Buried Child

          According to The New Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, realism, in relation to literature, means: a style or theory of literature in which familiar aspects of life are represented in a straightforward or plain manner. In the same dictionary, illusion is defined as: something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality. Based on these two definitions, illusionistic realism could then be defined as a style of literature in which familiar aspects of literature are represented in a straightforward manner yet are deceiving because of a false impression that is exhibited. Sam Shepard, in his play Buried Child, provides his audience with an example illusionistic realism.

            One may consider Shepard’s plays to be similar to Greek tragedies with the themes of incest, murder, deceit, and rebirth. Shepard was attempting to prove a point that all life consists of these sufferings, whether it was in ancient Greek times or in the 1970’s when this play was written and performed. Incest occurred between Halie, the mother, and her son, Tilden. The child produced from this incest is drowned by Dodge, Halie’s husband. Murder enters the plot. The deceit occurs when the rest of the family, along with Father Dewis, continues to hide the truth of their actions from each other and Shelly, Vincent’s girlfriend. Vincent is Tilden’s son and is returning to his home.

Father Dewis, the pastor, is involved with Halie. The adultery is never really addressed and the problem remains in the background. Rebirth, new life, occurs when Tilden brings in the corn from the backyard. Dodge swears that he has not planted any crops but the evidence is present. When the play closes and Tilden is bringing his dead infant son up the stair, one is again reminded of rebirth in that while one child died, another child, Vincent, has discovered his new focus on life.

With this play, Shepard wanted to draw attention to the problems of families in rural America.  The ambiguity, complexity, and irony of this play enabled Shepard to illustrate the truth and deception of life and gave the audience an opportunity to discuss the problems and solutions.

Noises Off

Noises Off

            A general motif that is present throughout the play, Noise Off, is how the onstage characters mimic the personality of their offstage counterpart.  Michael Frayn creates a story where each actor plays two characters. Each actor has an onstage and offstage character. When one reads the play, Noises Off, the reader notices the similarities between both the actors’ onstage character and offstage character. For instance, the offstage character Brooke Ashton is just as air headed as her onstage character, Vicki. Another prime example is the offstage character Belinda Blair. Belinda, who is an always cheerful and reliable actress, is a perfect embodiment of her onstage character, Flavia Brent, who is the ideal housewife. Flavia is constantly trying to be there for her husband, Phillip, all the while trying to care for her house.

            An important ‘tag line” for the play Noises Off would have to be the phrase “Sardines.” The reason the phrase “Sardines” is so important is because not only does the entire play evolve around a character having the actual sardines, but also the phrase “Sardines” helps keep the play going. Examples being the characters are constantly exchanging the sardines from one character to the next; thus, the audience/reader are ultimately forced to follow around a plate of sardines the entire play. Wherever the sardines go, chaos is sure to follow. An example being is when Mrs. Clackett, Dotty Otley, is on the phone, while holding the plate of Sardines in her hand. Ultimately, Mrs. Clackett becomes tangled up in the phone’s cord while she is talking and holding on to the plate of sardines at the same time. The sardines become the focal point of Mrs. Clackett’s attention, thus making her oblivious to her own actions.

Glass of Water

           The Glass of Water, uses his character Bolingbroke as the protagonist to illustrate his point of confusion in the English court of Queen Anne. Lord Bolingbroke manipulates the characters to achieve his own agenda.

            Lord Bolingbroke uses his friendship with Abigail Churchill and Arthur Masham to manipulate his desire for the return of the Tory government and his return to power as the Prime Minister. Scribe attempts to trick the audience into believing that Bolingbroke is not a major character and always appears to be in the background. Scribe utilizes this technique so that the audience is always rooting for Bolingbroke. Bolingbroke’s character never ceases to amaze the audience and the comic aspects of the play work to antagonize the character of Sarah Churchill, thus playing into Bolingbroke’s plans for his agenda.

            Whereas Bolingbroke is the protagonist, the character of Sarah Churchill, the Duchess, is the antagonist. Hers is the character that appears to be always plotting and playing against Bolingbroke. Bolingbroke attempts to blackmail the Duchess into allowing Abigail Churchill into Queen Anne’s court as a lady-in-waiting; the Duchess counterattacks by informing Bolingbroke that she holds all his markers and that she will have him thrown into debtors’ prison the next day at the close of the Parliament Session.  

            This farce continues throughout the play. Each time that Bolingbroke is foiled by the Duchess, he returns with another counterattack. The audience’s attention is held throughout the play by the exchange between Bolingbroke and the Duchess, with interludes by Abigail, Masham, and Queen Anne. Scribe uses the subplots of the attraction on the part of the Queen and the Duchess for Masham as a backdrop to highlight the protagonist character of Bolingbroke thus allowing him to further his Tory agenda and his return to power as Prime Minister.