Download august: osage county

AUGUST:
OSAGE COUNTY
A tool for using the theater
across the curriculum to meet
National Standards for Education
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•
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Production Overview
Lesson Guides
Student Activities
At-Home Projects
Reproducibles
Copyright 2008, Camp Broadway, LLC
All rights reserved
This publication is based on August: Osage County a new play by Tracy Letts and
directed by Anna D. Shapiro. The content of the August: Osage Count edition of
StageNOTES™: A Field Guide for Teachers is fully protected under the copyright
laws of the United States of America and all other countries with which the
United States has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights regarding publishing,
reprint permissions, public readings, and mechanical or electronic reproduction,
including but not limited to, CD-ROM, information storage and retrieval systems
and photocopying, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly
prohibited.
Printed in the United States of America
First Digital Edition: June 2008
For more information on StageNOTES™ and other theatre arts related programs,
contact:
Camp Broadway, LLC
336 West 37th Street, Suite 460
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Telephone: (212) 575-2929
Facsimile: (212) 575-3125
Email: [email protected]
www.campbroadway.com
Using the Field Guide and Lessons.....................................................................4
A Note from the Author................................................................................5
Breakdown of Characters......................................................................................6
Overture to HISTORY............................................................................................7
History Discussion Lesson.....................................................................16
History Writing Lesson..........................................................................17
History Experiential Lesson...................................................................18
History To Go Lesson.............................................................................19
Overture to LANGUAGE ARTS...........................................................................20
Language Arts Discussion Lesson.........................................................22
Language Arts Writing Lesson..............................................................23
Language Arts Experiential Lesson.......................................................24
Language Arts To Go Lesson................................................................25
Overture to LIFE SKILLS......................................................................................26
Life Skills Discussion Lesson..................................................................29
Life Skills Writing Lesson.......................................................................30
Life Skills Experiential Lesson................................................................31
Life Skills To Go Lesson.........................................................................32
Overture to BEHAVIORAL STUDIES................................................................33
Behavioral Studies Discussion Lesson....................................................35
Behavioral Studies Writing Lesson.........................................................36
Behavioral Studies Experiential Lesson..................................................37
Behavioral Studies To Go Lesson...........................................................38
Overture to THE ARTS......................................................................................39
The Arts Discussion Lesson...................................................................41
The Arts Writing Lesson........................................................................42
The Arts Experiential Lesson.................................................................43
The Arts To Go Lesson..........................................................................44
Endnotes...........................................................................................45
August: Osage County Resources.........................................................................46
Camp Broadway® is pleased to bring you this Frost/Nixon edition of
StageNOTES®, the 25th in our series. We are proud to be affiliated with this riveting play that received
multiple Tony Award nominations during the 2007 Season. This guide has been developed as a teaching tool to
assist educators in the classroom who are introducing the story in conjunction with the stage production.
By using StageNOTES®, you will understand how Frost/Nixon mirrors the life and times of the 1970s (History),
expands our vocabulary (Language Arts), illuminates the human condition (Behavioral Studies), aids in our own
self-exploration (Life Skills) and encourages creative thinking and expression (The Arts).
The Camp Broadway creative team, consisting of theater educators, scholars, researchers and theater
professionals, has developed a series of lesson plans that, although inspired by and based on the play Frost/Nixon
can also accompany class study. To assist you in preparing your presentation of each lesson, we have included:
an objective; excerpts taken directly from the script of Frost/Nixon; a discussion topic; a writing assignment; and
an interactive class activity. The reproducible lessons (handouts) accompany each lesson unit, which contains:
an essay question; a creative exercise; and an “after hours activity” that encourages students to interact with
family, friends, or the community at large.
The curriculum categories offered in the Frost/Nixon study guide have been informed by the basic standards of
education detailed in Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education,
2nd Edition, written by John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano (1997). This definitive compilation was published
by Mid-Continent Regional Education Laboratory, Inc. (McREL) and the Association for Supervision and
Curricular Development (ASCD) after a systematic collection, review and analysis of noteworthy national and
state curricular documents in all subjects.
The Frost/Nixon study guide is for you, the educator, in response to your need for a standards-compliant
curriculum. We truly hope this study guide will help you incorporate the themes and content of Frost/Nixon into
your classroom lessons.
Philip Katz
Producing Director
The 26 year old Cheyenne
woman whom Beverly hires
to live in the house and look
after the home. Violet is
confused and annoyed by
her existence, but Johnna
quickly becomes liked by
the rest of the family as a
result of her gentle manner,
patience and good cooking
skills.
The 14 year old daughter
of Bill and Barbara, she is
a bit of a rebellion. She
smokes cigarettes and pot,
she is a vegetarian and is
angry about her parents’
separation.
At 40 years old, she is the
youngest of the three girls.
She lives in Florida with her
new fiancé, Steve, whom
she declares is the perfect
man for whom she has been
dreaming.
Johnna Monevata
Housekeeper
The middle sister, aged 44,
she is the only daughter to
remain in Oklahoma where
she teaches
Karen Weston
Youngest Daughter
Jean Fordham
Granddaughter
In her mid-forties, she is the
oldest Weston daughter.
She is the mother of Jean
and wife of Bill, from whom
she is separated. A college
professor in Colorado, she
has hopes of salvaging her
marriage.
She attempts
to take control of her
surroundings,
whether
that be her marriage or
dilemmas within the Weston
household.
Barbara’s husband from
whom she is separated. He
is a 49 year old professor
in Colorado and is having
an affair with one of his
students. Though estranged
from his wife, he comes to
the Weston home to show
support for his wife and
daughter.
Ivy Weston
Middle Daughter
The matriarch of the
Weston family, she is in her
mid-sixties and is addicted
to prescription drugs. She is
outspoken and cunning; she
claims to know everything
that happens within the
family. The latter portion of
the production focuses on
the family and their attempt
to help her keep clean.
Father of the Weston family
and husband of Violet,
he was once a published
poet and taught at the
local university. A former,
self-admitted alcoholic, his
disappearance from the
Weston home incites an ad
hoc family reunion. The
circumstances surrounding
his disappearance serve as
major plot devices.
Barbara Fordham
Eldest Daughter
Violet Weston
Matriarch
Beverly Weston
Patriarch
Bill Fordham
Barbara’s Husband
The Weston
Family of
High school classmate
and former boyfriend of
Barbara. He is the officer
who delivers the news of
Beverly’s suicide.
Sheriff Deon Gilbeau
Sheriff
50 year old fiancé of Karen.
He is a businessman in
Florida and reveals himself
to be not the perfect
man Karen claims. After
smoking pot with Jean,
Johnna catches him sexually
harassing her.
Steve Heidebrecht
Karen’s Fiance
The younger sister of
Violet at age 57, she is
the wife of Charlie and
mother of Little Charles.
A natural cynic, much like
Violet, she constantly fights
with her family. She is
naturally protective of her
older sister. The details
surrounding the parentage
of Little Charles becomes
an inciting moment in the
production.
Mattie Fae Aiken
Aunt
Purported son of Charlie
and Mattie Fae, he is
constantly put down by
his mother which affects
and decreases his sense of
confidence. He is having a
secret affair with his cousin
Ivy.
Little Charles Aiken
Cousin
Husband and father of
Little Charles, he has a mild
demeanor and constantly
defends Little Charles
against Mattie Fae. He was a
very close friend of Beverly.
Charlie Aiken
Uncle
The play is comprised of 4 sections – the prologue, Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3. In the
prologue, the audience meets Beverly as he delivers some of the family background
to Johnna, the new live-in housekeeper. While he divulges information about Violet,
Johnna sees it firsthand as a drugged out Violet makes her way downstairs to meet the
new employee.
We meet Ivy, Mattie Fae and Charlie deep in conversation about
Beverly’s recent and sudden disappearance. After revealing that the
police have checked the lake and hospital for Beverly, Violet takes Ivy
upstairs where she nags her about her appearance and apparent lack of
a love life. Ivy has called the other girls (Barbara and Karen) and Violet is
anxious to have Barbara come to the Weston home. Barbara and her estranged husband Bill arrive with
daughter Jean in tow. After everyone says their customary hellos, Bill and Barbara talk with Violet to uncover as much about
his disappearance as possible. It is in this conversation we learn that Violet emptied the family deposit box and does not understand
why Beverly hired Johnna to look after the house – the reason is obvious when Barbara discovers that Violet is once again abusing
prescription pills. Meanwhile 14 year old Jean talks with Johnna upstairs, revealing bitterness about her parents separation and
learning that Johnna’s parents have passed away. Later that night, Bill and Barbara squabble about their separation in front of Jean,
perched on the stairway listening. In the middle of the night, the sheriff reveals they found Beverly dead in the nearby lake. As
Barbara gets ready to identify the body, she tells her daughter that she used to date Sheriff Gilbeau in high school. As they leave to
go identify the body, Violet comes downstairs and, in a drug-induced state, dances and finishes the act with a babbling monologue
referencing Beverly’s disappearance.
At the top of Act 2, we meet Karen (the youngest Weston daughter) who tells Barbara that Steve is the perfect
the man – the man she’s dreamed about since she was young. On the second floor landing, Ivy reveals she has a
love interest and is met with much prodding about the mystery man by her mother and Mattie Fae. Downstairs,
Karen’s new fiancé Steve chats with Jean, offering her pot and a few sexual innuendos, though he is interrupted
by his wife to be. Shortly after, Little Charlie shows up expressing remorse that he missed Beverly’s funeral (his
body being buried earlier that afternoon) and pre-empts his mother’s nagging by claiming that he did not mean to let the family
down. At the same time, Bill and Barbara are back to arguing in the front room about Jean’s seeming disregard of the seriousness
of the situation. Their argument culminates in the scene that features three conversations (Karen coddling Steve, Mattie Fae
berating Little Charles and Violet nagging Ivy) happening at once, which spawns a chaotic conversation amongst the entire family.
Ivy and Little Charles manage to escape to the front porch to commiserate – Ivy has told her mother she has a love interest and
Little Charles has mentioned their plan to move to New York together. The family gathers around the dinner table to eat, during
which Violet’s outspoken nature comes out in full force. She exposes Bill and Barbara’s separation and speaks about the pain
and difficult times Beverly and the previous generation (including Violet) experienced – telling Barbara she “has never had real
problems” in comparison. After Violet’s outburst, Barbara tells her own truth by calling her a drug addict and attempting to wrestle
the pills out of her mother’s hands. Separated momentarily by the family, Barbara instructs the family to go through the house and
rid the house of all the pills, forcefully taking control of the chaotic Weston home.
The last act opens with a scene of the three daughters talking and drinking in Beverly’s office. Ivy tells the others
how Violet obtains the prescription pills and, after being questioned directly, admits to a romantic relationship
with Little Charles. The three debate what will happen with their mother – Karen will return to Florida and
Ivy insists on moving to New York, claiming she will not feel guilty about it because she had stayed behind in
the first place. Violet visits the girls in the office where, without her sisters, Barbara apologizes for losing her
temper and offers to help her beat the addiction – which Violet outright refuses. Finding time alone in the house, Little Charles
sings a song he has written for Ivy. Mattie Fae interrupts their moment with a charge against her son, who is decisively defended
by his father Charles (who follows his son out of the house after warning his wife that he’ll leave if she continues her disrespectful
behavior). Interrupting, Barbara talks with her Aunt who reveals that not only does she know about the romantic relationship
between her son and niece, she admits that Little Charles is actually Ivy’s brother – Mattie Fae had an illegitimate child by Beverly.
Late that night while the rest of the house sleeps, Jean and Steve share a joint and sneak into the dining room, where he has a
sexually charged conversation with the young girl ending with some sort of physical advance. Johnna enters the dark room and
smacks Steve with a skillet, making a great deal of noise, inciting the rest of the family to enter. Confronted by her parents, Jean
claims its an overreaction and the situation isn’t much different than that of her father. Karen enters, informing Barbara that she’ll
be leaving with Steve and that Jean might have share some of the blame for the sexual indiscretion; she tells her sister Barbara that
not everything is cut and dry and that nobody is perfect, even when people like Barbara think they might be. Following Karen’s
departure, Bill decides that Jean will come with him for awhile and Barbara realizes that her relationship with her husband is over,
never to be reconciled. Barbara offers Johnna the chance to leave the Weston home, though she decides to stay. One morning,
Sheriff Gilbeau visits the home to catch up with Barbara and to tell her that someone from the Country Squire Hotel recalled
Beverly checking in and then checking out two days later. Later Ivy visits the house to tell her mother about her relationship with
Little Charles before she moves to New York. Despite Barbara’s advice to stop seeing him for her own good, she attempts to tell
Violet who informs her that Little Charlie is, in fact, her brother – she has always known. Devastated, Ivy leaves refusing to let
her mother to ruin this for her. She tells Barbara that she will leave anyways and they will never see her again. Left alone, Violet
admits that she knew of the affair and Little Charles as Beverly’s child. In the midst of her explanation, she reveals that she knew
her husband was staying at the hotel – he had left a note. Barbara, while listening to her mother proclaim herself
as stronger than her dead husband, realizes that she must now leave the house and her mother. Left alone, Violet
searches the house for her daughters and, at last, crawls up the stairs to the attic where Johnna takes her in her
lap and comfortingly sings as Violet calls out for her husband and daughter, “And then you’re gone, and Beverly,
and then you’re gone, and Barbara, and then you’re gone…”
P
A
G
E
7
Each Lesson Unit (History, Language
Arts, etc.) contains the following
Lessons:
Discussion:
The focus is on facilitating an in-depth
class dialogue.
ry
Histosio
n
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ain we
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e
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Featured Lesson Units
1 History
2 Language Arts
3 Behavioral Studies
Each StageNOTES™ lesson
generally includes the following
components:
Objective:
An overall note to the teacher outlining
the goals of the lesson to follow.
From the script:
An excerpt or situation from the script
of August: Osage County to help “set the
stage” for the activity that follows.
Exercise:
A detailed description and instructions
for the activity to be facilitated in class.
Teaching Tips:
Direct questions teachers may use to
help guide the students through the
activity.
4 Life Skills
5 The Arts
The Standards listed throughout the StageNOTES™ Field Guide are excerpted from Content Knowledge: A Compendium
of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (2nd Edition) by John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano, published
by Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory, Inc. (McREL) and the Association for Supervision and Curricular
Development (ASCD), 1997.
The
Guide to
Theatergoing Etiquette
In the early part of the nineteenth century, theatrical
performances usually began at six o’clock. An evening
would last four or five hours, beginning with a short
“curtain raiser,” followed by a five-act play, with other
short pieces presented during the intermissions. It
might be compared roughly to today’s prime-time
television, a series of shows designed to pass the
time. With no television or radio, the theater was a
place to find companionship, light, and warmth on a
cold winters evening.
As the century progressed, the theater audience
reflected the changing social climate. More well-to-do
patrons still arrived at six o’clock for the full program
of the evening, while half price admission was offered
at eight or eight-thirty to the working class. This
allowed for their longer workday and tighter budgets.
Still, the theaters were always full, allowing people
to escape the drudgery of their daily lives and enjoy
themselves.
Because of this popularity, theaters began to be
built larger and larger. New progress in construction
allowed balconies to be built overhanging the seats
below—in contrast to the earlier style of receding
tiers. This meant that the audience on the main floor
(the section called “the orchestra”) were out of the
line of sight of the spectators in the galleries. As a
result, the crowds became less busy peoplewatching
and gossiping among themselves, and more interested
in watching the performance. The theater managers
began the practice of dimming the lights in the seating
area (called the “house lights”), focusing the attention
of the audience on the stage. The advent of gas
lighting and the “limelight” (the earliest spotlights)
made the elaborate settings even more attractive to
the eye, gaining the audience’s rapt attention.
By the 1850s, the wealthier audiences were no
longer looking for a full evenings entertainment.
Curtain time was pushed back to eight o’clock (for
the convenience of patrons arriving from dinner);
only one play would be presented, instead of four or
five, freeing the audience for other social activities
afterward. Matinee (afternoon) performances were
not given regularly until the 1870s, allowing society
ladies, who would not have ventured out late at night,
the opportunity to attend the theater.
Now in a new millennium, many of these traditions
are still with us. The theater is still a place to “see
and be seen”; eight o’clock is still the standard curtain
time; and the excited chatter of the audience falls to
a hush when the house lights dim and the stage lights
go up, and another night on Broadway begins.
You can make sure everyone you know has the very
best experience at the theater by sharing this Theater
Etiquette with them. And now, enjoy the show!
