The Class Menagerie REVISED 5-23-11

The Class Menagerie

By

Kelly Fawcett

Nancy Rodriquez

Kevin Gonzalez

Audrey Schultz

Kelly Fawcett

1 Lab Top Computer way

3 Z’s production company 2011                                                         Morgan Hill, California 95046

CONTENTS

Introduction                                          V

Cast Listing /Scene                               VII

The Characters                                      VIX

The Class Menagerie                           3

INTRODUCTION

                Instructor Stacy Knapp, an employee of Gavilan College, gave her English 1B students an assignment on May 16 2011.  The challenge was to divide into groups, then write and “present one scene in class that demonstrates a basic knowledge of the dramatic form and compete a 1-5 page hard copy of the group script formatted and without errors” (1).  The script was to be based on The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams.  

Each group member was to be responsible for a role in the production of their script.  The writer was to be responsible “for creating a believable scene with dialog, internal and external conflict, and epiphany and resolution” (1).  The Director was to “facilitate the production… making sure each group member is competing their assigned role” (1). The Editor would work on “the written dialogue and stage direction” (1).  The set/costume designer was given the job of describing the setting, stage and costume design.  Under the vigilance of the previous, the actors were responsible for acting out the story line, and becoming a believable representation of the character they portray. 

 As soon as the assignment sheet was handed out and before the students were formed in to groups, two of the students, Kelly Fawcett and Nancy Rodriquez decided they would work together to formulate a believable story line. After a minimal about of collaboration, Fawcett conferenced with Instructor Knapp to insure their storyline was acceptable.

 Rather than a storyline directly based on The Glass Menagerie, it was based on Instructor Knapp’s classroom.  The production was a spoof on the name The Glass menagerie, and entails many of the same characteristics.

The rough draft of the script was then on the computer within a few hours after that class, and Kevin Gonzalez was added to the team, two days later Audrey Schultz was recruited as the final member of the team.

(1)   Stacy Knapp, 2011                                                                                                    

  V

CAST LISTING

The Class Menagerie was produced by four of S. Knapp’s English 1B students, in a classroom at Gavilan College in Morgan Hill, California, on May 25, 2011.  The setting was designed and lighted by Audrey Schultz;  The music was edited by Kevin Gonzalez; the play was staged by Kelly Fawcett and Nancy Rodriguez.  The cast was as follows:

Student ‘A’                                                         Kelly Fawcett

Student ‘B’                                                         Kevin Gonzalez

Student ‘C’                                                         Nancy Rodriquez

Student ‘D’                                                         Audrey Schultz

Instructor                                                            Audrey Schultz

SCENE

SCENE: A classroom at Gavilan College in Morgan Hill, Calif. 2011

Part I.     The Assignment  

Part II.   The memory

Part III.  The Return of the Instructors

TIME:  Now and the beginning of the semester.

VII

THE CHARACTERS

STUDENT ‘A’ (narrator #2 and student in a college English class)

            A struggling student, who is desperately trying to make the grades.

STUDENT ‘B’   (student in college English class)

            An elusive male, who is only be in the English class, because it is required in order to reach his lifelong goal to become physicist.

 STUDENT ‘C’ (student in college English class)

            A student preoccupied with her/his love life.

STUDENT ‘D’ (student in college English Class)

            An enthusiastic excheer-leader.

INSTRUCTOR (narator #1 and female writer/instructor)

            An English instructor at Gavilan College in Morgan Hill, Calif.

VIX

THE CLASS MENAGERIE



SCENE ONE

                                                                                                    The Assignment

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The opening act takes place in a classroom. (all lights are on) Right of center stage is a table facing the audience and three chairs that have their backs to the audience. There is a book on the table.   The instructor is on the left of the table facing the audience and the chairs. Students ‘B’ and ‘C’ are seated in the chairs with their backs to the class.

INSTRUCTOR: (to the audience) Welcome to a Gavilin college English class, I am the instructor and these are my very smart students. Student ‘B’ is going on to become a physicists [Student ‘B’ stands briefly], Student ‘C’ is unsure what she wants to do [Student ‘C’ stands briefly], Student ‘A’ is late but will be here very soon, she plans to go into engineering and Student ‘D’ is also not here yet either, her goal is to work at Disney Land.

[Instructor walks to the table and addresses the class]

INSTRUCTOR: wo, wo, wo, wo, wo, wo, wo…   (“Charlie Brown movie”, adult talk)

[Student ‘A’ rushes in with a notebook and pencil, and takes a seat as the teacher is talking,   Student ‘A’ hurriedly opens her notebook and in large letters, prints, “Write a script on “The Class Menagerie”.]

