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HUNTINGTON THEATRE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE BY DAN MCCABE | DIRECTED BY BILLY PORTER TABLE OF CONTENTS

Common Core Standards 3

Massachusetts Standards in Theatre 4

Artists 5

Themes for Writing and Assessment 8

Mastery Assessment 11

Further Exploration 12

Suggested Activities 16 THE PURISTS Suggested Reading 17 by Dan McCabe Notes 19 Directed by Billy Porter Aug. 30 – Sept. 29 Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA

© Huntington Theatre Company Boston, MA 02115

August 2019

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

Inquiries should be directed to:

Meg O’Brien Director of Education [email protected]

This curriculum guide was prepared for the Huntington Theatre Company by: Marisa Jones | Education Associate Alexandra Smith | Manager of Curriculum and Instruction 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 1 Reading Literature: Craft and Structure 5 • Grades 9-10: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to • Grades 9-10: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and inferences drawn from the text. manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks), create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. • Grades 11-12: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as • Grades 11-12: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to text leaves matters uncertain. begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well Reading Literature: Key Ideas and Details 2 as its aesthetic impact. • Grades 9-10: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, Reading Literature: Craft and Structure 6 including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific • Grades 9-10: Analyze a particular point of view or cultural details; provide an objective summary of the text. experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature. • Grades 11-12: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, • Grades 11-12: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view including how they interact and build on one another to produce required distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

Reading Literature: Key Ideas and Details 3 Reading Literature: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7 • Grades 9-10: Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those with • Grades 9-12: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of poem (e.g. recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text develop the themes. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist). • Grades 11-12: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop related elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 3 MASSACHUSETTS STANDARDS IN THEATRE

ACTING • 1.7: Create and sustain a believable character throughout a scripted or AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE improvised scene (By the end of Grade 8). Attending live theatre is a unique experience with • 1.12: Describe and analyze, in written and oral form, characters’ wants, many valuable educational and social benefits. To needs, objectives, and personality characteristics (By the end of Grade 8). ensure that all audience members are able to enjoy the performance, please take a few minutes to discuss the • 1.13: In rehearsal and performance situations, perform as a productive following audience etiquette topics with your students and responsible member of an acting ensemble (i.e., demonstrate personal responsibility and commitment to a collaborative process) before you come to the Huntington Theatre Company. (By the end of Grade 8). • How is attending the theatre similar to and different • 1.14: Create complex and believable characters through the integration of from going to the movies? What behaviors are and physical, vocal, and emotional choices (Grades 9-12). are not appropriate when seeing a play? Why? • 1.15: Demonstrate an understanding of a dramatic work by developing a • Remind students that because the performance character analysis (Grades 9-12). is live, the audience’s behavior and reactions will • 1.17: Demonstrate increased ability to work effectively alone and affect the actors’ performances. No two audiences collaboratively with a partner or in an ensemble (Grades 9-12). are exactly the same, and therefore no two READING AND WRITING SCRIPTS performances are exactly the same—this is part of what makes theatre so special! Students’ behavior • 2.7: Read plays and stories from a variety of cultures and historical should reflect the level of performance they wish periods and identify the characters, setting, plot, theme, and conflict (By the end of Grade 8). to see. • 2.8: Improvise characters, dialogue, and actions that focus on the • Theatre should be an enjoyable experience for development and resolution of dramatic conflicts (By the end of the audience. It is absolutely all right to applaud Grade 8). when appropriate and laugh at the funny moments. • 2.11: Read plays from a variety of genres and styles; compare and Side conversations with your friends during the contrast the structure of plays to the structures of other forms of performance, however, are not allowed. Why might literature (Grades 9-12). this be? Be sure to mention that not only would the people seated around them be able to hear their TECHNICAL THEATRE conversation, but the actors on stage could hear • 4.6: Draw renderings, floor plans, and/or build models of sets for a them, too. Theatres are constructed to carry dramatic work and explain choices in using visual elements (line, shape/ sound efficiently! form, texture, color, space) and visual principals (unity, variety, harmony, balance, rhythm) (By the end of Grade 8). • Any noise or light can be a distraction, so please remind students to make sure their cell phones • 4.13: Conduct research to inform the design of sets, costumes, sound, and lighting for a dramatic production (Grades 9-12). are turned off (or better yet, left at home or at school!). Texting, photography, and video recording CONNECTIONS are prohibited. • Strand 6: Purposes and Meanings in the Arts — Students will describe • Food, gum, and drinks are not permitted in the the purposes for which works of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and theatre or lobby. This includes our lobby spaces architecture were and are created, and, when appropriate, interpret their before, during, and after the performance. meanings (Grades PreK-12). • Strand 10: Interdisciplinary Connections — Students will apply their • Students should sit with their group as seated by knowledge of the arts to the study of English language arts, foreign the Front of House staff and should not leave their languages, health, history and social science, mathematics, and science seats once the performance has begun. and technology/engineering (Grades PreK-12).

2. Who is the Artistic Director of the Huntington Theatre Company? FIND US ONLINE! Who is the Managing Director? How long have they each been in Did you know the Huntington Theatre Company’s website provides their respective positions? What are the primary responsibilities of students and teachers opportunities to more deeply explore the season’s each of these jobs? offerings and learn about upcoming events in the Education department? 3. Your friend broke her foot and needs to use a wheelchair. What accessibility services does the Huntington provide for patrons Utilizing the website at huntingtontheatre.org find the answers to the like her? following questions: 4. Did you know the Huntington Theatre Company is on Facebook? 1. In addition to the Huntington Theatre Company, what theatres have Like us at facebook.com/HuntingtonTheatre and produced playwright Dan McCabe’s work? facebook.com/EducationAtHuntington.

