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Zap: A Play
Aimed at a generation of short attention spans and a taste for razor-sharp comedy, the rapid-fire Zap is a smart, farcical play for high-school students that's ready to bring the house down.
When they're not dusting off the old classics — over and over — high-school drama departments are constantly in search of new material. But what play could possibly suit the point-and-click attention spans of kids born with remote controls in their cribs? Cue the lights for Zap , a nonstop farce that juxtaposes seven different plays — performed simultaneously — with a comic genius reminiscent of masters from Monty Python to the Marx Brothers. Combining spot-on parodies of Anton Chekhov, Agatha Christie, Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett, Neil Simon and performance art and throwing in scenes from Richard III for good measure, Zap flicks rapidly back and forth from play to play, with hilarious results. As characters from one play end up on the set of another, their befuddlement, exasperation, and brave attempts at improvisation are truly priceless. A hoot to read, Zap is a dream to perform — as high schools in California, New York, and Florida have already discovered.
When they're not dusting off the old classics — over and over — high-school drama departments are constantly in search of new material. But what play could possibly suit the point-and-click attention spans of kids born with remote controls in their cribs? Cue the lights for Zap , a nonstop farce that juxtaposes seven different plays — performed simultaneously — with a comic genius reminiscent of masters from Monty Python to the Marx Brothers. Combining spot-on parodies of Anton Chekhov, Agatha Christie, Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett, Neil Simon and performance art and throwing in scenes from Richard III for good measure, Zap flicks rapidly back and forth from play to play, with hilarious results. As characters from one play end up on the set of another, their befuddlement, exasperation, and brave attempts at improvisation are truly priceless. A hoot to read, Zap is a dream to perform — as high schools in California, New York, and Florida have already discovered.
83 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2003
3 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Paul Fleischman
68 books195 followers Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California. The son of well-known children's novelist Sid Fleischman, Paul was in the unique position of having his famous father's books read out loud to him by the author as they were being written. This experience continued throughout his childhood.
Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation.
In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.
Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation.
In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 20, 2009
Picked up this little book because the cover called out for attention.
A play specifically written for high school productions because the author was sick and tired of seeing Romeo and Juliets kiss on balconies or Olivers! ask for more porridge.
Because the television remote has given us the attention spans of goldfishes, the author devises a play that combines several noted plays that one "zaps" back and forth from: Richard III, an Agatha Christie type mystery where everyone is a polite dinner guest but someone is always a murderer, a Chekhovian bit "peopled with once-proud families enfeebled by dreaming and scheming," a shot of Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon, Samuel Beckett, and topped off with a post modern monologue by a teenage Juno character, dry-humored, and alternately wise and bored beyond her years.
This could have been so much better than it was. But the writer gets cool points for attempting to save me from another cheesy production of Grease.
And now, for the connect the dots portion of the review. Below are snippets of dialogue from the play(s). Which bit belongs where?
"MRS. HARDWICKE- how lovely it would be if the war were to end in the springtime, because I have this absolutely precious linen dress with a brocade bodice..."
"LUKE- I think Belle might be hurt. She's my favorite salamander. She's the one I found down by the river. You know the place. You all do. Down there where they found the-found the-found the body, found Grandpappy's body."
"MARSHA- My mother stayed home till I was in middle school. Then she got a part-time job out at the mall at Jingle Bell Lane, one of those shops that sells Christmas crap the whole freaking year."
"NIKOLAI- Look! There's Great-Grandfather. He really is quite charming, Irina. And he's steeped in generations of knowledge about farming. Let us take advantage of this opportunity to absorb the rural wisdom gained from his own father and grandfather and great-grandfather and great-great-"
"GLOUCESTER- Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit-"
"IRV-Are you kidding? I'm through with women! I told you! Her stuff's everywhere. She gave half my things to the Salvation Army when I was out. Her cats want to sleep on my head."
"WOMAN- Do you suppose they'll charge us for our corpse, even though we didn't order it?"
A play specifically written for high school productions because the author was sick and tired of seeing Romeo and Juliets kiss on balconies or Olivers! ask for more porridge.
Because the television remote has given us the attention spans of goldfishes, the author devises a play that combines several noted plays that one "zaps" back and forth from: Richard III, an Agatha Christie type mystery where everyone is a polite dinner guest but someone is always a murderer, a Chekhovian bit "peopled with once-proud families enfeebled by dreaming and scheming," a shot of Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon, Samuel Beckett, and topped off with a post modern monologue by a teenage Juno character, dry-humored, and alternately wise and bored beyond her years.
This could have been so much better than it was. But the writer gets cool points for attempting to save me from another cheesy production of Grease.
And now, for the connect the dots portion of the review. Below are snippets of dialogue from the play(s). Which bit belongs where?
"MRS. HARDWICKE- how lovely it would be if the war were to end in the springtime, because I have this absolutely precious linen dress with a brocade bodice..."
"LUKE- I think Belle might be hurt. She's my favorite salamander. She's the one I found down by the river. You know the place. You all do. Down there where they found the-found the-found the body, found Grandpappy's body."
"MARSHA- My mother stayed home till I was in middle school. Then she got a part-time job out at the mall at Jingle Bell Lane, one of those shops that sells Christmas crap the whole freaking year."
"NIKOLAI- Look! There's Great-Grandfather. He really is quite charming, Irina. And he's steeped in generations of knowledge about farming. Let us take advantage of this opportunity to absorb the rural wisdom gained from his own father and grandfather and great-grandfather and great-great-"
"GLOUCESTER- Hath not yet div'd into the world's deceit-"
"IRV-Are you kidding? I'm through with women! I told you! Her stuff's everywhere. She gave half my things to the Salvation Army when I was out. Her cats want to sleep on my head."
"WOMAN- Do you suppose they'll charge us for our corpse, even though we didn't order it?"
November 13, 2018
A very good play. One that the more you know of other plays the funnier this one is. I really enjoyed it. Not a play for everyone, as it is a bit frenetic and not exactly a complete narrative. But a wonderful play none the less.
October 11, 2019
This play probably could have been quite good, but instead of just sticking with the idea “It’s a play that switches between several different styles/genres.” it instead adds onto that “And every one of the plays in the play is going wrong.” I just don’t think it’s as good as it would have been played totally straight. Largely because the play going wrong doesn’t really work at any point.
The author mentions in the foreward that not only has he never written a play before, he has also never even worked on or acted in a play before writing this one. And it shows. All the things that go wrong are tropey ideas that would never actually go wrong in a real show.
It was apparently written to cure high schools of all doing the same shows over and over again, but the whole bit is that it’s a bunch of middle aged actors acting (badly) in all these different genres. If it is for teenagers, why not have it be teenagers acting in all the plays? He claims to understand that high schools need more female parts, but he wrote nearly twice as many male characters (19 to 11). And a lot of the subject matter (like sexual jokes and one character being high on speed) isn't going to fly in most high schools.
The author also felt it necessary to put in a “improv performance art piece” (that classic we see in theaters all across the country) starring a bored twenty-something girl who thinks she is deep. The main purpose of this character and her scenes seems to be to explain what’s going on in the other plays because the author believe the audience is too dumb to figure it out themselves.
Oh? The worst part, though? The really transphobic stuff about how the actor playing Clifford “used to be a girl, went through the operations to become a guy, is now bored and thinking of going back to being a woman because there’s a lingerie sale”. (Literally that’s right there on page 50.) Also is married to an actress also in the play who apparently did not know he was trans and who is very cruel about it. It’s gross and uncomfortable and (again) seems like a weird thing to bring up for a high school aimed production anyway.
All in all, I would have enjoyed being able to zap my way into almost any play BUT this one.
The author mentions in the foreward that not only has he never written a play before, he has also never even worked on or acted in a play before writing this one. And it shows. All the things that go wrong are tropey ideas that would never actually go wrong in a real show.
