THE NERD
Study Guide
©2006 City Lights Theater Company of San Jose
City Lights Theater Company of San José presents
THE NERD
Written by Larry Shue
Directed by Will Huddleston
March 23- April 23, 2006
I. THE PLAY
A. Synopsis
Willum is stuck in a rut in life, love, and his career as an architect when an unexpected
visit from the man who saved his life in the war becomes both an enormous imposition
and an impetus for change. Willum is in the midst of celebrating his thirty-fourth birthday
with his best friend Axel, his sometimes-girlfriend Tansy, and the family of his straightlaced boss Mr. Waldgrave when Rick, a horrible nuisance and a hopeless nerd, arrives
and ruins the celebration. Just when Willum thinks he’s fulfilled his obligation to the man
who saved his life, Rick makes himself a permanent fixture in Willum’s apartment,
becoming a hellish houseguest. Despite everyone’s best (and most creative) efforts, it
seems like nothing is going to get Rick to budge short of direct confrontation. A raucous
comedy classic, THE NERD delivers laugh after laugh right up until the amazing twist
ending!
B. Setting and Characters
The Setting: Willum’s apartment in Terra Haute, Indiana.
The Characters: Larry Shue’s comic creations are described no where better than in the
stage directions and moments of dialogue he uses to convey their characters. The
following are short sketches of each character followed by Shue’s hilarious insights into
their personalities.
Willum Cubbert: A somewhat spineless thirty-four-year-old architect, Willum is stuck
in a thankless job designing increasingly uninspiring tract housing for a boss who only
cares about the bottom line. The object of his affections, Tansy, is on the verge of leaving
to accept a job opportunity in Washington, D.C. The arrival of Rick is ill-timed at best,
disastrous at worst, but the destruction he causes may in fact be a blessing in a very
improbable disguise.
Tansy on Willum: “ Willum is wonderful; he’s talented, he’s the gentlest man I’ve ever
known, he’s- he could use a little gumption, I think.”
Tansy McGinnis: Willum’s career-minded love interest who has recently chosen to
accept a position in Washington, D.C. even though it conflicts with their tentative
romance. Tansy is torn over her decision but perseveres as the week counting down to her
departure progresses. Tansy’s chief criticism of Willum is that he lacks backbone, and his
inability to tell Rick to leave his apartment certainly doesn’t help the situation.
Stage directions for Tansy: “Tansy grows especially pretty in supportive moments like
this, and Willum, his goose cooked, moves toward her.”
Axel Hammond: Willum’s snide, cynical best friend, Axel has a razor-sharp wit and a
mind to match, although he has some difficulty displaying sentiment, and his exgirlfriend Tansy thinks him incapable of being truly generous. However, the scheme that
he sets in motion to help Willum proves to be a true anonymous favor and prove the
depth of his friendship and loyalty to both Willum and Tansy.
Axel on himself: “Too many appetites, that was his trouble. Cravings for things- evil
things- booze, dope… people in show business. Candy-stripers…”
Warnock Waldgrave: Willum’s money-minded boss, Warnock (who insists on being
called “Ticky”,) entirely lacks humor and imagination. Hoping to talk business with
Willum at his thirty-fourth birthday party, Waldgrave soon finds himself caught up in
Rick’s antics.
Stage directions for Waldgrave: “The last time Mr. Waldgrave smiled was forty-seven
years ago, and then it was gas.”
Clelia Waldgrave: Ticky’s high-strung wife, Clelia is a woman who deals with her
overbearing husband, monstrous child, and other sources of stress by breaking small
dishes.
Stage directions for Clelia: “Clelia is a picture of tasteful, studied patience, but not
because her life is devoid of anxiety.”
Thor Waldgrave: Warnock and Clelia’s son. Almost as potent a destructive force as
Rick Steadman.
