The Author’s Production Notes
This play is loosely based off an Inuit legend about two bear cubs and a hungry monster. The legend has been reinterpreted to fit the themes of a much larger story in Canadian history. This play brings to light the root cause of many problems Aboriginal people deeply struggle with to this day. It is set in two times. It flips back and forth from “Before” and “After” a particular incident that is never acted out on the stage. The character of Ruth Fine Feather acts as both an active participant in the drama and a narrator to recount her memory of the events. Ideally, the stage will have two levels. The majority of the stage is one level, but with the exception of a three foot platform stage right (audience’s left). This platform will serve as the children’s treehouse. Skirting the platform are disjointed old planks of wood. It is evident that they have been thrown together and have all previously had very different purposes. Facing the audience is a set of stairs ascending to the platform. On the center of the platform, a shack-like structure has been constructed. Similarly to the boards on the perimeter of the platform, the shack is made up of dirty plywood, planks from shipping crates, and even an old shutter. The side of the structure facing the crowd has no wall which enables the audience to see into the shack. They are meant to believe that there is a wall there for purposes that will become evident later on in the drama. On either side of the structure along the edge of the platform is a railing. This is meant to express the idea that this treehouse is, in fact, high above the ground. Treehouses usually have railings for safety. For the most part, the rest of the stage is quite bare. At stage left, there are a few pieces of furniture including a table with three chairs set around it, a small cott, and a floor lamp. The furniture gives off the impression they have come from no specific era. Down and center stage is left bare so it can be open to interpretation for various settings of scenes. The backdrop of the stage is a midnight blue curtain so dark that it is almost black. Sewn into the upper half of the curtain are faint lights. For the majority of the drama they will be left off, but it will be specified when they must be on. When the lights are on, they are meant to appear as stars in the night’s sky. To the side of the stage is a screen with a projector. It is there that the words “Before” and “After” will be displayed. Characters Ruth Fine Feather Arthur McGregor Mother Grandfather Indian Agent Scene I The stage is left dark with the exception of soft lighting down center stage. The screen reads “After” to one side of the stage. RUTH enters and walks to center stage in the light. RUTH: My name is Ruth Elizabeth Fine Feather. Ruth after that woman in the Bible, and Elizabeth after the Queen over there in England. I have never understood why I was named after either. I never believed a word the nuns told us about the Bible in school and I know for certain I will never be a queen. What I do know is that I come from a group of people who have lived on this piece of land for thousands of years before any nun, priest, or Indian agent ever step foot on its soil. It was long before they started telling us stories that we knew could never be true. But this story I will tell you now is no lie. I know ‘cause it is my story. I am not here to tell it to receive your pity. I don’t want it. I don’t want any of it. I tell it to you simply because some things just need to be told truthfully. Scene II The home of Arthur and his mother is placed on a small, run-down Ojibwe reservation in northern Ontario. It is nearing the end of August. The heavy, thick air fills the home with very little summer breeze to ventilate the humble house. The bright afternoon sun is high in the sky. The sound of wildlife can be heard faintly as if a forest is a mere steps outside their door. RUTH and ARTHUR are lounging around together in the treehouse peering over a book. MOTHER can be found stage left sweeping the floor. On the screen reads “Before”. MOTHER’s cleaning is disrupted by a knock on the door. MOTHER: Come in. The door is unlocked. GRANDFATHER: Good afternoon (tipping his hat to MOTHER before taking it off and hanging it on the back of one of the chairs) where are the little ones? MOTHER: They’re in that old treehouse. They should be coming down any minute. I told them you were coming, but I’ll call ‘em down ‘cause they probably forgot. Arthur and Ruth waste so much of their time in that treehouse. I swear sometimes they forget to come down for supper! (Calling up to the treehouse) Arthur! Ruth! Come on down now! Gokomis is here! (ARTHUR and RUTH’s ears perk up. They set down their book hurriedly and run down the steps to stage left. They happily embrace GRANDFATHER and begin to quickly talk to him at the same time. They chatter on about nothing of significance. GRANDFATHER looks very pleased to see them and humors their stories.) GRANDFATHER: (Teasingly) Although I love to hear about that home run you hit last Friday on the baseball diamond (looking at Arthur) or the new puppy your friend, Sarah, got for her birthday (looks to Ruth), I can’t seem to get a word in between you two. Don’t you want to hear any of my stories? (ARTHUR and RUTH nod their head.) Good. Then we can settle down. (GRANDFATHER picks up a chair and sets it down center stage as ARTHUR and RUTH sit cross-legged on the ground with their backs facing the audience. Space is left between GRANDFATHER’s chair and the children for movement. GRANDFATHER sits on the chair.) ARTHUR: O Grandfather, go on and tell us a story now. You know how we love your stories. GRANDFATHER: You are an impatient little one, aren’t you (chuckling)? Have you two heard the story about the two bear cubs? (RUTH and ARTHUR shake their heads.) Never? Well, I’m surprised. I thought you had heard all of my stories by now. Where do I begin? (brief pause) This story I am about to tell you is about a mother bear and her two cubs. I am sure you have heard many things about mother bears. They are meant to be honoured and feared. Mother bears are strong and powerful. They have teeth as sharp as an arrowhead and claws longer than your fingers. You may be asking yourself what makes them any different than any other bear. Well, let me tell you. It is their cubs. Mother bears will do anything to protect their young. They will fight to their very last breath for the slight chance of protection for their cubs. But remember, a mother bear is only a danger to you if you are danger to her bear cub. (GRANDFATHER speaks animatedly as he tells the story. RUTH and ARTHUR listen intently to GRANDFATHER and react appropriately to different parts in the story.) The story begins with the mother and her cubs fast asleep in their den. The mother wakes up. She has been asleep for many months and she is very hungry. She lumbers out of the den and finds a bush of plump, ripe blueberries. Once she has eaten all she can, the mother bear goes back to sleep next to her two cubs. Shortly after she has fallen back asleep, her cubs wake up from their deep sleep and are very hungry, too. They wander out of the den following their mother’s tracks in the snow. They are happily eating all of the blueberries when they hear their mother crying out. They can tell by her screams she is being attacked. She is killed by a dreadful beast, a monster! (ARTHUR and RUTH look at each other shocked.) He too was very hungry, but no amount of blueberries could satisfy his hunger. To this day, we do not know the monster’s name. He eats the mother bear very quickly, but he is still hungry. He sees the tracks the cubs have left behind and follows them. He knows that bear cubs are much tastier than a mother bear. The cubs can hear the monster coming so they flee to Grandmother Porcupine. “Little ones, hurry! Go to old Grandmother Eagle. You will be safe there,” says Grandmother Porcupine. (GRANDFATHER uses various voices when different characters in his story are speaking.) Once the cubs leave, the dreadful monster comes out from the bushes. He asks Grandmother Porcupine, “where have the two little bear cubs gone?” “I have not seen any bear cubs today. Are you sure they came this way?” She replies. “You cannot fool me old woman! I know they have passed here. Their tracks lead right to you!” The monster shouts. With that, he kills Grandmother Porcupine and eats her very quickly. (ARTHUR and RUTH look horrified.) He is still not satisfied so he follows the tracks of the bear cubs. At this point, the cubs have reach Grandmother Eagle. She tells them, “Do not worry. I will fly you over the lake to the island in its center. You will be safe there while I take care of the monster” The cubs breath a sigh of relief as they reach the island in the center of the lake. Grandmother Eagle flies back to the mainland. The monster is waiting there for her. He asks, “Dear Grandmother Eagle, fly me to the island in the center of the lake so that I may catch and eat my dinner.” “Of course,” replies Grandmother Eagle. She picks up the monster with her huge talons and they soar high above the lake. The cubs watch as Grandmother Eagle lets go of the monster. He is very sly though. He did not trust her from the start. He had been expecting her to let go so as he begins to fall, he yanks her down with him. They plunge into the water. Grandmother Eagle’s feathers are to wet and heavy for her to fly away from the monster. They both drown in the lake. (ARTHUR and RUTH look disappointed.) ARTHUR: Well, that was not a very happy story, Gokomis? GRANDFATHER: The bear cubs survived. RUTH: But at the cost of Grandmother Eagle’s life. GRANDFATHER: We must all make sacrifices to protect those we love. (Lights fade out.) Scene III The set is empty with dim lighting giving an ominous feel to the stage, but there is enough to be able to clearly make out the furniture and treehouse. On the screen reads “After”. RUTH walks out on stage to the center. RUTH: On warm summer evenings when the air grew hot and sticky, a peaceful blanket fell on the land of our reservation. Dusk was a magically time. People would begin to settle into their homes. In the