4 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE ARTISTS

piece was ‘The Gospel According to Miss Roj.’ I was 15 or 16 [years old], , and she was an empowered and defiant gay cross-dresser. There was no apology for her and that changed my life.” A Pittsburgh native, Porter studied at Carnegie Mellon University and graduated in 1991. He returned to the city of his birth, Pittsburgh, to star in the City Theatre’s production of Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, alongside actor Ray Anthony Thomas in 2004. Porter spent much of the early part of his career working in both New York and Los Angeles but was not immune to the challenges many young artists face. In 2003, Porter had reluctantly accepted the role of the man-eating plant Audrey II in a Broadway-bound revival of the musical Little Shop of Horrors, but unfortunately, the engagement was cancelled. Unemployed and frustrated, Porter reached out to Wolfe for guidance and soon accepted an offer from Wolfe to come work at in . Wolfe was the company’s artistic director and was working directly on the development of groundbreaking plays such as Topdog/Underdog. A mentor and fierce advocate of Porter’s work, Wolfe told him, “You’re far too hostile and smart to be an actor, for the rest of your life to be in a room where people are telling you what to do.” Wolfe gave Porter the opportunity to write and develop his craft while also working with other rising talents in the theatre industry, including Peter DuBois, who would later become the Huntington’s artistic director. One of Porter’s many achievements at The Public was a one-man act, At the Corner of Broadway + Soul, which he also performed at . But Porter’s career would take a circuitous route, even after being cast in three Broadway musicals early on (Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe, and Grease); his fate was not sealed. Porter, initially unsatisfied by Director Billy Porter his relative Broadway success, pursued a singing career, releasing the album “Untitled” in 1997, only to be confronted by the unique challenges BILLY PORTER: MULTI-HYPHENATE ARTIST of breaking into the pop music industry. Porter then decided it was time AND VISIONARY pursue yet another artistic endeavor and headed off to the University of California, Los Angeles to attend its screen writing program. Yet he did At the 2019 Met Gala (a fundraising event for the benefit of the not leave performing behind, and in 2013, Porter won the Tony Award Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City), there for Best Actor in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor was one red carpet entrance in particular that made national headlines: in a Musical, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in Billy Porter was carried in on a velvet bed, clad in a golden winged a Musical, all for his performance in the role of Lola in . He costume fit for a king . . . or goddess. Porter has never hesitated to use was also featured in the Broadway production of Shuffle Along, or, The his wardrobe to make political statements and regularly uses fashion to Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed in 2016, challenge gender norms and traditional views of masculinity. Only a few directed by Wolfe. weeks after the Met Gala appearance, Porter arrived at the in a uterus-inspired costume made from a curtain from the Broadway production of Kinky Boots, making a clear statement about his views about recent changes in laws governing reproductive rights around the country. Porter, following his great success on Broadway starring in Kinky Boots and his leading role in the television series “Pose,” was selected in June 2019 to receive a star on ’s Walk of Fame. During the Huntington’s 2014-2015 season, Porter directed George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum. He was attracted to the project in part because of the positive impact Wolfe’s art made on him both personally and professionally. Porter was preparing to audition for college theatre T. CHARLES ERICKSON programs when a teacher suggested he read Wolfe’s landmark play. This moment would be pivotal in Porter’s journey as an artist. Porter reflected, “It was intelligent and new, and at the same time, it was a comment on all of the things my friends and I would talk about in terms Rema Webb and Nathan Lee Graham in of being black in America and being black in general. The most striking The Colored Museum directed by Billy Porter

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 5 Porter has wrestled personally with issues of race, identity, religion and DAN McCABE: PLAYWRIGHT sexuality and has felt the pain of love coming to an end — all moments Dan McCabe graduated from the Playwriting and struggles informing his multi-disciplinary artistic work. But he has Fellowship at The Julliard School in New York City in 2017. He has also enjoyed opportunities for lighter moments, such as appearing as developed and produced work at The New Group, LAByrinth Theatre a guest judge on the television series “So You Think You Can Dance” Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Flea Theater, The Juilliard and a performer at the 2011 Miss America Pageant. He has appeared on School, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Laguardia College, Twilight Theater “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “Law & Order,” and is a Grammy Award Company and now the Huntington during the 2019-2020 season. winner. Porter is unapologetic about his unusual career path or the many McCabe also wrote eight episodes of the hit serial Me, My Girl, and My twists and turns of his personal journey: “If you’re true to who you are, Grandpa Shmulee for #serials at The Flea Theater and seven short plays you do resonate, you do matter,” he says. “Now, I’m in a very different for Rule of 7x7 at The Tank. place in my life. I had to mourn the loss of the life I thought I wanted in order to get the better life.” Playwright Dan McCabe’s work as an actor has been seen on stage, film, and television. Now, he makes his Huntington debut as a playwright. Porter will return to the Huntington Theatre Company to direct Dan Before rehearsals began, McCabe spoke with Director of New Work McCabe’s The Purists in fall 2019. Charles Haugland about his writing process and why this play has been a QUESTIONS: perfect collaboration. 1. Billy Porter is a multi-hyphenate artist, meaning he is not only a Charles Haugland: You appeared at the Huntington as an actor in Sons singer or or actor or director, but plays different creative of the Prophet. Were you always writing as well? How did you decide roles on various projects. Which other artists have pursued multi- to make playwriting a major part of your artistic work? faceted career paths? Do you think Porter crossing from recording Dan McCabe: I was always writing, and I wanted to be a writer since I artist to film actor to screenwriter is a necessity of adapting in the was young. When I was in high school, I wrote one act plays and then I entertainment field or a benefit of past success? went to undergrad for dramatic writing. But I also fell into acting young. So I felt like I was writing in this bubble, while I was getting work as an 2. What are the benefits and challenges of pursuing multiple actor. Then I started writing for Serials at the Flea Theatre in New York. professional interests? How might focusing on a single talent or Serials is this late night program where they would have five short plays discipline increase or limit one’s chances for success? each weekend, and the audience votes for their favorites, and the three 3. Is there an opportunity or specific project that stands out as Billy with the most votes come back the next week with a new play. Porter’s “big break?” Was it a role on Broadway? An acceptance It’s like episodic theatre. That was where I would write into a school or training program? Or something else? What does it something, and it would get put on right away. One of my short plays mean to have success in a career? took off, so I got a lot of confidence there and started really focusing on writing. Then I applied to Juilliard’s graduate playwriting program, and got in. So that was the real game shifter for me.

CH: Do you feel like your career as an actor influenced your playwriting? DM: In terms of dialogue, my acting career helped my work as a writer, because I knew what would come easily out of an actor’s mouth. They never overlapped — I never wrote for myself, and I always kept the two separate. But they’ve helped each other just in terms of knowing how an actor interprets something, what comes out naturally and what doesn’t.

