PTSD

Some of these effects are strangely similar to how a few of our characters are acting. Interesting read. I've highlighted some interesting parts. Enjoy

Dealing With Trauma Frightening Events Can Have Lasting Effects		Find ANY word Find ALL words Find EXACT phrase
	Imagine seeing a fellow soldier killed by a roadside bomb. Or searching through the rubble of the World Trade Center for survivors. Or being sexually assaulted. You’re probably even trying to push those images out of your head as you read this. Some people find it impossible to stop thinking about traumatic experiences. They may have recurring nightmares. Fear and anxiety could begin to interfere with every aspect of life. It was called Soldier’s Heart in the Civil War. Since then, it’s gone by such names as Shell Shock, Battle Fatigue and Post-Vietnam Syndrome. Now we call it post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. And we know that it affects people other than those who’ve been to war. Anyone who’s been through an experience that involved physical harm or the threat of it can develop PTSD. Causes include mugging, rape, torture, child abuse, car accidents and natural disasters. After a trauma, you may startle easily and be constantly on guard. You might become emotionally numb or lose interest in things you used to enjoy. You may have trouble feeling affectionate. You could become irritable, aggressive or even violent. It’s common to avoid situations that remind you of the incident and to have trouble sleeping. These normal responses to horrific events usually become better over time. Most people don’t forget what has happened to them, but they can eventually put the incident in the back of their minds. They carry on with their day-to-day lives and don’t go on to develop PTSD. For some people, however, the symptoms don’t fade away. Their anxieties become so overwhelming that they are no longer able to focus on their daily lives. “Not all traumatic responses are PTSD,” says Dr. Meena Vythilingam of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). “It becomes PTSD in a small subgroup, when these symptoms persist over a month, cause extreme distress or interfere with the ability to function at work, school or home.” People with PTSD can’t stop thinking about the traumatic experience during the day and have nightmares about it when they sleep. Some people actually relive the event by vividly re-experiencing the sounds, smells or feelings of the original trauma. These are called flashbacks. Memories, thoughts, feelings or even flashbacks of a trauma can be triggered by ordinary things, such as a door slamming or a car backfiring on the street. To avoid being reminded of the trauma, people with PTSD might refuse to talk about it and stop going places that remind them of it. PTSD is considered a chronic anxiety disorder. It affects both men and women. Men are more likely to be exposed to traumatic events, and about 5-6% of them develop PTSD. Women are more likely to develop PTSD after being exposed to a traumatic event, however, with 8-14% developing PTSD. The chance of developing PTSD is highest after sexual trauma.

Icarus

The Story Of Icarus - Brief and sweet

Its a bit different because Daedalus was trying to protect his son where as Jack told him to jump knowing it would hurt him.

The Story

Icarus' father, Daedalus, a talented and remarkable Athenian craftsman, attempted to escape from his exile in the palace of Crete, where he and his son were imprisoned at the hands of King Minos, the king for whom he had built the Labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur (half man, half bull). Daedalus, the superior craftsman, was exiled because he gave Minos' daughter, Ariadne, a clue in order to help Theseus, the enemy of Minos, survive the Labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur.

Daedalus fashioned two pairs of wings out of wax and feathers for himself and his son. Before they took off from the island, Daedalus warned his son not to fly too close to the sun, nor too close to the sea. Overcome by the giddiness that flying lent him, Icarus soared through the sky curiously, but in the process he came too close to the sun, which melted the wax. Icarus kept flapping his wings but soon realized that he had no feathers left and that he was only flapping his bare arms. And so, Icarus fell into the sea in the area which bears his name, the Icarian Sea near Icaria, an island southwest of Samos.

Gun License/NY Gun laws.

I found this website that feature a whole slew of gun laws for New York state as well as some NYC laws on gun ownership.
The website also features examples of what an NY gun license looks like today. I'm still trying to find out if one from 1990 looks any diferent.
Hopefully this helps the prop group as well as the Jacks.


http://www.ocshooters.com/Gen/nyslegal.htm

Hair

http://www.marieclaire.com/hair-beauty/trends/articles/celebrity-hairstyles-photos

There are some great pictures of some 90's hair for women at the beginning of that.

This one is even better:
 http://www.beautyriot.com/hairstyles/90s-hair-loves-amp-loathes-g6329

Obviously these are far more manicured and perfect than our characters might have but I think these could help to get an idea of what your character might be inspired by in their do.  I think I'll be trying out this one for Peggy:
http://www.beautyriot.com/hairstyles/90s-hair-loves-amp-loathes-g6329-page8.

:] good luck!

