in which grasping point of • Grades 11-12: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices view required distinguishing what is directly stated in a text regarding how to develop related elements of a story or drama from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the understatement). characters are introduced and developed). Reading Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7 Reading Literature: Craft and Structure 5 • Grades 8: Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live • Grades 8: Compare and contrast the structure of two or more production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director contributes to its meaning and style. or actors.

• Grades 9-10: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how • Grades 9-12: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), or poem (e.g. recorded or live production of a play or recorded and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks), create such novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. source text (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist). • Grades 11-12: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 3 MASSACHUSETTS STANDARDS IN THEATRE

ACTING • 2.8 — Improvise characters, dialogue, and actions that focus on the development and resolution of dramatic conflicts • 1.7 — Create and sustain a believable character throughout a (By the end of Grade 8). scripted or improvised scene (By the end of Grade 8). • 2.11 — Read plays from a variety of genres and styles; compare • 1.12 — Describe and analyze, in written and oral form, and contrast the structure of plays to the structures of other characters’ wants, needs, objectives, and personality forms of literature (Grades 9-12). characteristics (By the end of Grade 8). • 1.13 — In rehearsal and performance situations, perform as a TECHNICAL THEATRE productive and responsible member of an acting ensemble • 4.6 — Draw renderings, floor plans, and/or build models of (i.e., demonstrate personal responsibility and commitment to sets for a dramatic work and explain choices in using visual a collaborative process) (By the end of Grade 8). elements (line, shape/form, texture, color, space) and visual • 1.14 — Create complex and believable characters through principals (unity, variety, harmony, balance, rhythm) (By the the integration of physical, vocal, and emotional choices end of Grade 8). (Grades 9-12). • 4.13 — Conduct research to inform the design of sets, costumes, • 1.15 — Demonstrate an understanding of a dramatic work sound, and lighting for a dramatic production (Grades 9-12). by developing a character analysis (Grades 9-12). CONNECTIONS • 1.17 — Demonstrate increased ability to work effectively • Strand 6: Purposes and Meanings in the Arts — Students will alone and collaboratively with a partner or in an ensemble describe the purposes for which works of dance, music, theatre, . (Grades 9-12) visual arts, and architecture were and are created, and, when READING AND WRITING SCRIPTS appropriate, interpret their meanings (Grades PreK-12). • 2.7 — Read plays and stories from a variety of cultures and • Strand 10: Interdisciplinary Connections — Students will historical periods and identify the characters, setting, plot, apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English theme, and conflict (By the end of Grade 8). language arts, foreign languages, health, history and social science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering (Grades PreK-12).

AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE

Attending live theatre is a unique experience with many valuable educational and social benefits. To ensure that all audience members are able to enjoy the performance, please take a few minutes to discuss the following audience etiquette topics with your students before you come to the Huntington Theatre Company.

• How is attending the theatre similar to and different from going to the movies? What behaviors are and are not appropriate when seeing a play? Why?

• Remind students that because the performance is live, the audience’s behavior and reactions will affect the actors’ performances. No two audiences are exactly the same, and therefore no two performances are exactly the same — this is part of what makes theatre so special! Students’ behavior should reflect the level of performance they wish to see.

• Theatre should be an enjoyable experience for the audience. It is absolutely all right to applaud when appropriate and laugh at the funny moments. Talking and calling out during the performance, however, are not allowed. Why might this be? Be sure to mention that not only would the people seated around them be able to hear their conversation, but the actors on stage could hear them, too. Theatres are constructed to carry sound efficiently!

• Any noise or light can be a distraction, so please remind students to make sure their cell phones are turned off (or better yet, left at home or at school!). Texting, photography, and video recording are prohibited. Food, gum, and drinks should not be brought into the theatre.

• Students should sit with their group as seated by the Front of House staff and should not leave their seats once the performance has begun.

4 COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE ARTISTS

WILLIAM INGE William Inge was born on May 3, 1913 in Independence, Kansas, and his Midwest boyhood serves as inspiration in several of his works. His small town, a wealthy white-collar community, played a pivotal role in developing both Inge’s interest in the theatre as well as his general knowledge of human behavior. Though not a member of the upper-class, he benefitted from Independence’s cultural investment, attending plays with his Boy Scout Troop that held meetings in the local theatre, Memorial Hall. Inge also attributes Independence and small town values with shedding light on general human behavior and interactions. He is remembered as stating: “I’ve often wondered how people raised in our great cities ever develop any knowledge of humankind. People who grow up in small towns get to know each other so much more closely than they do in cities.”

Throughout his writing career, Inge would often draw upon his experience in small towns and the Midwest for inspiration and character development. In 1930, Inge graduated from Independence High School and went on to attend Independence Junior College (now Independence Community College). He went on to graduate from the University of Kansas at Lawrence with a William Inge Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and drama. Inge then tried to focus his life teaching, working on a master’s degree from George Booth and Burt Lancaster. Shortly after, in 1956, Columbia Pictures Peabody College for Teachers. He found that life away from the released the film version of Picnic directed by Joshua Logan and stage held little to no meaning for him and dropped out. Inge starring William Holden, Kim Novak, and Rosalind Russell. Inge’s worked odd jobs until 1938, when he returned to finish his masters fame continued to grow as The Dark at the Top of the Stairs and join the faculty at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. opened on Broadway in 1957. It was released as a film in 1960.