Stage directions for Thor: “As for Thor, we know that there are good little boys; there
are also precocious little boys, which is to say bad little boys whom we can somehow find
it in our hearts to forgive. Thor is neither. Thor is a monster…”
Rick Steadman: A chalk factory employee from Wisconsin, Rick has recently been
encouraged to travel by his brother Bob and finds himself in Terra Haute, visiting the
man whose life he saved in the war. With nowhere in particular to go and nothing in
particular to do, Rick makes himself a permanent fixture in Willum’s life. His bizarre
idea of fun, combined with a complete lack of social skills, make him an impossible nerd.
Willum on Rick: “Now, just as there’s some chemistry in you which allows you to like my
company- there’s some chemistry in me that just always makes me want to scratch your
face off.”
C. About the Playwright
Larry Shue began his career as an actor, working in Washington, New York, and Atlanta,
before he was cast as a member of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. After writing a
successful revue for the Repertory company he was encouraged to continue writing by
the Artistic Director. He was made resident playwright; his plays GRANDMA DUCK IS
DEAD (a one-act play), WENCESLAS SQUARE, THE NERD, and THE FOREIGNER
received their premieres at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Shue’s three full-length
plays moved on to successful productions in London, New York, and around the country.
THE FOREIGNER received two OBIE awards and two Outer Critics Circle Awards for
Best New American Play and Best Off-Broadway production in 1985. WENCELSAS
SQUARE won Shue an L.A. Drama Critics Award for Best Writing in 1989. Shue’s other
works include SILIASOCLES and MY EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES.
Larry Shue died in a commuter plane crash in 1985 at the age of 39. His plays THE
NERD and THE FOREIGNER stand more than two decades later as well-loved and oftenperformed comedy classics.
D. Production History
The original production of THE NERD was presented by the Milwaukee Repertory
Theater in April, 1981. It was directed by John Dillon. Set design was by Hugh
Landwehr; costume design was by Colleen Muscha; lighting design was by Dawn
Chiang; properties director was Sandy Struth; production stage manager was Robert
Goodman; the stage manager was Robin Rumpf. The cast, in order of appearance, was as
follows:
WILLUM CUBBERT………………………………………………………..…Larry Shue
TANSY McGINNIS…………………………………………………..…Kristine Thatcher
AXEL HAMMOND……………………………………………………….Daniel Mooney
WARNOCK WALDGRAVE……………………………………………....Henry Strozier
CLELIA WALDGRAVE…………………………………………………..Rose Pickering
THOR WALDGRAVE……………………………………………………Matthew Knuth
RICK STEADMAN……………………………………………………….James Pickering
The City Lights production of THE NERD opens March 24, 2006. It was directed by Will
Huddleston. Set design was by Ron Gasparinetti; costume design was by Joanne Martin,
lighting design was by Brendan Bartholomew; properties design was by Raegena
Raymond; the stage manager was Sam Lanzo. The cast, in order of appearance, was as
follows:
WILLUM CUBBERT……………………………………………………Stephen Boisvert
TANSY McGINNIS………………………………………………………..Katie O’Bryon
AXEL HAMMOND………………………………………………………...Michail Farnia
WARNOCK WALDGRAVE…………………………………………..…George Gemette
CLELIA WALDGRAVE……………………………………………..…Nichole Hamilton
THOR WALDGRAVE……………………………………………………..Morgan Clarke
RICK STEADMAN…………………………………………………………....Noel Wood
II. THE PRODUCTION
A.
Style and Concept
Kit Wilder, Associate Artistic Director and Production Manager of City Lights and
sound designer for THE NERD, shares insight into the design and realization of the
show.
Presenting a “realistic” comedy on stage – that is, one that represents “real” people doing
“real” things in a “real” environment – presents unique challenges that careful require
planning and execution throughout the rehearsal and performance process. The set must
be complete, detailed, and realistic; the audience must believe they are looking at
portions a real home. (In the case of The Nerd, the set is comprised of an entryway, a
combined living-dining-work area, and several doors leading to other rooms including a
bedroom and a kitchen.) All supporting technical work – lighting, sound, and props –
must be equally realistic and complete. No detail is too small; attention must be paid to
all aspects of the set, for if the audience does not believe the environment is “real,” the
outrageous behavior of the characters is itself therefore unbelievable and lacks the comic
effect intended by the playwright, the director, and the actors. In short, in order for the
audience to believe the action of the characters and enjoy the comedy to the fullest, the
audience must believe that the environment is real.
