Steppenwolf’s innovative, thoughtprovoking theatre sparks conversation. Use this outline to frame a dialogue with your group even before arriving at the theatre.
DETROIT: A CLOSER LOOK
DETROIT ABOUT THE PLAY In a “first ring” suburb outside a mid-sized American city, Ben and Mary fire up the grill to welcome the new neighbors who’ve moved into the long-empty house next door. The fledgling friendship soon veers out of control, shattering the fragile hold Ben and Mary have on their way of life – with unexpected comic consequences. Detroit is a fresh, off-beat look at what happens when we dare to open ourselves up to something new.
THEMES, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Additional Resources: Muschamp, Herbert. “The Nation; Becoming Unstuck on the Suburbs.” New York Times 19 Oct. 1997 Falanga, Mark. The Suburban You. Random House, 2004 Print.
Suburbia as utopia in connection with urban development Detroit takes place in a present day first ring suburb. The term “first ring” denotes any of the small suburban communities directly beyond the geographic border of the city. Herbert Muschamp describes the recent decline of such single family starter communities made popular between 1947 and 1977 in his New York Times article, The Nation: Becoming Unstuck on the Suburbs. “The postwar suburban dream is now entering its second decade of physical obsolescence… bedroom communities and urban workplaces – [have] been eroded by edge cities, office parks, and second and third rings.” In Detroit, Ben and Mary find themselves living in one such first ring suburb. Their idealized version of suburban life comes to a newfound reality after they befriend Kenny and Sharon. The relationships that ultimately develop between these new neighbors and their idea of happiness and success are examined throughout the progression of the play.
CHARACTERS BEN – Raised in the United States—Kansas City or maybe Denver. He worked at one bank for 5 years and another bank for 6 years. He was recently laid off from this job. MARY – Raised in the United States—Kansas City or maybe Denver. Met Ben after college, when they were both working, at a happy hour. She works as a paralegal at a small to mid-sized law firm. KENNY – Raised in several cities in California until he was 12 or 13 when his parents finally split up and he moved to Omaha with his mom. Now he works as a warehouse manager. Fresh out of major substance abuse rehab. SHARON – Raised in Tucson, AZ until she was 9. Then she and her mother moved to Columbus, Ohio for 2 years and then to Indianapolis, where she went to high school. In her junior year, her mother moved back to Arizona with her boyfriend, and Sharon lived with her best friend to finish school. Now Sharon works at a phone bank, answering customer service calls. Fresh out of major substance abuse rehab. FRANK – Two generations older than the other characters. Maybe in his late 70’s, early 80’s. He’s spry, the kind of man who’s been fixing his roof and rewiring the electricity on his house and taking care of his impeccable lawn for many years. He’s happy.
For Discussion: • Suburbia is a community – How has the creation of suburban developments supported the creation of a community? How has this changed since the 1950’s? • Suburbia is utopia – What were the original intentions of a suburban utopia? Were these ever actualized? • Urban planning – Are there any endeavors being pursued to revitalize a declining suburban infrastructure? • After the play – How does the location of Detroit directly influence the behavior of the characters? How do the visions of suburbia differ between Ben and Mary vs. Kenny and Sharon?
THEMES, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Additional Resources: Luo, Michael. “For Many, Uncertainty, Fear and Shame Often Follow Pink Slips.” New York Times 15 Dec. 2009 Luo, Michael and Thee-Brenan, Megan. “Trauma of Joblessness in U.S.” New York Times 15 Dec. 2009
The psychology of unemployment and self-employment The effects of the recent economic recession have impacted millions of American families. Businesses were sometimes forced to lay off a large percentage of their workforce, thus leading to anxiety, mental health issues and insomnia for the newly unemployed. Michael Luo and Megan Thee-Brenan’s New York Times article, “Trauma of Joblessness in US,” found that:
In Detroit, Ben uses a virtual world as a means to escape the isolation and monotony of his everyday life. Throughout the play, Ben’s online community begins to impact the fragile relationship among friends and family members closest to him. For Discussion: • Virtual worlds – What motivates an individual to actively participate in a virtual community?
• More than half of the nation’s unemployed have borrowed money from friends or relatives
• Online communities – How do you balance your online identity with your actual identity?
• Almost half suffered from depression or anxiety
• Impact – What is the long-term effect of virtual participation on your real world relationships?
• 4 in 10 parents have noticed behavioral changes in their children • Roughly half of respondents described the recession as a hardship that had caused fundamental changes in their life
• After the play – How does a character in Detroit use a virtual world as a form of escapism? Is this behavior unrealistic?
• Almost half said unemployment had led to more conflicts or arguments with family members and friends
In Detroit, both families encounter the ramifications of recent unemployment. One character, Ben uses his job loss as an opportunity to pursue his ambitions to start a new business. Faced with the pressures from his wife Mary and his final unemployment check, Ben struggles with navigating his professional endeavors with his personal desires.
Additional Resources: West, James W. M.D. The Betty Ford Center Book of Answers. New York: Pocket Books 1997. Print.
Substance abuse and addiction The effects of alcohol on the brain can have devastating consequences. The Betty Ford Center Book of Answers identifies how the number of drinks a person consumes affects different functions of your brain. • Drinks one, two and three affect the cerebral cortex of the brain; alertness and automatic responses to our environment are affected.
For Discussion:
• Drinks three, four and five affect the back of the brain – the cerebellum. Capacity for fine motion and coordination are lost.
• Unemployment – How can the sudden loss of a job weigh on the relationships between a family?
• Drinks five, six and seven work deep in the brain at a place called the mid brain and limbic system. Primitive emotional makeup of humans reside here.
• Self-employment – What qualifies as creating success? Who defines this?
• Drinks seven, eight, nine and more strike at the deepest part of the brain, the medulla, the site of respiratory control. In acute alcohol overdose, the respiratory center shuts down and the victim stops breathing.
• Psychological effect – What are the internal psychological effects of unemployment? How can this trigger success? Or sabotage? • After the play – How does Ben’s idea of creating meaningful ‘work’ differ from Mary’s? Where do you see this in the show?
In Detroit, alcohol serves as a means for socializing between the two couples. We, the audience, see the progressive effects on the newfound relationships after increased consumption of alcohol – inhibitions are lowered and the characters begin to behave in socially unacceptable manners.
For Discussion: Additional Resources: Castranova, Edward. Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2005. Print.
Virtual worlds and online communities as related to media studies The prevalence of online communities has increased dramatically in the last couple years. Some startling facts about these communities:
• Substance abuse – What are the immediate effects on family and friends? Long-term?
• Typical users spend 20-30 hours per week online
• Locations – How does an urban/suburban environment impact the disclosure of private affairs?
Alter, Alexandra. “Is This Man Cheating on His Wife” Wall Street Journal 10 Aug. 2007
• In a recent survey, 20% of users claimed their fantasy world was their “real” place of residence
• Power users spend every available moment online
• Synthetic worlds double every two years • Virtual communities generate at least $30 million in the United States annually and $100 million globally
• Addiction – What are the earliest signs of addiction?
• After the play – Choose one character from the play. Detail how their behavior changes as the consumption of alcohol increases.