After teaching for several years, Inge moved to St. Louis, Missouri The following years resulted in a turbulent period of ups and in 1943, where he worked as the drama and music critic for the downs in Inge’s career. This included devastating critical blows St. Louis Times. During this time, he became acquainted with regarding plays such as A Loss of Roses, which closed after a Tennessee Williams and even attended a production of Williams’ three-week run. The highlight of these later years came in 1960, The Glass Menagerie in Chicago with his fellow playwright. Inge when his screenplay Splendor in the Grass was filmed in New York, was moved by the performance, and left inspired and determined earning an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. This success to exercise his own creative passions. Within three months he was followed closely by disappointment in plays such as Natural had completed Farther Off From Heaven, which was produced Affection (1963) and Where’s Daddy? (1965), prompting Inge to by Margo Jones, a founder of the regional theatre movement, leave New York and move to California. He dabbled again with in Dallas. Thereafter, Inge returned to a teaching position at teaching (University of California at Irvine) and wrote two novels Washington University in St. Louis and began serious work on and an autobiography during this time. turning a fragmentary short story into a one act play, which would later evolve into Come Back, Little Sheba. This work earned Inge After a longstanding battle with depression, Inge committed the title of “most promising playwright” of the 1950 Broadway suicide on June 10, 1973 in Hollywood at the age of 60. His body season. was laid to rest back in his childhood town of Independence, Kansas. In 1953, Picnic opened at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. Set in a small Kansas town, the play drew heavily on Inge’s memories DAVID CROMER of his childhood in the Midwest. Picnic was a roaring success, winning a Pulitzer Prize and Drama Critic Circle, Outer Circle, and David Cromer directed the Huntington Theatre Company’s widely Theatre Club Awards. acclaimed production of Our Town in the Roberts Studio Theatre in 2012. A native of Skokie, Illinois, Cromer was a 2010 recipient With television and movies on the rise, many plays of the time of a “genius grant” awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. were picked up quickly for silver-screen productions. It was in MacArthur Foundation. The MacArthur Fellowships are annually 1952 that Paramount Pictures released the film version of Come awarded to between 20 and 40 individuals working in any field Back, Little Sheba directed by Daniel Mann and starring Shirley who “show exceptional merit and promise for continued and

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 5 T. CHARLES ERICKSON

David Cromer (left) and Derrick Trumbly and Emily Skeggs in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Our Town (2012). enhanced creative work.” The Foundation states that the prize is His Broadway credits include productions of The House of Blue not considered recognition of past work, “but rather an investment Leaves and Brighton Beach Memoirs, and his other New York in a person’s originality, insight, and potential.” Of Cromer’s work, credits include Tribes, Our Town, and Orson’s Shadow (Barrow the MacArthur Foundation remarked: Street Theatre), Adding Machine (Minetta Lane), Really Really (MCC), and When the Rain Stops Falling, and Nikolai and the David Cromer is a theatre director and actor who is Others (Lincoln Center Theater). Chicago credits include Sweet reinvigorating classic American plays and illuminating Bird of Youth (Goodman Theatre), Rent (American Theater their relationship to the present. His incisive Company), A Streetcar Named Desire, Picnic, and The Price interpretations of the 20th century repertoire honor (Writers’ Theatre), The Hot l Baltimore and Mojo (Mary-Arrchie the original intention of each work while providing Theatre), Come Back, Little Sheba (Shattered Globe), The Cider audiences with more psychologically complex House Rules (Famous Door), and Angels in America, Parts 1 & 2 performances than previous renderings. Eschewing (The Journeymen). nostalgia and period kitsch, Cromer reveals the dark truth and unexpected humor in William Inge’s Picnic, QUESTIONS: while his meticulous attention to the expressive power 1. Both playwright William Inge and director David Comer grew up of simple objects transforms a musical adaptation of in the Midwest region of the United States. What qualities are Elmer Rice’s The Adding Machine into a compelling generally associated with people from this part of the country? portrait of a desperate office worker that reflects our Where do you see these qualities represented in these artists’ time. theatrical work? Every element of his production of Thornton Wilder’s 2. a. Compare and contrast Come Back, Little Sheba with one Our Town — from set design, to costumes, to music, of William Inge’s other plays. Consider themes, characters, to the choice of actors — converges into a cohesive setting, and subject matter. whole that evokes an immediate and powerful b. Do additional research on Inge’s life. What was happening experience for viewers. Performing the role of the for the playwright personally when he wrote Come Back, Stage Manager himself, Cromer adopts modern dress Little Sheba and the play you have chosen to compare and and a conversational tone and is simultaneously the contrast it with? Do elements of Inge’s personal life appear omniscient, efficient director and a character in the to have directly inspired his writing? In what ways do the play. The minimalist aesthetic of the production and his plays feel like the unified work of one writer? In what ways portrayal of the Stage Manager avoid the sentimentality do they represent different periods of artistic and personal characteristic of other versions of Our Town and, at development? the same time, increase the emotional force of the play’s exhortation to live in the present moment. From 3. Further research David Cromer’s career and his production venues in Chicago to the theatres of New York, Cromer of Our Town at the Huntington Theatre Company. Why would is re-staging earlier plays with a spirit and urgency that serving as director for Come Back, Little Sheba have been an resonates with contemporary audiences. appealing project for Cromer?

6 COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE THEMES FOR WRITING & DISCUSSION

Lola’s reoccurring dreams about the loss of the couple’s dog, Sheba, also manifests this theme. Lola misses Sheba’s youthful energy and the attention she received when walking her outside. Having admirers makes up for Lola’s mounting insecurities over age and beauty, as represented by her first dream in the play. This desire for admiration and search for lost youth leads to an obsession over the lost dog. This is made more apparent in a later dream, where Lola and Marie are in high school watching Turk and Doc participate in a sporting event. As the events continue, Sheba gets lost and is later found dead, covered in dirt and ignored by all the spectators. This dream explains how Lola associates Sheba with her youthful naiveté, which was abruptly ended by her pre- marital pregnancy and being an outcast from society.

QUESTIONS:

Shirley Booth and Burt Lancaster in the film Come Back, Little Sheba (1952) 1. Compare and contrast Lola’s flirtation with the milkman with Doc’s attentions towards Marie. 2. Research the actresses who have played Lola onstage and on ISOLATION OF THE HOUSEWIFE film. What other roles have these women played? What qualities In Come Back, Little Sheba, the character of Lola is rooted in the do the actresses and their characters share? archetypal American housewife. In the 1950s, this character was 3. Why produce a play like Come Back, Little Sheba in 2015? What defined in the entertainment industry by idealistic sitcoms (“Leave issues and perspectives depicted in the play resonate with it to Beaver” and “Ozzie and Harriet”). Inge’s female protagonist audiences of today? sheds a more realistic light on domestic life, opening up discussion about whether the “happy homemaker” existed in real life, or just on the television screen. The play incorporates a distinct theme THE PAIN OF LOST YOUTH about the false perception of domestic perfection, indicating that At the play’s end, Lola finally comes to the realization that her dog, women were not as content in their household duties as the 1950s Little Sheba, is “gone for good.” She has no choice but to carry on media portrayed. without her. In her dream it is Doc imploring her, “We can’t stay… we gotta go on,” upon discovering that Sheba is dead and without Throughout the play, Lola mourns the loss of her youth and hope for help or saving her. Doc on many occasions pleads with attractiveness. Women and mothers of the ‘50s were expected to Lola not to dredge up the past, that discussions of their youth and maintain a pristine appearance, going to great lengths to keep their their losses are fruitless and only end up troubling him. It seems that wrinkles, weight, and fading hair color as secrets. The realization that Doc is purposefully blocking out the past, whereas Lola desperately Lola is growing older leads her to mope around the house, often not clings to it. From her perspective, her youthful days of being courted bothering to get dressed at all. She contrasts normal portrayals of were the very best moments of her life. For Doc, he feels no such women on televison in the ‘50s, who were polite, quiet, productive, fondness — his life veered off course in his youth. Doc says he has and happy to be homemakers. Lola is largely unproductive and accepted the reality of his situation, but he is forced to confront his often shirks her responsibilities. She is not content to stay at home past when Lola rents out a room in their already cramped home. all day and has no children to occupy her time. Her husband, Doc, is seen making his own breakfast in the play’s first scene due to Lola’s Marie brings new energy into the otherwise monotonous routines lethargic ways and mounting depression. of Doc and Lola. Marie’s homework, relationships, and simple kindnesses excite them both. Lola lives vicariously through Marie’s Lola’s desire to reclaim her youth is also present in her warm college adventure and Doc imagines what his life could have been welcome of Marie, the young college student who lives with if he had married such a girl. While Doc is scolding Lola for spying, the couple. Having Marie around the house allows Lola to live Turk is accusing Doc of having a crush on young Marie. It seems vicariously through Marie’s stories and excitement, making up for that Marie and Turk’s youthful presence is a significant emotional the years that Lola lost when she had to get married very early. trigger for both Doc and Lola and is a danger to the way in which This implies that Lola regrets being forced to marry Doc so early, they have chosen to live their lives. which is a straining factor on their relationship. The joy that Lola gets from having Marie around distracts her from the attention that QUESTIONS: Doc is paying to the younger woman. It also gets in the way of her 1. Do you think it was a mistake for Lola to invite Marie to live in moral standards, gossiping with Marie about Turk in the hopes that her house? What were the benefits and the drawbacks of this a scandal would create excitement in the household. decision?

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 7 NILE HAWVER / NILE SCOTT SHOTS

Max Carpenter (Turk), Marie Polizzano (Marie), Adrianne Krstansky (Lola), and Derek Hasenstab (Doc) from Huntington’s cast of Come Back, Little Sheba

2. Do you think that discussing your personal history is fun, now; I might still have a lot of money if I’d used therapeutic, boring, or otherwise? Why might it be helpful (or my head and invested it carefully instead of getting harmful) to block out your past experiences? Do you think Doc drunk every night. We might have a nice house, and deals with his emotional problems in the best way? comforts and friends. But we don’t have any of 3. Consider the poem, “From the Passionate Pilgrim, no. 12.” How those things.” does this poem relate to the character conflict in Come Back, Little Sheba? Do you think that growing older is always difficult When Doc loses his sobriety, after discovering Marie and Turk or sad? Why or why not? in a compromising position, he lashes out at Lola in an almost unforgiveable way. He calls her fat and lazy and screams other “From the Passionate Pilgrim, no. 12” horrible names and obscenities. He threatens to kill her, Marie, and (author unknown, possibly Shakespeare) Turk, as he wields an ax. Perhaps most devastating of all is his Crabbed age and youth cannot live together: accusation that Lola, his loving and faithful wife, is the cause of Youth is full of [pleasance], age is full of care; his drinking problem. He screams, “[Alcohol] makes me willing to Youth like summer morn, age like winter weather; come home here and look at you.” Lola represents all of his missed Youth like summer brave, age like winter bare. opportunities and their resulting miseries. Youth is full of sport, age’s breath is short; Youth is nimble, age is lame; Doc is so consumed with anger, jealousy, and disappointment that Youth is hot and bold, age is weak and cold; he can no longer win the battle with his alcoholism. The weight of Youth is wild, and age is tame. his sadness becomes too much for him to bear and he collapses Age, I do abhor thee; youth, I do adore thee; underneath it. O, my love, my love is young! Age, I do defy thee: O, sweet shepherd, hie thee, QUESTIONS: For methinks thou stay’st too long. 1. Why do you think Lola and Doc see the world differently? Considering their relationship, who do you think is most justified THE BURDEN OF REGRET in their anger or disappointment? Who do you think has the Doc remarks to Lola, “Most alcoholics are disappointed men,” making most to regret? Ultimately, Lola forgives Doc and he begs her to Lola wonder if this statement holds true for her husband as well. never leave him. Do you think sticking together is the best path Lola is also disappointed in the way her life has turned out: she’s lost for their lives? What advice would you give them about how best her looks, her parents, her baby, and now her dog. She is lonely and to move forward? bored, seeking a kind word from the busy neighbor or milkman. But 2. Doc is very protective of Marie, perhaps selfishly because he it is Doc who seems to be the one laboring to escape his regrets — desires her for himself, but also because he has made some a mediocre career, a frumpy and barren wife, and financial ruin — very significant mistakes. Do you think Marie will live with any whether through the use of alcohol or open denial. Doc says: regret? If so, how will it be different from what Doc and Lola “I might be a big MD today, instead of a chiropractor; experience? Do you think Marie will secure a happy marriage we might have had a family to raise and be with us and a happy life?