It was apparently written to cure high schools of all doing the same shows over and over again, but the whole bit is that it’s a bunch of middle aged actors acting (badly) in all these different genres. If it is for teenagers, why not have it be teenagers acting in all the plays? He claims to understand that high schools need more female parts, but he wrote nearly twice as many male characters (19 to 11). And a lot of the subject matter (like sexual jokes and one character being high on speed) isn't going to fly in most high schools.
The author also felt it necessary to put in a “improv performance art piece” (that classic we see in theaters all across the country) starring a bored twenty-something girl who thinks she is deep. The main purpose of this character and her scenes seems to be to explain what’s going on in the other plays because the author believe the audience is too dumb to figure it out themselves.
Oh? The worst part, though? The really transphobic stuff about how the actor playing Clifford “used to be a girl, went through the operations to become a guy, is now bored and thinking of going back to being a woman because there’s a lingerie sale”. (Literally that’s right there on page 50.) Also is married to an actress also in the play who apparently did not know he was trans and who is very cruel about it. It’s gross and uncomfortable and (again) seems like a weird thing to bring up for a high school aimed production anyway.
All in all, I would have enjoyed being able to zap my way into almost any play BUT this one.
January 28, 2012
A murder mystery unfolds in the turn of the century England as a party awaits a war hero...ZAP! A disgruntled writer plots revenge on a fellow word craftsman steals and publishes his life story...ZAP! The classic Shakespearean play, Richard III begins...ZAP! A Russian woman is dragged to live in her...ZAP! A one woman show, performance art...ZAP! A couple sees it as no big deal when they find a corpse...ZAP! An artist plots to run away from his Southern home while his grandmother...ZAP!
So is the play by Paul Fleischman, which seems to stem from a conversation I had with my co-worker one afternoon about how short my attention span has become when watching movies on television. And that's just the idea of the play, isn't it not? How we continually flip channels during commercial breaks or during the most important parts of a movie or TV series just to see what's on the other channel? Theatre is dying and television is the box they'll bury it in.
It's a different high school play and quite the humorous read - reminiscent of Noises Off at some scenes. It starts off with something experimental, a play controlled by the audience. The idea is to give the audience remote controls to "change the channel" at any given time. A computer in the back will tally up the number of times a change is requested and when a sufficient number is hit - ZAP! - the play changes. Cramming seven plays into one single piece, Paul Fleischman not only keeps us entertain but holds a mirror to ourselves, examining how disenchanted and jaded we've become with the arts.
Zap is a must for every high school aged student and drama teacher.
So is the play by Paul Fleischman, which seems to stem from a conversation I had with my co-worker one afternoon about how short my attention span has become when watching movies on television. And that's just the idea of the play, isn't it not? How we continually flip channels during commercial breaks or during the most important parts of a movie or TV series just to see what's on the other channel? Theatre is dying and television is the box they'll bury it in.
It's a different high school play and quite the humorous read - reminiscent of Noises Off at some scenes. It starts off with something experimental, a play controlled by the audience. The idea is to give the audience remote controls to "change the channel" at any given time. A computer in the back will tally up the number of times a change is requested and when a sufficient number is hit - ZAP! - the play changes. Cramming seven plays into one single piece, Paul Fleischman not only keeps us entertain but holds a mirror to ourselves, examining how disenchanted and jaded we've become with the arts.
Zap is a must for every high school aged student and drama teacher.
July 7, 2022
Hi-LAIR-ious. If you've never read a play before, try this one. It's easy to follow, brief, and extremely funny. A director gives the audience "remotes" so they can change the channels between different genres of theater, like channels on a TV. Hijinx ensue!
Second reading, still 5 stars. A massive cast, simple set and comedic genius make this a crowd-pleaser. 85 minute run time, no intermission, Cast of 11f, 18m, with doubling able to take it down to 8f, 12m. Big cast to wangle, but the scene changes only consist of actors leaving and entering, no props or scenery get moved. The biggest part is the performance monologue actress. A great play that switches in between the 7 biggest theater tropes with increasing frequency and hilarity. Plus I'd get to re-use Mr. Spenalzo from Arsenic and Old Lace '18 as one of the corpses. ;) But also need a female corpse! PG rated, but funny as heck.