Sibling Rivalry and Youngest Child Behavior

Youngest Child Behavior:

http://www.modernmom.com/article/youngest-child-behavior

*This article is great because it addresses a lot of personality traits that Jeanann has: the youngest child typically gets the least attention from the family so he/she will often show an obvious fight for power. The youngest child can also often be the most different of the children. For instance, Jeanann would rather join the air force and be like Daddy than adapt "girly" traits like Maureen and Peggy.








Are You Still Dealing with Your Older Sibling?:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/redefining-stress/200811/are-you-still-dealing-your-older-sibling

** This article comes with a series of questions that I think Maureen, Peggy, Jeanann, Jason, Irene, and Bernice should fill out** 

1. Which of you has been the smartest? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

2. Which of you has made the better grades? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

3. Which of you has been the better athlete? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

4. Which of you has been more popular? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

5. Which of you has been the better charmer? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

6. Which of you has been better looking? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

7. Which of you has received the most honors? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

8. Which of you has been the luckiest? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison? 

Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

9. Which of you has been the most successful? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

10. Which of you has had the best of everything? ______________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

11. Which of you has been Father's favorite? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

12. Which of you has been Mother's favorite? ________________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

13. Which of you was liked the most by the family? _____________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

14. Which of you has been given the most praise? ______________
How do you feel about that comparison?
Intense (S) Significant (A) Aware (N) No emotions

15. Which of you has been given the most things? ______________
How do you feel about that comparison?

Blood Amount

The human body blood amount is about 7% of its body weight. This means someone weighing 155 pounds would have approximately 5.5 quarts of blood. This is also nearly 1.5 gallons. Something to consider when we hear there is a lot of blood in the bag sloshing around.

I can't find the amount of blood that is in a pig or a dog but if I am to base it off of size I imagine they would both hold less blood.

I mention this because its mentioned there is a lot of blood in the bag. This causes me to be more suspicious of the idea that there is in fact a human in the bag. Up or interpretation but food for thought.

Psychology Definitions

Hey guys I found a website with a bunch of definitions of different psychological tendencies that I think apply to a lot of the characters. Yes the URL is ridiculous but take a look I think there is some stuff in there that is really informative of how these people think.

Projection is defined in there too.

http://www.winning-teams.com/definitions.html

Sexual Abuse

Taylor’s research into physical and emotional abuse spurred me to consider the effects of Peggy’s abusive marriage on her. In Peggy’s case, Jason references that “…husbands rape their wives.” However, Maureen expresses Peggy’s portrayal of the scenario as “The day he beat you and you made love to him afterwards.” According to the NYC rape laws:

“”Lack of consent" is defined in New York State's Penal Law as occurring in the following circumstances:

Forcible Compulsion:

• actual physical force.
• the threat of physical force, expressed or implied, that puts the victim in fear of being physically harmed or of another person being physically harmed (e.g. one’s child).
• the threat to kidnap the victim or a third person.

or

“Some Factor Other Than Incapacity to Consent: Rape 3 and Criminal Sexual Act 3 have recently been modified with a "no means no" clause. In cases of intercourse only, if the victim expressed that he or she did not consent to the sex act in such a way that a reasonable person would have understood those words or acts as expressing lack of consent, this would be prosecutable as Rape in the third degree or Criminal Sexual Act in the third degree. This makes a case easier for the District Attorney to prosecute because it is based on a reasonable person standard, and not on the specific interpretation of a defendant.”

http://www.svfreenyc.org/survivors_legal.html

            Peggy probably qualifies as a rape victim under both of these categories but she chooses to just leave her husband rather than prosecute. However, this does mean that she is a rape and physical abuse victim so what was already mentioned in Taylor’s blog about emotional and physical abuse still applies. I also looked up and attached some information regarding common effects of rape on the victim.

“The four major symptoms of Rape-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are:

• Re-experiencing the trauma (uncontrollable intrusive thoughts about the rape)
• Social withdrawal
• Avoidance behaviors (a general tendency to avoid any thoughts, feelings, or cues)
• Irritability, hostility, rage and anger

and

According to NCPTSD: "Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common reaction following sexual assault.

Symptoms of MDD can include a depressed mood, an inability to enjoy things, difficulty sleeping, changes in patterns of sleeping and eating, problems in concentration and decision-making, feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and decreased self-esteem."

"NVAWS strongly confirms the negative mental health and social costs of rape victimization. Of those raped since age 18, 33 percent of the female rape victims and 24.2 percent of the male victims said they received counseling from a mental health professional as a direct result of their most recent rape ... The survey found that 19.4 percent of the female victims and 9.7 percent of the male victims raped as adults said their victimization caused them to lose time from work." National Violence Against Women Survey”

http://www.ibiblio.org/rcip//ptsd.html

        

As for the rest of the family I wonder if they’ve noticed a change in her or not? I wonder how noticeable the differences are and how long she’s been dealing with this abuse.