8 COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE MASTERY ASSESSMENT

ACT ONE 34. What difference of opinion do Lola and Doc have with regard to Scene One Marie’s behavior towards men? 1. Describe the setting of the play, Come Back, Little Sheba. 35. Why does Marie want to “talk” to Turk? What is his reaction to 2. Before any dialogue is spoken, what does the audience see this suggestion? happen on stage at the opening of the play? 36. Does Turk like the way Doc treats Marie? 3. What is Doc’s relationship with Marie? 37. Turk and Marie head out for the night. What does Lola do after 4. Why is Doc surprised that Marie is taking a biology course? they leave? 5. What compliment does Marie give Doc? ACT TWO 6. Who is Little Sheba and what has happened to her? Who seems Scene One to be her primary caregiver? 1. Why did Doc have trouble sleeping? 7. From what disease does Doc suffer? Is it a secret? 2. Who was unexpectedly still in the house on Saturday morning? 8. With whom is Marie in a relationship? Do Doc and Lola like him? 3. Why is Mrs. Coffman impressed by Lola? 9. Who is sending Marie a telegram? 4. What destructive habit has Doc resumed? What do you believe 10. Under what circumstances did Marie meet Turk? drove him to this point? 11. What is Marie’s plan for her life? 5. Why does Lola question Doc’s choice of attire that morning? 12. Why does Lola not have any children? 13. Is Doc rich? According to Lola, what happened to him as a Scene Two younger man? 6. How does Marie justify her romantic relationships? 14. What is Lola’s relationship with her parents like? 7. Bruce arrives. What news does he share about his job? 15. What responsibilities does Turk have at school? Do you think 8. Who does Lola call when she discovers the whisky is missing? he’s a good student? What is this person’s relationship to Doc? 16. Who does Lola invite into her house for a glass of water after Scene Three everyone leaves for the day? 9. When Lola wakes up, where is she? Who does she immediately 17. What advice does Mrs. Coffman give to Lola? call? 18. Why is the milkman annoyed by Lola? What compliment does 10. When Doc finally returns home, what is his mood? Lola give him that turns the conversation around? Has she made this remark to anyone else? 11. In his rage, Doc says some very cruel things to Lola. What is he angry about? Why is he behaving in such a violent manner? 19. What radio program does Lola listen to after the milkman leaves? 12. Who does Doc threaten and what weapon does he wield? 20. What arrives for Marie? What does Lola do with it? 13. Who arrives when she hears screaming? What men follow who say they are going to help? 21. Marie and Turk return unexpectedly. What do they want to do with the parlor? Does Turk like Lola being there as well? 14. Where do Elmo and Ed want to take Doc? Does Doc want to go? 22. What does Doc think of Lola’s assignment for art class?. 15. After Doc is taken away Marie and Bruce return. What’s their big 23. Who will be visiting from Cincinnati and how did Lola find this out? news? 24. At the end of the scene, how does Doc threaten Lola? What 16. Why is Marie in a rush? What big decisions has she made? Does does this threat reveal? she say a proper good-bye? Scene Two 17. Who does Lola call at the end of the scene and what does she 25. Why did Lola clean the house? ask? 26. What radio program does Doc listen to after dinner? Scene Four 27. What word does Lola use that offends Doc? Where did she hear 18. What invitation does Mrs. Coffman extend to Lola? Does she it? accept? 28. What can Doc do with a pack of cards that amuses Lola? 19. Does Lola speak with the mailman this morning? What news 29. How does Lola remember her courtship with Doc? does the milkman bring? 30. Why did Doc and Lola get married? What devastating event 20. Doc returns. What is his mood? What advice does the doctor at took place soon after the marriage? the City Hospital give to Doc? 31. List Doc’s regrets. Does he dwell on them? 21. Lola describes a vivid dream to Doc. What part does he play 32. When Marie returns, what is Lola doing that ends up being in it? What decision does she finally make about Little Sheba? embarrassing? EXTRA CREDIT: Find the magic pages where the line “Come Back, 33. What does Lola do that Doc believes is mean to Marie? How Little Sheba” can be found. Who is speaking? What does Little does Marie react to hearing the news from Cincinnati? Sheba represent in this play?

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 9 FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION T. CHARLES ERICKSON

Adrianne Krstansky and Derek Hasenstab in Come Back, Little Sheba.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS organization was to work on overcoming the disease as opposed to focusing primarily on religious traditions and spirituality. This The 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution instituted upset some members of the Oxford Group, but Wilson and Smith the period of Prohibition that lasted from 1920 until 1933. During believed that in order for AA to remain true to its objectives, the this time the production, importation, transportation and sale traditional church hierarchy had no place in the work of recovery of all alcoholic beverages was illegal. It is unclear whether the nor did their attention seeking practices which Wilson and Smith law was successful in reducing alcoholism; however, it is known viewed as a threat to the success of individual members. In fact, that cirrhosis death rates and arrests for public drunkenness as part of AA’s stated organizational structure, “anonymity is the decreased dramatically during the Prohibition era. Fourteen years spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place after the law made its way into the Constitution it was repealed. principles before personalities.” The voters decided that the risks of legalization were worth the freedom to buy and consume this drug. However, once the law The famous “Twelve Steps,” listed below, serve as the foundation was overturned, a widespread sentiment persisted: people who for AA and the call to action for alcoholics who wish to conquer suffered from alcoholism were “morally deviant.” Members of the their addiction. Although religious undertones permeate the medical community, with limited understanding of the disease, steps, AA widely accepts anyone who wishes to meet and battle often recommended placing patients in mental institutions, where alcoholism, regardless of gender, race, or religion. As is stated in they “purged and puked” their way through detoxification. Family AA’s twelve traditions, “the only requirement for AA membership members were given little reason to hope their loved one would is a desire to stop drinking.” overcome the disease. Society as a whole had little to offer an alcoholic at that time — many sufferers hid in the shadows without Twelve Steps the expectation of help or support. The following are the original twelve steps as published Bill Wilson and Bob Smith founded Alcoholics Anonymous in by Alcoholics Anonymous: Akron, Ohio in 1935. Bill Wilson, an alcoholic, had been involved in 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — the Oxford Group, a Protestant organization from which AA claims that our lives had become unmanageable. its roots. Wilson met Bob Smith, also an Oxford Group member, 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves and helped him through a difficult period with his disease. After could restore us to sanity. both men achieved sobriety by working together and remaining accountable to each other they decided to branch out, forming 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to a new group, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The purpose of this the care of God as we understood Him.

