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Home , Colonel Cathcart, Doc Daneeka, Joseph Heller, Milo Minderbinder, Nately, Yossarian

Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 The Aquila Theatre Company Welcome!

The State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey welcomes you to the school-day performance of Aquila Theatre Company in Catch-22. The show is based on Heller’s own stage adaptation of his groundbreaking novel. With the full support of ’s estate and family, Aquila Theatre has created the first-ever professional production to tour nationally. This show is scheduled to be the first major production of the play to be seen in London and New York. The B-25 crew These Keynotes provide information and activities that will help you follow and enjoy the show. We hope it will also help you find connections between what you see on the stage and your own personal experience.

CONTENTS Welcome/Acknowledgements...... 2 “Catch-22 asks us to About the Play...... 3 consider: what is the Meet the Author ...... 4 real cost of war?” The Story ...... 5 The Characters...... 6 —Peter Meineck, director The Production ...... 7 In the Bombardier’s Seat ...... 8 Historical Background...... 9 A Duty to Die?...... 10 Before, During, & After ...... 11 Be Prepared!...... 12

Keynotes are made possible by a generous grant from Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Keynotes are produced by the Education Department of the State Theatre, New The State Theatre’s education program is funded in part by Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Brunswick, NJ. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Brother International Corporation,The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Wesley Brustad, President Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, J. Seward Johnson, Sr. 1963 Charitable Trust, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, McCrane Foundation, Lian Farrer, Vice President for Education MetLife Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, National Starch and Chemical Foundation, Inc., PNC Keynotes for Catch-22 written and designed Foundation, Provident Bank Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Verizon, and Wachovia Foundation. Their support is gratefully acknowledged. by Lian Farrer © 2007 State Theatre

Funding has been made possible in part by Continental Airlines is the official the New Jersey State Council on the airline of the State Theatre. The State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue Arts/Department of State, a partner agency for the performing arts and entertainment. of the National Endowment for the Arts.

2 About the Play

The play, Catch-22, was adapted by Joseph Heller from his novel of the same name. During World War II, Heller had been stationed in with the U.S. Army Air Corps and flew 60 combat missions as a B-25 bombardier. He drew on this experience in writing Catch-22, a satirical look at military bureaucracy and the insanity of war. Published in 1961, during the , the novel was controversial both for its criticism of the military and for its complicated, convoluted narrative structure. The novel was a landmark in American culture; the phrase “catch-22” has become part of our vocabulary, used to describe any situation where whatever choice you make, you lose. Many believed that Heller’s absurdist, non-linear story could not be told effectively onstage. This belief—along with the disappointing reception of the 1970 film and adaptation of the novel—kept the play from becoming widely known. It received one small production, at the John Drew Theater in East Hampton, NY, in 1971, but never made it to Broadway, as Heller had originally intended. The performance you’ll be seeing, by Aquila Theatre Company, is the first-ever professional touring production of the play. Realizing that it would be impossible to cover all of the characters and “I thought this was a episodes in the novel in a 2fi-hour play, Heller made some changes in adapting his story for the stage. In the play, the story does not jump around great, undiscovered as much nor repeat itself as much as it does in the novel. A number of American play that characters and plot lines have been left out, but the essential elements of the original book are all there. needs to be done.” —Peter Meineck Meet the Director Catch-22 is directed by Peter Meineck, Artistic Director of Aquila Theatre. Originally from London, Meineck lives in New York and teaches Greek literature, ancient drama, and classical mythology at . He founded Aquila Theatre in 1991 and has since been involved as producer, director, lighting designer, writer, and/or translator for nearly 40 Aquila productions.

Having himself served in the military (the Royal British Marines), Meineck was attracted to Joseph Heller’s story about the insanity of war. “It asks the question of why do we fight wars, and who benefits from wars, and why are wars fought today,” he says. “You could argue that Heller was the first one to really define the military-industrial complex. Yet he doesn’t denigrate soldiers. He respects them.”

Meineck says that his objective in staging this rarely-seen drama is “to make a very entertaining play very funny, but also thought-provoking.”

