Good evening. I'm Nancy fusion and welcome to the playwright's laboratory a joint production of Minnesota Public Radio and the playwright's lab made possible in part with the financial assistance of the Fingerhut Corporation. This is the second in a series of 3 programmes which offers new drama written especially for radio by Minnesota playwrights in just a moment. You'll hear clothes-conscious a close-up conversation for radio by Nancy Beckett the most important part of playwrights laboratory. Is you the audience not only will you have the opportunity to hear the play but afterwards we invite you to join to critics in our Studios to discuss the show. It's important for the dramatist to get an audience response to new material and that goes just beyond determining whether you liked or disliked the play because radio is a unique medium for theater. We'd like your comments on how well the play used radio to convey thoughts ideas plot and character. So with that in mind we nowpresent close conscious by Nancy BeckettNo, no. I could just slap her, you know girl. No not that Solana. It's to femi the light in this room. Couldn't be more terrible if it tries nothing is right for her. How in the world did she get blood stains on these sandals? It's either her mother her body her art. looked at this I've seen her wear it so many times and I never noticed that these were basset hounds that reminds me of my old neighborhood. I feel trapped with lot of the topics always change but there's never any real difference. We should lay out the Vans can see just know she'll want layers of some kind of the impression that this wedding was something of an ordeal. What about the body long plaid skirt. I've never seen this on come to think of it. Oh, it's bad enough when she just wants to go out. It's not an ordeal. She is it's pink and orange. That's why she's never worn it. Martha Lana's not as comfortable with people as you are. She's sensitive to Gatherings of any kind. Are you certain you aren't making more of this than is actually necessary. She loves the attention. I would find it incredible of Lana where to go with anything purple. Maybe the texture would get her though. God knows it's pure speculation Dickie. I'm in favor of scattering things around so we have everything right out there. Now. I think the Hawaiian shirt knotted at the waist would work if she wants to go tongue and cheek with what the Gauzy beige wrap with the tie waist. No, I see too many ties. Well, maybe something else. I think she's been socially autistic this last week and I want to confront her with it. Oh orange ha object sort of stopped where she's laughed them or pile up where she's sitting we'll have to go with how she feels Stripes rosebuds. Whatever. I'm so hot. I've always preferred sweating in a hot tub a hot bath is the perfect condiment to a Restless mind compliment. Perfect complement Carol. lutely What time is it Lana? Well, I'll go to bed. I can't sleep with this stuff strewn all around we gotten anywhere. Well, I put everything into basic color categories. We couldn't do much with you on the phone for 45 minutes. So um, oh this is pretty I like the eyelid on the sleeve caps chords with my shoulders. Look at this stuff will be up all night. This is stupid. This is queer and stupid is it makes any difference? I don't feel sleepy. I'm sort of wound up. I know what'll happen. Well go through this stuff and then I'll get up Saturday and grabbed the first thing I see. What do you think you might wear? You know Kate left that textured maroon flare skirt. The one with the little balls on the sash. Wait, I just saw so go where the pinky on the Shirtwaist I always wear. It's me does my mother would say? Oh, that's Progressive. Great. Does anybody want some iced tea? I'm sugar for me. Give me some credit. Here. It is. I put it on the door. Mmm. I used to like this. How about you? Carol actually is Odd as it may seem I would relish a cup of hot cocoa right about now. You must be part reptile. Do your realize it's about 85 Degrees. I wouldn't mind a glass of Buttermilk either. Yeah. Okay. I'll be right back start the show without me. Why should she care what I wear? Why should she care? If I drink cocoa the to I'm afraid are inextricably connected. I'll try a few of these pants pants would be okay, right? Yeah, but hard it's gonna be a boiler and I I feel tall and pants just try the biggest problem is going to be the shoes. You know, I saw a pair today a Dayton's that were perfect. I mean they were funky Femme a liar. He's I can't get these up the crutches to shallow. Well give them to me. They had a nice macrame canvas upper ISM space-age Buckle sort of almond shape the bottoms had big squishy Souls they were heavy, but sturdy. Well, he's button anyway, They break funny. Oh, look at the Gap in the bag above my butt. No, no there we those blue French ones over there. They looked a lot like other canvas shoes there cept uglier and they made my feet look huge, but they weren't comfortable and expensive. I can never wear them to work. And well you couldn't ride a bike in them or garden now. These aren't bad. Put blue. I don't know I get so sick of solids. Well, it's quite possibly the most conservative base to work from so when do we know big deal is what I ended up thinking. But yeah, so now I have to find something for my Feet Shoes. Throw me a pair from the closet. Would you you should determine shoes after you decide what you want to wear. How did you get blood on these sandals scratchy mosquito bites, I think shoes or a separate thing. They can really do it for you. I think you have a fetish about