MASTER STUDY GUIDE THEATER APPRECIATION

Pomona

A play centered on a search for a missing woman in Manchester and the dark mysteries hidden in an abandoned dockland area.

Playwright of Pomona

Alistair McDowall

Director of the discussed production of Pomona

Anna Corbould

Ollie's primary goal in Pomona

To find her missing sister

Setting of Pomona

Manchester, England, particularly the abandoned area surrounded by canals, roads, and railway tracks

Ollie (Pamona)

The hero searching for her missing sister

Fay (pomona)

A companion figure who tries to help others despite the danger

Charlie (pomona)

A security guard interested in Dungeons & Dragons

Moe (pomona)

A security guard with a dark past and bad temper

Gale (pomona)

Powerful authority figure described as hard and sharp

Keaton (pomona)

Wealthy, nervous, isolated character who functions like an "end boss"

Zeppo (pomona)

Mysterious "Man on the Road" who knows the city and acts as a ferryman figure

Hero archetype in Pomona

Ollie

Companion archetype in Pomona

Fay

Gatekeepers in Pomona

Charlie and Moe

Ferryman figure in Pomona

Zeppo

End boss figure in Pomona

Keaton

Discussion topics for Pomona

Lights, music, set, costumes, fan casting, Manchester history, Goddess Pomona, and Dungeons & Dragons.

Significance of Manchester in Pomona

The city's geography, history, canals, roads, and abandoned spaces shape the atmosphere of the play.

Atmosphere of Pomona

Dark, mysterious, urban, threatening, and surreal

The Play That Goes Wrong

A comedy where an amateur theater company attempts to perform a murder mystery, but everything falls apart.

Main styles of comedy in The Play That Goes Wrong

Farce and physical comedy.

Discussion topics for The Play That Goes Wrong

Effective comedy moments, comedy legends, scenes that go wrong, and murder mysteries.

Farce

A style of comedy involving exaggerated situations, physical humor, mistakes, and chaos.

Physical comedy

Humor created through movement, falls, accidents, and visual gags.

Dramatic irony in The Play That Goes Wrong

A comedic device where the audience understands problems and disasters before the characters do.

Primary source of humor in The Play That Goes Wrong

The actors desperately trying to continue performing despite constant disasters.

Role of set failures in The Play That Goes Wrong

A major source of comedy where scenery collapses or malfunctions throughout the performance.

Four key comedy techniques used throughout The Play That Goes Wrong

Timing, escalation, repetition, and misdirection.

Genre parodied in The Play That Goes Wrong

Murder mystery.

Central joke of The Play That Goes Wrong

A play-within-a-play where everything goes wrong, but the cast refuses to stop.

Who inspired Cabaret?

Christopher Isherwood's Berlin writings

Who was Christopher Isherwood?

English author who wrote about life in Berlin before Nazi control

Important Isherwood works connected to Cabaret

The Berlin Stories, Goodbye to Berlin, and Mr Norris Changes Trains.

"I am a camera with its shutter open..." refers to what (cabaret)?

isherwood's observational approach to writing.

I Am a Camera (cabaret)

1951 play based on Isherwood's work

Who wrote the music for Cabaret?

John Kander

Who wrote the lyrics for Cabaret?

Fred Ebb

Who wrote the book for cabaret

Jon Masteroff

When did Cabaret premiere?

1966

Original stars of Cabaret

Joel Grey and Lotte Lenya

Cabaret film release year

1972

stars of the Cabaret film

Liza Minnelli, Michael York, and Joel Grey.

Important revival for cabaret

1998 production directed by Sam Mendes.

Stars of the 1998 cabaret revival

Historical setting of Cabaret

Berlin during the rise of Nazism

major themes in cabaret

Political extremism can grow when ordinary people stay passive.

Escapism versus reality

Moral responsibility in dangerous times

Why is the Kit Kat Club important in cabaret?

It comments on events and reflects what is happening in Germany.

Three major worlds in Cabaret

Train, Boarding House, and Kit Kat Club

Boarding House songs reveal what in cabaret?

Real character relationships and conversations.

Kit Kat Club songs function as what in cabaret?

Commentary and burlesque-style performance.

Opening song of Cabaret

"Wilkommen."

What does "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" symbolize in cabaret?

The growing appeal of Nazi ideology

What does "Money" comment on in cabaret?

Materialism and greed

What is significant about "If You Could See Her" in cabaret?

It uses humor to expose prejudice and antisemitism.

What does "Cabaret" represent?

Living fully in the moment even when reality is collapsing.

"Maybe This Time" (cabaret)

Sally's hope that love might finally succeed.

Who inspired Guys and Dolls

Damon Runyon and his New York stories

When was Damon Runyon born? (g + d)

1880

What Damon Runyon story inspired Guys and Dolls?

"The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown."

Guys and Dolls story collection published

1932

Broadway premiere of Guys and Dolls

1950

Composer and lyricist of g+d

Frank Loesser

Book writers of g+d

Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows

Film adaptation release year of g+d

1955

Film stars of g+d

Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra

Notable revival actors in g+d

Nathan Lane, Peter Gallagher, Ewan McGregor, and Douglas Hodge

Nathan Detroit (g+d)

Permanent fiancée of Adelaide and organizer of illegal crap games.

Sky Masterson (g+d)

Charming gambler who bets he can take Sarah Brown to Havana

Sarah Brown(g+d)

Mission worker trying to save souls.

Miss Adelaide (g+d)

Nightclub performer engaged to Nathan for many years.

major themes of guys and dolls

Love changes people.

Redemption and personal transformation.

Conflict between morality and gambling.

Why is Guys and Dolls considered a classic musical?

Strong songs, memorable characters, comedy, and romance.

Famous songs from Guys and Dolls

"Luck Be a Lady," "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," "Adelaide's Lament," and "I've Never Been in Love Before."

Dramaturg

Theater artist who helps answer the question "Why this play now?"

Two major categories of dramaturgy

New Play Dramaturgy and Production Dramaturg

New Play Dramaturgy

Supporting scripts from early drafts through production

Production Dramaturgy

Researching and contextualizing productions for artists and audiences

Actor packet

Information a dramaturg provides to help performers understand the world of the play

Audience engagement

Activities that enrich the audience's experience.

What city is central to Pomona?

manchester

Who is searching for a missing sister in Pomona?

ollie

What role does Dungeons & Dragons play in Pomona?

It influences the structure, character roles, and themes.

What historical event forms the backdrop of Cabaret?

The rise of Nazism in Germany.

What is the function of the Kit Kat Club (cabaret)?

To comment on and reflect society through performance.

What comedy style dominates The Play That Goes Wrong?

Farce and physical comedy.

Who wrote the music and lyrics for Guys and Dolls?

Frank Loesser

What question does a dramaturg answer?

"Why this play now?"