For More info:

http://mystorymyshame.blogspot.com/2006/04/effects-of-rape.html

 

The Drama Triangle

This article explains the Drama Triangle in depth:

http://www.mental-health-today.com/articles/drama.htm



So does this article:

http://www.nancycarterlcsw.com/DramaTriangle.html

Abusive Relationships.

In the play, there are a lot of abusive relationships (both verbal and physical) so here is some information and a few links that explains the psychology and dynamics of abusive relationships.


Understanding the Dynamics of Abusive Relationships:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/enlightened-living/200807/understanding-the-dynamics-abusive-relationships

      *This article details abusive relationships in a marriage or romantic partnership (Irene and Jack)
      * My favorite quote of the article explains that abuse usually happens when he/she feels the need to  be          
         more dominant and in control. (Power struggle/ fulfilling the need to have an impact on the world):
         quote: "S/he also has little sense of his/her own social value, but makes an effort to establish that  
                    value by losing him/herself to the demand for submission."
        


        * All the characters are selfish, abusive, and express "love" in different ways. This article makes 
          sense of all of these things.




Other Links: 


This article talks about physical abuse and references the Drama Triangle: 


http://psychcentral.com/library/id88.html




This article covers Emotional and Verbal Abuse: 


http://compassionpower.com/emotional%20abuse%20verbal%20abuse.php

Pig's Original Production

Here is a picture of the original production of Pig. Thought you guys would like to see this to get a feel of the different costuming options we have.

Finast Supermarket

Hey, Guys!

I was looking up information on what working at Finast is like for employees and I found a facebook group for past Finast employees to reconnect and share memories of working there. Based on what past employees are saying, I have gathered that its a fun, safe environment to work in. I also learned that a lot of people had their first jobs there (In the case of Jeanann, I think this applies).

The link: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=94951428222&v=wall


I couldn't find anything about what workers at Finast were usually paid and what their benefits are, but I found a website that details the conditions of working in a grocery store.

Link: http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs024.htm

Mirror Neurons and JJ Abrams

I found these to videos we talked about and thought I'd post them. Enjoy!

http://www.ted.com/talks/j_j_abrams_mystery_box.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_shaped_civilization.html


-Andrea

Rules of Engagement

Also, this may sound pathetic but I did not know how to play Charades. So I looked up an eHow. If you are "special" like me, this is how to do it.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2485_play-charades.html

Dial-A-Ride is a real thing!

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=dial+a+ride+nyc&fb=1&gl=us&hq=dial+a+ride&hnear=New+York,+NY&cid=11318930874686459225

Ashley

King of Queens

Hey Guys!

I found this podcast. It is free episodes of King of Queens.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/king-of-queens-podcast/id318628727

Surround yourself with it!

Ashley

For Jason

Most recent episode of THIS AMERICAN LIFE :

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/429/will-they-know-me-back-home

It is easy to forget that Jason is a returning soldier. And that Jack, too, was in the military. This means there is a high probability that both of these guys have seen things most humans in the USA would never, ever be able to handle. These stories are written by returning soldiers - read by actors.

- Matt

EVERYONE PLEASE READ

There has been a change to the schedule :

On WEDNESDAY, you will come to class (Studio A) as normal - we will begin beating the show. Come with a few suggested SUPER OBJECTIVES for your character, as well as a suggestion for a UNIFYING OBJECTIVE. I will see you in class on Wednesday, now.

On FRIDAY, I will NOT be in class - instead, you will go to the Motion Capture Lab, and then continue beating the show. STUDIO A IS NOT FREE on Friday

hope that makes sense

see you on Wednesday !

matt

Union Book

I didn't know what a union book was, and it's very important to Jack - it's "what's been keepin' you [Jeanann] alive those fifteen years." Here's what I found out:

When someone joined a union in the mid-20th century, they would get a union book: a book with lots of blank pages. Every month that you pay your union dues, you get a stamp, and so it records your membership with the union. It says what position you have in the union, i.e. what job you fulfill, and when you started with the union. However, these days it is not a book with stamps but a card - but the text of PIG dictates that it is an actual book.

Peace Corps

Just a little back ground on the Peace Corps for everyone:

The Peace Corps is an organization sends people out "to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries." (Peace Corp Mission Statement) They were founded in the 1960s under President Kennedy and have3 goals:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

I have had the good fortune to know a number of people who have served in the Peace Corp and they have explained to me the basics of being a member.

