AUGUST:
OSAGE COUNTY
A tool for using the theater
across the curriculum to meet
National Standards for Education
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•
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Production Overview
Lesson Guides
Student Activities
At-Home Projects
Reproducibles
Copyright 2008, Camp Broadway, LLC
All rights reserved
This publication is based on August: Osage County a new play by Tracy Letts and
directed by Anna D. Shapiro. The content of the August: Osage Count edition of
StageNOTES™: A Field Guide for Teachers is fully protected under the copyright
laws of the United States of America and all other countries with which the
United States has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights regarding publishing,
reprint permissions, public readings, and mechanical or electronic reproduction,
including but not limited to, CD-ROM, information storage and retrieval systems
and photocopying, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly
prohibited.
Printed in the United States of America
First Digital Edition: August 2008
For more information on StageNOTES™ and other theatre arts related programs,
contact:
Camp Broadway, LLC
336 West 37th Street, Suite 460
New York, New York 10018
Telephone: (212) 575-2929
Facsimile: (212) 575-3125
Email: info@campbroadway.com
www.campbroadway.com
Breakdown of Characters......................................................................................5
Synopsis................................................................................6
Using the Field Guide and Lessons.....................................................................7
Overture to HISTORY............................................................................................9
History Discussion Lesson.....................................................................11
History Writing Lesson..........................................................................12
History Experiential Lesson...................................................................13
History To Go Lesson.............................................................................14
Overture to LANGUAGE ARTS...........................................................................15
Language Arts Discussion Lesson.........................................................17
Language Arts Writing Lesson..............................................................19
Language Arts Experiential Lesson.......................................................20
Language Arts To Go Lesson................................................................21
Overture to LIFE SKILLS......................................................................................22
Life Skills Discussion Lesson..................................................................24
Life Skills Writing Lesson.......................................................................25
Life Skills Experiential Lesson................................................................26
Life Skills To Go Lesson.........................................................................27
Overture to BEHAVIORAL STUDIES................................................................28
Behavioral Studies Discussion Lesson....................................................30
Behavioral Studies Writing Lesson.........................................................31
Behavioral Studies Experiential Lesson..................................................32
Behavioral Studies To Go Lesson...........................................................33
Overture to THE ARTS......................................................................................34
The Arts Discussion Lesson...................................................................35
The Arts Writing Lesson........................................................................36
The Arts Experiential Lesson.................................................................37
The Arts To Go Lesson..........................................................................38
August: Osage County Resources............................................................................39
Camp Broadway® is pleased to bring you this August: Osage County edition of
StageNOTES®, the 25th in our series. We are proud to be affiliated with this riveting play that received
multiple Tony Award nominations during the 2007 Season. This guide has been developed as a teaching tool to
assist educators in the classroom who are introducing the story in conjunction with the stage production.
By using StageNOTES®, you will understand how August: Osage County reveals the poetic influence inside the
Weston house (History), expands our vocabulary (Language Arts), illuminates the human condition (Behavioral
Studies), aids in our own self-exploration (Life Skills) and encourages creative thinking and expression (The
Arts).
The Camp Broadway creative team, consisting of theater educators, scholars, researchers and theater
professionals, has developed a series of lesson plans that, although inspired by and based on the play August:
Osage County can also accompany class study. To assist you in preparing your presentation of each lesson, we
have included: an objective; excerpts taken directly from the script of August: Osage County; a discussion topic;
a writing assignment; and an interactive class activity. The reproducible lessons (handouts) accompany each
lesson unit, which contains: an essay question; a creative exercise; and an “after hours activity” that encourages
students to interact with family, friends, or the community at large.
The curriculum categories offered in the August: Osage County study guide have been informed by the basic
standards of education detailed in Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks
for K-12 Education, 2nd Edition, written by John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano (1997). This definitive
compilation was published by Mid-Continent Regional Education Laboratory, Inc. (McREL) and the Association
for Supervision and Curricular Development (ASCD) after a systematic collection, review and analysis of
noteworthy national and state curricular documents in all subjects.
The August: Osage County study guide is for you, the educator, in response to your need for a standardscompliant curriculum. We truly hope this study guide will help you incorporate the themes and content of
August: Osage County into your classroom lessons.
Philip Katz
Producing Director
The 26 year old Cheyenne
woman whom Beverly hires
to live in the house and look
after the home. Violet is
confused and annoyed by
her existence, but Johnna
quickly becomes liked by
the rest of the family as a
result of her gentle manner,
patience and good cooking
skills.
The 14 year old daughter
of Bill and Barbara, she is
a bit of a rebellion. She
smokes cigarettes and pot,
she is a vegetarian and is
angry about her parents’
separation.
At 40 years old, she is the
youngest of the three girls.
She lives in Florida with her
new fiancé, Steve, whom
she declares is the perfect
man for whom she has been
dreaming.
Johnna Monevata
Housekeeper
The middle sister, aged 44,
she is the only daughter to
remain in Oklahoma where
she teaches
Karen Weston
Youngest Daughter
Jean Fordham
Granddaughter
In her mid-forties, she is the
oldest Weston daughter.
She is the mother of Jean
and wife of Bill, from whom
she is separated. A college
professor in Colorado, she
has hopes of salvaging her
marriage.
She attempts
to take control of her
surroundings,
whether
that be her marriage or
dilemmas within the Weston
household.
Barbara’s husband from
whom she is separated. He
is a 49 year old professor
in Colorado and is having
an affair with one of his
students. Though estranged
from his wife, he comes to
the Weston home to show
support for his wife and
daughter.
Ivy Weston
Middle Daughter
The matriarch of the
Weston family, she is in her
mid-sixties and is addicted
to prescription drugs. She is
outspoken and cunning; she
claims to know everything
that happens within the
family. The latter portion of
the production focuses on
the family and their attempt
to help her keep clean.
Father of the Weston family
and husband of Violet,
he was once a published
poet and taught at the
local university. A former,
self-admitted alcoholic, his
disappearance from the
Weston home incites an ad
hoc family reunion. The
circumstances surrounding
his disappearance serve as
major plot devices.
Barbara Fordham
Eldest Daughter
Violet Weston
Matriarch
Beverly Weston
Patriarch
Bill Fordham
Barbara’s Husband
The Weston
Family of
High school classmate
and former boyfriend of
Barbara. He is the officer
who delivers the news of
Beverly’s suicide.
Sheriff Deon Gilbeau
Sheriff
50 year old fiancé of Karen.
He is a businessman in
Florida and reveals himself
to be not the perfect
man Karen claims. After
smoking pot with Jean,
Johnna catches him sexually
harassing her.
Steve Heidebrecht
Karen’s Fiance
The younger sister of
Violet at age 57, she is
the wife of Charlie and
mother of Little Charles.
A natural cynic, much like
Violet, she constantly fights
with her family. She is
naturally protective of her
older sister. The details
surrounding the parentage
of Little Charles becomes
an inciting moment in the
production.
Mattie Fae Aiken
Aunt
Purported son of Charlie
and Mattie Fae, he is
constantly put down by
his mother which affects
and decreases his sense of
confidence. He is having a
secret affair with his cousin
Ivy.
Little Charles Aiken
Cousin
Husband and father of
Little Charles, he has a mild
demeanor and constantly
defends Little Charles
against Mattie Fae. He was a
very close friend of Beverly.
Charlie Aiken
Uncle
Meet the Westons
A vanished father. A pill-popping mother. Three sisters
harboring shady little secrets.
When the large Weston family unexpectedly reunites
after dad disappears, their
Oklahoman family
homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed
truths and unsettling secrets.
Mix in Violet, the
drugged-up, scathingly acidic matriarch, and you’ve
got a major new Broadway play that unflinchingly and
uproariously exposes the dark side of the Midwestern
American family.
Fresh from a thrilling, sold-out run at Chicago‘s Tony
Award-Winning Steppenwolf Theatre, August: Osage
County had audiences riveted and critics raving. This
thrilling new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Tracy Letts
(Bug, Killer Joe) has been hailed by The New York Times
as ‚“hugely entertaining!” A ripsnorter full of blistering,
funny dialogue, acid-etched characters and scenes of
no-holds-barred emotional combat
Each Lesson Unit (History, Language
Arts, etc.) contains the following
Lessons:
Discussion:
The focus is on facilitating an in-depth
class dialogue.
ry
Histosio
n
Discus
History
t
e scrip
er.
.
housekeep
ruck..
her job as
’ve st ract...
ain we
realities of
e
Beverly ’s the barg rriage cont
Prologu
nna for the
ma
That
pares Joh
k. ting
of our
in
Wri
h
dr
Beverly pre
ap
I
gr
para
s and
t it,
From
s pill , just oneobjective
withou
the script
fe take
Thrive
ains
From th
on
Discussi
objective
toriAyl
HisiE
nt
a driving
History as present
force in the
Writing
My wi the barg
ion.
attent
one of covenant.
rsonal
peore
Prologue
leExpl
cruel
ry littcactus. the history
ire ve
Violetoli
n
of the Cheyenn
mee
lf requ of a huma
e
in
se
alcoh c ts Johnna whom Beverly has hired
my
I
Oklahoma.