10 COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of participated in the act of prostitution. But even with the removal ourselves. of these test subjects by his predecessors, Kinsey’s data remains 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human largely unchanged. being the exact nature of our wrongs. The popularity of Kinsey’s reports exploded and are widely 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these considered among the most successful scientific text books of defects of character. all time, influencing societal norms and shifting the discussion of once “taboo topics” into the mainstream. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became QUESTIONS: willing to make amends to them all. 1. What does Turk’s reference to “The Kinsey Reports” reveal 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, about him? Do you think this discussion made Marie feel except when to do so would injure them or others. uncomfortable? 10. Continued to take personal inventory, and when we 2. Do you think it is “taboo” to discuss human sexuality today? were wrong, promptly admitted it. Why or why not? In what circumstances should issues of sexuality be addressed? 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the THE QUEEN OF SHEBA power to carry that out. Lola has lost her little dog. She dreams of Little Sheba and she calls for her from the porch each day. Lola is utterly devastated 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these by Little Sheba’s disappearance. Little Sheba is a metaphor, steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and representing Lola’s lost youth, beauty, and hope of a family — to practice these principles in all our affairs. Sheba represented a once happy past that is no more. QUESTIONS: The Queen of Sheba is a widely portrayed figure throughout history 1. Why do you think Wilson and Smith believed that anonymity and literature in various cultures and known throughout was important to a recovering alcoholic and AA as a community the world. Several religions and geographic regions claim her group? Do you think Lola understood this principle? Why does as their own, as she is considered a beautiful, powerful, wealthy, Doc want to keep his disease a secret from Marie? and clever person. In the Bible, Sheba is referred to as the Queen 2. Do you believe that alcoholism is a destructive disease ? Is of the East, and may have traveled from Ethiopia. The Queen of it destructive for an individual? For the individual’s family? Sheba appears to King Solomon (I Kings), arriving at his palace Compare the support and treatment options that an alcoholic in spectacular fashion — with camels, precious gems, gold, and would receive today with the offerings of the 1950s. Do you spices. Some historians believe her visit was in the pursuit of a trade think there is still a stigma attached to this disease? Explain agreement with the neighboring countries. In the Bible story, Sheba your position. asks Solomon many pointed questions and tries to stump him with riddles, as she is searching for truth and wisdom. Upon receiving THE KINSEY REPORTS satisfactory answers, Sheba decides to follow Solomon’s God. Marie protests the typical date night routine by asking Turk to QUESTIONS: engage in a discussion or debate. Turk is not amused, and instead 1. Continue your research of the Queen of Sheba. What other tries to flirt with and tease Marie. religions and cultures have stories about her? How do these depictions vary from the Christian tradition? Turk: Have you read the Kinsey Report, Miss Buckholder? 2. Why do you think William Inge named Lola’s dog “Little Sheba?” Explain the significance of the play’s title. Marie: I should say not. Turk: How old were you when you had your first affair, COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA RECEPTION AND MOVIE Miss Buckholder? The play, and later as a movie, Come Back, Little Sheba severely Turk is referencing the breakout and controversial publications contrasted the other productions and entertainment being produced of two books, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and in the early 1950s. Inge tackles many issues that were highly Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953) by Alfred Kinsey controversial and socially unacceptable to talk about at the time. The and a team of scientists and researchers. Kinsey, a zoologist from audience members were consistently struck by the open discussion Indiana, set out to probe the behavior of male and female subjects of sexuality and pre-marital pregnancies. While the television and through anonymous personal interviews. Kinsey was interested in radio shows primarily focused on idealistic, wholesome family comparing activities between males and females and ultimately sitcoms, Inge brought the public face-to-face with issues lying under concluded that females were less sexually active than males. The the surface of their “domestic perfection.” Alcoholism existed in methodology and statistical accuracy of his sampling has been homes all across the country, but was rarely discussed. Rather, the criticized, as a large number of his subjects were incarcerated or disease was suppressed within the white picket fences of middle-

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 11 lessons often indicated that women thrive in the household and that American men were hardworking and able to accomplish anything. To this day, many shows that were first produced in the 1950s form the core of the American musical theatre repertory.

Come Back, Little Sheba stood in stark contrast with other theatrical productions of the time. With its negative outlook on

NILE HAWVER / NILE SCOTT SHOTS domestic American life and open discussion of controversial topics, the play’s 1950 debut found much of its success purely from the audience’s shocked reactions. Additionally, the Broadway play was renowned for the superb acting on the part of Shirley Booth as Lola and Sidney Blackmer as Doc. Both actors, though not new to the stage, were primarily associated with their roles in this production, taking home Tony Awards for Leading Actor and Actress.

Shirley Booth, born as Marjory Ford in 1898, began acting in her The cast of Huntington’s production of Come Back, Little Sheba teens after leaving home at age 13 in pursuit of the stage. She performed on Broadway throughout its “Golden Age,” debuting opposite Humphrey Bogart in Hell’s Bells in 1925. Her career on the class suburbia. The taboo nature of most of the plot made Come stage was prolific to say the least, starring in a variety of dramas, Back, Little Sheba a groundbreaking look into the secret life of comedies, and musicals for over three decades. She first landed a America in the 1950s. Tony Award for her supporting role in Goodbye, My Fancy, and of The movie starred Shirley Booth as Lola, reprising her Tony Award- course, her second for her widely acclaimed performance as Lola winning role, alongside Burt Lancaster, who is widely regarded as Delaney in Come Back, Little Sheba. Other major successes of the one of the most famous actors of the era. Burt Lancaster built his stage include her role as Aunt Sissy in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn career on roles that portrayed “all-American” ideals of the day, as well as Leona Samish in The Time of the Cuckoo, for which she with his striking smile and bright eyes. His early career reflected received her third Tony Award. the popular entertainment of the time, playing in a variety of light- Booth made her Hollywood debut in 1952 in the motion picture hearted and romantic films, especially in military and adventure version of Come Back, Little Sheba. In spite of her raving success films. His most famous films include Elmer Gantry, for which he playing Lola the first time, Booth had to lie about her age in order The Birdman of Alcatraz, From Here to earned an Oscar, as well as to land the role, claiming she was a full decade younger than she Eternity, and Atlantic City. Simultaneously, Lancaster began directing actually was. She did so successfully and began work thereafter, and producing movies, partnering with Harold Hecht and James starring opposite of Burt Lancaster as Doc. In 1953, after a popular Hill to create the Hecht-Hill-Lancaster production company. The trio release, Booth received the Academy Award for Best Actress in a was wildly successful in the 1950s, producing a huge number of hits Leading Role for her performance as Lola, becoming the first actress which helped define the decade. ever to win both a Tony Award and an Oscar for the same role. She went on to star in four other movies, though her first was her At the time that Come Back, Little Sheba made its debut on stage, greatest success. Broadway was in the midst of its “Golden Age” in which theatre had become a major part of the American culture. As a by-product In 1961, Booth extended her career into the sitcom world, starring of the surging economy, more families than ever were attending as a vibrant and bold housemaid named Hazel Burke. The show, the shows, causing ticket sales to skyrocket. The prospect of fame “Hazel,” earned Booth two Emmys, and earned her a place as drew many young, talented individuals to the stage, and the rising one of the few people in entertainment history to earn all three number of shows being produced meant that more and more major performance awards. Shirley Booth retired in the mid-1970s, performers were getting hired. Broadway’s writers and directors suffering from failing health. She passed away on October 16, 1992. were going through major changes in their stylistic approaches as well, taking risks that would eventually lead to some of the most QUESTIONS: prominent musicals of all time. The rising success of Broadway 1. In addition to William Inge, which other playwrights now in the 1950s is often associated with a new formula of musicals considered “classic” American writers debuted new works in the implemented by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Their many successful 1950s? Why are their plays still read, studied, and produced so shows, such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and often today? I, and The Sound of Music, dramatically altered the future of the theatre. Their musicals incorporated a cohesive plot with songs that 2. How have the kinds of theatrical works produced on Broadway furthered the action of the story and vibrant characters, creating changed from the 1950s to today? How are they similar? How a dynamic entertainment experience that erupted in popularity. In have audiences changed over the last 60 years? addition to this formula, Broadway productions at this time paid 3. Why did Shirley Booth have to lie about her age in order to play special attention to portraying the “American Dream.” Audience Lola in the film version of Come Back, Little Sheba? What casting members came out to the theatre to watch as couples moved challenges are faced by actresses over the age of 40 in film and to the suburbs in order to create a home for their children. The television today?

