You will be graded both for: what you say in class... and what you said on the board. at the end of the week, on Friday, a "hard" copy of your postings is due. Your writing for the Speak Easy Project, can be very informal. The content, not the style of your writing is what's important. The same informality, by the way, holds true for all of your TALK OF THE CLASS work.

M.BUTTERFLY What is the significance of Gaillimard's and Song's first meeting? On p. 41 in your packet, there is a diagram of the basic psychological pattern involved in a cross cultural incident. The diagram on p. 41 outlines: making the familiar strange making the strange familiar Where in M. Butterfly do we see the familiar made strange, and the strange made familiar? On p. 42 in your packet there is a discussion of cultural bubbles. Where do we see evidence of the cultural bubble in M. Butterfly? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

THE SOUND OF A VOICE What is the significance of the flute in the play? How does it compare with the sword? Handout #3 in your packet brings up the possibility that men talk to compete women talk toward interdependence, whereas men talk toward independence women talk to cooperatively, men talk comparatively Is there any evidence in the play to support these assertions? Explain. What is the significance of the fact that at the end of the play, the stage direction tell us that the man "tries to make sounds? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

THE WASH Why doesn't Masi tell Nobu about the specifics of her camp date (see p. 47)? Finally she confesses what happened, but why does it take her so long to do it? What is the significance of her finally telling him what happened? Gotanda says in his introductory notes that "there a lot of indirection in the conversation of the Japanese." (p. 23). He also mentions that he wanted to juxtapose quiet scenes with very explosive moments because the quiet scenes brought out the indirectness. What are some examples of this "indirectness" in The Wash. What is the significance of the title? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

AND THE SOUL SHALL DANCE What's the significance that Masako witnesses the horse joke (p. 136) and the first violence in the play (pp. 146-148). What is the most hopeful moment in the play? What is the significance that the first person Emiko talks to is Masako? What is the link between these two characters? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

THE PIANO LESSON What's the symbolism inherent in Wining Boy selling Lymon his old suit? What exactly does the piano in the play symbolize? Some spin-off questions might be: Why doesn't Berneice tell Maretha about the carvings on the piano? How, in general, does Berniece go about raising her daughter? Why is Boy Willie so concerned about whether Maretha can play the piano? What is the significance of Wining Boy telling about his giving up the piano? How does the piano symbolism relate to Doaker at one point saying, "you have to buy today's women a present." (p. 65)? Do you think Berniece will ever marry Avery? Does Wilson present Avery in a positive or negative light? Explain. Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

MASTER HAROLD ...and the boys The discussion about the beauty of ballroom dancing prompts Hally to consider this topic for one of his upcoming essays. Is Hally's choice of an essay topic a complement or an insult? What is the significance of the comic books? This is the second time now we've seen kites made into a major dramatic statement--first in The Wash and now in Master Harold...and the boys. Is the image symbolically the same in both plays or are there some significant differences? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

DEATH OF A KING'S HORSEMAN We learn in Death and the King's Horseman that Elsin's son, Olunde is off studying to become a physician. Apparently this detail was not part of the actual, historical incident upon which Soyinka based his play. So, of all the professions that Soyinka could have picked for Olunde, why did Soyinka pick the profession of physician for this character? In other words what dramatic purpose does this choice of profession have? What's the dramatic point of the ship captain episode (p. 51)? Why in the last scene does Elsin repeatedly call Simon the "ghostly one" (see pp. 60-72)? Is this in any way similar to the "ghosts" in The Piano Lesson? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

DREAM ON MONKEY MOUNTAIN When we are first introduced to Makak he's drunk and he can't remember his name? Why is this very significant, and how does it relate to the theme of the play? What is the significance that Makak's dream centers around the vision of a white woman? The love of the white woman seemingly gives him a sense of identity. Isn't this a good thing? What is the significance of the spider imagery? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

NAGA-MANDALA What's the significance that the play takes place in a ruined temple? What's the significance of the blind woman and her son, and what is behind the fact that the blind woman's son is called, "the dark one"(p. 12), and how does all this relate to the fact that the blind woman's boy at the end of the story disappears? In her mirror, Rani actually sees Naga in the form of a snake. What possible is the symbolic significance of this? Does this moment with the mirror shed any light on the two different endings of the play? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

THE GOLDEN AGE What is the significance of the title? Why are the occupations of Francis and Peter symbolically significant to the overall point of the play? What is the significance of the Greek temple in the play? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

THE IK and THE LOTTERY The play is based upon a book called, The Mountain People. The first chapter of The Mountain People is "The World that Was" and the last chapter is "The World that Is." Where in the play do we see this contrast between what was, and what is? How does "what was" with "what is" relate to the fact that in The Lottery the younger and older generations are continually contrasted with one another? Probably the most important moment in the play is when Atum says "because from here we cannot see the Morungole." Why is this moment highly significant (see p. 8, and p. 57)? What's the basic theme of The Lottery, and does the theme shed any light on dramatic point of The Ik? In other words, what are the parallels between The Lottery and The Ik? Do the authors of either work leave us with any hope? Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)

THE REZ SISTERS What's the significance that the play begins and ends on a roof? What is symbolic significance of Nanabush? And why can only Zhaboonigan and Marie-Adele see Nanabush? What is the significance that the bingo game is described at one point as a scene from "The Last Supper?" Talk to Each Other Now (Time to Brainstorm)