INSTRUCTOR:  wo, wo, wo, wo, wo, wo … have a good weekend.

[Everyone leaves the class except the Student ‘A’.  Student ‘A’ slowly stands with her back still to the audience, then holds up the paper to look at it, in view of the audience. (the lights dim)]

STUDENT ‘A’: “Write a script on “The Class Menagerie”. 

[Student ‘A’ turns to speak to the audience.]

STUDENT ‘A’: I cannot believe my car broke down today.  At least I was able to make it in time to get the assignment.

[Student ‘A’ starts to walk out the door, on the left of the stage, stops and looks at the door for a moment, then turns back to the audience.] 

STUDENT ‘A’ (addresses the audience):  We use to meet in the room on the other side of the building.  For our first writing assignments, in that room, we were divided into groups with animal names, like when I was in kindergarden.  I was in the turtle group.   I like being a turtle….   I guess I can write about this class, it is a menagerie.  I hope that is what she wants.

[Student ‘A’ places finger against the side of her head and recalls the memory of the classroom while the lights turn up.]

[‘Twilight Zone’ theme song or music box plays]               

SCENE TWO

The Memory

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[Students ‘B’ and ‘C’ inconspicuously take seats in the chairs on right stage.  Student ‘B’ has a pencil in his hand, and sits in the chair closest to right stage.  Student ‘A’ crosses the stage and joins them still holding her notebook and pencil.

The students turn the chairs to make a semicircle facing the audience, and begin talking.  Student ‘B’ sits very quiet, off to the side, looking down at his pencil, with little interest in the group.]

[Student ‘D’ enters the room and sits in a chair]

            STUDENT ‘B’: Sorry I am late I had to stop at the bathroom.

STUDENT ‘B’: (in a soft casual voice) I guess we are the turtles.

STUDENT ‘D’: Oh yeaaaa, I like being a turtle it’s better than a cheer-leader!  I used to be a cheer-leader and now I don’t like them.

STUDENT ‘C’: What are we supposed to write about? I was reading a text from my boyfriend while she was talking.

STUDENT ’A’: She said something about a T.E.A. paragraph.  Do you know what that is? 

STUDENT ‘C’: I think that is a paragraph with a topic. Does it matter what the topic is?

              STUDENT ‘A’: I don’t think it matters. Are you a good speller?  I can’t spell very well.  Do you want to be a scribe?

               STUDENT ‘C’: I can spell OK but, my handwriting is bad. 

               STUDENT ‘A’: that is Ok.  [Student ‘A’ shoves the notebook and pencil at Student ‘C’.]

(A phone rings a romantic tone)

             [Student ‘C’ takes out her cell phone while she sings to the ring tone and begins texting.   Students ‘A’, and ‘D’ moves close to Student ‘C’ and begins mumble to her.  After a moment of mumbling, Student ’C’ look at them.]

               STUDENT ‘C’:  Oh, did you want me to write all that down.

               STUDENT ‘A’:  I am not sure, what do you think?

               [They turn to Student ‘B’ and stare at him as he continues to looks at his pencil uninterested in the turtle group. Students ‘A’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ turn back to their huddle and begin mumbling at each other.]

[Student ‘C’ begins to write]

               STUDENTS ‘A’, ‘C’ and ‘D’: mumble, mumble, mumble…

               STUDENT ‘C’: We could say something like “his jargon was crude”.

               STUDENT ‘D’: EWWWWWW, I hate that word!

               STUDENT ‘A’:  What is another good word for that?

               [Suddenly Student ‘B’ look up at the other students.]

               STUDENT ‘B’ [in a soft voice]:  Vernacular.

               [Student ‘B’ then goes back to playing with his pencil. The other students pause to stare at Student ‘B’ briefly]

               STUDENTS ‘C’: Anyone know how to spell that?

                STUDENT ‘B’: (without looking up) V, E, R, N, A, C, U, L, A, R.

 [Students ‘A’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ return to their huddle resuming their writing and mumbling.]

              STUDENT ‘D’: I will be right back; I have to go use the little girl’s room.

[Student ‘D’ exits left stage]

               [Student ‘C’ stands and walks to the table, lays the paper on it, then returns to her seat, and returns the notebook to Student ‘A’.]

 [Student ‘A’ and ‘C’ look anxiously as the instructor enters the room from left stage and picks up the paper.  Student ‘B’ continues to look down and playing with his pencil.] 

              INSTRUCTOR: Wo, wo, wo, wo, wo, wo...  OH! Nice word, vernacular.   Wo, wo, wo, wo…

[Students ‘A’ and ‘C’ look at each other and share a ‘high five’]

[‘Twilight Zone’ theme song or music box plays]

[Teacher and students leave stage, the lights dim, Student ‘A’ crosses to left stage and stares at the door.]

[the lights dim]

SCENE THREE

The Return of the Instructor

           _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________          

               [Student ‘A’ staring at the door in deep thought then turns to audience.]  

               STUDENT ‘A’: Yeah, I could write about that day. 

               [Teacher enters the classroom, walks past Student ‘A’, and picks up the book on the table,                     

               and then turns back to Student ‘A’.] 

               INSTRUCTOR:  You are still her?

              SUTDENT ‘A’: Yeah, I was just thinking about a topic for our script on the “The Class Menagerie”.

               INSTRUCTOR: You mean the “The Glass Menagerie” don’t you.

                STUDENT ‘A’:  Oh yeah, that is what I meant.

the Scarlet Letter (The Soap Opera)

The Soap Opera

Love whether it be for a person, money or material things is the most influential emotion that shapes the lives of individuals. The lives of lovers in the twenty-first century are simplified in comparison to the lives of the Puritan’s in the sixteenth and seventeenth century.  As an example we can contemplate the love triangle that occurs in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  The protagonist, Hester Prynne, was a married woman who had an affair with the Reverend Arthur Dimmsdale, in the absence of her husband. She unfortunately, became pregnant and had a daughter who she named Pearl.  In the twenty-first century this would be a tragedy, but it would not be uncommon for a married woman to divorce and remarry to the father of her child, without disrupting the dynamics of the community. Contrarily, the Puritans choose not to accept or had missed reading the book of John in the Holy Bible.  "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a STONE at her" John 8:7 (1340).  Each of the Puritans must have had something they questioned about themselves.  Consequently, they persecuted infidelits like Hester quite harshly such as, being killed, including the men, or forced to wear a heavy wooden ‘A’ hanging from their necks for the remainder of their years.  Fortunately for Hester, she only had to wear a cloth ‘A’. Sociologically the relationship between Hester and the two men offers a unique focal point in the Puritan life style.

            Most of the details about, Chillingsworth, Hester’s husband’s involvement in the triangle are at the beginning of the story while Hester was in prison.  During her imprisonment with her child for committing adultery, she was brought to the town square to stand on the scaffolding for public persecution and to receive her sentence. 

Upon returning to civilization, Hester’s husband, who had assumed the name Rodger Chillingsworth, was confronted with Hester on the scaffolding.  Rather than lend himself to the hysteria of the public, he “bent his eyes on Hester Prynne… a man  chiefly accustomed to looking inward, and to whom external matters are of little value… very soon…his face darkened with some powerful emotion”(45).   Followed by a signal to Hester to keep his identity a secret, he then took his time to assess the situation.  It seems that Chillingsworth would not have looked in the eyes of Hester without some deep feelings for her.  Powerful emotion, be it negative or positive is rooted deep in the heart where love lies.  Chillingsworth’s love had just been crushed and he had not had time to process the attached emotions that came with it.

            Chillingsworth assessed the situation and initiated a conversation with a nearby townsman. He shared that he had “been long held in bonds among the heathenflok…will it please you to tell me of Hester Prynne?  [ the townsman answered] in some two years, or less… no tidings have come of…Master Prynne: and his young wife…being left to her own misguidance, [Chillingsworth interrupted]so learned a man as you speak of should have learned this too in his books”(45). His discussion suggests that he possibly employed some guilt about leaving his wife alone for the previous two years.  His love may have been fading but he still felt responsible for his wife.

            When Chillingsworth was told that Hester would not be killed for her infidelities, he exclaimed, “great mercy and tenderness of heart, they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom…A wise sentence!”(46).  The excitement in his response denotes that he was relieved that her life would be spared.  If he was enraged about Hester tarnishing his reputation he would have been relieved if she were sentenced to death.

            Unbeknownst to Chillingsworth, Hester’s adversary already had a hand in her survival of the trial.  During Hester’s interlude on the scaffolding Mister Wilson, the clergyman announced, “I have striven with my young brother [Arthur Dimmesdale]...I have sought ... he should deal with you"(48).  In that brief moment, Hester’s destiny had been placed in the hands of her lover. His political influence in the case explains why she had received a lesser sentence than those that went before her. As the story progressed, Dimmesdale utilized his political position to keep vigil over his lover and step-daughter.

                Chillingsworth apparently had compassion his unfaithful wife, even after having his love for her crushed, but harbored jealousy for her lover. As he pondered her survival his emotions erupted, “It irks me, nevertheless, that the partner of her iniquity should not …stand on the scaffold…But he will be known!- He will be Known!-he will be known!” (46). Jealousy is a property of love.  Only a man who had deeply loved would so passionately insist on knowing the father of his wife’s illegitimate child.