them. Even blue cotton dress pants will outdistance pink Keanu. I know Keanu is so predigested. These are Martha's pants, which is one baby step to the side of my mother. Really. I wish she would are is a definite tendency towards Maroons and Browns in this collection. But with those pants, I think you could go. Let's see. How about this? You think I'm being a baby? No, that's too severe. No, you just have to focus. What about long sleeves long sleeves. It's no big deal. How about just Green Oh, no green. You've been talking about this trip for a week. I think we can help. There's the geometric print tunic I only wear that to design conferences already. But analytical Martha doesn't understand my problems. She has other problems obviously now I wore this atrocious dress to a wedding One Summer no back to it. My mother made it for me. I'll be wearing this sure cheese. Let me turn on this fan getting warm. I remember the bride an infant princess type creature served ice cream cones with the cake. I can still see these retiring. Yes literally retiring people sucking ice cream cones. It was terrifying. My mother sent you those hand embroidered Underpants didn't she? I used to write her back and tell her that some old woman went blind making them wash them with your jeans and t-shirts how Barbarian do we have? Anything low-cut? I have a matronly scoop summer sweater. That's pretty low a seafoam color. Oh God. No. No, I don't want to go. I'll tell him I don't have the cash to come right now, which is true. Something low-cut would be cool and I'm looking for a job, which is not true. How about a crisscross Danskin? My mother is still giving everybody the silent treatment from Memorial Day. Yeah, there's enough dance because here to choke a horse. So is this person your cousin Larry that you enjoy so much? No, this is his little brother Carl so Yeah, so well, yeah, she's just turned 19 sort of depressing when you think about it. I can just see my Aunt June beaming in a brocade the occasion nearly calls for mind-expanding drugs. Okay. Here you go. Ladies. Wow, you look like you're ready to go swimming. I thought you were going to a wedding. Maybe you decided to go camping for the weekend. if I miss something what about the beige wrap around with that? It's got a stash piece that pulled through it the waste in my twat up. Never mind that she's got a nice waist a long ways and a duck but no no, it's formidable. I mean a strong shape that does it. Okay cat it. Let's see in a minute. Just the dance cannons to Stark to open hold up the round neck Ghazi blouse or know, I know the green. Where is it here? Put it over. Nice length moving it a little uh-huh. So plain and all these pieces might be too busy dance can feel sexy though with my jade earrings directly to the details Carol you something stinks blouse better be washed. It's come from you have to be so nosy. What do those pins at the bottom? You fought these what two years ago? What a waste haven't you ever worn them with my thighs. It takes courage to wear white satin pants tuck that blouse in. Let me reach under here. They remind me of Las Vegas Co I can just let me hold still. Pantyhose though hot Carol. No, I changed my mind and have to shave my legs. Okay, you two, break it up. This skirt requires an absolutely seamless effect besides the blouse is to tailored for the skirt with that. Yo wrap arounds are sporty. Not necessarily true some other blouse have great neck bones. I was going to die that skirt some other color blue maybe darkbloom to throw your rest of your clothes into while you're at it. Why not just died everything navy blue. Why don't you wear a dress? Oh, no Dan skin, but nothing too conservative either God. I got too much work to do. I have to finish my portfolio us not want to if you haven't done it. What we want is some organic Unity to suit the way you feel in that case. Lana would need a Halloween mask and a tutu and maybe some mukluks. Why can't you make simple decision? Look at the leave tomorrow night to get there by noon on Saturday. If I leave with a paper bag over me that will be my problem won't it? And would you turn off that fan? I feel as though something is going to get caught. Yeah. That's nice ever seen there. Where did you get it? I wore it to my mother's funeral in the spring of 77 and then to my father's wedding the following spring warned twice. I've never owned anything. So utterly white. Try it tailored. Yeah. My mother would love this. We could Funk it up on the other hand. You don't want to put out too many messages pin at the most. I think what is that knit? Look at those buttons 85 percent cotton, but it doesn't wrinkle It may be rather warm for now. I love the neckline slope links. Not bad, but it needs a slip. I used to send her roses on my birthday. My reversible vest over. No, that's khaki you'd have to leave this dress alone. Look at the waistline though false funny sit me up feel as though I couldn't smoke a cigarette in this don't what smoked a cigarette in it or scratch mosquito bites or God. I'm sorry. I didn't realize I felt so much. I guess you'd feel better in a skirt of some kind after all. What's the matter don't I look comfortable with my shoulder blades pinched together. She Carol. I didn't realize you were so tiny pink Keanu here. I come I need something. There's the bright turquoise or the Navy silk. Whoops. No navy blue. It may be I have the pure silk pants on but those would be too short for you. I know the real salmon come Ona with those white pants and take that off. They don't think I could handle the stress to you. You gotta be feeling really good or