PLAY GUIDE
EVERYMAN THEATRE G REAT STO RI ES, WELL TOLD.
#bmoreeveryman
A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR By Vincent M. Lancisi, Founder, Artistic Director
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elcome. The plays you see on The salons are social events. Come early and have a stage are only part of what makes drink at the cash bar along side patrons, artists, and Everyman Theatre so special. What Everyman staff members. After an hour or so, hear really makes Everyman unique are a great new play read by Everyman favorites in an the people onstage and off. There are lots of behind informal setting. Experience the actors channel these the scenes activities that go into the performances great writers with only an afternoon of rehearsals. and play selection process that you can be a It’s a staged reading, yet it’s so much more. You get to part of. Our entire company of actors, directors, hear the pure, unadulterated voice of the author as if designers, stage managers, she were in the room with you. The and administrators come themes and styles of the play become together in a special Salon great fodder for conversations. “WHAT REALLY MAKES Series to showcase new EVERYMAN UNIQUE ARE Afterwards, the actors come out to plays that we want audience the bar area and have a drink and THE PEOPLE ONSTAGE members to know about. talk to our patrons, our Everyman AND OFF.” These plays represent some family about the experience. It’s of the brightest new voices informal. It’s fun. It’s so rewarding. influencing the future of The I’ve never seen such a deep bond occur between American Theatre Canon. Playwrights like Chelsea audience members at these salons and the artists. Come Marcantel who wrote Everything is Wonderful! The see for yourself. Salons occur on Monday nights from plays are curated by the women of the resident January 21 through May 21, 2019. company and are all written by women. It’s a theme that allows us to showcase some of the I look forward to seeing you there. great writers found in this golden age of women Enjoy the Show! authors gracing American and world stages.
EVERYMAN THEATRE
Vincent M. Lancisi, Founder, Artistic Director presents
EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL Playwright CHELSEA MARCANTEL Director NOAH HIMMELSTEIN
Esther.............................................................................................................................. DEBORAH HAZLETT* Ruth......................................................................................................................................... HANNAH KELLY Jacob................................................................................................................ BRUCE RANDOLPH NELSON* Eric..................................................................................................................................................TONY NAM* Abram.........................................................................................................................................STEVE POLITES Miri............................................................................................................................................... ALEX SPIETH* Set Design
Lighting Design
DANIEL ETTINGER Sound Design and Original Music Composition
PORNCHANOK KANCHANABANCA
CORY PATTAK Dialect
STEVE SATTA
Vocal Music Direction
MAUREEN CODELKA
Costume Design
BEN ARGENTA KRESS
Fight/Intimacy Choreography
LEWIS SHAW
Props Master
JILLIAN MATHEWS
Dramaturgy
ROBYN QUICK
Stage Manager
CAT WALLIS*
Special Thanks: Robin Wray
Setting: The Present...and the Past
This production will be performed in two acts with one intermission.
SPONSORS
SANDY & MARK LAKEN
PLEASE TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES. NO TEXTING. NO EATING IN THE THEATRE. Everything is Wonderful is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, INC. Originally produced at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in July 2017, under the leadership of Ed Herendeen, Producing Director, and Peggy McKowen, Associate Producing Director. The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author’s rights and actionable under United States copyright law. For more information, please visit: www.samuelfrench.com/whitepaper * Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL PLAY GUIDE | 1
Photo Courtesy of Chautauquan Daily
THE PLAYWRIGHT Chelsea Marcantel
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eared by Cajuns in southwest Louisiana, Chelsea has lived and made theatre among the tribes of the Midwest, Appalachia, the Mid-Atlantic, and now the West Coast. In 2016, she completed a Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Fellowship at The Juilliard School. Her plays, which have been produced across the US and Canada, include Airness, Everything is Wonderful, Tiny Houses, Ladyish, and Devour. She is currently a member of the inaugural Writers’ Room playwrights’ unit at Geffen Playhouse.
Chelsea has been entrusted with teaching young minds at Virginia Intermont College and Emory & Henry College, and loved every minute of it. As a writer, Chelsea is extremely interested in humans as small-group primates, and what happens when the rules and value systems of our chosen groups cease to serve us. She reads a lot of books, watches a lot of documentaries, and listens to a lot of podcasts. Chelsea is an avid self-producer, an enthusiastic member of The Writers Guild of America and The Dramatists Guild, and runs with a kick-ass group of activists called The Kilroys. Special Skills: stalking celebrity chefs, making killer playlists, taking artsy photos of her dog, defending the oxford comma, and overestimating her own proficiency with yoga. EVERYMAN THEATRE | 2
IN HER WORDS On the Seed of Inspiration... I often like to say I’m interested in humans as small-group primates. I get really excited about subsets of American society that seem to live a little off the beaten path, or have their own very specific worlds that most of us never see. I’m an incredibly curious person so I’m always devouring books and podcasts and documentaries, looking for these hidden worlds. I love research and interviews. Once I find a group I think is fascinating, I start to ask myself questions like “What if someone wanted to get into this group and couldn’t? What if someone wanted to get out and couldn’t? What if something happened that threatened the group’s very existence, and they couldn’t agree on what to do about it?” With the Amish, I became fascinated by the tension between the abundant well of forgiveness they have for outsiders, and the extreme lack of tolerance they have for deviations within their own community. And from that tension, Everything is Wonderful was born. On the Questions you Wrestled with... The first seed of a play for me is finding a world I want to live in for a while. Once I’ve identified that world, the next step is plot: who is the protagonist, what do they want, what’s in the way, and do they end up getting it? Depending on the world,
all kinds of different obstacles emerge for the protagonist, and the obstacles give birth to the questions and themes. So the questions that the play deals with actually come pretty late in the process for me, after I’ve set up a bunch of other things (of course it’s different for every writer). The questions that eventually emerged during the writing and re-writing of Everything is Wonderful had to do with forgiveness, and whether it’s advisable or even possible to forgive someone who’s really hurt you. There were also questions about belief systems and what we do when they let us down—a lot of my work deals with this. What happens when you’ve put all your stock into a set of values, and then you come up against a question for which that the value system hasn’t prepared you? Additionally, there is a lot of questioning in the play around consent, and what that looks like, and how a lack of clear language about consent leads to devastating misunderstandings. On the Greatest Challenge in Bringing this Story to Life... I think one of the greatest challenges has been remembering to find the humor in the play. It deals with heavy subjects and goes to dark places, and a lot of characters are angry and sad. But there is humor, too, and it’s very important to the telling of the story. As humans, we have a negativity bias that makes us focus on the bad things that happen to us more than the good. It’s easy to do this when making plays, but I’m a firm believer in looking for the humor in all things. Especially when it’s buried a little bit under the surface. Most of my plays are comedies and I don’t have to work so hard to bring out the silver linings as I do with this one. On Forming Character... My plays are very heavily researched, and a lot of that finds its way into the voices of characters. Of course dialect/accent is one thing that tells you a lot about a character, and I try to be respectful of that, but things like word choice, sentence length, and how often a character speaks often tells you even more about a character. Think, for example, about your first impression of a 25-year-old woman who calls her father “Father,” versus one who calls her father “Daddy.” In Everything is Wonderful, the girls call their father “Dat.” It’s just one word, but it tells you so much about the relationship between the people, where the families live, and how they grew up. So I choose words for my characters very, very carefully, when I write. And then actors get involved and really make those characters their own. There are fingerprints on every character in my plays, left by the amazing actors I work with, from the first table reading through the first full production a few years later. On What Brings you Joy... Professionally, one of the things that brings me a ton of joy is how often I get to indulge my curiosity by meeting amazing people. Just in the last six months, for different projects, I’ve hung out with the World Champion of Air Guitar, an FBI Counter-Terrorism special agent, and a fourth-generation stage magician. I love meeting these people and asking them a zillion questions; when I’m very lucky, sometimes they even become my friends. Personally, I get a great deal of joy from traveling, cooking, and spending time with my family, my friends, and my dog.
