lend me a tenor actor packet
TRANSCRIPT
Actor Packet
Glossary:Italian Words Arrivederci [ahr-ree-ve-der-chee]: until we see each other
again; good-bye for the present. (page 48). Bellezza [bel-lettsa]: beauty (page 30). Benvenuto [ben-vuh-noo-toh]: welcome (page 18). Cento [scen-to] persona [pers-so-na]: one hundred
(persons) people (page 27). Ciao [chah-aw]: hello; goodbye; so long; see you later (page
21). Grazie [gratt-sje]: thanks (page 22).
Immediamente [immed-djata-mente]: immediately (page 18).
Pagliacci [ee-pah-lyaht-chee]: a clown... to the extreme; a hot old man (page 23).
Pizzicato [pit-si-kah-toh]: a note or
passage played by plucking strings (page 35). Perfecto [pərˈfektō]: Perfect (page 26). Pagliacci: “mad”/emotional
clown
Presto [pres-tō]: suddenly as if by magic; at a rapid tempo —used as a direction in music (page 18).
Salut [(sə-lo=o=t ]: ′ To greet or address with an expression of welcome, goodwill, or respect. (page 33).
Scusi [skuzi]: excuse me, pardon me (page 29). Signor(a) [sēnˈyôr(a)]: a title or form of address used of or to an
Italian-speaking man (or woman), corresponding to Mr.(Miss.,Mrs.,Ms.) or sir (madam) (page 18).
Glossary:Unfamiliar Words Chianti [kee-ahn-tee]: a dry, red, Italian table wine,
originally put up in straw-covered bottles (page 15).
Cognoscenti [kon-yuh-shen-tee]: persons who have superior knowledge and understanding of a particular field, especially in the fine arts, literature, and world of fashion (page 17).
Erroneous [uh-roh-nee-uhs]: containing error; mistaken; incorrect; wrong; straying from what is moral, decent, proper, etc. (page 14).
Factotum [fak-toh-tuhm]: a person, as a handyman or servant, employed to do all kinds of work around the house; any employee or official having many different responsibilities (page 19).
Phenobarbital [fee-noh-bahr-bi-tawl]: a white, crystalline powder, {C12 H12 N2 O3}, used as a sedative, a hypnotic, and as an antispasmodic in epilepsy (page 15).
World of the Play:1930’s America United States feeling the effects of The Great Depression 15 million Americans (one-quarter of all wage-earning
workers) were umemployed People lived in make-shift homes called “Hoovervilles”
names after President Herbert Hoover-Believed that people shouldn’t depend on the government to solve their problems; felt they wouldn’t get things done on their own
-Key factor to why he was NOT re-elected
FDR Launches New Deal to help the American people and stop economy from getting worse
Prohibition Ends in the U.S. (Dec. 5th, 1933)
The Dust Bowl: area of the Great Plains devastated by drought and soil erosion
*Red font indicates events that occurred the year Lend Me A Tenor took place (1934)
World Leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt elected President of the U.S. in 1932
defeating Herbert Hoover Stalin Begins Collectivizing Agriculture in the U.S.S.R. (1929) Adolf Hitler Appointed Chancellor of Germany: Rise of the
Nazism (1933)
HOW IT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE
How it looked like
Franklin D. Roosevelt Elected President of the United States on Nov. 8th, 1932. Took office on Mar. 4th,
1933
Adolf Hitler Appointed Chancellor of Germany on Jan. 30th, 1933. On August
19th, the position of President and Chancellor were combined, making Hitler Head of State and Head of Gov. Hitler was then formally named as Führer und Reichskanzler (leader and chancellor).
Joseph Stalin began a secret mission to eliminate all opposition to him that could threaten his rise to power. Having a falling out with Vladimir Lenin (then leader of the U.S.S.R.) he
conspired to prevent Lenin’s written testament dismissing his ideals. After Lenin died, Stalin and his allies set off to their mission. They were able to defeat their opponents and by the late
1920’s he was the unchallenged leader of the Soviet Union.
1930’s World Events The Great Terror Begins in the Soviet Union: period when Joesph Stalin
eliminated any and all (inner) threats to his dictatorship rule
Hitler Annexes Austria
World War II Begins on Sept. 1, 1939 after German invasion of Poland
U.S. does NOT involve itself into the war (yet); provides Arms and support to its allies.
