The Good Doctor

The Good Doctor The Good Doctor is a full-length play that exposes the ridiculous, tender, outlandish, ludicrous, innocent, and weird frailties of human beings. Each scene tells its own story, but the behavior of the characters and the resolutions of their stories are not typical or predictable. In this play, Neil Simon dramatizes short stories written by Russian author and playwright Anton Chekhov. Simon even gives Chekhov a role without specifically naming him; it is commonly accepted that the character of The Writer in the play is a quirky version of Chekov himself. Format The Good Doctor is not a play with a unified plot and sub-plot. Instead, it is a series of scenes that, when experienced one after another, give you a strong sense of Chekhov’s take on the human condition embellished by Simon’s wit and pithy dialogue. The Writer is the one unifying element in the scenes, introducing them, commenting on them, and occasionally playing a role in them. Other than that, each scene can (and often does) stand alone as its own story with its own characters. Cast Size When this play done in its entirety- 11  scenes- appeared on Broadway, five actors played all 28 roles. Nine roles are female and 19 are male roles, but in a few scenes, a female could play a character designated in the script as male. The scene breakdown below will give you a sense of all the roles in all the scenes. Many productions eliminate a scene or two because the action in one scene is unrelated to the action in another. Ensemble There are no ensemble moments in this play- no â€Å"crowd† scenes. Each scene is character-driven by the small number of characters (2 – 5) in each. Set The set needs for this play are simple, even though the action occurs in a variety of locales: seats in a theatre, a bedroom, a hearing room, a study, a dentist’s office, a park bench, a public garden, a pier, an audition space, and a bank office. Furniture can easily be added, struck, or rearranged; some big pieces- like a desk- can be used in several different scenes. Costumes While the character names and some of the language seem to insist that the action occurs in 19the century Russia, the themes and conflicts in these scenes are timeless and could work in a variety of locales and eras. Music This play is billed as â€Å"A Comedy with Music,† but except for the scene called â€Å"Too Late for Happiness† in which lyrics that the characters sing are printed in the text of the script, music is not imperative to the performance. In the script that I have- copyright 1974- the publishers offer a â€Å"tape recording of the special music for this play.† Directors can check to see whether such a tape or CD or electronic file of music is still offered, but the scenes can stand on their own without the specific music, in my opinion. Content Issues? The scene called â€Å"The Seduction† scenes deal with the possibility of infidelity in marriage, although the infidelity is unrealized. In â€Å"The Arrangement,† a father purchases the services of a woman for his son’s first sexual experience, but that too goes unrealized. There is no profanity in this script. The Scenes and Roles Act I â€Å"The Writer† The play’s narrator, the Chekhov character, welcomes the interruption of an audience for his stories in a two-page monologue. 1 male â€Å"The Sneeze† A man in a theatre audience lets loose a monstrous sneeze that sprays the neck and head of the man seated in front of him- a man who just happens to be his superior at work. It’s not the sneeze, but the man’s reparations that cause his eventual demise. 3 males,  2 females â€Å"The Governess† An officious employer unfairly subtracts and subtracts money from her meek governess’s wages. (To view a video of this scene, click here.) 2 females â€Å"Surgery† An eager inexperienced medical student wrestles with a man to yank his painful tooth out. 2 males â€Å"Too Late for Happiness† An older man and woman engage in small talk on a park bench, but their song reveals their inner thoughts and wishes. 1 male,  1 female â€Å"The Seduction† A bachelor shares his foolproof method of seducing other men’s wives with no direct contact until she is on her way into his arms. 2 males,  1 female Act II â€Å"The Drowned Man† A man finds himself agreeing to pay a sailor for the entertainment of watching the sailor jump in the water to drown himself. 3 males â€Å"The Audition† A young inexperienced actress annoys and then enchants the Voice in the darkness of the theatre when she auditions. 1 male,  1 female â€Å"A Defenseless Creature† A woman dumps her considerable woes on a bank manager with such vehemence and histrionics that he gives her money just to get rid of her. (To view a video of this scene, click here.) 2 males,  1 female â€Å"The Arrangement† A father negotiates a price with a woman to give his son his first sexual experience as a 19th birthday gift. Then he has second thoughts. 2 males,  1 female â€Å"The Writer† The play’s narrator thanks the audience for visiting and listening to his stories. 1 male â€Å"A Quiet War† (This scene was added following the first printing and production of the play.) Two retired military officers hold their weekly park bench meeting to continue discussing their disagreements. This week’s topic of conflict is the perfect lunch. 2 males YouTube offers  videos of a stage production of scenes from the play.