CH: What was the spark of this play? When did you start writing it? DM: I started writing this around the summer of 2015. It started with two characters: Gerry and Lamont. I saw them as interesting people to be together on stage — very different, but also similar in their ideals and what they believed in. Then once I discovered the setting it all came together. I’ve always been a huge hip-hop person, but I also like theatre and musical theatre. So I thought it was interesting to have these people on stage that are super passionate about different things and hate the other thing.

CH: Why was that duality interesting to you? DM: In a lot of the plays that I write, a common theme is two very different people coming together — which has a lot to do with the way I was raised. I grew up in the city, but I went to this private high school in Jersey where my dad is a teacher. That was a very affluent school, whereas I grew up in these middle-class buildings in . And down the block from me were lower income projects. I felt I had a lot of different types of people around me growing up in terms of class and race and things like that. A lot of plays I write have that sort of Playwright Dan McCabe combination. I especially like writing characters who are different than

6 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE PAUL MAROTTA

Dan McCabe and in Sons of the Prophet (2011) me on the outside, and then as I write, I try to connect the people that might seem different from myself while finding the similarities between them.

CH: You’ve been developing this play with Billy Porter for some time. Why are you a good match as collaborators, and what has the process of developing the play been like with him? DM: Billy is amazing. I sent him the play, and I didn’t really know him until we met to talk about this play. The truth is when we first met, he said what he thought the play was about, and I was like “Oh yeah you’re right.” I didn’t realize it. For me, going into writing this play, the impetus was not to say something big, but to explore these characters honestly. But then listening to Billy’s understanding of the themes, I immediately recognized that he was right. Billy and I are opposites in a way. He knows exactly what he wants to say all the time, and in a way, he thinks ‘bigger’ than I do. I prefer to start from the characters because I feel like it’s more dramatically interesting, and I discover the play more unconsciously as I’m writing it. It’s been serendipitous that we came together. QUESTIONS: 1. Playwright Dan McCabe also works as an actor and appeared in the Huntington’s production of Sons of the Prophet in 2011. The Purists director Billy Porter also has extensive performance experience on both stage and screen. How might this commonality help them in their collaboration?

2. What does McCabe mean when he says early in his writing career he felt as though he was “writing in this bubble?” Why might that experience be challenging for a writer?

3. McCabe says that working with Porter helped him see what The Purists is actually about. How is it possible for McCabe to not really

know what his own play was about? How can collaborating with NILE HAWVER another artist help you to make your work stronger?

The cast of The Purists

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 7 THEMES FOR WRITING AND ASSESSMENT

and steer hip hop into something that it’s not” (Act I). He is particularly frustrated by his nephew’s inability to break into the music scene, which he believes is dominated by record labels intentionally shutting down talented black artists with positive messages, in favor of promoting white artists because of their novelty. Lamont argues, “My nephew talking about black pride, he talking about consciousness, he lyrical, he got word play . . . But . . . Epic Records … don’t know how to market him . . . but I’ll tell you this . . . If Nancy were walk up into an office at Epic Records . . . I’ll bet you one million dollars that if she were to spit one of her cute little raps, an executive would offer her a contract right then and there. My nephew? Oh they don’t wanna hear that . . . uplift black people. Nah. They don’t want that. They want this pretty little white girl who . . . they can market to white America” (Act II). Lamont argues that record labels demand that the content of hip hop be focused on violence, misogyny, and drugs because it produces a financial gain. He recalls that an artist named “Young Buck had a song on his album that talks about police terrorism . . . well, when the label heard that record they said ‘absolutely not.’ You cannot put that record on the album because it might create an atmosphere that could put police officers’ lives in danger” (Act II). He goes on to note that the label chose to remove that particular song, “but kept the other 14 songs on that album that talked about killing black youth. That they were fine with” (Act II). Lamont is frustrated by this hypocrisy. The violence content that record producers push forward “is not what this hip hop . . . is about,” Lamont explains. Hip hop “started as an alternative to gang violence” (Act II). From Lamont’s perspective, commercial packaging has too much say over the messages that are spotlighted in the music. As a result, Rapper performs at the authentic artists’ work is then exploited by people from outside of hip MTV Video Music Awards in 2000 hop culture who appropriate hip hop’s forms for their own uses. CULTURAL APPROPRIATION AND COMMERCIALISM But what qualifies as authentic is also up for debate. The play opens with an argument between Bugz and Lamont about who should be crowned A central conflict in The Purists is the concept of cultural appropriation, the “King of Hip Hop,” which Bugz contends should be the white rapper when members of a majority group take customs, traditions, or artifacts Eminem. Bugz cites Eminem’s sales of “100 million albums, world-wide,” from a minority group for their own personal benefit, often without his work ethic, and tremendous “dedication to the craft” (Act I). But acknowledgment of the sources or sharing commercial profits. Cultural Lamont rejects the notion of a white rapper holding that title because appropriation claims might be recognized in the court of public opinion, for him, “rap is a black genre” (Act I). This debate between Bugz and but legal challenges face complicated questions: Who owns a culture? Lamont represents an ongoing discussion about the ways in which art How does a court craft a remedy for these claims? In June 2019, fashion forms originated in black communities have become part of popular designer Carolina Herrera was criticized by the Mexican government for culture for decades. Long before the debate centered on hip hop, poet appropriating elements from traditional garments for her 2020 Resort Langston Hughes was mourning the loss of his favorite music, the blues. line, such as the traditional embroidery taken directly from indigenous In his poem, “Note on Commercial Theater,” Hughes wrote: communities of two different Mexican states. In response to the criticism, Carolina Herrera’s representative issued a formal statement stating that You’ve taken my blues and gone — you sing ’em on Broadway the fashion house recognizes “the wonderful and diverse craft and textile And you sing ’em in , work of Mexican artisans” and its collection is inspired “by the culture’s And you mixed ’em up with symphonies rich colors and artisanal techniques.” But what is the difference between And you fixed ’em being “inspired” by another culture and appropriating that culture’s So they don’t sound like me. traditions and techniques? Does the type of acknowledgment provided Yep, you done taken my blues and gone. by Herrera sufficiently address the concerns associated with cultural This poem was written in 1948, but Lamont believes still finds its appropriation? sentiments relevant 70 years later. Historians believe that the “call and In The Purists, Lamont is the key figure arguing for the preservation of response” and traditional African slave songs served as the “roots” of the his hip hop culture and against anything even resembling appropriation. blues genre. , Funk, and Reggae (originating in Jamaica during the He views the music of white rapper Eminem, Nancy’s hip hop theatre 1970s) followed the blues tradition. Rap and hip hop culture undeniably piece about Amelia Earhart, and even Bugz’s sexuality as threats to the finds their origins in the musical forms of the past, but Lamont does not culture and community. Lamont says, “A man could walk around in a tutu want to believe that the culture has any further room to evolve; to do so if he wants I’m just sayin, don’t bring that . . . into my culture, don’t try would diminish the value of the culture and erase it from existence.