3 Meet the Author

The American writer Joseph Heller was born into a poor Jewish family in in 1923. After graduating from high school in 1941, he enlisted in the Army Air Force—less than a year after the United States had entered World War II. Trained as a bombardier, Heller was sent to Corsica in 1944, where he flew sixty missions. After the war Heller attended New York University on the G.I. bill, a program that provided educational opportunities for returning World War II veterans. He went on to get a master's degree in English from and then attended Oxford University in England as a Fulbright scholar. Returning to New York, Heller worked at a number of writing jobs (including one at an advertising agency) before publishing a few short stories in Esquire and the Atlantic Monthly. One of these stories provided the seed for Catch-22, a darkly Joseph Heller in 1961 comic antiwar novel. In Catch-22, Heller drew upon his own experience as a bomber pilot in World War II to present a satirical view of war and bureaucracy. The book received mixed reviews when it was first published in 1961, but soared in popularity in the late and early 1970s as its themes found a receptive audience in the Vietnam War era. Critical acclaim grew as well. Controversial for its ideas, attitudes, and literary More War style, Catch-22 went on to become a major influence on literature, political thought, and popular culture. Its title is now a part of our everyday Stories vocabulary. WORLD WAR I: Heller wrote five additional novels, including (1974), All Quiet on the Western (1979), and Closing Time (1994), a sequel to Catch-22, as well Front, by Erich Maria Remarque as short stories, plays, screenplays, and the 1998 memoir Now and Then. Like The Good Soldier Svejk, by Jaroslav Hasek Catch-22, much of his writing draws on incidents and characters from Heller’s own life, painting a satirical, often absurd picture of middle-class America. For WORLD WAR II: his use of irony and black Mister Roberts, by Thomas Heggen humor Heller is often grouped with the authors , The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer Thomas Pynchon, and Philip “People go to fight Roth. wars because they Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut In 1981, Heller was KOREAN WAR: diagnosed with Guillian-Barré don't understand Syndrome, which left him the seriousness of M*A*S*H, by Richard Hooker severely paralyzed. He VIETNAM WAR: eventually made a full recovery. what they're doing.” Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers He died of a heart attack in 1999 at the age of 76. —Joseph Heller The Things They Carried, by Tim OÕBrien

4 The Story

Catch-22 is the story of Yossarian, an American Air Force bombardier stationed on (a small island off the coast of Italy) during World War II. He finds himself caught in a crazy, terrifying maze of military bureaucracy from which there seems to be no escape. Sent out again and again on the most dangerous missions by a power-hungry colonel who is more interested in gaining a promotion than in winning the war, Yossarian decides that the enemy is not just the Germans who fire at his plane, but “anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on...” That includes his commander, , who keeps raising the number of missions his officers are required to fly before they can be sent home. As he keeps a grim tally of the members of his squadron who are killed or missing in action, Yossarian keeps looking for ways to stay alive, including pretending that he is The Chaplain is trapped by Catch-22: “Why would sick. He’s even willing to be declared insane, but he runs into we be questioning you if you werenÕt guilty?” the infamous “Catch-22”: There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which The local civilian population has also struggled to survive specified that a concern for one’s safety in the face of these hard times. The war has been particularly brutal on the dangers that were real and immediate was the process women, who are forced to use sex as a means of survival. In of a rational mind. was crazy and could be Rome, the American soldiers are on the prowl for sex. grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he Yossarian has a brief but intense encounter with a woman did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly named Luciana. Young Lieutenant falls in love with a more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions prostitute (known only as “Nately’s Whore”). His death, in a and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane he had to fly collision with another American plane, sends her on a them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to; vengeful mission to kill Yossarian, even though he played no but if he didn’t want to he was sane and had to. part in Nately’s accident. There are other characters who develop their own survival The play cuts back and forth between the different strategies for these impossible conditions. Major Major hides characters and story lines to create a complex, many-layered from his men and his responsibilities. Ex-PFC Wintergreen, in portrait of the insanity of war. charge of communications, controls the flow of information by destroying or altering documents. Doc Daneeka’s Catch-22 raises questions faced by any person who is asked to go to war. Is this a cause worth fighting for and seemingly foolproof plan to avoid danger only snares him in possibly dying for? Am I obligated to risk my life in another Catch-22: the military declares him dead, though he support of my country even if I don’t believe in what is clearly alive and well. The one character who truly manages weÕre fighting for? Why should I put my life on the line to escape the system is Orr, whose ingenious scheme gives when those with money and power can avoid sharing Yossarian a small glimmer of hope for the future. the risk? These questions are being asked again today in Mess officer actually thrives in this the context of America’s war in Iraq. chaotic environment, building a hugely profitable black- Debate these questions with your class. Are your answers market business by ripping off the government and even the same for World War II and the war in Iraq? Why? attacking his own troops. 5 The Characters Lt. Col. Korn