On the State of Playwriting in America... I think it’s an amazing time to be telling stories of all kinds, especially plays. There are so many voices we’re hearing onstage for the first time, as more and more kinds of writers and stories are getting productions at theaters big and small. However, there’s still an incredible imbalance in the field. 70.8% of the new plays produced in America are written by men. 84.9% of new plays are written by white people. The imbalance is even more pronounced for revivals of older plays. While the scales are tipping toward more balance, we still obviously have a long way to go (I’m part of a group of women activists called The Kilroys, and we’re working hard on this issue). I believe that theatre is a great place to practice empathy and understanding for the humanity we share with people whose lives look nothing like our own. To truly make the most of our medium, we need to put more stories onstage from people all across the wide spectrum of that human experience. What Would you Tell Your High School Self, Knowning What you Know Now? Life is really, really long. And the people who can be flexible and adaptive to changes in their lives are the people having the most fun. Also, kindness is incredibly underrated in high school, but when you get out, you realize that kindness makes the world go round.
THE PLAY SETTING Amish country. Present Day. Spans a 7 year period, charting the course of Abram and Miri’s relationship. Action occurs at the homestead of Jacob and Esther. Specifically, in the barn, the dining room, and the outlying land. We visit several locations over time, such as the exterior of a convenience store, the forest, and the community meeting house.
CONFLICT When the repentant driver in a fatal collision seeks forgiveness from the Amish family whose sons’ lives he claimed, faith guides them to welcome him into their community—and their home. This new energy brings forward a dark past. A drama about a peaceful community wrestling regret, redemption, and contradiction.
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CHARACTERS
Examining the relationships between the characters of Everything is Wonderful. INSIDE COMMUNITY FAMILY
OUTSIDE WORLD
ERIC
MIRI
RUTH
Late 30s-early 40s. He arrives on the doorstep of Esther and Jacob’s home after hitting and killing their sons with his car. Unemployed, confused, and adrift in the world, he is an addict who struggles with self-loathing.
Daughter of Jacob and Esther; 25 years old. Smart and independent. Left the Amish lifestyle at age 20 but returns home when she learns of her brothers’ deaths.
Miri’s younger sister; 18 years old. Sweet and good, and a quintessential representation of Amish ideals. Lives at home with her parents, Esther and Jacob.
“I have this knot inside me, like, behind my sternum, and it’s just been there for five years, and I’ve learned to just, like, breathe around it. It’s like a rock. It’s like a tumor. And I didn’t realize how hard it had gotten to breathe until… just now.“
“It’s a beautiful day… I love it. The whole world. And scrubbin’.”
played by Tony Nam
“I’m on a journey right now. Jacob is helping me work through some hard stuff here.”
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played by Alex Spieth
played by Hannah Kelly
JACOB
ESTHER
ABRAM
Late 40s-early 50s. Esther’s husband and the father of Levi, Joshua, Miri, and Ruth. Believes the best way to make peace with the deaths of his sons is to actively work on forgiveness.
Late 40s-early 50s. Jacob’s wife and the matriarch of their family. A hard worker who suffers no fools and speaks her mind.
25 years old; strapping, polite, charming, and entitled. He is Miri’s childhood sweetheart and remains unmarried in present day. His brothers, Aaron, John, Eli, Samuel, are never seen onstage, but are mentioned as helping Esther and Jacob on their farm after the deaths of their sons.
played by Bruce Randolph Nelson
played by Deborah Hazlett
“Forgiveness is [the] spine of life. If you cannot practice reconciliation, you put us all at risk.”
“He’s not ours to save…. We are not helpin’ him by shelterin’ him. His problems are out there, waitin’. They are real, and he must be strong enough to face them.”
LEVI
JOSHUA
One of Miri’s and Ruth’s brothers, who is killed in a motor vehicle accident prior to the start of the play.
Miri and Ruth’s other brother, who was with Levi in the buggy when Eric’s car hit them.
not seeen onstage
played by Steve Polites
“I’m goin’ to be your husband and you have to follow where I lead.”
not seeen onstage
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TIMELINE Plays and playwrights that give voice to cultures not often heard from. FEAR & MISERY OF THE THIRD REICH
CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD
Also known as The Private Life of the Master Race. Written by German poet, playwright, and theatre reformer, Bertolt Brecht, and considered one of his most famous plays. The first of his openly anti-Nazi works. It premiered on May 21, 1938 in Paris.
1938
Written by American playwright, screenwriter, film and theatre director, actor, and professor, Mark Medoff. This focused on the conflicted professional and romantic relationship between Sarah Norman, a deaf former student, and her teacher, James Leeds. The play was specially written for the deaf actress Phyllis Frelich, based to some extent on her relationship with her husband Robert Steinberg.