evening air you could hear the faint music playing in the house next door, or the wind rustling the old birch trees, or the odd bark from a neighbour’s mutt. These evenings brought tranquility to our otherwise less than peaceful reservation. This eventually came to an end like all decent things do. With our summer nights, came chaos and destruction. In our beds we did not hear the soft laughter of the smaller children playing by the pond or the gently lapping of the waves along the shore. Our nights were filled with the thunder of the sickening cries as children were uprooted from this land and the rain of the tears wept for those who were already lost. Those nights were always long. They filled our heads with dread and fear. Our fear was not misplaced. This wasn’t like being afraid of zombies or the monster hidden under your bed. It was only a matter of time before the monsters came after us. Scene IV “Before” is written on the screen. The lights sewn into the back curtain are on. RUTH, ARTHUR, and MOTHER are sitting at the table eating dinner. They are talking quietly amongst each other when they hear banging at the door. MOTHER: (To the children) Who could that be at this time of night? (Calling out towards stage left) Who’s there? OFFICER: (A stern voice from offstage left) Open the door, ma'am. (All three realize who is at the door. MOTHER is startled and RUTH and ARTHUR have frightened looks on their faces.) MOTHER: (Towards stage left) Just a minute, sir. I am in no state to be visited by a gentleman. (In a hushed voice to the children) Quickly, get up and do as you have done before. Run up to the treehouse, don’t make a sound, and wait up there until I come to get you two. (Kisses the top of ARTHUR’s head and waits until the children are running up the steps before she makes her way to stage left.) Come in (calmly). INDIAN AGENT: Good evening, ma’am. Are you Mrs. McGregor? (MOTHER nods her head.) I assumed as much. Where is your son, Arthur, tonight? You see we have been going around to all the reservations in the area. I am sure you have heard about the brand new school in Sault Ste. Marie. We have a very special spot for Arthur at Shingwauk. (Lighting on stage right begins to fade out until the point where the audience can no longer see the treehouse or RUTH and ARTHUR inside it.) MOTHER: (Calmly) I do not know where Arthur is at this time. I have not seen him all day. He’s been out with his cousins fishing and such. He’ll probably be staying over at his cousins’ house. He admires them so. You must know how young boys are. It cannot be too long ago that you were once one. Do you have any children, sir? INDIAN AGENT: No. (He looks suspiciously at the table set for three, but chooses to ignore it.) MOTHER: Well… uh, you have plenty of time for that. No need to rush into anything you aren’t ready for is what I- INDIAN AGENT: Ma’am, where is your husband? (He continues to look around the home.) MOTHER: (Looking dumbstruck) Ugh… (recovering her composure) he passed away some time ago. Now it is just me and Arthur. INDIAN AGENT: He must mean an awful lot to you. (Lighting on stage progressively fades as they talk.) MOTHER: (INDIAN AGENT guides MOTHER towards the bed) Yes, he is all I have. (MOTHER sits on the cot while he goes around and stands behind her and the cot.) INDIAN AGENT: And you would do anything for him? MOTHER: (With a blank stare free of emotion out to the audience) Of course. (INDIAN AGENT pulls down on strap of her dress exposing her shoulder. At this point the only light onstage is coming from the single floor lamp. INDIAN AGENT turns it off and the stage goes black with the exception of the lights in the curtain.) Scene V The screen to the side of the stage reads “After”. The stage is empty and dark. There is dim lighting center stage that brightens as RUTH appears from stage right. RUTH: Arthur and I spent all night out there in that old treehouse. We slept huddled together in the corner and whispered in each other's ear. We were frightened of what horrors the morning might bring. To our surprise, we woke to Arthur’s mother gentle nudges to get up. She said very little to us that morning. She instructed us to climb into her car and we drove 20km to the nearest supermarket where she let us each pick out a chocolate bar. We swore we would never tell a soul what had happened the previous night. That had not been the first nor would it be the last time an Indian agent came knocking on the McGregor’s door. Each time we would silently run up to our treehouse and Arthur’s mother would be forced to come up with a new excuse to satisfy the Indian agent’s hunger. (RUTH exits the stage and the lights fade out. When the lights come back up, MOTHER is making up the cot. ARTHUR enters stage left with a fishing pole hanging over his shoulder. The lights in the curtain are no longer on.) ARTHUR: Have you seen Ruth around, mother? I have been looking for her all over. I wanted us to go fishing today. John caught a big trout off of Old Myer’s dock. MOTHER: (Looking down) No, I haven’t seen her today, Arthur. ARTHUR: I haven’t a clue where that girl