Essay Questions

How is the published acting edition of this play a textbook demonstration of the significance of stage directions to the performance of a drama?

No hard and fast rules exist for what or what not to include in stage directions. American playwright Arthur Miller is notorious for including extensive directions down to the specific sounds a character should make. By contrast, the entirety of Shakespeare’s directions for setting might literally be as simple “A sea coast.” The first thing most actors learn upon winning a role in a stage production is to ignore all stage directions. This, of course, cannot apply across the board and is generally intended to mean stay away from any directions informing the actor how to play the role. Pantomimed action—that is action which occurs on stage but is not being referenced to through dialogue—is essential to this play because it is initially through his actions that Miles and the audience begins to learn something is wrong with Angus. The opening of Act One, Scene 3 is very important in establishing this as it shows Angus making a mess of the kitchen as he searches for something—something which isn’t immediately made known to the audience. The entire description of this action is the stage directions is perhaps thirty to thirty-five words. Just enough to allow anyone reading the play to visualize exactly what’s going on whereas during performance this wordless scene could take up anywhere from less than a minute to more than three or four minutes depending on how much the director wanted to wring from it.

The Drawer Boy can fairly accurately be termed a comedy-drama in that it is both very funny while also containing moments of high drama. How does it stand out by actually using the comedy to intensity the drama?

Typically, something is called a comedy-drama when the distinction is not really clear. Much of the story may be dramatic but with enough humor inserted that it really just can’t be termed comedic relief. The term applied here almost fits chronologically: it almost moves in time from being simply a comedy to being simply a drama. The genius is the way it uses the comedy to lay down the foundation for the dramatic revelations to come. The most obvious example is probably the scene in which Angus responds to Morgan’s being run over by the tractor by continually going in and coming out of the house with teaspoon of water for Morgan to drink even though Morgan asks for a towel each time. Repetition is a key element of some forms of comedy to the point that the long it goes on the funnier it gets. The real key here, however, is that is not only is there no explanation given for why Angus repeats this action, but the playwright doesn’t even have Miles stop to ask Morgan what the heck is up with this strange behavior on the part of Angus. This and other comedic humorous episodes involving Angus not only serve to create great physical humor, but acts as foreshadowing of the revelation of the serious nature of their origin. Originating as humor only serves to intensify the tragic elements of those dramatic revelations.

What is the significance of the action described in the stage directions that opens Act Two, Scene 3?

As the scene opens, Miles is along waiting for word of the missing Angus. Morgan arrives and say no luck so far before going into the kitchen and just standing there looking around in almost a state of confusion. Suddenly, he starts making a sandwich. Up to this point, one of those comedic bits of stage business has dealt with the Angus seeming to almost be OCD on the subject of sandwiches. He is shown either making them, or asking others if they want a sandwich or inviting them in to eat a sandwich. This scene, coming just after Angus has begun remembering is the first time Morgan has ever been the one to make a sandwich and as such it is significant because it symbolizes how the relationship between the two old friends has been irrevocably altered and must be allowed to change and evolve.