MADesign

Michael Ackerman 14 Design Questions 11/2/10


 * 1) The audience and actors are meant to relate through having experienced similar situations. Almost everyone in the audience will be able to relate to attempting to make a good impression on someone of the opposite sex.
 * 2) The audience and actors are not meant to occupy the same room. It is important that the feeling of isolation s created so that the focus is solely upon the two main characters. The audience should feel as though they are looking in a window upon the events in the cafe.
 * 3) The action of the play occurs in modern times. This affects the play by controlling how the characters speak to each other and what they speak about.
 * 4) The actin could take place in any town or city in America. I prefer to think that the two characters live in a big city because of the effect of the contrast between the huge city and the small cafe.
 * 5) The action of the play takes place in the evening.
 * 6) Both characters just went through break ups, so their clothes might be more geared for comfort than style. The lights and music, if there is any, should support the idea that the pair are in a downtown cafe. This means that the lights should be above their table and not outside of the cafe, and the music should be jazzy.
 * 7) I believe that the weather is cold, making the cafe a sanctuary for the two characters. The darkness and cold of the street would contrast nicely with the warmth and light of the cafe.
 * 8) The characters appear to be middle class, people with enough spending money to go to a cafe and movie.
 * 9) The characters' occupations are unknown, as are a lot of their characteristics, due to the fact that the characters are edited while the play is acted out.
 * 10) The characters are in their late 20's or early 30's based on their dialogue.
 * 11) The relationship between the characters is constantly changing. This is the most interesting aspect of the play. The point of the play is to see how their words affect their relationship. In the end of the play, they like each other and want to go on a date.
 * 12) There are only two characters, so they should be emphasized.
 * 13) The only entrance is in the beginning, when Bill walks toward Betty.
 * 14) The furniture needed for the play is a small table with a white table cloth and two chairs, one for Betty and one for Bill. It is important that the scene is kept simple so that the audience can focus on the comedy and the development of the pair's relationship.