could be! I checked her house, the baseball diamond, the pond, and even, Grandfather’s. MOTHER: (Solemnly) I need to tell you something that is going to be hard to hear. (She sits down on the cot.) Come sit down. (She pats the space beside her. ARTHUR sits down next to her and she wraps her arm around him. He leans into her embrace.) ARTHUR: What’s the matter? MOTHER: Well, ugh… you see- ARTHUR: (Angrily) What’s the matter? Where is Ruth? (He begins to pull away.) MOTHER: (Tenderly) Sweetheart… (She attempts to bring him in closer, but he pulls away to stand up.) ARTHUR: Tell me now! Where is she? MOTHER: O sweetheart, she’s gone. I heard from Gloria this morning. The Indian agent was at the Fine Feathers’ house last night. ARTHUR: What do you mean she’s gone? She can’t be! You’re lying! They aren’t supposed to take either of us! She can’t be gone! I should have been there! I should have been with her! (ARTHUR paces around angrily talking more to himself than his mother. He volume increases each sentence he speaks. MOTHER watches helplessly to the side. ARTHUR collapses to his knees center stage sobbing.) I should have been there… I should have been there… Now she is all alone… I am alone… (RUTH enters from stage right and watches from the side. MOTHER kneels down and wraps her arms around ARTHUR. Lighting fades with the exception of dim light around RUTH.) RUTH: It is very strange. The Indian agent never visited Arthur or his mother again. (RUTH exits and stage blacks out.) Scene VI “Before” is written on the screen. The lights sewn in the back curtain are on. RUTH and ARTHUR are present onstage sitting on the platform with their legs dangling over the edge. RUTH: There are so many beautiful stars out tonight. ARTHUR: Yeah, do you remember the story Gokomis told us about that constellation over there (points it out to RUTH and she shakes her head). I guess we'll just have to get him tell it to us again. (They laugh together. RUTH puts her head on ARTHUR’s shoulder. He looks mildly surprised, but does not appear to mind.) RUTH: You have to promise me something, Arthur. ARTHUR: What is it? RUTH: (She turns to look him in the eye.) You have to promise you’ll never leave me. ARTHUR: Of course I will never leave you. Don’t say such stupid stuff. RUTH: I promise to never leave you either just so you know. ARTHUR: Thank God! Now I can finally sleep soundly. It will be a constant reassurance. (Smiling, RUTH shoves him to the side. The lights fade to black.)
Sources for both How to's Hughes, Troy M. "What's the Secret to Writing a Great Play?" Writers Write. N.p., Aug. 1997. Web. 08 June 2015. "How to Write a Play - How to Write a Script." Creative Writing Now. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 June 2015. Tennessee Williams, one of the most beloved playwrights of the 20th century, is known throughout North America for his intriguing, humorous, and deeply moving dramas which simultaneously glorify and criticize the American South. Williams plays with themes like women’s dependence on men, the facade of southern charm and the harshness of reality in his writing. He does not shy away from or gloss over difficult subject matter. Growing up in Mississippi has greatly influenced his work. Many of his plays either take place or include characters from the American South. A Streetcar Named Desire, one of the two dramas that will be focused on, is set in New Orleans during the 1940s. The play is centered around two sisters, Blanche and Stella DuBois, from Mississippi and begins when Blanche arrives in New Orleans to stay with her younger sister after losing their family’s mansion. Stella who is expecting a child lives in a small and cramped apartment with her abusive husband Stanley. From the start, Stanley and Blanche do not get along and they are in constant conflict with one another. A Streetcar Named Desire ends when Stella is sent to an insane asylum by her sister after being raped by Stanley. The Glass Menagerie, identified as a “memory play” by the drama’s own writer, follows the memories of Tom Wingfield as he recounts them to the audience. Tom is both narrator and protagonist in this drama which depicts Tom living in St. Louis with his mother, Amanda, and sister, Laura. Amanda is desperate for Laura to find a husband and Tom is desperate to leave his mundane job and pursue a life of adventure. The play closes once all family members learn that their highly anticipated gentleman caller is engaged to be married to another. In each play, Williams weaves a highly complex and beautiful story with realistically flawed characters that force the audience to sympathize with them.