12 COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE THE 1950S: AMERICA’S GOLDEN AGE POST-WAR BOOM Following World War II, the economy in the United States boomed. The post-war era is remembered for prosperity and incredible growth, marked by increases in domestic sales, industry, and family stability. In 1946 a record number of babies were born in the United States — over 3.4 million! This “baby boom” was a reflection of the economic comfort felt in much of American society. It lasted until 1964 and resulted in 77 million births. The birth rate was not the only post-war boom, however. From consumer products, to the housing industry, to employment rates, many historians regard the 1950s as a time of overarching economic success.

SUBURBANIZATION With a vast number of World War II soldiers returning to America Suburban housing development and looking to settle down, the government-granted GI bill provided young veterans with the funds to purchase a home and following decade. These neighborhoods (Levitt’s were called go to school. The GI bill made these goals attainable for veterans “Levittowns” and scattered across New Jersey and Pennsylvania) for whom they would otherwise have been out of reach, allowing redefined the ideal family life, reorienting America away from the more and more families to make their way out of urban areas and city and towards the dinner table. settle into planned neighborhoods outside of the city. These new suburban communities allowed for an entirely different way of life DOMESTIC PERFECTION to emerge, characterized by stability, family values, and community growth. Developers, such as William Levitt, bought huge plots of The decade also marked the beginning of a period in which land surrounding major cities, creating cheap and comfortable television promoted the post-war ideal of perfect families in houses that would become the symbol of American life in the perfect homes surrounded by perfect white fences. Reality,

FACTS AND FIGURES AVERAGES IN 1950: 1954 — Annual births in the United States top The price of… 4 million where it will remain until 1965 • Television set: $199

1965 — 4 out of 10 Americans are under the age • Gallon of milk: $0.82 of 20 • Gallon of gas: $0.20 1950 — Population of the US: 151 million • Loaf of bread: $0.14 1960 — Population of the US: 179 million • Postage stamp: $0.03 That’s an 18% increase! • The average family income: $3,300 • The average car cost: $1,510 1946 — Number of television sets in the US: 7,000 • The median home price: $7,354 1960 — Number of television sets in the US: 50 million

1958 — The peak year in the number of drive-in movie theaters: 4,063

1946 — US GDP: 1.98 trillion 1960 — US GDP: 3.08 trillion Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 13 however, did not always live up to this ideal, leading to the kind were forced to drop out of school and often sent away for the of depression and despondency that Doc and Lola experience duration of their pregnancy. If a young couple got pregnant, they in Come Back, Little Sheba. Darkness was also evident in the were expected to immediately get married, regardless of personal political events of the period, creating an undercurrent that was preference or feelings. The stigma of being an unwed mother forced blanketed by domestic perfection. Additionally, the next decade many of these women into precarious economic situations as they which would bring the Civil Rights Movement, countless riots, and were shunned by their communities. political protests, and eventually, the Vietnam War, grew out of the suppression of the ‘50s. Advice books, magazine articles, and the ever increasing popularity of the television urged women to leave the workforce and embrace The booming economy helped shape the blissful view of the their roles as wives and mothers. Yet for women who got married 1950s. World War II left Europe ravaged, causing the United early according to the social norms of the time, life in the suburbs States’ exports and domestic production to skyrocket, fueling the consumer-oriented sector of the American economy. Material could feel confining. The idea that a woman’s most important job goods which had previously been luxuries of the wealthy, such was to bear and rear children was far from new, but it left many as refrigerators, range-top ovens, convertible automobiles, and women feeling underappreciated, stifled, and obsolete. televisions, made their way into every middle-class home. QUESTIONS: WOMEN IN THE 1950S 1. How do historical, social, and political events fall into place in order to result in the 1950s economic boom? Would you say During the war, women in America took over many jobs previously occupied by men. They enjoyed freedom in being able to go to work these events should be considered codependent of one another? every day and experience job and skill growth. After the war ended, Why or why not? men came back to reclaim their positions, which pushed women 2. What are some of the societal issues you can imagine arising out of the workforce and refocused the cultural expectations of from the concept of “domestic perfection?” Based on your women on domesticity. Young girls were expected to marry early, knowledge of the turbulent 1960s, how do you think this take care of their families, and live up to the ideal domestic life that concept led the way into those social and political issues? was broadcast on televisions across the nation. Marriage rates rose and the average age for couples to tie the knot decreased. Women 3. How does entertainment’s portrayal of a “normal life” affect who didn’t get married in their early 20s faced tremendous pressure, society as a whole? Does the television and movie industry have running the risk of becoming an “old maid.” If remaining single in a strong sway in how groups interact, such as families, friends, or American society was considered undesirable, being single and coworkers? Would you say that entertainment portrays normal pregnant was completely unacceptable. Girls who “got in trouble” life, or rather, they define normality?

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: WOMEN OF THE 1950s VS WOMEN OF TODAY

In the late 1950s, about three-fourths of all women Currently, only one-half of all women in that group between the ages of 20 and 24 had already married have married.

Women’s labor force participation rate in 1950: 33% Women’s labor force participation rate in 2013: 59%

Percent of women who attended college: 12.2% Percent of women who attend college: 70%

70% of working women held clerical positions, assembly Today, women hold a variety of jobs, including holding lines or service jobs. 12% had professional positions and 60% of all professional occupations. Women dominate 6% held management positions. the education world.