Firstly, your contract is for 2 years (though sometimes due to war or illness you can leave earlier) and you are sent to an impoverished part of the world to live with the people and help them. Many times you are given training and have a set goal (ie build a well, rebuild houses). There are different positions, but on your first time out usually you are alone with your village and without contact with others. Of course this varies from case to case.

The interesting thing I find about Maureen is that she wants to join the Peace Corp instead of Amri Corp or other organizations where she could help in the same way. I suspect this is for to reasons:

1. The Peace Corps works internationally so she would be very far away.
2. She refers to working in a village so probably there would be no direct communication with her family.

So maybe she is drawn to this work partly because she would have a legitimate excuse not to interact with her family? Not that she doesn't also want to help people, but limited communication may be a factor.

Also, I wonder how she suspects her village would treat her? Does she think she will be welcomed and showered with praise? Or does she expect to start from the bottom up?

I feel like both these could be possibilities and the answers could vastly affect the character.

Butchered Pig

Hey guys its Chris posting from 35,000 feet.

I found some photos through out the week of what chunked butchered pig would look like. I figured this was something to consider since Santos talks about how the "pig" in the bag is butchered unusually and not chunked up like he seems accustomed to. Take a look, yea its kinda gross but definitely something to be aware of.

disfunctional Families

Jordan here. So I loved Mike's examples of dysfunctional families. I recently watched a movie called City Island that I think will provides us with some great examples of life in New York, a variation of the Queens accent, secrets and lies of a family, and finding the truth in the humor. This family is horrible, but it's funny because their are people like this.

City Island(it might be on Netflix)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1174730/

- Jordan 

Tammy Ryan

I thought that it might be interesting to look up our playwright for some helpful information. And I found that she has her own website:

http://www.tammyryan.net/

All of her plays are listed there, as well as her Bio, which I will copy/paste at the end of this post.

From this website I learned that "Pig" was filmed for the Lincoln Center Archives. Did anybody go watch it while they were there? Just curious.

Also from her Bio, I gathered that she is currently working on a commission for the International Culture Lab, called "Lindsey's Oyster." After some further research on the ICL, it became clear what kind of plays Ryan writes. The ICL Website says it best:

"We believe that as artists representing the United States, we have a responsibility to both contextualize and promote the diversity of culture, using our art to encourage, celebrate and learn from cultural difference. To that end, ICL collaborates with artists from other countries, promoting the rich examination of the shared human condition that can occur when multiple points of view come together."

http://www.intlculturelab.org
(Some really interesting stuff that is worth looking at.)

Although "Pig" was not written for the ICL, I think there is something to be said about what purpose her plays are written for, and therefore what purpose our performance must fulfill. Its important to know what piece you are in.

Here's the Bio:

Tammy Ryan's plays have been produced and developed across the country at such theaters as The Alliance Theater Company, Florida Stage, People's Light and Theater Company, Philadelphia Theater Company, Playwrights Theater of New Jersey, City Theater and elsewhere.

She has received the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Creative Achievement Award, The Heinz Endowment's Creative Heights Grant and fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Sewanee Writers Conference. Her writing for young audiences has twice won the National Playwriting for Youth Bonderman Award for THE GIFT OF THE PIRATE QUEEN and THE MUSIC LESSON which also received the American Alliance of Theater in Education's Distinguished Play Award and was a finalist for the Christopher Brian Wolk Award.

Other plays include PIG (29th Street Rep), THE BOUNDARY (University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theater), DARK PART OF THE FOREST (Premiere Stages), IN THE SHAPE OF A WOMAN, BABY'S BLUES, THE GIFT OF THE PIRATE QUEEN, FBI GIRL (THE REP), and LOST BOY FOUND IN WHOLE FOODS which received a Seed Award from the Sprout Fund last year in support of its development at Bricolage Theater's In The Raw series. It was further developed at The New Harmony Project, The Lark Center for Play Development and the National Network of New Plays 2009 National Showcase of Plays, and is scheduled for a co-production with the Playwrights Theater of New Jersey and Premiere Stages in the fall.

Currently Ryan is working on a commission for International Culture Lab, entitled LINDSEY'S OYSTER to be produced at the Kitchen in Ithaca, NY, Irondale Ensemble in NYC and garagistanbul in Turkey in 2011.

-Kyle

Personal War Stories

Hello All!

I've found a couple of great websites that have an index of detailed personal interviews with real Korean War Veterans. For characters like Jack, Irene, George, Bernice, and even Santos maybe (the people that lived through this war), these details could come in handy. Even if they were not in the war, these are the stories they would have been hearing about.

http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/memoirs/index.htm

I recommend the stories of:

Joe Brown

George W. Curtis

George Dawson

Ralph David Fly

Doyle Rowell

Glenn B. Schroeder

Dana Smith

and Tony Ybarra

(These are all the Navy guys. But of course if you are interested, there are others.)

