Pre-Show Activities PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY #1: How does space influence the characters’ relationships?


The setting of Look Back in Anger is a small, claustrophobic fl at (apartment) shared by three people. This constrained space has a large infl uence on their relationships. Activate:


Improvise a silent, physical activity in which two people are trying to accomplish separate tasks in a very small space. Use chairs to defi ne a small playing space (approx. 3’ by 5’). Two people, each has their own household task. Suggested tasks: ironing, folding laundry, sweeping the fl oor, doing homework, cooking a meal, playing a video game, exercising/working-out. Use objects in the room to stand in for props (i.e., a book can become an iron).


For about 1-2 minutes, the people must try to do their tasks. Work silently. Express your feelings through the actions instead of words.


Reflect: Write:


How did sharing the space challenge you? How did you cope with the challenges? How did sharing the space make you feel about the other person?


Now, choose what the relationship is between these two characters and write the dialogue they would have during the scene you started.


PRE-SHOW ACTIVITY #2: How does an actor express feelings and conflict through subtext?


In Osborne’s play, the characters do not always articulate their true feelings in the dialogue. The true emotions are hidden UNDER the words (the subtext). Use the following open scene to explore how an actor expresses the confl ict in the subtext.


Open Scene A: Hi.


B: Hello.


A: Sorry I’m late. B: That’s all right. A: I really am sorry. B: That’s fi ne. A: Well, good-night. B: Good-night.


Activate: Reflect: Write:


Choose a relationship and confl ict. (Parent does not approve of Child’s choices. Friend A has betrayed Friend B. Partner A is being unkind to Partner B). Using only the lines provided, act out the scene with the given relationship in mind.


What was different between what you were saying and how you were feeling? How did you express a feeling in ways other than the words? Why don’t characters always say exactly how they’re feeling?


Using the dialogue from the same open scene, choose a specifi c relationship/confl ict. In parentheses, write the character’s unspoken subtext for each line.


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