Gypsy Study Guide

COMPANION GUIDE WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY Taylor M Wycoff
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Leonard Hirsch; Ronald & Susan Heller; Carey Wall; Elaine Galinson &
Herbert J. Solomon; Rick Rinaldi & Jaime Arroyo; Jerry & Jill Hall;
Kamaya Jane & Diane Zeps, in honor of their mother Elaine Lipinsky;
San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture; The County of San Diego
This publication is to be used for educational purposes only.
GYPSY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1- ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION
From the Dramaturg ..................................................................................... 3
Synopsis....................................................................................................... 4
Characters.................................................................................................... 5
About the Creators ....................................................................................... 6
Production History ........................................................................................ 8
SECTION 2- THEMES & TOPICS
Gypsy: A Memoir.......................................................................................... 9
Setting the Scene ......................................................................................... 10
The Rise and Fall of Vaudeville ................................................................... 11
A Brief History of Burlesque ......................................................................... 12
SECTION 3- SEEING THE PRODUCTION
Audience Etiquette ....................................................................................... 14
Post-Show Discussion Questions ................................................................ 15
SECTION 5- RESOURCES.............................................................................. 16
Cygnet Theatre Company values the feedback of patrons on the content and format of its Study Guides. We
would appreciate your comments or suggestions on ways to improve future Study Guides. Comments may be
directed to Taylor M. Wycoff by email at [email protected].
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SECTION 1
ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION
FROM THE
DRAMATURG
TAYLOR M WYCOFF
The lives of Gypsy Rose Lee, her sister June Havoc, and their mother
Rose Hovick are fascinating. It’s no wonder why so many books have
been written about this famous family unit, in addition to their own
“autobiographical” accounts. In fact, one could spend months just reading
each woman’s personal accounts of what life was “really” like amongst this
threesome, and in the process uncover a wealth of facts that you could
swear sound like fictions. For example, did you know that Louise’s birth
name was actually June? But as soon as her younger sisters was born
and dubbed the cuter, more talented little girl, mamma gave her favorite
name to Baby June, renaming her eldest, less talented daughter Louise.
Or that Rose kept numerous birth certificates on hand for her girls listing
them as being either several years older or younger than they actually
were? The former were used to evade child labor laws while the latter
were for reduced or free fares.
Thrilling as this all sounds, however, one must keep in mind the full title of
the musical: Gypsy: A Musical Fable. And as our fearless director, Mr.
Sean Murray, was keen to remind us in rehearsals, while these source
materials are fascinating, dramaturgically, they are mostly irrelevant when it
comes to Laurents, Sondheim, and Styne’s vision. Thus, this guide will
only briefly touch on the original source material that inspired the musical,
Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir, and rather will focus more on the world within
this classic American musical. This includes setting the scene within the
context of the roaring twenties and the Great Depression, and offering
some insight into the rise and fall of American vaudeville and burlesque.
And as with all our guides, in the end you’ll find a few post-show discussion
questions to consider as you’re leaving the theatre, and a few suggested
resources for those still eager to learn more.
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ABOUT THE PLAY
SYNOPSIS
The story begins in Seattle with overbearing stage mother, Rose, pushing her two daughters into “Uncle Jocko’s
Kiddie Show.” Rose believes that her daughter June is the most likely to become a star, while Louise is plainer
and quieter, standing meekly in her sister’s shadow. Rose conceives a new act called ‘Baby June and her
Newsboys’ and the family heads off to the “big time” in Los Angeles. The act steeped in star spangled banners,
dancing cows, and screaming newsboys moves to Dallas, Akron, New York, Buffalo and Omaha.
Along the way Rose meets Herbie, a former theatrical agent who now sells candy on the vaudeville circuit. He
reluctantly agrees to serve as their manager, and becomes a father figure to the troupe. Rose continues
pinching pennies and schemes and scrambles for bookings and billings to maintain their paycheck-to-paycheck
existence, as she aims to make her girls into world-renowned stars. While the girls begin to grow up and the act
turns into ‘Dainty June and her Newsboys’, its quality doesn’t improve, bookings are cancelled, and the act is
forced to move on.