really bad to pull off that dress and frankly Lana. I don't think you can depend on me. I guess I shouldn't have what about the komono fine, but what what see it? Well, I was going to wear the kimono to the dance concert. But if you think you'll fix those pants between now and then I can work out something else. Sure. Certainly. Why does it have to be such a big deal? Oops those pins? It's not a big deal. You are wish. I'm quite sure forget it forgotten how slippery these words fine. I could also wear my tablecloth blouse from the rummage sale, you know, I can wear that I think it's cheap-looking myself. What the kimono why I don't know so bright. What is it? You want the drape defect or sort of a jacket? No, but I was thinking of something roomy what tablecloth top? What about the chin stress with the ties my mother gave that to you. She messed up the bias this teal blue one. Oh, this is nice then put it on. What's your mom going to wear something diminutive fresh and third world? Probably the last convention. They went to she bought a couple of yards of woodcut print hand-woven. No less that sounds Chic not terribly traditional our family is casual but Really consistent? What about your sister-in-law doesn't she wear hippie clothes? She's Christopher's wife. It's a decorative thing with Leslie. They know what does it mean anything? There's a fat seam at the bottom of this blouse. It's just not finished properly. I think I'm getting it. Is there going to be anybody there that you want to see ya my cousin? Klaudia geology and stuff like that completely polyester, but she's happy, you know. Yes, I know so you're not exactly bending over backwards to please her. This won't talk. If I let it hang out to lose the detail in the front of the pants. So would anybody get my tablecloth blahs? No, but my pinky on is the only thing they're going to get except your mother and she can rot. So bottom-heavy I wish I could believe any of this that skirt and blouse is the difference between Donna Reed and Charo. I'm gonna take a bath. I'm afraid that's the trouble of mean. I see it as a matter of believing she's going to look the way she wants to look at right that long plaid skirt. I've never seen you wear that I have to walk slowly. What about dancing continually changes her mind as to what the situation is about. How can you decide on anything that way I find? I understand how I feel after I see how I react to something. So unless you try lots of things. It's impossible to know what you want. I don't want I don't want this is this. Oh, come on, don't sit down. Oh, hey, no, you know what you want and then react to something while it's happening the meanings implied. You've got a through line that way your way is just negative from the Or if you want to show off a pants try something short waisted. Oh, where's my raw silk blouse? But your way doesn't allow for differences. There's a saffron ribbon running through that skirt. How about my peasant shirt? There is nothing got differences here that dress the shoes those pants Mana. What do you see inside your head? What a mess. I've been having these orgasms lately with a recurring fantasy about a dress that I designed. I designed it and made it myself. It's black with a side zipper. There's a green enamel Wishbone pin on the collar and I mean the stress didn't really fit everything the shoulders the bodice the facings life lat the waist pleats up just a few pleats and then down into the sheath, which rustles slightly that's the only sound and I'm Barefoot and I feel beautiful. Are you seeing the dress on or looking at yourself? both sounds good to me. You think so. Yes, are there buttons on the dress or piping? I think it's terrible. I think you're isolated as hell. Why do I bother to put up with my routines? Why do I worry what you think neurotics need an audience. I paid for my ticket. I'm going to stay for the whole show. I didn't ask for your help. I'm taking all this stuff off the show's over. No you didn't ask directly. What do you think? Anybody could possibly ignore you? I'm sick of your scrutiny. I'm sick of pleasing people who have no idea how exhausting it is to be pleased by you. Yeah. Well talking to you as an exercise in Fashions. I just want to be close to you. I'm sweating like a pig. I'm gonna get all this stuff off. Thanks. Anyway, Carol God. I hope I didn't pit it out. We should get the big fan from the hall window and suck some of this dead air out of here. Here's a towel. Do you hate me? No stupid. I love you, but I can't tell you that right now. So get the fan. The bathwater do you want some baby powder? Oh, yeah, please that would be great. Is the reception going to be outside? No one a holiday in Jesus. How pathetic okay, okay, in other words, you can expect it to be air conditioned. There's no dignity in this whole thing. I get it both ways. My mother wonders why she's got such a weird kids because we're no more middle class than she is. No, I can't wear your white dresses. Not me. I'm not simple and direct I try to be but I'm not there yet. Okay. Okay. Okay. So in this case, we either overshoot the affair with saying us silk dress or something or you go Bohemian, right? Yeah. Our bull could be better or not quite either but that's in direct tell it could just be a compromise. Look what I found in your closet. Oh, yeah, I forgot about the raw silk. I wish you were more direct with me. You know, I don't like the way you hold things in its condescending feel that breeze. All along a skirt and blouse would be better. What about Kate's maroon flare with the knobs knew there was something I forgot. It's