Prompt 9 on Water by the Spoonful

So here's the challenge: I'm asking you to read (and possibly write a paper on) the second play of a trilogy without having read either the first or the third part. Water by the Spoonful continues a story begun in Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue (which I haven't read yet). The third part of the trilogy, The Happiest Song Always Plays Last, premieres April 13 in the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. In other words, it's not even out yet.

Nevertheless, Water is meant to stand on its own.

As you'll see, though, it's a complicated play. Hudes (the playwright) establishes a number of separate worlds on stage. There are also several seemingly separate story-lines playing out at once.

During a few moments in the play, particularly in the second part, these separate realities and story-lines do more than just co-exist in the same play. They begin to interact. They share the space, crisscrossing each other and even (maybe) interacting with each other in some odd, magic-of-theatre way.

For this prompt, I want you to select one scene--or really a moment from a scene--where you see realities interacting. Briefly summarize what's going on in this scene. Then give me a script-based explanation for why Hudes has these particular realities intersecting at this particular moment in the plot in this particular way. What's going on there? And remember, I'm asking for a script-based explanation--no fair explaining things away by gesturing toward the audience ("This gives the audience something to think about/look at/compare and contrast"). Focus on how this intersectional choice operates in terms of the play's unifying principle or central motifs.

Just a reminder about schedules:

• There's no class on Monday, April 8. Turn in your Analysis III final draft by 5:00 PM.
• We're reading the Water by the Spoonful for Wednesday. You can either purchase your own copy (I recommend doing this) or use the PDF on Moodle.
• We're reading Detroit (in your reader) for Friday
• On Saturday, April 13, I'll be looking at your blog posts for the second Blog Check Point. 

As always, contact me if you have questions or concerns.

JF