Nowhere is this more tricky to accomplish, in The Nerd, than with props and sound.
There are far more props in The Nerd than in most plays presented by City Lights – and
those props must be, in most cases, quite real. (A great deal of food and drink is
consumed in The Nerd for example: macaroni salad; three-bean salad; rock Cornish game
hens and accompaniments; deviled eggs; Jack Daniels whiskey; etc. All of these are not
only consumed, but explicitly identified by the characters in the play at some point; they
must be the “real thing.”) In addition, the leading character of the play, Willum, is an
architect – and his environment and the props must reflect this. Many architectural
drawings are explicitly required by the text, and the set is decorated with mounted
architectural drawings and renderings on the walls. (Fortunately, a member of the City
Lights Board of Directors is an architect, and he gladly provided rolls and rolls of old
architectural drawings, color renderings, and the like for use in the play.)
In a realistic play, sound usually falls into two categories – incidental music, and sound
effects. In both cases, the use of these can be quite minimal: music introduces the
audience to the overall mood of the piece before the performance and supports this at the
intermission and after the show; sound effects are employed as required – and recordings
of phone rings, doorbells, tea kettles, approaching automobiles, splashes, and countless
other effects are widely available for use in theatrical production. In The Nerd, however,
there is an additional sound requirement: a phone answering machine. Indeed, this
element serves as an additional character in the play, for much of the plot is played out as
characters listen to messages on the machine. And these messages have not been left by
unspecific, unidentified characters; many of them have been left on the machine by
characters in the play – and therefore must be recorded ahead of time by the actual actors
performing those roles. In addition, the machine not only records incoming messages,
but serves as an intercom phone – and, indeed, characters in the play actually converse
with other characters on the phone at many points throughout the play. This, then,
presents a unique challenge: not only must the voices on the machine be recorded ahead
of time, but they must be carefully timed to accommodate the other side of the given
conversation! In short, the sound engineer must record only one side of a conversation,
leaving gaps in the sound that allow the live actor onstage to respond realistically as in a
live phone conversation!
Needless to say, the technical considerations of this particular production are numerous
and challenging – and none can be slighted, ignored, or carried out in anything but the
most careful manner, for the overall effectiveness of the play, and the enjoyment of the
audience, depends upon their careful execution. A realistic environment, realistic food,
realistic furnishings and props, realistic lighting, realistic sound, and a realistic phone
message/intercom machine are all essential elements of the production. Only when these
are completed to the satisfaction of the director and the design team can the actors truly
perform to their potential and give the audience the “gut-busting” comedy the author
intended.
Resident Set Designer Ron Gasparinetti designed the set for the City Lights production
of THE NERD. Here he talks about the influence of farce and the importance of
boundaries.
"The Nerd" is a funny, fast-paced comedy that has many elements of a farce. To
accommodate this, the set needs to have a good flow, it needs to have a means for the
actors to get from one place to another quickly and smoothly. Looking at the platform
configuration along with the seating area center stage, one can see that an actor can move
around that entire seating area quite easily without ever entering the space, yet when he
or she does need to enter that space it can be done with very little effort. The obstacles
(aka railings, furniture) placed in strategic locations around the set can be taken (however
esoteric) to be the boundaries that the actors have placed around themselves in contrast to
the "nerd" who doesn't seem to have any boundaries. I expect that through the course of
the show these boundaries, which once served as protection and conformance to the
social norm for the other actors, will be broken down as the "nerd" allows or rather
permits the other actors to join him in his "ignorance-of-etiquette-and-social norm bliss".
You may see a
lot of climbing
on furniture,
hopping over
railings, and
general dancing
about as the
show
progresses.
Shown above: Ron Gasparinetti’s front elevation for the set of
THE NERD as it will appear in the City Lights production.
Where THE NERD and farce collide
Larry Shue’s plays are considered a unique combination of farcical comedy and
realism. The farcical aspects of this play are contributed in great part by the character of
THE NERD, but as the play progresses, everyone gets into the spirit of the silliness, by
choice or by association.