8 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE QUESTIONS: one, and that marketing and record labels are to blame for skewing the public’s perception. “You know that issues like . . . misogyny . . . hyper 1. Would Lamont agree that hip hop culture is an integral part masculinity . . . violence, all that quote unquote ‘negative shit’ . . . you of Black culture? Would he also agree that the blues and jazz know that makes up a very small very marketed fraction of hip hop preceded hip hop and perhaps inspired it into existence? content . . . The record, labels, the corporations, they have an agenda 2. List some examples of recent commercially successful theatrical that they are trying to push” (Act II). works that included elements of or culture. If you list Lamont is angry after meeting with Nancy because her love and interest the musical , would Lamont consider Lin-Manuel Miranda in hip hop has led her to write a show about Amelia Earhart, which to be part of the culture? Why or why not? strikes him as ludicrous. Lamont laments, “Like [Nancy] knows anything about the struggle that hip hop came from . . . Amelia Earhart and hip 3. Is Eminem the “King of Hip Hop?” Does Bugz accept and support hop? Gimme a god damn break” (Act II). Lamont’s concern with the Eminem because of his own Detroit upbringing or is he simply “essence” and lack of “foundation” of those currently thriving in hip hop impressed by Eminem’s talent? Does Lamont respect Eminem’s culture informs how he interprets anyone who expresses and affinity for artistic skills or does Lamont only see the rapper as someone who the art, and he finds people who push the boundaries of the traditional appropriated and profited from black culture? Provide evidence form threatening. For Lamont, hip hop is an extension of the black from the text to support your response. aesthetic and the development into something higher, just like how 4. Gerry weighs in to the debate about appropriation in Act II, Egypt was an extension of Ethiopia, Hip Hop is an extension of Blues remarking that he does not care for rap music in general, but that and the Negro spiritual. And that’s how it is for me. I don’t see hip hop he “especially hate[s] it . . . when white people are doing it . . . Do and some multi-cultural diverse melting pot. I see hip hop as a black white people really have to try and rap? Really? Really? Reallllllly? genre” (Act II). Yet Lamont accepts the creative pursuits of Val, who is I mean, black people have so little in this country, can’t we just let of Puerto Rican heritage, because although she is not black she grew them have that?” Based on this statement, do Gerry and Lamont up “in the projects” and can therefore more authentically relate to hip agree on the topic of cultural appropriation of hip hop culture? hop’s common themes. Meanwhile, Lamont does not believe that Nancy, Why or why not? a white woman, could have anything valid to say about hip hop because she has inadequate understanding of of his culture. 5. Is Nancy’s idea for a hip hop theatre piece about Amelia Earhart an The other characters seem more open to change. While deeply invested example of cultural appropriation? Why or why not? in her rap career, Val agrees with Nancy’s sentiments about hip hop’s 6. Do people of Mexican heritage have a right to be angry with issues around gender. Bugz also sides with Nancy when she and Val Venezuelan fashion designer Carolina Herrera? When, if ever, is it face off in a rap battle. Bugz is engaged in his own conflict with hip hop, okay to borrow from other sources? which marginalizes and discounts him because of his sexuality. Bugz, Val, and Nancy can see the opportunities inherent in allowing the art PURIST OR RELIC? Gerry, a director of theatre ticket sales living in New York City, has almost zero affinity for the current Broadway season and is nostalgic about the shows of the past. “You want to know what’s cool? 1959. That was cool,” he asserts in Act I. “When you had and The Sound of Music opening in the same season. I mean, can you imagine?” (Act I). Meanwhile Nancy, a member of Gerry’s staff, is passionate about both musical theatre and hip hop and believes she can combine the two into her own theatrical take on the story of trailblazing female pilot, Amelia Earhart. After attending the production in support of Nancy, Gerry admits that it took genuine “guts and insight” to put her work out there, and that it was clear that “everyone liked it. Standing ovation. They really, really liked it” (Act II). But when Lamont presses him for his own opinion about Nancy’s play, Gerry indicates his disgust with the whole thing. He cannot accept the Broadway of the modern era. Lamont is equally as frustrated by the evolution of hip hop culture. “Just look at the fashion so-called rappers are rockin these days,” he observes in Act I. “Skinny jeans. Diamonds. Skirts . . . [they] are actually rockin skirts . . . and that’s a Scottish thing, that’s not a hip hop thing.” Val argues that there is no need to take issue with what people choose to wear but Lamont feels contemporary fashion is a direct assault on authentic hip hop culture. He is further insulted by Nancy’s view that hip hop culture should be open evolution, a notion with which Val also supports. “I just think it’d be really awesome to have a hip hop show with like a positive strong female lead, she explains. “To just like — counteract the majority of the misogyny that’s embedded in hip hop” (Act II). Lamont has difficulty listening to this assessment because he Sandra Church and in the believes hip hop is fundamentally a positive movement, not a negative original Broadway production of Gypsy in 1959

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 9 Rapper Tupac Rapper Notorious B.I.G. forms they love, hip hop and musical theatre, to evolve to embrace new Lamont has a very specific image in mind of what it means to be a man, forms and perspectives. But both Gerry and Lamont seem unwilling to especially one who is also a hip hop artist. Bugz, however, is more open- accept that the art they love and the culture they live in are not static. minded and tries to subtly provide counterpoints to Lamont’s narrow views. Bugz does not care if rappers wear skirts or skinny jeans and QUESTIONS: thinks Nancy’s idea for a new rap musical is “tight.” Bugz can embrace interpretations of masculinity that defy expectations because he knows, 1. What does it mean to be a “purist?” Who are the “purists” in this through his own experience, that the masculine stereotype on which play? How do the younger characters in the play perceive both the Lamont bases his view of men in hip hop culture simply is not a reality. hip hop and Broadway cultures? By becoming a more inclusive Bugz believes Lamont’s thinking is “backward,” yet feels compelled to place, does do movements necessarily transform into something define himself within other people’s parameters. Bugz must consider else altogether? how he personally defines masculinity and how he, despite rejecting the 2. Is Gerry right that the best musicals are (and will likely always be) label of homosexual or bisexual, fits into hip hop culture, asking himself: in the past? Why or why not? “What if my whole life has been a lie though?” (Act II).