Second reading, still 5 stars. A massive cast, simple set and comedic genius make this a crowd-pleaser. 85 minute run time, no intermission, Cast of 11f, 18m, with doubling able to take it down to 8f, 12m. Big cast to wangle, but the scene changes only consist of actors leaving and entering, no props or scenery get moved. The biggest part is the performance monologue actress. A great play that switches in between the 7 biggest theater tropes with increasing frequency and hilarity. Plus I'd get to re-use Mr. Spenalzo from Arsenic and Old Lace '18 as one of the corpses. ;) But also need a female corpse! PG rated, but funny as heck.
December 10, 2022
The foreword is important to this play and I find it quite funny. The first sentence reads, "I was driving by a high school, saw a sign advertising Grease and said out loud, 'Again?'"
What a coincidence! I was in Grease during my senior year of high school.
Paul Fleischman's annoyance with the constant rotation of the same plays/musicals led him to write Zap! The idea is multiple plays of different genres being performed and the audience, with their limited attention span and annoyance, uses a remote to 'zap' between different genres. It's a fun idea and Paul has chosen 7 different types based on classic plays:
The English Mystery (Agatha Christie)
The Comedy (Neil Simon)
Shakespeare's Richard III
The Russian Play (Anton Chekhov)
The Performing Art Monologue
The Avant-Garde Play (Samuel Beckett)
The Southern Play (Tennessee Williams)
He goes on to say how a high school gave him his premiere, which leads me to believe that Zap is more high school oriented. The problem with this is that most high schoolers or a general audience save for theatre lovers know Chekhov, Beckett and fucking Richard III. Of all the Shakespeare plays he could have chosen, he chose that one?
Now to be fair, Richard III is hardly used because it's supposed to be this very sophisticated Shakespeare that keeps getting zapped (to the chagrin of the performers) and comedy is not always best read.
However, I don't think this play works very well because of fast-paced needed to switch to different genres, characters and set-pieces. The 'actors' themselves seem to understand that they are being switched out with 4th wall breaking moments.
It's cute, it's fine, it's whatever.
What a coincidence! I was in Grease during my senior year of high school.
Paul Fleischman's annoyance with the constant rotation of the same plays/musicals led him to write Zap! The idea is multiple plays of different genres being performed and the audience, with their limited attention span and annoyance, uses a remote to 'zap' between different genres. It's a fun idea and Paul has chosen 7 different types based on classic plays:
The English Mystery (Agatha Christie)
The Comedy (Neil Simon)
Shakespeare's Richard III
The Russian Play (Anton Chekhov)
The Performing Art Monologue
The Avant-Garde Play (Samuel Beckett)
The Southern Play (Tennessee Williams)
He goes on to say how a high school gave him his premiere, which leads me to believe that Zap is more high school oriented. The problem with this is that most high schoolers or a general audience save for theatre lovers know Chekhov, Beckett and fucking Richard III. Of all the Shakespeare plays he could have chosen, he chose that one?
Now to be fair, Richard III is hardly used because it's supposed to be this very sophisticated Shakespeare that keeps getting zapped (to the chagrin of the performers) and comedy is not always best read.
However, I don't think this play works very well because of fast-paced needed to switch to different genres, characters and set-pieces. The 'actors' themselves seem to understand that they are being switched out with 4th wall breaking moments.
It's cute, it's fine, it's whatever.
Read
May 1, 2020Imagine you’re watching on of the 900 cable TV channels at your disposal. You don’t like what is on the channel you’re watching. What do you do? That’s right, you zap it! Change the channel with your remote control.
The audience watching this play can do the same thing.
Read p. 1: “House manager … zap sound. Blackout.”
Seven plays – each very different from the one before – are performed on the same stage, with the audience pretending to use their remotes to change from one to the other.
Tired of Inspector Swift and his English manor house mystery? Zap.
Don’t think the NYC comedy is that funny? Zap.
Shakespeare? Zap.
Russian play got you depressed? Zap.