PIANOSA

CAPTAIN YOSSARIAN - Army Air Force bombardier whose main LIEUTENANT COLONEL preoccupation is to avoid getting killed. KORN - Older and

MCWATT - The pilot of Yossarian’s B-25 bomber plane. smarter than his boss, Colonel Cathcart, Korn CLEVINGER - Co-pilot of Yossarian’s B-25, he has complete faith in is the one who really the military establishment. runs the squadron. He SERGEANT KNIGHT - The turret gunner on Yossarian’s B-25. is cruel and cynical, an CAPTAIN “AARFY” AARDVARK - The pipe-smoking navigator on expert manipulator. Yossarian’s B-25 who keeps getting in the way. MILO MINDERBINDER - SNOWDEN - A member of Yossarian’s crew who is mortally Mess officer at the wounded on a mission. Yossarian is unable to save his life. base who uses the Air LIEUTENANT NATELY - An idealistic 19-year-old who falls in love Corps as his own with a prostitute, known in the story only as “Nately’s Whore.” He personal business is killed in a midair collision with another American plane. enterprise. He steals supplies, sells DOC DANEEKA - The chief medical officer at Pianosa, he is more worthless goods back concerned about avoiding danger and preserving his own life to the military, than taking care of his patients. conducts business MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR - His father gave him the same with the Germans, and first, middle, and last name as a joke. Promoted to squadron even bombs his own squadron, all in the name of making a commander when his predecessor is killed in action, he spends profit. most of his time trying to avoid his duties and his men. ORR - A bomber pilot who is always being shot down and then EX-PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WINTERGREEN - Though his rank gives crash landing in the ocean. In the play, he is frequently talked him very little official authority, Wintergreen controls the about, but never actually seen. squadron’s communications and therefore actually wields a great NURSE DUCKETT - One of the nurses in the military hospital at deal of power. Pianosa, she has an affair with Yossarian. CHAPLAIN TAPPMAN - A naive, kindhearted minister who is falsely MAJOR SANDERSON - A neurotic psychiatrist who examines accused of tampering with the mail. Yossarian in the hospital. THE TEXAN - A highly patriotic, opinionated, and talkative soldier DOCTORS - At the Army Air Force hospital. that no one can stand. MOTHER, FATHER, BROTHER - Italian-American family who come COLONEL CATHCART - The group commander; he will stop at to visit their son in the military hospital. They don’t seem to nothing to become a general, even if it means breaking promises notice that their “son” is actually Yossarian. to his men and placing their lives at the greatest possible risk. INVESTIGATING OFFICERS - They interrogate the Chaplain about the oddly censored letters. ROME

LUCIANA - A young Italian woman that Yossarian meets in Rome. OLD WOMAN - She is left behind at the whorehouse in Rome after She was badly injured in a bombing attack by American forces. the military police drive away all of the prostitutes. NATELY’S WHORE - A prostitute who holds Yossarian responsible for Nately’s death. She makes repeated attempts to kill him. Can you identify which characters from the novel Heller left OLD MAN - He runs a whorehouse in Rome that is visited by the out of the play? Do you think leaving out certain scenes and soldiers from Yossarian’s unit. He does not hesitate to switch his characters changes the meaning of the story? How? loyalty if it will help him stay alive.

