Writing Homework Help

Short response CHOOSE FIVE QUESTIONS. Use specific examples. Practice good grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

1) What is Theatre of the Absurd? How does Samuel Beckett’s Breath encapsulate the absurdist point of view?

2) In a paragraph, describe the impact of “Hair” 1979 the movie on musical theatre.

3) According to Jack Viertel, all musicals have an “I want song” in which the main character(s) expresses his/her deepest desire or objective in the story. It always comes at the beginning of the show. What is the “I want song” in Into the Woods and how do the characters’ objectives propel the story?

4) Explain the symbolism of Levee’s shoes in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

5) In A Streetcar Named Desire, what does the scene between Blanche and the newsboy reveal about her character? Why does Tennessee Williams include it? How does it contribute to our feelings about Blanche?

6) In the Ted Talk “Four American Characters,” Anna Deavere Smith says that in her work she seeks to “walk in [others’] words” she can “absorb America” like poet Walt Whitman. Choose a character from “Four American Characters” and explore what the character reveals about contemporary American life.

7) Is the criticism leveled at Lin-Manuel Miranda for casting light-skinned Latinos in the film of In the Heights fair? Do you agree with the criticism? Why or why not?