Can’t stand one more minute of Marsha’s performance art monologue? Zap.
The avant-garde play makes no sense whatsoever? Zap.
Want to slap Aaron Puckett out of his southern drawl? Zap.
This collision of 7 plays in 7 different styles starts out orderly, but soon disintegrates as characters in one play tamper with the props from another, toss corpses from on scene to the next and all together have a crazy day at the theater.
The audience watching this play can do the same thing.
Read p. 1: “House manager … zap sound. Blackout.”
Seven plays – each very different from the one before – are performed on the same stage, with the audience pretending to use their remotes to change from one to the other.
Tired of Inspector Swift and his English manor house mystery? Zap.
Don’t think the NYC comedy is that funny? Zap.
Shakespeare? Zap.
Russian play got you depressed? Zap.
Can’t stand one more minute of Marsha’s performance art monologue? Zap.
The avant-garde play makes no sense whatsoever? Zap.
Want to slap Aaron Puckett out of his southern drawl? Zap.
This collision of 7 plays in 7 different styles starts out orderly, but soon disintegrates as characters in one play tamper with the props from another, toss corpses from on scene to the next and all together have a crazy day at the theater.
May 18, 2023
Acknowledgment to Emily's review, which also points out a big quibble I had with the script.
It was hard for me to get into this metapiece, and there are good ideas here — it's just that Fleischman both doesn't commit to any narrative and commits to too many options, giving himself a million doors to open up but no clear path through the show.
That being said, the issue Emily^ acknowledged is enough reason to not produce this. That and the dismissive discussion of as a joke in one of the insufferable performance art monologues. If I were to give a generous read, Fleischman means for these moments to illustrate ugly aspects of their performers, but the text-as-is does not read critical enough of these insensitive lines.
It was hard for me to get into this metapiece, and there are good ideas here — it's just that Fleischman both doesn't commit to any narrative and commits to too many options, giving himself a million doors to open up but no clear path through the show.
That being said, the issue Emily^ acknowledged is enough reason to not produce this. That and the dismissive discussion of as a joke in one of the insufferable performance art monologues. If I were to give a generous read, Fleischman means for these moments to illustrate ugly aspects of their performers, but the text-as-is does not read critical enough of these insensitive lines.
June 16, 2017
I love theater and drama. I love reading watching and performing in place. However, I felt a little lost and not convinced with the characters and plot in this play. It was fun and that there are so many different genres of play is being presented, but it was a little too much for me. I think this is a fun concept Fleischman is working with, but there wasn't enough of a real plot to how to play together. I wasn't really a fan. I finish it only because they were only about 100 pages.
April 3, 2018
I enjoyed this play. It was a little confusing but nothing that you couldn’t figure out. I loved the format of this book. I also enjoyed the fact that this book was written to replace all the common high school plays, made the book interesting. I could imagine people I know in the drama department, acting it out, which made it easier to read. Over all really good play.
July 9, 2022
Most of the time, reading the text of a play for me has come after having seen it performed live (or a recorded version). I can see this being acted, with good audience reactions. If stage managers are allowed some poetic license (unlike the "poetic justice" featured in some of these scenes) to update the currency of some of the references or proper names, it could do well today.
February 5, 2018
While I think it may be better seeing it performed than it was to read it I didn't really enjoy it. The transphobic parts were in particularly bad taste.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2018
all the zaniness of Michael Frayn with none of the gravitas - interesting concept utterly flopped
June 26, 2021
I just dont like the format
March 16, 2023
Very cute. I like the way it's written, and I would love to see it done live. It gets funny toward the end.
April 2, 2023
I love the premise of this, but a chunk of the humor rests on a transphobic joke and a domestic violence joke. I would love if this was re-written.
Read
January 14, 2016This book, or should I say play, was a very interesting one. With its rapid changes in plays, it was a little hard to follow. This book consisted of 7 total plays. At the beggining the house manager reads a monologue explaining some theater etiquite, such as turning off cell phones and no flash photogrophy, then he tells the audience to feal free to use their remotes in their seat to change the play whenever they wanted. So basically the book was a series of plays.