Hope you find this helpful!

- Kyle

Flight School

In the play, Jeanann talks about flight school (specifically Academics of Flight). I researched it and found the website for the flight school Jeanann wants to attend.

http://academicsofflight.com/aof2/index.htm

It is a Worldwide Aviation Training School that has been around since 1976 and is located at 4612 Queens Blvd. Long Island City, New York 11104.  It is a FAA 141 approved school which means the Federal Aviation Administration approved school that is a 141 program more structured that other aviation schools/programs. 

The requirements to get a certificate from this school have obviously changed throughout the years because currently you have to be at least of 23 years of age among other requirements. 

-Zanny

29th Street Repertory Review

Hello All! 

I just found a review of the Play when it was done by the 29th Street Repertory, directed by Tim Corcoran in September 1996. I think its a pretty good review; it gives you a good feel of how the show was received and what it should look like. Take a look:



"A CurtainUp Review


Pig


A Bleak House of Horrors



Pig is not a night-on-the-town show. It's a gut-wrenching, teeth-clenching drama about a family no politician will want to hold up as an example of family values. The setting is in one of those New York City working class sections in Queens that have come to symbolize urban rednecks living in cramped aluminum sided houses with handkerchief-sized lawns. The time is Labor Day 1990, four months before the Gulf War, with the return of a long-absent son the catalyst for airing the always simmering but never discussed tensions in a family that outdoes the dysfunctional family in Shepard's Buried Child. Instead of having a dark secret buried in the backyard, the son comes to the annual Robinson family barbecue to bury his own secret, a mysterious pig in a black garbage bag.

Like other dramas of disillusion and family discord this one has its share of humor, provided primarily by the family matriarch and her childless sister--and most of it harsh, for playwright Tammy Ryan's vision is, to put it mildly, grim.. Even before the house becomes dark and the two senior Robinsons make their appearance, we know from looking at Sal Perrotta's straggly backyard set that this is not a happy place. With each member of the clan we meet the depth of the family's problems become more apparent, along with the realization that their accumulated emotional baggage is going to blow up. 



Of the nine people-- whose story unfolds so explosively, there are several who offer some relief from this doomed vision of contemporary life. Bernice O'Connor, the aunt, movingly portrays her love for her husband. A Hispanic neighbor, displays an admirable blend of courage, reason and fear. And Jeanann Robinson is still young to dream of literally flying--though after this barbecue she is no longer unwounded. Can she get away, and perhaps pull her sisters along with her? Go and see this uniformly well-acted and directed play and see what you think. But do it soon. Pig runs through Oct. 12th only



PIG


By Tammy Ryan


Directed by Tim Corcoran


With Paula Ewin, Ronda Music, Robert Suttile, Leo Farley, 
Karen Philips, Thomas Wehrle, Moira MacDonald,
Frank Rodriguez, Susan Wisdom 


29th St. Repertory, 212 W. 29th St., (465-0575)


9/12/96-10/12/96 


Reviewed 9/30--Elyse Sommer"



http://www.curtainup.com/pig.html



-Kyle

Tammy Ryan: Bio/Current Work

Hello All! I thought that it might be interesting and helpful to research the playwright and look at her other works and what she up to now. And I found that she has her own website with all of this information on it:

http://www.tammyryan.net/

From looking at this website I found that PIG was filmed for the Lincoln Center Library Archive. Did anybody go watch it while they were there? Just out of curiosity.

I also found that Ryan is now working on a commission for the International Culture Lab. In further research of the ICL, the type of plays that Ryan writes becomes clear. The ICL website best describes their mission:

“We believe that as artists representing the United States, we have a responsibility to both contextualize and promote the diversity of culture, using our art to encourage, celebrate and learn from cultural difference. To that end, ICL collaborates with artists from other countries, promoting the rich examination of the shared human condition that can occur when multiple points of view come together.”

http://www.intlculturelab.org/

(Some interesting things to investigate)

Although PIG was not written for the International Culture Lab, I think that Ryan working for them currently, reveals something about all of her plays. For us, it gives us a bigger picture to fit into. It is important to know what piece you are in.

Here is her Bio:

“Tammy Ryan's plays have been produced and developed across the country at such theaters as The Alliance Theater Company, Florida Stage, People's Light and Theater Company, Philadelphia Theater Company, Playwrights Theater of New Jersey, City Theater and elsewhere.