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Summary of Standard for
Historical Understanding
1. Understanding and analyzing
chronological relationships and
patterns:
Analyze influence of specific beliefs
on these times. How would events
be different in the absence of these
beliefs?
n
Analyze the effects specfic
decisions had on history. How
would things have been different
in the absence of these specific
decisions?
n
2. Understanding the historical
perspective:
Understand that the consequences
of human intentions are influenced
by the means of carrying them out.
n
Understand how the past affects
our private lives and society in
general.
n
Perceive past events with historical
empathy.
n
Evaluate credibility and
authenticity of historical sources.
n
Evaluate the validity and
credibility of different historical
interpretations.
n
P
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P
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11
History
Discussion
Discussion
Objective
History as a driving
force in the present
From the
Script
Prologue
Beverly prepares Johnna for the realities of her job as housekeeper.
Beverly
My wife takes pills and I drink. That’s the bargain we’ve struck...
one of the bargains, just one paragraph of our marriage contract...
cruel covenant.
I myself require very little personal attention. Thrive without it,
in fact, sort of a human cactus.
Act 2, Scene 1
Karen reveals to her sister why she has remained unmarried and living with their alcoholic
mother and distant father for all these years.
Teaching Tips
Therapy encourages
people to connect the
past with the present,
no matter how painful.
Do you think this is a
good thing? Is it better to
forget about bad things
and make believe they
didn’t happen? Is burying
the truth ever a good
idea?
Karen
...I think I spent so much of my early life thinking about
what’s to come, y’know, who would I marry...I spent a lot of
time upstairs pretending my pillow was my husband...Then real
life takes over because it always does...and things work out
differently than you planned. That pillow was a better husband
than any real man I’d ever met. This parade of men fails to live
up to your expectations, all of them so much less than Daddy
or Bill (Barbara’s husband who is cheating on her with a young
student)....I don’t know how well you remember Andrew....That’s
the best example. Here’s a guy I loved so intensely, and all the
things he did wrong were just opportunities for me to make things
right. So if he cheated on me...I’d think to myself, “no, you
love him...and here’s an opportunity to make an adjustment in
the way you view the world.” And I can’t think when the precise
moment was that I looked in the mirror and said, “okay moron, and
walked out, but it kicked off this whole period of reflection.
How had I screwed it up, where had I gone wrong. And before you
know it...you can’t move forward because you can’t stop thinking
backward, I mean, you know...years! Years of punishment, self
loathing....”It’s just me, here and now, with my music on the
stereo and my glass of wine and Bloomers my cat, and I don’t need
anything else, I can live my life with myself.”
Exercise
History has been defined as: the record of past events and times, especially in connection
with the human race. Acts, ideas, or events that will or can shape the course of the future.
Certain relationships can never properly flower because there is simply too much “history”
connected with them—too many bad things have happened that get in the way. The Weston’s
harbor a family history and family secrets that have gone unacknowledged. Unspoken, they
are at the root of their family’s dysfunction and that of its individual members.
Using the excerpts above look at each statement Karen makes to her sister. Analyze the
statement in relationship to her father’s admissions to Johnna. How do you think her family’s
history has affected her outlook on life?
Look up philosopher George Santayana and his famous quote, “Those who cannot remember
the past are condemned to repeat it.” It is about recognizing the reality of the past and
using it as a tool to move forward in a more positive way. If Karen had truly understood and
dealt with her parent’s issues do you think she would now be the
emotional cripple she is?
P
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12
History
Writing
Writing
Objective
Explore the history
of the Cheyenne in
Oklahoma.
From the
Script
Prologue
Violet meets Johnna whom Beverly has hired as the housekeeper. In a drug-induced
stupor,Violet questions her background.
Violet
Are you an Indian?
Johnna
Yes, Ma’am
Violet
What kind?
Johnna
Cheyenne.
Teaching Tips
Be honest. Do you
tend to lump all Native
Americans into one
group? How much do
you know about the
individual tribes—their
customs and history?
Would they be better off
assimilating into white
American culture? How
do you feel about them
living on reservations?
Act 2, Scene 1
Violet’s daughter challenges her use of the term, “Indian” to describe Johnna
Barbara
They’re called Native
Americans now mom.
Violet
Who calls them that? Who
makes that decision?
Barbara
It’s what they like to
be called.
Barbara
In fact, they are.
Violet
What’s wrong with
“Indian”?
Barbara
Why is it so hard to
call people what they
want?
Violet
They aren’t any more
native than me
Exercise
Johnna has few lines in the play but yet is an important character. Her relationship to her
white employers is interesting. As a Native American she exudes a sense of quiet dignity
while those around her seem in a continual state of chaos. It may be the author’s attempt
along with presenting the Weston’s as an extreme example of a dysfunctional American family
to emphasize the general disintegration of American society.
Research the history of the Southern Cheyenne tribe in Oklahoma. Write a condensed
history that includes information on The Trail of Tears and its importance to the Cheyenne
in Oklahoma. Are there current movements to restore its traditional language, values and
customs?
Write one sentence describing your feelings about Violet calling
Johnna “an Indian.”
P
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13
History
experiential
Script
Experiential
From the
Profile the Greatest
Generation.
Act 3, Scene 1
Barbara, Karen and Ivy discuss their mother Violet’s drug habit. Barbara mocks Violet’s claim
to being a part of The Greatest Generation.
Objective
Barbara
Greatest Generation...Are
they really considering all
the generations? Maybe there
are some generations from the
Iron Age that could compete.
And what makes them so great
anyway. Because they were poor
and hated Nazis? Who doesn’t
hate Nazis?...
Teaching Tips
What do you really know
about the World War II
generation? What were
their sacrifices? Were
they really a better
generation than those
that followed? Why?
She (Violet) smuggled Darvocet
into the psych ward. There’s
your Greatest Generation for
you.
Exercise
Former NBC news anchor Tom Brokow authored a book titled The Greatest Generation, an
historical tribute the courage and sacrifices of the generation who lived through World War
II. The book was also made into a television documentary that is available through Netflix on
DVD.
If possible invite to class a member of the community who lived through World War II.
Rent the documentary, The Greatest Generation and have the class view it with the guest.
Afterwards students ask the guest questions about the film and about their remembrances of
their experiences during that period in history.
When the guest leaves have students speak candidly about whether or not they think the
World War II generation was really the Greatest and why.
P
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14
History
After Hours
Be An Anthropologist
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 1
Barbara, apparently, is not very fond of Oklahoma, particularly the flat plains of Osage
County.... She and her husband live in Colorado.
Barbara
The jokers who settled this place. The Germans and
the Dutch and the Irish. Who was the---who saw this
flat hot nothing and planted his flag?
Challenge #1
Do some research on those who settled in that area of Oklahoma. Who were they? Why did
they come there? Who were the “Sooners?” Compose a detailed profile titled: Life in Osage
County: The Early Settlers.
Challenge #2
How much do you know about the people who settled your area?
Research the origins of your area and those who first came there. Pay particular attention to
their ethnicity and the reasons why they came. You might want to find an older person who
may know more about the history of the place. Take a survey of people who live there. Ask
them how they like it and why.
Based on how you feel about your town, write a statement similar to Barbara’s in the box
above starting with “The.....who settled this place.... The statement will be either negative,
like Barbara’s, or positive, depending on how you feel about where you live.
P
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15
Poetry
Summary of Standard for
Language Arts
Writing
Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies of the
writing process
n
Demonstrates competence in
rewriting, drafting and revising,
editing and publishing
n
Demonstrates competence in the
stylistic and rhetorical aspects of
writing
n
Uses grammatical and mechanical
conventions in written
compositions
n
Gathers and uses information for
research purposes
n
Reading
Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies of the
reading process
n
Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies for
reading a variety of literary texts
n
Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies for
reading a variety of informational
texts
n
Listening and Speaking
Demonstrates competence in
speaking and listening as tools for
learning
n
word poetry is a derivative of the Greek word
T he“poiesis”
which means “making.” We recognize
poetry as an art form that uses language to convey meaning
(oftentimes by figurative means) and evoke the passions.
What constitutes poetry has been debated for years,
beginning with Aristotle’s pre-eminent work Poetics. We
often see in poetry the opening up of words, stretching their
original meanings to create opposition to singular, definitive
interpretations. While there exist many different forms of
poetry (i.e. the sonnet, the haiku and so on) from many
different regions of the world, poems tend to employ the
same conventions. Using conventions such as alliteration and
assonance, poems transcend the literal and everyday nature
of language to emphasize the emotional and musical quality
of the form. Similarly, poetry uses symbolism, hyperbolic
language and metaphor to mold a nuanced treatment of the
poem’s subject matter.
