AN ANALYSIS AND PRODUCTION BOOK FOR A STAGING OP JERRY BOCK'S AND SHELDON HARNICK'S THE APPLE TREE APPROVED: Ma J of Pr^fe^rsor ~t fit/, a J2- Mnoiorr Professor t/* Chairman of the Department or Speech and Drama DeanIof the Graduate school J /L- / r Foard, Robert B, , An Ar.alysis and product!.on Book for a Staging of Jerry Bock' s and Sheldon Earnick' s The Apple Tree. Master of Science (Drama) , May, 1971, ,280 pp., bibliography, 34 titles. The problem with which this study is concerned is that of critically analyzing and producing the musical comedy The Apple Tree. The study attempts to adapt some of the major unifying elements of this production and, in addition, unite the show through the use of color. The study also attempts to update the production through an extension of symbolism based on the style of Peter Max; to produce a major musical comedy in a stylized and sym- bolic style, and to show how a stylized and symbolic method of production can be used to achieve simplicity and unity within tha confines of a limited budget. The thesis is primarily divided into three basic parts; preplanning, production, and evaluation. Chapters I and II report the preplanning stage and were done before the pro- duction was presented. Chapters III and IV are a report of the production phase of tha thesis. Chapters V and VI are analytical in nature and were formulated after the production was staged. The thesis is organized into six chapters. The first chapter is introductory in nature; it presents the problem, the choice of play* the choice of style, and the importance of the study. The second chapter contains an analysis of the play as wall as information concerning tha background and artistic style of Peter Max. The analysis examines the play both externally and internally. From this analysis a general concept of production in reference to the style of presentation was established. The third chapter includes a detailed investigation of the production problems, including setting, costumes, make-up* music, sound, publicity, cast- ing, and rehearsals. The fourth chapter contains the script and an analysis of how the play was made to function as a contemporary, modern production. Chapter V relates the results of the production at North Texas State University. Included in this summary are the artistic and financial re- sults of the performance. Critical observations in the form of press notices, and faculty questionnaires are incorporated. Chapter VI is a complete summary of the entire thesis by the director. It examines the final results of the pro- duction in relation to the rest of the thesis. The study was culminated with a three-day performance run of The Acple Tree, on December 3, 4, and 5» 1970. The modernistic approach to costumes, lighting and settings, seemed to be well accepted and fulfilled the requirements which the script demanded. Elements used to unify the production included the set designs for ail three acts, the color used in "the set designs, and the costume designs. The ideas and artistic style of Peter Max aided in giving the production the modernistic quality which was preferred. Unlike the original production on Broadway, the decision was made to use separate casts for each of the three acts. Educationally, then, the production gave many theatre stu- dents an opportunity to play principal roles in a musical comedy which would otherwise be unavailable to them. This study also gave the student an opportunity to witness the combination of many different fine art areas into one artistic endeavor. This study concludes that the production was successful and fulfilled all of the original criteria set down for it. The play, presented with a limited budget, was successful not only as art but also as entertainment. AN ANM.YSIS &EI) PRODUCTION BOOK FOR A STAGING OF JERRY BOCK'S AND SHELDON IIARNICX'S THE APPLE 'TREE THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE \ By Robert Baker Foard, B. S. Denton, Texas May, 1971 PREFACE On December 3, 4, and 5, 1970, a production of The Apple Tree„ by jerry Bock and Sheldon ilarnick, was presented in the University Theatre at North Texas State University. The researcher became interested in doing The Apple Tree as a production thesis during the summer of 1970. It was hoped that a script could be found that would give a challenge to the director while at the same time provide a valuable educa- tional experience for the students participating in the pro- duction. The Apple Tree seemed to offer both these criteria. It was also hoped that the script would display a great vari- ety and would allow the director to use as many people as he wished. The Apple Tree seemed to offer this opportunity. Besides the above criteria, the researcher wanted the production thesis to be a musical