, sort
with theirstupor,Violet questions
as the housekee
in fact
and living
PEr
Ex
d
unmarrie
remained
ene 1
y she has
out
Act 2, sc
r sister wh these years.
king ab
of
eals to he
all
Karen y life thin ent a lot al
Karen rev distant father for
re
I sp
earl
d
an
of my I marry...sband...Then out
r
mothe
hu
so much
uld
work
her background.
ps
teaching ti
ced
Violet
Are you an
Indian?
script
History
AFtEr Ho
teaching tips
e
objectiv
Experiential:
The focus is on understanding social
dynamics as well as collaboration and
teamwork in small and large groups.
per. In a drug-indu
Johnna
spent ow, who wo llow was my nd things er husband
Yes, Ma’am
ink I
kn
.a
ve
pi
tt
...I th to come, y’ ending my ways does..ow was a be fails to li
what’s stairs pret cause it al That pill rade of men th
Daddy g
claim
olet’s an
ss
youn
Violet
leVi
time up kes over beyou planned. t. This pa mum
ks
a
oc
ch
th
Wha
t kind?
rbara on her wi ....That’s
emBaso
life taently than I’d ever me of th
alldrug habit.cheating mber Andrew and all the
the
differ y real man ations, t’s
From
ely,
things
Viole d who is
u reme
than anyour expect
othe
Johnna
hur sban how well yo d so intens me to make you
’s
Cheyenne.
ram
1 to sc
baeir
e up
s th
s
usar
know
I love
s for
“no,
t n.
lldi (B
n’
tial erapy encourage
3, scen or
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Bi
do
Ivy
a guy portunitie to myself, ment in
ne
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ct
I
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an
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op
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it
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rt
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s her use of the
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atestr how painful. to
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A take-home “After Hours” lesson
script
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Featured Lesson Units
1 History
2 Language Arts
3 Behavioral Studies
Each StageNOTES™ lesson
generally includes the following
components:
Objective:
An overall note to the teacher outlining
the goals of the lesson to follow.
From the script:
An excerpt or situation from the script
of August: Osage County to help “set the
stage” for the activity that follows.
Exercise:
A detailed description and instructions
for the activity to be facilitated in class.
Teaching Tips:
Direct questions teachers may use to
help guide the students through the
activity.
4 Life Skills
5 The Arts
The Standards listed throughout the StageNOTES™ Field Guide are excerpted from Content Knowledge: A Compendium
of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (2nd Edition) by John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano, published
by Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory, Inc. (McREL) and the Association for Supervision and Curricular
Development (ASCD), 1997.
The
Guide to
Theatergoing Etiquette
In the early part of the nineteenth century, theatrical
performances usually began at six o’clock. An evening
would last four or five hours, beginning with a short
“curtain raiser,” followed by a five-act play, with other
short pieces presented during the intermissions. It
might be compared roughly to today’s prime-time
television, a series of shows designed to pass the
time. With no television or radio, the theater was a
place to find companionship, light, and warmth on a
cold winters evening.
As the century progressed, the theater audience
reflected the changing social climate. More well-to-do
patrons still arrived at six o’clock for the full program
of the evening, while half price admission was offered
at eight or eight-thirty to the working class. This
allowed for their longer workday and tighter budgets.
Still, the theaters were always full, allowing people
to escape the drudgery of their daily lives and enjoy
themselves.
Because of this popularity, theaters began to be
built larger and larger. New progress in construction
allowed balconies to be built overhanging the seats
below—in contrast to the earlier style of receding
tiers. This meant that the audience on the main floor
(the section called “the orchestra”) were out of the
line of sight of the spectators in the galleries. As a
result, the crowds became less busy peoplewatching
and gossiping among themselves, and more interested
in watching the performance. The theater managers
began the practice of dimming the lights in the seating
area (called the “house lights”), focusing the attention
of the audience on the stage. The advent of gas
lighting and the “limelight” (the earliest spotlights)
made the elaborate settings even more attractive to
the eye, gaining the audience’s rapt attention.
By the 1850s, the wealthier audiences were no
longer looking for a full evenings entertainment.
Curtain time was pushed back to eight o’clock (for
the convenience of patrons arriving from dinner);
only one play would be presented, instead of four or
five, freeing the audience for other social activities
afterward. Matinee (afternoon) performances were
not given regularly until the 1870s, allowing society
ladies, who would not have ventured out late at night,
the opportunity to attend the theater.
Now in a new millennium, many of these traditions
are still with us. The theater is still a place to “see
and be seen”; eight o’clock is still the standard curtain
time; and the excited chatter of the audience falls to
a hush when the house lights dim and the stage lights
go up, and another night on Broadway begins.
You can make sure everyone you know has the very
best experience at the theater by sharing this Theater
Etiquette with them. And now, enjoy the show!
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The
Family
Tree
Summary of Standard for
Historical Understanding
1. Understanding and analyzing
chronological relationships and
patterns:
Analyze influence of specific beliefs
on these times. How would events
be different in the absence of these
beliefs?
n
Analyze the effects specfic
decisions had on history. How
would things have been different
in the absence of these specific
decisions?
n
2. Understanding the historical
perspective:
Understand that the consequences
of human intentions are influenced
by the means of carrying them out.
n
Understand how the past affects
our private lives and society in
general.
n
Perceive past events with historical
empathy.
n
Evaluate credibility and
authenticity of historical sources.
n
Evaluate the validity and
credibility of different historical
interpretations.
n
track of who’s related to whom and how in
K eeping
the Weston family can be a trying feat. Perhaps you
remember a time when you were younger and were asked
to draft a family tree to track the three of four generations
before you to present to your class. It might have seemed
like a silly exercise at the time, but people have been
preoccupied with genealogy for hundreds of years. Family
trees, while maybe simple for your third grade science
project, can become incredibly complex – especially when it
concerns long-term genealogy and medicine.
What is a family tree? It is a chart that tracks family relationships through
successive generations. A family tree may track either the descendants of
an individual or the ascendants of an individual. The connection to the tree
stems from a number of sources. Family trees depend on the literal growth
of the family – the chart literally tracks fertility (the ability to reproduce). In
today’s age, our sense of family is a bit different than back in medieval times,
when the idea of the family tree took hold. Families were much
larger and included distant aunts, uncles and cousins.
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In some cases, cousins married their cousins
to increase their wealth and protect their
land and titles (rewards and positions in
government bestowed by the King or Queen).
Knowing this might change our views towards
family trees. They were important to help
keep track of who was literally in your
family. Heredity A written record of family
relationships could not only help track family
relationships, it could also track possible
inheritances and entitlements.
Historians have used family trees for years to
track and illustrate socially important families
and dynasties. The Tree of Jesse is a Biblical
reference, referring to the lineage of Jesus.
The Tree of Jesse was the figure used to depict
the royal lineage of Jesus - Jesus was the son
of Abraham who was the son of King David. It
is not surprising that in the medieval period,
when heredity determined wealth and social
status, nobles were determined to prove that
Jesus was of royal heritage.
There are many other famous family trees
throughout history. One of the most famous
family trees is Gioavani Boccaccio’s Genealogia
deorum gentilium also known was the On the
Genealogy of the Gods of the Gentile, which depicts the convoluted family relationships of the ancient
Greek / Roman gods and goddesses. Completed in 1360, this was the definitive guide for studying the
gods and goddesses and was the first secular (not affiliated with religion or the Church) use of the family
tree.
While these family trees may seem distant, we can still see their importance. While these early trees
focused on mythical and historical figures, they showed people how the interconnected nature of
humanity. These charts provided a sense of connection and pride. In a literal sense, these charts show us
who we are and how we came to be. After seeing the play, we can see how an important a family tree
might be to the Weston family.
Did you know?
The longest and most extensive family tree belongs to none other than
famed Chinese philosopher Confucius. The tree includes upwards of
80 generations, citing roughly two million individuals. The origins of
the tree would begin in 551 BC with the birth of the Chinese master.
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History
Discussion
Discussion
Objective
History as a driving
force in the present
From the
Script
Prologue
Beverly prepares Johnna for the realities of her job as housekeeper.
Beverly
My wife takes pills and I drink. That’s the bargain we’ve struck...
one of the bargains, just one paragraph of our marriage contract...
cruel covenant.
I myself require very little personal attention. Thrive without it,
in fact, sort of a human cactus.
Act 2, Scene 1
Karen reveals to her sister why she has remained unmarried and living with their alcoholic
mother and distant father for all these years.
Teaching Tips
Therapy encourages
people to connect the
past with the present,
no matter how painful.
Do you think this is a
good thing? Is it better to
forget about bad things
and make believe they
didn’t happen? Is burying
the truth ever a good
idea?