Louise and June commiserate over their mother’s marital status in, “If Mamma Were Married,” just before Herbie
proposes (and is rejected), and June runs away to elope with Tulsa, one of the boys in the act. Bursting with
new enthusiasm in the rousing number “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” Rose shifts her attention to Louise,
vowing to turn her into the star.
The troupe finally hits the bottom at a burlesque house in Wichita. Although Rose laments that she would rather
starve than perform there, Louise convinces her to let the troupe stay and perform. During this time, Louise
realizes there is no vaudeville left except for burlesque, and after stepping in for an absent performer, the
clumsy Louise shoots into stardom by becoming something entirely different: a ladylike stripper.
Finally able to break away from her mother, Louise embraces and celebrates her new identity as Gypsy Rose
Lee. Rose, feeling discarded and unappreciated, bursts into the plaintive “Rose’s Turn” in which she sings of
her suppressed talents that she has sacrificed to further the careers of her ungrateful daughters.
RUNNING TIME: Approx. 2.5 hours, including intermission.
PERFORMANCE RATING: PG-13 for suggestive themes, sexual content and brief partial nudity.
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ABOUT THE PLAY
CHARACTERS
MAMA ROSE:
The Mother. ROSE is the ultimate “stage mother,” aggressive and domineering,
pushing her children to perform.
BABY JUNE:
ROSE’s baby daughter. An extroverted, talented child star.
BABY LOUISE:
ROSE’s other baby daughter and BABY JUNE’s introverted, shy older sister.
JUNE:
The older version of BABY JUNE.
domination.
LOUISE:
The older version of BABY LOUISE. Shy and loyal. At Mom’s prodding, she becomes
the famous stripper, Gypsy Rose Lee.
HERBIE:
Candy salesman and reluctant manager of the act. Loves ROSE and the girls, but his
patience has limits.
TULSA:
Singing and dancing member of the “Farm Boys.” Dreams of having his own act with a
special girl.
L.A.:
Singing and dancing member of the “Farm Boys.”
YONKERS:
Singing and dancing member of the “Farm Boys.”
KANSAS:
Singing and dancing member of the “Farm Boys.”
TESSSIE TURA:
An experienced and wizened burlesque performer. Specialty- Ballet stripper.
MAZEPPA:
An experienced and wizened burlesque performer. Specialty- Trumpet stripper.
ELECTRA:
An experienced and wizened burlesque performer. Specialty- Light bulb stripper.
UNCLE JOCKO:
Vaudeville master of ceremonies at a weekly kiddie talent show. He hates stage
mothers.
GEORGIE:
Jocko’s assistant.
POP:
ROSE’s father. He does not believe that she or the girls will ever amount to anything.
WEBER:
Theatre manager in Los Angeles. Does not want to hire the act.
KRINGELEIN:
Hotel manager in Akron. Has seen all of the tricks show-biz people play.
MR. GOLDSTONE:
A mild little man, and representative of the Orpheum Circuit.
MISS CRATCHITT:
Secretary at Grantziger’s Palace. Has no patience for “small-time” acts or pushy
mothers.
AGNES:
Singing and dancing member of the “Hollywood Blondes.”
MARJORIE MAY:
Singing and dancing member of the “Hollywood Blondes.”
GEORGIE:
Jocko’s assistant.
Other Characters:
BALLOON GIRL, CLARINET BOY, AUDITIONING KIDS, MOTHERS OF
AUDITIONING KIDS, VLADIMIRE, WAITRESS, CIGAR, PASTEY, RENEE, PHIL,
BOURGERON-COCHON
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Pretty, talented and frustrated with Mom’s
ABOUT THE PLAY
ABOUT THE CREATORS
ARTHUR LAURENTS (Book)
(July 14, 1917, Brooklyn, N.Y.—May 5, 2011, New York, N.Y.)
