Noises Off Study Guide

STUDY GUIDE

NOISES OFF 1.29–3.02.2025 GIL CATES THEATER

THANK

YOU

Geffen Playhouse Education & Community Engagement Programs are made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the California Arts Council, a state agency, in addition to support from the following generous institutions: Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation U.S. Bank Foundation

This guide is to be used for educational purposes only.

STUDY

GUIDE

COMPILED

BY

Brian Allman COVER

PHOTO

BY

Justin Bettman ADDITIONAL

MATERIALS,

ACTIVITIES

&

DESIGN

BY

Mark J. Chaitin SPECIAL

THANKS

TO

Brian Dunning, Phyllis Schuringa, Paloma Nozicka, Sidney Edwards & Get Lit Players EXECUTIVE

STAFF

&

E DUC ATIO N

&

COM M UNITY

ENGAGEMENT

STAFF

Tarell Alvin McCraney — Artistic Director Gil Cates Jr. — Executive Director / CEO Amy Levinson — Associate Artistic Director Brian Allman — Director of Education & Community Engagement Mark J. Chaitin — Manager of Education & Community Engagement Paloma Nozicka — Education Associate GEFFEN

PLAYHOUSE

TEACHING

A RTISTS

Sean Michael Boozer, DeJuan Christopher, Paris Crayton III, Lyssa Deehan, Sidney Edwards, Aja Houston, Erròn Jay, BJ Lange, Tiffany Oglesby, Tara Ricasa, Ashley Robinson, Gerry Tonella ACCESSIBILITY

AT

GEFFEN

PLAYHOUSE

The theater has wheelchair and scooter-accessible locations where patrons can remain in their wheelchairs or transfer to theater seats.

OPEN

CAPTION

PERFORMANCE

Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, 3:00pm — An LED sign will display the text of the live production in sync with the performance.

AUDIO

DESCRIBED

PERFORMANCE

Sunday, Feb. 16 2025, 2:00pm — A performance audio describer will give live, verbal descriptions of actions, costumes, scenery, and other visual elements of the production.

AMERICAN INTERPRETED

SIGN

LANGUAGE

PERFORMANCE

Sunday, Feb. 23 2025 at 2:00 pm — An ASL interpreter will be present in the house left.

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FRANCIS GUINAN, AMANDA FINK, JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH, MAX STEWART, VANEH ASSADOURIAN, AUDREY FRANCIS PHOTO BY MICHAEL BROSILOW COURTESY OF STEPPENWOLF THEATER COMPANY

4

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION & CAST CREDITS...............................................................................................6 PLAY SYNOPSIS & ARTISTIC BIOS...........................................................................................7

THEMES & TOPICS

WHO’S WHO: NOISES OFF CHARACTER MAP...............................................................8-9 SCENERY MOVES: AN INTERVIEW WITH SET DESIGNER TODD ROSENTHAL...10-13 ALL ABOUT SARDINES...............................................................................................................15 A “HYSTORICAL” TIMELINE OF COMEDY IN WESTERN ENTERTAINMENT....... 16-19 TYPES OF COMEDY....................................................................................................................20 WHAT IS COMEDY? ACCORDING TO SIGMUND FREUD..............................................21 THE RULE OF THREES: COMEDY STRUCTURE...................................................................23 ACTIVITY: ACTOR WARM UPS..................................................................................................24 ACTIVITY: NOISES OFF VOCAB CROSSWORD......................................................26-27 ACTIVITY: DESIGN A SET............................................................................................... 28-29 POST-SHOW DISCUSSION.....................................................................................................30 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.......................................................................................................31

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPOTLIGHT

GET LIT PLAYERS: WAITING FOR GODOT.................................................................32-33

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

AN INTERVIEW WITH CASTING DIRECTOR PHYLLIS SCHURINGA......................33-34

UPDATED FEBRUARY 14, 2025

5

GEFFEN

PLAYHOUSE

PRESENTS

NOISES OFF WRITTEN BY

DIRECTED BY

A CO–PRODUCTION WITH

MICHAEL FRAYN

ANNA D. SHAPIRO

STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY

SCENIC DESIGNER

COSTUME DESIGNER

IZUMI INABA

LIGHTING DESIGNER

JOSH EPSTEIN

SOUND DESIGNER

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

DIALECT & VOICE COACH

TODD ROSENTHAL CRICKET S. MEYERS

NIKKI DILORETO

KATE DEVORE

VIOLENCE DESIGN

INTIMACY CONSULTANT

R&D CHOREOGRAPHY PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

KRISTINA FLUTY

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

SAM ALLEN

CASTING BY

COLLEEN DANAHER

JC CLEMENTZ, CSA & PHYLLIS SCHURINGA, CSA

CAST

VANEH ASSADOURIAN

POPPY NORTON-TAYLOR

RICK HOLMES

LLOYD DALLAS

BETH HAWKES

U/S BELINDA BLAIR, U/S POPPY NORTON-TAYLOR

ORA JONES

DOTTY OTLEY / MRS. CLACKETT

AL’JALEEL MCGHEE U/S FREDERICK FELLOWES

AMANDA FINK

AUDREY FRANCIS

BROOK ASHTON / VICKI

BELINDA BLAIR / FLAVIA BRENT

DAVID LIND

GARY LEJEUNE / ROGER TRAMPLEMAIN

ANNA MINTZER

FREDERICK FELLOWES / PHILLIP BRENT

U/S DOTTY OTLEY

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SELSDON MOWBRAY / BURGLAR

JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH

FELICE HEATHER MONTEITH

U/S BROOK ASHTON

FRANCIS GUINAN

JEREMY RADIN

U/S LLOYD DALLAS, U/S SELSDON MOWBRAY

MAX STEWART

TIM ALLGOOD

RICKI ROMANO

U/S GARY LEJEUNE, U/S TIM ALLGOOD

ABOUT

THIS

PRODUCTION

ABOUT THE PLAY SETTING: On stage of a touring production in Great Britain.

OVERVIEW: Doors slam, sardines fly, and trousers drop in Michael Frayn’s side-splitting British farce about a theater company desperately trying to get their act together. Both onstage and backstage, chaos reigns for a troupe of floundering actors whose forgotten lines, misplaced props, and steamy romantic entanglements make it nearly impossible for the show to go on. An uproarious love letter to the theater, Noises Off is a peek behind the curtain—where everything that can go wrong, does!

RUNNING TIME: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including two intermissions.

AGE RECOMMENDATION: 12+ CONTENT ADVISORY: This production contains sexual content.

TIME/SETTING

The comedic farce Noises Off is split into three acts, set around the play-within-the-play, Nothing On. Act I: January 14, Final Dress Rehearsal. Location: Grand Theatre in Weston-super-mare, Great Britain.

The Final Dress Rehearsal is the last run-through with costumes, light, and sound to get everything “just right”.

Act II: February 13, One Month into Tour. Location: Theatre Royal, Ashton-under-Lyne.

The show is officially on tour playing to a public audience.

Act III: April 6, Three Months into Tour. Location: Municipal Theatre, Stockton-on-Tees One would assume that after 3 months on tour, all the kinks and bugs of the touring show would be worked out... one would asume.

ARTISTIC BIOGRAPHIES M I C H A E L F R AY N Playwright (he/him) Michael Frayn was born in London in 1933. He began his career as a reporter for The Guardian and later The Observer. After leaving The Observer he continued to write as a columnist as well as publishing novels and plays for television and stage. His plays for stage include Copenhagen, Afterlife, The Two of Us, Alphabetical Order, Donkeys’ Years, Clouds, Balmoral (Liberty Hall), Make and Break, Noises Off, Benefactors, Alarms and Excursions, Look Look, and Here. Other translations include four full-length Chekhov plays (The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, The Seagull, and Uncle Vanya) and four one-act plays (On the Evils of Tobacco, Swan Song, The Bear, and The Proposal). Mr. Frayn is married to the biographer and critic Claire Tomalin.

A N N A D. S H A P I R O Director (she/her) Anna D. Shapiro is a Tony Award–winning director and served as Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company from 2015 to 2021, where she remains an ensemble member. She joined the Steppenwolf ensemble in 2005 and was awarded the 2008 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for August: Osage County (Steppenwolf, Broadway, London). She was nominated in 2011 in the same category for The Motherf**ker with the Hat (The Public Theater, LAByrinth Theater Company). Other Steppenwolf directing credits include the world premiere production of The Minutes (also on Broadway); The Unmentionables (also at Yale Repertory Theatre), The Pain and the Itch (also in New York), Purple Heart (also in Galway, Ireland) and This Is Our Youth (which transferred to Broadway). Additional Broadway credits include Of Mice and Men and Fish in the Dark, and off-Broadway Domesticated (Lincoln Center Theater). She directed the premiere of the Broadway musical The Devil Wears Prada with music by Sir Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub and book by Kate Wetherhead. Shapiro is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and Columbia. She is a professor in Northwestern University’s Department of Theatre.

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W H O ’ S W H O?

A NOISES OFF CHAR ACTER MAP

Each of the three acts of Noises Off shows a different date of a performance of a play within the play: a sex

farce called Nothing On. The audience sees both what happens onstage and what happens to the characters off-stage. Most of the real actors in Noises Off are pulling double duty in playing their characters, but also the characters of the play within the play. Here is a character breakdown of all the “characters” in the show.

D OT T Y OT L EY (N O I S ES O F F ) A television star who is not only the top-billed star, but also one of the play’s principal investors. Dating another actor, Garry.

M R S. C L AC K E T T (N OT H I N G O N) The Cockney housekeeper for the Brents’ home. A hospitable, though slow-witted and slow-moving, chatterbox.

B E L I N DA B L A I R (N O I S ES O F F ) Cheerful and sensible, a reliable actress and the company’s de facto peacemaker.

Something of a gossip.

F L AV I A B R E N T (N OT H I N G O N) Philip Brent’s wife. She is dependable, though not one for household duties.

F R E D E R I C K “ F R E D D I E ” F E LLOW E S ( N O I S ES O F F ) Has a serious fear of violence and blood, both of which give him nosebleeds. Well-meaning, but lacks confidence and is rather dim-witted.

P H I L L I P B R E N T ( N OT H I N G O N ) Lives out of the country with his wife Flavia to avoid paying taxes and is on a secret visit.