been hanging on the door the whole time here. Go ahead put it on. Do vacillating. Oh, come on grant me that I take you seriously. I'm not neurotic though. I didn't like that. Well, how do I do this tie at the waist with the balls? We try maybe a Girl Scout knot of some kind. Let's see. It's a problem. I want you to work on I don't ask you often. You know, I don't ask for that many things. It upsets me when you don't think things through more carefully. This is nice I could dance with my Uncle Norman this and that black dress fantasy Martha thought about shoes god. I don't know your reaction to the black dress is an example of you not thinking things through of jumping to conclusions. What color maroon would be best or beige papillary tell by the FAA mollari's? I made that black dress. I designed it. I put it on the whole fantasy is completely controlled by me. So what if it's cosmetic? I feel beautiful. You look very nice. Thanks Carol. I don't have anything of yours though. What about the mob of kangaroos scarf? Yeah, just slip through once like a tie. Yeah. Okay. Okay, um, what now? I need something. I need something. I can't go to this wedding completely straight. You need a secret. You could carry my yellow squirt gun in your classroom. And your mother will look nice comfortable Yep. This is what I wanted to wear. No slip and it's muted but detail of the texture of the shirt to especially with the skirts in solid colors. Don't you feel plane know everything fits? How about these? Oh Carol, these are brand-new. These Underpants are too much even for me to wear. I've saved them a long time. My mom said them in a package with a homemade fruit cake outrageous that's done for you Lana. Well, how about if we all go to bed, these are great. Oh Carol, thanks. I promise. I won't lose them. Let's go to bed. Are you sure absolutely just don't get into an accident with those on oh you are you going to take that bath? Oh God, I forgot no. No, may I be my guest? What time shall I set the alarm? I don't know seven eight. Clothes-conscious a play for radio produced by the playwright's lab and Minnesota Public Radio written by Nancy Beckett directed by Mark Frost technical director Paul. Kelly Martha was played by Arlene. Simon Cowell was played by Lorraine LeBlanc. Lana was played by Carroll Shepherd. And I'd like to welcome our guests in the studio this evening. Playwright Nancy Beckett and are two critics Barber field from the Guthrie Theater. She's literary director with that institution and bod Collins whose theater critic for the Minnesota daily, and I'm Nancy Fusion first some reactions from Barbara. Yeah. Well, I enjoyed it very much. I think it's hilarious and kind of in many respects beautifully written. I like the tight focus of dealing with these through three characters through the oh, I hate the word metaphor but through the medium of their clothes closet. I found much of it funny. I found that every time you got out of the room and talked about the outside world obliquely the three people made more sense. There was maybe a little too much rummaging or it should have been more specific to each character. I would have liked to have had a little more character definition in regard to what each of them chose to wear one. It belonged each one. I had a little bit of trouble. I just mentioned this to Nancy before telling and if this is a problem with the production rather than the script who was with whom many times I couldn't tell quite with the voices Carol came through distinctly because she always was higher but also I think maybe because she's more clearly drawn marvelous sort of intellectual innocent with profound statements. Would She lays out for the others and I quite liked her we'll get to Bob in just a moment. I want to remind our listeners at home that we would like to get some comments from you again fairly specific as to how the play worked for you as a radio vehicle and you can call us here in the Twin Cities at 2211550. That's two two one one five five zero in the Twin Cities. And otherwise, we do have a toll-free wats line for those of you outside. Out of the metro area and that's one eight hundred six five to ninety. Seven hundred again one 865 to 9700 mob Collins any reactions. I guess I do have some one of the nice things about it. I liked was still was the language. I thought tourism although it's a times I'm lost in the world Keanu and Danskin and but there's there are a number of wonderful phrases that I was trying to scribble down going tongue-in-cheek to the wedding and things things like that. But I too had some problems particularly in the opening moments more than moments opening minutes with all the rummaging around. I wasn't I wasn't placed properly but I had a hard time figuring out exactly where I was. I know I'm in a room somewhere. I know they were I figure out soon enough that there are clothes being rummaged around but the relationship into the outside world is Never gets clarified soon enough for me Nancy. Now you had put into the script various places where you wanted the rummaging sounds I mean we were going according to to your directions and also the directors ideas Mark Frost in getting those sound effects more. So because we were afraid listeners wouldn't sink in to the fact that it was a Clothes Closet. Well when Nancy was there was that the primary motivation on your part. I know it was on marks, but well, I think what I'm interpreting what Barbara and Bobby are saying is that they didn't perceive the conflict maybe of of the character of Lana and character of Martha Martha. Lana doesn't come on for quite a while and I