Arthur Laurents was an American playwright, director, and
screenwriter who wrote the books for several successful Broadway
productions, most notably the hit musicals West Side Story (1957;
filmed 1961) and Gypsy (1959; filmed 1962), during a career that
spanned some 60 years. After graduating in 1937 from Cornell
University, Ithaca, N.Y., with an English degree, Laurents wrote
scripts for radio programs such as The Thin Man. In 1941 he was
drafted into the U.S. Army and wrote for military training films and
radio programs, an experience that inspired his first Broadway play,
Home of the Brave (1945; filmed 1949). Other notable Broadway
plays and musicals that he wrote and/or directed include Time of the
Cuckoo (1952), which he later adapted into the musical Do I Hear a
Waltz? (1965); I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962), which helped
launch the career of actress-singer Barbra Streisand; Anyone Can
Whistle (1964); the Tony Award-winning musical Hallelujah, Baby! (1967); and La Cage aux Folles (1983), for
which Laurents won a Tony for best director. Laurents’ noteworthy screenplays include Rope (1948), Anastasia
(1956), Bonjour Tristesse (1958), The Way We Were (1973), and The Turning Point (1977). In 2008 Laurents
received his sixth Tony nomination, for directing a revival of Gypsy.
JULE STYNE (Music)
(Dec. 31, 1905, London, Eng.—Sept. 20, 1994, New York, N.Y., U.S.)
Jule Styne was an American songwriter. Born Julius Styne, the son of
Ukrainian Jewish parents, Stein immigrated with them to the United
States in 1912. The family settled in Chicago, and Stein, having
displayed musical talent from an early age, studied the piano. He began
playing piano in nightclubs and with traveling orchestras, and his first hit
song was published in 1926 (“Sunday”). In the early 1930s he changed
his name to Jule Styne (pronounced like the woman’s name “Julie”) to
avoid confusion with another musical personality named Jules Stein. He
moved to New York City in 1934 and in 1937 to Hollywood, where he
wrote scores for film musicals. Styne collaborated with the lyricist
Sammy Cahn to write popular ballads for Frank Sinatra in the early
1940s, and the two men wrote the film musical Anchors Aweigh (1945)
and the Broadway stage musical High Button Shoes (1947).
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ABOUT THE PLAY
Styne’s next Broadway success was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949; filmed 1953), with lyricist Leo Robin. He
contributed six songs to a Broadway revival of Peter Pan (1954). Styne collaborated with Adolf Green and Betty
Comden on the musical Bells Are Ringing (1956; filmed 1960) and with lyricist Stephen Sondheim on Gypsy
(1959; filmed 1962). His last major success on Broadway was Funny Girl (1964; filmed 1968), written with lyricist
Robert Merrill. Sugar (1972) enjoyed a modest success.
Styne’s theatrical music was well suited to the talents of such leading ladies as Carol Channing, Mary Martin,
Judy Holliday, Ethel Merman, and Barbra Streisand. He wrote or co-wrote more than 1,500 songs.
STEPHEN SONDHEIM (Lyrics)
(March 22, 1930, New York, N.Y.-)
Stephen Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist
known for more than a half-century of contributions to
musical theatre. Precocious as a child, Sondheim showed
an early musical aptitude among other wide-ranging
interests. He studied piano and organ, and at age 15 he
wrote a musical at George School in Bucks county,
Pennsylvania. Under the tutelage of a family friend, Oscar
Hammerstein II, he studied musical theatre. He continued
his studies at Williams College, Williamstown, where he
received the Hutchinson Prize for composition when he
graduated in 1950, and then in New York City with the
composer Milton Babbitt.