Even though Dimmesdale was in love with Hester, his passion was not as evident as Chillingsworth’s.   While Hester was on the scaffold, Wilson pleaded for Hester to confess the name of her accomplice.  Hester replied,  "“ Never!”...looking, not at Mr. Wilson but into the deep and troubled eyes of the younger clergyman [Dimmsdale]" (49).  Responding to Hester’s adamant elucidation, Dimmesdale placed his hand over his heart and publicly commended her silent fortitude, “Wondrous strength and generosity of a woman’s heart!  She will not speak!”(50).  The tale later revealed that Dimmesdale silently pursued his punishment. This may not have been as passionate as Chillingsworth’s comment.  None the less, by bringing the questioning to a halt his compassion for Hester was evident.  At the same time Hester had protected Dimmesdale from the trial that she was already a spectacle of and given by not revealing her lover, gave reason for the death sentence to be delayed.

The Puritans were without a physician, leaving them venerable to the multitude of physical ailments of their time. Fortunately for the colonist, Chillingsworth was able to use his education from England, even though it was not in the medical field, and the knowledge that he had learned from the Indians, to gain standing in the Puritan community, as a physician; 

The practice of medicine in the colonies was in a cruder state even than were the educational facilities. The village doctor was indeed an important personage, quite equal to the schoolmaster or the innkeeper, and not much inferior to the minister. He was at home in every family, and was highly respected by all classes. He was present at every birth and every funeral; he sat with the minister at the bed of death, and put his name with that of the lawyer to every will. His medical education was usually meager, and often consisted only of a short apprenticeship with some noted physician. No medical college existed in the colonies before the Revolution… There was a great deal of mystery in connection with the practice of medicine. In addition to the regular physicians there were many quacks who hawked their Indian medicines and special cures about the country (History of the United States of America, by Henry William Elson).

By taking the position of a physician Chillingsworth was privy to Hester’s cell and eventually involved in decisions regarding her.  Furthermore, when he suspected Dimmesdale of having the affair with his wife, it brought him to be housed with him.

            Pearl and Hester’s failed health, during their term in prison, merited a visit from the Puritans newly found physician, Rodger Chillingsworth.  In the privacy of the prison cell Chillingsworth immediately focused his attention on Pearl, which created a path closer to Hester.  His bedside manner with both was caring and almost endearing.  Maintaining some of his heart felt feelings, his emotions drifted in to his work and he confessed to Hester:

 It was my folly and thy weakness…a man already in decay…having given my best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge,-what had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own! How could I delude myself …that intellectual gifts might veil Physical deformity in a young girl’s fantasy! ...I drew thee into my heart, and sought to warm thee. We have wronged each other (Hawthorn 53). 

 Chillingsworth exhibited self-blame for Hester’s actions. In the Puritan community every citizen had a place, and men were to rule over their women. “The essence of social order lay in the authority of husband over wife, parents over children, and masters over servants in the family” (John White, But a Helper).  When he was Mister Prynne, Chillingsworth had failed to maintain his place in his marriage.  Being devoted to the authority of religion and society, he suffered from the guilt of not fulfilling his duties and abandoning his wife, compounded with his inferiority as a husband of a young bride.

The influence of the Puritan’s reinforced Chillingsworth’s desire to justify his love for Hester by hold on to the a few threads that tied him to her. Before leaving Hester’s cell, Chillingsworth proclaims to Hester, “Thou and thine, belong to me.  My home is where thou art” (Hawthorn 54).  He had not only announced to her that she was still his, but also had laid claim to Pearl.   This important statement is foreshadowing to his final actions in life.

          When Pearl was seven years of age, Hester encountered Arthur Dimmesdale in the forest.  Upon meeting "Arthur Dimmesdale put forth his hand, chill as death, and touched the chill hand of Hester Prynne.  The grasp cold as it was took away what was dreariest in the interview…Without a word more spoken,- neither he nor she assuming the guidance, but with an unexpressed consent,- they glided back into the shadow of the woods"(123).  The love they shared bound them to each other even in such simple acts as walking in unison without a verbal discuss on the execution of the action.  Just as long married couples seem to know the upcoming action of the other, so did Hester and Dimmesdale

The strong connection between the two lovers left both parties feeling pain for the other.  In the forest Dimmesdale asked; "Hester,...hast thou found peace?[she responded] Hast thou?”(123).  Both expressed a genuine concern for the others state of mind and share their pain. Accentuating the pain, Hester divulged to Dimmesdale that Chillingsworth was her husband and very jealous of him. Even though Hester had kept crucial information from Dimmesdale, the pure love, he had for her, revealed it’s self when he was accepting of Hester’s deception in the face of his own demise.