Karen
...I think I spent so much of my early life thinking about
what’s to come, y’know, who would I marry...I spent a lot of
time upstairs pretending my pillow was my husband...Then real
life takes over because it always does...and things work out
differently than you planned. That pillow was a better husband
than any real man I’d ever met. This parade of men fails to live
up to your expectations, all of them so much less than Daddy
or Bill (Barbara’s husband who is cheating on her with a young
student)....I don’t know how well you remember Andrew....That’s
the best example. Here’s a guy I loved so intensely, and all the
things he did wrong were just opportunities for me to make things
right. So if he cheated on me...I’d think to myself, “no, you
love him...and here’s an opportunity to make an adjustment in
the way you view the world.” And I can’t think when the precise
moment was that I looked in the mirror and said, “okay moron, and
walked out, but it kicked off this whole period of reflection.
How had I screwed it up, where had I gone wrong. And before you
know it...you can’t move forward because you can’t stop thinking
backward, I mean, you know...years! Years of punishment, self
loathing....”It’s just me, here and now, with my music on the
stereo and my glass of wine and Bloomers my cat, and I don’t need
anything else, I can live my life with myself.”
Exercise
History has been defined as: the record of past events and times, especially in connection
with the human race. Acts, ideas, or events that will or can shape the course of the future.
Certain relationships can never properly flower because there is simply too much “history”
connected with them—too many bad things have happened that get in the way. The Weston’s
harbor a family history and family secrets that have gone unacknowledged. Unspoken, they
are at the root of their family’s dysfunction and that of its individual members.
Using the excerpts above look at each statement Karen makes to her sister. Analyze the
statement in relationship to her father’s admissions to Johnna. How do you think her family’s
history has affected her outlook on life?
Look up philosopher George Santayana and his famous quote, “Those who cannot remember
the past are condemned to repeat it.” It is about recognizing the reality of the past and
using it as a tool to move forward in a more positive way. If Karen had truly understood and
dealt with her parent’s issues do you think she would now be the
emotional cripple she is?
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History
Writing
Writing
Objective
Explore the history
of the Cheyenne in
Oklahoma.
From the
Script
Prologue
Violet meets Johnna whom Beverly has hired as the housekeeper. In a drug-induced stupor,
Violet questions her background.
Violet
Are you an Indian?
Johnna
Yes, Ma’am
Violet
What kind?
Johnna
Cheyenne.
Teaching Tips
Be honest. Do you
tend to lump all Native
Americans into one
group? How much do
you know about the
individual tribes—their
customs and history?
Would they be better off
assimilating into white
American culture? How
do you feel about them
living on reservations?
Act 2, Scene 1
Violet’s daughter challenges her use of the term, “Indian” to describe Johnna
Barbara
They’re called Native
Americans now mom.
Violet
Who calls them that? Who
makes that decision?
Barbara
It’s what they like to
be called.
Barbara
In fact, they are.
Violet
What’s wrong with
“Indian”?
Barbara
Why is it so hard to
call people what they
want?
Violet
They aren’t any more
native than me
Exercise
Johnna has few lines in the play but yet is an important character. Her relationship to her
white employers is interesting. As a Native American she exudes a sense of quiet dignity
while those around her seem in a continual state of chaos. It may be the author’s attempt
along with presenting the Weston’s as an extreme example of a dysfunctional American family
to emphasize the general disintegration of American society.
Research the history of the Southern Cheyenne tribe in Oklahoma. Write a condensed
history that includes information on The Trail of Tears and its importance to the Cheyenne
in Oklahoma. Are there current movements to restore its traditional language, values and
customs?
Write one sentence describing your feelings about Violet calling
Johnna “an Indian.”
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History
experiential
Script
Experiential
From the
Profile the Greatest
Generation.
Act 3, Scene 1
Barbara, Karen and Ivy discuss their mother Violet’s drug habit. Barbara mocks Violet’s claim
to being a part of The Greatest Generation.
Objective
Barbara
Greatest Generation...Are
they really considering all
the generations? Maybe there
are some generations from the
Iron Age that could compete.
And what makes them so great
anyway. Because they were poor
and hated Nazis? Who doesn’t
hate Nazis?...
Teaching Tips
What do you really know
about the World War II
generation? What were
their sacrifices? Were
they really a better
generation than those
that followed? Why?
She (Violet) smuggled Darvocet
into the psych ward. There’s
your Greatest Generation for
you.
Exercise
Former NBC news anchor Tom Brokow authored a book titled The Greatest Generation,
an historical tribute to the courage and sacrifices of the generation who lived through
World War II. The book was also made into a television documentary that is available
on DVD.
If possible invite to class a member of the community who lived through World War II.
Rent the documentary, The Greatest Generation and have the class view it with the guest.
Afterwards students ask the guest questions about the film and about their
remembrances of their experiences during that period in history.
When the guest leaves have students speak candidly about whether or not they think the
World War II generation was really the Greatest and why.
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History
After Hours
Be An Anthropologist
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 1
Barbara, apparently, is not very fond of Oklahoma, particularly the flat plains of Osage
County.... She and her husband live in Colorado.
Barbara
The jokers who settled this place. The Germans and
the Dutch and the Irish. Who was the---who saw this
flat hot nothing and planted his flag?
Challenge #1
Do some research on those who settled in that area of Oklahoma. Who were they? Why
did they come there? Who were the “Sooners?” Compose a detailed profile titled: Life in
Osage County: The Early Settlers.
Challenge #2
How much do you know about the people who settled your area?
Research the origins of your area and those who first came there. Pay particular attention
to their ethnicity and the reasons why they came. You might want to find an older person
who may know more about the history of the place. Take a survey of people who live
there. Ask them how they like it and why.
Based on how you feel about your town, write a statement similar to Barbara’s in the
box above starting with “The.....who settled this place.... The statement will be either
negative, like Barbara’s, or positive, depending on how you feel about where you live.
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Poetry
Summary of Standard for
Language Arts
Writing
Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies of the
writing process
n
Demonstrates competence in
rewriting, drafting and revising,
editing and publishing
n
Demonstrates competence in the
stylistic and rhetorical aspects of
writing
n
Uses grammatical and mechanical
conventions in written
compositions
n
Gathers and uses information for
research purposes
n
Reading
Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies of the
reading process
n
Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies for
reading a variety of literary texts
n
Demonstrates competence in the
general skills and strategies for
reading a variety of informational
texts
n
Listening and Speaking
Demonstrates competence in
speaking and listening as tools for
learning
n
word poetry is a derivative of the Greek word
T he“poiesis”
which means “making.” We recognize
poetry as an art form that uses language to convey meaning
(oftentimes by figurative means) and evoke passions. In
essence, we can use poetry to challenge conventional
thought by exploring a subject’s multiple meanings and
significances. Poets often layer their work so that, upon first
reading, the subject of the poem might seem incredibly clear.
With multiple readings, however, readers suspect more
is going on than originally met the eye. Poetic inference
introduced in August: Osage County elicits similar feelings in
the audience. They appear throughout the work.
Poems transcend the literal meaning of language and emphasize the
emotional and musical quality of the form. Similarly, poetry uses symbolism,
hyperbolic language and metaphors to create meaning in a
nuanced treatment of the poem’s subject matter.
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The Weston household seems like a world filled with poetic elements; within the walls of the house
lurk ambiguity, irony and even heightened incanted language. Relationships onstage struggle with
truth, meaning and, at times, morality. What could be more poetic? The production begins with a line
from famed poet T.S. Eliot, “Life is very long…” Already, the play has taken on a poetic tone.
Perhaps it is the youngest Weston daughter’s words that resonate most deeply with poetic nature.
After her fiancé has engaged in questionable behavior with Jean, Karen confronts Barbara saying,
“My point is, it’s not cut and dried, black and white, good and bad. It
lives where everything lives; somewhere in the middle.”
The language here is layered. In life there are rarely cut and
dry interpretations to any single situation. The language also
uses poetic devices to make the point. Looking at the section,
we realize that “it” refers to responsibility; Jean and Steve both
share in the responsibility for their daughter’s unbecoming
behavior. In the second line “it” becomes a life endowing idea
with human qualities, reminding us that all situations come
down to human behavior, which is largely imperfect. And
goodness knows the behavior of the characters of August: Osage
County is anything but perfect.
T.S. Eliot is one of the foremost poets and literary critics in the
modern Western tradition. Born into an affluent family in St.
Louis, Missouri, he attended Harvard. While not as prolific as
many of his contemporaries (neither was Beverly in August:
Osage County), his work has been studied intensively. His first
major work The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock follows the
journey of a man exploring the missed opportunities in his life.
In 1925 he published The Hollow Men mentioned directly in
August: Osage County by the disillusioned Beverly. Considered
T.S. Eliot
his most significant work, the complex piece tackles post
World War II disillusionment and difficulty of hope in troubled
times—in Beverly’s case the deterioration of his relationship with Violet, his wife.
Violet also harps on the superiority of “the greatest generation”—a common term
for the generation of World War II. Throughout his career, Eliot’s work was criticized
by academics and scholars. Many found his poetry not poetry at all. Beverly’s single
published book of poems is demeaned several times throughout the play. Eliot’s first
wife, oddly, was a victim of deteriorating mental illness, much like Violet who over
the years became a complete slave to drugs. It is not difficult to see the overlapping
themes between poem and play.
