PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES
HOW DO ACTORS CREATE COMEDIC SCENES IN THE STYLE OF “SCREWBALL COMEDY?”
The film 20th Century is considered one of the first classic Hollywood “screwball comedies.” Learn about this film genre on page 18 of this UPSTAGE and use the links to see examples of classic screwball scenes. Then, work in pairs to create your own scenes.
ACTIVATE
Plan and improvise a humorous scene that includes all of the following elements of screwball comedy. (Alternatively, students can write the dialogue and then perform.)
WHO: Two very different characters. One is rich, the other is either poor or middle class. One character is much more sophisticated than the other. You decide who.
WHAT: They secretly like each other but would never admit it to themselves or each other. WHERE: They are travelling somewhere, but they are stuck (you decide where) and haven’t figured out how to move forward.
WHEN: Either the past or present, but be specific and try to be historically accurate. WHY: Both characters are motivated by a shared objective—a person, object, or event that they BOTH want (ie: two actors who both want to win an Academy Award®
.) REFLECT:
What was humorous about this situation? Why did screwball comedy become popular during the Great Depression? What elements of screwball do you think you might see in the musical On the Twentieth Century?
HOW DOES A SET DESIGNER PLAN THE PERFECT MODE OF TRANSPORTATION?
On the Twentieth Century takes place on the Twentieth Century Limited, a luxurious train that catered to celebrities and wealthy business people. Passengers enjoyed fine dining, private bedrooms, butlers, manicurists, an on-board post office, and more. Learn about the train on pages 14-15 of this UPSTAGE.
REFLECT
Imagine you are traveling across the country by train and the trip will take several days. What would the train interior look like? What amenities would you want on the train? Make a list.
DESIGN
Draw, or describe in words, your perfect five car train. Make sure to include sleeping quarters and at least one car designed to serve food.
20 ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY
FOR EDUCATORS
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