B R O O K E AS H TO N (N O I S ES O F F ) An inexperienced actress who persists in her role as scripted regardless of any interruption or mayhem. She is always losing her contact lenses. Lloyd is in love with her.

T H E S H E I K H ( N OT H I N G O N ) A man interested in renting the Brent’s house. The title of “Sheikh” is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning “elder”. It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim scholar.

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V I C K I (N OT H I N G O N) A girl Roger is attempting to seduce. Works for the tax authorities.

ABOUT

THIS

PRODUCTION

S E LS D O N M OW B R AY (N O I S ES O F F )A “pro” actor with a long, storied career and a drinking problem. If he is not in sight while rehearsing, the stage crew must find him before he finds anything alcoholic.

B U R G L A R ( N OT H I N G O N) A man breaking into the Brents’ house.

G A R RY L E J E U N E (N O I S ES O F F ) The play’s leading man, a solid actor Dating Dotty, and prone to jealousy.

ROGER TRAMPLEMAIN ( N OT H I N G O N) A real estate agent looking to let Flavia’s and Philip’s house.

T I M A L LG O O D (N O I S ES O F F ) The over-worked Stage Manager, who must understudy, fix the set and run Lloyd’s errands on top of his usual production duties.

U N D E R S T U DY (N OT H I N G O N)

L LOY D DA L L AS ( N O I S ES O F F ) The director of the play-within-theplay, Nothing On. Temperamental, exacting and sarcastic. Involved with both Brooke and Poppy.

P O P PY N O R TO N -TAY LO R (N O I S ES O F F ) Assistant Stage Manager and understudy to the female roles.

Emotional, skittish and over-sensitive. In love with Lloyd.

U N D E R S T U DY (N OT H I N G O N)

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CLOCKWISE: ORA JONES, AUDREY FRANCIS, FRANCIS GUINAN, MAX STEWART, VANEH ASSADOURIAN, RICK HOLMES, AMANDA FINK, JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH, PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BROSILOW COURTESY OF STEPPENWOLF THEATER COMPANY

ABOUT

THIS

PRODUCTION

SCENERY MOVES

IT’S KINETIC, IT HAS A LIFE

AN INTERVIEW WITH NOISES OFF SET DESIGNER TODD ROSENTHAL

BY M A R K JAC O B C H A I T I N , G E F F E N P L AY H O U S E M A N AG E R O F E D U CAT I O N Awar d - w innin g d e s i gn e r To d d Ro s e n t hal an d G e ffe n P l ay h o u s e M a n a g e r o f Edu c a t i o n M a rk J a c o b Chai t in m e t o n J a n . 2 2 , 2 0 2 5 t o c ha t a b o u t To d d ’s wo rk o n N o i s e s O f f a n d his c a r e e r d e si gnin g fo r t h e t h e a t e r. N OT E : T hi s inte r v iew h a s b e e n e dite d fo r le ngth and c l arit y M A R K JAC O B C H A I T I N : H ow di d yo u g e t yo ur s t a r t in s e t d e si gn?

TO D D R O S E N T H A L : I we n t t o c o ll e g e t o p lay b a s ke t b all . T h at wa s my p a s si o n . I we n t t o a ve r y s m all lib e r al ar t s s c h o o l in G a mb i e r, O hi o c all e d Ke nyo n b e c au s e I wan t e d t o b e a j o urnalis t . Af t e r my f re s h m a n ye ar, I t o o k a ye a r o f f… a n d my m o t h e r wa s o n t h e b o ar d o f a t h e a t r e in M a s s a c hus e t t s c all e d S t a g e We s t . I h a d a l o t o f ex p e ri e n c e in c a rp e n t r y : I fr a m e d h o u s e s , I k n ew h ow t o b uil d t hin gs . S o I walke d in t o t h e sh o p [a t S t a g e We s t] , a n d I walke d up t o D ani e l Culh a n e , t h e Te c hni c al D ir e c t o r, a n d s ai d , “ I ’ d like a j o b ”. H e s ai d , “ D o yo u k n ow w h a t a fla t is? ” I s ai d , “ N o ”. A n d h e s ai d , “ T h e n yo u ’re hire d .” I a c t u ally b rin g t ha t p hil o s o p hy t o r e c rui t in g s t u d e n t s : t h e p e o p l e t ha t h ave n o p r e c o n c e p t io n s ab o u t w h at [t h e at e r] is s up p o s e d t o b e … s o m e t im e s t hat ’s an a s s e t . Af t e r I gr a dua t e d , I we n t d ow n t o P hila d e lp hia an d wo rke d a t t h e Walnu t S t re e t T h e at e r a s a c arp e n t e r a n d a we l d e r a n d t o o k a r t c la s s e s a t ni gh t . T h e n I m ove d t o N ew H ave n , C o nn e c t i c u t , an d I we n t t o a r t s c h o o l in N ew Yo rk Ci t y. T h e n I we n t t o Yal e , an d t h e n I c a m e t o Chi c a g o , w h e re i t all h ap p e n e d .

M J C : In t h e e arly s t a g e s o f wo rk in g o n a s h ow, w h e n yo u f ir s t g e t a s c rip t , w h a t is yo ur p r o c e s s?

W ha t k in d o f re s e a r c h d o yo u d o?

T R : T h e f ir s t t hin g I d o is I b uy b o o ks , b e c au s e b o o ks are m o re s c h o l a rly. B o o ks have b e t t e r qu ali t y im a g e r y. I t r y t o in t r o du c e mys e l f t o n ew ar t is t s o n eve r y p r o du c t i o n , s o m e b o dy t ha t I ’m n o t f a milia rw i t h . I f in d my e a rly in s p ir a t i o n f r o m b o o ks , a n d t h e n I c an s t ar t t o s up p l e m e n t t h a t w i t h t h e in t e r-

SET DESIGNER, TODD ROSENTHAL P H OT O BY M I C H A EL B R O S I LO W

n e t . I al s o h ave a k in d o f m e n t al lib r a r y o f s t u f f. I t hink t h e o l d e r yo u g e t a s a d e s ign e r, t h e m o re yo u re ly up o n yo ur ex p e rie n c e s . I s t ill d o re s e arc h , b u t n o t a s ex t e n s i ve ly a s I u s e d t o . I al s o dr aw up o n a r t is t s t h a t I ’ve alre a dy ex p l o re d .

S o m e dire c t o r s a re ve r y mu c h invo l ve d in t h e e a rly s t a g e s o f d e s ign a n d t h e b lu e sk y p ar t s , w hil e s o m e a re mu c h l e s s p re s c rip t i ve an d re a c t t o w h a t I gi ve t h e m . I wo rk w i t h dire c t o r s in Eu r o p e w h o s e n d m e gr o un d p la n s a n d I f in d t hat re ally h e lp f ul . O t h e r dire c t o r s h ave s t o r y b o ar ds , s o t h e re ’s l e s s f l ex ib ili t y, b u t t h e n I ’m e mp owe re d t o m a ke c h o ic e s . W h a t I d o like a b o u t b e in g at t his s t a g e in my c a re e r is t h a t I c a n ex p l o re an i d e a t hat m ay n o t wo rk . T h e o nly way yo u inn ovat e is by d o in g s o m e t hin g t h a t yo u fe e l un c o m fo r t ab l e d o in g .

C o min g up w i t h a n i d e a a n d - m ayb e t hat i d e a is t e rrib l e - b u t t h e t e rrib l e i d e a s o f t e n fe r t ilize t h e g o o d i d e a s . Yo u c a n’ t b e a f r ai d t o s h ow t hat s t u f f.

Yo u re ally h ave t o b e c o m fo r t a b l e n o t k n ow in g , b e c au s e yo u s p e n d m o s t o f t h e t im e n o t k n ow in g w hat s o m e t hin g is . I always s ay t o my s t u d e n t s , “D ate an i d e a , d o n’ t m a rr y i t .” I t ’s a t r a n si t o r y re lat io n ship w i t h t h a t i d e a . U l t im a t e ly t h a t i d e a migh t l e a d t o a b e t t e r o n e , i t migh t eve n b e a re ally g o o d i d e a

10

ABOUT

THIS

fo r s o m e t hin g e l s e , o r i t w ill g e t r ev is e d b e c au s e o f b u d g e t ar y re s t ri c t i o n s . Yo u have t o r ev is e , a n d 9 0 % o f t h e t im e , i t t urn s o u t t o b e b e t t e r.

M J C : N o i s e s O f f is k in d o f a l ove l e t t e r t o t h e a t e r- m ak in g . W h at d o yo u l ove m o s t a b o u t wo rk in g in t h e a t e r ?

T R : W h at I l ove m o s t a b o u t wo rk in g w i t h t h e a t e r, a t t h e e n d o f t h e day, is t h e p e o p l e t ha t I wo rk w i t h . I g e t t o wo rk o n all t h e s e di f fe r e n t p r o du c t i o n s w i t h all t h e s e di f fe re n t dir e c t o r s a n d d e s i gn e r s fr o m all ove r t h e wo rl d . I t ’s like eve r y day is s o m e t hin g c o m p l e t e ly di f fe re n t . I wo rk w i t h s o m a ny dir e c t o r s w h o a re va s t ly di f fe re n t . I l ove t ha t we ’r e wo rk in g w i t h di f fe re n t m at e rial s . We ’r e t a k in g c ha n c e s o n t hin gs .

PRODUCTION T h e re al c h all e n g e fo r N o i s e s O f f is d o yo u wan t t h e s e t t o l o o k re ally g o o d , o r d o yo u wa n t t h e s e t [o f N othing O n] t o l o o k like i t ’s f allin g a p a r t an d n o t s o gre a t ? I ’ve d o n e b o t h in p rev io u s p r o du c t io n s , b u t I f in ally s ai d , “ L is t e n . I t s h o ul d l o o k g o o d .”, b e c aus e o t h e r w is e , [ lau gh s] i t re f l e c t s p o o rly o n t h e d e sign e r. S o o ur i d e a wa s t h a t i t wa s a we ll - d e sign e d s e t t h a t t r ave l s . We h a d a l o t o f f un w i t h i t .