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Language Arts
Discussion
Discussion
Objective
Interpreting a major
poetic work.
From the
Script
Prologue
Beverly muses about many things, including the line by Eliot. At this point we do not know
he is contemplating taking his own life. We do know, however, or will very soon that he
is a published poet himself and lives with a woman who is drug addicted and a miserable
companion and mother.
Beverly
“Life is very long...”
Teaching Tips
T.S. Eliot, I mean...he’s given credit for it because he
bothered to write it down. He’s not the first person to say
it...certainly not the first person to think it. Feel it.
But he wrote the words on a sheet of paper and signed it
and the four-eyed----- was a genius...so if you say it you
have to say his name after it.
“Life is very long”: T.S. Eliot
Do you find poetry too
obscure? Maybe you’re
over complicating the
words and ideas. Try
personalizing what the
poet is saying. Instead
of trying to figure out
what he or she means,
try applying the words to
yourself and what they
mean to you. You will
enjoy it much more.
Exercise
The line Beverly quotes is from Eliot’s great work, The Hollow Men. It seems
appropriate for Beverly to quote it because he himself feels hollow, devoid of love
and companionship and perhaps, as we later discover, racked with guilt over an illicit
relationship with his sister-in-law.
The Hollow Men appears on the next page. Print the page, make copies and distribute
them to the class. As a class, have students discuss the poem in relationship to
Beverly’s despondent state of mind, reading into it any interpretations they wish.
Remember, this is not an official literary interpretation of Eliot’s work. We are using
the work as a means of allowing students to analyze Beverly’s character and assess
its relevance to Tracy Letts’ work.
After the discussion suggest they visit an internet site featuring an interpretation
of the poem and find out the significance of the first two lines: Mistah Kurtz—he
dead, and A penny for the Old Guy. Tell them to come back to class and share what
they’ve learned with their fellow students.
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The Hollow Men by T. S. Eliot
Mistah Kurtz—he dead.
A penny for the Old Guy
I
We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats’ feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar
Shape without form, shade without
colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without
motion;
Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death’s other
Kingdom
Remember us—if at all—not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.
II
Eyes I dare not meet in dreams
In death’s dream kingdom
These do not appear:
There, the eyes are
Sunlight on a broken column
There, is a tree swinging
And voices are
In the wind’s singing
More distant and more solemn
Than a fading star.
III
V
This is the dead land
This is cactus land
Here the stone images
Are raised, here they receive
The supplication of a dead man’s hand
Under the twinkle of a fading star.
Here we go round the prickly pear
Prickly pear prickly pear
Here we go round the prickly pear
At five o’clock in the morning.
Is it like this
In death’s other kingdom
Waking alone
At the hour when we are
Trembling with tenderness
Lips that would kiss
Form prayers to broken stone.
IV
The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here
In this valley of dying stars
In this hollow valley
This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms
In this last of meeting places
We grope together
And avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid
river
Sightless, unless
The eyes reappear
As the perpetual star
Multifoliate rose
Of death’s twilight kingdom
The hope only
Of empty men.
Let me be no nearer
In death’s dream kingdom
Let me also wear
Such deliberate disguises
Rat’s coat, crowskin, crossed staves
In a field
Behaving as the wind behaves
No nearer—
Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom
Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
Life is very long
Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
And the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom
For Thine is
Life is
For Thine is the
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
Online text © 1998-2008 Poetry X.
All rights reserved.
From The Hollow Men | 1925
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Language Arts
Writing
Writing
Objective
Students translate their
surnames into a native
language.
From the
Script
Prologue
Beverly tells Johnna he knew her father and questions the fact that her surname name is
different from her father’s, Youngbird.
Beverly
May I ask about the
name?
Johnna
Hm?
Teaching Tips
Here in the U.S. the
tendency is to assume
that everyone speaks
English. Even when we
travel abroad we expect
foreigners to speak
to us in English—an
arrogant assumption
when you think about it.
To expect it of a Native
American is the height of
presumptuousness, since
their language was here
long before we arrived.
Think about it.
Beverly
He was Youngbird and you
are?
Johnna
Monevata.
Johnna
Who calls them that? Who
makes that decision?
Beverly
And does it mean
“youngbird”?
Johnna
Yes
Beverly
And taking the name,
that was your choice?
Beverly
“Monevata.”
Johnna
Mm-Hm.
Exercise
Youngbird sounds nothing like Monevata. Obviously the Cheyenne language is far more
complex than simply adjusting sounds to symbols. Beverly does not ask Johnna to explain and
probably, like most white people, has no interest in her language which he does not consider
the “language of the land.”
Many tribes have reinstituted the teaching of native languages in their schools in an effort
to preserve cultural traditions. The Maya of the Yucatan in Mexico rarely speak the Spanish
of their conquerors in the privacy of their homes and in their business dealings with other
Mayans. They have preserved their language in its purest form.
There are a number of excellent websites featuring in depth language keys for various Native
American and other indigenous languages. Visit one of them, pick a language and translate
your surname into that language. Write the name in whatever symbols are appropriate. Place
the sound in letters next to the symbol. Explain the translation to the class. Warning: this will
probably be a lot more difficult than it sounds.
Using your new name as a “nom de plume” (a.k.a. pen name) write a poem about the
indigenous tribe whose language key you used.
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19
Language Arts
experiential
Script
Experiential
From the
Assessing the mood of
the poet in his or her
work.
Prologue
Beverly admires T.S. Eliot’s strength in dealing with his wife’s mental illness (alluding, no
doubt, to his own inability to deal with Violet’s), comparing him to two of his contemporaries
who committed suicide.
Objective
Teaching Tips
Words are powerful. If
it is true authors write
about what they know,
it must be, then, that a
writer’s mood comes
through in their work.
If he or she is happy the
words make the reader
feel upbeat--ebullient.
If he or she is sad the
reader senses sadness
and empathizes with a
certain sadness of their
own. This is particularly
true in the art of poetry
because it is so deeply
personal.
Beverly
Give the devil [T.S. Eliot] his due. Very few
poets could have made it through his trial and
come out on the other side, brilliantined, double
breasted and Anglican. Not hard to imagine,
faced with Eliot’s first wife, lovely Viv, how
Hart Crane and John Berryman might have reacted.
Just foot-raced to the nearest bridge, Olympian
Suicidalists. Not Eliot: following sufficient years
of ecclesiastical guilt, plop her in the nearest
asylum and get on with the day.
Exercise
Beverly admires Eliot for his strength.“You have to admire the purity of the survivor’s
instinct,” he says. Beverly does not have this instinct. Neither did the two other poets
mentioned, Hart Crane and John Berryman. Both committed suicide. Beverly identifies
strongly with them and not with Eliot.
Go online and find biographies of Hart and Berryman. Read them for background. Now
research Hart’s and Berryman’s poems. Read them over and pick out one you like best.
Make a copy and bring it to class.
Each student reads their poem and talks about why they chose the work. They then
read the poem with dramatic emphasis once or twice to the class. Listeners assess the
mood of the poet as he wrote it, citing specific lines and information they have learned
about the poet to support their views.
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LANGUAGE ARTS
After Hours
Challenge
What Do You Think of That?
Read carefully the passage below, which is included in the introductory portion of the
script of August: Osage County. It is from Robert Penn Warren’s famous novel,
All the Kings Men.
Write a reaction piece.
The child comes home and the parent puts the
hooks in him. The old man, or the woman, as
the case may be, hasn’t got anything to say
to the child. All he wants is to have that
child sit in a chair for a couple of hours
and then go off to bed under the same roof.
It’s not love. I am not saying that there
is not such a thing as love. I am merely
pointing to something which is different from
love but which sometimes goes by the name
of love. It may well be that without this
thing which I am talking about there would
not be any love. But this in itself is not
love. It is just something in the blood. It
is a kind of blood greed, and it is the fate
of a man. It is the thing which man has
which distinguishes him from the happy brute
creation. When you get born your father and
mother lost something out of themselves, and
they are going to bust a hame trying to get
it back, and you are it. They know they
can’t get it all back but they will get as
big a chunk out of you as they can. And the
good old family reunion, with picnic dinner
under the maples, is very much like diving
into the octopus tank at the aquarium.
Robert Penn Warren, All the King’s Men
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Family Dynamics
a saying, “You can pick your friends but you can’t pick you’re family.”
T here’s
It’s true. What you’re born with you’re pretty much stuck with, so to
Summary of Standard for
Life Skills
Thinking and Reasoning
Understands and applies the
basic principles of presenting an
arguement
n
Understands and applies basic
principles of logic and reasoning
n
Effectively uses mental processes
that are based in identifying
similarities and differences
(compares, contrasts, classifies)
n
Understands and applies basic
principles of hypothesis testing and
scientific inquiry
n
Applies basic trouble-shooting and
problem-solving techniques
n
Applies decision-making techniques
n
Working With Others
Contributes to the overall effort of
a group
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
n
Works well with diverse individuals
and in diverse situations
n
Displays effective interpersonal
communication skills
n
Demonstrates leadership skills
n
n
Self-Regulation
Sets and manages goals
Performs self-appraisal
Considers risks
n
Demonstrates perseverance
n
Maintains a healthy self-concept
n
Restrains impulsivity
n
n
n
Life Work
Makes effective use of basic tools
Uses various information sources,
including those of a technical nature,
to accomplish specific tasks
n
Manages money effectively
n
Pursues specific jobs
n
Makes general preparation for
entering the work force
n
Makes effective use of basic life skills
n
Displays reliability and a basic work
ethic
n
Operates effectively within
organizations
n
n
speak. Like it or not
families can be a mixed
blessing—a necessary
support in time of need
and a downright drag
on your adult liftstyle
with their unwanted
judgments, advice and
filial demands.