3. Is Lamont right that hip hop culture is changing for the worse? QUESTIONS: Why or why not? 1. What should Bugz do: Come clean on-air or quit the job? Why?

4. Is Nancy that there is room for change within hip hop culture? 2. Does Bugz truly not know if he is gay or bisexual? Does he simply Why or why not? take a more flexible view of sexuality in general? Or has he been afraid to be honest with himself about his identity? DEFINING MASCULINITY IN HIP HOP 3. Lamont has a very inflexible opinion about the need for what he Bugz is caught between two competing interests: His career in hip hop sees as strong men in hip hop culture. How would Lamont have and his sexual identity. The radio station where Bugz works requires come to this way of thinking? Is there a world in which he could him to make a difficult choice: Quit his job as a DJ or agree to an change his perspective? embarrassing on-air talk about his recent arrest with a transvestite prostitute. Bugz struggles to reconcile his secrets with the world’s 4. How do you define masculinity? Do people of different ages have expectations of him as an influential black man in hip hop, including different ways of defining this term? the views of his friend, Lamont, who insists that for Bugz to admit he is anything other than a heterosexual is an attack on the “black alpha male” and an affront to hip hop culture. Bugz, nearing his breaking point, pushes back on Lamont: Yo, man, would you give a fuck about this if you were still relevant? Rappers that are actually making a living, you really think they care about my sexuality? Huh? If you weren’t living in your younger sister’s basement on 50th avenue right now I have a feeling your outlook might be a lot different. Cause I can think of plenty of Black Alpha Males that are killing the game right now but you ain’t one of them. (Act II)

10 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE MASTERY ASSESSMENT ACT I 1. When and where is the play set? What does the audience see as the lights come up? What does the audience hear? 2. Who does Bugz refer to as the “King of Hip Hop?” Does Lamont agree? Why or why not? 3. List at least three artists whom Lamont believes are “better” than Eminem. 4. When Lamont invites Gerry to Lamont’s nephew’s concert, what does Gerry suggest they do instead? 5. Why does Gerry have tremendous respect for Queen Elizabeth? 6. What is wrong with Bugz’s mother? 7. Why do Bugz and Lamont say Gerry is lucky after he mentions his to them? 8. Why do Lamont and Bugz call Gerry a bigot? 9. How does Gerry defend himself against the claim that he is racist? 10. Who arrives to the stoop on a two-wheel Segway? 11. What does Val notice about the outfit Bugz is wearing? 12. What is the nature of Val and Gerry’s relationship? 13. What has Bugz learned about Gerry’s background? 14. What is Venmo and why is Val anxious for Gerry to get it? 15. What happened to Gerry in May 1977? 16. What honor is Bugz about to receive? 17. Why does Gerry think it is a bad idea for Val to use Venmo as part of her business? 18. What were the circumstances that led to Gerry calling a young person a “thug?” 19. One of Gerry’s employees brought in over $150,000 in one week. Why is he upset by this news? 20. What fashion trend is Lamont upset about? Why? 21. Do Lamont and Bugz consider Gerry a friend? Does Gerry consider them friends? 22. Lamont shares his nephew’s album with Val. What does she think of it? According to Bugz, why hasn’t he listened to it yet? 23. Does Lamont think Bugz is good with his finances? According to Lamont, is Bugz a generous person? 24. How does Nancy, Gerry’s employee, feel about Lamont? 25. What reward did Gerry promise Nancy and how did she earn it? 26. What is a custee? 27. Bugz asks Val to rap for him. What is her verse about? 28. Val and Bugz were once in a romantic relationship. Why does Val question their level of intimacy? 29. Why does Bugz go up to Gerry’s apartment? 30. What is Bugz’s opinion about the musical he saw with Gerry? 31. Who abused Gerry when he was 12 years old? Why does Bugz take issue with this story? 32. Does Gerry consider himself gay? 33. Why does Gerry believe ancient Rome had a freer society than the contemporary United States? 34. Why did the radio station ask Bugz to take a leave of absence? 35. What dream did Gerry have about Bugz? 36. Bugz and Gerry have an intimate moment at the end of Act I. What interrupts it? Why does Bugz feel terrible and why does he race out of Gerry’s apartment?

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 11 ACT II 1. What game does Nancy try to get Gerry to play with her? 2. What are Bugz and Lamont arguing about as they wait for Gerry? 3. Who do Nancy and Gerry finally agree is the lesser of the four great musical theatre artists they have been discussing? 4. What item does Gerry try to return to Bugz? 5. How is it that Nancy has spoken to Bugz before? 6. How does Nancy feel about Bugz professionally? 7. Why is Nancy curious about Lamont’s personal finances? 8. Which song was Nancy’s favorite from Lamont’s album “Out Tha Gate?” 9. Describe the show Nancy has written. 10. Why does Nancy take issue with rap as an entire genre? 11. What is Lamont’s counterpoint to Nancy’s concern about hip hop culture? 12. According to Lamont, why did Young Buck’s music about police terrorism get shut down? 13. Who does Bugz think should face off in a rap battle? 14. How does Gerry decide who wins the rap battle? 15. Why is Bugz angry at Lamont? 16. Does Val agree with the outcome of the rap battle? 17. What is Nancy’s last name? How does she want Val to find her so they can battle again? 18. Why does Lamont think the executive from Epic Records canceled on him? 19. What is the rumor Val heard about Bugz? 20. What made Val a legend at the station? 21. Lamont confronts Bugz about the rumors circulating about him. According to Bugz, what is the truth? 22. What does Lamont think Bugz should do about his radio interview? 23. According to Bugz, who is trying to silence him now? 24. Why does Bugz dump a bucket of Kool Aid on Lamont? 25. What recommendation does Lamont make to Gerry about his neck injury? 26. According to Gerry, how and why did he lose his fortune? 27. Who made a surprise appearance at Nancy’s show? 28. From Gerry’s viewpoint, how and why did Bob Ross reinvent himself? 29. What does Gerry think about Nancy’s show? NILE HAWVER

