Though I say not
    What I may not
    Let you hear,
    Yet the swaying
    Dance is saying,
    Love me dear!
    Every touch of fingers
    Tells me what I know,
    Says for you,
    It's true, it's true,
    You love me so!

2005 Fall -- THR215 Dramatic Literature :

Part 1. Oedipus

Part 2. Hamlet

Part 3. Chekhov (Cherry Orchard) and High Modernism

Part 4. Postmodern: Beckett

Part 5. Writing

Main script.vtheatre.net & 2005 THR215 * Antiquity I * Modern Times II * High Modern (Realism) III * Postmodern (Absurdism) IV * V *

[ Bedford Textbook INTRO to DRAMA (Fifth Edition 2005) 0312414412 ... Giving up on Willie Loman ]

the usual : stage directions analysis:

SAMUEL BECKETT
HAPPY DAYS
A PLAY IN TWO ACTS
[GROVE PRESS, INC. NEW YORK]

* The world première of Happy Days was presented by Theatre 1962 (Messrs. Richard Barr and Clinton Wilder) at the Cherry Lane Theatre, New York, on September 17, 1961, with the following cast:

WINNIE, a woman about fifty -- Ruth White

WILLIE, a man about sixty -- John C. Becher

Directed by Alan Schneider

Designed by William Ritman

Act I

Expanse of scorched grass rising centre to low mound. Gentle slopes down to front and either side of stage. Back an abrupter fall to stage level. Maximum of simplicity and symmetry.

Blazing light.

Very pompier trompe-l'oeil hackcloth to represent unbroken plain and sky receding to meet in far distance.

Imbedded up to above her waist in exact centre of mound, WINNIE. About fifty, well preserved, blond for preference, plump, arms and shoulders hare, low bodice, big bosom, pearl necklet. She is discovered sleeping, her arms on the ground before her, her head on her arms. Beside her on ground to her left a capacious black bag, shopping variety, and to her right a collapsible collapsed parasol, beak of handle emerging from sheath.

To her right and rear, lying asleep on ground, hidden by mound, WILLIE.

Long pause. A hell rings piercingly, say ten seconds, stops. She does not move. Pause. Bell more piercingly, say five seconds. She wakes. Bell stops. She raises her head, gazes front. Long pause. She straightens up, lays her hands flat on ground, throws back her head and gazes at zenith. Long pause.