M J C : T h e a c t o r s have t o b e ve r y in t e r a c t i ve w i t h t his s e t , s o i t ’s alm o s t like a n a d di t i o nal c ha r a c t e r in t h e sh ow, a d din g t o t h e c h a o s b e t we e n t h e c a s t .

D ire c t o r A nn a D. Sh a p ir o s ai d o f wo rk in g o n N o i se s O f f, “ I t wa s ab o u t d e s i gnin g a s p a c e t ha t re ally h e lp e d c re at e all o f t h a t c o llis i o n …” H ow di d t h a t h e lp sh ap e yo ur d e s i gn p r o c e s s fo r t his s h ow ?

T R : A dri v in g i d e a b e hin d t h e d e s i gn wa s t o s h ow o f f t h e dire c t in g , t h e a c t in g , a n d t h e p hys ic ali t y & p re c isi o n o f t h e c h o r e o gr a p hy. A nn a t h o u gh t we n e e d e d a ru g . I s ai d , “ Yo u ’r e g o in g t o c u t t h e ru g ”.

Sh e g o e s , “ W h at d o yo u m e a n I w ill c u t t h e ru g ? ” “ B e c au s e t h e re ’s s o mu c h p hys i c ali t y a n d i t ’s like yo u c a n’ t h ave any t hin g m o r e o n s t a g e t ha n yo u re ally n e e d .”

T his is t h e t hir d t im e I ’ve d o n e t his s h ow, a n d o n e t hin g I d o k n ow is t h a t yo u c a n’ t m e s s w i t h t h e gr o un d p l an . Mi c h a e l Fr ay n ha s a ve r y s p e c i f ic gr o un d p l an in min d . I t d o e s n’ t m a ke a ny l o gic al a rc hi t e c t ur al s e n s e , b e c au s e t h e r e ’s r o o m s up s t air s , a n d ye t d ow n s t air s yo u l o o k o u t ove r t h e En glis h c o un t r ys i d e … b u t yo u h ave t o g o w i t h i t a n d s t a r t w i t h t h at . F i t t in g t h a t m a ny d o o r s in t h a t t iny li t t l e sp a c e wa s c h all e n gin g . T h e s e t al s o h a s t o r o t a t e s o yo u c a n’ t h ave f ully f urnis h e d r o o m s up t h e re b e c aus e w h e n i t sp in s a r o un d , w h a t d o yo u d o w i t h all t ha t s t u f f ? We ’re in t h e t h e a t e r. I f yo u s e e s o m e t h e a t e r c o nve n t i o n , i f yo u s e e s o m e t hin g s b a c ks t a g e , t ha t ’s all p ar t o f t h e ex p e ri e n c e o f t his s h ow. A nn a s ai d “ I wan t t his t o s h ow o f f t h e c r a f t o f m a k in g t h e a t e r.”

T h e p l ays I ’ve b e e n d o in g r e c e n t ly h ave b e e n ve r y di da c t i c an d ve r y s e ri o u s , s e t in a t r ail e r p a rk a n d s o m e t y p e o f h ove l o f a m o t e l r o o m , t hin gs like t ha t , w h e re i t ’s all ve r y r e alis t i c . S o t his wa s a re al , p ala t e c l e an s e r, an d I t hink s o m e p e o p l e ju s t wa n t t o have a g o o d t im e .

A DA M S T E I N A S L U C K Y N O I S ES O F F S E T R E N D E R I N G P H OTO BY J EFF LO R C H

BY TODD ROSENTHAL

11

ABOUT

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PRODUCTION

M J C : T h e a c t ual s e t ha s t o t r ave l a s we ll . I t s t a r t e d in Chi c a g o an d is n ow in L o s A n g e l e s . H ow di d yo u a p p r o a c h d e s i gnin g a s e t t ha t wo ul d b e u s e d in t wo ve r y di f fe r e n t s p a c e s?

T R : U l t im at e ly we d e si gn e d i t t o f i t in t h e G e f fe n : t h e sh ap e o f t h at s e t is di c t a t e d f r o m t h e Gil C a t e s s t a g e , m o re t h an i t is fr o m S t e p p e nwo l f. W h e n A nn a [Sha p ir o] s aw t h e B r o a d way p r o du c t i o n , s h e fe l t t h e s e t l o o ke d t o o gr an d , s o we c a m e up w i t h w h a t I c all “re t r o a c t i ve dr am a t ur gy ”, w h e r e we ha d t o m a ke t h e s e t sm all e r t o f i t a t t h e G e f fe n , b u t we we re a b l e t o jus t i f y i t , b e c au s e ul t im a t e ly we wa n t e d t h e s e t t o l o o k like i t wa s a t o urin g p r o du c t i o n .

AU G U S T O S AG E C O U N T Y, S T E P P E N W O L F & B R OA D WAY P H OT O BY M I C H A EL B R O S I LO W

F o r N o i s e s O f f we t h o u gh t m a ny t im e s a b o u t : “ D o we fe at ur e t h e s p innin g o f t h e s e t , o r d o we ju s t s n e a k i t in t h e re durin g in t e rmis si o n? ” T h e r e ’s s o m e t hin g re ally f an t a s t i c al a b o u t t urn t a b l e s . T h ey ’r e s urp ris in g , an d i f p e o p l e d o n’ t ex p e c t t h e m , t h ey c a n b e jus t a d e li gh t f ul t r a n s i t i o n . F e a t urin g i t h e lp s t h e au die n c e re alize yo u ’r e c h a n gin g yo ur p e r s p e c t i ve a n d yo u ’re g o in g b a c ks t a g e ; i t ’s a wo n d e r f ul t r a n si t io n .

W h e n I f ir s t s t a r t e d d e s i gnin g , I ha d n o i d e a a b o u t t r an si t i o n s . I di d a n o t h e r s h ow w i t h A nn a o n B r o a d way c all e d T h e M oth e r f *c ke r with th e H at . We di d i t w i t h Chris Ro c k a n d B o b by C a nn aval e , a n d A nna t au gh t m e t h e imp o r t a n c e o f t r a n s i t io n s . We wan t e d t h e t r an s i t i o n s t o fe e l like a ga m e o f 3 - C a r d M o n t e , like , “ Yo u t hink I ’m g o in g t o d o t his , b u t [ in s t e a d ] I ’m g o in g t o d o t his .” S o t h e w h o l e s e t wa s a k in d o f k in e t i c t oy t ha t c ha n g e d a n d al t e re d , a n d I t h o u gh t , wow, t h e way s o m e t hin g m ove s n e e ds t o b e t h e m at i c ally in ke e p in g w i t h t h e ove r a r c hin g d e sign . T h e i d e a t h a t s c e n e r y m ove s wa s jus t a hu g e eye - o p e n e r fo r m e . I t ’s k in e t i c . I t ha s a li fe . L ike c ha r a c t e r s , s c e n e r y h a s a n a r c .

I t ’s am a zin g t o m e t ha t Mi c ha e l Fr ayn al s o w r o t e t h e p l ay C o p e nh a g e n. I m e a n , w ha t a n in c re d ib l e b re a d t h o f an d di ve r s i t y o f wo rk h e ’s ha d .

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M J C : I c o ul d s ay t h e s a m e a b o u t yo u !

T R : [ L au gh s] We ll , t h a nk yo u .

M J C : Yo u h ave d e s ign e d a l o t o f re ally b e au t i f ul s e t s o n B r o a d way, a n d all ove r t h e wo rl d . W hat wa s t h e s e t t h a t wa s t h e m o s t f un t o wo rk o n?

T R : I re c e n t ly ju s t di d a p r o du c t io n w i t h [dire c t o r] M a r y Z imm e rm a n . I t ’s a s c al e d - d ow n ve r sio n o f T h e M a gic Flute t h a t I h a d a wo n d e r f ul t im e d o in g . T hat k in d o f b a r o qu e t h e a t e r t e c hn o l o gy is righ t up my all ey. I l ove t h a t . T h e re ’s a t h e a t e r o u t si d e o f P r a gu e c all e d Č e s k ý K ruml ov. I t ’s in a c a s t l e , an d i t ’s t his o l d B a r o qu e t h e a t e r. I t ’s all h a n d - p ain t e d p e r sp e c t i ve f r o m I t alia n o p e r a d e sign e r s a n d im a gin e e r s . I f in d i t e n c h a n t in g a n d f a n t a s t ic .

B u t I t hink my f avo ri t e s e t wa s … I wa s o n e o f t h e fo un din g m e mb e r s o f t h e N o t re D am e Sum m e r Sh a ke s p e a re F e s t i val . W h e n t h ey s t ar t e d , t h ey h a d m a s s i ve b u d g e t s . T h ey h a d n o i d e a w hat t hin gs we re s up p o s e d t o c o s t in t h e t h e a t e r, b e c aus e i t wa s a ve r y we ll -f un d e d uni ve r s i t y [ lau gh s] . S o t h e f ir s t t hre e o r fo ur ye a r s we re like h o n eym o o n ye ar s , an d I di d a p r o du c t io n o f R o m e o and Juliet w i t h W illiam B r ow n , a n d i t wa s t his ve r y simp l e s e t t hat a c c o m m o da t e d all t h e di f fe re n t s c e n e s . We ha d a s t airc a s e t h a t we n t o u t o f t h e au die n c e , s o i t fe l t like t h e p la z a o f a s t re e t , a n d i t b e c a m e a c hurc h , i t b e c am e t h e c r yp t … t h e c o l o r o f i t a n d t h e s h a p e o f i t , an d t h e p r o p o r t i o n s o f t h e r o o m … I k n ow p e o p l e wo ul d b e l o o k in g a t i t like , w h a t ’s t h e b ig d e al w i t h t his? B u t I ju s t l ove d t h a t s e t . I t hink i t ’s t h e o nly s e t I eve r di d w h e re I di dn’ t wa n t t o c h a n g e a ny t hin g fr o m t h e d e sign .

M J C : W h a t a d v ic e d o yo u h ave fo r a nyo n e w h o wan t s t o p ur s u e a c a re e r in s e t d e s ign?