Defined waists, vibrant colors, and bold statements Clothing today is very much a “mash-up” of the characterized fashion in the 1950s. Mothers looked for styles that were popular in the past. There is a fusion clothing that was easy to wash and keep neat. Maternity of previous styles, and global and ethnic clothing. wear was just becoming a trend, likely due to the Inspiration comes not only from television entertainment, baby boom. but from music-based subcultures and celebrity trends.

14 COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE TIMELINE: 1945-1955 victory, only to be proven wrong. Truman wins the Electoral College vote with 303 to Dewey’s 189, • February 4-11, 1945 The Yalta Conference is and with more than 50% of the popular vote. held in the Soviet Union featuring President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and • March 2, 1949 First around the world flight. Premier Josef Stalin. • April 4, 1949 NATO, the North American Treaty • April 1, 1945 American troops invade Okinawa, Organization, is formed. The treaty states that Japan, beginning the Battle of Okinawa, which any attack against one member nation will be would continue until June 21. considered an attack against them all. • April 12, 1945 President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies • October 14, 1949 Eleven leaders of the United of a stroke; Vice President Harry S. Truman takes States Communist party are convicted of over the presidency and role as commander-in- advocating a violent insurrection and overthrow chief of the US. of the US government. Atomic Bomb • May 7, 1945 Germany surrenders at Reims. • February 15, 1950 The first Broadway production of Come Back, Little Sheba premieres at the Booth • August 6, 1945 President Harry S. Truman Theatre. approves the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 15, Emperor Hirohito of • April 1, 1950 The 1950 census counts a population in the United States at over 150 million people. Japan surrenders. The most populous state in the United States is • 1946 Diplomatic relations worsen between the New York, followed by California. United States and the USSR. • June 25, 1950 The Korean War begins. • January 10, 1946 The first meeting of the United • June 27, 1950 Thirty-five military advisors are Nations is held with 51 nations represented, sent to South Vietnam to give military and including China, France, the Soviet Union, the economic aid to the anti-Communist government. United Kingdom, and the United States. • October 2, 1950 The comic strip “Peanuts,” • April 1, 1946 400,000 coal miners go on strike by Charles M. Schulz, is first published. with other industries following their lead. Jackie Robinson • November 26, 1950 The United Nations The National Basketball Association • June 6, 1946 forces a retreat south toward the 38th parallel is founded and the first game is held between when Chinese Communist forces open a the Toronto Huskies and the New York counteroffensive in the Korean War. Knickerbockers. • February 27, 1951 The 22nd amendment to the • 1947 The Polaroid camera is invented. Constitution is ratified, limiting the president to • 1947 Jackson Pollock begins painting his most two terms of office. famous series of paintings called the drip • March 29, 1951 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg paintings in Easthampton, New York. are found guilty of conspiracy and wartime • March 12, 1947 The Truman Doctrine is announced espionage, and sentenced to death. They are to the US Congress to give $400 million in aid to executed on June 19, 1953. battle Communist terrorism. President Harry S. • July 16, 1951 JD Salinger publishes Catcher in Truman signs the act into law on May 22. the Rye. • April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson breaks Major Lucille Ball • September 4, 1951 The first television is League Baseball’s ban on players of color when broadcast across to another continent features he takes the field as the Brooklyn Dodgers’ first President Truman’s speech at the Japanese baseman. Peace Treaty Conference in San Francisco. • June 5, 1947 The Marshall Plan sends out US • October 15, 1951 The television comedy I Love money to Europe for recovery. Lucy debuts. • 1948 The Kinsey Reports, Sexual Behavior of the • April 8, 1952 President Truman authorizes the Human Male, is published. seizure of United States steel mills in order to • July 26, 1948 President Harry S. Truman signs avert a strike, but his action is ruled illegal by Executive Order 9981, ending segregation in the the US Supreme Court. United States military. • November 1, 1952 The first hydrogen bomb, • November 2, 1948 President Harry S. Truman wins called Mike, is exploded in the Pacific Ocean. a controversial race against Thomas E. Dewey, • November 4, 1952 General Dwight D. Eisenhower the governor of New York. Headlines in national wins the presidential election with an Electoral Korean War newspapers prematurely announce a Dewey College vote of 442 to 89.

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 15 • December 24, 1952 A film adaptation of Come • May 17, 1954 Supreme Court case Brown vs. Back, Little Sheba is released in theatres. Board of Education declares racial segregation • 1953 The Kinsey Reports, Sexual Behavior of the illegal in US schools. Human Female, is published. • February 12, 1955 The United States agrees • April 25, 1953 The description of a double helix to provide training and equipment to South DNA molecule is published. Vietnamese troops. • July 27, 1953 Fighting ceases in the Korean War. • July 1, 1955 As rock and roll music enters the North Korea, South Korea, the United States, mainstream, “Rock Around and Clock” by Bill and the Republic of China sign an armistice Haley and His Comets becomes the first record agreement. to top the Billboard magazine pop chart. • October 30, 1953 The Cold War is in full swing • July 17, 1955 The Disneyland theme park opens when President Dwight D. Eisenhower approves in Anaheim, California. Model of the the expansion of the United States weapons DNA molecule • September 30, 1955 Actor James Dean is killed arsenal in case of Soviet invasion. in a car accident. • December 30, 1953 The first color televisions are • December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks refuses to give up available for sale. her seat on the bus to a white man, prompting a • 1954 — Ray Kroc invests in the McDonald’s chain boycott that would lead to the declaration that of restaurants, with intent to incorporate and bus segregation laws were unconstitutional by a franchise the company. federal court. • February 23, 1954 Polio vaccinations begin. • December 5, 1955 The two largest American • April 22, 1954 Senator Joseph McCarthy criticizes labor unions, the American Federation of Labor and condemns the US Army for being corrupt and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, with Communism. merge.

Television SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING AND VIEWING To broaden your familiarity with Come Back, Little Sheba and the world of the play, please consider the following list for further reading and viewing. These texts were also used in research for this guide.

Alcoholics Anonymous. Twelve Steps and Solomon, Andrew. Far From the Tree: Twelve Traditions. AA World Services, 2002. Parents, Children and the Search for Identity. Scribner, 2013. Al-Alnon. The Dilemma of the Alcoholics Marriage. Al-Alnon, 3rd printed edition, 1971. Williams, Tennessee. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. New Directions (Revised Edition), 2004. Hardy, Sheila. A 1950s Housewife: Marriage and Homemaking in the 1950s. The History Press, 2013. The following films have related ideas Bill Haley and His Comaets Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Dover Thrift; and themes appropriate for contrast and reprint edition, 1992. comparison: Inge, William. The Dark at the Top of the Affliction. Lions Gate, 1999. Stairs. Samuel French, 1957. Come Back, Little Sheba. Paramount, 1952. Inge, William. Picnic. Samuel French, 1953. Days of Wine & Roses. Warner Home Video, Jones, James. Alfred C. Kinsey: a Life. W.W. 1962. Norton & Company, 2004. The Lost Weekend. Universal Studios, 1945. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Penguin Books: reprint edition, 1978. O’Neill, Eugene. Long Day’s Journey into Night. Yale University Press, 1955.