WINNIE (gazing at zenith). Another heavenly day. (Pause. Head back level, eyes front, pause. She clasps hands to breast, closes eyes. Lips move in inaudible prayer, say ten seconds. Lips still. Hands remain clasped. Low.) For Jesus Christ sake Amen. (Eyes open, hands unclasp, return to mound. Pause. She clasps hands to breast again, closes eyes, lips move again in inaudible addendum, say five seconds. Low.) World without end Amen. (Eyes open, hands unclasp, return to mound. Pause.) Begin, Winnie. (Pause.) Begin your day, Winnie. (Pause. She turns to bag, rummages in it without moving it from its place, brings out toothbrush, rummages again, brings out flat tube of toothpaste, turns back front, unscrews cap of tube, lays cap on ground, squeezes with difficulty small blob of paste on brush, holds tube in one hand and brushes teeth with other. She turns modestly aside and back to her right to spit out behind mound. In this position her eyes rest on WILLIE. She spits out. She cranes a little further back and down. Loud.) Hoo-oo! (Pause. Louder.) Hoo-oo! (Pause. Tender smile as she turns back front, lays down brush.) Poor Willie -- (examines tube, smile off) -- running out -- (looks for cap) -- ah well -- (finds cap) -- can't be helped -- (screws on cap) -- just one of those old things -- (lays down tube) -- another of those old things -- (turns towards bag) -- just can't be cured -- (rummages in bag) -- cannot be cured -- (brings out small mirror, turns back front) -- ah yes -- (inspects teeth in mirror) -poor dear Willie -- (testing upper front teeth with thumb, indistinctly) -- good Lord! -- (pulling back upper lip to inspect gums, do.) -- good God! -- (pulling back corner of mouth, mouth open, do.) -- ah well -- (other corner, do.) -- no worse -- (abandons inspection, normal speech) -- no better, no worse -- (lays down mirror) -- no change -- (wipes fingers on grass) -- no pain -- (looks for toothbrush) -hardly any -- (takes up toothbrush) -- great thing that -- (examines handle of brush) -nothing like it -- (examines handle, reads) -pure . . . what? -- (pause) -- what? -- (lays down brush) -- ah yes -- (turns towards bag) -- poor Willie -- (rummages in bag) -- no zest -- (rummages) -- for anything -- (brings out spectacles in case) -- no interest -- (turns back front) -- in life -- (takes spectacles from case) -- poor dear Willie -- (lays down case) -- sleep for ever -- (opens spectacles) -- marvellous gift -- (puts on spectacles) -- nothing to touch it -(looks for toothbrush) -- in my opinion -(takes up toothbrush) -- always said so -(examines handle of brush) -- wish I had it -- (examines handle, reads) -- genuine . . . pure . . . what? -- (lays down brush) -- blind next -- (takes off spectacles) -- ah well -- (lays down spectacles) -- seen enough -- (feels in bodice for handkerchief) -- I suppose -- (takes out folded handkerchief) -- by now -- (shakes out handkerchief) -- what are those wonderful lines -- (wipes one eye) -- woe woe is me -(wipes the other) -- to see what I see -- (looks for spectacles) -- ah yes -- (takes up spectacles) -- wouldn't miss it -- (starts polishing spectacles, breathing on lenses) -- or would I? -- (polishes) -- holy light -- (polishes) -- bob up out of dark -- (polishes) -- blaze of hellish light. (Stops polishing, raises face to sky, pause, head back level, resumes polishing, stops polishing, cranes back to her right and down.) Hoo-oo! (Pause. Tender smile as she turns back front and resumes polishing. Smile off.) Marvellous gift -- (stops polishing, lays down spectacles) -- wish I had it -- (folds handkerchief) -- ah well -- (puts handkerchief back in bodice) -- can't complain -- (looks for spectacles) -- no no -- (takes up spectacles) -mustn't complain -- (holds up spectacles, looks through lens) -- so much to be thankful for -(looks through other lens) -- no pain -- (puts on spectacles) -- hardly any -- (looks for toothbrush) -- wonderful thing that -- (takes up toothbrush) -- nothing like it -- (examines handle of brush) -- slight headache sometimes -- (examines handle, reads) -- guaranteed . . . genuine . . . pure . . . what? -- (looks closer) -genuine pure . . . -- (takes handkerchief from bodice) -- ah yes -- (shakes out handkerchief) -- occasional mild migraine -- (starts wiping handle of brush -- it comes -- (wipes) -- then goes -- (wiping mechanically) -- ah yes -(wiping) -- many mercies -- (wiping) -- great mercies -- (stops wiping, fixed lost gaze, brokenly) -- prayers perhaps not for naught -(pause, do.) -- first thing -- (pause, do.) -last thing -- (head down, resumes wiping, stops wiping, head up, calmed, wipes eyes, folds handkerchief, puts it back in bodice, examines handle of brush, reads) -- fully guaranteed . . . genuine pure . . . -- (looks closer) -- genuine pure . . . (Takes off spectacles, lays them and brush down, gazes before her.) Old things. (Pause.) Old eyes. (Long pause.) On, Winnie. (She casts about her, sees parasol, considers it at length, takes it up and develops from sheath a handle of surprising length. Holding butt of parasol in right hand she cranes hack and down to her right to hang over WILLIE.) Hoo-oo! (Pause.) Willie! (Pause.) Wonderful gift. (She strikes down at him with beak of parasol.) Wish I had it. (She strikes again. The parasol slips from her grasp and falls behind mound. It is immediately restored to her by WILLIE's invisible hand.) Thank you, dear. (She transfers parasol to left hand, turns back front and examines right palm.) Damp. (Returns parasol to right hand, examines left palm.) Ah well, no worse. (Head up, cheerfully.) No better, no worse, no change. (Pause. Do.) No pain. (Cranes back to look down at WILLIE, holding parasol by butt as before.) Don't go off on me again now dear will you please, I may need you. (Pause.) No hurry, no hurry, just don't curl up on me again. (Turns back front, lays down parasol, examines palms together, wipes them on grass.) Perhaps a shade off colour just the same. (Turns to bag, rummages in it, brings out revolver, holds it up, kisses it rapidly, puts it back, rummages, brings out almost empty bottle of red medicine, turns back front, looks for spectacles, puts them on, reads label.) Loss of spirits . . . lack of keenness . . . want of appetite . . . infants . . . children . . . adults . . . six level . . . tablespoonfuls daily -- (head up, smile) -- the old style! -- (smile off, head down, reads) -- daily . . . before and after . . . meals . . . instantaneous . . . (looks closer) . . . improvement. (Takes off spectacles, lays them down, holds up bottle at arm's length to see level, unscrews cap, swigs it off head well back, tosses cap and bottle away in WILLIE's direction. Sound of breaking glass.) Ah that's better! (Turns to bag, rummages in it, brings out lipstick, turns back front, examines lipstick.) Running out. (Looks for spectacles.) Ah well. (Puts on spectacles, looks for mirror.) Musn't complain. (Takes up mirror, starts doing lips.) What is that wonderful line? (Lips.) Oh fleeting joys -- (lips) -- oh something lasting woe. (Lips. She is interrupted by disturbance from WILLIE. He is sitting up. She lowers lipstick and mirror and cranes back and down to look at him. Pause. Top back of WILLIE's bald head, trickling blood, rises to view above slope, comes to rest. WINNIE pushes up her spectacles. Pause. His hand appears with handkerchief, spreads it on skull, disappears. Pause. The hand appears with boater, club ribbon, settles it on head, rakish angle, disappears. Pause. WINNIE cranes a little further back and down.) Slip on your drawers, dear, before you get singed. (Pause.) No? (Pause.) Oh I see, you still have some of that stuff left. (Pause.) Work it well in, dear. (Pause.) Now the other. (Pause. She turns back front, gazes before her. Happy expression.) Oh this is going to be another happy day! (Pause. Happy expression off. She pulls down spectacles and resumes lips. WILLIE opens newspaper, hands invisible. Tops of yellow sheets appear on either side of his head. WINNIE finishes lips, inspects them in mirror held a little further away.) Ensign crimson. (WILLIE turns page. WINNIE lays down lipstick and mirror, turns towards bag.) Pale flag.

WILLIE turns page. WINNIE rummages in bag, brings out small ornate brimless hat with crumpled feather, turns back front, straightens hat, smooths feather, raises it towards head, arrests gesture as WILLIE reads.

WILLIE His Grace and Most Reverend Father in God Dr Carolus Hunter dead in tub.

Pause.

... [ p.15!]

Well? [ class ]

... Beckett to Stoppard

* Glossary * Excellent!

Term to remember -- list ! glossary & dictionary

From Modern (High Modernism) to Postmodern... and R/G are Dead: