Reefer Madness Sally Character Analysis

One of the central characters in Reefer Madness is Sally, who in this production was played by Caroline Kirk. Sally is a bold and sexy character who serves the show by enforcing the stereotype that smoking marijuana turns otherwise good people into sex fiends that don’t take life seriously at all. She plays a central role in turning Jimmy’s life upside when pressuring him into the world of drugs and sex. Such a role requires major commitment and a willingness to be put on display. Sally is powerful and Kirk rose to the challenge with choices that were big enough to make Sally feel real in a musical as “campy” as Reefer Madness. Sally is defined from her very first moment onstage. From her first line “I was in more laps than a napkin”, Kirk
was presenting bold choices. Her vocal register dropped and slowed and immediately there was a strong sense of energy. In this instance, the moment before manifests itself as the night before and that was very clear beyond just the text of the show. While objective is not clear in this moment, the strength and clarity of the moment before and Sally’s apathy to the seriousness of the other characters in the scene works well to create tension. There is a strong tactical shift a few moments later when a new other presents itself to the audience. The crying of Sally’s baby immediately shifts her tone and raises the urgency in her actions. A clear change in objective appears as a result and the emotional impact of the situation is very clear as she becomes highly irritated and bothered by now having to take action. In this instance, her action becomes getting offstage to the baby, whilst running into a lamp along the way there. The continued emotional frustration is a strong choice that shows just how much Sally despises her role as a mother. Sally’s next major presence onstage occurs just before Jimmy enters the Reefer Den.
Sally and Ralph appear playing wild music and smoking before they fall in a fit of ridiculous laughter. This moment is a little less clear and feels a little less genuine that Sally’s previous events onstage. There is no real clear moment before other than the piano session and the implication this has been going on for a bit of time. The objective isn’t very clear and while Sally makes it clear she is using Ralph for the joint he has, there is very little true relationship between them. It isn’t until Sally’s baby cries again that she resumes an objective and emotional state similar to previous. When Mae asks Sally about the baby’s name, Kirk makes the choice to take more apathetic and less irritated approach to answering her question. While this choice works and makes sense, it feels somewhat rehearsed and could be stronger. The addition of a new other, Jimmy propels Sally with a new objective and motivation that leads Kirk back again into stronger choices. Her objective is very clear in these moments: to get Jimmy aroused. Her tactics are clear and bold, involving flirtation, strong physical movements and vocal choices. When Jimmy continues to resist her tactics change from using sex to using marijuana. She begins a song to pressure him into smoking and soon the others in the scene join. Throughout this, she maintains large movements centered on sex and her
power. As the orgy commences Sally begins to truly win at her goal with Jimmy. At this point however, music and dance appear and some of the underlying objective is lost as are the tactical changes. Overall the dance is more emotionally driven. Despite this, Sally’s continued use of tactics remains strong and is effective to the degree that it can be within the song. Sally’s next major appearance comes when Jimmy refuses to turn to God and she comes back to enjoy his company with more drugs and sex back in the Reefer Den. This is the first instance in which Sally’s tactics change. While her initial objective remains the same as previous scenes with Jimmy, her baby is no longer present. Sally’s “I don’t know”, is played to the comedy of the show in that it almost breaks the fourth wall. Kirk manages to keep this is character though by letting the emotional impact of Mae’s question throw her off her otherwise collected and controlled nature. This choice seems a little artificial because the objective behind it isn’t clear, but in the scenes context and the breakaway that follows it works well. Sally’s greatest moment however manifests during the song of murder when her stakes are elevated to a true life or death matter. There is a strong sense of urgency and fear that is highly effective despite the absurdities of the music and dance surrounding the circumstances. Kirk strongly commits to keeping Sally grounded in the reality of the play, which contrasts that of the rest of the cast. Her tactics shift boldly and her actions of desperation toward Jack and Mae are well defined within her objective to get away from Ralph. The clarity and high levels of tension make Kirk’s last moments onstage as Sally the most effective. Overall the performance is strong and well matched to a character as over the top and sexy that Sally is. While certain moments lose their effectiveness to the comedic and musical nature of the show, they remain effective and present. The strongest critique and places for improvement are found in places where obscurities with sex and song can blur the true objective and tactical changes of Sally. In the end, Kirk makes strong choices that ultimately work to bring Sally to life give her an edge that sits comfortably within the realm of the play.