Morocco Omari (Lamont) and J. Bernard Calloway (Mr. Bugz)

12 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE FURTHER EXPLORATION could be “chilling,” severely limiting opportunities for young artists to build upon and be inspired by the work of other artists. QUESTIONS: 1. A.) Listen to Jay-Z’s song “Hard-Knock Life” and the song of the same name from from which Jay-Z drew inspiration. Similarly, listen to Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” Compare and contrast these song pairings in terms of melodies, instrumentation, themes, and structure. In what ways do the songs by Jay-Z and Robin Thicke reference the earlier songs? B.) Research the legal case in which Marvin Gaye’s estate was awarded damages for use of his work in “Blurred Lines.” What were the arguments put forth by attorneys on both sides of the dispute? Why did the jury rule in favor of Marvin Gaye’s estate? What steps did Jay-Z take to ensure he was legally able to sample from “Hard-Knock Life?”

2. Does treating sonic similarities as legal violations, even when the two works are separated by decades, limit the space for artistic expression to thrive and for new musical styles to emerge? Is it possible to determine whether one artist has stolen from another? Is it possible for an artist to “own” musical notes, chords, or chord Rapper Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life” was released in 1998 progressions? Are there better ways to balance the rights of artists past and future? What is an appropriate penalty one artist has STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS: “ripped off” another?

ART MAKES MORE ART? 3. What are the difference between sampling and covering another In 1998, rapper Jay-Z watched his third album, Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life, song? List some popular songs by contemporary artists that are climb the charts, making it his most commercially successful album actually covers of a different artist’s earlier work. Which version do to date. The album marked a major musical evolution for Jay-Z, as you think is better: The original or the cover? it framed the rapper as a voice for his generation and drew sonic inspiration from classical and, most notably, the American 4. Why might it be viewed as progress (rather than copying or musical theatre. The album’s title and its second single sample the stealing) to reinvent or riff on famous or popular works of art? musical Annie (1977) in which the title character sings about life growing Consider other artists who have benefitted from works of the past up in an orphanage. In his song of the same name, Jay-Z raps about his (for example, inspired by , journey from growing up in the inner city to finding career success. He inspired by Romeo & Juliet, etc.). Is this action progress later explained that he “knew how people in the ghetto would relate to or pilfering? words [from the Broadway song] like, ‘Instead of treated we get tricked’ and ‘Instead of kisses we get kicked’ . . . It’s like when we watch movies A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATRE we’re always rooting for the villain or the underdog because that’s who In The Purists, Gerry is passionate about musical theatre — and in his we feel we are. It’s us against society. And, to me, the way the kids in view, nothing recently produced on Broadway can match what he the chorus are singing ‘It’s a hard-knock life’ is more like they’re rejoicing considers to be the greatness of the past Golden Age of musical theatre. about it. Like they’re too strong to let it bring them down.” Armed with his deep knowledge of theatre history, Gerry imagines that In recent years, multiple lawsuits have been filed by notable parties in he could write an epic new musical that would hearken back to those the music industry, accusing other artists of copying their work. In 2014, landmark productions of decades ago in its form and the theatre’s lawyers for rock musician Tom Petty’s lawyers asserted that pop singer ancient origins in its content. ’s 2014 song “Stay with Me” included melodies bearing an In fact, musical theatre may have started as early as the 5th Century undeniable resemblance to Petty’s 1989 hit “I Won’t Back Down.” Smith BCE in Greece. Greek theatre typically involved three actors and a did in fact back down: the case was settled out of court and a 12.5% chorus which would respond to the action of the play. All members writing credit was given to Petty and his songwriting team. Yet Smith of the production would sing and sometimes even dance to move the maintained that the similarities were entirely coincidental as he was action of the story forward. During the 18th century, French playwright not at all familiar with Petty’s song before penning his own. In 2015, a Moliere added song and dance to his work at the behest of King Louis jury awarded $7.5 million to the estate of R&B icon Marvin Gaye after it XV, a move which would inspire various forms of opera, including ballad, determined that pop singer Robin Thicke and producer and comic, and the . Pharrell Williams stole from Gaye’s song “Got to Give It Up” to create Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” which became one of the most popular songs of 2013. Opponents of the verdict argued that the effect of this verdict

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 13 The early American musical, sometimes referred to as or musical QUESTIONS: reviews, were not plot-driven (such as George and ’s Lady Be Good, for example, written in 1924) but rather relied on the power of 1. What is a “Golden Age?” What musicals does Gerry believe one song after another to entertain audiences. However, represent the Gold Age of American musical theatre? How are those and Oscar Hammerstein elevated musical theatre with their masterpiece, works different from contemporary musical theatre productions? . Written in 1927 and utilizing features of and elements of the blues, Kern and Hammerstein tackled the important 2. Musical theatre’s key elements include the book (or ), the topic of racism, setting the stage for the more socially conscious score, and the lyrics. Research and define these terms. Do different and story-driven work seen in the 1940s and beyond. Rodgers and writers tend to contribute each element or are there artists who Hammerstein dominated the musical theatre scene throughout the 1940s work on more than one? and 50s, producing classics such as , , The Sound of 3. In the late 19th century, the team of dramatist W.S. Gilbert and Music, and Oklahoma!. Arthur Sullivan wrote a number of operettas which The 1960s saw the rise of the musical theatre giant inspired today’s musical theatre form. Which of this duo’s shows whose prolific works include , Company, and Sweeney provide references and structure for today’s theatre? Todd. Rock music had a powerful influence over Broadway during the 1970s which saw both Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar take on iconic 4. List at least two musicals that were made into films. Who did it status. Later, the 1980s were known for “mega-musicals” with over- better: Broadway or Hollywood? the-top designs, huge casts, and cutting-edge special effects such as Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon, which resulted in steeper ticket prices and a narrowed audience reach. In 1996, Jonathon Larson’s refocused the field on character-driven storytelling. In the last three decades, Broadway’s breakout successes have included a string of family-friendly productions that bring classic Disney films to life, but also works with sharp social critiques such as , , and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ground-breaking Hamilton. T. CHARLES ERICKSON

The Huntington’s production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Merrily We Roll Along

14 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE Jennifer Purdon for Psychology Today found that “black students reported experiencing significantly more racial microaggressions than white students [and] also scored significantly higher than white students on trauma symptoms of discrimination and stress due to general ethnic discrimination.” QUESTIONS: 1. Read “The New Intolerance of Student Activism at Yale” from The Atlantic (theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/the-new- intolerance-of-student-activism-at-yale/414810/ ). Why does the debate over Halloween costumes matter? Is wearing a sombrero or attending a party dressed as the Disney character Moana a microaggression against marginalized groups? Why or why not?

