Intro to theatre Final

Death of a salesman

Who and when?

Aurther Miller

1949

Death of a salesman

What is it about?

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a tragic play about Willy Loman, an aging traveling salesman who struggles to accept the reality of his life. He chases the American Dream but is haunted by failures—both his own and those of his sons, especially Biff. The play explores themes of identity, illusion vs. reality, and the cost of chasing unattainable success. It's a powerful look at a man slowly unraveling under the weight of disappointment.

Death of a salesmen theme?

The illusion of the American Dream: Willy Loman clings to a false vision of success, leading to personal and familial downfall.

Death of a salesman

Characters?

Willy Loman- The main man

Linda- Willy's Wife

Biff- Willy's son

Happy- Willy's other son

Benard- Helps Biff with school

Uncle Ben- Willys brother who passed away

Death of a salesmen,

How did Uncle Ben get rich?

"Walked into a jungle and came out rich" There were mines

Fences

Who and when?

August Wilson

1987

Fences

What is it about?

Fences by August Wilson is a play about Troy Maxson, a former Negro League baseball player who now works as a garbage collector in 1950s Pittsburgh. The story explores Troy's struggles with racism, personal failures, and his complicated relationships with his wife Rose and his son Cory. It's about broken dreams, generational conflict, and how people build emotional "fences" to protect themselves.

Fences theme?

The cycle of generational pain: Troy's past disappointments and trauma shape how he treats his son, continuing a legacy of emotional barriers.

Fences

Characters?

Troy Maxson- Main man

Jim Bono- Troys Friend

Rose- Troys wife

Lyons- Troys oldest son from previous marriage

Gabriel- Troys brother believes he's the angle Gabriel

Cory- Troy and Roses son

Raynell- Troys daughter with the mistress

Fences

What connection does August Wilson have with Minnesota?

his relationship with the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis and the Guthrie Theater

Fences

Who is Ma Rainey?

Ma Rainey was a famous early 20th-century blues singer, known as the "Mother of the Blues." August Wilson wrote a play about her called Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Angles in America: Millenium Approaches

Who and when?

Tony Kushner

1992

Angles in America: Millenium Approaches

What is it about?

Angels in America: Millennium Approaches by Tony Kushner is the first part of a two-part play that deals with the AIDS crisis in 1980s America. It follows several interconnected characters, including Prior Walter, who is diagnosed with AIDS; his partner Louis, who struggles to cope; and Roy Cohn, a powerful lawyer who also has AIDS but refuses to admit it. The play mixes realism with fantasy—ghosts and angels appear—as it explores themes of identity, politics, religion, and the search for meaning during a time of crisis.

Angles in America: Millenium Approaches theme?

The struggle for identity in the face of crisis: Characters navigate sexuality, politics, and mortality during the AIDS epidemic.

Angles in America: Millenium Approaches

Characters?

Roy M. Cohn- New York lawyer, unofficial power broker

Joseph Porter Pitt- Chief clerk for the justice Theordore Wilson of the federal court of appeals

Harper Amaty Pitt- Joes wife, has a Valium addiction and is a agoraphobe

Louis Ironson- a word processor, works with Joseph

Prior Walter- Louis boyfriend, has a disease

The man in the park- Played as the same actor as Prior

Hannah Porter Pitt- Josephs mother

The Rabbi- played by the same person as the mother

Roys doctor- also the same actor who plays hannah

Ethel Rosenburg- killed by roy, accused of communism, played by same actor as Hannah

Belize- former drag queen, friends with Prior

Mr. Lies- Harpers imaginary friend, played by same acter as Belize

The voice- the angel

Emily- the nurse, played by the same actor as the Angel

The beggar women- played by same actor as the angel

Prior 1- the ghost from the 13th century

Prior 2- the ghost from the 17th century

Ruined

Who and when?

Lynn Nottage

2008

Ruined

What is it about?

Ruined by Lynn Nottage is a powerful play set in a bar and brothel in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a brutal civil war. It centers on Mama Nadi, a tough and savvy woman who runs the establishment and tries to protect the women who work for her—many of whom are survivors of sexual violence. The play explores the impact of war on women's bodies and lives, and the complex choices people make to survive in extreme circumstances.

Ruined theme?

Survival through resilience: In the face of war and violence, Mama Nadi and the women around her fight to endure and maintain dignity.

Ruined

Characters?

Salima- brought to the brothel, is pregnant due to evil ucky men

Josephine- is kind of a bitch, she the main lady that all the customers at the brothel want to see

Jerome Kisembe- the Rebel leader

Mama Nadi- the keeper of the brothel

Simon- soldiers under osembenga

Fortune- soldiers under osembenga, Salimas husband

Christian- loves mama, brings sophie and salima, brings mama goods

Commander Osembenga- intimidating man

Mr. Harari- Josephene is in love with him

Sophie- is "ruined" due to mutilation, is smart

Ruined

What is coltan?

A metal, that is worth a lot of money.

Appropriate

Who and when?

Branden Jacobs Jenkins

2011

Appropriate

What is it about?

Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a darkly comic drama about a white Southern family reuniting at their late father's crumbling Arkansas plantation to settle his estate. As tensions rise, they uncover disturbing family secrets—including racist memorabilia—that force them to confront their past and each other. The play explores themes of generational trauma, legacy, denial, and the lingering presence of America's racist history.

Appropriate theme?

Confronting inherited guilt: A family is forced to face the buried legacies of racism and their own complicity in a troubled history.

Appropriate

Characters?

Toni- Oldest sibling

Rhys- Rhys son

Bo- Middle sibling

Rachel- Bo's wife

Cassidy- Rachels daughter, teen, thinks Shes adult

Ainsley- Rachels youngest

River- Franks fiancé

Frank/Franz- The youngest sibling

Appropriate

What crime did frank commit?

Pedophilia

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"I don't know how to help you. I don't even know how to help myself. I can't even help myself. I can't live like this. I can't live like this."

Harper, Tony Kushner, Angles in America

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"I am not here to save you. I am not here to be a saint. I'm here to make a living. That's what I'm doing."

Mama Nadi, Lynn Nottage, Ruined

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"I'm not saying he's a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid."

Linda, Aurther Miller, Death of a Salesmen

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"I been standing with you! I been right here with you, Troy. I got a life too. I gave you eighteen years of my life, and I stood by you. I let you tell me what to do and how to do it. I stood by you."

Rose, August Wilson, Fences

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"Go on in. Go in and cleanse yourself. Cleanse everyone. Wipe it all away. Take it all in with you and leave it there."

Franz, Branden Jacobs Jenkins, Appropriate

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"I don't want to remember. I want to forget. I want to forget everything. But I can't. I can't forget."

Sophie, Lynn Nottage, Ruined

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"I don't believe in cures. I believe in people. I believe in you. I believe in me."

Prior, Tony Kushner, Angles in America

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you. You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can. You're just a guy."

Biff, Aurther Miller, Death of a Salesmen

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"Yes, because there's no one alive who's held me. Isn't that sad?"

Toni, Branden Jacobs Jenkins, Appropriate

Who said it? Who is the Authur? What is the play?

"I done lived a full life, you understand? I done lived a full life. I done made some mistakes. I done made some mistakes and I done had some good times. I done had some good times. But I ain't gonna lie to you, I ain't gonna sit here and lie to you, I done had some bad times too. But I done lived a full life. And I can't sit here and say, 'I wish I had done this' or 'I wish I had done that.' I can't say that. I can't sit here and say I regret a damn thing. Cause I done lived a full life."

Troy, August Wilson, Fences