the basic beliefs of the audience. Good was rewarded and evil punished. Honesty and hard work were virtues that would triumph. True love would always win out. Rustic common sense would always get the better of the sophistication and corruption of the city slicker. The Schaffner’s plays were especially crafted for their audiences: We only wanted to entertain the people. And we were very keen to any criticism they might have about anything. After we had written a play, every moment Neil was not on stage, he was watching the audience. Did they laugh where they were supposed to laugh? Were they entertained? Were they restless? Were they moving around? Did it hold their attention?
Many people asked: “Where do you get the ideas for these plays?” We said we got them from other people. When we were in the restaurants we listened to the conversations around us. What were they talking about? What was important to them?[2] One criticism Caroline had of many productions of educational institutions and community