'Summer of the Seventeenth Doll' continued

Re-analysing the text has been enjoyable for I now find the play so much richer in inference and sub-text than I think I appreciated before. Approaching it as an older woman also has altered my perspective compared to when I was closer to Bubba's age. This is an aspect that I think teachers might need to be aware of when they approach it in the classroom. Our students obviously have an adolescent mindset and so helping them develop a personal voice when evaluating the text will need attention if they are not to just rattle off simplistic commentary. Examining what academic analysis I have come across is an eye-opener for some suggest that the bond between Roo and Barney was homosexual or that Olive was utterly dysfunctional or that the male and mateship type focus predominates all other central issues. There have also been glaring errors such as some claiming that the timeframe is only two days when it clearly takes place over months.
Lawler's director notes are very important in clarifying performance, staging and even body language used to convey meaning and so I would pay close attention to these when teaching the text. There are also Lawler's explicit comments from interviews, DVD, and feature articles that assert his intentions and primary thematic concerns. These would be useful in developing thesis arguments and a 'distinctive voices' focus.
Module A responses benefit from showing students exemplar paragraphs to demonstrate how they combine textual analysis, elective focus and personal voice. More than a paragraph about 'voice' within the text is necessary for it must really provide the thesis framework throughout their response.
In writing my chapter on 'the Doll', I will aim to keep focused on this above all else. If students require a synopsis by the end of their study, then they have obviously not read the text well enough. More importantly, it is not what happens in the play that is the focus but why it happens and how is it conveyed via language use.
A dramatic focus is also required, with clear understanding of the intimate connection between audience and what is happening onstage. For this reason, attention to staging, props, lighting and dramatic construction needs to be included because the way in which 'voices' are created and used within the play are linked to how such dramatic devices are incorporated into the fabric of the script. Lawler's directions make clear that such things are adjuncts to the place but are integral features in generating audience connection with people unable to cope with the pressures and demands of change.
Many factors account for the play's iconic status and these need to be programmed into the course of study. Looking at theatre sites that deal with the play may be a good strategy to find ways of clarifying this. Any play is designed as performance theatre and so things like set design, blocking and such like may prompt student appreciation for how the play works in such a compelling way.
It will probably take me another week to finish off this text before moving onto 'Run Lola Run' but I will try to blog more regularly, especially once school resumes.
I will also be posting the TTA topics for 2014 next post but I have had to limit them for this year due to increased school based workshops but more about that next time.
Happy re-term preparation. Whoever said teachers have a lot of holidays obviously never knew about the months of resourcing, programming and unit planning that is required.
Barbara