She has received the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Creative Achievement Award, The Heinz Endowment's Creative Heights Grant and fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Sewanee Writers Conference. Her writing for young audiences has twice won the National Playwriting for Youth Bonderman Award for THE GIFT OF THE PIRATE QUEEN and THE MUSIC LESSON which also received the American Alliance of Theater in Education's Distinguished Play Award and was a finalist for the Christopher Brian Wolk Award.

Other plays include PIG (29th Street Rep), THE BOUNDARY (University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theater), DARK PART OF THE FOREST (Premiere Stages), IN THE SHAPE OF A WOMAN, BABY'S BLUES, THE GIFT OF THE PIRATE QUEEN, FBI GIRL (THE REP), and LOST BOY FOUND IN WHOLE FOODS which received a Seed Award from the Sprout Fund last year in support of its development at Bricolage Theater's In The Raw series. It was further developed at The New Harmony Project, The Lark Center for Play Development and the National Network of New Plays 2009 National Showcase of Plays, and is scheduled for a co-production with the Playwrights Theater of New Jersey and Premiere Stages in the fall.

Currently Ryan is working on a commission for International Culture Lab, entitled LINDSEY'S OYSTER to be produced at the Kitchen in Ithaca, NY, Irondale Ensemble in NYC and garagistanbul in Turkey in 2011.”

Bankbook

So I have never seen a bankbook before so I got interested in what it looked like and really how and why it is used here is what I found. 


The clear definition of a bankbook is  a book held by depositors at certain banks, in which the bank enters a record of deposits, withdrawals, and earned interest. It is also called a passbook. Traditionally, a passbook is used for accounts with a low transaction volume, such as a savings account. The bank teller or postmaster writes, by hand, the date and amount of the transaction, the updated balance, and enter his or her initials. In the late 20th century, small dot matrix or inkjet printers were introduced to update the passbook at the account holder's convenience, either at an automated teller machine or a passbook printer, either in a self-serve mode, by post, or in a branch.


Here are some images:
http://www.bthc.org/images/bthc_bankbook_newtown_1.JPG
http://www.billgothard.com/images/bankbook.jpg

-Zanny

Dance Video Links

Just a few links to videos of people doing the various dances mentioned on pages 44-45 for anyone who's interested. I found them helpful.

Rumba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk5qfkYdBbo&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imrpmkdrmuM

Cha-cha:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojbb9ofPIuA

Tango:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Z12LzMTvU

Hustle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVZ_L0qPCz8

Pig, Dog, or what?

I'm kind of curious as to what really is in that garbage bag's of Jason's.

Since we never get any definitive answer, and since we never see the contents of the bag, it's clear that Tammy Ryan wants it to be ambiguous, but to my mind it's not just between a pig and a dog.

Yes, Jason says it's a pig, and yes Santos says it looks like a dog, but is he necessarily telling the truth? There's a recurring undertone of cannibalism throughout the play. The whole family cannibalizes itself; there's a reference to cannibals when Jack talks to Maureen about the Peace Corps, and as Maureen says to Jack, " 'them cannibals' are more humane than you are." I'm not saying that it definitively is a chopped up human corpse that Jason got duped into buying, but I think the possibility is there. If nothing else, it just adds another level of surreal creepiness to the whole play. Add to that the fact that when Jason dies, he falls into the roasting pit, and I'd say the cannibalism motif is pretty unarguable.

I just think that's kind of interesting. Also interesting: you can actually check out Jamaica Avenue and 118th Street on Google maps street view (where Jason bought the pig) and oh boyyy is it sketchy. In all the best ways.

I'd be interested to hear what you guys think about the garbage bag thing.

Charades

I got interested in the subject of charades in the play so I was researching about it and I found a video on a "how to" of charades.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k046eyTqjo&feature=related

so more interesting charades videos….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8bF1ZR6Is0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tMzFqgoirs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJNiRxDuG3I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz2zrjCLnz0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV_b822xw7Y

-Zanny

Job Research

I thought I'd look into what sort of jobs the characters in the play have.

Jeanann says she works at Finast. Finast was a supermarket brand (the name originates from an acronym for First National Stores Inc.) that was absorbed into the Edwards brand in the mid-90's.

Bernice works as a dispatcher for the Fifty-Fifty cab company, which simply means that she contacts cabs by radio to tell them where to go to pick up a customer. Beginning in the 1950's a two-way radio system was developed where frequencies were licensed in pairs by cab companies, one frequency for the dispatcher to talk to the cabs, and another for the cabs to talk back to the dispatcher. This system is still widely used.