Larry Shue draws on a centuries-old comedic tradition in his use of farce. The
word “farce” itself is derived from the Old French for “stuff” or “stuffing;” it is believed
the term was born from the use of comic interludes in medieval religious drama, offering
a humorous break from heavier theatrical fare. The tradition of farce itself is much older
than the term, however, and examples of it can be found as early as the ancient Greek
comedies of Aristophanes and the Japanese kyogen, a form of short comedic interlude
presented in combination with the more serious noh drama. Although farce was once
considered a light and relatively unimportant form of entertainment, as time progressed it
turned up in the works of the greatest dramatists, including Moliere in France, Gogol and
Chekov in Russia, and Shakespeare and Marlowe (and later Wilde and Coward) in
Britain. In recent times, farce made the successful jump to the screen, notably in the
works of the Marx brothers and the comedy of John Cleese.
The content of farce can vary, but in many cases it focuses on a character’s urge
to keep a secret hidden and the consequences of that decision which spiral ridiculously
out of control. Larry Shue’s play THE FOREIGNER provides a perfect example of this
formula: the character of Charlie is horribly shy and wants to keep to himself, so his
friend introduces him as a foreign man who doesn’t speak English. Charlie is now forced
to keep the secret that he understands everything that is being said to him as he quickly
becomes the confidant of the other characters. THE NERD is slightly less traditional in its
construction. In this case, the secret is not the typical dramatic irony: in most cases, the
audience is in on the secret. In this case, however, the secret that “the nerd” is not Rick
Steadman at all but a character actor and a friend of Axel’s, is kept from the audience as
well as the remainder of the characters. As the play progresses and insanity reaches fever
pitch, we are still led to believe that it’s all caused by the true Rick Steadman. While
many farces end in a deus-ex-machina (literally, “god from the machine,” an ending in
which a force external to the action enters at the last second to save the day,) THE NERD
simply ends with the revelation of the secret whose consequences were being played out
all along. In that way, it is a sort of inverted farce. In addition, farces do not historically
have to observe the function of poetic justice, which dictates that each character receives
what he deserves. It is the moment when “virtue is rewarded or vice punished,” and in
this case, the device is more or less observed. Willum, who finally acquires some
gumption, is not punished for his previous lack thereof, but rewarded for his newfound
backbone. Everything is in place for him to begin his new life. Tansy, who is always
supportive but feels the need to be independent, gets to keep both her career opportunity
and Willum. Axel, who has finally done someone an anonymous favor, is not found out.
Instead, he gets the quiet satisfaction of having helped his best friend a great deal.
Waldgrave, an uptight workaholic is humiliated for his lack of flexibility and cottage
cheese is thrown, quite literally, in his face. In the end, everyone does get what they
deserve and Shue delivers a great example of one of the primary elements of farce: the
happy ending.
B.
The Director at Work
THE NERD director Will Huddleston answers some questions about the play, the
process, and the performance of THE NERD at City Lights.
What are the challenges of directing comedy? Do you find it more difficult than
directing drama, or less?
Will Huddleston: I think they are equally difficult and I approach them in the same way.
The feeling of directing a comedy, however, is different. I take them both very seriously
and do my best to forget about laughter.
Why did you choose to update the time period of the play?
Will Huddleston: The original playwright wrote the play as a contemporary piece, so I
thought I should direct it as one. "Period" can be a distraction, especially in comedy.
Why do you thing THE NERD is an important play to put on right now? What
do you hope the audience will take away from the show?
Will Huddleston: THE NERD is an important play to put on right now because people
need to laugh and THE NERD can make them do it. Those who come to the play will
leave the theatre healthier than when they walked in.
C. The Actors at Work
What are the biggest challenges of acting in a comedy?
Michael Farnia (Axel): One of the biggest challenges of acting is a comedy or farce such as THE NERD is
timing. You will find punch lines in the script that must be delivered at precise moment that the author
intended or it will lose some of its humor (…) You also must understand the character completely in order
for the jokes to come as natural rather than a rehearsed comedic routine.