P
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16
In essence, we can use poetry to challenge conventional thought by exploring a
subject matter’s multiple meanings and significances. Poets oftentimes layer their
work so that, upon a first reading the subject of the poem might seem incredibly
clear, but with continued readings, readers might suspect more is at play than
originally believed.
It is no wonder, then, that poetry and poetic references appear throughout August:
Osage County. The Weston household seems like a world filled with poetic elements;
within the walls of the house lurk ambiguity, irony and even heightened, incanted
language. We find the relationships onstage struggling with
truth, meaning and, at times, morality. The production
The Weston household seems
begins with a line from famed poet T.S. Eliot, “Life is very
like a world filled with poetic
long…” Already, the play has taken on a poetic tone.
elements; within the walls of
Dissecting the line, we may learn something about that
the house lurk ambiguity, irony
line that will help uncover the preliminary tone of the
and even heightened, incanted
work. The alliterative use of the “l” sound in “life” and
language.
“long” coupled with the drawn out “o” literally prolongs
the pronunciation of the word (try saying the phrase and
note how much time it takes and how the words’ structure moderates your speed).
The phrase itself might seem naturally contradictory, as we’re constantly told that life
is too short. This questioning has already prompted two interpretations of the line
– one being that life is literally, temporally long, the other being that life is, in fact, not
very long which adds a layer of complexity to what long means.
Perhaps it is the youngest Weston daughter’s words that resonate most deeply with
poetic nature. After her fiancé has engaged in questionable behavior with Jean,
Karen confronts Barbara saying,
“My point is, it’s not cut and dried, black and white, good and bad.
It lives where everything lives; somewhere in the middle.”
The language here is, itself, layered. Her point is similar to the position of poetry
– that there are rarely cut and dry interpretations to any single situation. We can
also say that the language uses poetic devices to make her point. Looking at the
section, we realize that “it” refers to responsibility; Jean and Steve might both share
in the responsibility. Notice that the second line does something different. Here,
“it” comes to life; Karen endows responsibility with the human characteristics of
breathing and living. What does this do, exactly? For starters, it makes the situation
a bit more human. Endowing an idea with human qualities reminds us that all
situations come down to human behavior, which is largely imperfect. Secondly, if
we really analyze the line, we might come to the realization that interpretations can
change. In this instance, responsibility is not absolute; Jean and Steve’s share in the
responsibility might vary depending upon who’s looking at the situation. We can see
that the poetic nature of the play helps the playwright communicate the complexity
of the characters and situations.
P
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17
T. S. Eliot
T
. S. Eliot is one
of the foremost
poets and literary critics
in the modern, Western
tradition. Born into an
affluent family in St. Louis,
Missouri, he attended
Harvard University for
his B.A., M.A. and PhD
(though he did not earn
the degree because he was
unable to physically defend
his dissertation, as he was
in London during the first
World War). Traveling
to England on a scholarship to Oxford in 1914, he
officially became a British subject in 1927. Though
he is considered one
of the most poets in
recent history, his output
was relatively small. He
began his poetry career
by publishing his first
collection, Prufrock and
Other Observations in
1917 and culminated
his career with the
publication of his famous
Four Quartets in 1945.
His work, while not as voluminous as other poets,
has been the subject of examination by many scholars
and intellectuals around the world. His first major
work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock follows the
journey of a man exploring the missed opportunities
in his life. This seminal work began using the
conventions of allusion and quotation which would
be extensively explored in later works. In 1922,
Eliot published his arguably most famous work The
Waste Land. This extended poem has become one
of the most studied and explored works in modern
literature. Many find the work to be one of the most
elusive poems in the Western canon, as it changes
points of views, locations and compares a number
of diverse cultures and historic traditions. The
Hollow Men is directly mentioned in August: Osage
(b.) September 26, 1888
(d.) January 4, 1965
County, specifically by Beverly Weston. This poem
was published in 1926 and is considered his most
significant work in the late twenties. The complex
piece tackles post World War II disillusionment, the
difficulty of hope of in troubled times and, seemingly
the deterioration of his relationship with Vivienne,
his wife. Certainly we can see the overlapping
themes between the poem and the play. His Four
Quartets is often considered Elliot’s masterpiece and
helped garner him the Nobel Prize in 1948. This
critically acclaimed work (consisting of four separate
poems linked together through common elements)
drew on his knowledge of philosophy and religion
and explores Christian thought and practices. The
distinct poems all approach similar ideas in diverging
ways, opening the work and its themes to multiple
interpretations – again, an appropriate character to
appear in August: Osage
County.
Throughout his career,
Eliot’s work was criticized
by academics and scholars
alike. Many found that his
poetry was, in essence,
not poetry at all. Others
criticized his widespread
use of quotations and lines
from other authors (such
as Shakespeare and Dante),
contributing to a sense that he lacked originality.
These claims are often refuted by scholars who claim
that the language is sophisticated and lyrical and that
his use of other quotations and juxtaposition serves
to preserve culture in an age of individuation and
divisions of labor. Eliot’s conservative political and
religious views were not popular in the post-war
society and he increasingly received criticism for
his occasional Anti-Semite commentaries. His first
wife, Vivienne, died in January 1947. After sharing
a flat with prominent literary critic John Hayward,
he married his next wife Valerie Fletcher. He died,
apparently more content than any other time in his
life, in London January 4, 1965. His ashes were buried
in the church of St. Michael’s in East
Coker.
P
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18
Poetry Vocabulary
alliteration [uh-lit-uh-rey-shuhn]
The commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter.
assonance [as-uh-nuhns]
Rhyme in which the same vowel sounds are used with different consonants in the
stressed syllables of the rhyming words (i.e. sound, ground).
cacophony [kuh-kof-uh-nee]
The use of harsh or discordant sounds in literary composition for poetic effect
– the opposite of harmonious. Example: birth-strangled (note the transition
from the long “a” sound to the mangled effect of the “ng” preceding the “l”)
epigraph [ep-i-graf, -grahf]
A quotation, taken from another literary work, that is placed at the start of a poem or
other work under the title. The poem Gerontion by T.S. Eliot begins with a quotation from
Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.
foot
The basic unit of measurement of accentual-syllabic meter, usually thought to
contain one stressed syllable and at least one unstressed syllable. The standard
types of feet in English are iambic, trochaic, dactylic, anapestic, spondaic, and
pyrrhic.
hyperbole [hahy-pur-buh-lee]
The basic unit of measurement of accentual-syllabic meter, usually thought to contain one
stressed syllable and at least one unstressed syllable. The standard types of feet in English
are iambic, trochaic, dactylic, anapestic, spondaic, and pyrrhic.
onomatopoeia [on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh]
The formation of a word by imitation of a sound made by the referent (i.e. cuckoo, bam).
metaphor [met-uh-fawr]
A comparison that is made literally, either by a verb or by a combination of adjective
and noun / noun and verb, without using words such as “as,” “like,” or “than.”
meter
The rhythm of verse (i.e. lines with syllabic verse are said to rhyme on a count of the nature of
the syllables within the line).
rhythm
Normally end-rhyme, that is, lines of verse characterized by the consonance of terminal words
or syllables. Rhymed words conventionally share all sounds following the word’s last stressed
syllable.
simile [sim-uh-lee]
A comparison of two unlike objects using “as”, “like” and “than”.
trope [trohp]
A semantic figure of speech or of thought that varies the meaning of a word or a passage.
verse
Poetry in general, also a specific line of poetry (as opposed to prose, non-poetic)
P
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19
Language Arts
Discussion
Discussion
Objective
Interpreting a major
poetic work.
From the
Script
Prologue
Beverly muses about many things, including the line by Eliot. At this point we do not know
he is contemplating taking his own life. We do know, however, or will very soon that he
is a published poet himself and lives with a woman who is drug addicted and a miserable
companion and mother.
Beverly
“Life is very long...”
Teaching Tips
T.S. Eliot, I mean...he’s given credit for it because he
bothered to write it down. He’s not the first person to say
it...certainly not the first person to think it. Feel it.
But he wrote the words on a sheet of paper and signed it
and the four-eyed----- was a genius...so if you say it you
have to say his name after it.
“Life is very long”: T.S. Eliot
Do you find poetry too
obscure? Maybe you’re
overcomplicating the
words and ideas. Try
personalizing what the
poet is saying. Instead
of trying to figure out
what he or she means,
try applying the words to
yourself and what they
mean to you. You will
enjoy it much more.