1975
1979
DEATH & THE KING’S HORSEMAN
Written by Nigerian Playwright Wole Soyinka in 1975. The story takes place in Nigeria during WWII and builds upon the true story which Soyinka based the play off of, to focus on the character of Elesin, the King’s Horseman of the title. According to Yoruba tradition, the death of the king must be followed by the ritual death of the king’s horseman, the king’s dog and horse. The horseman’s spirit is essential to helping the chief’s spirit ascend to the afterlife. Otherwise, the king’s spirit will wander the earth and bring harm to the Yoruba people.
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VENUS
Written by African American playwright, screenwriter, musician, and novelist, Suzan-Lori Parks. It chronicles the fictional life-story of Sarah “Saartjie” Baartman, beginning from her life as an attraction for 19th-century British audiences as the Hottentot Venus and ending with her death. The work is not intended to be historically accurate, but rather uses the concept of Baartman’s career to explore colonization and objectification.
CAMP DAVID
YELLOW FACE
Written by Asian-American playwright, screenwriter, and librettist, David Henry Hwang and premiered in 2007 in Los Angeles. It is both a reflection on Hwang’s activism regarding the use of non-Asian actors in Asian roles (which he compared to blackface minstrelsy) and an examination of the role of “face” (a Chinese concept embodying dignity, reputation, and respect) in American society.
1996
2000
Written by Lawrence Wright, American author, screenwriter, playwright, and a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine. Camp David is the story of how Jimmy Carter, Menachem Begin, and Anwar Sadat came together to forge a treaty between Israel and Egypt that has endured long after their passing from power. This is a play about leadership and sacrifice and what it takes to make peace.
2012 2014
2007 DISGRACED
THE LARAMIE PROJECT
Written by Venezuelan playwright, director, and founder of Tectonic Theatre Project, Moisés Kaufman. It’s a play about the reaction to the 1998 murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. The murder was denounced as a hate crime and brought attention to the lack of hate crime laws in various states, including Wyoming.
Written by American playwright, novelist, screenwriter and actor of Pakistani heritage, Ayad Akhtar. It is the story of Amir Kapoor, a successful Pakistani-American lawyer who is rapidly moving up the corporate ladder while hiding his Pakistani Muslim heritage and distancing himself from his cultural roots. When Amir and his wife Emily, a white artist influenced by Islamic imagery, host a dinner party, what starts out as a friendly conversation escalates into something far more damaging.
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DIARY OF A DAY IN AN AMISH HOUSEHOLD JULY 1, 2014 | By
Lovina Eicher
M
y name is Lovina Eicher. I have been married for 21 years to my loving husband, Joe. We feel blessed to be parents to eight sweet, wonderful children: Elizabeth, 20; Susan, 18; Verena, 16; Benjamin, 15; Loretta, 14; Joseph, 12; Lovina, 10; and Kevin, 8. We are members of the Old Order Amish church in Michigan. I thank each of you for your continued support, and may God bless each of you! For this week’s column, I will do a diary of a day in our life. 3:20 a.m. Our alarm rings, letting us know it is time to start another day here at the Eichers. I pack lunch for my husband, Joe, and fill his water jug with ice and water. 3:55 a.m. Joe leaves for work. One of our neighbors has been picking Joe up to take him to work for over nine years. It is a 40-minute drive to work. I go back to bed after Joe leaves. 5:00 a.m. I get up again before daughters Elizabeth and Susan leave for work.
eggs and toast for our breakfast. 7:30 a.m. Breakfast is ready to eat. We have a full day planned ahead. 8:15 a.m. Loretta and Lovina are washing breakfast dishes and cleaning the floors. Verena and I are washing laundry. It looks like a very nice drying day. 12:00 p.m. Laundry is on the lines. The house is looking better: floors are mopped, dishes are washed. The boys are cleaning the horse stalls. They come in for lunch, which is vegetable soup and bologna sandwiches. It is a hot day, so after lunch we all take a break. 2:00 p.m. Verena and Loretta are getting the laundry off the lines. Lovina is cleaning out Elizabeth’s puppy’s playpen. Her puppy, Izzy, is usually loose in the house when the floors are clean. She isn’t allowed to have table food, so we always make sure
5:20 a.m. The girls leave for their jobs. I decide to catch up on some writing and reading until I wake the rest of the children. Since school is out, I let them sleep later. 6:30 a.m. Everyone is up now. Benjamin, Joseph and Kevin are doing the morning chores. We have four big calves and five small calves, three horses, six ponies and about 40 chickens that need to be fed. Lovina is taking care of daughter Elizabeth’s puppy, a Yorkshire Terrier. Verena and Loretta are making scrambled
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Deborah Hazlett and Bruce Randolph Nelson as Esther and Jacob.
Image courtesy of Robert Weingarten
no crumbs are around the table after we eat. She will always be a small dog and weighs less than two pounds. We never had a house dog before. So far it hasn’t been too much of a problem. She is litterbox-trained, so she doesn’t have to be taken outside. The boys go back out to the barn and I finish up some sewing. With two nieces getting married in July, it makes for a lot of new outfits to be sewn. 4:00 p.m. The girls come home from work and Joe soon after them. Susan wants to bake sugar cookies for one of the girls who brought her home from work. She mixes up a big batch and puts it in the freezer while she showers. The recipe says to chill dough for a few hours or overnight, but when we are in a hurry, we put it in the freezer to chill. 5:00 p.m. Joe and the boys leave to go fishing by a nearby lake. Susan is baking cookies. Elizabeth is sewing a dress for an upcoming wedding. The other girls are folding laundry or helping with supper. 7:30 p.m. Supper is late tonight. Joe and the boys came back with almost 40 fish, so they cleaned those first. Susan is almost done frosting the cookies, and we will finish the rest tomorrow. On the supper menu are mashed potatoes, beef and noodles, lettuce salad, cheese, fresh strawberries and sugar cookies. 8:30 p.m. Most of the children are biking. Loretta is swinging on the porch swing and I’m on the porch, writing. Joe is resting on his recliner. It’s been a long, warm day, so it feels good to relax.
9:30 p.m. Everyone is in bed, so I think I’ll head there too. My oldest sister, Leah, always made the recipe that Lovina used for the cookies. I just love them but never had any luck making them. Susan makes them just like Leah does.