Jack talks a lot about being close to losing his job; a big merger is mentioned a couple times and it's implied that he's been working for the same company for a while (Bernice mentions that Jack has seniority). I've been having trouble finding exactly what his job is, but he's clearly a member of a union; a union that one might assume is declining in influence since Jack seems disillusioned with its ability to protect him. This may be because by the 1990's union demographics had shifted radically in the demographics they represented. To quote the Economic History Association, "By then, the most unionized workers were no longer the white male skilled craftsmen of old. Instead, they were nurses, parole officers, government clerks, and most of all, school teachers." Jack probably fits the description of 'white male skilled craftsman,' in which case his concern over his career is probably justified.
(Link: http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/friedman.unions.us)

Roasting of the PIG

So I got really interested in figuring out how to actually roast a pig since we never actually get to do in the course of the play.  So hear's some things I have found. The link below is an intense guide on how to properly roast a pig as told by the "meatman".

http://www.askthemeatman.com/roasting_a_whole_hog_in_3_steps.htm

And here's a video I found of people roasting one. The most interesting thing about it is seeing them stuff the dead pig in the kitchen with all these vegetables and such.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ni1L5sgU-o&feature=related

equator crossing images

So I loved the facts about crossing the equator rituals that Michael provided. I found an interesting visual collection of these ludicrous going-ons. The images might help our Jason and Jacks with subtext and imagery.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/g/a/2009/09/23/crossingequator.DTL&object=%2Fc%2Fpictures%2F2009%2F09%2F22%2Fba-equator33_0500627657.jpg

Jordan

Dysfunctional Family

This was the first family that popped into my head during the first read!

Married With Children with Ed O Neil

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuTPsvJVH0k&feature=BF&list=PL80E5C843B4C94636&index=38

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spIrhYfwi5c&feature=BF&list=PL80E5C843B4C94636&index=39

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kxQT_Jkvsk

George's Heart?

So, perhaps George has a weak heart that, through a tramautic event in his past, developed into claustrophobia? That could be a good explanation, except for a really interesting comment that I think shows an even deeper mental problem. Page 28, to Jason: "Hey, do you get claustrophobia out in the middle of the ocean? Would affect me the same being at the bottom of the ocean. Being out in the middle of the ocean. I'd go crazy." This line suggests not claustrophobia, a fear of closed in spaces, but rather the opposite: agoraphobia, or fear of wide open spaces (also means fear of public places). So perhaps he has both phobias?

In light of this comment and George's panic attacks, I don't think George has just claustrophobia. He says "Get me out of here, I can't breathe" outside on the patio of Queens, hardly an enclosed space. However, you can infer from this that the play takes place in a kind of prison, a world that George gets caught in and shot in, one created by the attitudes of Jason and his family towards each other. But medically, I think George has a weak heart, a tendency towards anxiety, and tramautic events (perhaps in his childhood?) that have made him live cautiously for his entire life. He abhors excitement and probably does as much as he can to escape potentially anxiety-causing situations. This is identified as claustrophobia, but the triggers can come from anywhere: Jason's gun, the wide open ocean, etc. - it really doesn't have anything to do with physically being in an enclosed space, it's simply the powerless feeling that he is in an enclosed space, created by the anxiety in his mind and the weakness in his heart.

Source:

Causes of claustrophobia:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/269093-what-are-the-causes-of-claustrophobia/

Symptoms of claustrophobia:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/98071-claustrophobia-symptoms/

Brian

The problem with George

Hey guys,

I've been trying to diagnose George's condition, and what exactly is wrong with him, because there are some contradictions in the text that need to be worked out. I'll lead you through my thought process so you can see where the ambiguities are.

First, Bernice says that George has claustrophobia, and George's dialogue during his panic attack(s?) suggests this too: "Get me out of here," "I can't breathe," "I gotta get outta here," etc. These are all typical symptoms of claustrophobia.

Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong website has a lot of really good information on anxiety disorders, including claustrophobia. It says that claustrophobia presents itself in 3 ways: anxiety-related, physical, and cognitive. Anxiety-related is simply anxiety caused in a claustrophobic person, "when triggered by certain situations or by just thinking about it." Physical symptoms are usually a result of the anxiety reaching a tipping point. They start with an increased heart rate, sweating, and possibly heart palpitations; increased anxiety results in trembling, nausea, and in the most extreme cases, chest pain, vomiting, a feeling of choking, and a series of hot and cold flashes. Finally, cognitive symptoms are fears of losing control and dying, a loss of empowerment in the mind, that is caused by severe anxiety.

I think it would be interesting to play with all 3 of these with George - is he so claustrophobic that he is in a constant state of anxiety throughout the whole show, and the physical/cognitive only get triggered by Jason's actions? Or maybe he is able to control his phobia, but not under these extreme circumstances? And where exactly is the triggering point for him?