6 The Production

Aquila Theatre Company had to solve a number of challenges in bringing Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 to life on stage. These are some of the factors they had to consider when designing their production, and the solutions they devised: » This is a touring production. The company is performing Catch-22 in repertory with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar on a seven-month, 63-city tour. The production (sets, costumes, props) has to be flexible enough to fit on stages of different dimensions, and everything has to fit into a single truck—along with the sets, costumes, and props for Julius Caesar! Solution: Catch-22 uses a simple set, with everything on wheels: a door-frame, window, chairs, pieces of fabric, and a couple of cots. These elements are moved into different The nose of a B-25 bomber plane, where the configurations to create that the various locations in the story. bombardier was positioned. The largest set piece is the nose section of the B-25 bomber— Yossarian’s station. It is built to the same scale as the actual plane in order to give the audience a sense of the terrifying conditions in which a bombardier was required to operate. Another important part of the set is a large screen, located upstage center. Images of World War II are projected onto the screen to help create a sense of time and place. » There are eight actors in the ensemble. Of course, there are many more characters in the play, even in Heller’s cut-down version of the original story. In fact, there are 39 different roles. Solution: All of the actors (except the actor playing Yossarian) take on multiple roles. For example, one actor plays Doc Daneeka, Major Major, the Old Man, the Father, Sanderson, Investigating Officer, and MP. The two female actors in the cast even have to play some of the male roles. The actors are challenged to create a distinctive personality for each of their roles so that the audience does not get confused about which part they are playing. » There are a lot of scene changes in the play. There are close to 20 scenes in the two acts of Catch-22. Solution: The set design helps make it easy to change scenes quickly and fluidly. Another transition device Aquila uses is music, which also helps create a sense of time, place, and emotional atmosphere. Aquila Theatre built the nose section of YossarianÕs B-25 bomber the exact same size as the real thing.

7 In the Bombardier’s Seat

In preparing their production of Catch-22 Aquila Theatre members immersed themselves in Yossarian’s world. They read World War II Army Air Corps training manuals, watched training films and footage of air combat, reviewed the schematics of the B-25 bomber, and read first-person accounts of the war. They discovered that a bomber plane was a scary place to be: claustrophobic, noisy, and cold. In The interior bulkheads of the B-25. addition to the dangers of flying in close formation, sometimes in poor weather conditions, the crew faced barrages of anti-aircraft fire (known as “flak”) that could literally cut a plane in half. The danger did not only come from the enemy, however. When it became inevitable that the U.S. would be entering the war, the Army began a radical reorganization and expansion of its aviation branch. In the three years between December 31, 1941 and December 31, 1943, the total number of aircraft they deployed grew by nearly 500 percent. During the same period, U.S. Air Force personnel jumped from 354,000 to nearly 2.4 million. With such rapid growth, new aircraft designs were not always thoroughly tested before being deployed. Pilots were sometimes rushed into action with insufficient training. U.S. Army Air Force ArtistÕs rendering of the B-25H casualties in World War II totaled 120,000; 40,000 died in combat, while another 15,000 died in training or in aircraft accidents in the U.S. One-third of the aircraft were lost in crashes that occurred in the U.S. Each man in the bomber crew had specific duties. The bombardier and the navigator were stationed in the nose of the plane and were in constant communication with each other. The navigator’s job was to guide the plane toward the target, while the bombardier had to release the bombs at just the right time to hit the intended target. Above and behind the nose sat the pilot and copilot, who steered the plane, working hard to avoid barrages of flak. In the body of the plane were the bomb bay and the radio compartment. Stationed here were the radio operator and engineer (who both did dual duty as waist gunner and turret gunner) and the tail gunner.

Cartoon from a B-25 flight manual. 8 Historical Background

NATELY But Italy was occupied by the Germans and is now being occupied by us. You don’t call that doing very well do you? England OLD MAN Germany But of course I do. The Germans are being driven out, and we are still here. In a few years you will be gone Austria too, and we will still be here. You France see, Italy is really a very poor and weak country, and that’s what makes us Italy so strong. Italian soldiers are not Corsica Rome dying any more. But American and German soldiers are. I call that doing extremely well. Yes, I am quite certain that Italy will survive the war and be in existence long after your own country has been destroyed.