He made his first significant mark on Broadway as the
lyricist for Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, which
opened in 1957. He then wrote the lyrics for Gypsy (1959;
music by Jule Styne). A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opened on Broadway in 1962, with
music and lyrics by Sondheim. It ran for 964 performances and won the Tony Award for best musical.
After winning Tony Awards for best score for Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973; film
1977), and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979; film 2007). Sondheim went on to
collaborate with playwright-director James Lapine to create Sunday in the Park with George (1984), Into the
Woods (1987; film 2014), and Passion (1994) (the later two also won Tony Awards for best score).
Several revues of his work were staged, among them Side by Side by Sondheim (1976), Putting It Together
(1992), and Sondheim on Sondheim (2010). In 1991 he won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the
song “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)” from Dick Tracy. In 2000 he received the Japan Art Association’s
Praemium Imperiale prize for theatre/film, and in 2008 he was honored with a special Tony Award for lifetime
achievement in the theatre. The book Finishing the Hat (2010) is a collection of Sondheim’s lyrics, with his own
commentaries on them. In 2015 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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ABOUT THE PLAY
PRODUCTION HISTORY
PRODUCTIONS
Gypsy opened at The Broadway Theatre in New York, NY, on May 21, 1959, transferred
to the Imperial Theatre, and closed on March 25, 1961, after 702 performances. The
original production starred Ethel Merman as Rose, with Jack Klugman as Herbie and
Sandra Church as Louise. Directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, featuring
scenic and lighting designs by Jo Mielziner and costumes by Raoul Pène Du Bois, it
received 8 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, Best Actress in a Musical,
Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Scenic
Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Direction of Musical, but unfortunately failed to
win any. Upon the shows closure in March 1961, two national touring companies took
the show on road.
The show has since had 4 Broadway revivals: the 1974 revival starred Angela
Lansbury; the 1989 revival starring Tyne Daly earned 5 Tony Award Nominations and
took home the statue for Best Revival and Best Actress in a Musical; the 2003 revival
starring Bernadette Peters earned 4 Tony Award Nominations; and the most recent
2008 revival starring Broadway legend Patti LuPone saw three Tony Award Wins
(Best Actress in a Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and Best Featured
Actress in a Musical) and another 4 nominations (including Best Revival of a Musical).
Additional productions of note include: the 1962 Film Version starring Rosalind
Russell and Natalie Wood which received 3 Academy Award nominations, the 1973
London Production (starring Angela Lansbury, which transferred to Broadway the
following year), and the 1993 Television version which won Bette Midler a Golden
Globe for her portrayal of Rose.
CRITICAL RESPONSE
Gypsy has been referred to as the greatest American musical by numerous critics and writers, among them Ben
Brantley who described it as "what may be the greatest of all American musicals."
Frank Rich wrote that "Gypsy is nothing if not Broadway's own brassy, unlikely answer to 'King Lear.'"
Theater critic Clive Barnes wrote, "Gypsy is one of the best of musicals," and described the character of Rose as
"one of the few truly complex characters in the American musical." Barnes went on to state, “Everything about
Gypsy is right.”
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SECTION 2
THEMES & TOPICS
GYPSY: A MEMOIR
As the title indicates, the show Gypsy: A Musical Fable is a fictional work. Based on
selected events in the life of Gypsy Rose Lee as recorded in her memoir, it could be
described as an interpretation of a life. Originally published in 1957, Gypsy: A
Memoir instantly made the New York Times bestseller list. Though the factual
content is debatable, it nevertheless holds a measure of universal truth.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY or MEMOIR: What’s the difference?
Although many people interchangeably use the terms “autobiography” and
“memoir,” these two literary genres are actually quite different. Both are based in
truth and require a good deal of research, but while a memoir is a type of
autobiographical writing, it is distinct from autobiography as a form in that it need not
be bound by chronology or even accuracy.