The first play is an "English Mystery", a play based in the 1960's in a big house, the characters of this play are Emmaline the house owner and Beaton the butler. They are getting ready for a party with Clifford the guest of honor and also Emmaline's husband, and other guests who are, inspector Swift, and COL. Hardwicke.
The second play that this play write has in it, is "The Comedy". This play is about an writer (Irv) who has came down with writers block. He had recently read a play by Krupfeld who has stolen Irv's family story. With Irv knowing this he plans for revenge and plans to steel Krupfeld's wife from him. Helping Irv is Sammy who is Irv's friend.
The third play in this story is Shakespeare's Richard the III. I this play Lady Annes husband was murdered and Gloucester thinks he knows who kills him, he thinks it is Edward who had Murdered him.
The fourth play introduced is "The Russian Play". This play is set in the 1870's, Irina is arguing with Nickolai about staying in his hometown to learn the ways of his ancestors and learn to farm as they did but Irina doesnt like this idea.
The fifth play is "The Performing Art Monologue" in this play Marsha is the only character and her character is basically an audience member who is commenting and reviewing the plays and giving information about her own life.
The sixth play in this book is "The Avant-Garde Play" which is about a man and a woman in a hotel room and when they get settled they realize there is a dead man in the room, this play consists of the man and woman trying to find out what to do about the body.
The seventh play in this book is "The Southern Play". This play is about a southern family gathering. Aaron Puckett the main character and Raginald his father. They are all gathered at Grandmammy's house and waiting for Luke (Aarons stepbrother). The play starts with Aaron and his father fighting about how Aaron feels about their family and how he wants to move to New York City. When Luke arrives he talks and shares about his adiction with raising fish.
This book was by far the most confusing and interesting book I have ever read. I would recommend this book to other high-school students who are looking for a book with some comedy in it.
The first play is an "English Mystery", a play based in the 1960's in a big house, the characters of this play are Emmaline the house owner and Beaton the butler. They are getting ready for a party with Clifford the guest of honor and also Emmaline's husband, and other guests who are, inspector Swift, and COL. Hardwicke.
The second play that this play write has in it, is "The Comedy". This play is about an writer (Irv) who has came down with writers block. He had recently read a play by Krupfeld who has stolen Irv's family story. With Irv knowing this he plans for revenge and plans to steel Krupfeld's wife from him. Helping Irv is Sammy who is Irv's friend.
The third play in this story is Shakespeare's Richard the III. I this play Lady Annes husband was murdered and Gloucester thinks he knows who kills him, he thinks it is Edward who had Murdered him.
The fourth play introduced is "The Russian Play". This play is set in the 1870's, Irina is arguing with Nickolai about staying in his hometown to learn the ways of his ancestors and learn to farm as they did but Irina doesnt like this idea.
The fifth play is "The Performing Art Monologue" in this play Marsha is the only character and her character is basically an audience member who is commenting and reviewing the plays and giving information about her own life.
The sixth play in this book is "The Avant-Garde Play" which is about a man and a woman in a hotel room and when they get settled they realize there is a dead man in the room, this play consists of the man and woman trying to find out what to do about the body.
The seventh play in this book is "The Southern Play". This play is about a southern family gathering. Aaron Puckett the main character and Raginald his father. They are all gathered at Grandmammy's house and waiting for Luke (Aarons stepbrother). The play starts with Aaron and his father fighting about how Aaron feels about their family and how he wants to move to New York City. When Luke arrives he talks and shares about his adiction with raising fish.
This book was by far the most confusing and interesting book I have ever read. I would recommend this book to other high-school students who are looking for a book with some comedy in it.