think that I could look at the section in the beginning between Carol and Martha more closely I chose to keep the outside. You say it outside longer maybe the necessary because I think I wanted to try to make the metaphor the close work. I think I was afraid of the topic at first and so I started talking about the outside world right off and then I thought well no, I'll stick with the clothes, you know, maybe I'll try to make the clothes work, but I think I could have done more to draw out the relationship with keeping the clothes. I think you have to decide what well Martha Martha likes pants, right that is that the case my problem really there was a conflict and I got it but fragmented lie because I wasn't quite sure who was speaking and that was the problem that and of course I suppose finding different voices would be you know, a means of solving that problem but it is a production problem. There are stuff that I loved. I loved the statement about the I think it's Carol Carol. Orellana makes about the cocoa and what I wear being inexplicably connected in Martha's mind. Is that is that correct? Yes and Martha, is that the organizer? Yes. She's the one that would just as soon get on with it and go to bed and a llama is really saying well Earth are they, you know trying to to do this for me this this crazy ritual of clothing the member of the wedding who isn't even a member of the wedding, right? This is quite funny. Again, the number in the Twin Cities 22115502211550 if you have comments as to how the characters fit in to your listening patterns if it awakened anything responses of your experiences or not. Give us a call to to 11550 and 1-800-662-2386 the basis for this when how did this come to you? Well, this is taken from Life pretty much. I mean there was a evening last summer when not not three but four of us got together for not a half an hour, but more like two and a half hours and together. We had I don't know somewhere in the neighborhood of maybe 50 different articles of clothing. It was a time when several of my friends came to live with me during the summer. And so we had at our disposal everyone's closets that had never occurred since college and so it was a unique experience that I don't know stood out in my mind was a time that really took me back to when we were all together and it's a female ritual. Yeah, I really need is important female ritual and something that may be off and on people tend to deny. I know I have you know, and then I vacillate I go back and forth. I sometimes I would like very much the idea of dressing up or down or whatever. I think it's can be fun. Maybe he's a male I feel on the outside looking in and it's not the kind of thing that that a male readily identifies with. Maybe this is the problem that I have at the beginning trying to figure out what the world are they doing and why are why is everyone else's clothes in the same closet for it's not something that I have ever experienced that home confident to my brothers suit, so why would I want to even look at them? I don't know if that if that is a problem. The problem with separation of characters is at I had a very difficult time with the names who is who is fiber mentioned and I don't know I'm not that I'm a novice and radio drama and I don't know what you do to get around this problem. It seems kind of easy just to find actresses with different quality voices. Is it is it Carol who has the very high the one who says about the baby powder. Do you want baby powder is yes, she's identifiable by her voice but it seems that some way should be found besides hiring different actresses to be able to include the people in on who's who I think Martha and Lana, maybe they sound a little bit too much alike. I don't know. Yeah, that was that was the problem. I have been told we have some callers on the line. So rather than have them hang on endlessly take our first call. Hello. You're on the air. Hi. My name is Candace. I'm from bray. And I just want to say I heard the I tuned in a little late and immediately knew what was going on. I said, oh it's a girl's dorm and the three girls and they're arguing about what somebody's going to where somebody's wedding and this came to me really quickly. And I thought that it was really well done. The character is could have used different voices. I hear you expanding on that at length. Other than that. I think it really came over to me as being a memory a throwback to when I was in college and trying to decide. Oh God. What am I gonna wear to this wedding? Nobody? They are matters, you know, it really relates. I think a lot of people I enjoyed it and thank you. Thank you any other calls on the line. Yes. We have another one. Let's take it now. Hello. Yes. There's one call gentlemen, listening with half an hour in Rochester. Yes, but I noticed the same thing that your guests on handle. This was a problem and voice contrast and speech patterns. They both seem to have marked. Southern Minnesota type any any other any other feelings as a male listening to this? Well, I wouldn't know Kiana from slub file. Yeah. So it's one of these inside things. I guess that's a problem that most males have we're not I gather most of us are familiar with the materials used in the manufacture of feminine Tire did it cause it did it caused a basic problem for you re able to get past that. I was sort of able to get past it but the fact that you use a brand name had a tendency to throw me off and kind of keep me off for a little while because I'm saying OK what this key on a feel like is it slippery is it's Nagy. Is it satin? Like what's the texture because of