George Gemette (Waldgrave): Keeping the acting real. As a comedian if your try for the laugh, often
times it comes out forced or insincere. What is funny is real people in outlandish situations trying to do
their best usually with disastrous results.
Nichole Hamilton (Clelia): The biggest challenge I have acting in a comedy, especially a farce such as
THE NERD, is the memorization of the lines and the timing. Most of these lines are one to five words, not
paragraphs with logical connecting thoughts. Not only do you have to memorize the line but the one word
cue before it, so that the rhythm that is so crucial in comedy, does not get broken.
Which character do you most identify with? Why?
Michael Farnia (Axel): Axel. My Character. Axel is sharp. He also always tends to know what people
should be doing to improve their lives. But he never offers unsolicited advice. He realizes that people do
not change paths based on unsolicited advice. However people do change paths based on self realization.
Since he truly cares for his friends he takes on the role of GOD to make that happen. I’m the source of
advice for my friends and family and would do the same for them.
George Gemette (Waldgrave): In the play? Axel. I love to be a smart ass. Can you print that? O.k.,
because I like to find the humor in everything which I think that Axel does. Everything that he hears is the
beginning to a punch line for him. Much to the chagrin of my friends and family, it is much the same for
me.
Nichole Hamilton (Clelia): I have to admit I identify more with the character of Axel than any other. His
cynical humor is meant to be playful not hurtful, and he truly is trying to do a good deed although his
humor can come across as shallow and biting.
What is your favorite part of the rehearsal process?
Michael Farnia (Axel): Laughter. It’s the most fun an actor can have. Especially in comedy. There must
definitely be an understanding that I’m there for wok and not play. I must learn my lines, understand and
inhibit my character, know my blocking, and connect with other actors. But rehearsal is extremely long and
always at night. Long time ago I made the decision that rehearsing is the most fun time for me to work the
character and try different things which make it fun.
Nichole Hamilton (Clelia): My favorite part of rehearsal is the period after lines are memorized and before
tech. Once all the actors are so confident with their lines that they can exchange props for scripts, they have
the opportunity to focus on bringing new ideas to the staging and nuances to the characters.
George Gemette (Waldgrave): I love the rehearsal process almost as much as I love the performances. As
corny as it may sound, two things in particular; one is the taking of a two dimensional form on the written
page and bringing it to life. Finding its fears, hopes and dreams and giving it flesh and blood. The second
is forging art with my fellow actors. There is a trust and a bond that gets formed and when all things are
clicking(…) The audience forgets that they are in a theatre(…) I have had the pleasure of creating the
magic a couple of times in my 30 year journey on stage.
III. FOR DISCUSSION
A. What to Look for as You Watch the Play
1. Stage farces almost always take place in a single location. Do you think the single set
of THE NERD keep the action effectively contained, or does it limit the possibilities of
the play? Consider the design of the set. In what ways is it set a realistic representation of
a living room, and in what ways is it slightly modified to accommodate the farcical nature
of the action?
2. THE NERD, much like Larry Shue’s hit play THE FOREIGNER, is considered a
unique mix of farce and sentimental realism. In many farces, the audience does not have
to sympathize with the characters; the humor is provided by the action of the plot. What
moments in THE NERD draw you in and make you care about the characters? What
moments distance you from them through their extreme behavior?
3. There are seven characters presented onstage in THE NERD. There are also several
characters we encounter entirely, or primarily, through the phone messages on the
answering machine. How does the cast size affect the nature of the play? Is the cast large
and chaotic, contributing to the comedy? Or does the constant movement of characters in
and out of the space keep attention focused on specific characters?
4. The actors are representing (mostly) ordinary people in often ridiculous circumstances.
Do their reactions seem appropriate? How do individual characters deal with discomfort?
With outrage? With stress? How do the actors choose to manifest their characters’
reactions to the nerd?
B. Study Guide Questions
1. Larry Shue once said of the intended effect of his plays: “You have tired neurotic
people filing in and you have kids coming out giggling and flirting.” Does the play
achieve the desired effect? What themes of the play contribute to its hopeful, happy
ending?