T R : I t hink i t ’s a c o mb in a t io n o f p e r s is t e n c e , an dI t hink t h e re ’s a b i t o f lu c k invo l ve d . I re c o mm e n d t arg e t in g dire c t o r s a n d o t h e r c o lla b o r a t o r s . W hat I di d a s a yo un g d e s ign e r wa s I ju s t s aw eve r y t hin g , an d t h e n I re a c h e d o u t t o dire c t o r s a n d s ai d , “ H ey, lis t e n , I ju s t s aw a p r o du c t io n yo u di d , a n d I wo ul d l ove t o t alk t o yo u a b o u t i t a n d s h ow yo u my wo rk .” I t hink t a r g e t in g p e o p l e a s o p p o s e d t o t a r g e t in g b uil din gs , t h a t ’s w h a t I di d .

A s a yo un g d e s ign e r, yo u al s o n e e d t o f ig ure o u t w h a t t o d o w i t h yo ur d ow n t im e , b e c aus e at s o m e p o in t yo u ’re g o in g t o h ave s o m e p e rio ds w h e re yo u ’re n o t wo rk in g , a n d yo u n e e d t o e njoy t h e m b e c au s e w h e n i t hi t s a n d yo u s t a r t wo rk in g an d b uil d in g m o m e n t um , i t n eve r s t o p s .

S ketc h your ow n id e a s fo r N o i s e s O f f o n p . 2 8 -2 9

ABOUT

THIS

PRODUCTION

TO D D R O S E N T H A L Designer (he/him) Todd Rosenthal is a Chicago based set designer and educator. Broadway credits include: August Osage: County (Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Set Design of a Play), The Motherf*cker with the Hat (Outer Critic’s Circle Award nomination and Tony Award nomination for Best Set Design of a Play), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Tony Award for Best Revival), Of Mice and Men (filmed by National Theatre Live), This is Our Youth, Fish in the Dark, Straight White Men, Linda Vista and the upcoming Eureka Day and Purpose. Off-Broadway World Premieres: Red Light Winter (Barrow Street Theatre. American Theater Wing Henry Hewes Award Nomination); Clean (Atlantic Theatre Company); Domesticated (Lincoln Center); Close Up Space and King James (Manhattan Theatre Club); The Qualms and Downstate (Playwrights Horizons) and Swingstate (Amazon Audible at the Minetta Lane Theatre). Set designer for The Big Apple Circus (Lincoln Center and Tour) for six years. International credits: August: Osage County (National Theatre of Great Britain, London and Sydney Theatre Company, Australia); The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Waterford, Ireland); True West (Galway International Arts Festival, Ireland); Madama Butterfly (Irish National Opera, Dublin/Cork); Nice Fish (London’s West End); Downstate (National Theatre of Great Britain; London) and Life After (Toronto). Todd designs for theaters nationwide including Steppenwolf Theatre Company (34 productions), The Goodman Theatre (30 productions.

Artistic Partner), Guthrie Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, American Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Alliance Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, The Kennedy Center and many others. Todd started the exhibition design firm XL Scenic with designer Kevin Depinet. Museum exhibitions include Mythbusters: The Explosive Exhibition, The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes, and Victoria the T-Rex. He has received many other accolades including the Laurence Olivier Award (first American set designer), the Helen Hayes Award, the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award, the Backstage Garland Award, multiple Suzi Bass Awards, multiple Joseph Jefferson Awards (21 nominations), the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award, the 2019 USITT Distinguished Achievement Award and the 2009 Michael Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration. He has been nominated for 4 American Theater Wing Henry Hewes Design Awards for best set design. He exhibited at the Prague Quadrennial in 2007 and 2019. He was on the selection committee for the 2023 US Prague exhibition. Todd is the Jaharis Family Foundation Endowed Professor of Theater at Northwestern University and a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. https://www.toddrosenthalstudio.com M AT C H B OX M A G I C F L U T E , G O O D M A N T H E AT R E , S H A K E S P E A R E C O M PA N Y D C , B E R K E L E Y R E P E R T O R Y T H E AT R E , P H OT O BY L I Z L AU R E N

“

THE ONLY WAY YOU INNOVATE IS BY DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE DOING. COMING UP WITH AN IDEA – AND MAYBE THAT IDEA IS TERRIBLE – BUT THE TERRIBLE IDEAS OFTEN FERTILIZE THE GOOD IDEAS. –T O D D R O S E N T H A L

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”

“THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT. DOORS AND SARDINES... ...THAT’S FARCE. THAT’S THE THEATRE. THAT’S LIFE.” – LLOYD, NOISES OFF

FRANCIS GUINAN PHOTO BY MICHAEL BROSILOW COURTESY OF STEPPENWOLF THEATER COMPANY

14 14

ALL ABOUT

SA RD IN ES?

Sardine is a common name for various sp ecies of small, oily forage fish in the herring su border Clupeoidei. There are more than 20 sp ecies of sardine worldwide , including the Europ ean North Atlantic pilch ard (Sardina pilchard us ), which is fished from the Mediterranean up to the coast of Cornwall , England.

a c an acked in p e b n acked s ca ying “p sardine a s h e ic g h a w n gu cribe nner in nglish la y t o des E ll a r ic la The ma r u o op ph ely t o the p d met a ed clos h is use has led e crowd ic r a h s w t , c ” je dines le or ob like sar re peop e h r. w h s t n t o ge e situatio

These naturally tasty fish are high in protein good source of and a omega-3 fatty ac ids, which are ly anti-inflamm naturalatory and play a role in protec health. Sardines ting heart are delicious m ashed straight ou t of the tin on buttered toast or barbec ued fresh.

The flesh of some sardines or pilchards is a reddish-brown colour similar to some varieties of red sardonyx or sardine stone; this word derives from σαρδῖον (sardĩon) with a root meaning ‘red’ and possibly cognate with Sardis, the capit al of ancient Lydia (now west ern Turkey) where it was obtained. However, the name may refer to the reddish-pink colour of the gemstone sard (or carnelian) known to the ancients.

The word ‘s ardine’ first appeared in enaios quot English in th es a fragmen e 15th centu tary passag ry, Athfish σαρδῖνος e from Arist (sardĩnos), ot le mentionin referring to ever, Sardin g the the sardine ia is over 10 or pilchard.[ 0 0 km 10 from Athen ] Howable that th s, so it seem e Greeks w ould have ob s “hardly pro ta bin ed fish from at a time re so far as Sar latively so ea dinia rly as that of Aristotle.”

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors. “Sardine.” 24 Dec. 2024, and “C’est la sardine qui a bouché le port de Marseille.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Aug. 2024. Web. 18 Jan. 2025.

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ra bouché le port de Ma “C’est la sardine qui of that choked the port seille” (“The sardine on nch popular expressi Marseille”) is a Fre g tin no de d th century, an dating back to the 18 of nts ncy of the inhabita the supposed tende e e their discourse. Th Marseille to exaggerat ical originates in a histor expression actually the in nk sa med Sartine fact, when a ship na mouth of the harbour.

O ME D C A “HYSTORICAL” TIMELINE OF

G R E E C E & R O M E 5 5 0 B C E - 4 76 C E

Athenian comedy is divided into three periods: Old, Middle, and New Comedy. Old Comedy can be seen in the 11 surviving plays of Aristophanes. With their pungent political satire and abundance of sexual and scatological innuendo his plays lampooned the most important personalities and institutions of his day. Such as the buffoonish portrayal of Socrates in The Clouds, and in the racy anti-war farce Lysistrata. Middle Comedy is largely lost, but New Comedy (323 BCE -260 BCE), from playwrights Menander, Philemon, and Diphilus, is comparable to modern day sitcom, and the portrayal of everyday life.

ERN T S E W IN NT E M N I A ENTERT

The Romans continued Greek traditions, but added slapstick and physical humor. Playwrights like Plautus and Terence wrote comedies that were more focused on mistaken identities and silly misunderstanding, still common in the farce we see today.

500BCE

1500

M E D I E VA L E U R O P E 5 0 0 -1 5 0 0

After the fall of the Roman Empire, theater took on a more religious tone with morality plays. Traveling players kept the theater alive as theater buildings were not permitted throughout Europe during medieval times. The performers created a stage by raising a simple platform wherever they performed: in halls, market places and at festivals. The Feast of Fools was an especially important festival, allowing the performers to ridicule their superiors and the routine of church life. Court jesters were employed to entertain guests during royal court. Also known as jokers or fools, they used comedy, music, storytelling, acrobatics, juggling, telling jokes (such as puns, stereotypes, and imitation), and even performed magic tricks.

Commedia dell’arte, popular in the 16th and 18th centuries was an Italian form of theatre. Commedia’s key plot points and characters’ entrances and exits were scripted, but the actors improvised new gags on stage. Some elements of commedia include: stock characters (like the foolish servant or the boastful soldier), distinct costumes that helps the audience understand who the character is, masccheri or masks, and physical lazzi or jokes. Many of these elements can can be seen influencing comedy today. In commedia dell’arte, female roles were played by women (documented as early as the 1560s), making them the first known professional actresses in Europe since antiquity.

By the early 17th century, comedies were moving from pure im provisational street performances to specified and clearly delineated acts and the construction of permanent theaters, signaled a major turning point allowing for more sophisticated staging.

COMMEDIA CHARACTERS PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER RICHARDSON

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Y D

R E N A I SSA N C E 14 0 0 -1 6 0 0

The Renaissance’s departure from the Middle Ages brought a new focus on humanity and created a new-found freedom for artists, writers, and philosophers to be inquisitive about the world around them. The Renaissance’s intellectual basis was founded in its version of humanism, derived from the concept of Roman humanitas (latin for Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness ) and the rediscovery of classical Greek philosophy

S H A K ES P E A R E 1 5 8 9 -1 6 13

Shakespeare was born toward the end of the broader Europe-wide Renaissance period, just as it was peaking in England. He was one of the first playwrights to bring the Renaissance’s core values to the theater. He used witty wordplay, satire, and physical comedy in his comedies, which often involved love, mistaken identities, and happy endings and weddings. His comedies like Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night and A Comedy of Errors, are still often performed today, or their plots are adapted in television or film. 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s the Man, Kiss Me Kate, & Juliet, Fat

SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE THEATRE PHOTO BY DIEGO DELSO

ADETOMIWA EDUN AND ELLIE KENDRICK IN ROMEO & JULIET,SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE THEATRE, 2009.

PHOTO BY GERAINT LEWIS

Ham and Anyone But You are all inspired by his plays.