Thanksgiving dinners, for some reason, have always taken particular
heat when it comes to,” Oh my God, do I have to go and put up with
the family this year?” Something about that particular celebration
makes people more apprehensive than normal. Maybe eating brings
out the worst in people? Who knows? In August: Osage County eating
and picking at each other seems to go hand in hand--the sport of the
day.
Like it or not “you can’t pick your family.” You either learn to get
along with them, tolerate them, or write them off and get on with
your life with or without their support. One thing we must be aware
of: no family is perfect. The “Leave It to Beaver” varieties are few
and far between, no matter how much we would like to believe
otherwise, or how convenient it may be to hold up that archetype to
our family when things aren’t going smoothly.
Could we be taking our family relationships too seriously? Many
sociologists believe that the primary function of family is to reproduce
society, biologically and socially. While that seems like a rather clinical
view, looking at it that way puts family relationships in different light.
All they’re trying to do is bring up people who get along better in the
larger group—the main family outside of the home?
Depending on the society you live in family can also have a different
function and meaning. What is a family, anyway?
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In American society it can mean
everything from the nuclear family
(mom, dad, kids and pets), to single
parent families, to groups raising
children in which the parental
figures are not necessarily mothers
and fathers or blood related, for
that. It has also come to mean any
group to which an individual feels
close and can rely on for love and
or support. (Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous
might be an example.) The latter are usually
chosen while the others are, well, thrust upon
us.
Inevitably family relationships may
become disrupted by hurt, anger,
mistrust and confusion. These
emotions are normal among humans
and few families can say they don’t
experience them. (They’re probably
delusional if they do.) By making a few
changes in the way we look at things
we can, if we want to, improve family
relationships. They may never be the
ideal. But by developing some basic
skills and gaining
understanding of human behavior our
interactions with family can improve.
First and foremost is communication.
Your family is most likely a constant presence
in your life so when an argument arises it may
seem impossible to handle. Communication is
key to resolving all conflict. While it may seem
siblings are constantly “in your face,” —and
they usually are--they are also in their own
way trying to communicate. One of you has to
turn that attempt into a positive interaction.
That takes patience, another invaluable family
dynamics skill.
Most children in the United States grow up
with sisters and brothers. The connections
usually last a lifetime and can be strained, to
say the least. New research indicates that
sibling ties are best understood by looking
at the family as a whole. As in August: Osage
County, the inter-relationships of the siblings
mirrors the behavior and relationship of the
parents toward each other—horribly tainted by
the emotional baggage they carry. It’s complex.
Research also indicates sisters feel closer
to siblings than do brothers, and that
relationships between sisters and
brothers become closer in later
adolescence. So there is hope for
you and your brother after all.
An interesting note is that for all
siblings infighting
becomes worse
when the firstborn child is
about age 13
and the secondborn is about
age 10.
If it seems the relationship
with your parents has
changed, it could be due to
changes in your relationship with your brothers
and sisters. Mothers’ warmth and acceptance
of their children from middle childhood
through adolescence has been associated
with changes in siblings’ feelings of closeness
and intimacy with one another. Increases or
decreases in conflict between fathers and their
children conversely cause children to exhibit
similar changes in conflict with their siblings.
Talk about family dynamics!
Studies also indicate sybling relationships
change naturally across childhood and
adolescence. So when it comes to that aspect
of family dynamics all you may have to do is,
wait. In other situations applying the skills of
patience, communication and understanding
can go a long way in nurturing a family unit
with whom you might even enjoy sharing a
Thanksgiving dinner later on as an adult.
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Life skills
writing
Writing
Objective
How to prepare a will.
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 2
Violet tells Barbara that she waited to tell her that her father was missing until she went to
the bank and cleaned out their safe deposit box. The statement is suspicious and Violet later
announces that Beverly’s will leaves nothing to the daughters and everything to her.
Yes, Sunday. No sign. I
know, and that’s when I
deposit box. We kept an
some jewelry, expensive
Teaching Tips
No one likes to think
about wills because they
make us think about
dying. However they are
an important document.
We would all like to think
what remains of our lives
will go to those whom
we want to have it.
Violet
started getting worried, don’tcha
got so worked up about that safe
awful lot of cash in that box,
jewelry...
Barbara
Wait, wait, wait. I’m missing something. Why do you care
about the safe deposit box? Because...
Violet
It gets rolled into the estate, then goes to probate.
Exercise
A will is an important document. It is the official statement saying who will inherit
your estate (money, investments, personal belongings) when you die. Violet put the
money and valuables in a safe deposit box so that no one would know about them
and that she would be assured of getting them (and not the girls) if Beverly died.
We don’t really know if Beverly had a will, although Violet said they had agreed that
she would get everything. Truth is if the family challenged Violet, and there were no
will, all of Beverly’s belongings would go into “probate;” the court would hold the
belongings until things were legally sorted out. This can take some time. Apparently,
Violet, greedy, was not willing to wait.
Go online and research how to write a will. Prepare your will as a legal document.
Think carefully about who you would like to have your belongings.
After you’ve prepared the will find out what to do next. Who should sign it; where
does it have to be filed in order for it to be considered legal; how much does it cost
in fees? Is it worth it to do it online yourself or have an attorney prepare it? What is
the difference in cost? Do not actually file the will as there will be fees involved.
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LIFE SKILLS
discussion
Script
Discussion
From the
To recognize the value of
practical decisions.
Act 3, Scene 3
The chaos and dysfunction in the house prompts Barbara to ask Johnna if she still wants to
work as housekeeper for the family..
Objective
Johnna
Mrs. Fordham, are you firing me?
Barbara
No. no. Far from it. I’m owning up to my own bad
behavior. And I’m giving you the opportunity to
quit...
Teaching Tips
Would you do what you
had to do to survive
financially? Would you
do it cheerfully or
complain every step of
the way? Do you avoid
hard practical decisions
in favor or getting things
exactly your way?
Johnna
I’m prepared to stay. I’m familiar with this job.
I don’t do it for you and Mrs. Weston. Or even for
Mr. Weston. Right? I do it for me.
Barbara
Why?
Johnna
I need the work.
Exercise
Johnna would certainly have good reason to leave the employ of the Weston’s. The house
is in a state of chaos; as housekeeper, her job is continually made harder by the family’s
dysfunctional behavior towards one another. She must maintain a degree of calm in the face
of it and try her best not to get personally involved in their problems. From an emotional
standpoint, working in this environment could be extremely stressful for a person different
than Johnna.
In America people change jobs all the time. They quit at the drop of a hat. Our mantra is that
we must be happy in our work. It is a nice ideal but many people every day do not have the
luxury of choosing occupations. Work for them is toil and they accept it.
Johnna chooses to stay “because she needs the job.” That is a very strong statement. We
really don’t know if she has any other options. All we know is that she needs to work, maybe
to support herself or perhaps for other reasons. In any case she is firm in her commitment
to do what she has to do and will do it, no matter what. By everything we see in the play she
goes about her daily work cheerfully.
Conduct a class discussion about the reality of doing something to survive versus doing what
we want to do. What does the fact that Johnna will stay say about her character. Do you think
a person who does this is strong, or foolish? Would you resent it if you had to stay on at the
Weston’s? If so, how do you think it might affect your job performance. Is being able to accept
certain situations that aren’t always perfect a life skill? Why?
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LIFE SKILLS
experiential
Experiential
Objective
Understanding what
it means to grow old
gracefully.
From the
Script
Act 2, Scene 1
Violet tells Mattie Fae she wants to purge her wardrobe of clothing no longer appropriate for
her age.
Violet
I want all these clothes I’m never going to wear
gone...I mean look at these shoes. (She holds up a
pair of high heels.) Can you picture me in these?
Even if I didn’t fall on my face, can you imagine
anything less attractive, my swollen ankles and
varicose veins? And my toenails, good god, anymore
they could dig through cement.
Teaching Tips
No one stays young
forever. Does that mean
we should stop living life
as we age? No. Not at all.
But it’s how you live that
makes the difference. To
proudly say, “I’m 60” says
something about who
you are and about your
sense of confidence and
self worth.
Exercise
Violet’s point is that after a certain age women should not try to look as if they are twenty.
They should dress and act their age. Mattie Fae objects, but Violet insists she face reality.
She says society sees men and women aging in a different way. “Men can still preserve
their sex appeal well into old age,” then qualifies the statement, “I don’t mean those
men like you see with shorts and those little purses around their waists.”