the texture as I recall was sort of alluded to if it is slippery. Isn't that early to his pretty Justin? That's right. It's very interesting because because women over the last 50 years have been forced to slip Expressions into the vocabulary like and Ron and things like that, which we don't understand slip and slide through there that too but It's interesting that you have difficulty with the new ball game. So to speak have the most difficulty with was a lack of vocal contrast lack of speech pattern contrast and having heard a million radio plays from the from the 30s from Jack Armstrong and Little Orphan Annie. I'm it can be done. But you almost have to cast by being in a room away from where the actors are. Mmm, yeah, I understand that will be keeping all this in mind for whatever future Productions. We haven't thanked you for your comments. Thank you. You know it was interesting when Nancy and I first talked about the script we were talking about the sensuality of the material leading into this and it's a terribly difficult dilemma for an audio medium. That's right because I remember in the script there were sound cues for the green satin scratch surekill crackle crackle. I do wonder if there's any way short of getting incredibly sensitive sound equipment to do that either through a script or through acting methods or whatever. I don't know. It really depends on On sense memories so much. You have to know what I mean. Everyone knows what's at and feels like perhaps you could use a broader terms. It probably we might make to be making too much out of this because it clearly even without knowing what Kiana dancing is the conflict between the characters come come into play when they didn't decide are you going you know, what do you want to be when you're going here? And how do you feel and what sort of impression you're trying to make certain we might be pushing that mustard. I think she raises Nancy raises an interesting question though. I I am interested in knowing whether you thought at all. It was essential piece of writing it if by any means I don't mean it so literally as to whether or not you got the satin or you got no no it was it was it was a radio drama can be tactically I had I had a sense of texture and feel to it and reaction out of out of sensibility. Be rather than intellect in many respects. One thing really fascinated me about the script and it's a line which I almost passed by before I could get it over. There were a couple of lines about it. Is it really in a way? It's a play about knowing what you want and you use that expression a couple of times and a wonderful little section. Can you remember you can I remember what any of the lines of that since you wrote it? I never can remember the same as script will be S. Basically the conflict between Lana and Martha boils down. Well actually is between Carol and and Martha right as they rehash the fight and Martha explains. That one should be direct from the very beginning. That one should go into a thing and have a through line and know what they want. And then the meaning of whatever happens to them will come right away. It will be implied and Lana counters because Lana is well. Don't know maybe sees beyond the specific and says that she feels she's a true sensual as perhaps and she says that she needs to feel many things and when she sees how she reacts to the various stimulus then she then she knows what she wants. I think it's a basic difference in people and I think that my life is I hope that Martha's intolerance is pointed up in contrast to Lana's understanding. Yeah, I think I think I think it is and I think that if you solve your identity problem local identity problems will be much clearer. Did you understand the kind of the relationship between Lana and her mother? Yeah, I do. Okay. We have another caller on the line and hello. You're on the air. Hello. Hello. We'll listen. I don't I'm calling from Minneapolis and I don't understand a whole lot about radio drama, but I really got into this thing and and Back at was mentioning by Lana being a true sensualist and I I just felt the textures of this thing the you know, you could imagine that those wonderful cloths those wonderful things and thank you Lance. I would like to say that it her work is not unfamiliar to me and I would like to say that she has done for clothes what she did for photographs and I think it's want to thank you. That was playwright Lance Belleville, perhaps we ought to mention that Nancy has written another play entitled photographs which took up another kind of visual subject. And again, if you have some comments to 211550 in the Twin Cities that number again 2211550 and outside of the Twin Cities one 865 to 9700 and let me ask you if you were at all intimidated by writing for radio. Intimidated I I was not sure of what would necessarily work on the radio. I have had some experience in electronics and in audio and I've done a little bit of recording here and there and so I was aware that the kind of sound effects that I was asking for were fairly sophisticated and not exactly what you'd have in your library here at the studio. And so I had a certain Assurance from that experience of my own knowing a little bit about audio beyond that. I didn't honestly think beyond the oral I was much more interested in the stock structure of the pieces as I would be with anything I wrote I had those same concerns, you know, as I would for the stage pacing would it differ at all for radio as opposed to a visual medium? Well, I think in this case it I don't know. I have a question about the pacing. I'm curious to know what people