1600

1700

1800

V I CTO R I A N 1 8 3 7-1 9 0 1

R E S TO R AT I O N 1 6 6 0 -1 7 14

With innovations from the industrial revoltion many theaters were enlarged & new playhouses were built in London and throughout England. Electric stage lighting was introduced in 1881. Melodrama and burlesque, with their short scenes and musical accompaniment, became extremely popular at this time. A small community of Victorian humorists also managed to earn a living by writing jokes and selling them to the editors of comic magazines.

In 1642, just after the First English Civil War had begun, Parliament closed all theaters to prevent public disorder.

The theaters reopened in 1660 marking a preiod of growth for English drama. Sexually explicit language was encouraged by King Charles II and by the rakish style of his court. The comedy of manners of the Restoration period used witty dialogue and comedic characters to comment upon the social conventions of “sophisticated” society, while elaborate stage machinery, scenic designs, and special effects were commonly used to create visually impressive productions,.

Margaret “Peg” Hughes was an English actress who is often credited as the first professional actress on the English stage.

HAYDN GWYNNE IN THE WAY OF THE WORLD, THE DONMAR, LONDON, 2018. PHOTO BY JOHAN PERSSON

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Oscar Wilde became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. Oscar Wilde revolutionized the comedy of manners with his witty plays like The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde blended humor with social critique, influencing future playwrights and remaining relevant today. His own controversial life added depth to his exploration of the tension between individual expression and societal expectations in Victorian England.

VAU D E V ILLE 1880-1930

At its height Vaudeville employed more than 50,000 people in 5,000 venues all over the country. A typical North American vaudeville performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill: , singers, dancers, popular & classical musicians comedians, trained animals, magicians, ventriloquists, strongmen, acrobats, clowns, illustrated songs, jugglers, one-act plays or scenes from plays, athletes, lecturing celebrities, minstrels, and films. The entertainment we enjoy today has deep roots in vaudeville. Elements of Vaudeville can still be seen in musical theater, sitcoms, stand up & television variety shows.

SI LENT F I L M 1 9 1 0 -1 9 2 0

As the film industry began, Silent Films relied on visual comedy like: slapstick, exaggerated facial expressions, and pratfalls since there was no sound. Vaudeville performer Charlie Chaplin, with his physical comedy, became a huge star, innovater and pivotal film maker for silent films. In 1927, The Jazz Singer,was the first feature-length movie to include synchronized dialogue. It was a major hit and marked the end of the silent film era.

RADI O PLAYS 1 9 3 0 -1 9 5 0

VAUDEVILLE PERFORMER AIDA OVERTON WALKER , 1910 PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

Radio drama achieved widespread popularity within a decade of its initial development in the 1920s and by the 1940s, it was a leading international popular entertainment, broadcast into homes across America. These shows often featured sketch comedy, stand-up, and duos, like Abbott and Costello and their classic skit “Who’s on First?”. With the advent of television in the 1950s, radio drama began losing its audience.

BUD ABBOTT AND LOU COSTELLO, “WHO’S ON FIRST” ROUTINE CHARLIE CHAPLIN IN 1921 MOVIE ‘THE KID’, PHOTOS COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

1900 T H E G O L D E N AG E O F T V S I TC O M S 1 9 5 0 S & 1 9 6 0 S Television soon replaced radio, and sitcoms (situational comedies) and variety shows took off. I Love Lucy was a comedy phenomenon with its use of physical comedy and humorous situations. Talk and variety shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Carol Burnett Show earned comedy a place as an important and respected form of entertainment throughout the 50s and 60s.

SAT I R E & S O C I A L C O M M E N TA RY 1 9 6 0 S & 1 970 S Toward the end of the 60s and into the 70s, much like the music of the era, comedy began to address social and political concerns. Comedians like Lenny Bruce, satirical TV shows like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour pushed boundaries with controversial material, using humor to critique politics, war, and society. Comedy clubs also exploded across the country, where legends like George Carlin and Richard Pryor brought raw, unfiltered, and often autobiographical humor to the stage, dealing with issues like race, class, and personal struggles. Saturday Night Live (SNL), premiered in 1975, and revolutionized TV sketch comedy with its live, edgy humor and political satire, becoming a platform for emerging stand-up comedians.

LEFT: THE CAST FROM SEASON TWO OF SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: (FROM LEFT) GARRETT MORRIS, JANE CURTIN, BILL MURRAY, LARAINE NEWMAN, DAN AYKROYD, GILDA

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RADNER, AND JOHN BELUSHI. PHOTO COURTESY OF NBC UNIVERSAL; ABOVE: LUCILLE BALL AND VIVIAN VANCE IN I LOVE LUCY, PHOTO COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT

T H E 9 0 S S I TC O M S 1 9 9 0 -2 0 0 0

The 1990s was another golden era for television sitcoms, with shows like “Living Single” “Seinfeld,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” dominating the airwaves. Iconic ’90s sitcoms not only entertained audiences, but also had a profound influence on today’s comedy landscape by introducing a more naturalistic approach to comedy. TV broke new ground by the growth of new broadcast networks which led to a new era of comedies starring and created by Black artists. TV Shows like Will & Grace paved the way for LGBTQ representation on screen. While the television landscape began to challenge industry biases and stereotypes prevalent in earlier sitcoms, there still was a long way to go.

Sticking to more universal themes of interpersonal relationships and the unwritten rules of society.

These sitcoms relied on witty banter, clever wordplay, and relatable situations to generate laughs. They embraced a more conversational style that resonated with viewers and paved the way for the modern comedies of the 2000s like “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” that returned to the 70’s style of comedy as social commentary.

ERIKA ALEXANDER QUEEN LATIFAH, KIM FIELDS, KIM COLES IN LIVING SINGLE PHOTOS COURTESY OF EVERETT COLLECTION

SEAN HAYES IN WILL & GRACE PHOTOS COURTESY OF NBC UNIVERSAL

2000 I N T E R N E T C O M E DY 2 0 0 0 -2 0 2 0

With the rise of the internet, comedy is now often driven by online culture, where memes, TikTok videos, and viral trends define what’s funny. A “morpheme” is the smallest part of a word that still has its own independent meaning. The term “meme” was originally introduced by Richard Dawkins in 1972 to describe the concept of cultural transmission of ideas, but the terms gained popularity in the early 2000s.

STREAMING TELEVISION 2020

Shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu have taken over from traditional TV. Sitcoms continue to combine situational humor with sharp social commentary. Shows like Abbott Elementary, Lopez vs. Lopez, and even the debate on the comedic status of The Bear continue to make \ people laugh, while comedians like Hasan Minha (Patriot Act) and John Oliver blend stand-up with investigative journalism and satire, speaking to current events.

SOURCES: All sources for a “Hystorical Timeline of Comedy in Western Entertainment” listed on p. 36.

STAR WARS, QUINTA BRUNSON AND TYLER JAMES WILLIAMS IN ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, GEORGE LOPEZ AND MAYA LOPEZ IN LOPEZ VS. LOPEZ PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISNEY AND ABC STUDIOS, AND NBC UNIVERSAL

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THEMES

&

TOPICS

TYPES OF COMEDY Noises Off is a 1982 farce by the English playwright Michael Frayn. FARCE is a style of comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce relies on ridiculous over-the-top situations and exaggerated characters and usually involves chaotic, physical comedy, slapstick humor, and misunderstandings. There are many styles of comedy found in media, literature, and entertainment. Each style has its own unique way of making people laugh, and often, comedians or shows blend multiple types together!

SATIRE uses humor to cleverly criticize society, politics, or other institutions. Satire can be lighthearted or harsh, depending on the topic and the writer’s intent. Some examples of satirical TV shows that poke fun at social issues, government policies, or trends in pop culture are The Simpsons and South Park. Dr. Strangelove is a satire about the Cold War and nuclear weapons, mocking the absurdity of the arms race. Animal Farm by George Orwell is a famous satirical book that uses the dystopian genre to explore the consequences of totalitarian governments.

PARODY is a type of comedy where someone takes a wellknown story, genre, or work and exaggerates or twists its elements to make it funny. The goal of parody is to imitate something in a way that highlights its tropes. Parody can be affectionate, making fun of something while still showing love for it, or it can be more critical. The Scary Movie franchise paradies popular horror films like Scream and The Exorcist, while artists like Weird Al Yankovic is well-known for his parody songs on popular music. Saturday Night Live often uses parody in its sketches.

SLAPSTICK is a type of physical comedy that relies on exaggerated actions, often involving pratfalls, clumsy mistakes, or physical mishaps, like characters getting hit with objects or tripping over things. Farce and many types of comedy use slapstick as a tool. Classic silent film comedians like Charlie Chaplin or The Three Stooges are masters of this style.

DARK COMEDY (BLACK COMEDY) is a style of humor that finds comedy in topics that are normally serious, taboo, or morbid, like death, war, or tragedy. It often makes the audience feel a mix of amusement and discomfort. JoJo Rabbit and Fargo are great examples of dark comedy.

STAND-UP COMEDY is a live-performance where a comedian tells jokes, stories, and performs routines directly to an audience. It often includes observational humor, with witty commentary about everyday life or social norms.

ROMANTIC COMEDY (Rom-Com) focuses on love and relationships, often with humorous misunderstandings, awkward situations, and lighthearted conflict, usually ending on a positive note. Movies like When Harry Met Sally or 10 Things I Hate About You are classic rom-coms and Crazy Rich Asians, Anyone But You, Red, White & Royal Blue and Always Be My Maybe are rom-coms in recent years.

SITUATIONAL COMEDY (Sitcom) is a form of television comedy where the humor arises from the situations in which characters find themselves. Sitcoms often revolve around a fixed group of characters, like a family or workplace, dealing with everyday life.

IMPROV COMEDY (short form & long form) is unscripted where performers react in real-time to create spontaneous comedic scenarios. Shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway? are famous for improv comedy. Many T.V. actors got their start in improv at places like Second City, UCB or iO. BLUE COMEDY is a type of comedy that is typically more vulgar, using profane, explicit, or offensive humor.

SOURCE: Cyrus Henry Hoy. 2014. “Comedy | Literature and Performance.”

In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/comedy.

“10 Comedy Terms Every Actor Should Know.” 2017. Backstage.com. March 14, 2017. https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/comedy-terms-every-actor-know-5682/.