December 14, 2011
This play write was a very interesting one. With its rapid changes in plays, it was a little hard to follow. This play consisted of 7 total plays within. At the beggining the house manager reads a monologue explaining some theater etiquite, such as turning off cell phones and no flash photogrophy, then proceeds to tell the audience to feal free to use their remotes in their seat to change the play whenever they wanted. The first play is an "English Mystery", a play based in the 1960's in a big house, the characters of this play are Emmaline the house owner and Beaton the butler. They are getting ready for a party with Clifford the guest of honor and also Emmaline's husband, and other guests who are, inspector Swift, and COL.Hardwicke. The second play that this play write has in it, is "The Comedy". This play is about an writer (Irv) who has came down with writers block. He had recently read a play by Krupfeld who has stolen Irv's family story. With Irv knowing this he plans for revenge and plans to steel Krupfeld's wife from him. Helping Irv is Sammy who is Irv's friend. The third play in this story is Shakespeare's Richard the III. I this play Lady Annes husband was murdered and Gloucester thinks he knows who kills him, he thinks it is Edward who had Murdered him. The fourth play introduced is "The Russian Play". This play is set in the 1870's, Irina is arguing with Nickolai about staying in his hometown to learn the ways of his ancestors and learn to farm as they did but Irina doesnt like this idea. The fifth play is "The Performing Art Monologue" in this play Marsha is the only character and her character is basically an audience member who is commenting and reviewing the plays and giving information about her own life. The sixth play in this book is "The Avant-Garde Play" which is about a man and a woman in a hotel room and when they get settled they realize there is a dead man in the room, this play consists of the man and woman trying to find out what to do about the body. The seventh play in this book is "The Southern Play". This play is about a southern family gathering. Aaron Puckett the main character and Raginald his father. They are all gathered at Grandmammy's house and waiting for Luke (Aarons stepbrother). The play starts off with Aaron and his father fighting about how Aaron feels about their family and how he wants to move to New York City. When Luke arives he talks and shares about his adiction with raising fish.
This Play was by far the most confusing and interesting peice of literature i have ever read.
This Play was by far the most confusing and interesting peice of literature i have ever read.
August 8, 2015
This is a play! Actually, more like seven plays all bundled into one. Fleischman wrote this script because high schools have so few choices in their arsenal and seem perpetually to be performing Grease. (As a survivor of Grease, I thank him profoundly)
Though not a playwright himself, Fleischman shows he knows his ways around several of the big play genres or styles: Shakespeare, dark Americana, British murder mystery, avant-guard, Checkovian, American comedy, and the modern monologue. He sets up seven plays in this style, but has the audience apparently "Zap" between them with remote controls as one would surf tv channels. Inevitably the disruption turns to chaos and hilarity ensues. As with any play, this is conveyed to some extent on the page, but would be ten times better in performance.
I'd actually love to see this performed. I could see drama teachers loving it. Within the text and in his endnotes Fleischman provides a lot of information on the genres he is sending up, and it would be a great teaching tool as well as a fun piece to perform. My main problem is just that it dates itself so heavily with the channel changer motif: does anyone still surf channels anymore? Will teens understand this? And how can his "Zap" noise not sound cheesy? Perhaps others will be able to visualize this better - all I can here are cheap and overdone digital noises produced in the 80s!
-Kirsten
Though not a playwright himself, Fleischman shows he knows his ways around several of the big play genres or styles: Shakespeare, dark Americana, British murder mystery, avant-guard, Checkovian, American comedy, and the modern monologue. He sets up seven plays in this style, but has the audience apparently "Zap" between them with remote controls as one would surf tv channels. Inevitably the disruption turns to chaos and hilarity ensues. As with any play, this is conveyed to some extent on the page, but would be ten times better in performance.
I'd actually love to see this performed. I could see drama teachers loving it. Within the text and in his endnotes Fleischman provides a lot of information on the genres he is sending up, and it would be a great teaching tool as well as a fun piece to perform. My main problem is just that it dates itself so heavily with the channel changer motif: does anyone still surf channels anymore? Will teens understand this? And how can his "Zap" noise not sound cheesy? Perhaps others will be able to visualize this better - all I can here are cheap and overdone digital noises produced in the 80s!