1980’s America John Lennon Assassinated Mount St. Helens Erupts PC’s introduced by IBM 1st woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court Sally Ride becomes first woman in space
1980’s World Events AIDS “Epidemic” Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion Berlin Wall Falls
*Red font indicates events that occured the year Lend Me A Tenor was written (1989)
1930’s Culture Everyone was dependent on the radio Popular broadcasts gave people an opportunity to cast their
worries to the side Main form of communication besides newspaper People looked towards sports, films, music and dance as a form
of escape from the troubles of the depression
Gangster films were popular amongst people Bootlegging along with organized crime goes up until the end of
prohibition Dance halls were filled with the music of jazz legends Benny
Goodman (The King of Swing) and Fletcher Henderson
Play Issues: Love
Maggie yearns for a fling; something that she doesn’t have with Max; according to her. She is trying to find something exciting and special in her life so she can be content.
“Max. I’m just not ready yet. I want something special first. Something wonderful and romantic” (Ludwig 12).
“I haven’t had any flings, Max…I just fell that I need some…wider experience” (Ludwig 12-13).
-Max loves Maggie
-Maggie has a schoolgirl-ish crush on Tito
-Tito’s love for his wife, Maria
-Maria’s jealously of girls falling for Tito
-Diana and Julia’s fixation on Tito
Betrayal Maggie betrays her father by disobeying him
Maggie also betrays in a way Max by sleeping with “Tito”; Max in disguise
Max betrays Tito by drugging him in an attempt to calm him down
Tito betrays Maria by having relationships with other women; sleeping with Diana
Max as Tito betrays Julia by saying that he will make an appearance at the show’s after party at the hotel
Max and Saunders betray almost everyone by making them think that Max is Tito and trying to conceal Tito’s apparent death
Julia and Maggie betray Saunders by lying to him about their whereabouts
Mistaken Identity After the “death” of Tito Merelli, Saunders comes up with an
elaborate plan to not only keep Tito’s death a secret for now, but also save the show that night. He enlists his assistant, Max, to play the part of Othello and impersonate Tito for just the performance until they can announce his death.
And the fun begins…
Max as Tito
Two Tito’s: one sleeps with Maggie and the other with Diana
Tito punches a police officer and is worried that he might get arrested; the others are urged to be on the look out for the imposter
Both “Tito’s” are never seen by the other characters in the same room at the same time
Maggie and Julia confront Max-Tito as they chase him around the hotel room only for him to end up in the bathroom
Real Tito enters the room with Saunders, Julia and the bellhop in pursuit
Everything clears up when Max emerges from the bathroom, dressed in coat and tie and out of the disguise
Playwright Ken Ludwig on Lend Me A Tenor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNaGvcFC7gc
Performance Info:What is a “Farce”? “Light, dramatic composition that uses highly improbable situations,
stereotyped characters, violent horseplay, and broad humor. Farce is generally regarded as intellectually and aesthetically inferior to comedy in its crude characterizations and implausible plots, but it has remained popular throughout the West from ancient times to the present.” –Merriam-Webster Dictionary
a funny play or movie about ridiculous situations and events
the style of humor that occurs in a farce
a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot
Themes in Farce Mistaken Identity
Improbable situations (everything goes wrong)
Sexual innuendos
Word Play
Fast-Paced Plot
No boring moments
Stereotypical characters
Chase scenes are expected (multiple)
Sophisticated Verbal Humor (can be combined with physical humor; a lot of slapstick)
Lots of doors opening and closing Characters just missing each other when they
enter/exit
“A farce can be defined as a comic theatrical work that uses buffoonery, horseplay and ludicrously improbable situations. Often, the plot depends upon a dexterously exploited circumstance rather than upon the development of character.”
Helpful Videos http://
education-portal.com/academy/lesson/dramatic-farce-history-examples-and-playwrights.html#lesson (First 3 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00xPrvcUoQk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WffXPydNIvA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6q37n7GDCY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQXwt83hYkE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruHl7mkCoj4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPT2l-UXKYE
Contemporary Examples http://
www.dailymotion.com/video/x7mrv1_how-i-met-your-mother-not-ted-mosby_fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6TYFLevmAc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTQfGd3G6dg
Music in Play (performed/referneced) II Stupendo https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSx_Mp_XQEc (1:10-1:50)
The Barber of Seville (page 23): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qHZkkgowdY
Carmen (page 23): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDsDi1OKxnE
Referenced People Lauritz Melchior
March 20, 1890 – March 19, 1973
Danish and later American opera singer.
Pre-eminent Wagnerian tenor of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s
Come to be considered the quintessence of his voice type
“Where would Lauritz Melchoir be today if he’d taken Phenobarital?” (Ludwig 15).
Sophia Loren September 20, 1934 Italian actress. Widely recognized as Italy's
most renowned and honored actress
“Maria is the Sophia Loren type: busty, proud and excitable” (Ludwig 20).