2. Larry Shue’s plays THE NERD and THE FOREIGNER can be considered coming-ofage plays for their main characters. How does Willum reach his resolutions for his new
life? How much of these decisions are his own and how much are dependent on the help
of his friends and even his detractors? Do you think he’ll stick with these resolutions?
Why or why not?
3. Why do you think that Axel and Kemp Hall decided to use Rick Steadman, “the nerd”,
as the ruse to pull Willum out of his rut? It’s both an elaborate and deceptive strategy, but
in the end it works: what merits do you this plan has over other possible plans? What was
it about this particular approach that achieved the desired effect and saved Willum’s life?
What role do play-acting and pretending have in the transformative power of their plan?
C. Quiz Questions
1. How old is Willum turning at the opening of the play?
2. What does Willum do for a living?
3. Why is Tansy about to move to Washington, D.C.?
4. Who is Kemp Hall?
5. What did Willum do in the army?
6. What is Warnock Waldgrave’s nickname?
7. What does Clelia do to relieve stress?
8. What is Rick Steadman wearing when he first arrives?
9. What does Tansy call “Axel’s little tragic flaw”?
10. What does Rick Steadman do for a living?
11. What is the name of the game that Rick Steadman forces everyone to play at
Willum’s birthday party?
12. What musical instrument does Rick Steadman play?
13. What is Axel’s plan to convince Rick to leave?
14. What does Rick decide he is going to do for a living while he lives with Willum?
15. Who helps Willum, Axel, and Tansy plan their Terra Haute rituals?
16. What do Willum, Axel, and Tansy put in their tea to confuse Rick?
17. What kind of animal is Rick afraid of?
18. Who shows up at the end of the “hideous pagan ritual” only to get cottage cheese
all over his face?
19. Where does Willum decide to go at the end of the play?
20. How does Axel’s plan to help Willum settle his score with Tansy?
Quiz Answers
1. How old is Willum turning at the opening of the play? He is turning 34.
2. What does Willum do for a living? Willum is an architect.
3. Why is Tansy about to move to Washington, D.C.? Tansy is going to be a weather
girl.
4. Who is Kemp Hall? He is a great character actor Axel is acquainted with.
5. What did Willum do in the army? Willum was a draftsman in the army.
6. What is Warnock Waldgrave’s nickname? Waldgrave’s nickname is Ticky.
7. What does Clelia do to relieve stress? Clelia breaks things to relieve stress.
8. What is Rick Steadman wearing when he first arrives? Rick is wearing a
Halloween costume a la The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
9. What does Tansy call “Axel’s little tragic flaw”? Axel’s tragic flaw, according to
Tansy, is lying.
10. What does Rick Steadman do for a living? Rick works in a chalk factory.
11. What is the name of the game that Rick Steadman forces everyone to play at
Willum’s birthday party? Rick forces everyone to play “Socks and Shoes.”
12. What musical instrument does Rick Steadman play? Rick plays the tambourine.
13. What is Axel’s plan to convince Rick to leave? Axel’s plan to convince Rick to
leave involves using made-up rituals to give him extreme culture shock.
14. What does Rick decide he is going to do for a living while he lives with Willum?
Rick decides he is going to be Willum’s partner in architecture.
15. Who helps Willum, Axel, and Tansy plan their Terra Haute rituals? Kemp Hall
helps out with the Terra Haute rituals.
16. What do Willum, Axel, and Tansy put in their tea to confuse Rick? They put sand
in their tea.
17. What kind of animal is Rick afraid of? Rick is deathly afraid of pigs.
18. Who shows up at the end of the “hideous pagan ritual” only to get cottage cheese
all over his face? Waldgrave shows up and gets the cottage cheese all over his
face.
19. Where does Willum decide to go at the end of the play? Willum decides to take
the housing project in Alexandria and “court Tansy ‘til she cracks.”
20. How does Axel’s plan to help Willum settle his score with Tansy? Axel has now
done someone a truly anonymous favor.