Exercise
The line Beverly quotes is from perhaps Eliot’s great work, The Hollow Men. It seems
appropriate for Beverly to quote it because he himself feels hollow, devoid of love
and companionship and perhaps, as we later discover, racked with guilt over an
incestuous relationship with his daughter.
The Hollow Men appears on the next webpage. Print the page, make copies
and distribute them to the class. As a class, have students discuss the poem in
relationship to Beverly’s despondent state of mind, reading into it any interpretations
they wish.
Remember, this is not an official literary interpretation of Eliot’s work. We are using
the work as a means of allowing students to analyze Beverly’s character and assess
its relevance to Tracy Letts’ work.
After the discussion suggest they visit an internet site featuring an interpretation
of the poem and find out the significance of the first two lines: Mistah Kurtz—he
dead, and A penny for the Old Guy. Tell them to come back to class and share what
they’ve learned with their fellow students.
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The Hollow Men by T. S. Eliot
Mistah Kurtz—he dead.
A penny for the Old Guy
I
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats’ feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar
Shape without form, shade without
colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without
motion;
Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death’s other
Kingdom
Remember us—if at all—not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.
II
Eyes I dare not meet in dreams
In death’s dream kingdom
These do not appear:
There, the eyes are
Sunlight on a broken column
There, is a tree swinging
And voices are
In the wind’s singing
More distant and more solemn
Than a fading star.
III
V
This is the dead land
This is cactus land
Here the stone images
Are raised, here they receive
The supplication of a dead man’s hand
Under the twinkle of a fading star.
Here we go round the prickly pear
Prickly pear prickly pear
Here we go round the prickly pear
At five o’clock in the morning.
Is it like this
In death’s other kingdom
Waking alone
At the hour when we are
Trembling with tenderness
Lips that would kiss
Form prayers to broken stone.
IV
The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here
In this valley of dying stars
In this hollow valley
This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms
In this last of meeting places
We grope together
And avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid
river
Sightless, unless
The eyes reappear
As the perpetual star
Multifoliate rose
Of death’s twilight kingdom
The hope only
Of empty men.
Let me be no nearer
In death’s dream kingdom
Let me also wear
Such deliberate disguises
Rat’s coat, crowskin, crossed staves
In a field
Behaving as the wind behaves
No nearer—
Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom
Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
Life is very long
Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
And the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom
For Thine is
Life is
For Thine is the
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
Online text © 1998-2008 Poetry X.
All rights reserved.
From The Hollow Men | 1925
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Language Arts
Writing
Writing
Objective
Students translate their
surnames into a native
language.
From the
Script
Prologue
Beverly tells Johnna he knew her father and questions the fact that her sir name is different
from her father’s, Youngbird.
Beverly
May I ask about the
name?
Johnna
Hm?
Teaching Tips
Here in the U.S. the
tendency is to assume
that everyone speaks
English. Even when we
travel abroad we expect
foreigners to speak
to us in English—an
arrogant assumption
when you think about it.
To expect it of a Native
American is the height of
presumptiveness, since
their language was here
long before we got here.
Beverly
He was Youngbird and you
are?
Johnna
Monevata.
Johnna
Who calls them that? Who
makes that decision?
Beverly
And does it mean
“youngbird”?
Johnna
Yes
Beverly
And taking the name,
that was your choice?
Beverly
“Monevata.”
Johnna
Mm-Hm.
Exercise
Youngbird sounds nothing like Monevata. Obviously the Cheyenne language is far more
complex than simply adjusting sounds to symbols. Beverly does not ask Johnna to explain and
probably, like most white people, has no interest in her language which he does not consider
the “language of the land.”
Many tribes have reinstituted the teaching of native languages in their schools in an effort
to preserve cultural traditions. The Maya of the Yucatan in Mexico rarely speak the Spanish
of their conquerors in the privacy of their homes and in their business dealings with other
Mayans. They have preserved their language in its purest form.
There are a number of excellent websites featuring in depth language keys for various Native
American and other indigenous languages. Visit one of them, pick a language and translate
your surname into that language. Write the name in whatever symbols are appropriate. Place
the sound in letters next to the symbol. Explain the translation to the class. Warning: this will
probably be a lot more difficult than it sounds.
Using your new name as a “nom de plume,” write a poem about the indigenous tribe whose
language key you used.
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Language Arts
experiential
Script
Experiential
From the
Assessing the mood of
the poet in his or her
work.
Prologue
Beverly admires T.S. Eliot’s strength in dealing with his wife’s mental illness (alluding, no
doubt, to his own inability to deal with Violets’s), comparing him to two of his contemporaries
who committed suicide.
Objective
Teaching Tips
Words are powerful. If
it is true authors write
about what they know,
it must be then that a
writer’s mood comes
through in their work.
If he or she is happy the
words make the reader
feel upbeat--ebullient.
If he or she is sad the
reader senses sadness
and empathizes with a
certain sadness of their
own. This is particularly
true in the art of poetry
because it is so deeply
personal.
Beverly
Give the devil (T.S. Eliot) his due. Very few
poets could have made it through his trial and
come out on the other side, brilliantined, double
breasted and Anglican. Not hard to imagine,
faced with Eliot’s first wife, lovely Viv, how
Hart Crane and John Berryman might have reacted.
Just foot-raced to the nearest bridge, Olympian
Suicidalists. Not Eliot: following sufficient years
of ecclesiastical guilt, plop her in the nearest
asylum and get on with the day.
Exercise
Beverly admires Eliot for his strength.“You have to admire the purity of the survivor’s
instinct,” he says. Beverly does not have this instinct. Neither did the two other poets
mentioned, Hart Crane and John Berryman. Both committed suicide. Beverly identifies
strongly with them and not with Eliot.
Go online and find biographies of Hart and Berryman. Read them for background. Now
research Hart’s and Berryman’s poems. Read them over and pick out one you like best. Make
a copy and bring it to class.
Each student reads their poem and talks about why they chose the work. They then read the
poem with dramatic emphasis once or twice to the class. Listeners assess the mood of the
poet as he wrote it, citing specific lines and information they have learned about the poet to
support their views.
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LANGUAGE ARTS
After Hours
Challenge
What Do You Think of That?
Read carefully the passage below, which is included in the introductory portion of the script of
August: Osage County. It is from Robert Penn Warren’s famous novel, All the Kings Men.
Write a reaction piece.
The child comes home and the parent puts the
hooks in him. The old man, or the woman, as
the case may be, hasn’t got anything to say
to the child. All he wants is to have that
child sit in a chair for a couple of hours
and then go off to bed under the same roof.
It’s not love. I am not saying that there
is not such a thing as love. I am merely
pointing to something which is different from
love but which sometimes goes by the name
of love. It may well be that without this
thing which I am talking about there would
not be any love. But this in itself is not
love. It is just something in the blood. It
is a kind of blood greed, and it is the fate
of a man. It is the thing which man has
which distinguishes him from the happy brute
creation. When you get born your father and
mother lost something out of themselves, and
they are going to bust a hame trying to get
it back, and you are it. They know they
can’t get it all back but they will get as
big a chunk out of you as they can. And the
good old family reunion, with picnic dinner
under the maples, is very much like diving
into the octopus tank at the aquarium.
Robert Penn Warren, All the King’s Men
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An Interview with
August: Osage County playwright,
Tracy Letts
Throughout his career, Eliot’s work was criticized by academics
and scholars alike. Many found that his
poetry was, in essence, not poetry at
Summary of Standard for
all. Others criticized his widespread
Life Skills
use of quotations and lines from other
Thinking and Reasoning
authors (such as Shakespeare and
Understands and applies the
basic principles of presenting an
arguement
Dante), contributing to a sense that
Understands and applies basic
principles of logic and reasoning
he lacked originality. These claims
Effectively uses mental processes
that are based in identifying
are often refuted by scholars who
similarities and differences
(compares, contrasts, classifies)
claim that the language is sophisticated
Understands and applies basic
principles of hypothesis testing and
scientific inquiry
and lyrical and that his use of other
Applies basic trouble-shooting and
problem-solving techniques
quotations and juxtaposition serves
Applies decision-making techniques
to preserve culture in an age of
Working With Others
individuation and divisions of labor. Eliot’s conservative
Contributes to the overall effort of
a group
political and religious views were not popular in the postUses conflict-resolution techniques
Works well with diverse individuals
war society and he increasingly
and in diverse situations
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Displays effective interpersonal
communication skills
Demonstrates leadership skills
n
n
Self-Regulation
Sets and manages goals
Performs self-appraisal
Considers risks
n
Demonstrates perseverance
n
Maintains a healthy self-concept
n
Restrains impulsivity
n
n
n
Life Work
Makes effective use of basic tools
Uses various information sources,
including those of a technical nature,
to accomplish specific tasks
n
Manages money effectively
n
Pursues specific jobs
n
Makes general preparation for
entering the work force
n
Makes effective use of basic life skills
n
Displays reliability and a basic work
ethic
n
Operates effectively within
organizations
n
n
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P
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Life skills
writing
Writing
Objective
How to make a will.
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 2
Violet tells Barbara that she waited to tell her that her father was missing until she went to
the bank and cleaned out their safe deposit box. The statement is suspicious and Violet later
announces that Beverly’s will leaves nothing to the daughters and everything to her.
Yes, Sunday. No sign. I
know, and that’s when I
deposit box. We kept an
some jewelry, expensive
Teaching Tips
No one likes to think
about wills because they
make us think about
dying. However they are
an important document.
We would all like to think
what remains of our lives
will go to those whom
we want to have it.
Violet
started getting worried, don’tcha
got so worked up about that safe
awful lot of cash in that box,
jewelry...
Barbara
Wait, wait, wait. I’m missing something. Why do you care
about the safe deposit box? Because...
Violet
It gets rolled into the estate, then goes to probate.
Exercise
A will is an important document. It is the official statement saying who will inherit
your estate (money, investments, personal belongings) when you die. Violet put the
money and valuables in a safe deposit box so that no one would know about them
and that she would be assured of getting them and not the girls if Beverly died. We
don’t really know if Beverly had a will, although Violet said they had agreed that
she would get everything. Truth is if the family challenged Violet, and there was no
will, all of Beverly’s belongings would go into “probate;” the court would hold the
belongings until things were legally sorted out. This can take some time. Apparently,
Violet, greedy, was not willing to wait.
Go online and research how to write a will. Prepare your will as a legal document.
Think carefully about who you would like to have your belongings.
After you’ve prepared the will find out what to do next. Who should sign it; where
does it have to be filed in order for it to be considered legal; how much does it cost
in fees? Is it worth it to do it online yourself or have an attorney prepare it? What is
the difference in cost? Do not actually file the will as there will be fees involved.
P
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LIFE SKILLS
discussion
Script
Discussion
From the
To recognize the value of
practical decisions.
Act 3, Scene 3
The chaos and dysfunction in the house prompts Barbara to ask Johnna if she still wants to
work as housekeeper for the family..
Objective
Johnna
Mrs. Fordham, are you firing me?
Barbara
No. no. Far from it. I’m owning up to my own bad
behavior. And I’m giving you the opportunity to
quit...
Teaching Tips
Would you do what you
had to do to survive
financially? Would you
do it cheerfully or
complain every step of
the way? Do you avoid
hard practical decisions
in favor or getting things
exactly your way?
Johnna
I’m prepared to stay. I’m familiar with this job.
I don’t do it for you and Mrs. Weston. Or even for
Mr. Weston. Right? I do it for me.
Barbara
Why?
Johnna
I need the work.
Exercise
Johnna would certainly have good reason to leave the employ of the Weston’s. The house
is in a state of chaos; as housekeeper, her job is continually made harder by the family’s
dysfunctional behavior towards one another. She must maintain a degree of calm in the face
of it and try her best not to get personally involved in their problems. From an emotional
standpoint working in this environment could be extremely stressful for a person different
than Johnna.
In America people change jobs all the time. They quit at the drop of a hat. Our mantra is that
we must be happy in our work. It is a nice ideal but many people every day do not have the
luxury of choosing occupations. Work for them is toil and they accept it.
Johnna chooses to stay “because she needs the job.” That is a very strong statement. We
really don’t know if she has any other options. All we do know is that she needs to work,
maybe to support herself or perhaps for other reasons. In any case she is firm in her
commitment to do what she has to do and will do it, no matter what. By everything we see in
the play she goes about her daily work cheerfully.
Conduct a class discussion about the reality of doing something to survive versus doing what
we want to do. What does the fact that Johnna will stay say about her character. Do you think
a person who does this is strong, or foolish? Would you resent it if you had to stay on at the
Weston’s? If so, how do you think it might affect your job performance. Is being able to accept
certain situations that aren’t always perfect a life skill? Why?
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LIFE SKILLS
experiential
Experiential
Objective
Understanding what
it means to grow old
gracefully.
From the
Script
Act 2, Scene 1
Violet tells Mattie Fae she wants to purge her wardrobe of clothing no longer appropriate for
her age.
Violet
I want all these clothes I’m never going to wear
gone...I mean look at these shoes. (She holds up a
pair of high heels.) Can you picture me in these?
Even if I didn’t fall on my face, can you imagine
anything less attractive, my swollen ankles and
varicose veins? And my toenails, good god, anymore
they could dig through cement.
Teaching Tips
No one stays young
forever. Does that mean
we should stop living life
as we age? No. Not at all.
But it’s how you live that
makes the difference. To
proudly say, “I’m 60” says
something about who
you are and about your
sense of confidence and
self worth.
Exercise
Violet’s point is that after a certain age women should not try to look as if they are twenty.
They should dress and act their age. Mattie Fae objects, but Violet insists she face reality. She
says society sees men and women aging in a different way. “Men can still preserve their sex
appeal well into old age,” then qualifies the statement, “I don’t mean those men like you see
with shorts and those little purses around their waists.”
How do you feel about growing old gracefully? Do you think people should try to look young
even if they’re not? Or is it better to tone down, say, your clothing and makeup as you age?
Should men also dress and behave appropriate to their age? Do you think the standards for
growing old gracefully are different for men and women?
Visit a mall and be a people watcher. Male students watch men; female students women.
Note the people you see, particularly the older generation. How do they dress? How do
they act? Are they trying to act like teenagers or are they behaving in an adult way. Develop
at least five complete profiles of people you find interesting. Do not let them know you’re
watching them. Note their approximate age, what they’re wearing, how they’re acting and
any other distinguishing behavior that might indicate they likely will or will not grow old
gracefully.
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life skills
After Hours
Teaching Tips
From About.com
Beverly wrote on book
of poems when he was
younger and wrote
nothing after that. We
can safely assume that
alcohol took over his life
and prohibited him from
doing what he loved
most—write. His life
and that of his family is a
shambles.
Parenting of Adolescents has this to say about teen alcohol abuse.
For young people, alcohol is the number one drug of choice. In fact, teens use alcohol
more frequently and heavily than all other illicit drugs combined. Although most children
under age 14 have not yet begun to drink, early adolescence is a time of special risk
for beginning to experiment with alcohol. While some parents and guardians may feel
relieved that their teen is “only” drinking, it is important to remember that alcohol is a
powerful, mood-altering drug. Not only does alcohol affect the mind and body in often
unpredictable ways, but teens lack the judgment and coping skills to handle alcohol wisely.
As a result:
•
•
•
•
•
Alcohol-related traffic crashes are a major cause of death among teens. Alcohol use
also is linked with youthful deaths by drowning, suicide, and homicide.
Teens who use alcohol are more likely to become sexually active at earlier ages, to
have sexual intercourse more often, and to have unprotected sex than teens
who do not drink.
Young people who drink are more likely than others to be victims of violent crime,
including rape, aggravated assault, and robbery.
Teens who drink are more likely to have problems with school work and school
conduct.
An individual who begins drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who waits until adulthood to use alcohol.
The message is clear: Alcohol use is very risky business for young people. And the longer
children delay alcohol use, the less likely they are to develop any problems associated
with it. That’s why it is so important to help your child avoid any alcohol use.
Challenge
The Sad Story of Me
Tell me what are the prevailing sentiments that occupy the minds of your young men (women), and
I will tell you what is to be the character of the next generation.
Edmund Burke
Pretend you are now 40 years old. As a teen you did not listen to the warnings about alcohol
abuse. Using the quote above, write a biography of what your life might be like if you begin
abusing alcohol. Talk about all of the things you might have done that you didn’t. How has it
affected your family and friends; your health; your career goals.
Put the story somewhere safe. Take it out once a month and read it. Ponder what you have
to lose.
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n
o
i
t
Addic and
y
c
n
e
d
n
e
dep
ad·dic·tion [uh-dik-shuhn]
The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that
is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an
extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
We learn early on in the production of Violet’s penchant for, and addiction to,
prescription drugs. It is with our first introduction to her character that we witness
her erratic and strange behavior, characteristic of drug abuse. After her initial
appearance on the stage, Beverly explains to Johnna that she has been diagnosed
with a “touch of cancer” in the mouth. While this might, initially, explain her drug
dependence, it is an interesting thematic layer.
The complexity here lies in the fact that both cancer and drug addictions are diseases. While there exists
some dissenting opinions as to what constitutes addiction or substance dependence, it is generally agreed that
addiction is a disease. Addiction, as a concept and term, has its roots
in pharmacology (the study of how drugs interact with living organisms
to change their (its) functions); addiction described the use of drugs
that allow people physical toleration, as in a pain or stress reliever, but
requires additional dosages to maintain that sense of toleration. In
simpler terms, continued use of a drug requires more of that drug
over time to produce the same effects. Addiction has been declared a
disease because it is described as a state of dependence or devotion to
an activity that carries with it symptoms likely to have a damaging effect.
“Violet. My wife. She takes
pills, sometimes a great many. And
they affect…among other things,
her equilibrium. Fortunately, the
pills she takes eliminate her need for
equilibrium.” –Beverly Weston
Summary of Standard for
Behavioral Studies
Understands that group and
cultural influences contribute to
human development, identity, and
behavior
n
Understands various meanings of
social group, general implications
of group membership, and
different ways that groups function
n
Understands that interactions
among learning, inheritance and
physical development affect
human behavior
n
Understands conflict, cooperation,
and interdependence among
individuals, groups and institutions
n
How addiction develops is finely debated in the scientific community.
There are a few schools of thoughts in regards to the cause of addiction.
One of those schools, known as the Dual Concept school of thought, claims that
addiction is an inherited disease – the individual is genetically ill (this inheritance
may exist even in individuals who do not engage in addictive behavior). Another
school of thought, the Dual Diagnosis Theory, maintains that addiction has two
components – a physical, chemical dependence coupled with a mental disorder
that requires immediate attention. A third school of thought proposes that a
chemical dependence leads to chemical imbalances in the brain, classified as a
substance induced imbalance.
According to these views, cancer and addiction become closely related. It is
important to remember that, while someone with an addiction or dependency
might have it through inherited genetics, they have not inherited addiction. They
have inherited the gene that increases the risk factor, but now the behavior (the
same can be said for cancer).
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The addiction to a drug or substance is accompanied by
symptoms of chronic use. There are general symptoms
for addiction and symptoms for the use of specific drugs
or classes of substances. Below is a categorization of
characteristics that accompany different kinds of usage.
SIGNS OF
General signs and symptoms
Addiction
- Feeling you need the drug regularly (sometimes daily)
- Having a constant supply of the drug
- Failing in your attempts to discontinue using
- Engaging in behavior you wouldn’t otherwise
- A psychological or emotional need for the substance to
help deal with problems
Cannabis compounds: signs and symptoms
(includes marijuana and hash)
- Heightened sense of visual, auditory and taste perception
- Poor memory
- Increased blood pressure / heart rate
- Red eyes
- Decreased coordination
- Difficulty concentrating
- Paranoid thinking
Central nervous system depressants: signs and symptoms
(includes Amytal, Seconal, Valium, Xanax, Serax, Ativan, Klonopin and Librium)
- Drowsiness
- Slurred speech
- Lack of coordination
- Memory impairment
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Depression
Central nervous system stimulants: signs and symptoms
(includes amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine and Ritalin)
- Euphoria
- Decreased appetite
- Rapid speech
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Depression as the drug wears off (“coming down”)
- Nasal congestion and damage to the mucous membrane to those who snort drugs
- Insomnia
- Weight loss
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Behavioral Studies
Writing
Writing
Objective
Prepare a report on drug
addiction.
From the
Script
Act 3, Scene 1
Karen, Barbara and Ivy discuss their mother’s drug addiction
Karen
Why did he (her doctor) write so many
prescriptions? Doesn’t he know--?
Barbara
It’s not just him. She’s got a doctor in every
port.
Ivy
Here’s how she does it: she sees a doctor for
back spasms and gets a prescription. Day or
two later she goes back. Says she lost her
pills and he writes her another one. Then next
week she pulls a muscle, more pills, then the
dosage is wrong, more pills, over and over,
until she makes one too many trips and he says
I’m not prescribing anymore. And she pulls a
sheaf of prescription receipts out of her purse
and says, “I’ll go to the AMA and have you in
court...” She genuinely threatens these men and
they give into her.
Teaching Tips
Be honest. Do you
tend to lump all Native
Americans into one
group? How much do
you know about the
individual tribes—their
customs and history?
Would they be better off
assimilating into white
American culture? How
do you feel about them
living on reservations?
Exercise
Violet admits, “I am a drug addict. I am addicted to drugs, pills, ‘specially downers.Y’see these
little blue babies? These are my best friends and they never let me down.”
This sad admission from Violet is the same one thousands of addicts every day say or at
least should be admitting to themselves and others. The rate of teen addiction to pills in this
country is staggering, and many get them in the same way Violet does as described by Ivy in
the script excerpt.
Research the problem of teen pill addiction. Write an in depth report on what is being
done about it. Include information on penalties for over-prescribing drugs to patients; legal
penalties for illegally securing pill prescriptions and drugs themselves; the market for illegal
pills; famous teen celebrities who have been addicted. Include statements by doctors, drug
counselors and addicts themselves as to how and why they became
addicted and how it affected their lives.
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Behavioral studies
Discussion
Script
Discussion
From the
To recognize denial in
behavior—others and
our own.
Act 3, Scene 1
Karen’s fiancé Steve is attacked by Johnna for trying to molest Bill and Barbara’s fourteenyear-old daughter, Jean. Karen is in denial and tells them it probably wasn’t all his fault and
that none of them are perfect.
Objective
Teaching Tips
Sometimes it’s hard to
face the truth, especially
when it affects something
important in our lives.
But denying the truth
is never a good thing.
In doing it we delude
ourselves and fail to see
things as they truly really
are. How can we live
well in a world of wishes
and dreams?
Karen (to Barbara)
You better find out from Jean just exactly what went on in there
before you start pointing fingers...Cause I doubt Jean’s exactly
blameless in all this...I’m not defending him. He’s not perfect.
I’m no angel myself. I’ve done some things I’m not proud of...
Sometimes life puts you in a corner that way...Anyway, you have
your own hash to settle before you start making speeches to the
rest of us in fact, sort of a human cactus.
Exercise
Earlier in the play we learn that Karen has been involved in one bad relationship after another.
She has met Steve, a somewhat overly gregarious real estate salesman, and they plan to
marry. She is fixated on their planned honeymoon in Belize. It is very important to her. When
she finds out he has been “messing” with young Jean she refuses to accept the reality and
makes excuses because it’s convenient.
Using the excerpt conduct an open discussion of Karen’s denial in this situation. How is
this going to hurt her in future? What kind of a relationship is she likely to have with Steve.
Is she recreating the same bad relationships she’s had in the past? Is she deluding herself?
How? How does denial hinder people from making good decisions and from having happy,
productive lives?
Ask students to think of a time when they denied something because it was convenient. Ask
those willing to talk about it to share their experience with the class.
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Behavioral studies
experiential
Experiential
Objective
The effect of good and
bad communication as
behavior.
From the
Act 3, Scene 1
Charlie has had enough of his wife’s (Mattie Fae) berating their son, Charlie, and in fact
enough of the way her entire family speaks to each other.
Charles
I don’t understand this meanness.
I look at you and your sister and
the way you talk to people and I
don’t understand it. I just can’t
understand why people can’t be
respectful of one another. I don’t
think there’s any excuse for it. My
family didn’t treat each other that
way.
Teaching Tips
How often have you
heard people speaking
to others in disrespectful
ways? Be honest. Are you
guilty of it, not only with
your family members but
others too? Sometimes
rough talk can become
a habit hard to break.
We become known for
the mean way in which
we talk to people.
Can this habit damage
relationships?
Script
Exercise
At this point in the script we do not yet understand what animosities may exist that cause
Mattie Fae to treat her son so poorly. She humiliates him ever chance she gets. When
we discover that he is the child she had with her brother-in-law, Beverly, we somewhat
understand. Her own self-loathing has transferred to her son. She hates herself and the child
born from the illicit affair. All her communication with him over the years has been based
on that. Yet it doesn’t stop us, as the audience, from despising her cruel words, which have
turned her son into a beaten pathetic individual.