-Kirsten
July 3, 2010
What a unique little play! Or shall I say…PLAYS. It’s seven plays in one with the premise that the audience is in control of a remote and can switch between plays when the plot becomes dull. What ensues by the end is sheer catastrophe (in the best, most humorous way of course). I would recommend this to any young adult looking for a refreshing take on drama or theater in general. My only complaint is that it would be helpful if one has some background in popular plays as much of it parodies/spoofs common themes found in Russian, English, and Southern plays for example. However, I didn’t have this knowledge and still found the play coming to life. Fleischman turned my mind into a stage as I could vividly see every character’s action and hear their voice and tone. A must read-- so hilarious.
August 29, 2013
I thought this play was FANTASTIC. It was so funny and it gives more layers and dimensions than most plays. It reminded me a lot of the play, "Noises Off." It has this really good concept up until everything goes completely and hilariously wrong. I read this in a day. I checked out from my school library and had it finished by the end of the school day. I just couldn't leave it out of my sight. So naturally, I was secretly reading it under the desk! This was fantastic and would be an awesome production! It would look great on a stage!
December 24, 2014
A quick, fun play to read. The idea was very interesting, and the execution was solid, despite some technical challenges. Although I do have a problem with the foreword: Fleischman said that high school theatre departments could only choose from "Grease" and "Romeo and Juliet," but there are tons of amazing high school companies performing interesting, diverse, and modern plays. I feel bad that he thinks we are limited to such a small repertoire; in the last year alone, my school has performed 4 plays that were not from that list, from many genres and playwrights.
February 22, 2015
This started out as a really strong, solid play for me. It is essentially seven plays in one, where the "audience" gets to choose which one they wish to watch by "zapping" or "changing the channel" with remotes provided. As the plays go on they slowly disintegrate and start to impede on each other. While this is amusing, I actually became invested in the plays and sort of wish we could have seen them acted out to fruition. I imagine seeing the play in real life would be hilarious and completely on point.
April 14, 2008
This was a very entertaining read, and I can imagine it would be hilarious to see staged. However, I think Fleischman overestimates today's high schoolers--or more specifically, high school administrators.
This book was given to me by my mother, who's looking for a play to direct at her high school next year. Alas, as funny as this play reads, it's certainly not meant for a Midwestern High School.
This book was given to me by my mother, who's looking for a play to direct at her high school next year. Alas, as funny as this play reads, it's certainly not meant for a Midwestern High School.
October 11, 2009
A play that is really seven plays mashed together. The idea is that the audience should have remote controls, along with the illusion that they can switch from play to play. Switching occurs faster and faster and the plays and actors become jumbled. Pretty funny and clever, especially towards the end. I think older teens and adults would appreciate it more than younger ones.
November 30, 2014
Paul Fleischman is a successful author who wanted to try writing something different. He noticed that high schools typically put on the same plays again and again, so he wrote a new one. This one mixes seven different styles of play -- Agatha Christie, Shakespeare, Chekhov, avant-garde, Tennessee Williams, Neil Simon, and performance art.
November 16, 2015
I was intrigued by this play because it was a mash-up of so many genres. From a whodunit a la Agatha Christie to Shakespeare to a comedy to an avant garde production, the audience get to switch between each concurrent play by a zap from their remote controls. Soon, characters and plot lines begin to get mixed up in this hilarious screenplay for teens.
May 31, 2008
Fleischman is so clever, but his cleverness never detract from his great stories!.. Here he writes a play that is 6-7 plays within the play. The audience gets to "change channels" and the actors change plays. Yet a story gets told here. I liked this.
December 7, 2010
This is a play our drama class did a few years ago. I remember it as funny, so I'm reading it to see if I want to teach it next year.
This is hilarious. :) I definitely recommend it. I hope the drama class does it again sometime.
This is hilarious. :) I definitely recommend it. I hope the drama class does it again sometime.
May 12, 2011
This was an amazing concept and an equally amazing read! Multiple plays organized to be viewed as if channel surfing with funny twists and turns. No traditional play writing here. Moves quickly can (and probably should be) read in one sitting.
If you like farcical plays then this is for you!
If you like farcical plays then this is for you!
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