The Effects of the Speeches of Brutus and Anthony

The Effects of the Speeches of Brutus and Anthony The Effects of the Speeches of Brutus and AntonyJulius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's greatest works. It's about a group of conspirators who kill their king, Julius, in order to be free. Antony, opposed to the assassination, felt that he should avenge Julius's death. He delivered a speech that convinced the Romans that the murder was unjust, invoking their rebellion. Brutus, head of the conspiracy, also gave a good speech, but the Romans didn't react to it. A battle erupted, and most of the conspirators committed suicide. The styles of the two speeches were very different from each other.Brutus's speech was logical. It contained facts about Caesar's ambition. He reminded the people that Caesar would have become a tyrant and would have enslaved everyone. Brutus also explained that he didn't hate Caesar, but that he loved Rome more. The people didn't understand, however. At one point, they wanted to crown Brutus, who intended for everyone to be free.Bust of Gaius Julius Caesar in the N ational Archae...Antony's speech was long and it evoked pity and other strong emotions. He gave reasons that proved Brutus's points to be incorrect. Antony had the people surround Julius's body so that he could point out the wounds. As Antony identified each slice, he named the man who did it. In a sarcastic tone, Antony repeatedly referred to these 'honorable men.' The Romans became enraged and attacked Cinna, a man who they thought was a conspirator, who was actually just a poet.Brutus made a big mistake by letting Antony speak at Caesar's funeral. Antony's dramatic speech won the crowd over and ultimately resulted in the downfall of the conspiracy. The emotional style of Antony's speech was much more effective than the rational approach used by Brutus.

Promoting Rights of Children in Ghana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Promoting Rights of Children in Ghana - Essay Example Ecological systems theory The ecology of human development theory as propounded by Bronfenbrenner has defined as the † mutual accommodation between an active, growing human being and the changing properties of the immediate settings in which the developing individual person lives†. In accordance with this theory, the child is envisaged as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the environment surrounding the child. In Ghana, this has been complicated by HIV/AIDS,children are experiencing death pf parents at an early age and are taken care of by other foster parents. Attachment theory Development and emotional functioning of children occurs in a context of relationships (Bronfenbrenner 1979,Osofsky 2004). Children depend on their caretakers as sources of protection and safety. Aims and research questions: The aims of our research and the questions that we want to answer through the research are as follows: †¢ Are NGOs actually helping children to progress in any way? †¢ In what ways are children being helped? †¢ What are the aspects of life of the children that are affected by the NGOs? †¢ To prove that NGOs are needed not only for orphan kids but also for kids who have parents taking care of them. †¢ To prove NGO workers and volunteers are sometimes more effective in child welfare than the Government or police. Background Child welfare is an important issue in any country. In Ghana, this responsibility is shouldered by the nuclear or extended family of a child. Nuclear family include the parents, while Extended family includes, the grandparents, uncle, aunty, or any other relative. However, poverty, HIV, child abuse and child labour is affecting families, and eventually affecting the children. Our concern is the role that is played by the international and local N.G.Os in these children's life. Methodology While the two common types of research methods are the Qualitative and Quantitative research methods, I would be using the mixed method procedure that is a mix of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. It is a relatively new research approach in the social and human sciences. It is unique because it included the advantages of both the qualitative and quantitative methods. While quantitative methods asks how many, and qualitative asks what and how, mixed methods asks why. The mixed method research has both thematic and numerous One of its strength is also that its validity and reliability standards. It has both closed ended measures and open observations. The study used would be Qualitative methods of data collection and data analysis , which will be followed by quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. The data collection for qualitative methods were INTERACTIVE INTERVIEWING The aim of the interview is to find out the participant's perception, hence their views should be unbiased. Interviews can also be a group interviews. The answers should preferably not be, YES or NO, asthat makes details unachievable. The researcher should choose an environment thatmakes the participants comfortable. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION The researcher should monitor observation and recordpersonal bias of the participant. The researcher himself should be very neutral and not haveany prejudice while observing participant. FOCUS GROUP The focus group session is, indeed, an interview (Patton, 1990) not a discussion group, problem-solving session, or decision-making group. Comprises of both