Here are a few more key differences:
An autobiography
• Focuses on the trajectory of an entire life
• Starts at the beginning and progresses chronologically to the end
• Feels more like a historical document; tons of fact-checking and very
specific dates/information
• Strives for factual, historical truths
• Typically written by famous people
A memoir
• Focuses on a key aspect, theme, event, or choice in a life
• Starts anywhere and can deftly move around in time and place
• Feels more personal; less intense fact-checking
• Strives for emotional truths
• Can be written by anyone
Source: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/knowing-the-difference-between-an-autobiography-an.html
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THEMES & TOPICS
SETTING THE SCENE
THE ROARING TWENTIES
The 1920s, when the story of Gypsy begins,
were an age of dramatic social and political
change. For the first time, more Americans
lived in cities than on farms. The nation’s
total wealth more than doubled between
1920 and 1929, and this economic growth
swept many Americans into an affluent but
unfamiliar “consumer society.” People from
coast to coast bought the same goods
(thanks to nationwide advertising and the
spread of chain stores), listened to the same
music, did the same dances and even used
the same slang! Many Americans were uncomfortable with this new, urban,
sometimes racy “mass culture”; in fact, for many–even most–people in the United
States, the 1920s brought more conflict than celebration. However, for a small
handful of young people in the nation’s big cities, the 1920s were roaring indeed.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
Beginning soon after the stock market
crash of October 1929, the Great
Depression was the deepest and
longest-lasting economic downturn in
the history of the Western industrialized
world. Over the next several years,
consumer spending and investment
dropped, causing steep declines in
industrial output and rising levels of unemployment as failing companies laid off
workers. By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its nadir, some 13 to 15
million Americans were unemployed and nearly half of the country’s banks had
failed. Though the relief and reform measures put into place by President Franklin
D. Roosevelt helped lessen the worst effects of the Great Depression in the 1930s,
the economy would not fully turn around until after 1939, when World War II kicked
American industry into high gear.
Read more at http://www.history.com
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THEMES & TOPICS
THE RISE AND FALL OF VAUDEVILLE
“In this dream, I saw
June singing a song
in like a barnyard.
And then—a cow
came on stage.”
ROSE, Act I, Scene 6
DID YOU
KNOW?
Born out of American Variety Theatre, which began to flourish at the end of the 19th
century, vaudeville emerged as a uniquely American phenomenon. The Industrial
Revolution had transformed the social and economic structure of America, and the
social fabric quickly became a tapestry of different ethnicities, religions and
economic stations due to the massive influx of European immigrants. Thus, in order
to appeal to the broadest possible audience, variety entertainment offered just
that—variety.
Ironically, the most popular form of American variety adopted a name of French
derivation. Though there were similar forms of entertainment in Europe such as
English Music Hall, vaudeville developed as distinctively American and built the
foundation for another national culture icon: the American Musical.
“It ain’t the act,
honey. I been telling
you, vaudeville’s
dead…stone cold
dead.”
HERBIE, Act II, Scene 2
Gypsy: A Musical Fable tells the story of the most notorious stage mother in
American musical theatre history, and her relentless pursuit of supreme (albeit
vicarious) stardom as she pushes her daughters through the vaudeville circuit.
Although the acts she dreams up for the girls may seem absurd, considered within
the realm of vaudeville they’re actually par for the course.
Due to it’s enormous popularity, vaudeville found a home in both the biggest of
cities and the smallest of towns, all across the country, paving the way for what
came to be known as the Vaudeville Circuits (perhaps the most prestigious being
the Orpheum Circuit). The typical vaudeville line-up consisted of eight or more
distinct acts, each offering a different type of entertainment. Jugglers, singers,
dancers, magicians, comics, animal acts, contortionists, escape artists,
regurgitators, and even “celebrity” appearances by famous criminals were all part of
the smorgasbord.
In the 1920s, however, when the story of Gypsy begins, the great vaudeville era had
already seen its pinnacle. In the wake of WWI, public tastes were changing. In the
interest of breaking with the past, irreverence and sophistication came in the form of
nightclubs, jazz, and new dance styles, while the kind of wholesome family
entertainment presented in vaudeville shows was quickly rendered obsolete.
