Study Guide: Students & Educators
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Study Guide: Students & Educators Heather Baird Director of Education Tyler Easter Education Associate Fran Tarr Education Coordinator Written by Kenneth Lonergan Directed by Neil Pepe 1 Section 1: The Play Synopsis, Characters, Setting, Themes Section 2: Cast & Creative Director & Cast Bios Section 3: Your Students As Audience Theater Vocabulary, Webbing & Discussion, Connecting Themes To Pop Culture Section 4: Your Students As Actors Reading A Scene for Understanding, Practical Aesthetics, Scene Analysis, Mini-Lesson Vocabulary Section 5: Your Students As Artists Post-Theater Creative Response Activity, Post-Theater Creative Writing Activity, Post-Theater: Challenging The Plot, Common Core & DOE Theater Blueprint Section 6: The Atlantic Legacy Atlantic Theater Company, Atlantic Acting School 2 Section 1: The Play PLAY PLAY Synopsis, Characters Setting, Themes 3 SYNOPSIS SETTING On learning of his mother’s death, world famous country and Present day – a luxury hotel western star Strings McCrane begins questioning the meaning in Kansas City, various rural of his life and what it all adds up to. Determined to abandon his Tennessee locations. celebrity and his career, he moves back to his hometown in Ten- nessee. It doesn’t go well. Here, as Strings’ grasps for an anchor to steady him -- relationships, old and new, rush into Strings’ vul- nerable world bringing each step he takes into a blur rather than a clarifying moment. This outstanding new play from acclaimed playwright Kenneth Lonergan examines the costs of fame, fortune and narcissism in pursuit of the American Dream. THEMES Loss Narcissism Trust Manipulation Fame/Celebrity Strings McCrane: 35-45. A world-famous country & western singer and Anonymity movie star. Charismatic, attractive, essentially good-hearted; a huge star from a little town in Tennessee, lost in a spiral of self-doubt, self-recrimination, and an Search For Identity inexhaustible but exhausting capacity for self-examination. He lives in a rarefied world of wealth and worshipers which he loves and feels ashamed of at the same time. Struggling with a genuine onslaught of grief and guilt in the wake of his mother’s death, he is torn between the tremendous pull of his immense celebri- ty, and the lure of a simple, possibly nonexistent, anonymous life. Jimmy: About 30. Strings’ personal assistant. Idolizes Strings and has been his assistant for 12 years. Kind, eager, and completely devoted to Strings with near total abnegation. The casual observer might miss his buried but active intelli- gence, and an eye that misses almost nothing. Nancy: 35-45. An attractive and ambitious working-class small-town South- ern mother of two. Her life has run into a dead end, in a dead marriage. She is desperate for a way out and when it presents itself she bends heaven and earth to make the most of it. Duke: Strings’ half-brother, a few years older. He is a heavy-equipment opera- tor, living in rural poverty. A level-headed man of strong character both resentful and clear-eyed about Strings’ success and his own working/family man exis- tence. Essie: Late 20s-Early 30s. Strings’ second cousin twice removed. A young widow and kindergarten teacher. Had a close relationship with Strings’ mother. She’s lonely with a good heart and good head on her shoulders. Sensitive and vulnerable and even-keeled. Mitch: 60’s. Strings’ runaway father. A modestly successful small business owner based in Monterey, Ca. He is originally from the same little Tennessee town. Small, quiet, and unassuming, he abandoned his young son years ago -- or more accurately, he allowed himself to be pushed out of his son’s life, and has followed his famous son from a distance for years. He has never reached out because he never felt he had the right, and also because of his natural timidity. Despite this, when approached, he responds with generosity, self-effacement, and a tremendous natural kindness. 4 Section 2: Cast & Creative CAST Director And CAST Cast Bios 5 KENNETH LONERGAN NEIL PEPE ADELAIDE CLEMENS JONATHAN HOGAN Playwright Director (Essie) (Mitch) Plays include This is Our Youth Neil Pepe is an acclaimed director Adelaide Clemens makes her Jonathan Hogan has appeared on (1996), Drama Desk Best Play nomi- who has been the Artistic Director Off-Broadway debut with Hold On To Broadway in Comedians, Otherwise nee, 2015 Tony Award® Best Revival of Atlantic Theater Company since Me Darling. She co-stars in the hit Engaged, Fifth of July, The Caine nominee (Steppenwolf); The Waverly 1992. As a director, his Broadway Sundance Channel series “Rectify,” Mutiny Court Martial, As Is (Tony® Gallery (2000), Pulitzer Prize finalist; credits include Doug Wright, Trey An- now in its fourth season, and has and Drama Desk Award nominations Lobby Hero (2001), Drama Desk Best astasio and Amanda Green’s musical received critical acclaim for her Best Actor), Burn This, Taking Steps Play nominee, Outer Critics Circle Hands on a Hardbody, the acclaimed performance as ‘Tawney.’ She began and The Homecoming. A few of the Best Play nominee, 2002 Olivier revival of David Mamet’s Speed-the- working as an actress in Australian plays he appeared in as a member, Award nominee for Best Play during Plow as well as Mamet’s A Life in television and came to prominence for 25 years, of the celebrated, its West End run; The Starry Messen- the Theatre. At the Atlantic, Neil has as ‘Harper’ in the critically acclaimed award-winning Circle Rep include The ger (2009), and Medieval Play (2012). most recently directed John Guare’s series “Love My Way.” She starred Hot l Baltimore, The Mound Builders His first film, You Can Count On Me 3 Kinds of Exile, Moira Buffini’s Dying as ‘Valentine’ in the Tom Stoppard and Balm in Gilead (in collaboration (2000), which he wrote and direct- for It, Jez Butterworth’s Parlour HBO/BBC miniseries “Parade’s End” with Steppenwolf, Drama Desk Award ed, was an Academy Award® and Song, Mojo and The Night Heron. opposite Benedict Cumberbatch and for Best Ensemble). Off-Broadway Golden Globe® Nominee for Best Other Off-Broadway and Regional Rebecca Hall, directed by Susanna includes Book of Days, Molly Swee- Screenplay, and won the Sundance credits include: Ethan Coen’s Happy White. On film she was featured in ney, London Wall and Pocatello (2015 Grand Jury Prize, Waldo Salt Screen- Hour, Offices and Almost an Evening; Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of Drama Desk nomination Outstanding writing Award, NY Film Critics Circle, Harold Pinter’s Celebration and The Great Gatsby, playing ‘Kath- Featured Actor). Regional: The Berk- LA Film Critics Circle, Independent The Room; Adam Rapp’s Dreams erine’ opposite Joel Edgerton, Isla shire Theatre Festival, The McCarter Spirit Award for Best Film and of Flying Dreams of Falling; David Fisher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Best Screenplay, among numerous Mamet’s American Buffalo (Donmar Mulligan and just wrapped filming the La Jolla Playhouse, The Repertory awards and nominations. His second Warehouse, Atlantic); Romance, female lead in Martha Coolidge’s Mu- Theatre of St. Louis and Hartford film, Margaret (2011) and Margaret Keep Your Pantheon/School (Center sic, War, and Love in Warsaw, Poland. Stage. Film includes: In Country, The – Extended Edition (2012), won the Theatre Group, Atlantic); Zinnie Har- She can soon be seen in the British House on Carroll Street, A Fish in the European Film Critics’ FIPRESCI ris’ Further than the Furthest Thing filmThe Night of The Lotus directed Bathtub and Revolution #9. Television: Award at the Vienna Film Festival, (Manhattan Theatre Club); Jessica by Henry Mason. “As The World Turns,” “One Life to and the Traverse City Film Festival Goldberg’s Refuge (Playwrights Live,” several Movies of the Week, Founders Prize, and received wide- Horizons); Frank Gilroy’s The Subject “L.A. Law,” “Quantum Leap,” all the spread critical acclaim both in the Was Roses with Martin Sheen (CTG) “Law & Orders” and three episodes on U.S. and abroad, as well as becoming and Eric Bogosian’s Red Angel (Wil- season three of “House of Cards.” Mr. a cause celebre among cinema jour- liamstown Theatre Festival). Neil has Hogan is a graduate of The Goodman nalists and critics worldwide. He also been a master teacher at the Atlantic Theatre and School of Drama. co-wrote the screenplays for Analyze Acting School at New York University This and Gangs of New York (2002 Tisch School of the Arts and an asso- WGA and Academy Award nomina- ciate adjunct professor of directing at tion for Best Original Screenplay). He Columbia University Graduate Film lives in New York City with his wife Division. He has been a guest at The and frequent collaborator, actress J. O’Neill Playwrights Conference as Smith-Cameron, and their daughter, well as the American Theatre Wing. Nellie. 6 JENN LYON KEITH NOBBS TIMOTHY OLYPHANT C.J. WILSON (Nancy) (Jimmy) (Strings McCrane) (Duke) Broadway: Fish in the Dark, The Broadway: Lombardi, Bronx Bomb- Timothy Olyphant returns to the New Atlantic Theater Company: Dying for Coast of Utopia: Voyage, Shipwreck, ers, Lion in Winter. Off-Broadway: York stage for the first time in 20 It, Our New Girl, Offices, The Voysey Salvage. Off-Broadway: The Wayside The Legend of Georgia McBride, years following starring Off-Broadway Inheritance. Broadway: Bronx Bomb- Motor Inn, (Drama Desk Award) I’m Looking for Helen Twelvetrees, in The Santaland Diaries and The ers, The Big Knife, Festen, Henry IV, Twelfth Night. Select regional roles The Tutors, Great God Pan, Lemon Monogamist, for which he received The Best Man. Off-Broadway: Bronx include Hildy in His Girl Friday (La Sky, Dog Sees God, Romance, The a prestigious Theatre World Award Bombers, Happy Now? (Lucille Lortel Jolla Playhouse), Billie Dawn in Born Hasty Heart, Triple Happiness, Bye for Outstanding Debut Performance.