EXTENSION PROJECT Be the Artistic Director See page one. For each play, our leadership reflects on the why? Having seen Everything Is Wonderful imagine you are explaining the choice to produce this play to your audiences. Why do you feel it’s important? Write a Director’s note!
Comprehension: How many hours in the day are spent on household chores, tending the animals or fields, and cooking or catching the food in the Eicher household? Reflection: All of the family’s basic needs are handled by the family. Do you see these roles mirrored in the play? How is this different than your day-to-day reality?
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JANUARY 3, 2007 | By
Deborah Morrison, Arvind Singh
M
ost world religions include teachings on forgiveness, which provide guidance for the practice of forgiveness. Here are some examples of forgiveness understood from different traditions:
BUDDHISM
Forgiveness is a practice for removing unhealthy emotions that would otherwise cause harm to our mental well-being. Hatred leaves a lasting effect on our karma (“actions”) and forgiveness creates emotions with a wholesome effect. Buddhism questions the reality of passions that give rise to anger through meditation and insight. After examination, we realize that anger is only an impermanent emotion that we can fully experience and then release. The basic problem in Buddhist psychology is that emotions like anger and hatred are based on projections and ignorance, not on wisdom and awareness. The elimination of anger is a lengthy process but through mindfulness Buddhism is confident that an individual will realize anger is only temporal like many other mental states. “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else but you are the one who gets burned” —The Buddha
SIKHISM
Forgiveness is viewed as the remedy to anger. You forgive an offender when aroused by compassion. Compassion generates peace, tranquility, humility and co-operation in human interactions. The act of forgiveness is considered a
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divine gift, not the work of human agency. Otherwise, pride would increase when we take personal credit, which would impede our spiritual progress. Anger is often considered the result of unfulfilled desire. If a person fulfills our desires and wants, we feel love for them but when they impede our desires anger can well up. The ego can easily feel slighted, embarrassed, belittled or in some other way be offended. As we learn to discipline our mind through meditation on the Word, our ego and anger naturally turn to compassion and forgiveness. Since anger and forgiveness are considered opposites, the human mind can only contain one of them at a given time. “Dispelled is anger as forgiveness is grasped” —Guru Amar Das, page 233 (from Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scriptures)
“...ANGER IS ONLY AN IMPERMANENT EMOTION THAT WE CAN FULLY EXPERIENCE AND THEN RELEASE. ” While Eastern religions take a more psychological view of forgiveness, Abrahamic religions share a distinctly moral view that varies from idealism of Christianity to relative pragmatism of Islam and Judaism:
Image courtesy of Guilherme Romano
FORGIVENESS IN DIFFERENT RELIGIONS
A
C
B
A. A Buddhist monk in worship, Photo: Arisa Chattasa. B. Christian bible translated into Spanish, Photo: Raul Petri. C. A Muslim man in prayer, Photo: Adobe Stock.
JUDAISM
Ideally a person who has caused harm needs to sincerely apologize, then the wronged person is religiously bound to forgive. However, even without an apology, forgiveness is considered a pious act (Deot 6:9). Teshuva (literally “Returning”) is a way of atoning, which requires cessation of harmful act, regret over act, confession and repentance. Yom Kippur is the day of atonement when Jews particularly strive to perform teshuva. “It is forbidden to be obdurate and not allow yourself to be appeased. On the contrary, one should be easily pacified and find it difficult to become angry. When asked by an offender for forgiveness, one should forgive with a sincere mind and a willing spirit.” —Mishneh Torah, Teshuvah 2:10
CHRISTIANITY
In Christian teachings, forgiveness of others plays an important role in spiritual life. The Lord’s Prayer best exemplifies this attitude, notably in these words: ”And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:9-13). The final words uttered by Jesus during his suffering reinforce the importance of forgiveness: ”Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). We also find instruction to love your enemies and turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:9 & Luke 6:27-31). Another expression of forgiveness and understanding is St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer: “Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand. To
be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
ISLAM
The word Islam is derived from the Semitic word slam meaning “peace” and forgiveness is a prerequisite for genuine peace. The Quran makes some allowance for violence but only to defend faith, property or life. Still forgiveness is held as the better course of action whenever possible: “They avoid gross sins and vice, and when angered they forgive.” (Quran 42:37). In terms of clemency, we find this passage: “Although the just penalty for an injustice is an equivalent retribution, those who pardon and maintain righteousness are rewarded by God. He does not love the unjust” (Quran 42:40). “Since we have to make up things to tell one another, and since we live social lives that are pure theater, and we perform for each other all the time, it seems that people who have the most art are the people who are going to have the best lives,” said Hanson. “And so we should have more faith in lying.”
Comprehension: Do you feel that there is a predominant difference between the East religions versus West? Be specific in your response. Reflection: While “Amish” is not a religion, how do you think their culture affects the parents’ perceptions of forgiveness or Miri’s?
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Image courtesy of Zachary Roberts
THE AMISH ORDNUNG AUGUST 23, 2010 | By
T
he Ordnung is the unwritten set of rules and regulations that guide everyday Amish life. Meaning “order”, or “discipline”, this German word takes on a deeper meaning in the Amish context. The Ordnung provides the foundation for the Amish Christian community.