2. Read Buzzfeed’s article “21 Racial Microaggressions You Hear On A Daily Basis” (buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/racial-microagressions- Chester M. Pierce you-hear-on-a-daily-basis?utm_term=.xeNkkwjRk#.nyxYY423Y). How many of these examples have you heard? Think of 2 or more CALLING OUT RACISM: examples of microaggressions not addressed in the article. IDENTIFYING MICROAGGRESSIONS 3. Jim Burklo, an Associate Dean at the University of Southern A microaggression is “a comment or action that subtly and often California argues that microaggressions should be combated with unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward “the cultivation of microaffection: Priming ourselves for moments a member of a marginalized group.” The term is popularly attributed to when, spontaneously, we go out of our way to make others feel like African American psychiatrist and Harvard University professor Chester they are dignified, respectable, truly beloved members of society.” M. Pierce, who first used the term in a collection of essays in 1970, What would be an example of a microaffection? How might Gerry has gained popularity in recent years as a way of challenging racial be perceived differently by Bugz and Lamont if he made an active stereotypes and casual degradation. In The Purists, Gerry does not see display of microaffection? himself as racist and does not intend to make racist statements, but he 4. Gerry sees Bugz and Lamont as his friends, but the feeling regularly says things that Bugz and Lamont find offensive and they are doesn’t seem to be mutual. Why might this be? How do Gerry’s quick to point out when Gerry has crossed the line. Early in the play, microaggressions factor into his relationship with Bugz and Lamont? Gerry describes a situation from the previous day during which he was on a train and had a negative encounter with two young people, and refers to them as “thugs” and “animals.” Bugz and Lamont explain that Gerry’s language contains racist “code words” and while Gerry points out that he never identified the young people as black, Bugz and Lamont make this assumption based on Gerry’s use of language commonly used to make derogatory comments about people of color. Bugz and Lamont are not alone in their willingness to call out on microaggressions when they see them, as social values become more focused on inclusivity and mutual respect. But critics argue that society has grown overly sensitive, causing a shift they labeled “victimhood culture.” In a September 2015 article in The Atlantic, “The Rise of Victimhood Culture,” writer Conor Friedersdorf asserts that people who operate in a victimhood mentality believe that the microaggression or “small slight that they’d seized upon was actually evidence of a larger, significant injustice to a whole class of people.” In other words, those who scorn the term “microaggression” believe that individuals assume that their personal offense is experienced by an entire demographic population. But dismissiveness and defensiveness are considered a trademark response from those who commit microaggressions, and in The Purists, Gerry defends his actions by saying, “everyone is so god damn sensitive nowadays. What, because I called one black kid a thug, that means I think they all are? Because I referred to one kid . . . who was dancing in the middle of the . . . . subway, who almost kicked a little old lady in the head, who had absolutely no regard for anyone else . . . Because I happened to — in a fit of rage — describe this one particular

child in a way that didn’t sit well with Bugz that means there’s something NILE HAWVER wrong with me? That I’m a bigot?” Studies have shown that microaggressions can cause psychological Morocco Omari (Lamont), John Scurti (Gerry), harm. For example, a study completed by Monica Williams, Ph.D. and and J. Bernard Calloway (Mr. Bugz)

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 15 SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES • Eminem • Snoop Dogg • Vanilla Ice • Jerome Kern • Jay-Z • Richard Rogers • The Notorious B.I.G. • RUN-DMC • Stephen Sondheim • Public Enemy • • NWA • John Williams • • Nas • Talib Kweli •

NILE HAWVER QUESTIONS: 1. Did you balance music from hip hop culture with that of musical theatre or did you lean more heavily in one direction? Please The cast of The Purists describe the philosophy behind your artistic choices.

CAST THIS SHOW! 2. Is music, even when the show isn’t a musical or about making Casting the right actor for each role is a vitally important step in any music, is an important part of your experience in the theatre? theatre production’s process. The script of The Purists presents some Why or why not? specific baseline requirements for the ethnicity, gender, and age of the actors who will play each part, but from there, the casting process incorporates more subjective criteria such as personal qualities, range, and actor chemistry.

Imagine you are casting a production of The Purists using actors you have seen on stage, in film, and on television. Which role is the most difficult to fill and why? Which character is the easiest to find someone to play? Fill in the cast list and then answer the questions below.

CAST LIST ACTOR NAME GERRY BRLINSLER (male, 60s, white) …...... LAMONT BORN CIPHER (male, late 40s, black) ...... MR. BUGZ (male, late 40s, black) …...... VAL KANO (female, 20s, Puerto Rican) …...... NANCY REINSTEIN (female, 20s, white) …......

1. Share your cast list with the class and explain why you chose each actor. What makes them a good fit to play the role? Did anyone Rapper Nas else choose the same actors you did?

2. Did you follow the playwright Dan McCabe’s notes in your casting process?

3. In real life, if these actors were offered the role do you think they would accept it?

CREATING THE : BROADWAY OR HIP HOP The Purists is a play about music and its significance in people’s personal stories. For the Huntington’s production, the Sound Designer will work with the Director to choose music to play in between scenes and underscore moments of dialogue with the aim of establishing setting, enhancing mood, and advancing the plot. Using only artists/musicians mentioned in the play, create a sound plan for a production of The Purists and then share your work with your class. Please select music from the following artists: Andrew Lloyd Webber

16 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE WOULD YOU RATHER…? A GAME OF CRITICAL REVIEW DIFFICULT QUESTIONS Imagine you are a theatre critic for the local paper or blog and In The Purists, playwright Dan McCabe creates a theatrical moment have been assigned to write a review of The Purists. Introduce the in which two separate debates occur simultaneously to highlight the play (when/where/who are the artists) and discuss the details of idea that choosing the “best” or “most important” in any given area is the production (acting, direction, lights, sound, costumes, etc) and a daunting task. Lamont and Bugz argue over how to rank the top 5 whether or not you feel they effectively conveyed the story. Be sure to greatest rappers of all time and Nancy pushes Gerry to painfully choose recommend to your readers as to whether this is a production worth which could be the lesser of the great musical theatre composers. As seeing! Don’t forget to send the Huntington a copy! Nancy says: “It’s supposed to be a difficult choice, that’s what’s fun about it.” Consider:

Create a table below inspired by the debates between characters in The 1. Do you like to read reviews of films and books before you see Purists. You do not need to stick to the topics presented in this play but or read them? Do you value the opinion of others when making identify other tough categories to narrow. Examples below! decisions about what media to consume?

