Write-Up #1 Miss You

This is a play written by David Auburn. The play is about four characters in a love triangle. The link between all of them is woman 1 and man 2 who are cheating on their significant others. They are on the telephone during the whole play. Nonverbal language is the whereby communication is through sending and receiving wordless (mostly visual) between people. It is often too narrowly defined as gestures and body language. The use of nonverbal language is important especially here as characters are not in one place. So that the play can be, more interesting its use is mandatory and it plays the role of giving the play more life.

The set would be divided in three. The first part, which will have the biggest floor space, is where woman 1 will be having her conversation. She would be center stage as she is the main character. She would be seated on a sofa with her feet on a stool and using a landline. She will be dressed in a nightgown and fluffy slippers with her hair in a hairnet. Her character should show the audience that she is a bored housewife whose husband is always busy. As everyone else is up and doing their work or errands, she is in the house relaxing. She cheats on her husband to fill the void in her life.

The second part of the stage would be outside the airport gates where man 1 is about to go board his flight back home. He would be standing just outside the airport. He will be dressed in a suit with his tie and shirt undone to give him a shaggy but tired look. This is to show the audience that he has been working so hard for two days straight that he does not have time for himself. He will be using a mobile phone. He will be carrying a bag that he describes in the play to his wife as his only luggage. The third part would be for the man 2. He would be in an office setting where he is seated on a desk. He will be using a mobile phone and landline. He will be dressed in suit. He will use the landline to call his mistress but his wife will call him on his mobile phone. He will use the landline because it will be easier to hide the conversation from his nosy wife. The second woman would only appear on the stage as she is walking by. She will be dressed in casual clothes and carrying a shopping bag. She would be on her mobile phone.

The lighting on stage will be bright except where woman 1 is where it will be a bit dim. This is to show comfort in the home. When woman 1 will be talking to her husband, she will be bored but when her lover calls, she will show excitement. Her husband will be excited to talk to her. Man 2 will be calm and collected at first when talking to woman 1 but will act shocked and jittery when his wife calls. Woman 2 will be furious the whole time and once she is done with her scene she will storm off out of the stage. Man 1 will be sweet and loving and his character will appeal to the audience as he plays the role of a husband trying his best to support his family.

Nonverbal language has helped the audience understand the play better as from the way the characters relate to each other. It has helped woman 1’s promiscuous and lazy character come out by the way she is behaving. Man 1’s hardworking and loving nature will also be portrayed. Man 2’s promiscuous nature also comes out as he chooses to use different phones for his wife and lover. Woman 3’s anger can also be seen by how she acts.

Write-Up #2 Wedding duet

Conflict in literature is important as it shows the challenges and obstacles, that the characters must tackle and how they overcome them or fail to overcome them. It helps to develop the story line as characters can grow and change thus emulating human condition.

In Wedding duet written by Lauren Wilson conflict clearly comes out. It is a play about a newly married couple having a conversation about how the day started out and what is happening at that moment. It is set immediately after their wedding party. Two types of conflict are seen in the play.

First, there is man versus man. This is where one character struggles with another. This is brought out when the couple argues about a number of things. It starts with the bride who wants to be carried into the room but the groom is unwilling. He feels that the bride can walk into the room on her own and if it is too hard she can either go back to the party as some guests are still there or stay in the hall way. The bride cries and whines how her husband is not treating her right. They also argue about the wedding venue and the bride says she was not happy with it.

The other type of conflict is internal conflict. The bride, who is very superstitious, feels that some of the things that have happened in the course of the day might have been indicators for her not to get married. In the morning, she felt all alone and kept thinking that maybe it was a mistake to be married then now she is dropped on her threshold. She feels there is a looming danger ahead. She says,” I just feel this huge sense of, I don’t know….doom.” this portrays her as superstitious and having an inner conflict with herself.

Their arguments lead into a fight where they end up physically hurting each other. After the fight, they make up. They rather reach a common ground by deciding to forgive one another’s insecurities and shortcomings. As the play ends, they are seen to be in a tight embrace showing a sign of love. The plot propelled the conflict, as it is about how newly married couples find their footing in married life. The couple has to learn how to live together and understand each other’s shortcomings.

The plot is predictable as the couple made up after the fight. This because from the start of the play they affectionate to each other. They talked lovingly and joked with each other. It was an indicator to the audience that the arguments they had they could resolve. Conflict has thus helped the play’s plot advance and made the play exciting.