The purpose of the Ordnung is to uphold community. Adherence to the rules of the Ordnung is one test of membership. On one level, Amish feel that a community without rules, that anyone can enter and leave as they please, is hardly worth being a part of. The Ordnung, however, serves deeper purposes as well. Rules of the Ordnung can help church members better live Christian lives, the Amish believe. The strictures of the Ordnung are generally not found in the Bible, but are frequently based in Scriptural principle. One example would be rules outlining plain dress, which Amish base on several passages in Scripture. Restrictions on color of clothing and style of buggy, which some may see as harnessing self-expression, in fact help prevent pride and envy, though individual dictates on these issues are not necessarily found in Scripture. On a deeper level, the Amish believe that submitting oneself to an Ordnung is also a way to demonstrate a humble spirit, an important, Christlike trait. One must subvert individualism and arrogance for the good of the community. Amish do this by faithfully adhering to the Ordnung. The Ordnung prohibits certain behaviors and technologies. EVERYMAN THEATRE | 12
Eric Wesner
These include: • public electricity • suing in a court of law • owning certain technologies such as automobiles or televisions • running for political office • divorce Other types of technology may be permitted in certain circumstances—such as vehicle use (as passengers but not as a driver), or even rental of an automobile (as in a business context, or when traveling long distances) but not ownership of it. The Ordnung often differentiates between ownership and usage, as in the case where an Amish employee may use a computer in a non-Amish work context, but would be prohibited from owning one at home. Other activities that are more universally regarded as sinful, such as lying, cheating, and adultery, are understood to be off-limits, and thus are not included in the Ordnung. Just as the Ordnung prohibits certain behaviors and technologies, it also dictates certain facets of life. These include: • style and cut of clothing • hairstyle • marriage between baptized members only • carriage design The Ordnung can vary from church district to church district and between affiliations. A practice, style of dress, or technology acceptable in one district or affiliation may be
prohibited in another. The Ordnung of certain affiliations prescribes characteristics that differentiate one group of Amish from another, such as the use of one suspender by some Amish groups or specific types of prayer coverings for women. As the Amish respect tradition, the Ordnung changes only slowly. The Ordnung of a given Amish church district is a product of many years of history. Some universal proscriptions, such as the ban of telephones in the home, came about long ago in universal concern over dangers of a given technology or practice. Other elements of the Ordnung may develop in a local context, and even the Ordnung of neighboring districts can differ in significant ways. Contrary to belief, the Amish bishop does not impose the rules of the Ordnung in a top-down fashion. His main power is in determining what issue will come to bear, and what issues will be voted upon in a member’s meeting. He may refuse to undertake consideration of a certain technology, for example. However, when enough members of a community feel strongly that something should be allowed, this can generate significant pressure on the leadership. Church leadership may choose to temporarily allow a given technology before bringing it up for consideration. Amish may take a “wait and see” approach to see how a technology impacts another district. Being slow to change an Ordnung reflects a conservative approach that weighs the value of forefathers’ decisions more heavily than innovation and passing fads. Amish review the Ordnung twice yearly before Communion service. During the Counsel meeting, which takes place two weeks before Communion, the Ordnung is reviewed and members are asked for their concurrence. A congregation must be in unity over the Ordnung, and outstanding issues must be addressed in order for Communion to take place.
may return at any time, make a confession before the bishop or the church, and usually after a six-week period, be reinstated into the church. An Amishman describes shunning and excommunication as “a ritualistic reminder of having gone astray and having broken your commitment to the Lord Jesus and the body of believers you made your commitment and baptismal promise with.” The purpose of shunning is not punishment for its own sake, but rather as a statement that the rest of the congregation takes their baptismal commitment seriously. Most importantly, the Amishman (himself subject to the Bann twice) explains, it is done “so the soul of the deviant may be saved on the day of Judgement.” Amish do not relish the thought of shunning. “Shunning is usually done with great reluctance and only once there is nothing else left to do,” explains the Amishman. “Upon repentance the relationship is restored and what is in the past stays in the past.” Just as society and technologies change, the Ordnung in fact does change over time as well. The Ordnung of the typical district today appears different than it did 50 or 100 years ago. For one, technologies which were not in existence then must be addressed in a modern Ordnung. Also, the Ordnung is not a rigid code. It may change over time as technologies are evaluated and accepted or rejected. Respect for the Ordnung helps hold Amish communities together Some criticize the Amish adherence to the Ordnung as being too legalistic. Outsiders may see little sense in rules dictating everything from the cut of clothing one wears to the way one lights the home at night. The Amish, however, recognize deeper meaning in submitting to the Ordnung. The Amish view the Ordnung as an indispensable basis for Christian communal living. Following the Ordnung is important to Amish life, as such behavior demonstrates humility and submission, characteristics the Amish view as key to living full Christian lives. The Ordnung, along with the practices of excommunication and shunning, are considered key factors in the high retention rate of the Amish church.
“ONE MUST SUBVERT INDIVIDUALISM AND ARROGANCE FOR THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY. AMISH DO THIS BY FAITHFULLY ADHERING TO THE ORDNUNG.” At times Amish may come into violation of the Ordnung. An Amish person may acquire a piece of forbidden technology, or openly flaunt church rules on dress or business activity. An Amish person may also commit acts more universally recognized as sin, such as cheating or adultery. In such cases, church ministry will visit the offender to ask him to cease the deviant behavior or to “put away” a forbidden technology. If a wayward member remains in violation of the rules after entreaties of the ministry, the individual may be excommunicated by the bishop. Excommunication is also known as being in the Bann, and entails the practice of Meidung, or social shunning. Even though an individual may be excommunicated, there is always the possibility of return. An excommunicated member
Comprehension: What is the Ordnung and how is it used in Amish culture? Reflection: Let’s consider how Miri left her family and culture. What do you think the hardest part of following the Ordnung would be?
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HER SON SHOT THEIR DAUGHTERS 10 YEARS AGO. THEN, THESE AMISH FAMILIES EMBRACED HER AS A FRIEND. OCTOBER 1, 2016 | By
Colby Itkowitz
Photo of Terri Roberts, Mother of Charles Carl Roberts IV. Image courtesy of Zachary Roberts
A
single word in black cursive font hangs above a large double-pane window in Terri Roberts’s sun room. It says “Forgiven.” The word—and the room itself, a gift built by her Amish neighbors just months after the unimaginable occurred—is a daily reminder of all that she’s lost and all that she’s gained these past 10 years.
The simple, quiet rural life she knew shattered on Oct. 2, 2006, when her oldest son, Charles Carl Roberts IV, walked into a one-room Amish schoolhouse on a clear, unseasonably warm Monday morning. The 32-year-old husband and father of three young children ordered the boys and adults to leave, [detained] 10 little girls between the ages of 6 and 13 and shot them, killing five and injuring the others, before killing himself.
the hand of their son, approached the couple after the burial and offered condolences for their loss. But the Amish did more than forgive the couple. They embraced them as part of their community. When Roberts underwent treatment for Stage 4 breast cancer in [2015], one of the girls who survived the massacre helped clean her home before she returned from the hospital. A large yellow bus arrived at her home around Christmas, and Amish children piled inside to sing her Christmas carols. “The forgiveness is there; there’s no doubt they forgive,” Roberts said.
Terri Roberts’s husband thought they’d have to move far away. He knew what people thought of parents of mass murderers. He believed they would be ostracized in their community, blamed for not knowing the evil their child was capable of.
Steven Nolt, a professor of Amish studies at Elizabethtown College, said that for most people, forgiveness and acceptance come at the end of a long emotional process. But the Amish forgive first and then every day work through the emotions of it. This “decisional forgiveness” opened a space for Roberts to offer her friendship, which normally in their situation would be uncomfortable, he said.
But in the hours after the massacre, as Amish parents still waited in a nearby barn for word about whether their daughters had survived, an Amish man named Henry arrived at the Roberts’ home with a message: The families did not see the couple as an enemy. Rather, they saw them as parents who were grieving the loss of their child, too. Henry put his hand on the shoulder of Terri Roberts’s husband and called him a friend.
Ten years later, the Amish families are still consciously deciding to forgive every day...but it’s impossible to forget. In one home, a 16-year-old girl sits immobile in her wheelchair, unable to speak or feed herself. Nearby, a 23-year-old man sits at his kitchen table, also struggling to speak, though for him it’s not because he isn’t physically able. He just can’t find the words to express the emotional pain he’s felt every day for the past 10 years.
The world watched in amazement as, on the day of their son’s funeral, nearly 30 Amish men and women, some the parents of the victims, came to the cemetery and formed a wall to block media cameras. Parents, whose daughters had died at
Rosanna King was among the youngest in her class that day: She was 6. Aaron Esh Jr., then 13, was the oldest. Roberts has developed bonds with both of them.
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Nine months after her son’s attack, Roberts invited the Amish
A
B
A. Amish boys at a mud sale (an Amish auction) in Lancaster County, Pa., Photo: Zachary Roberts. B. Amish girls buying pretzels at a mud sale, Photo: Zachary Roberts.
families [of the victims] to her home for a get-together. They all came, including Rosanna. Roberts, a grandmother, held Rosanna in her arms, rocking her and singing her lullabies.
It’s a gray, chilly morning when Roberts, now 65, sits in her sun room sipping tea days before the 10-year anniversary of her son’s massacre.
Several months later, Roberts had all the women back to her home for a tea—a gathering that’s now become an annual tradition. As she played again with Rosanna, she asked the girl’s mother if she might help care for her. In the intervening years, Roberts spent nearly every Thursday evening at the King family’s farm, bathing, reading and attending to Rosanna until her bedtime. After the first couple of visits, Roberts said, she would cry uncontrollably the entire drive home, overwhelmed by the reality that this little girl was severely handicapped because of her son.
The walls and shelves in Roberts’s home are like any other proud mother’s, filled with photos of her children and grandchildren. Her oldest son’s engagement photo is still there, as are pictures of him as a boy.
That’s not lost on Rosanna’s father, either. There’s never an evening that Roberts is there visiting that Christ King doesn’t think of what her son did, but he said it never changes the goodwill he feels toward her. For King, forgiveness has not come easy. Some parents have mourned the death of their daughters. Others have seen their daughters fully heal. His daughter survived, but he also lost her. Every day, he fights back his anger. Every day, he has to forgive again. Sitting in a folding chair, with Rosanna’s hospital bed in view behind him, King speaks slowly, methodically, measuring each word. “I’ve always said and continue to say we have a lot of hard work to be what the people brag about us to be,” he said. But, then, he says this of Roberts: “She’s strong enough, has enough of a backbone, to go out and become such a part of the life of a girl that her son tried to kill. She’s so much a part of our routine that there’s something missing when she’s not there. She’s welcome here anytime.”
But there’s one small picture frame she’s hidden in a drawer, the only photo she has of her oldest son alone. In it, he’s wearing glasses and a baseball hat and not looking directly at the camera. She normally has it out on a table in her kitchen, but she hides it away when her Amish friends come over. They’d just been there for tea Monday. They don’t need to have that in their face, Roberts says. Nothing about her new reality, about coming to terms with her son’s demons, has been easy. But it would have been unthinkably harder without her Amish friends. “No one could ever imagine on that day that something like this would be formed from it,” she said. “Because of the response of forgiveness, we were able to heal.”
Comprehension: What has come from the unimaginable tragedy in this community? Reflection: The concept of forgiveness is a daily choice. Where do you see acceptance but not forgiveness in your own life?
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Image courtesy of Hian Oliveira
STUDY REVEALS THE 6 KEY COMPONENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE APOLOGY APRIL 14, 2016 | By
Amy Morin
T
he news is often filled with cringe-worthy apologies that make a leader or a politician lose even more favor. Saying things like, “I’m sorry if you were hurt,” or “I am sorry people were offended,” comes across as phony and insincere. Such non-apology apologies do nothing to remedy the situation. In fact, they often make things worse. Everyone messes up sometimes, though. And it can be hard to know how to recover from that mistake that you made.
Whether you lost your temper in a stressful meeting, or you made a joke that offended someone else, your next move is critical. Do you try to minimize the potential damage of your actions? Do you deny that you did anything wrong? Or do you apologize to those you hurt? If you want to repair the relationship, an apology is definitely the way to go. But, not all apologies are created equal. New research sheds light on what you should include if you truly want to make amends.
The Science Behind An Effective Apology A study that will be published in the May issue of Negotiation and Conflict Management Research discovered six components of a good apology. While not all apologies had to include all six components in order to be effective, researchers found the more of these components that were included, the more likely the apology would be accepted: 1. Expression of regret 2. Explanation of what went wrong 3. Acknowledgement of responsibility 4. Declaration of repentance 5. Offer of repair 6. Request for forgiveness If you’re short on time, or you can’t give all six components for one reason or another, researchers say the most important thing to do is accept responsibility. Acknowledge that you made a mistake and make it clear that you’re at fault. EVERYMAN THEATRE | 16
Don’t apologize for someone else’s feelings—take full responsibility for your behavior. So rather than say, “I’m sorry if you were hurt by my words,” say, “I’m sorry I said hurtful things.” The second most important element is to offer a repair. While you might not necessarily be able to undo the damage, there are steps you can take to reduce the harm. The next three components were tied for third in terms of effectiveness; expression of regret, explanation of what went wrong, and declaration of repentance. The least effective part of an apology is asking for forgiveness. So if you must leave something out, skip that component.
Communicate Effectively And Sincerely Obviously, the content of an apology is only half the battle. The delivery matters as well. If you mumble, avert eye contact, or stand in the corner with your arms crossed, it won’t matter what you say. Or, if you’re still angry, your tone of voice will tell a different story from the words coming out of your mouth. One study found that as long as CEOs looked sad when they apologized, their listeners wanted to make amends. But, if the CEO looked happy or neutral, the apology actually exacerbated their negative feelings. In fact, stock prices tend to rise after an apology is delivered by a leader who looks sad. No matter how much damage was done, a sincere apology restores faith. That’s why it’s important to deliver an apology face-toface whenever you can. An “I’m sorry” over email—or text message—will likely fall short. The recipient wants to see and hear that you’re authentic in your regret.
The Courage To Apologize Saying you’re sorry is uncomfortable. It can be hard to admit your shortcomings and acknowledge your mistakes. But taking responsibility is the key to restoring faith. So the next time you mess up, own it. Include the six elements of an effective apology, and look sad when you deliver your message.
WHAT IS SEXUAL VIOLENCE? Sexual violence affects women, men and children throughout their lives and can be devastating for individuals, families, and communities. However, help is available. Together, we can change the conditions that contribute to sexual violence. What is sexual violence? Sexual violence means that someone forces or manipulates someone else into unwanted sexual activity without consent. Reasons someone might not consent include fear, age, illness, disability, and/or influence of alcohol or other drugs. Anyone can experience sexual violence, including children, teens, adults, and elders. Those who sexually abuse can be acquaintances, family members, trusted individuals or strangers. Forms of sexual violence • Rape or sexual assault • Child sexual assault and incest • Intimate partner sexual assault • Unwanted sexual contact/touching • Sexual harassment • Sexual exploitation • Watching someone in a private act without their knowledge or permission Facts about sexual violence FACT: Chances are you know someone who has been sexually assaulted. • Sexual violence affects people of all genders, ages, races, religions, incomes, abilities, professions, ethnicities, and sexual orientations; however social inequalities can heighten the risk. • By age 18, 1 in 4 girls will be sexually assaulted; by age 18, 1 in 6 boys will be assaulted (Finkelhor, Hotaling, Lewis & Smith, 1990). • 1 in 6 women have experienced an attempted or completed rape; more than half occurred before the woman was 18, and 22% before age 12 (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). • During their lives, 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape; 75% occurred before the men were 18, and 48% before age 12 (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). FACT: Victims usually know their assaulter. • People who sexually assault usually attack someone they know. • Of adults, 73% knew the attacker, 38% were friends of the attacker, 28% were an intimate partner of the attacker, and 7% were a relative of the attacker (Maston & Klaus, 2005). • Child victims knew the offender before the attack 90% of the time (Greenfeld, 1996).
• About 40% of sexual assaults take place in the victim’s home. Another 20% occur in the home of a friend, neighbor, or relative (Greenfeld, 1997). FACT: Victims are never at fault for a sexual assault. • It doesn’t matter what someone is wearing or how they are acting, no one asks to be raped. • People who sexually assault often use force, threat, or injury. • An absence of injuries to the victim does not indicate the victim consented. FACT: Rape is the least reported and convicted violent crime in the U.S. There are many reasons why victims may choose not to report to law enforcement or tell anyone about what happened to him/her. Some include: • Concern for not being believed; Fear of being blamed • Fear of the attackers getting back at him/her • Embarrassment or shame • Pressure from others not to tell • Distrust of law enforcement • Belief that there is not enough evidence • Desire to protect the attacker • Many victims who do report a rape or sexual assault find that there is no arrest or conviction. • Probability of arrest after a report is 50.8% (Reynolds, 1999) and the probability of a rapist being sent to prison is 16.3% (Reynolds, 1999). FACT: Sexual violence is preventable. By working with your community’s sexual assault center, you can: • Model supportive relationships and behaviors with your friends and families. •Stand up for victims and believe them. • Speak up when you hear harmful comments or witness violent acts • Create policies at your workplace or school system to stop sexual violence and help victims. • Coordinate a community event to raise awareness about sexual violence or talk with community members about ways they can get involved • Talk with your legislators and ask them to support prevention and victim services.
In crisis situations, contact RAINN at 1-800-656-4673. For more information, visit http://www.nsvrc.org
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CURTAINS UP ON CAREERS:
SOUND DESIGNER
Interview with Sound Designer and Original Music Composer, Pornchanok Kanchanabanca
Where are you from originally and when did you first develop an interest in theatre? I am originally from Bangkok, Thailand. My mother [took me] to see the theatre [when] I was young. However, I did not think that I would be part of it until I was asked to play music for a show. When and why did you decide to pursue theatre professionally? How has your background shaped your career path? [I decided] after I graduated and started playing music for many shows. Why—[simply] because it is fun! Since I was young, I loved playing music. I start playing Thai Classical [music when] I was six years old. When I [had to decide on a] college, I switched from Thai classical instruments to piano and hoped to get into a Western music major. I failed; [I couldn’t] compare to the person who started playing piano [at] five years old. I began to think what [other] majors have music [and came to] performing arts. When I started to play music for shows, I found it fascinating what different experiences I could have with audiences in every show. I found that it was so much fun to be in the rehearsal room with people, creating and problem-solving; more enjoyable than practicing alone at the piano. I kept playing music for the [theatre] and slowly started to be part of the design by finding a doorbell sound or a gunshot. Then someone asked if I could write music for the show and I did. When I had done this kind of work for four years, I started to identify as a sound designer, a title that I had never heard EVERYMAN THEATRE | 18
in Thailand. I applied to [and attended] the Sound Design program at Yale School of Drama to learn more about the profession. Define the Sound Designer’s responsibilities or the scope of their work in relation to bringing a story to life onstage. The Sound Designer is responsible for every sound that the audience hears in the theatre. Everything that is audible: sounds, music, actors voice, [ambient] noise. I create sound/ music that helps to tell the story. [I] make sure that the audience hears the cast deliver the text. I am also responsible for the noise of other designs and processes onstage. For example, if the lighting instrument is loud during the show, I am the one to ask if we can do something about that. How do you personally connect to Everything Is Wonderful? What inspires you about this piece? [The] Amish [culture] is not something I’m familiar with at all. I grew up in Thailand and the first time I learned about Amish people was when I visited a relative in Jeromesville, Ohio, during my first year of graduate school. However, [this] story about family and being a woman is still something that anyone can connect to. As a woman, this story is about women who want to take control of their own choices and lives. It is also a story about family: I have always questioned why we are so harsh toward our loved ones but kinder to strangers. Sound plays a unique roll in the play, as each section is a movement requiring sound support. What are the different ways you have used sound in this production? Good Question! For this play, sound and music indicate the
time: past or present. The stylized and abstract sound and music represent the past. There are some specific sounds to help us move through time quickly. It is hard to describe what the sound is without hearing it. You have to see the play to fully experience it.