Topic/Issue Topic/Issue Topic/Issue Which would 2. Who do you think is best equipped to write a critical review of a Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 you give up piece of theatre? What experience and knowledge should critics or consider have about the art form they are writing about? least important in today’s culture? Taylor Swift Jonas Brothers Game of Thrones Stranger Things The Walking Dead SUGGESTED READING Celtics Patriots Red Sox • Everything You Need to Know about Cultural Appropriation. Texting Netflix Snap Chat Crayton, Lisa A. Rosen Young Adult, 2018. • Still Alice. Genova, Lisa. Gallery Books, 2009.

Continue the table to allow for as many topics as possible. • Musical Theatre: A History. Kenrick, John. Methuen Drama; 2 edition, 2017. POETRY/RAP BATTLE • Not Straight, Not White; Black Gay Men from the March on Washington to the AIDS Crisis. Mumford, Kevin. Val and Nancy are both talented artists and while Val has more of The University of North Carolina Press, 2019. foothold in the hip hop community, Nancy is confidently forging her • The Life of Langston Hughes: volume 1: 1902-1941: own path. Determining a winner in their rap battle in The Purists is a I, Too, Sing America. Rampersad, Arnold. difficult choice! Oxford University Press, 1986. Complete this activity with a partner: • Happy Little Accidents: The Wit & Wisdom of Bob Ross. 1. Start with improvisation. Choose a topic on which to create rhymes Ross, Bob. Running Press Adult, 2017. and challenge each person to try making up lines without advance • The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song preparation. From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated and Deconstructed. Serrano, Shea. Abrams Image, 2015. 2. Get writing! If is not an art form you are familiar or comfortable with, try writing some poetry. Choose a topic and then Partner A should write an opening line about it. Partner B should read it and then write a response. Repeat for several lines until the piece feels complete.

3. Perform the “battle” in front of your classmates. Then take a vote. Who do your peers choose as the winner?

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 17 QUOTABLE MOMENTS Choose one of the following quotes from The Purists. Write an essay analyzing the quote’s meaning. Consider the following:

1. Who said the line?

2. Does the character mean it literally or is there unspoken subtext?

3. What does this statement reveal about the character’s view of the world?

4. How do the character’s actions support or contradict the quote?

5. How does the quote contribute to the forward progression of the scene and of the plot as a whole?

• “I say whatever I want to whoever I want, okay? No one • “But this just the world we live in. A world where Eminem is a intimidates me.” genius. Lemme tell you, Eminem is nice, okay? He got talent. I can name 50 – yes 50! - other rappers that are just as good if not better. • “Poor black people, you have a genuine dislike in your heart for poor But as soon as Eminem dropped his first album he on the cover of black people. Just admit it, yo, there are a lot racist[s] … who feel Rolling Stone Magazine...” like you feel, you ain’t alone.” • “[They] don’t care about talent, they care about getting money … • “If anything I don’t respect rich black people. I don’t respect rich and getting money does not equal talent. So believe me there’s people period. When I was millionaire I did everything I could to lose gonna be a lotta people that are richer than you, that are more all my money.” successful...”

• “God, I couldn’t wait for my mother to die. I could not wait. Then of • “What you do in your personal life is your own god damn business course I felt all the guilt for feeling that way.” and don’t need to be broadcast on the radio...”

• “I’m just saying, if you write that shit, it’s prolly gonna be a big hit • “I can’t keep this secret anymore, man. I feel like I been in a cage, cause it sounds genius, and you gonna be a famous Broadway man, and I...don’t know...I gotta live my truth, dawg..” writer or whatever, and you know, with fame comes...what’s the word I’m looking – scrutiny. Trust me, you. With fame comes • “I’m trying to preserve what’s pure. Your whole life, everything scrutiny.” you’ve represent, everything you stand for everything I stand for …”

• “That’s what used to happen in the old days, artists would influence • “What if my whole life has been a lie though?” each other while still maintaining what the art form was meant to be. Instead of, you know...just bringing in some electric guitars and • “Man...just do what you gotta do. Go on the air. Say what you gotta playing loudly.” say … And be grateful your mom won’t be able to understand it.”

• “You already are god, my brother. You are the original man; the • “We believe 85 percent of the population are deaf, dumb and blind. Asiatic Black man; the Maker, the Owner, the Cream of the planet That they lack Knowledge of Self. 10 percent of the population have Earth – Father of Civilization, God of the Universe. That’s you. Can’t this knowledge but hide it from the rest. That leaves 5 percent. nobody change that.” The poor righteous teachers who try and liberate the mind of the 85 percent.” • “I love rap so so so so so so so so much. But it’s just hard to justify some of it? You know?” • “So, you don’t hate white people, you don’t think that the white man is the devil?” • “I don’t see hip hop as some multi cultural diverse melting pot. I see hip hop as a black genre. But that’s just me.” • “The white man of mind, the white mind, the one that goes against nature, the one that murders and rapes and steals, the unrighteous • “I think fear is a good thing.” mind, is the devil. And that can be within all different skin colors of people.” • “Half the rappers these days...they don’t actually live what they talking about.”

18 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE NOTES

THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE 19 264 HUNTINGTONBOSTON, MA AVENUE 02115-4606 2019-2020 STUDENT MATINEES THE PURISTS — SEPT. 27 ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD — OCT. 3 QUIXOTE NUEVO — NOV. 22 SWEAT — FEB. 14 OUR DAUGHTERS, LIKE PILLARS — APR. 16 THE BLUEST EYE — MAY 7

20 THE PURISTS CURRICULUM GUIDE