would think about it. I think that maybe should go faster and I think that basically the medium of radio ought to go faster than the stage because there is so much that you do visually that has nothing to do with dialogue that you can go on a clip on waiting on radio and maybe I ought to yeah, I wouldn't particularly care to see this script performed on the stage. Yeah. I have very little interest in that I did write it for the radio. Please don't misunderstand. Yeah part of pacing to I mean one of the real problems with the radio it seems is to keep the listener actively involved in particularly a listener who's at who's at home is subject to many distractions. And if you make this is part of the problem with so much rummaging at the beginning our sense. It's not getting not getting right into things immediately. Well see it's a trade-off on the other. And there was a sense or there is a strong attempt to to create a mood to create that heat to create the lateness of the hour to create some kind of the anxieties that were already sort of Brewing or steaming in the room before we begin and I think that we made a choice and the rehearsing of the piece that it should go slower again in metres retrospect. I'm not sure whether or not that was the best choice and I don't know whether even the hour or the atmosphere was evoked properly dry the troubled. I think it worked. I think that this is slower, but I think that if you did if something like this were to be staged it would be far slower, you know, you would have much more Leisure Luke's to do have a question incredibly moving with a part of this the thing about the white dress pure which was warned to her mother's funeral and tell me about that that just fascinated me. Utterly white dress other than white dress. What do you want to know about it? I don't know. I just thought it was one of the things I loved. It was just I made it up. It's a wonder of course, it's Carol, right? It is Carol. And actually it was my small attempt to to bring Carol into this drama. She's really the sort of the plasma all the way through absolutely bringing everything and everybody together and consistently work horsing away and federal crime task at hand and saying optimism really and so I felt that she needed her piece of the action. So to speak that was it we're boy at words and I do think that the sensual relationship that she had with her mother that was so above board. That was so matter-of-fact that was so second nature to her was something that really I hope put Lana and in her uptight manner in contrast to that. And that was why I bothered to develop it. It was extremely effective. I really liked it. We have another caller on the line. Hello, you're on the air. I wanted to comment on one aspect of the acting and element. I thought of the atmosphere of the play that was confusing to me in that Carol seemed to me at times spoke in sort of as a caricature that is her inflections change very drastically one moment to the other and then another time some of the women spoke very naturally as if you would over here just normal conversation and to me I think this was true of all of the actors but especially of Carol that they seem to alternate back and forth between a very natural speech that you would hear every day and then a kind of inflection that when he is on commercials or that kind of speech which is yes, I could caricature to me to confuse the atmosphere it for me. sounded very real and then sounded like people trying very hard to charge each line with a great amount of Inflection more than more than the situation seemed to demand. Did you know what? I mean? I do I think in part that is my responsibility as a writer because I think I have a tendency to right. Oh, I don't know fairly plain speaking stuff and I don't know that I gave my actors the properly dance the proper little notes here and there in the body of the script. I think it in some ways. I allowed to much open for interpretation because I wasn't being specific enough and I think that's where it kind of hops up and down and I agree with you very, you know, I think that we didn't have a whole lot of time now is it was pretty good the way it worked out but yes, I appreciate you coming. I agree with you. Hey, we're not there that happy production. Yes you were yes. I was there. I was perhaps not all there. Considered proper to interrupted director of things are not going in like oh no, it's not a point of etiquette or anything like it. I think I was just I don't know concentrating on many things and probably not wanting to take up a very precious recording time with interpretive things that I guess I felt we had settled prior to that time. So I did let it go. I don't know if I should have an IQ know I can see the inconsistencies myself. Because I do live radio drama as that other gentleman. I'm probably about his age in the early 40s and I do remember the magic of radio and I love it so much and I'm delighted to see it revived in so many ways. I felt that perhaps these younger people who are acting didn't perhaps trust the medium and thought that they had to overexert themselves. I said, yeah, they'll radio drama and it just sounded as if they were trying too hard reading a little bit on its own. Thank you very much for your comment. I won't ask the critics. If you feel that's the writers responsibility or where does directorial control come in? Oh boy, I think given the time both Nancy and Mark did very well and the actresses I'm fairly pristine about the etiquette of letting the director go with it simply because this is a long and serious old Aveda had with many people sometimes they find things in your stuff that you don't know are there and that's how they can best serve you by saying look listen to this this way and the problem of putting something in the candy is that that's the way it is in Perpetual at least for a while. You can't you can't really you don't have the luxury of time to argue back, but I think it's worth. Letting them try it that way because you will find out a great deal about your script. I think I think I agree not being a writer myself. I tend to give the director of more credit than is do but I think I think it is ultimately the directors responsibility to make those decisions because the director is there to help the right at help the playwright and one of the ways that a director helps is to make some make some crucial decisions and stick by them and and let it go with that and see what see what becomes a bit of course the writer always has the final option. But I think in a group in a great many cases a writer doesn't really know what what the thing is going to look like and so has to let the director of let it let it go and see what it see what comes out of it. And that's the way that a right of learns. I think I think you may find yourself doing more valuable rewriting as a result of having been passive in at least one go around of the production with it there. You will find out very quickly what doesn't work. When you abdicate that power temporarily and you can force an actor to make a lawn work by giving an interpretive readings but then if the script is then done again Elsewhere on a radio station God knows where or whatever or if it's a play other Productions. The line is still the same and you're still stuck with it. So that's why I think it's a valuable collaboration from a critical standpoint trying to listen to a radio script. We ought to tell the audience that we did not give the to critics here this evening and copy of the script beforehand. So they were hearing it just as you were hearing it cold. That's probably a bit unfair to ask for these instant judgments on things of course are was so profound in many new theater Productions playwright goes to the theater without seeing a script ahead of time are there additional problems to a radius to a new radio play and reviewing the simply the one that we've been talking. About we didn't know who was talking and there are there are some there are in some respects less problems. Not most of the culpability gets assigned to the playwright rather than the director or something. But yeah you it is interesting because you doing this this is the first time I've ever done this kind of this kind of thing and you realized very fast how much you depend on the visual aspects of the theater to tell you what the play is is saying to you and in that sense. My mind is not tuned properly in won't be until I do this a couple times. I suppose it's it's mental exercise in a sense. It isn't that isn't that rigorous of course, but but it does require you to I found myself wanting to just close my eyes except that I felt it. I'd look foolish because Nancy is going across from it. So I wouldn't do that. It probably would have helped because you do have to train yourself to concentrate a little more. I think you're Tyrion though don't differ all that much in the final assessment. You're looking for a structure a through-line not necessarily a story people. I think it's the same in that respect. If this let's say was a possibility for for syndication or for sending on aside from perhaps getting a new cast with more definite voices other things. It suggests I would suggest going back to that Clothes Closet and going even further with the definition of character according to clothing for starters. I think if you started there you would find the rest of your problems getting solved in a way. I would have liked a little more oblique conversation not necessarily about the outside world. You could have kept it in the room but away from the clothing simply because you are you know, it isn't Indra and you are going to limit some of your audience. I was had this sort of bizarre thought a few minutes ago. You can do this play if you made them 15 years older in a kitchen having a lunch Julia Child lettering in the background, you know, it is just you just happen to have chosen that We have just about a minute left you have any comments from you know, one of the things that I would say one of the best parts of that was when you finally got to the situation where people were talking about actually how close identify identify themselves and how close effect and are an indication of their feelings towards the world around them. And I think that kind of a scene that kind of dialogue should probably come earlier and be repeated more often and it's the same kind of thing so we can identify different characters with different feelings and emotions. And in that case. I might want a little more about their mother to that could be clarified as well. I want to thank the audience who participated this evening and also our guests play right Nancy Beckett Barbara field whose literary director at the Guthrie and Bob Collins theater critic for the Minnesota daily technical director for this program has been Paul Kelly with production assistants this evening from Tommy, Richmond. This has been another playwrights laboratory a production of Minnesota Public Radio and the playwright's lab of Minneapolis. This program has been made possible in part with the financial assistance of the Fingerhut Corporation. I'm Nancy fusion, and this is Minnesota Public Radio a listener-supported service.