Like many dramas, Tennessee Williams’ plays follow a simple and clear structure. The Glass Menagerie includes production notes from the author at the beginning. It describes in detail how the stage must be set and includes specifics on lighting, music, and prop placement. For both plays, Williams is very specific on the aesthetic of the stage. He leaves little room for the director's own interpretation. From there, Williams presents a list of characters. Unlike in The Glass Menagerie, there are no descriptions of the characters in A Streetcar Named Desire. At the beginning of most scenes, Williams describes the setting and mood in italics. This helps the actors and directors visualize and create what he had envisioned. The scripts are largely made up of dialogue between characters, but intermingled within the dialogue are very clear and precise stage directions. The italicized directions pop up as they would occur on stage. For those reading the drama and those trying to interpret the written work into a stage performance this is very beneficial. They are easily able to visualize the actions the actors would be making onstage. The downside of clear and precise instruction is that the actors are not able to express as much of their own interpretation of a character. Williams writes with both an informal and formal voice depending on the aspect of a play he is writing. How he illustrates the setting of the stage and instructs the actors through stage directions is concise and formal, but at the same time, very descriptive. In no way does it sound conversational. As for the dialogue though, it is very informal. This is necessary for the play and dialogue to sound genuine and realistic. A key factor in a great play is the realism. The audience should forget that they are simply watching actors performing on a stage what they were instructed to perform. A great play will make the audience feel they are witnessing a real experience unfold right before their eyes. To help create realism, Williams matches the diction to the characters and setting. He uses the slang of the era such as “he’s got ants now” and other examples throughout his plays. Williams is a chameleon when it comes to writing the dialogue between the characters. He creates a unique voice for each character which is especially evident in The Glass Menagerie. Tom has a sarcastic tone when addressing his mother. With Laura though, Williams shows her timid tone and low self confidence through his word choice. Amanda Wingfield and Blanche DuBois are classic characters in Williams’ writing. They are the dull and faded Southern belles. Both characters were raised in prominent, wealthy Southern families, but at one point in their lives, lost their influence or wealth. They still act according to the way they were brought up even though their surroundings may be much different than what they are accustomed to. The stark contrast between Amanda and Blanche’s speech, actions, or appearance and the setting of the play display the irony in Williams’ dramas. Through these characters and other events, Williams sets an ironic tone for The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire. Tennessee Williams’ writing is filled with literary and rhetorical devices whether they be metaphors, allusions, or double entendres. In fact, only a couple pages into the first scene, he alludes to a famous American poet. The audience would be familiar with this reference which would only enhance their understanding of the content of the play. He goes on in later scenes to refer to prominent Biblical characters and classical Greek mythology. Williams uses literary and other devices to create realistic dialogue between characters. For example, in The Glass Menagerie, the two sisters joke together about Stella’s husband’s sexual appetite without overtly talking about sex. This is an example of a double entendre. Williams also creates interruptions within the text which can be found in both dramas. One character will be speaking and then another will interrupt them. This is notified in the text with a hyphen at the end of the first speaker’s line. One can find many examples of metaphors and similes as well within the characters’ dialogue. When telling Mitch about her past in A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche speaks in metaphors and vague similes which gives the impression of mysteriousness as well as showing off Williams’ beautiful and artistic writing ability. Overall, these dramatic scripts are well-written for their target audience and purpose. For his American audience at the time of his plays’ debuts, Williams includes references to American literature, Bible stories and characters, and other things the audience would be familiar with. It is clear through the subject matter and events in his play that Williams intended for his plays to reach a more mature audience. One would not be taking their 8 year old to A Streetcar Named Desire. Williams does a good job at captivating his audience with his beautifully artistic, but realistic plays through his use of metaphors, similes, other literary devices. He shows incredibly flawed characters that the audience not only identify with, but feel emotionally attached to as well. To his largely American audience, Williams presents the South not through rose-tinted glass, but in a very honest light. He shows his audience the undeserving glory the American South receives through his characters and settings. The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire are a beautiful combination of humor, heartache, and harsh reality. |