By the late 1920s, vaudeville was on the verge of extinction due to its refusal to
adapt to changing tastes, as well as the public’s interest in new technologies—most
significantly, “talkies.” With the stock market crash in 1929 ushering in the Great
Depression, any notion of leisure was abruptly diminished. Headliners and other
popular acts had the possibility of transitioning into film (like Dainty June did under
the new name, June Havoc), while the rest were left to burlesque or retirement.
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THEMES & TOPICS
A BREIF HISTORY OF BURLESQUE
At the same time vaudeville was spreading family
shows across America in the late 19th and early
20th century, another form of variety
entertainment was flourishing as well: burlesque.
What ended with the reputation for being the
worst of low-brow entertainment, began as much
needed social commentary in the form of
entertaining satire, including what we now think
of as classic comedy gags and routines. The
term “burlesque” (derived from the Italian burla- a
joke, ridicule, or mockery) first appeared in 1667
as describing literary or dramatic works that
ridicule through parody.
“You don’t know
what they say in the
business... They say
when a vaudeville
act plays in
burlesque, that
means it’s all
washed up.”
Distinct from vaudeville, these satirical variety
shows, fueled by early Victorian repressive
milieu, could take a wide range of forms, musical The program for Ruy Blas and Blasé Roué, a
burlesque popular in Britain during the
or non-musical, and poked fun at such subjects Victorian era.
as Shakespearean drama, opera, ballet, and
upper-class social customs. Influenced by the “leg” and minstrel shows, burlesque
eventually took on a similar three-part structure: part one would feature women
singing and dancing interspersed with low comedy delivered by men; part two was a
collection of novelty and specialty acts and a conspicuous absence of women; and
part three would feature a grand finale.
ROSE, Act II, Scene 2
1920s burlesque queen Sally Rand with her famous
ostrich feather fans.
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Similar to the vaudeville circuits, burlesque
theatres around the country formed
“wheels,” and like vaudeville, these circuits
had big and small time versions. Unlike
many vaudeville acts, however, which
would often have to hustle each booking
from one theatre to the next, a burlesque
performer was part of a complete show that
traveled together. This in turn afforded
burlesque performers with even more
consistent employment than many
vaudeville performers enjoyed. That being
said, burlesque acts often moved “up to
vaudeville” while the reverse was an
indication of hard times.
THEMES & TOPICS
A BREIF HISTORY OF BURLESQUE
While Benjamin Keith and Edward Albee ran the vaudeville
circuits, the Minsky brothers were the kings of burlesque.
Eventually owning twelve burlesque theatres, six in New
York City with the others scattered around the country,
they created their very own “wheel.” The Minsky name
was so pervasive, in fact, that when the law began closing
in on burlesque theatres, even the name “Minsky” was
banned from use in New York City because it had become
synonymous with burlesque.
“A house of
burlesque. Do you
know what that is?
Filth, that’s what!”
ROSE, Act II, Scene 2
Long before burlesque attained the reputation that prompted its demise, the genre
was associated with scandal; though for a time, the objections of moralists seemed
only to fuel the popularity of the shows. By the early thirties, as we see in the final
scenes of Gypsy, the striptease had become Burlesque’s dominant characteristic.
And though it was an affordable distraction that remained profitable throughout the
Great Depression, Fiorello La Guardia, the influential reformist mayor of New York
City, began cracking down on the theatre owners, and it wasn’t long before others
around the country followed suit.
BURLESQUE JARGON
BOSTON VERSION:
A cleaned up routine.
BUMP:
To swing the hips forcefully.
FROM HUNGER:
A bad performer.
GADGET:
A G-string.
GRIND:
A full circle swing of the pelvis.
JERK:
An audience member.
MILK IT:
To get an audience to applaud for an encore.
