- How do you read this play? How do you make sense of it?
- How are the "Walkthroughs" distinct from the scenes? What are they doing? (What is their purpose(s)?)
- Do you notice the double entendres (double meanings) in the script? Give examples.
- There are a lot of different characters in this play. Why are only four actors supposed to perform it?
- Notice the format of the play. No caps, no punctuation. Why?
Welcome to the blog for Prof. John Talbird's English 220 class. The purpose of this site is two-fold: 1) to continue the conversations we start in class (or to start conversations before we get to class) and 2) to practice our writing/reading on a weekly basis in an informal forum.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Neighborhood 3 and Plays
How are plays different from other texts that we've read this semester? How is this play different from other plays you've read? (Or have you ever read a play before? Have you seen one?) Some other questions I have:
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The "Walkthroughs" are very distinct from the scenes. The walkthrough give you a first hand glance into the video game and explains what you need to do step by step. Similar to a cheat code or an in depth gamer's manual. Just like a manual or cheat code the walkthrough provides hints. Whereas, the scences appear to be a direct follow of the walkthrough. The first walkthrough ends with the individual entering the saloon doors into the kitchen then the scene follows with Makaela's and Trevor's encounter in the kitchen. This can be interpreted as Trevor already playing the game while on his way to Makaela's house. She invited Trevor over not to play the game but for an underlying cause which is why in the walkthrough the words on the welcome mat changes to help me.
ReplyDeleteI think the walkthroughs are an interesting element of the play, maybe the most interesting. It's told in the second person like directions. It's telling you how to read the play (like an ancient Greek chorus might in a play). I imagine it in voice-over like the voice of God, booming down from the speakers, spoken by a character not on stage.
ReplyDeleteThe format is very interesting to me in the play too. It scans like poetry, line breaks acting in place of punctuation. I think it's interesting that the last scene, scene 9 is the only one told in traditional format--and it's the one that is supposed to be more "realistic." I'm wondering what you all think about this formal choice.
There are a lot of different characters in the play. Why are there only four actors suppose to perform it ?
ReplyDeleteI feel like its more of a dialog and this is why only two of them speak and plus its only them two in the scene although they mention other people, they are the main ones in the scene.
Notice the format of the play. No caps, no punctuation. Why?
I feel like there is no punctuation because that is the way kids talk so they want you to read it that way so you get more the sense of two teenagers talking then two adults.
The Walk throughs are more what they want the character to do before entering the scene, so they tell the character to do something for example in the 1st walk through it tells the character "move toward the house slowly", it also sets the setting and where its going to take place and does a little bit of foreshadowing.
I read this play by first reading the two characters name then just reading it through because I caught on to who was who real quick. There wasn't really much to make sense of it act one was very straight forward two people who met up just the introduction to a game and a few characters. The walk through is different from the text because the walk through has a small description of a setting if it has one and a small detailed order on what the person playing should do and the rest of the text is nothing but dialog no description or anything, so the walk through plays in more for a play as the fade out fade in parts of a play a little more. As far as the punctuation goes I feel like its written the way it is so that the actor can choose how to go about reading it however they feel like the character fits. I feel like only four people are acting it out because like I mentioned before the script is written in a way where the actor shows you their version of the character so by the same people acting all the characters out you can see the difference in there eyes in third person instead of having to be them while reading this way you don't have to be in first person while reading because it is different from a regular story. I feel like so far in act one the only double meaning was the foreshadowing by telling us this joke about foreshadowing maybe they actually did foreshadow that something bad is actually going to happen, also when they talk about the characters brother when t he sister acts tyler questions she kind of foreshadows that instead of just playing video games hes doing something else with this other character.
ReplyDeleteThis play seems colloquial like it is meant to be very monotone. I like the way everyone seems to already be dysfunctional in this play. In my head I am reading it as if it is just two people talking. Two teenagers who don't know what they are doing. Maybe it is suppose to be like a social commentary about how we all become mindless zombies do the same things. Mikaela and Trevor are obviously a product of their environment and I am assuming they are those kids in the family who know all the secrets but are going through that rough angst-filled phase. A huge part of this play is the parallels that are created with us going through the kitchen but also hinting at more of a symbolic meaning. I like how the mat says welcome but it turns into help me and we are immediately introduced to Mikaela and Trevor. I am starting to think who is in trouble here? Or is this foreshadowing for how prevalent Mikaela and Trevor will be in the story? As of now, I assume we are set in reality and the walkthroughs serve as a change of location.
ReplyDeleteI find the first scene very interesting and funny. Makaela's character is very blunt and she doesn't seem to care how she insulted Trevor as she talked about his mom. I find the purpose of their conversation is to introduce the video game and its played by a lot of teenagers. I read the play kind of like a story. Each character is telling some sort of story. This play is different than other plays i have read. The characters seem to all be a bit blunt, at least i got that from reading. I make sense of it as seeing that the teenagers all have this thing of playing with a very popular video game. Growing up as a teenager i did the same, its part of the fun and i wanted to know what was so interesting about the video game. In this play the neighborhood of where these characters live seems to be very small. All of the teenagers here played the game and they seem to be hypnotized after they play it. After they play the game they believe this video game comes to life and is real. As a teenager when i was younger i believed in stupid stuff like that, i had the mind of a teenager and as i read it i seem to go back to thinking like a teenager and understand it more.
ReplyDeleteThis play is different from the other texts we've read this semester for reasons such as:
ReplyDeleteFor one, it is of course, a play.
secondly, it's very witty and funny compared to the other texts we've read such as the short stories in Bowles.
Another reason this play is different from other plays I've read in general in another English class is that the lines seem shorter and there is a walkthrough which seems to be telling a story of its own and then suddenly we end up at a specific scene.
I go along with the flow of the play. It's very interesting so far and is entertaining. I like the idea of two "friends" bantering back and forth throwing jabs at each other. I feel like there's no punctuation because the play is laid back and shows how teenagers type and communicate.
this play definitely shows how teenagers communicate. The sarcasm that we hear when reading the play is the way all teenagers talk. It think is just comes naturally for teenagers.
DeleteI've seen a few plays. One that was performed at York College entitled Fences. I enjoyed it very much. The way the characters brought the story to life. When you read something you create your own picture in your mind of the characters. You create their movements and expressions. You create their tone(s) and attitude. It's not until you witness it played out in front of you that you see a different side of the story and sometimes a gain a different understanding.
ReplyDeleteI guess the "walkthroughs" Paint the picture of what is happening. it paints the picture of what the actors are doing or seeing. to give us the reader a better understanding of what is going on and allows us to follow the conversation.
I would assume that the format in which the play is written is to reflect a real conversation. It's written in the way in which we speak.
I think the walkthroughs are giving a little idea of what is either surrounding the next scene or a little bit of detail of what is going on. I think the purpose is to give the reader an idea of a little something to know what to expect in the next scene. Reading it from my point of view i didn't notice any double meanings in the script. I didn't know only 4 people are supposed to perform in the play, i thought they're were multiple people.I think there will only be four people because each scene only consists of two characters and they each which enact the roles and is a lot easier to understand what is going on possibly. I also think there is no caps or punctuation because that is hows everyday people talk and i think this play was meant to be enacted more naturally. All of the conversations in this play are very ordinary conversations people have in real life. I believe the author wanted to make everything about it as real as it can be just letting it seem to be as real life is with dialogue and characters along with involving a neighborhood.
ReplyDelete