Which character are you most entranced by in this story and why? Miri. [She begs the questions], “how can you choose between family and your life?” and, “How do you let go of your past and move forward?”
How did the culture of the country, given the Amish live in rural communities, inform your design? I have researched what kind of music the Amish have in their community. Each community is different, but the main instrument is their voice. Amish sing in their gatherings, from lullabies and children songs, to wedding and funeral music. The Amish have a songbook, “Liedersammlung,” that is used in the community. Some communities have instruments like guitar, mandolin, or harmonica—[they keep it] mostly simple. My design is the combination of pure voice, simple musical instruments, nature sounds, and a little bit of magic.
What advice might you give someone interested in pursuing the profession of sound design as a career path? Design More. If you’ve never designed, try to sound design a show and see if you enjoy it; use it as an opportunity to figure things out. Put yourself into it. That is the only way to know if [it’s a good fit]. I still get excited to start a new project and meet new people. I still have to figure things out every show and I always learn something new.
EXTENSION PROJECT Be the Playwright As this play explores comings and goings, entrances and exits, we invite you to write a dialogue from your personal life that depicts a significant homecoming or departure with a loved one. Stage it using what you have in the space around you creating the aesthetic of minimalism and surrealism we see evidenced in our production.
GLOSSARY Amenable: Open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.
Penance: Voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong.
Draft (for war): Compulsory recruitment for military service.
Persecuted: (persecute) to subject someone to hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of their race or political or religious beliefs.
Fetishize: To have an excessive and irrational commitment to or obsession with. Hare Krishna: The Hare Krishna movement is a branch of Hinduism, formally known as Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Its name comes from its chant—Hare Krishna—which devotees repeat over and over. It was started in the 16th century by Sri Chaitanya of Bengal (1486-1533). Machu Picchu: A 15th-century Inca Citadel, located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru, on a mountain ridge 7,970 feet) above sea level. Martyred: (Martyr) a person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs; to cause great pain or distress to. Ordnung: A set of rules that governs Amish daily life; translates in German to a word meaning rules, regulations, and order.
Petulance: The quality of being childishly sulky or badtempered. Reconciliation: The restoration of friendly relations. In religious context, to obtain absolution for the sins committed against God and neighbor. Rumspringa: From Pennsylvania German, literally “to run around.” In the Amish culture, a period of adolescence in which boys and girls are given greater personal freedom and allowed to form romantic relationships, usually ending with the choice of baptism into the church or leaving the community. Sunder: To split apart.
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YOUR THOUGHTS...
Use this space to jot down any thoughts that arise before, during, and/or after the performance. You can bring this with you to the theater and log your thoughts during intermission or on the bus
after the show. Then, bring this to the Post-Show Workshop to share with a guest artist.
I was surprised by/when…
The most memorable scene was when… because...
I was impacted most by the scene where...
I was confused by… or I wonder why...
SOURCES
Sources used to curate this Play Guide include... https://www.chelseamarcantel.com/about/autobiography/ http://www.lovinasamishkitchen.com/diary-of-a-day-in-an-amish-household/ http://amishamerica.com/what-is-the-amish-ordnung/ https://nexusnovel.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/forgiveness-in-different-religions/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/10/01/10-years-ago-her-son-killed-amish-children-their-familiesimmediately-accepted-her-into-their-lives/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.194b7ca2583f https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2016/04/14/study-reveals-the-6-key-components-of-an-effective-apology/#9c0068a5be42 https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Factsheet_What-is-sexual-violence_1.pd
THIS PLAY GUIDE CREATED BY Brianna McCoy, Director of Education & Community Engagement Brenna Horner, Lead Teaching Artist Karim Darwish, Education Apprentice Mel Prather, Graphic Designer EVERYMAN THEATRE | 20
EVERYMAN THEATRE IS LOCATED AT 315 W. Fayette St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Box Office 410.752.2208 Administration 443.615.7055 Email boxoffice@everymantheatre.org
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT If you have questions about the Play Guide, contact our Education Department at education@everymantheatre.org or 443.615.7055 x7142
THEATRE ETIQUETTE When you come and see a play, remember to...
Respectfully enjoy the show. While we encourage you to laugh when something is funny, gasp if something shocks you, and listen intently to the action occurring, please remember to be respectful of the performers and fellow audience members. Please turn off or silence all electronic devices before the performance begins. There is no texting or checking your cell phone during the show. The glow of a cell phone can and will be seen from stage. Photography inside the theatre is strictly prohibited. Food and drinks are not allowed in the theatre. Food and drinks should be consumed in the Everyman lobby before or after the show, or during intermission. Be Present. Talking, moving around, checking your phone, or engaging in other activities is distracting to everyone and greatly disrupts the performance’s energy. Stay Safe. Please remain seated and quiet during the performance. Should you need to leave for any reason, re-entrance to the theatre is at the discretion of the house manager. In case of an emergency, please follow the instructions shared by Everyman staff members. Continue the conversation. After your performance, find Everyman Theatre on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and use #bmoreeveryman to tell us what you thought!
In this production, please be aware of... Strong Language and Racial Slurs Simulated Physical Violence Strong themes
CURRICULAR TIE-INS From the stage to the classroom...
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.C Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS Anchor Standard #6. Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. Anchor Standard #7. Perceive and analyze artistic work. Anchor Standard #8. Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work. Anchor Standard #11. Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
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DESIGN YOUR OWN PRODUCTION IMAGERY
For each production at Everyman, our Marketing Department works with Jeff Rogers to create imagery that conveys a visual story. What story does the Everything is Wonderful artwork on the cover convey? Now it’s your turn! Think about the play, Everything is Wonderful, and design a new image to brand the show. Keep in mind, this image could be used on posters, advertisements, billboards, television, social media, etc. Share your reactions to the performance using #bmoreeveryman.
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