comedy. Educationally, the director wanted a show that would give as many students as possible a chance to work in this area of theatre. The pro- duction, to be a truly valid thesis, had to give the re- searcher a challenge as a director. It was hoped that this production thesis would not be strictly a guide for the reader, or a "how to" book. In other words, the director wanted to iii learn from this project. The director concludes that the knowledge which he gained from this thesis was varied and will prove helpful throughout his career. There are some people, however, who would very quickly tell you that the director did not 3earn anything. To be very honest, the director learned the roost from each of those particular people. The following information, then, is intended to corre- late the preparation, the rehearsals and performance, and the results of a production of Jerry Bock's and Sheldon Harnick's musical comedy The Apple Tree. The first two chapters include the preparation done on the show before the first day of casting. Chapters III and IV discuss the pro- duction itself, while Chapters V and VI relate the results and the director's opinion of the finished project. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE . ........ .......... iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . vli Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1 The Problem Importance of Study Choice of Play- Choice of Style Organization of the Thesis II. PETER HAX AN AN ANALYSIS OF THE PLAY 10 The "Work of Peter Max External Analysis Internal Analysis Jerry Bock and Sheldon Haraiek III. PRODUCTION PROBLEMS . 32 The Setting Costuming Make-up- Music Sound Publicity Casting Rehearsals XV, THE SCRIPT AND PRODUCTION NOTES ....... ?6 Blocking Key Script, Blocking, Sound Cues, Lighting Cues, and Photographs V. PRODUCTION RESULTS . 190 Faculty Questionnaire Critical Review Financial Results VI. DIRECTOR'S EVALUATION , . 20 6 APPENDIX . 220 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............. 278 vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATION:kJ Plate Page I. Eve: I must talk to youI Sdara; About what? 84 II. Adam: My name is Adam. EveAdam.. .Adam.. .that sound is pleasanter in my ear than any I have heard so far. , , . , 97 III, Snake; "Come with me To'"" that treeNow J" . 114 IV. Bye; "Go To Sleep Whatever You Are" . 121 V. Eve: They are boys J Xdarn: They5re nearly as big as I am ncWT Abel is a good boy. .......... » 124 VI. Adam; And now I have to water her "Flowers. She loved them, you know. ...... 129 VII, "The Processional" ......... 133 VIII. The Arena; The Tiger Attacks the Prisoner"™ 136 IX, The Throne Room; Barbara and.Sanjar sing ""in~llaul 3.43 X. Barbara; Which door? .Baiiadeer; "Be it on your own head, What*3 forbidden to know, you shall know. Be it so" , 148 XI. The Arena; Baiiadeer; "The lady or the tiger, Which dTd~she choose?"' , 155 XII, Narrator; Ella viae a chimney s'./eep. 159 ^111* Passignalla; Look at met I am gorgeous .... 164 XIV. Narrator'. But be warned, ray child 1 ...... 167 vli XV. All: "Who , "Who, Who, Who * Who Ts~~She ?" . 167 XVI. Passionalla: "Look at me I I'm a Movie Star I" 170 XVII. All: "We*11 be right there waiting, PalTsionella. Everywhere you go." . 175 XVIII. Narrator: In shorts he was the idol of "fiiillTons: Flip, the Prince, Charming I . 178 XIX. Flip: Dear- lady, I am not getting through. Let "me draw you a. picture. Musical number: "Real............ l8l XX. The Movie Set: Narrator: Half a state had gathered to see"the new Passionell a arrive at the studio. 186 XXI. Flip: And the winner, for her performance in "The Chimney Sweep".. .... .Passionella.' . 186 XXII. Ella: What's your name? Flip: George L. Brown • 189 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION "As an art form the musical stage is entitled to serious c on s id era t ion. The musical stage is pure theatre. In essence, theatre is poetry and the musical stage has the spontaneity of poetry. The origin of musical comedy is usually traced to the work of George Edwardes at the Gaiety Theatre in London. In the 1890's, his productions, in which farcical plots provided excuses for songs, dances,, and chorus ensemble numbers* proved so popular that a number of imitations .soon appeared. Most of these early musical comedies were set in mythical places where Barons and Counts abounded. The stories* having little to do with everyday life, emphasized the romantic and exotic appeals of faraway places and unusual happenings. From these early beginnings, we find that the musical comedy has become an extremely important force in the Ameri- can Theatre of today, In a single twelve-month season, close to seventy percent of all the money paid for tickets was paid to see musical shows of various kinds.