Designing+Questions+for+the+Universal+Language

Designing Questions for the Universal Language, Delaney Kolich

1. The audience is meant to be observing the performers as they act out parts of the characters’ lives. I don’t think they are meant to interact in any way, nor would it be very appropriate for the performers to directly address the audience in an aside. 2. No, I think the concept of the invisible “fourth wall” is in effect, and that the performers and the audience are meant to be in separate spaces. The setting of the play, the close, confined space of Don’s little office, is meant to be very personal for Dawn and Don, like their own little world. 3. No time period is specified in the script, but the play was written in the late 80’s. I think any time period from now until then would work fairly well, but setting it in the 90’s rather than the 2000’s might make more sense with some of the references and sly jokes found in Unamunda. 4. Based on Don’s address, 30 East Seventh, Suite 662, Room B, the action most likely takes place in a large city, such as New York. However, since none is specified, any city with apartments and office buildings within walking distance of each other would do. 5. No specific time of day is given, but because of Dawn’s shy, seemingly reserved and obsessive personality (wanting to be among the first to learn Unamunda), I think she would show up for the lesson as early as would be socially acceptable. So, I would have the action begin around 9am, possibly on a Monday. 6. For lighting design, I would have the lights illuminating the entire stage when the play opens, very impersonal and classroom-like. Then, as Dawn grew gradually more comfortable and relaxed, the lights would gradually narrow, until only Don and Dawn were illuminated as they reached the climax of the lesson, creating a small, personal space for them, separated from the rest of the world. The lights would come back up after the lesson ends, but maybe be softer or less intense than they were at the beginning of the play. When the other man wanting to learn Unamunda walks on, Dawn and Don’s soft light could grow to encompass him in their world, the universal world of Unamunda. The costumes are somewhat detailed by the script, with the author describing Dawn as “plainly dressed” and Don as having glasses and being smooth. I picture Dawn as being insecure and most likely wanting to cover her body as a result, so I see her in long sleeves and either a long skirt or a medium length one worn with tights or stockings. An easy way to show Dawn’s character developing and becoming more confident in herself as she learned Unamunda would be to have her remove layers of clothing, such as a scarf, a coat, or a jacket, as she became more comfortable around Don. Don should be reasonably well dressed, perhaps in a sport coat or suit jacket over slacks or nice jeans, and should have glasses (attractive glasses, not nerd or coke-bottle glasses), which he could remove when he reveals the pretense to Dawn. 7. Again, no weather or climate conditions are specified, so I would most likely make the weather and climate conditions those typical of whatever city I decided to set the play in. However, I feel like it wasn’t raining. No mention is made of Dawn walking in with an umbrella or rain coat, but this does not necessarily mean that the play couldn’t be set while it was raining. 8. I feel that neither Dawn nor Don is fabulously rich, but nor are they desperately poor. I think they’re probably lower middle class; Don had enough money to put an ad in the paper and rent the office to use as a classroom, but he is running a con to get more money. Dawn apparently has some spare money that she is willing to spend on learning Unamunda, but she balks at the idea of spending $500, the amount Don names. 9. Dawn tells Don that she is a “word processor”, something like a combination of a typist, secretary, and proofreader. This makes sense, because she most likely only has to have minimal interaction with other people. Don never states his profession, but, seeing as he could never make a living off his skills as a con-man, I think he must have a job similar to Dawn’s, a relatively low-end, minimal human-contact one. 10. Both characters are described as being around 30, with Dawn being the younger of the two and still in her late 20s. The walk-on man may be of any age that is convenient. 11. Dawn and Don have never met before the play begins, they do not know each other at all until Dawn arrives to learn Unamunda from Don, who is really lying to her about the ‘universal language’. 12. Both characters, Dawn and Don, should be emphasized equally. They are both central to the plotline and have similar amounts of dialogue. The only character who could be subordinated would be the walk-on man, but he is already a very minor character. 13. Doors on the set are described as being located on both the right and left sides of the stage, with the one on the right side leading outside, and the other door being the one through which Don makes his entrance when Dawn arrives. 14. The property list included with the script maintains that the play necessitates Don to have papers scattered about the floor, an application form to give to Dawn, a rose, some chalk, and a pointer, while Dawn has only a purse, containing some money (<$500) and the newspaper clipping about learning Unamunda. However, in addition to the banner in Unamunda that the property list describes, the set needs to have a chalk or dry-erase board at the front of the room, containing the phrases in Unamunda specified in Dawn’s opening dialogue. I would assume that the ‘classroom’ Don sets up contains chairs or desks.