Watch What You Say!
Pairs of students role play and act out a scene. One student communicates to the other that
they’ve done something wrong. For the sake of spontaneity, write various things someone
might have done wrong on slips of paper and put them in a bowl. Students pick one and act
it out. The first should be harsh communication that berates the offender. The second should
be a civilized dialogue in which the speaker gets the point across in a positive respectful way.
The offender should respond during both scenarios. Students may switch roles or remain in
the same role.
After each dialogue the offender reveals how they felt. The class as a whole analyzes both
scenarios, paying particular attention to the behavior of both the
speaker and offender during the interaction.
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behavioral studies
After Hours
Teaching Tips
Challenge
Getting control can
be important in many
situations. To feel
powerless, to let
something happen and
do nothing about it
makes us feel weak and
ineffectual. It can also
be dangerous to our
personal safety. Some
contend that women,
because of their more
passive upbringings,
tend to shy away from
confrontation while
men, encouraged to be
more aggressive, may
not. Johnna does not
fit the former category.
Bill, who seems more
analytical about the
incident, does not fit
the latter. What kind of
woman/man are you?
Get a group of women together for a discussion session. If possible, the group should be
women of your age and other ages for a mix of perspectives. Read to them the following
synopsis of the scene:
Johnna, the Cheyenne house maid, finds 50-year-old Steve, Karen’s
fiancé, smoking pot and behaving in an inappropriate sexual way with
Barbara and Bill’s daughter, Jean who is 14. She flings a frying pan at
him and berates him for his behavior. Awakened, Barbara and Bill,
Jean’s parents, and Karen, Steve’s fiancé enter the scene. An argument
ensues in which Barbara, enraged, attacks Steve verbally. She also
attacks and brings into the argument the fact that Bill has left her for a
young college student. Bill, a college professor, is analytical and seems
more interested in deflecting the conversation by attempting to find
out what happened and lecturing his daughter about her behavior.
After reading the synopsis to the group, have each participant select the answer(s) that apply
from the following multiple choice options:
( )
a. would you have done what Johnna did and deal with the situation
directly, forcefully and immediately? (Not necessarily hit him with a frying pan)
( )
b. (for the women) would you have woken up the men and let them deal with it?
( ) c. would you have insisted on calling the police?
( )
d. would you have done nothing because it’s none of your business?
Keep track of the answers and score the women on their attitudes. Take notes on any
comments they may make.
Next get a group of men together and ask them the same questions. Score the men. Make
notes on their comments.
What general conclusions can you draw about how men and women handle confrontation?
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Summary of Standard for
The Arts
Art Connections
Understands connections among the various art forms and other disciplines
n
Theater
Demonstrates competence in writing scripts
Uses acting skills
Designs and produces informal and formal productions
n
Directs scenes and productions
n
Understands how informal and formal theater, film, television, and electronic
media productions create and communicate meaning
n
Understands the context in which theater, film, television, and electronic
media are perfomed today as well as in the past
n
n
n
Music
Sings, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Performs on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Improvises melodies, variations, and accompaniments
n
Composes and arranges music within specified guidelines
n
Reads and notates music
n
Knows and applies appropriate criteria to music and music performances
n
Understands the relationship between music history and culture
n
n
n
Visual Arts
Understands and applies media, techniques and processes related to
the visual arts
Knows how to use the structures (e.g., sensory qualities, organizational
principles, expressive features) and functions of art
n
Knows a range of subject matter, symbols, and potential ideas in the visual
arts
n
Understands the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
n
Understands the characteristics and merits of one’s own artwork and the
artwork of others
n
n
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The Arts
Writing
August: Osage County Playbill®
Writing
Excerpt from the
Explore the Pulitzer
Prize for Drama and its
recipients over the years.
Tracy Letts (Playwright)
Recipient of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; author of
Killer Joe...Bug... His play Man From Nebraska was produced...
in 2003. He has appeared on television in “The District,”
“Profiler,” “Prison Break,” “The Drew Carey Show”, “Seinfeld”
and “Home Improvement.” Film appearances include
Guinevere, US. Marshals and Chicago Cab.
Objective
Teaching Tips
Not everyone wins
awards but they are
certainly nice to receive.
What awards would you
strive for? Do you think
an award should be the
goal of your work, or is
simply doing your best
more important?
Exercise
Winning a Pulitzer Prize means an artist has reached the zenith of his or her career. Tracy
Letts, actor and playwright, winner of the 2008 award for drama for August: Osage County has
quite a few credits to his name as listed in the above Playbill excerpt. He joins some excellent
company.
Research playwrights who have won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. What is the criterion for
receiving the prize? Select one playwright and prepare a biography of the author; a list of his
or her works; and a synopsis of the work which won them the Pulitzer. How many other
major awards have they won? Has any won more than once? Who?
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The Arts
Discussion
Discussion
Objective
Examine a major
ensemble theatre
company.
Excerpt from the
August: Osage County Playbill®
A Brief Encounter, with Amy Morton
(“Barbara Fordham” from the original Broadway production of August: Osage County)
The interviewer asks Amy Morton if growing up in the Midwest she recognized the
attitudes of the characters.
Amy Morton’s response:
Absolutely. It was interesting. Most of the cast members of this play come from small
towns. All of us in the original Chicago production were from the Midwest. In the New
York production, all but two are from the Midwest. And it’s a very Midwestern tale....
I don’t mean because it’s got sensationalism or any of that stuff—the huge surprises you
find in the play. I think its stoicism, its pent-up pain—it’s certainly Midwestern.
Teaching Tips
Do you think American
Theatre is only
Broadway? Think again.
Many regional companies
throughout the U.S. are
perpetuating the love of
and continued interest
in theatre arts. Without
them we would not have
the quality and diversity
of theatrical experience
we enjoy.
Exercise
It was the Steppenwolf Theatre Company of Chicago’s production of the Tony Award
nominated August: Osage County that came to Broadway. Steppenwolf, renowned for its
premier productions of original plays, the ensemble company has produced some of the finest
theatre on the American theatrical scene. Steppenwolf was founded in 1974 by actors Terry
Kinney, Jeff Perry and television and film actor Gary Sinise of “CSI: NY” fame.
As students you should be aware of this marvelous American theatrical resource. If you’ve
never heard of Steppenwolf, and are unfamiliar with its work, it’s time you did.
Divide the class into groups. Have students visit the several websites devoted to Steppenwolf.
Have each group research the following topics: Steppenwolf history; productions; major
artists who got their start there; educational programs; artistic philosophy; awards.
After researching their topic, each group presents its findings to the class.
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The Arts
experiential
Script
Experiential
From the
View and analyze a
Pulitzer Prize winning
drama.
Prologue
Beverly provides background that sets the mood of the play—hopelessness. Everyone in this
play has given up. It is interesting and with appropriate artistic grace that the playwright uses
this prize-winning poetic dialogue to expresses Beverly’s (who is a poet) despair.
Objective
Teaching Tips
What is greatness?
Can we determine it
based on a set of given
criterion? Do you have
to necessarily like great
works or simply respect
them for meeting certain
standards set by an
industry? In short, is a
great play in the eye of
the beholder?
Beverly
My wife takes pills and I drink. That’s the bargain
we’ve struck...I learned long ago not to speak for
my wife. The reasons why we partake are anymore
inconsequential. The facts are: my wife takes pills and
I drink. And these facts have over time made burdensome
the maintenance of traditional American routine: paying
bills, purchase of goods, cleaning of clothes or carpets
or crappers. Rather than once more assume the mantle of
guilt...vow abstinence with my fingers crossed in the
queasy hope of righting our ship, I’ve chosen to turn my
life over to a Higher Power...(Hoists his glass)...and
join the ranks of the Hiring Class.
Exercise
In the Writing section of The Arts you have researched other authors and their works which
have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Many other Pulitzer Prize winning works have been
made into films. One that comes to mind is the 1984 winner, Glengarry Glen Ross by the great
American Playwright, David Mamet.
Choose a play you’ve explored in the Writing section that has been made into film, or
rent Glengarry Glen Ross. Watch the film. Afterwards conduct a discussion focusing on
performances, dialogue; dramatic situation and stage direction (you will have to assume a
few things here since film staging is different from theatrical staging) Collect class opinions
on why this work received the award, comparing its winning elements with those given for
winning the Pulitzer in Drama.
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