They had kept their love for each other and maintained a state of denial to the public, but in the solitude, of their visitation in the forest, they were granted a few fleeting moments of bliss. “Life had never brought them a gloomier hour...yet it enclosed a charm that made them linger upon it and claim another, and another and, after all, another moment"(126).  That sole opportunity to be alone together and bask in one another’s love was so alluring that their only option was to take advantage of it.  For eight years they had maintained what appeared to be a professional relationship.  Their time in the forest was, a refreshing moment stolen from their past and concealed form the eyes of the townspeople.

Hester attempted to convince Dimmesdale to leave make a new home away from the town or take passage on a ship to the old country, for the good of his health.  But he argued that he "must die here! There is not the strength or courage left me to venture into the wide, strange, difficult world, alone! ...  Alone, Hester!"(128) He seemed to have been searching for reason, to not leave Hester and to keep her near him without begging for her presence in his life.  She explained, she would join him, causing him instant elation and to be filled with an uncommon excitement.  His devotion to Hester and Pearl was so strong that even the threat of his impending death would not provoke him to leave them.   Hester finally succeeded in persuading Dimmsdale to join her and Pearl’s family, as the ventured to England.  He made a decision to leave the community with Hester and Pearl to start a new life together.  The biological family, that resulted from infidelity, proved to be stronger that the Puritan persecution. 

Rather than living as a family, fate made way for their path to the town’s scaffolding, where Dimmesdale demonstrated his love for Pearl.  She had repeatedly requested him to stand on the scaffold with Hester and her.  As if it were a public symbol that they were a family.  In doing so he would be exposed to public persecution and possibly death.  Due to the activity of a holiday celebration, and the reputation that Hester and Dimmesdale had independently built, the towns people were horror-stricken, at the family on the scaffolding, rather than revengeful as they were seven years prior.

            As a result of the event on the scaffolding and his already failing physical condition Dimmesdale’s stress overwhelmed his health ending his life. Hester and Pearl were then left to continue their lives of solitude in the Puritan town. 

   Their lives did not continue as it was though. Chillingsworth displayed that his ownership of Hester and Pearl was of great magnitude to him. It would not have been uncommon for a man of Chillingsworth’s stature to donate his wealth to the church or a school as John Harvard, who was “a young [Puritan] clergyman … [who gave] a portion of his estate, amounting to about $4000,--a large sum in those days [to establish the Harvard College]” (History of the United States of America, by Henry William Elson).  Chillingsworth had suppressed his traditional patriarchal roll in his family for many years, compounding his guilt.  Given the fact that the community was unaware of his marriage to Hester, it was surprising that he acted on his guilt and left his wealth to Pearl.  Hester was unreceptive to his love and had divulged to him, “I felt no love” (Hawthorn 53).  How could he pass his wealth to a woman that did not want his love?  However, Pearl though not by blood, was still a member of his family, and created an avenue for him to provide for Hester.

Throughout the story, Rodger Chillingsworth and Arthur Dimmsdale closely monitor Hester and Pearl’s lives.  This was possible a result of self-preservation for Chillingsworth’s reputation or could have been his devotion to family and his love for Hester.  Because of the bonds of the Puritan religion, this cannot be established for certainty, but he did make allowances, for her, unnecessary to maintain his reputation.  Likewise, Dimmsdale fell into the same place of scrutiny.  The allowances he installed for Hester and Pearl kept the knowledge of his relationship to Hester cryptic.  Their secret could have incriminated him in her crime, and destroyed his reputation and possibly doomed him to death.  But, in the end both men made personal sacrifice’s that only benefited Hester and Pearl.

“WORK CITED”

The practice of medicine in the colonies was in a cruder …

a young [Puritan] clergyman …

     Elson, Henry William.  History of the United States of America, The MacMillan Compaany, New York, 1904 (p.206-208)

The essence of social order lay in the authority of husband over wife, parents over children, and masters over servants in the family. John White wrote in his Genesis commentary of a wife as "but a helper", a view called "typically puritan" by Philip C. Almond.

          Gouge, William. Puritans: Social Consequences and Family Life,  Museum of Learning, Explore a Virtual Museum of Knowledge

Hawthorn, Nathaniel.  Scarlet Letter and Other Writings, A Norton Critical Edition, New York-London, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2005 (p. 45, 46,48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 123, 126, 128)

He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a STONE at her

John 8:7, Holy Bible King James Version, Intellectual Reserve, Inc. 1979