Clybourne Park Play Analysis

1. Discuss the genre, plot, and theme of this play. The genre of the play is a satire and comedy. The theme of the play is racism, and shows the tensions of both blacks and whites in 1959; and fifty years later. The play begins with a white couple selling their house to the first black couple in the neighborhood. The tension is increased because Russ and Bev have also had a son commit suicide upstairs in the house. Neighbors visit and try to talk Russ out of selling the house. The Second Act is the same house, but fifty years later. A young white couple, Steve and Lindsey, are buying the house from the black owners, Kevin and Lena. Steve and Lindsey are wanting to make major changes that will really result in the destruction of the home. Lena
Did you enjoy the production? Why or why not? I really enjoyed this production. The cast brought a lot of emotion to key lines and brought them to life. The suicide of the son, and the conflict over racism; kept my attention by making me uncomfortable. I wondered what stupid lines certain characters would say to increase the anger. Clybourne Park really made me think about racism. Act I made me feel like I was there in the 1950’s, in a time I really don’t understand. The students at Montevallo did a great job in performing the play and pulling the audience into the story.
3. Which actors did a convincing job? Describe their technique. Meagan Oliver, as Francine and Lena, was very convincing in her roles as maid and homeowner. The contrast between the maid in Act I, and Lena in Act II stood out. She walked and sat differently as Lena. She was high class, respectful and then aggressive when angry. She got into verbal arguments with Steve, Lena and her husband Kevin. She even told an offensive joke in Act II. As a black maid in 1959, she mainly only spoke when spoken to; and said very little to Russ and
Which character would you liked to have played? Why? I think I would have most liked to play the role of Kathy in Act II. Emily Gabhart played the role of Bev in Act I, and the role of Kathy in Act II. I would not have enjoyed the role of Bev as much in Act I, because she seemed to want to not deal with the loss of her son, but Kathy had some great comical lines in Act II about being honest about the suicide in the house (of course not if you wanted to sell the house), and her pink ribbon for breast cancer on her car. The character was so different from what Gabhart played in Act I. She was not one of the four main characters in Act II, but I thought she had some of the best lines. The comedy was needed due to the rising tension of racism in the