Eyewitnesses to History

Catch-22 takes place in Italy toward the end of World War II. Under the There are vast resources available that can leadership of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, Italy had entered the war in help us understand what World War II was like, including books, letters, photographs, 1940 as one of the Axis countries, on the same side as Germany and Japan. diaries, films, manuals, posters, and Italy did not have the military or economic power to hold out for long artifacts. Most importantly, we have the against the Allied forces of Great Britain and the United States. By the memories of those who lived through it. middle of 1943, Italy was a divided nation, with the Allies occupying territory in the south and the Germans controlling the north. The country Interview a family member, neighbor, or member of your community who became a battlefield, torn not only by the Allied-Axis conflict, but by civil remembers World War IIÑeither as a war between Italian nationalists and Mussolini’s fascists. The country was member of the armed forces or as a finally liberated on April 25, 1945 (celebrated in Italy today as a national civilian. What was their attitude about the holiday). Catch-22 takes place in 1944, at a point in the war when Italy had war before America joined the conflict, as largely withdrawn from the conflict and Germany still occupied portions of it was happening, and after it was over? the country. What special memories do they have from Italy offered a strategic location from which Allied air force divisions that time? Do any of their observations could attack targets in the heart of enemy territory. During his World War II make you see Catch-22 in a new light? service, Joseph Heller was stationed with his squadron on Corsica, a large Compile your class interviews into a World island off Italy’s Mediterranean coast. He set Catch-22 on nearby Pianosa, a War II memory book and make copies for tiny, uninhabited island that is too small to have actually been used as a the people you interviewed. military base.

9 A Duty to Die?

YOSSARIAN To die, or not to die – that is my question. And I’m going crazy trying to answer it. CHAPLAIN Men have to die in a war. That’s a matter of necessity. YOSSARIAN Yeah – but which men will die, though, is a matter of circumstance. And I think I’m willing to be the victim of anything but circumstance.

Yossarian: “I have a very simple wish... I want to live forever... or at least die in the attempt.” The exchange above between Yossarian and the Chaplain reflects two different opinions about duty and self-sacrifice. From these few lines, can you figure out where they stand? Write a brief ’ ’ essay in support of either Yossarian s position or the Chaplain s. “The only freedom Did you recognize Yossarian’s paraphrase of Shakespeare’s Hamlet? What comparisons can you draw between Yossarian’s we really have is the dilemma and Hamlet’s? freedom to say no.” —Joseph Heller Saying No After witnessing the bloody, painful death of Snowden, Yossarian makes a symbolic gesture of rebellion against the Army. Do you know what he does? Throughout history, there have been many individuals who have spoken out against or resisted a system they felt was oppressive or unjust. Working with a partner, research a historical or contemporary figure who said no to something or someone. Start by answering the questions below. Then create a multimedia presentation on your subject, using PowerPoint, HyperStudio, or other software. Present it to the rest of the class. ¥ What was this person resisting? ¥ If your subject is still alive, can you find out if he or she ¥ How did he or she say no? would, given the situation, make the same decision again? ¥ Should the person be respected or applauded for saying ¥ What were the reasons or causes that led to the subject’s no? decision to resist? ¥ How would you act in the situation that your subject was ¥ Were his or her actions justified? in? Why would you or wouldnÕt you say no? ¥ Did the actions achieve an objective? If so, what was it? ¥ What alternative action(s), if any, would you have taken? ¥ What did the person sacrifice or what price did the person ¥ How is your subject similar to or different from Yossarian pay to say no? in Catch-22? 10 Before, During, & After

BEFORE THE SHOW:

Considering Catch-22 Have you ever been faced with a catch-22? Describe the situation. What did it feel like to find yourself in a no- win position? How did you handle the situation?

Choose one of the institutions or systems that play a role in our livesÑfor example: family, school, work, church, community, the medical establishment, military, or government. See if you can obtain a copy of the organization’s written rules and regulations. Do all of the rules and procedures make sense? Are they fair? Col. Cathcart and Milo Minderbinder Consistent? Do they contain any catch-22s?