How do you feel about growing old gracefully? Do you think people should try to look
young even if they’re not? Or is it better to tone down, say, your clothing and makeup
as you age? Should men also dress and behave appropriate to their age? Do you think the
standards for growing old gracefully are different for men and women?
Visit a mall and be a people watcher. Male students watch men; female students women.
Note the people you see, particularly the older generation. How do they dress? How do
they act? Are they trying to act like teenagers or are they behaving in an adult way.
Develop at least five complete profiles of people you find interesting. Do not let them
know you’re watching them. Note their approximate age, what they’re wearing, how
they’re acting and any other distinguishing behavior that might indicate they likely will
or will not grow old gracefully.
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life skills
After Hours
Teaching Tips
From About.com
Beverly wrote one book
of poems when he was
younger and wrote
nothing after that. We
can safely assume that
alcohol took over his life
and prohibited him from
doing what he loved
most—writing. His life
and that of his family is a
shambles.
Parenting of Adolescents has this to say about teen alcohol abuse.
For young people, alcohol is the number one drug of choice. In fact, teens use alcohol
more frequently and heavily than all other illicit drugs combined. Although most children
under age 14 have not yet begun to drink, early adolescence is a time of special risk
for beginning to experiment with alcohol. While some parents and guardians may feel
relieved that their teen is “only” drinking, it is important to remember that alcohol is a
powerful, mood-altering drug. Not only does alcohol affect the mind and body in often
unpredictable ways, but teens lack the judgment and coping skills to handle alcohol wisely.
As a result:
•
•
•
•
•
Alcohol-related traffic crashes are a major cause of death among teens. Alcohol use
also is linked with youthful deaths by drowning, suicide, and homicide.
Teens who use alcohol are more likely to become sexually active at earlier ages, to
have sexual intercourse more often, and to have unprotected sex than teens
who do not drink.
Young people who drink are more likely than others to be victims of violent crime,
including rape, aggravated assault, and robbery.
Teens who drink are more likely to have problems with school work and school
conduct.
An individual who begins drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who waits until adulthood to use alcohol.
The message is clear: Alcohol use is very risky business for young people. And the longer
children delay alcohol use, the less likely they are to develop any problems associated
with it. That’s why it is so important to help your child avoid any alcohol use.
Challenge
The Sad Story of Me
Tell me what are the prevailing sentiments that occupy the minds of your young men (women), and
I will tell you what is to be the character of the next generation.
Edmund Burke
Pretend you are now 40 years old. As a teen you did not listen to the warnings about alcohol
abuse. Using the quote above, write a biography of what your life might be like if you begin
abusing alcohol. Talk about all of the things you might have done that you didn’t. How has it
affected your family and friends; your health; your career goals.
Put the story somewhere safe. Take it out once a month and read it. Ponder what you have
to lose.
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n
o
i
t
c
i
d
Ad
and
y
c
n
e
d
epen
d
ad·dic·tion
The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically
habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
We learn early on in the production of Violet’s addiction to prescription drugs. It is
with our first introduction to her character that we witness her erratic and strange
behavior, characteristic of drug abuse. After her initial appearance on the stage,
Beverly explains to Johnna that she has been diagnosed with a “touch of cancer”
in the mouth. While this may attempt to explain her actions, it is soon discovered
that Violet suffers from an addiction to the pills she takes seemingly to ease her
discomfort.
“Violet. My wife. She takes
pills, sometimes a great many. And
they affect…among other things,
her equilibrium. Fortunately, the
pills she takes eliminate her need for
equilibrium.” –Beverly Weston
Summary of Standard for
Behavioral Studies
Understands that group and
cultural influences contribute to
human development, identity, and
behavior
n
Understands various meanings of
social group, general implications
of group membership, and
different ways that groups function
n
Understands that interactions
among learning, inheritance and
physical development affect
human behavior
n
Understands conflict, cooperation,
and interdependence among
individuals, groups and institutions
n
The term addiction is most often associated with abuse; however,
addiction and abuse are not the same. Two of the prevalent
characteristics of addition concern an increased tolerance to a drug often
coupled with a psychological dependence. Over time, a person’s body
may adapt to a drug. A person experiencing a growing tolerance to a
drug often needs to increase the dosage of a medication over time in
order to receive the same therapeutic benefits. When a psychological
dependence comes into play, a person rationalizes that the medication is
needed regardless of the effect it may or may not have.
Without a doubt the biggest reason drug users cannot admit to addiction
is denial. Denial does not mean that a person realizes they he or she is an
addict and denies it because admission would mean defeat. It is much far complex
than that. An addict really believes there is no problem often adopting the belief
that they are not like all the “others” and they can handle their drug of choice. A
common statement may be “I can quit any time I want.” Typically, however, they
don’t test that theory because they don’t try to quit. No one can make a drug
abuser believe they have a problem; the abuser must come to that revelation by
them.
This consequence of drug addition is often an unfortunate result of drug
dependency. Violet’s daughter, Barbara, sees her mother’s problem and tries
to intercede by commanding the family to search the Weston home for hidden
bottles of pills. While Barbara thinks she is doing the right thing, the exercise
proves futile. As is the case in real life, unless the person abusing drugs wants to
get better, it probably won’t happen.
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Intervention can be a useful tool in helping
someone suffering from drug addiction.
Conducting a drug intervention is a complicated
and often delicate matter. Since the addict
is in a mental state that is rooted in distrust,
they believe that the world is against them.
Intervention takes place when a person, either
a close family member or friend, expresses
their concerns about the addict and his or
her behavior. Under most circumstances, an
abuser cannot be forced to undergo treatment
but if an intervention is successful, a window
can be opened where by the abuser can see
the destructive
pattern being
exhibited. Once
the abuser
realizes the
magnitude of the
problem, further
steps can be
taken to help find
a solution to the
addiction.
Narcotics
Anonymous, a
drug addiction
support group, is
one such program
that helps to
provide long
term assistance in keeping a drug abuser clean.
Narcotics Anonymous is a 12-step program for
both men and women designed to share their
experience, strength and hope with others who
are looking to recover from drug addiction.
There are no fees associated with belonging
to this group. Its primary goal is to help other
addicts achieve recovery from dependency.
For severe additions, hospitalization may be
required. Addiction treatment centers offer
abusers intensive treatment and clinical therapy.
While drug rehabilitation programs differ in
the drug rehab services they offer and the drug
rehabilitation philosophies they embrace, there
are several key elements that any quality drug
rehab must have if they are to be effective drug
rehabilitation programs.
The first drug rehabilitation service is
detoxification or drug detox where the patient’s
system is flushed of drugs. If needed, medications
are dispensed to reduce and sometimes
eliminate any symptoms associated with drug
or alcohol withdrawal. Drug withdrawal occurs
when a person who has become physically or
psychologically dependent on any substance
discontinues its use.
After detox, residential addiction treatment is
offered within the drug rehab. Clinical services
include such approaches as group therapy,
individual therapy, recreation therapy, art
therapy, medication management, aftercare and
nutritional counseling.
A third key element of drug rehabilitation is
a relapse prevention program. While what a
person does in drug rehabilitation is important,
what they do after their time in the drug rehab
is over is critical. A patient specific relapse
prevention plan designed by the drug rehab’s
clinical team addresses any of the patient’s issues
that may lead to relapse.
Another key element lies in addressing the issues
within the family. While some drug rehabilitation
programs provide individual family therapy, many
believe that the entire family should participate in
a family recovery program. This family program
most often takes place while the patient is in
drug rehab to better support the patient and
avoid relapse.
August: Osage County depicts what can happen
to a family as a result of drug addiction. Violet’s
dependency permeates the family in such a way
that ends with devastating consequences. While
Barbara and other members of the family clearly
saw their mother’s problem, Violet herself
was unwilling to change. Ultimately if someone
dependent on drugs has a strong support system
while going through and finishing with addiction
treatment, relapse is less likely to occur and a
fulfilling life can become a reality.
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Behavioral Studies
Writing
Writing
Objective
Prepare a report on drug
addiction.
From the
Script
Act 3, Scene 1
Karen, Barbara and Ivy discuss their mother’s drug addiction
Karen
Why did he (her doctor) write so many
prescriptions? Doesn’t he know--?
Barbara
It’s not just him. She’s got a doctor in every
port.
Ivy
Here’s how she does it: she sees a doctor for
back spasms and gets a prescription. Day or
two later she goes back. Says she lost her
pills and he writes her another one. Then next
week she pulls a muscle, more pills, then the
dosage is wrong, more pills, over and over,
until she makes one too many trips and he says
I’m not prescribing anymore. And she pulls a
sheaf of prescription receipts out of her purse
and says, “I’ll go to the AMA and have you in
court...” She genuinely threatens these men and
they give into her.
Teaching Tips
Be honest. Do you
tend to lump all Native
Americans into one
group? How much do
you know about the
individual tribes—their
customs and history?
Would they be better off
assimilating into white
American culture? How
do you feel about them
living on reservations?