MOUNTAINEER:
A newcomer fresh from the Catskill resort circuit.
SKULL:
To make a funny face.
TALKING WOMAN:
Feeds lines in the comedy skits.
TOP BANANA:
The top billed comedian of the show.
TRAILER:
The strut down the runway before the strip begins.
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SECTION 3
SEEING THE PRODUCTION
AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE
Going to the theatre is a unique experience, and we all need to be mindful of
“audience etiquette,” or how to behave at the theatre.
When we visit the theatre we are attending a live performance with actors that are
working right in front of us, and the audience plays an essential role in the
performance of a play. After all, without an audience, the actors are still only
rehearsing. Audience members’ concentrated silence and responses (such as
laughing, gasping, and applauding) provide energy to the actors as they work to
bring the performance to life.
Since the actors can see and hear the audience, it is important not to engage in
behaviors that might disturb or distract them, as well as your fellow audience
members. These actions include:
• Talking
• Texting
• Allowing cell phones to ring
• Taking photographs or video
• Getting up to leave before intermission or the end of the show
• Eating or drinking
• Unwrapping candy or cough drops
• Touching the stage or leaning into the aisles
And remember that we follow these rules because the better an audience you can
be, the better the actors can be.
DISCUSSION
POINT
If you were performing on stage, how would you want the audience to behave?
Audience Awareness Activity: Before coming to Cygnet Theatre for the first time,
consider the differences between seeing a live play versus:
• Going to the movies
• Attending a live sporting event
• Watching television
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SEEING THE PRODUCTION
POST-SHOW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Depending on the time available and your group members’ interests, guide them to
respond to questions selected from those suggested below. Encourage everyone to
participate, while having respect for differing opinions. Individuals can share their
thoughts with a partner or in a small group. Ask for several volunteers to share their
groups’ answers with the larger group.
•
Overall, how did you feel while watching the play? Engaged? Distanced?
Entertained? Bored? Confused? Inspired? What made you feel this way?
•
What did you enjoy most about the play? What did you have trouble
connecting to?
•
What did you learn about the craft of acting from experiencing the play?
What did you learn about the design and production of the play?
•
What did you appreciate most about the performances by the actors?
•
How did the set, props, lighting and visuals contribute to your experience of
the play?
•
When you think of the term “stage mother,” what impressions come to
mind? What is the difference between showing interest in your child and
becoming a stage mother?
•
What are some of the ways children (and siblings) vie for the parents’
attention, affection and approval?
•
In Gypsy, the decline of vaudeville is partially attributed to the growing
popularity of “talkies,” or movies with synchronized sound recording. Do
you notice any similar happenings in contemporary culture, given the
numerous advances in technology over the last several decades?
•
How do you define family? How is the concept of family represented in the
play? Can you think of any other family units not present in Gypsy?
•
Would you recommend Gypsy to other theatregoers? Why, or why not?
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SECTION 4
RESOURCES
WATCH the original movie version of Gypsy starring Rosalind Russell and Natalie
Wood here.
WATCH the television movie version of Gypsy starring Bette Midler here.
WATCH some examples of original vaudeville acts on YouTube here.
READ the source material that inspired the musical, Gypsy Rose Lee’s memoir,
GYPSY: a memoir.
READ Arthur Laurent’s thoughts on directing the piece in his book, Mainly on
Directing.
READ Stephen Sondheim’s thoughts on writing the lyrics for the musical in his
book, Finishing the Hat.
LEARN more about vaudeville by visiting http://to.pbs.org/1PGTee2 or reading
Vaudeville Wars: How The Keith-Albee and Orpheum Circuits Controlled the BigTime and Its Performers.
LEARN about burlesque by reading books like Horrible Prettiness: Burlesque and
American Culture, or This Was Burlesque: A Rollicking, Colorfully Illustrated History
of Burlesque as Seen Through the Eyes of Its First Lady.
LEARN more about the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression by visiting
www.history.com.
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