Prevent crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Prevent crime - Essay Example Other than the mentioned, the police are important in maintaining law and order. For instance, during public gatherings, the police should balance the right of the public to assemble with the need to ensure that other citizens can move about freely. When it comes to crime prevention, individuals commitment and participation in crime prevention tremendously help in preventing some of the criminal activities such as theft. Citizens help in creating a safe and nurturing the local environment by observing and reporting any suspicious criminal activities to the police. Because of this, the police should be in good terms with the local citizens so as to acquire important information which they might not have. In a nutshell, crime prevention is a communal responsibility between citizens and the police. Therefore, I fully agree that the police should work hand in hand with the locals to reduce crime rates. It is therefore important for all the security department to alias with citizens in curbing any form of criminal

A Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Short Story - Essay Example It was one fine Saturday evening when we went to the beach. The atmosphere was as amazing as it has always been. There were comparatively more people this weekend because of the scorching heat; however, everything was going smooth. The water was rough, and the lifeguards were roaming on the beach asking people not to go farther, as the water was very rough. Three of us were very rebellious, maybe the reason is very obvious, and that is of our age. We decided to let go of our worries and decided that our sole mission here was in the water. We got into the water, its cooling effect making us feel better than ever before. Because of the large crowd we opted to go a little farther from our usual spot in order to get enough playing space. Two others of our friends were also coming to join us. It would be an afternoon to remember; I thought. Everything was perfect; friends swimming past one another, water splashing on the face, the afternoon sun, and all the fun that was going wild each minute. For all this time, we thought we were the only ones who did not heed the lifeguards’ advice. We assumed that we were the only people deep in the waters until we saw one child drowning. The kid was far from us and was screaming for help. Suddenly the entire environment changed, and people were shouting for help. Lifeguards were trying to keep off the crowd, also rushing towards the scene. Some swam towards the kid at a speed that I had only seen in water sports. All of a sudden, one of our friends started swimming towards the kid. However, to reach the drowning kid, he had to get past another group of teenagers swimming towards the shore in great panic. Seeing that he would drown himself we decided to go after him. He, however, managed to swim past the teenagers and towards the kid. Before he could reach the drowning kid, w ho was now almost submerged, a big wave hit him. There