Exercise
Violet admits, “I am a drug addict. I am addicted to drugs, pills, ‘specially downers.Y’see
these little blue babies? These are my best friends and they never let me down.”
This sad admission from Violet is the same one thousands of addicts every day say or
at least should be admitting to themselves and others. The rate of teen addiction to
pills in this country is staggering, and many get them in the same way Violet does as
described by Ivy in the script excerpt.
Research the problem of teen pill addiction. Write an in depth report on what is being
done about it. Include information on penalties for over-prescribing drugs to patients;
legal penalties for illegally securing pill prescriptions and drugs themselves; the market for
illegal pills; famous teen celebrities who have been addicted. Include statements by
doctors, drug counselors and addicts themselves as to how and why they became
addicted and how it affected their lives.
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Behavioral studies
Discussion
Script
Discussion
From the
To recognize denial in
behavior—others and
our own.
Act 3, Scene 1
Karen’s fiancé Steve is attacked by Johnna for trying to molest Bill and Barbara’s fourteenyear-old daughter, Jean. Karen is in denial and tells them it probably wasn’t all his fault and
that none of them are perfect.
Objective
Teaching Tips
Sometimes it’s hard to
face the truth, especially
when it affects something
important in our lives.
But denying the truth
is never a good thing.
In doing it we delude
ourselves and fail to see
things as they truly really
are. How can we live
well in a world of wishes
and dreams?
Karen (to Barbara)
You better find out from Jean just exactly what went on in
there before you start pointing fingers...Cause I doubt
Jean’s exactly blameless in all this...I’m not defending
him. He’s not perfect. I’m no angel myself. I’ve done some
things I’m not proud of...Sometimes life puts you in a
corner that way...Anyway, you have your own hash to settle
before you start making speeches to the rest of us in fact,
sort of a human cactus.
Exercise
Earlier in the play we learn that Karen has been involved in one bad relationship after another.
She has met Steve, a somewhat overly gregarious real estate salesman, and they plan to
marry. She is fixated on their planned honeymoon in Belize. It is very important to her. When
she finds out he has been “messing” with young Jean she refuses to accept the reality and
makes excuses because it’s convenient.
Using the excerpt conduct an open discussion of Karen’s denial in this situation. How is
this going to hurt her in future? What kind of a relationship is she likely to have with Steve.
Is she recreating the same bad relationships she’s had in the past? Is she deluding herself?
How? How does denial hinder people from making good decisions and from having happy,
productive lives?
Ask students to think of a time when they denied something because it was convenient. Ask
those willing to talk about it to share their experience with the class.
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Behavioral studies
experiential
Experiential
Objective
The effect of good and
bad communication as
behavior.
From the
Act 3, Scene 1
Charlie has had enough of his wife’s (Mattie Fae) berating their son, Charlie, and in fact
enough of the way her entire family speaks to each other.
Charles
I don’t understand this meanness.
I look at you and your sister and
the way you talk to people and I
don’t understand it. I just can’t
understand why people can’t be
respectful of one another. I don’t
think there’s any excuse for it. My
family didn’t treat each other that
way.
Teaching Tips
How often have you
heard people speaking
to others in disrespectful
ways? Be honest. Are you
guilty of it, not only with
your family members but
others too? Sometimes
rough talk can become
a habit hard to break.
We become known for
the mean way in which
we talk to people.
Can this habit damage
relationships?
Script
Exercise
At this point in the script we do not yet understand what animosities may exist that cause
Mattie Fae to treat her son so poorly. She humiliates him ever chance she gets. When
we discover that he is the child she had with her brother-in-law, Beverly, we somewhat
understand. Her own self-loathing has transferred to her son. She hates herself and the child
born from the illicit affair. All her communication with him over the years has been based
on that. Yet it doesn’t stop us, as the audience, from despising her cruel words, which have
turned her son into a beaten pathetic individual.
Watch What You Say!
Pairs of students role play and act out a scene. One student communicates to the other that
they’ve done something wrong. For the sake of spontaneity, write various things someone
might have done wrong on slips of paper and put them in a bowl. Students pick one and act
it out. The first should be harsh communication that berates the offender. The second should
be a civilized dialogue in which the speaker gets the point across in a positive respectful way.
The offender should respond during both scenarios. Students may switch roles or remain in
the same role.
After each dialogue the offender reveals how they felt. The class as a whole analyzes both
scenarios, paying particular attention to the behavior of both the speaker and offender during
the interaction.
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behavioral studies
After Hours
Teaching Tips
Challenge
Getting control can
be important in many
situations. To feel
powerless, to let
something happen and
do nothing about it
makes us feel weak and
ineffectual. It can also
be dangerous to our
personal safety. Some
contend that women,
because of their more
passive upbringings,
tend to shy away from
confrontation while
men, encouraged to be
more aggressive, may
not. Johnna does not
fit the former category.
Bill, who seems more
analytical about the
incident, does not fit
the latter. What kind of
woman/man are you?
Get a group of women together for a discussion session. If possible, the group should be
women of your age and other ages for a mix of perspectives. Read to them the following
synopsis of the scene:
Johnna, the Cheyenne house maid, finds 50-year-old Steve, Karen’s
fiancé, smoking pot and behaving in an inappropriate sexual way with
Barbara and Bill’s daughter, Jean who is 14. She flings a frying pan at
him and berates him for his behavior. Awakened, Barbara and Bill,
Jean’s parents, and Karen, Steve’s fiancé enter the scene. An argument
ensues in which Barbara, enraged, attacks Steve verbally. She also
attacks and brings into the argument the fact that Bill has left her for a
young college student. Bill, a college professor, is analytical and seems
more interested in deflecting the conversation by attempting to find
out what happened and lecturing his daughter about her behavior.
After reading the synopsis to the group, have each participant select the answer(s) that apply
from the following multiple choice options:
( )
a. would you have done what Johnna did and deal with the situation
directly, forcefully and immediately? (Not necessarily hit him with a frying pan)
( )
b. (for the women) would you have woken up the men and let them deal with it?
( ) c. would you have insisted on calling the police?
( )
d. would you have done nothing because it’s none of your business?
Keep track of the answers and score the women on their attitudes. Take notes on any
comments they may make.
Next get a group of men together and ask them the same questions. Score the men. Make
notes on their comments.
What general conclusions can you draw about how men and women handle confrontation?
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An Interview with
August: Osage County scenic designer,
Todd Rosenthal
Todd Rosenthal won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play. StageNOTES
spoke with him about his experience with August: Osage County.
StageNOTES: How did you first get involved with
August: Osage County?
Todd Rosenthal: I work a lot with the director Anna
Shapiro.
SN: As a set designer, what was your first impression
of August: Osage County? What inspired you? Did you
foresee any challenges?
TR: Tracy wanted a nine room house. That was
not practical, and would have overwhelmed the
production. We made the house skeletal because it
allowed the audience more access, and made it work
thematically with the play. I found an image of a house
on the prairie that look like a fossilized skeleton. It
Summary of Standard for
The Arts
Art Connections
Understands connections among the various art forms and other disciplines
n
Theater
Demonstrates competence in writing scripts
Uses acting skills
Designs and produces informal and formal productions
n
Directs scenes and productions
n
Understands how informal and formal theater, film, television, and electronic
media productions create and communicate meaning
n
Understands the context in which theater, film, television, and electronic
media are perfomed today as well as in the past
n
n
n
Music
Sings, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Performs on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Improvises melodies, variations, and accompaniments
n
Composes and arranges music within specified guidelines
n
Reads and notates music
n
Knows and applies appropriate criteria to music and music performances
n
Understands the relationship between music history and culture
n
n
n
Visual Arts
Understands and applies media, techniques and processes related to
the visual arts
Knows how to use the structures (e.g., sensory qualities, organizational
principles, expressive features) and functions of art
n
Knows a range of subject matter, symbols, and potential ideas in the visual
arts
n
Understands the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
n
Understands the characteristics and merits of one’s own artwork and the
artwork of others
n
became the basis for the design.
SN: Can you talk a bit about the importance of the
Weston house on stage? What function did you see
it serving in the production? In terms of design, did
anything about the house change over time?
TR: The house is very much of a character in the play.
It is a constant in the life of these characters. People
come and go, but the house is immovable. The house
begins the play as a lifeless carcass. As the family
returns, and inhabits the house, the dead husk comes
alive. The director really wanted the house to come to
life as the story progressed, only to lose that life at the
end.
SN: Given your extensive design background, how do
you first approach a production as a scenic designer?
TR: I read the play a lot. I then usually come up with
a really bad idea. This bad idea usually informs the
final design. The worse the initial idea, the better the
final idea. My first design for Osage looked like an
enormous advent calendar, with each room occupying
it’s own box. It was over-designed, and impractical.
As I tore the original model apart, I began to like the
deconstructed nature of it.
SN: Was the transition from Chicago to New York
difficult? Did you have to change anything?
TR: It was not hard at all. There was a lot of small
changes, but we retained much of the original idea.
