A Satire of Fire: The Unmentionables Play

I. Thesis Statement

The Unmentionables is a play that reveals intricate thought and compelling dialogue; it demands an unwary mind, and a curious intellect.

II. Overview

1. The Unmentionables is set in western equatorial Africa.

2. The Unmentionables was written by Bruce Norris.

3. The theater company presenting this production is the Yale Repertory Theater.

4. I saw the play at the San Francisco State University Little Little Theater.

5. I saw the show on October 20, 2013, at 2:00 p.m.

6. The ticket cost $8 and I purchased it online.

7. The seat and row number I sat in were Row: L, Seat: 102. I was seated toward the left side of the theater.

8. My friend watched the play with me and he had a similar reaction to me. We were both somewhat surprised and entertained.

III. Plot

The Unmentionables uses the Quest as its plot type. The inciting incident of the Quest is when the fire erupts in the city. The major conflicts in the Quest plot include the fire, the questioning of motives and of identity, and the division among characters. In the Quest plot, the climatic incident is Dave’s disappearance after Jane’s identity has been revealed. The denouement of the play is when the characters must decide about Dave’s life or death.

A strength of the play’s script is credibility. The Unmentionables opens with a bold monologue warning the audience to escape while they still have a chance to do something enjoyable, such as watch cable television. Those in the audience who resist this command are led into the world of satire featuring four Americans hoping to change the world. The fire set at the missionary's home propels a night of painful disillusionment. Each of the characters questions his or her notions of how to help, and their decision making processes are realistic. Credible issues of money, power, and politics explode throughout the play. The stakes increasingly rise until all characters are forced to confront the question of life’s value.

IV. Theme

The moral of the play is that for the vast majority of people in the world, their moral compasses ultimately consist of weak platitudes and vaguely understood historical realities.

V. Characters

In the Unmentionables, Dave is the protagonist. Dave balks at the idea of taking charity from a man whose exploitation of the local resources — human and natural — he finds repulsive. When the protagonist goes missing, it creates a sense of urgency in the play, leading to the climactic moment.

VI. Literary Quality or Diction

Two major literary devices of the script are irony and embellishment. The characters are enveloped in their own personal crises, and in much of the dialogue, we hear the irony of their statements and the embellishments of how hard their struggles truly are. Dave, for example, uses an ironic tone when he is faced with escaping.

VII. Music and Musicality

The background music in the Untouchables helps to create an element of drama. Although it is often subtle, it strengthens the message of the character’s voices when they are speaking, or when a particularly poignant moment in the play arises.

VIII. Spectacle

The format employed by this production is thrust design. The general look of the scenery presented to the audience by designer Cheryl Brodzinsky, including the lights and the setting is one of ominous gloom. The lighting for the play, by J.R. Lederele, using dimming up, dimming down, and floodlighting.

The costuming for the Unmentionables, by Helen Huang, is done with attention to the functions of costume design. The costumes indicate gender and reflect age, establish time and place, and identify occupation or lifestyle. In the play that I saw, the characters are clearly wearing costumes appropriate for their occupation or lifestyle. Nancy and Jane, for example, appear in what looks like typical post 9/11 modern attire.

IX. Convention

One of the conventions we see in the Unmentionables is that of movement. There are also some metaphorical visual elements, such as the scaffolding used to represent buildings.

X. Acting and Directing

The performance of Dave in the Unmentionables stands out. Dave balks at the idea of taking charity from a man whose exploitation of the local human and natural resources he finds repulsive. At the beginning of the play, Dave’s monologue draws the audience ineffectively. Dave’s character is emphatic and employs irony, as well.

The performance of Nancy in the Unmentionables is also of interest, as she too employs irony in her dialogue. Although not as likable as a character, she does hold one’s attention in her attempt at being a young, earnest person with Christian principles. Her character does come off as a do-gooder, and metaphor is used to convey this.

The concept of the play as a tagline for director Friz Freleng might read as: He tried for humanity, and for humanity he lost.

XI. Outstanding Moment

The most outstanding moment in the play to me was when the fire was set. This results in a lot of chaos from the stage, and the characters are in a dire moment. This moment is memorable because it produced a sense of discomfort.

XII. The Event as Theater

“The inner life of the character” being revealed is the definition of theater. The Unmentionables was, in fact, an act of theater as opposed to some other art form. It has an audience, and is performed on the stage. It is also a piece of written literature that is performed. Impersonation in the play is accomplished by the characters, especially Dave at times.

XIII Summary

Essentially, the Unmentionables is a thought-provoking performance that centers around several social issues. The characters are realistic, and the directing is excellent. The play includes both women and men actors who work to have their voices heard, and whose thoughts are not the same.