Now, the problem is that there are contradictions to the claustrophobia diagnosis in the text. George says "I almost went to 'Nam. But I got a heart condition," referring to the 4-F deferment given to physically/mentally unstable men during the Vietnam War draft. But as far as I can see from the research, heart conditions don't cause claustrophobia - except in the case of panic disorders. According to LiveStrong, a panic disorder is characterized by "unexpected periods of fear accompanied by symptoms, which can include weakness, fainting, heart racing, dizziness, sweating, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, abdominal distress, chest pain and hot flashes... People who experience these episodes while being in an enclosed space may develop claustrophobia."

Brian

The claw

Information on Arthritis (Jack's Hand).

http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/arthritis/symptoms/what-arthritis-feels-like.htm

http://www.orthop.washington.edu/PatientCare/OurServices/Arthritis/Articles/FrequentlyAskedQuestionsaboutArthritis2.aspx

Mike

Gun Control

Hello All! This is a link to a website that spells out all the Gun Control Laws of the United States in chronological order. It's a nice little timeline, that I think some of the characters should be aware of. Enjoy!

http://usgovinfo.about.com/blguntime.htm

Kyle

Military History

The show's time period is listed as the day before Labor day, 1990, four months before the Gulf War.

This of course refers to the US's direct involvement in the war, or Operation Desert Storm. The war began on August 2nd of 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. At this time, the US immediately declared its intention to protect the safety of Saudi Arabia and began Operation Desert Shield: the build-up of military forces in Iraq's neighboring country to the south.

On January 17th of 1991 (a little over four months after Labor Day) when Saddam Hussein failed to withdraw troops, the coalition army of over 28 UN countries entered the Gulf War in Kuwait's defense, led by the US bombing of Baghdad. This effort was called Operation Desert Storm.

The USS America (which Jason was serving on) was active in both Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm (It was deployed in December). Her last major military operation before this was in Libya in 1986--presumably Jason wouldn't even have been out of training at this point. His time spent on the USS America was therefore quite uneventful, boarding the ship while it was harbored in Virginia between 1986 and 1988 and then operating along the East Coast and in the Caribbean for the rest of that year.

The only noteworthy operation of the America's that Jason might have participated in would be the evacuation of the US embassy in Lebanon (1989).

As for Jack, on page 41 he says he was on the USS Smalley stationed in the Persian Gulf in 1956.

According to the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships however, the USS Smalley spent all of 1956 cruising the Caribbean followed by some yard period.

In short, both Jason and Jack apparently spent a good deal of their time "cruising the Caribbean." This is certainly no coincidence.

USS America's History:
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a8/america-iii.htm

USS Smalley's History:
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s14/smalley.htm

Gulf War References:
http://arabic-media.com/saddam.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/persian-gulf-war

Thomas

Shellback

HEY GUYS!

So I was looking up what a "shellback" is online and I found this great cite that explains what a pollywog is as well.

A short explanation is a pollywog is someone who is about to cross the equator for the first time or, simply, someone who has not crossed the equator.

A shellback is someone who has crossed the equator before.

A Golden Shellback is someone who has crossed the equator at the 180th meridian.


Here is the link to more detailed information on shellbacks and pollywogs:

http://www.desausa.org/pollywog_to_shellback.htm

Taylor

Taylor Rose's photos

So I posted all of the pictures on my blog because they wouldn't post here. The link is:

http://taylorwithredhair.blogspot.com/


I only posted half of the pictures- expect the other half soon!

Taylor

Dialect

Here is a site for the Queens dialect. Natalie recommended it so the examples seem pretty trustworthy. There are 3 examples of a Queens accent:

http://web.ku.edu/~idea/northamerica/usa/newyork/newyork.htm

Nicky

Sing Song

Barney Cuts out a few lines but here is "The Other Day I Met a Bear":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UEF8FfVIAM


And the lyrics altogether to help follow along:

http://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/imetabear.html


pretty aggressive for a Barney sing-a-long...

Nicky

Read My Lips.

This speech was given two years before the events in PIG :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP9_kkzfN-w

or maybe not...

Or maybe he was being truthful. Check out the Controversy section:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-crossing_ceremony

Exaggeration?

I found this website about Crossing the Equator.
It's possible that Jack might be over stating the magnitude of things he had to do:

http://www.paganspace.net/forum/topics/the-ancient-order-of-the-deep

Reep

Welcome to your Research Blog!

HI

This is where all of your research will need to be posted.

You can post text, pictures and videos

be sure to read EVERYBODY'S posts, not just your own

have fun

matt