SN: What do you like most about your role as scenic
designer? What are some of the challenges and how
do you overcome them?
n
TR: I like working with different, interesting people all
the time. It is a challenge to juggle 6 or 7 projects at
once, while still teaching my grad students. It’s never
boring.
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The Arts
Writing
August: Osage County Playbill®
Writing
Excerpt from the
Explore the Pulitzer
Prize for Drama and its
recipients over the years.
Tracy Letts (Playwright)
Recipient of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; author of
Killer Joe...Bug... His play Man From Nebraska was produced...
in 2003. He has appeared on television in “The District,”
“Profiler,” “Prison Break,” “The Drew Carey Show”, “Seinfeld”
and “Home Improvement.” Film appearances include
Guinevere, US. Marshals and Chicago Cab.
Objective
Teaching Tips
Not everyone wins
awards but they are
certainly nice to receive.
What awards would you
strive for? Do you think
an award should be the
goal of your work, or is
simply doing your best
more important?
Exercise
Winning a Pulitzer Prize means an artist has reached the zenith of his or her career. Tracy
Letts, actor and playwright, winner of the 2008 award for drama for August: Osage County has
quite a few credits to his name as listed in the above Playbill excerpt. He joins some excellent
company.
Research playwrights who have won the Pulitzer Prize for drama. What is the criterion for
receiving the prize? Select one playwright and prepare a biography of the author; a list of his
or her works; and a synopsis of the work which won them the Pulitzer. How many other
major awards have they won? Has any won more than once? Who?
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The Arts
Discussion
Discussion
Objective
Examine a major
ensemble theatre
company.
Excerpt from the
August: Osage County Playbill®
A Brief Encounter, with Amy Morton
(“Barbara Fordham” from the original Broadway production of August: Osage County)
The interviewer asks Amy Morton if growing up in the Midwest she recognized the
attitudes of the characters.
Amy Morton’s response:
Absolutely. It was interesting. Most of the cast members of this play come from small
towns. All of us in the original Chicago production were from the Midwest. In the New
York production, all but two are from the Midwest. And it’s a very Midwestern tale....
I don’t mean because it’s got sensationalism or any of that stuff—the huge surprises you
find in the play. I think its stoicism, its pent-up pain—it’s certainly Midwestern.
Teaching Tips
Do you think American
Theatre is only
Broadway? Think again.
Many regional companies
throughout the U.S. are
perpetuating the love of
and continued interest
in theatre arts. Without
them we would not have
the quality and diversity
of theatrical experience
we enjoy.
Exercise
It was the Steppenwolf Theatre Company of Chicago’s production of the Tony Award
nominated August: Osage County that came to Broadway. Steppenwolf, renowned for its
premier productions of original plays, the ensemble company has produced some of the finest
theatre on the American theatrical scene. Steppenwolf was founded in 1974 by actors Terry
Kinney, Jeff Perry and television and film actor Gary Sinise of “CSI: NY” fame.
As students you should be aware of this marvelous American theatrical resource. If you’ve
never heard of Steppenwolf, and are unfamiliar with its work, it’s time you did.
Divide the class into groups. Have students visit the several websites devoted to Steppenwolf.
Have each group research the following topics: Steppenwolf history; productions; major
artists who got their start there; educational programs; artistic philosophy; awards.
After researching their topic, each group presents its findings to the class.
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The Arts
experiential
Script
Experiential
From the
View and analyze a
Pulitzer Prize winning
drama.
Prologue
Beverly provides background that sets the mood of the play—hopelessness. Everyone in this
play has given up. It is interesting and with appropriate artistic grace that the playwright uses
this prize-winning poetic dialogue to expresses Beverly’s (who is a poet) despair.
Objective
Teaching Tips
What is greatness?
Can we determine it
based on a set of given
criterion? Do you have
to necessarily like great
works or simply respect
them for meeting certain
standards set by an
industry? In short, is a
great play in the eye of
the beholder?
Beverly
My wife takes pills and I drink. That’s the bargain
we’ve struck...I learned long ago not to speak for
my wife. The reasons why we partake are anymore
inconsequential. The facts are: my wife takes pills and
I drink. And these facts have over time made burdensome
the maintenance of traditional American routine: paying
bills, purchase of goods, cleaning of clothes or carpets
or crappers. Rather than once more assume the mantle of
guilt...vow abstinence with my fingers crossed in the
queasy hope of righting our ship, I’ve chosen to turn my
life over to a Higher Power...(Hoists his glass)...and
join the ranks of the Hiring Class.
Exercise
In the Writing section of The Arts you have researched other authors and their works which
have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Many other Pulitzer Prize winning works have been
made into films. One that comes to mind is the 1984 winner, Glengarry Glen Ross by the great
American Playwright, David Mamet.
Choose a play you’ve explored in the Writing section that has been made into film, or
rent Glengarry Glen Ross. Watch the film. Afterwards conduct a discussion focusing on
performances, dialogue; dramatic situation and stage direction (you will have to assume a
few things here since film staging is different from theatrical staging) Collect class opinions
on why this work received the award, comparing its winning elements with those given for
winning the Pulitzer in Drama.
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The Arts
experiential
Teaching Tips
Impressions Speak Louder Than Words?
You don’t have to be an
artist to be “artistic.”
Impressions of people
can allow us to formulate
images based on what
we think the person
might look like. The way
they speak and what
they say can paint a vivid
picture.
From the
Script
Act 1, Scene 2
Johnna
When a Cheyenne baby is born their umbilical cord is
dried and sewn into this pouch. Turtles for girls,
lizards for boys. And we wear it for the rest of our
lives...Because if we loose it, our souls belong nowhere
and after we die our souls will walk the earth looking
for where we belong
Act 1, Scene 4
Barbara
The day of the prom, his father got drunk and stole his
car. Stole his own son’s car and went somewhere. Mexico.
Deon showed up at the door wearing this awful tuxedo.
He’d been crying, I could tell. And he confessed he
didn’t have a way to take me to the prom. I just felt
awful for him, so I told him we’d walk. About three
miles I busted a heel and we both got so sweaty and
dirty.
In August: Osage County, playwright Tracy Letts paints his characters through dialogue.
Challenge #1 (a)
Visit the websites of southern Cheyenne and/or Plains Indian artists. Study them carefully.
Using the following personality features and the artistic styles you observe on the websites,
sketch a rendering of what you think Johnna, a member of the Southern Cheyenne tribe,
might look like. Dignified, focused, patient, calm, the warrior if the situation warrants, tied to
Native American tradition and customs.
Challenge #2 (b)
Barbara’s character reflects a hard pioneer spirit, perhaps inherited from her Plains ancestors.
Find out what it was like for women of the Plains in the early days. Find some pictures if you
can, or simply use your imagination to draw the face of Barbara—the hard speaking, “in your
face” character portrayed in the play.
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RESOURCES
Websites:
www.augustonbroadway.com
The official website for August: Osage County
http://www.connexions-direct.com/
http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/benzosbasics/a/addiction.htm
http://www.druginterventions.net/drugandalcohol.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August:_Osage_County
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_tree
www.about.com
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/cheyenne/
cheyennecustoms.htm
http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/index.html
http://www.factophile.com/show.content?action=view&pageid=89
http://www.ddcf.org/page.asp?pageId=478
http://www.bte.org/index.php?page=the-network-of-ensemble-theatres
http://www.dmoz.org/Arts/Literature/Drama/20th_Century/
Mamet,_David/
http://www.bbhc.org/pim/
http://www.steppenwolf.org/backstage/article.aspx?id=21
A Camp Broadway, LLC Publication
Editor
Philip Katz
Art Director
Michael Naylor
Writer:
Adam Aguirre (Section Writer)
Adam Aguirre is a graduate of Georgetown
University with a B.A. in Government, Philosophy
and Theatre. He has spent many years in the
theatre including acting, management, producing
and writing.
Sue Maccia (Lesson Writer)
Sue Maccia worked as a senior copywriter in the
college textbook division of Macmillan Publishing,
Inc. New York. She has also worked for several
New York educational development companies
and taught creative writing at a specialized
program hosted by East Stroudsburg University.
As a journalist she covered both hard news stories
and wrote feature articles for major newspapers
including the Newark Star Ledger. Ms. Maccia
was chief copywriter for Films for the Humanities
and Sciences of Princeton, a major supplier of
educational films to the high school and university
markets. At this position she also handled Spanish
language film acquisitions. She has worked for the
New Jersey Council for the Humanities as a public
relations writer.
http://movies.aol.com/celebrity/tracy-letts/42037/main
http://poetry.poetryx.com/poems/784/
Books and publications
August: Osage County Playbill, ©2008 Playbill Incorporated
Adult Children: The Secrets of Family Dysfunction, John C. Friel Ph.D, Linda Friel M.A.
American Outback: The Oklahoma Panhandle in the Twentieth Century (Plains Hostories), Richard Lowitt
Feminist Research on Mothers and Illegal Drugs (1).: An Article from: Resources for Feminist Research, Susan Boyd (digital, July 28,
2005)
Smart Choices: A Practical Guide for Making Better Decisions, John S. Hammond, Ralph L. Keeney, Howard Raiffa
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