Wikipedia Contributors. 2018. “Comedy.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.

November 30, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedy.

SURREAL OR ABSURDIST COMEDY emphasizes the ridiculousness and illogical nature of situations. It often challenges the idea of what’s “normal” and revels in the nonsensical or bizarre. TV shows like Monty Python’s Flying Circus or The Mighty Boosh fit this category.

DEADPAN (DRY HUMOR) comes from delivering lines in a completely serious, emotionless manner. The contrast between the content and the delivery creates the humor. Actors like Aubrey Plaza and Bill Murray often employ deadpan humor in their performances.

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IS L AUGHTER THE BE

ST MEDICINE?

Did you know th at you’re 30 times more likely to lau you’re with someb gh if ody else than if yo u’re alone?

SCAN THE QR CO DES to the right to watch these TE videos that explor D e the science of wh y we laugh! Cogniti neuroscientist So ve phie Scott shares surprising facts about laughter in a fast-paced, actio n-packed and, yes, hilariou s dash through th e science of the topi c, and Sasha Win kler discusses the scien ce behind laughte r.

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WHAT IS COMEDY?

ACCORDING TO SIGMUND FREUD Sigmund Freud, the famous psychologist, had an interesting theory about where comedy comes from in the mind, or psyche. He believed that laughter and humor come from deep, hidden parts of our emotions and thoughts, which he called the unconscious mind. Here’s a breakdown of his ideas in simple terms: RELIEF THEORY: Freud thought that humor is a way for our minds to release built-up tension or stress. When we laugh at something, it’s like our brain is letting out pressure, kind of like when you release steam from a boiling pot. This release of tension feels good, which is why we enjoy comedy.

Freud believed that humor often happens when the Ego finds a clever way to let the Id express itself. For example, when someone makes a joke, they might be letting out a thought or desire that the Superego would normally reject, but because it’s framed as a joke, the Superego lets it slide.

UNCONSCIOUS DESIRES: According to Freud, sometimes we have thoughts or feelings that are considered socially unacceptable or too uncomfortable to express openly.

Comedy allows these hidden desires or feelings to come out in a safe way. For example, making jokes about serious topics (like death, taboo subjects, or authority figures) might help us deal with our uncomfortable emotions around them.

INAPPROPRIATE OR TABOO HUMOR: Freud also talked about how we sometimes find humor in things that are usually considered inappropriate or off-limits to talk about.

By joking about these things, we release the tension that comes from repressing those thoughts. For instance, jokes about awkward or taboo subjects allow us to address them without directly breaking societal rules.

THE SUPEREGO, EGO, AND ID: Freud thought that our minds are made up of three parts: • • •

THE ID is the part of us that wants immediate pleasure & doesn’t care about rules or consequences.

THE SUPEREGO is like our inner rulebook, reminding us what’s right & wrong and what society expects from us.

THE EGO is the middle part that tries to balance the Id’s desires with the Superego’s rules.

A SIMPLE EXAMPLE: Imagine you’re stressed out about a big test. Your friend might make a joke like, “Well, if I fail, I’ll just drop out and become a TikTok star!” On the surface, this joke is funny because it’s an over-the-top reaction. But according to Freud, it’s also your mind’s way of releasing stress about the test. Your Id might actually be worried about failing, but instead of letting that anxiety overwhelm you, the Ego turns it into a joke, making it easier to handle.

In short, Freud thought comedy helps us release inner pressure, deal with hidden desires, and balance the different parts of our mind. It’s like our brain’s way of making tough situations or uncomfortable feelings easier to handle through laughter.

SOURCE: Freud, Sigmund. Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious. Translated by James Strachey. New York: W.W. Norton, 1960.

OpenAI. ChatGPT. Conversation with Brian Allman.

November 26th, 2024.

Wikipedia Contributors. 2018. “Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.

November 1, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jokes_and_ their_Relation_to_the_Unconscious.

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ORA JONES, JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH, AUDREY FRANCIS PHOTO BY MICHAEL BROSILOW COURTESY OF STEPPENWOLF THEATER COMPANY

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THE RULE OF THREE The rule of three is common structure in writing, which suggests that a trio of entities such as events or characters is more humorous, satisfying, or effective than other numbers. Audiences are satisfied with things that have a beginning, a middle and an end. The audience is also thereby more likely to remember the information conveyed because having three entities combines both brevity and rhythm with having the smallest amount of information to create a pattern.

In comedy, the rule of three is often called “a triple”. The structure of the pattern is: the first time establishes the idea, the second time repeats that form, establishing the pattern. And the third time puts a twist on it, subverting that pattern to create an effect of surprise with the audience, and is frequently the punch line of the joke.

FROM MANILA TO LOS ANGELES Just like most comedic writing, the rule of threes in comedy relies on building tension to a comedic release. Tension is built with the first two items in the pattern and then released with the final item, which should be the funniest of the three. The comedic rule of three is often paired with quick timing, ensuring that viewers have less time to catch on to the pattern before the punch line hits. While most triples are short in length, often only two or three sentences, the rule can also be implemented effectively at longer length spaced throughout a show as long as base formula is still followed. One quick witty example comes from The Dick Van Dyke Show – “Can I get you anything? Cup of coffee? Doughnut? Toupee?” This structure can be seen in many different variations. Some of the most famous character relationships of all-time are rooted in threes, primed to set up conflict between characters.

The rule of three can also be used in visual cues, or in layout in photography.

We know Noises Off has one example already : it’s three act structure. What is the pattern for the acts, and how does Act III switch that up? As you watch Noises Off, what other examples of the rule of three do you notice in this production?

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors. “Rule of three (writing).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 Nov. 2024. Heckman, Chris. “What is the Rule of Three — A Literary Device for Writers” for StudioBinder.com. “https://www.studiobinder.com/ blog/what-is-the-rule-of-three-definition/#:~:text=The%20rule%20of%20three%20is%20a%20storytelling%20principle%20that%20 suggests,sentences%2C%20situations%2C%20and%20stories. 17 Mar. 2024.

ERCISE: JOURNAL EX U DY A R ACT E R S T a timC O M E DY C H in real life? Set rson you know pe st ie t nn fu e l ur journa abou Who is th brainstorm in yo en th d an es in ut tv or er for 10 min t a charcter on n also think abou ca u Yo . on down e rs rit pe W that ey funny? nny. Why are th fu d fin u yo H at film th you laugh? ow time they made c ifi ec sp a of the details What patterns nse of humor? se r ei th e rib sc ling? would you de livery or storytel eir behavior, de th in e se u yo do

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SCAN THE Q R COD the vid E to t eo: Th he rig e Rule Three ht to of 3 E is Key watch xplain to Co Chara ed — m cter b e d y Why , Stor y Stud #Film ytellin io Bin Theor g d , e and r. y #Vid #Film eoEss makin a y g

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S P U M R A ACTOR W

ACTIVITY TIME: Up to 30 minutes. Warm-up routines do not need to take too much time, and they can be done solo or with other actors.

In Noises Off, Belinda and Freddie are backstage doing warm-up exercises to get ready for their performance. Warm-up routines, physical warm-ups, and warm-up games are full-body physical, facial, and vocal exercises that help actors relax, will help get rid of any anxieties, and will make an actor more limber in preparation for the physical demands of a performance.

Here are some exercises from Masterclass.com for you to do before a performance, or a public speaking event.

7 PHYSICAL WARMUPS FOR ACTORS 1. Roll your neck around forward, side to side, backward.

Begin in one direction, then the other.

2. Shrug your shoulders up, down, then roll them forward and backward.

3. Swing your arms in a circle in one direction, then the other, then in opposite directions.

4. Stretch your ribs by raising your arms above your head, then leaning to one side, feeling the tension release on your ribcage. Hold for a beat, then return to the upright position and lean to the other side.

5. Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose. Exhale slowly and deliberately through your mouth. Repeat.

6. Slowly bend forward at the waist, dropping your head, with arms extended down, holding for 10. Then slowly come back up all the way. Repeat.

7. Shake everything out! Start shaking your hands, then your arms, then your entire body to release any lingering tension. You can even shake each limb 10 times, counting out loud and repeating the process, counting down each time until you only have one shake per limb!

6 VOCAL WARMUPS FOR ACTORS Your voice is your instrument of expression, and warming up your vocal chords will help maintain a healthy instrument and help with you articulate words.

1. The “Hum.” Exhale slowly, humming until you have exhaled all of your air. Repeat approximately five times.

2. The “Ha.” Stand and place your hand on your abdomen.

Breathe in by expanding your stomach outward; you are now breathing from your diaphragm. Exhale slowly, uttering, “ha ha ha ha.” Repeat.

3. Lip trills and flutters. Roll your tongue on the roof of your mouth to make the “rr” sound, or flutter your lips.

4. Descending nasal consonants. Say the word “onion,” stretching the “ny” sound and voice it downward in pitch.

5. Tongue twisters. Memorize a few of tongue twisters, like “red leather yellow leather” and repeat them to get your mouth loosened up. Or use a line from the play.

6. Yawn and sigh. Open your mouth as if to yawn and let your voice sigh loudly from the top of your register down to its lowest note.

3 FACIAL WARMUPS FOR ACTORS Warming up the facial muscles can allow you to be more expressive.

1. Massage. Begin your facial warmups by massaging your face in slow, circular motions.

2. Use the “lion/mouse” technique. Stretch all your facial muscles. Open your mouth wide, like a lion roaring. Then scrunch your face into a meek, small, expression, like a mouse. Switch back and forth.

3. Stretch your tongue. Pull your tongue out, pull it down as far as you can, then up, then side to side. This will help you move your mouth and to articulate.

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Scan the QR Code to the left to watc h: “An Actor’s War m Up”- a short wa led by Jeannette rm-up Nelson from the National Theater.

These exerises off er actors techniqu es to prepare their voice ahead of rehearsals and performances, featuring exercis es on breathin g, resonance, projection and ar ticulation.

AUDREY FRANCIS, JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH PHOTO BY MICHAEL BROSILOW COURTESY OF STEPPENWOLF THEATER COMPANY

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ACTIVITY: NOISES OFF VOCAB CROSSWORD INSTRUCTIONS: The witty word play of Noises Off includes phrases used in theater productions as well as some specific British terms. Use the clues below to fill in the words in the crossword on the opposite page. Here are a few of them for you to learn and follow along when you watch the show!