Rosa Parks

16 COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

THE BACK STORY: EXPLORING CHARACTERIZATION Directions to students: Choose a character from Come Back, Little Sheba to portray in a monologue of your choosing. In order to prepare for the role, consider (but do not feel limited by) the following areas of consideration:

1. Family life and childhood. What information from the play gives insight into what my character’s upbringing was like? Describe the cultural and environmental circumstances. Did I live with both parents and have siblings? Was I rich or poor? Where did I live? Imagine an important event in your character’s life prior to the time depicted in the play and speculate as to how this event may have influenced your character’s current objectives.

2. Relationships. With whom do I want to be romantically involved? What draws me to this person (or people)? Have I been married or in a serious relationship before? Am I easy to get along with? What contradictions are inherent in my character? What pitfalls might prevent a new relationship from forming?

3. Current Status. Where do I live? In an apartment or a house? Do I have roommates or pets? What is a typical day like for me? Do I call my mother? Do I eat in or eat out? What are my hobbies? Who is my best friend? Do I feel financially comfortable or strapped?

4. The World of the Play. What do I want? What are the obstacles in my way? Does my objective change throughout the course of the play? How, if at all, do I change from the beginning to the end of the play? Am I satisfied by the play’s conclusion?

Select a monologue for your character from the play. Choose a moment from the play that you believe is important to your character’s journey. While rehearsing, consider your character’s backstory. How does truly understanding your character change the way you think about his/her lines?

Rehearse with a classmate and share your backstories. If you have the same character, how do your backstories differ? Can you both be right? If you have different characters, do you think that it would be helpful for your characters in the world of the play to know this information about each other? Why or why not?

If possible, memorize your monologue before sharing it with the class.

FIVE MINUTE PERFORMANCES Arrange the class in small groups. Tell each group it is going to present the story of the play in exactly five minutes. They can use whatever methods seem appropriate — action, prose narration, mime, movement, song, background music, pictures, etc. Point out that each group must select the most important features, events and purposes of the play. Send the groups away for a class to discuss and practice. At the next class, have them perform their five minute versions to the rest of the class. Compare versions in terms of what is missing, important, surprising, in common, and emphasized. Discuss why the versions may differ.

COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE 17 SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

STILL LIFE — TABLEAUS 1. This exercise is especially useful if you’re trying to talk about relationships between characters. Take a willing student and ask him or her to stand in a pose which he or she thinks is in some way characteristic of one of the characters—it could be kneeling and supplicant, or head bowed and despairing, or poking a nose into someone else’s affairs, or looking behind or ahead, or…. The student may look bemused or embarrassed to begin; but ask members of the class to make suggestions, either by saying something or by simply coming and moving the student to what seems a better position without speaking. This latter point is quite important. Add another student character to the tableau. The way that the second student stands in relation to the first person is significant. He or she may be turning away or towards the other, be spurning or supporting, an enemy or a friend, ambivalent Richard Jaeckle (Turk), and Terry Moore (Marie) in the film version Come Back, Little Sheba (1952) or unrelated in any sense (and note that it is often a revelation to students that characters may not meet or know what the reader knows).

2. You could base a still life/tableau on a particular moment and compare it with one of another moment in the play; doing so, see what has changed and why. You can ask for other characters and see what changes or adjustments are needed. Try to get the students to justify what they do, but accept it if they are satisfied that they have expressed themselves clearly. Ask other members of the class if they understand the tableau, and if they can identify particular moments, crises, characters and groupings.

3. Divide the class into groups to create tableaux that represent issues or ideas from Come Back, Little Sheba, such as conflicts between husbands and wives, confronting drugs or alcohol personally, the pressures of drugs and alcohol abuse on family behaviour.

4. Divide your class into as many groups as there are scenes in the play. Have each group create a tableau which captures the essential emotion, conflict, or tension of that scene. Present the scenes in sequence.

VISUAL ARTS Ask students to choose any character from Come Back, Little Sheba and each create a character collage. They should include pictures (they can be hand-drawn, cut from magazines/newspapers, or printed from online) of actions the character performs, relationships the character has with others, and their typical moods or attitudes. Quotations from the play that reveal something about the character (these can be quotations from the character as well as quotations about the character) could be included.

LETTER WRITING There is a common saying that goes, “I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger.” Imagine you are Lola or Doc as they appear in the play. Write a letter to your younger self, telling yourself what you have learned over the years, what you regret or wish you had done differently, and any important advice you can share based on your experiences. If you could go back and time and do it all over again, would you make the same choices? Or would you do things differently? What are the things that you know now that you wish you had known when you were younger? Cite dialogue and events from Come Back, Little Sheba as evidence to support your statements.

18 COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA CURRICULUM GUIDE SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

QUOTABLE MOMENTS Choose one of the following quotes from Come Back, Little Sheba. Write an essay analyzing the quote’s meaning. Consider:

• Which character said it? • Does the character mean it literally or is there an unspoken subtext? • What does this statement reveal about the character’s way of looking at the world? • How do the character’s actions support or contradict the quote? • Do other characters seem to agree or disagree? • How does the quote contribute to the forward progression of the scene and of the plot as a whole?

Little Sheba should have stayed young forever. “” Some things should never grow old. “” Being busy is being happy. The women pose naked but the men don’t. If it’s all “” right for a woman, it oughta be for a man. “” Those years have just vanished — vanished into thin air. We should never feel bad about what’s past. What’s in “” the past can’t be helped. You… you’ve got to forget it and live for the present. If you can’t forget the past, you stay in it and never get out. “” Tonight will never come again. “That Mrs. Delaney is a good for nothing, sits around “” the house all day, and never so much as shakes a dust mop.” I guess it just shows, we never really know what people are like.

We can’t stay here, hon; we gotta go on. “” We gotta go on.

Adrianne Krstansky in Come Back, Little Sheba. T. CHARLES ERICKSON T.

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