Why do you think some institutions create systems that are illogical, contradictory, or unjust? DURING THE War Resisters SHOW: Many people have noticed similarities between Yossarian and the character of Achilles, the Look and listen for: warrior hero of Homer’s Iliad who becomes trapped in his own “Catch-22” when he refuses to fight. Director Peter Meineck writes, “Heller cast Yossarian as a modern-day AchillesÑnot a ¥ Examples of coward, nor even anti-war, just reluctant to waste his life in a cause he no longer believes in: a paradoxical hero or anti-hero trapped by circumstance.” Do you think the comparison is accurate? Do you speech and believe Yossarian is justified in trying to escape the war? situations

Can you think of other characters, from literature or from real life, who have been asked to put ¥ Actors playing their lives on the line for something they did not believe in? How did they respond to the multiple roles situation? What were the consequences of their actions (or inaction)? ¥ The way music is used

¥ The way lighting AFTER THE SHOW: is used ¥ How the female How Did It Go? characters are portrayed Did the performance of Catch-22 meet your expectations? Do you think it captured the spirit of the novel? Was it successful as a piece of theater? ¥ How the story unfolds over time With your class, discuss all the elements of the performance: set, costume, and lighting design; (linear or non- music, acting, and directing. What worked for you? What didn’t? What made you see the story and linear), especially characters in a new way? What confused you? compared to the Write a review of the performance and send it to the State Theatre: [email protected]. novel We’ll be sure to share your reviews with Aquila Theatre Company!

11 Be Prepared!

Some things you should know before you go... Turn it off. A performance is only a performance if there’s an audience to see and hear it. As a member of the audience, you are a partner with the artists in bringing the performance to life. Live performances have special rules. Attending a live theater performance is not the same as watching a movie or television show. You will be in the same space with the actors and the rest of the No photos. audience. Any noises or movements you make will disturb the artists and spoil the experience for the rest of the audience. Here are some basic rules to follow at the theater: • Before the performance starts, turn off and put away all electronic devices— cellphones, iPods, handheld games, etc. • Do not bring food or beverages into the theater. • Stay in your seat. • No talking or whispering once the show begins. No talking. • Do not take photos or make any sound recording of the show. Know your role. During the show, your job is to focus all your energy and attention on what’s happening onstage. The way you respond to the show matters a great deal to the performers. Laugh at the funny parts. Applaud if you like what you see and hear!

Resources BOOKS DVD/VIDEO www.b25.net/pages/BPview.html A Few Small Candles: War Resisters of Catch-22 (1970), starring , Watch a video shot from the World War II Tell Their Stories, edited by directed by . Rated R bombardierÕs position on a B-25. Larry Gara and Lenna Mae Gara. Kent State http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/ Twelve O’Clock High (1949), starring University Press, 1999 Rutgers University’s online oral history Gregory Peck, directed by Henry King. archives, featuring interviews with The Second World War: A Complete History, Fictional account of a B-24 squadron and Rutgers alumni and New Jersey residents by Martin Gilbert. Holt, 2004 their bombing campaign over Germany. who served in World War II, the Korean Shot to Hell: Stories and the Photos of The World at War (1974), television War, the Vietnam War and the Cold War Ravaged WWII Warbirds, by Cory Graff. documentary on World War II narrated by www.warexperience.org/video.html Zenith Press, 2003 Laurence Olivier Online video archive of interviews with Untold Valor: Forgotten Stories of American WEBSITES veterans of World War II, the Korean Bomber Crews over Europe in World War II, www.wlajournal.com/15_1-2/ War, and Vietnam War by Rob Morris. Potomac Books , 2006 scoggins%20213-227.pdf www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/WW2/ The Wrong Stuff : The Adventures and “Joseph Heller’s Combat Experiences in WW2bib.html Misadventures of an 8th Air Force Aviator, Catch-22,” an article from the journal World War II resources from the Library by Truman Smith. University of Oklahoma War, Literature & the Arts of Congress Press, 2001

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