ACTIVITY TIME: Up to 30 minutes. Can be done before you see the play. Then see how many of these terms you can catch when you attend the performance! Answer Key on page 36.

DOWN

ACROSS

1. Also known as “tech”, is a rehearsal where the cast, crew, and director work together to integrate all the technical elements of the show.

3. (British) Another term for argument or fight, also a

2. The most prominent spot onstage.

4. The hardest job in show business, responsible for coordinating every aspect of the production from scheduling to calling all of the cues during a performance to maintaining the director’s artistic vision of the show once performances have begun.

10. Another term for the scenery shop, where sets and props are built and stored.

11. The left side of the stage when facing the audience 14. (British) A coin-operated gaming machine that generates random combinations of symbols, typically representing fruit, on a dial, certain combinations winning varying amounts of money for the player, also known as a slot machine in the U.S. 15. A group of actors, performers, and associated personnel working together to produce a theatrical performance, essentially meaning a theatrical troupe; it signifies the collective body involved in a play, including the cast and crew.

breakup.

5. The right side of the stage when facing the audience 6. A professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production 7. (British) A slang term for bathroom 8. (British) A shortened term for Electrical engineers; also known as sound, lighting, rigging operators for the theatre.

9. Announcements by the stage manager, letting the actors know when the play will audience begin, and the notifications to patrons letting them know to find their seats, and giving actors the number of minutes until the curtain goes up.

11. (British) The lower private balcony seats closest to the stage. In the U.S. they are called “Boxes”.

12. (British) Someone who would be receiving government-supported income assistance (a pension).

13. A broad consumption value added tax assessed on the

19. In British English, it can refer to a noisy argument.

In both the United States and British English it is an informal term for a noisy party or event, especially a large, energetic celebration. Its etymological origin is uncertain, but it may be based on the word shindy, meaning “quarrel” or “commotion” (or “party”). Shindy comes from shinty, meaning “a noisy dispute”, originally referring to a game kind of like field hockey club called “Shinny”.

value added to goods and services as they move through

20. An honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning “elder”. It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim scholar.

on stage and when they are not onstage during the show.

21. The closest part to the audience when onstage.

22. The area immediately offstage, where actors stand to wait for their cues. The term comes from the use of sets of flats, which the actors hide behind.

the supply chain.

16. (British) The actors who open the play, or appear on stage first. In the U.K., the stage manager calls this five minutes before curtain, while in the U.S., the phrase “Places, please!” is used.

17. A room set aside for actor to spend time before going Historically walls and ceiling were painted green and the lighting kept subdued.

18. (British) An after dinner nap.

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ACTIVITY: NOISES OFF VOCAB CROSSWORD

JAMES VINCENT MEREDITH, ORA JONES, RICK HOLMES, VANEH ASSADOURIAN PHOTO BY MICHAEL BROSILOW COURTESY OF STEPPENWOLF THEATER COMPANY

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MARY MARGARET PETTWAY STITCHES A QUILT. PHOTO © STEPHEN PITKIN/PITKIN STUDIO

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ACTIVITY: DESIGN A SET

AC T I V I T Y T I M E : up to 60 minutes, which can be completed before or after you’ve seen the play.

In the interview on P. 6, Noises Off Set Designer Todd Rosenthal mentions the specificity of the groundplan in the play. The setting of a play helps support and shape how the audience experiences a story and nderstand the world of the play, and gives the actors a great playground to perform in. In this activity, you will use the playwright Michael Frayn’s description from the script of Noises Off to design & sketch the setting of Act I, or you can build a diorama of the set! Analyze the text below and come up with a preliminary design: incorporating all the necessary elements, plus the time and period of the story and the genre of the show, plus your own creative ideas! How many doors do you count in the description below?

FROM THE SCRIPT

ACT I The living room of the Brents’ country home. Wednesday afternoon.

AC T I V I T Y T I M E : 1 hour+, can be completed after you’ve seen the play.

(Grand Theatre, Weston-super-Mare, Monday January 14.)

From the estate agent’s description of the property: A delightjul 16th-century posset mil, 52 miles from London. Lovingly converted, old-world atmosphere, many period features. Fully equipped with every aid to modern living, and beautifully furnished throughout by owner now resident abroad.

Ideal for overseas company seek- ing perfect English setting to house senior executive. Minimum three months let. Apply sole agents: Squire, Squire, Hackham and Dudley.

The accommodation comprises: an open-plan living area, with a staircase leading to a gallery. A notable feature is the extensive range of entrances and exits provided. On the ground floor the front door gives access to the mature garden and delightful village beyond. Another door leads to the elegant paneled study, and a third to the light and airy modern service quarters. A fourth door opens into a luxurious bathroom/WC suite, and a full-length south-facing window affords extensive views. On the gallery level is the door to the master bedroom, and another to a small but well-proportioned linen cupboard. A corridor gives access to all the other rooms in the upper parts of the house. Another beautifully equipped bathroom/WC suite opens off the landing halfway up the stairs.

Al in all, a superb example of the traditional English set-builder’s craft - a place where the discerning theatregoer will feel instantly at home.

(Introductory music. As the curtain rises, the award-winning modern telephone is ringing.

Enter from the service quarters MRS. CLACKETT, a housekeeper of character.

She is carrying an imposing plate of sardines.)

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ACTIVITY: DESIGN A SET C R E AT E YO U R D ES I G N CONSIDER: What tools will you use to sketch? (Pencil, marker or snap a pic of this page to make your design digitally.) What research can you do to help inform your design? What needs to happen on stage during the action of the play?

SKETCH: Use the area below sketch your preliminary design.

CU T ALONG T HIS LINE TO REMOVE AC T IVIT Y FROM BOOKLE T

SHOW: NOISES OFF DESIGNED BY:

BUILD: Scan the QR code to the right to see how to build a 3-D Shoebox diorama of your set!

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TARA RICASA AND SARA PORKALOB AND STUDENTS AT DRAGON LADY STUDENT MATINEE AT GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE PHOTO BY ISAAK BERLINER

POST-SHOW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Depending on the time available and your participants’ interests, guide them to respond to the suggested below.

Encourage everyone to participate, and respect differing opinions. Individuals can share their thoughts with a partner or in a small group. Ask for several volunteers to share their groups’ answers with the larger group.

•

What images and moments from the performance stood out or resonated with you? What was meaningful, stimulating, surprising, evocative, memorable, interesting, exciting, striking, touching, challenging, compelling, delightful, different, and unique?

•

Overall, how did you feel while watching this show? Engaged? Amused? Inspired? Provoked?

Uncomfortable? What made you feel this way?

•

How familiar were you with the comedic style of farce before seeing Noises Off? What elements did you see in the show that make this a farce? What is your favorite style of comedy and why?

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How would you describe each character’s inner life in the show? What is their conflict and how does that affect their emotional states throughout the show?

•

Which character/s do you identify with or empathize with and why?

•

Which characters remind you of someone in your life?

•

What do you think is more difficult to perform, Drama or Comedy, and why?

•

Describe the design elements from the show: set, props, costumes, music. Be specific as possible: what did you see, hear, feel and experience? How did the set, props, costumes, and music contribute to the impact of the show? How do these design elements inform the storytelling and how do they make you feel as an audience member? (Refer to the interview with Set Designer Todd Rosenthal on p.6!)

•

What are the elements of a successful comedic bit/joke? How did “The Rule of Three” discussed on p.

24 show up in the show?

•

Think about your childhood and youth. Who were your comedy influences, both professional and in your own life? What/who inspired you or introduced you to humor? What were those early experiences with comedy like?

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES BE educated on different types of jokes for all ages at https://tinyurl.com/3yrhuh6h

DISCOVER more about writing sketch comedy at https://tinyurl.com/ybwafys9

LEARN more at the ultimate guide to Improv with 101 tips, strategies, and tools at https://tinyurl. com/yf37evu2

FOLLOW the steps to writing a joke at https://tinyurl.com/5bwm98s3

KNOW how to write a joke at https://tinyurl.com/ytspcjyd

READ about the hidden formula behind almost every joke on Late Night at https://tinyurl. com/528jxxh.

SEE the 50 best comedy sketches of the previous decade at https://tinyurl.com/5n9x43sw

TEXT or CALL “988” nationwide to connect directly to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

UNDERSTAND the 10 comedy terms that every actor should know at https://tinyurl.com/ ytmdxwm

VISIT the Los Angeles Public Library to find and read more plays. Find your local library at https:// lapl.org

WATCH the film version Noises Off starring Carol Burnett, Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve on your favorite streaming service. Noises Off (1992) on IMDb: https://tinyurl.com/r5ab696p

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COMMUNITY

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SPOTLIGHT

GET LIT: WAITING FOR GODOT Geffen Playhouse Education & Community Engagement has partnered with the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Get Lit. Get Lit ignites student engagement, literacy, and young voices around the globe using the power of spoken word, technology, and community. Get Lit - Words Ignite is striving to change LA’s literacy rate & arts scene into a grassroots wonderland, one teen poet at a time. Through classic and slam poetry, the power of spoken word, technology, and community they ignite a love of words and introduce teens to great works of literature. They respond with their own original poems and perform them all over the world.

Ultimately, Get Lit’s goal is to improve students’ writing and speaking skills. Through their program they also develop self-confidence and unbreakable friendships and collaborations.

Each study guide this season will spotlight written response pieces to Geffen Playhouse productions, crafted by students enrolled in Get Lit Players literacy programs. Get Lit receives complimentary tickets to all Geffen Playhouse Gil Cates Theater shows as part of our Lights Up & Access Community Engagement Programs.

The poems Beneath the Tree by Naomi Farkas & hoW liFe is by Marvin Rivera on the following page were written in response to the Geffen Playhouse’s production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, presented Nov. 6th – Dec. 15th, 2024.

RAINN WILSON & AASIF MANDVI IN WAITING FOR GODOT PHOTO BY JEFF LORCH

N AO M I FA R K AS, poet (she/they) Naomi is a student and aspiring storyteller. She has had her poetry published in multiple places including the Los Angeles Press, Stone Soup Magazine, Gaia Lit and Unum E Pluribus: An Anthology of Youth Poems. They’ve performed in the 2019 Get Lit Gala and had their work included in the Queer Permeable Poetry hotline. They’re a current member of the youth poetry team the Get Lit Players. They are a writer and critic for the online publication Gia On the Move. They are a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, advocate for mental health, and trauma survivor. You can find her wandering the aisles of your local library, procrastinating and daydreaming. .