The Dalits of India Essay Example for Free

The Dalits of India Essay I had been planning my trip to India for a year. I read about the Dalit people by accident one day while waiting for my car at a car repair shop. The Dalit people — also known as â€Å"Untouchables† — have been the most oppressed caste for over 3,000 years, living at the bottom of Indias rigid social order. The word â€Å"Dalit† means â€Å"broken, ground-down, downtrodden, or oppressed. † Dalits comprise about  ¼ of the population of India: that’s seven times the entire population of Canada. [1] This large group of people are considered to pollutants to the rest of India. They are considered to be a lower class of people and are treated this way. The Dalit people are only given disgusting jobs like preparing bodies for cremation, picking up human waste and dead animals. The Adivasis is the collective name used for the many tribal peoples of India. Adivasis are not an homogenous group — with over 200 tribes speaking over 100 languages, which vary greatly in ethnicity, culture and language; however there are similarities in their way of life and generally perceived inferior position within Indian society. There are over 50 million Adivasis constituting 7. 5% of the Indian population, thus making it the largest tribal population in the world. 2] The best way for me to prepare for this trip was to get back to the basics. I started by weaning myself off of modern day conveniences. I packed away my coffee pot and my gps. I learned how to use a compass and a map. I took a few camping trips to learn how to start a fire and cook food on that fire. I researched the native plant life of India so I will know what I can eat and touch. I packed my luggage 6 months early. Every week or two I would go through and re-pack, getting down to the basics. During the ‘weaning process, I learned a lot about myself and how much stuff I do not need. The 67. 7 million people belonging to Scheduled Tribes in India are generally considered to be Adivasis, literally meaning indigenous people or original inhabitants, though the term Scheduled Tribes (STs) is not coterminous with the term Adivasis. Scheduled Tribes is an administrative term used for purposes of administering certain specific constitutional privileges, protection and benefits for specific sections of peoples considered historically disadvantaged and backward. [3] In 1952 the Nehruvian Panchsheel gave the Adivasi these rights: 1. Tribals should be llowed to develop according to their own genius. 2. Tribals’ rights in land and forest should be respected 3. Tribal teams should be trained to undertake administration and development without too many outsiders being inducted. 4. Tribal development should be undertaken without disturbing tribal social and cultural institutions 5. The index of tribal development should be the quality of their life and not the money spent [4] The race is India but the cultures are different from the ‘normal’ India natives. The Culture of the Dalits is one of hard-work and rest, honesty and simplicity, achievements and celebrations. Dalits are always creative and productive, celebrations and enjoyments. Come with that freedom, frankness, open heartedness, songs, steps, beats, drums, dance and drama; food, feasting, festivals, thanksgiving, worship, prayer and sacrifices. It is an agriculture based agrarian farm culture. [5] These groups of people are so hated that officers that are paid to protect and enforce laws never bother. They are just there for the pay. The ‘outside’ world does not want to learn about these people. If they were just given a chance, other would learn that they are not lower class people because they are poor or live a very simple life. They do not show any relevance to the modern communist economy. They have collective ownership of the means of production, they have a sense of equality among community members, they have a spirit of cooperation with each other, they make consensus decisions pertaining to the community and aim to protect and nurture their environment. With all the planning and weaning I did to prepare, I was still amazed when I first arrived. Beautiful and sad. The people are treated like a lower class but they are so full of love and life. I learned so much about life in just the few months that I was there. Even when life sucks, you can make the best out of it. Even though these people are suppressed and treated very poorly, they survive. With the help of foundations like the Dalit Freedom Network, they will continue to survive and their lives will slowly get better. I will continue to pass the story of the Dalits along to everyone I come in contact with. Their story is an encouraging one. It is my hopes that my story will touch the heart of at least one person, so that someday, other peoples like the Dalits will people who care.

Passive Resistance as a Powerful Tool for Social and Political Change E

Passive Resistance as a Powerful Tool for Social and Political Change Passive resistance, simply defined as â€Å"peaceful resistance by fasting or refusing to cooperate,† (hyper-dictionary) is a complex issue, and potent tool to attain a means through absolutely zero violence. As Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, have argued, passive resistance is a noble means to a peaceful end, in which only the followers of a movement risk themselves and bring no harm to those whom they oppose. â€Å"Passive resistance,† according to Mahatma Gandhi, â€Å"is an all sided sword; it can be used anyhow; it blesses him who uses it and him against whom it is used. Without drawing a drop of blood it produces far-reaching results. It never rusts and cannot be stolen.† Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi both knew that police forces could not stifle those who would not fight against them. Likewise, no matter how powerful a government, the hearts of those fighting for a just cause could not be quelled. Others are also moved by those who fight passionat ely for their cause without using violence, and that independence from those who oppress is a key to developing a change in social and political structure. While soldiers are easily rallied to fight an enemy who will kill one of their own, they cannot be so easily pressured to kill innocents who merely oppose them without ever resorting to violence. It is a basic human instinct to react to a physical threat, (usually by eliminating it) but if no physical threat exists, it is impossible to justify the elimination of a life. Police forces are faced with this dilemma when encountering passive resisters. Although passive resisters may be in the way of a regime, government, or society, it is hardly justifiable to us... ...fully. Martin Luther King Jr. helped bring peace and equal right to the most powerful nation in the world. Mahatma Gandhi helped India gain independence from Great Britain and thus helped in the molding of the largest democracy in the world. Mahatma Gandhi held no truth to be stronger than the fact that passive resistance, is the only just battle to be fought. Because people feel for others, â€Å"Self sacrifice of one innocent man is a million times more potent than the sacrifice of a million men who die in the act of killing others. The willing sacrifice of the innocent is the most powerful retort to insolent tyranny that has yet been conceived by God or man.† Works Cited - Mahatma Gandhi, â€Å"The gospel of Satyagraha† - Martin Luther King Jr. â€Å"I’ve been to the Mountaintop† - Henry David Thoreau, â€Å"Civil Disobedience† - Hyper dictionary, www.dictionary.com