M A R V I N R I V E R A , poet (he/him) Marvin Rivera, is a Get Lit Creative Lab Performance Pathway alumni and student at California State University - Los Angeles. Marvin is currently studying Mechanical Engineering, but at heart, is a creative that loves poetry, theatre, and writing.

SCAN the QR code to the left to see Get Lit’s performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes tomfoolery at their Youtube page.

The next Get Lit written response will be to Michael Frayn’s Noises Off and will be shared in the study guide for Geffen’s upcoming show: a.k. payne’s Furlough’s Paradise, presented April 16th - May 18th, 2025.

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SPOTLIGHT

Beneath the Tree

By Naomi Farkas The tears of the world are a constant quantity.

For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops.

The same is true of the laugh.

- Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot When your laugh peters out someone, somewhere, on the other side of the world has begun to chuckle.

When you feel gripped with sudden sadness someone, somewhere has forgotten to mourn.

The most certain thing we know as humans is that nothing is certain.

We, creatures of flesh and bone and nerve endings, neural tissue firing synapses to convince us of the delusion of our existence.

We’re just overgrown spoonfuls of cosmic soup, rotting inside ourselves.

There is comedy in tragedy, and tragedy in everything.

When a tree is cut open, we count its rings, quantifying its age by the years spent soaking sunlight through soil.

Maybe life can only be truly measured after it’s over.

It’s lonely, living like this, Carving meaning from stone with only your fingernails, bracing yourself against the harsh winds of time.

We are united in our loneliness, significant in our collective insignificance.

There’s hope in the utter hopelessness that is this cold cold world.

We are, all of us, waiting for Godot to come.

hoW liFe is

By Marvin Rivera A travesty, a tragedy A bit of absurdity, And a lot of uncertainty But that is unfortunately How life is spent Waiting for it To come To an end.

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STAFF SPOTLIGHT AN INTERVIEW WITH ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE & CASTING DIRECTOR,

PHYLLIS SCHURINGA What is your position and how long have you worked at Geffen Playhouse?

I am an Artistic Associate and Casting Director at the Geffen.

I’ve worked here since May, 2001.

What educational, artistic, and professional experiences led to you working at the Geffen?

Most specifically, I was the Casting Director at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago before moving to LA. I started there as an intern with a lot of opportunity to get to know all aspects of that very young theater company. I read plays for Jeff Perry, the Artistic Director at the time, I worked Front of House and in the Box Office, I directed Cowboy Mouth a late night show with the second company, I was Terry Kinney’s Assistant Director for Fool for Love with Billy Peterson and Rondi Reed.

When Randy Arney became the Artistic Director he asked me to be his assistant.

for actors I’ve met and seen over the years. I need to be able to evaluate an actors work, to define strengths and weaknesses.

What are your primary responsibilities as the Casting Director?

As the Casting Director I’m responsible for guiding the process, mostly working with a director and a playwright, offering suggestions, getting information on prospects, helping to clarify needs/requirements. Every day I feel the responsibility of casting actors who are collaborative and kind as well as talented.

Was there a pivotal moment when you realized you wanted a life in the arts?

When I was a high school teacher directing the school plays, I felt the most joy when those young actors stood in front of their audiences and felt the success of truthful storytelling. That and seeing John Malkovich and Jeff Perry in TRUE WEST at Steppenwolf. I had no idea acting could be that immediate and powerful and creative and funny and shocking. I

What key skills and disposition are important to have as a Casting Director?

Every Casting Director has their own way of working. I make suggestions, but the director defines the needs of each roleand chooses the actor who will be the most successful in this specific production under their direction. So I must under-

wanted to be part of that.

What do you find most challenging about your work?

Getting to know actors well enough. So often we only see a sliver of what actors can do. I need to be able to identify potential, to honestly evaluate every performance.

What do you find most rewarding?

stand a director’s way of working. I need a reliable memory

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SPOTLIGHT

Seeing the final product. When the work of the actors combines with the work of the playwright, designers and the director and the relationship between the actors on stage blossoms into something far greater than any individual. This does not always happen. In fact, it rarely happens, but when is does, a play can change your life.

What was one of your favorite shows to work on?

This is difficult, there have been so many. Maybe it’s The Inheritance Part 1 And Part 2 by Matthew Lopez. There was something special about that story, about what one generation of gay men leaves to the next. The play had already run in London and New York and at the Geffen, we had Stephen Daldry’s production, but with Mike Donohue directing. Our cast was unique to the Geffen. We started casting and then the pandemic put everything on hold. After a few false starts, we put together a cast of 14 wonderful actors, 8 equally wonderful understudies and 15 amazing extras and together we navigated our work in this post-pandemic world. The work of this team at this time was something I’ll never forget.

SCAN this QR code to watch videos from American Theatre Wing’s Masterclass series on different jobs in American Theater. Stage Managers, Wig Makers, Scenic Designers, Front of House staff, Marketing Directors and many other people work behind the scenes to bring a show to life! If you are interested in a career in the arts and work behind the scenes, learn more here. #theater #jobs #alifeinthearts #getintotheatre #americantheatrewing #career #behindthescenes

A CO-PRODUCTION WITH This production of Noises Off is a Co-Production with Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago. The cast and creative team rehearsed and performed the show in the fall of 2024 in Chicago, before bringing the show to Los Angeles. The cast includes Steppenwolf Ensemble members: Audrey Francis, Francis Guinan, Ora Jones and James Vincent Meredith. Geffen Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney is also an ensemble member at Steppenwolf, with past productions of his plays: Choir Boy. Head of Passes, In the Red and Brown Water, MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT, The Brother/ Sister Plays, and The Brothers Size. Artistic Associate, Phyllis Schuringa was the Casting Director at Steppenwolf before moving to LA. The Steppenwolf ensemble first began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a Highland Park, IL church, the ambitious brainchild of three high school and college friends: Jeff Perry, Terry Kinney and Gary Sinise. Fast forward nearly 50 years and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company has become the nation’s premier ensemble theatre with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field.

Today, the company’s artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 12 Tony Awards, and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair, Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the landscape of acting and performance.

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SPONSORS

A NOISES OFF VOCAB CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY

A HYSTORICAL TIMELINE OF COMEDY IN WESTERN ENTERTAINMENT SOURCES: “Comedy - Kinds of Comedy in Diverse Historical Periods.” n.d. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/comedy/Kinds-of-comedy-in-diverse-historical-periods.

Cyrus Henry Hoy. 2014. “Comedy | Literature and Performance.” In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www. britannica.com/art/comedy. https://discover.hubpages.com/education/victorian-humour 19th Century British and American Humour Arthur RussUpdated:Feb 26, 2020 https://library.fiveable.me/history-theatre-ii-cities-at-play-from-renaissance-rise-realism/unit-11/oscar-wilde-comedy-manners/study-guide/5rfuHjRlsCHFrWAh https://www.secretvictorianist.com/2013/08/laughing-with-victorians-staging-19th.html 10 Aug. 2013 Wikipedia contributors. “Vaudeville.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2 Jan. 2025. Web. 22 Jan. 2025.

Wikipedia contributors. “Radio drama.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Dec. 2024. Web. 22 Jan. 2025.

Wikipedia contributors. “Ancient Greek comedy.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Jan. 2025. Web. 22 Jan. 2025.

Wikipedia contributors. “Medieval theatre.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 16 Oct. 2024. Web. 29 Jan. 2025.

Newman, Simon. “Theatre in the Middle Ages.” https://www.thefinertimes.com/theatre-in-the-middle-ages May 25, 2012 Silverstein, Barry. “How Vaudeville Gave Birth to Modern Entertainment Stage, screen, and television all derive from early 20th Century variety shows “ for Medium.com. https://barrydsilverstein.medium.com/how-vaudeville-gave-birth-to-modern-entertainment-9e5312d07a30, Mar 2, 2022 Richardson, Christopher. “The Divine Commedia: Reflections on the Commedia dell’arte”. https://christopherrichardson.com.au/the-divine-commedia-reflections-on-the-commedia-dellarte/ 19 Apr. 2022.

Wikipedia contributors. “Charlie Chaplin.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 Jan. 2025. Web. 22 Jan. 2025.

Wikipedia contributors. “English Renaissance theatre.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Dec. 2024. Web. 29 Jan. 2025.

Wikipedia contributors. “Restoration comedy.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Dec. 2024. Web. 22 Jan. 2025.

Wikipedia contributors. “Commedia dell’arte.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 Jan. 2025. Web. 22 Jan. 2025. Izenour, George C. , Bay, Howard and Barker, Clive. “theatre”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/art/theater-building. Accessed 22 January 2025.

“The Story of Theatre” for Victoria and Albert Museums. https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-theatre?srsltid=AfmBOopYfhrQBSjUMfafbTigdH5cSMGulqp3qmVOUd0vNbHC8acmuIck

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MAX STEWART, RICK HOLMES, AMANDA FINK PHOTO BY MICHAEL BROSILOW COURTESY OF STEPPENWOLF THEATER COMPANY

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NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!

BEYOND THE BARRACKS

WRITING & PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP FOR U.S. MILITARY VETERANS MAY 31–AUGUST 5, 2025 SATURDAYS, 9AM–1PM WO R KS H O P W I L L TA K E P L AC E AT G E F F E N P L AY H O U S E This 10-week workshop is open to U.S. military veterans. In weekly sessions, an experienced team of Geffen Teaching Artists will guide participants in writing a monologue based on an object of personal and cultural significance.

The workshop culminates in a final public performance in the Gil Cates Theater.

AP P LY BY A P R I L 4, 2 025 — S PAC E I S L I M I T E D !

TO APPLY OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT

geffenplayhouse.org/veterans

PHOTO BY JEFF LORCH

We invite U.S. military veterans of all branches and backgrounds to apply.

E D U C A T IO N @ G E F F E N P L A Y H O U S E.O R G 10886 L E CON TE AV E L O S A N G E L E S, C A 9 0 024