by Jennifer Tibbets
(GRETCHEN SCHRIVER enters left and walks down left. SILHOUETTES congregate up right and throughout the speech slowly spread out across the back of the stage, legs and arms spread wide to represent the prairie.)
GRETCHEN SCHRIVER: I am American. In 1885 my family left the newly united Germany. It was the Industrial Revolution and machines were replacing people. My family was no longer needed. America was still wide open, though. They entered through Galveston, Texas, and eventually made their way up the Mississippi River to Milwaukee. They farmed. They took all that land, that prairie grass waving mile after mile, and started turning it into the infamous bread basket. They built churches and music halls, and, well, they really settled into America.
I Am American, by Jennifer Tibbetts © This play is reprinted from Plays, The Drama Magazine for Young People with the permission of the publisher Plays/Sterling Partners Inc. 897 Washington Street #600160, Newton, MA 02460
Use the passage below to answer the question.
How does the dramatic structure present an image of the prairie?
(1 point)
Responses
Set design stages a vivid backdrop for the unfolding action.
Set design stages a vivid backdrop for the unfolding action.
Lyrical spoken language evokes a figurative impression.
Lyrical spoken language evokes a figurative impression.
Speech and gestures combine to suggest a general impression.
Speech and gestures combine to suggest a general impression.
Gestures and scenery create a detailed literal representation.
1 answer
The correct response is: Speech and gestures combine to suggest a general impression.
This choice highlights how the actions and spoken elements of the performance work together to create an impression of the prairie, rather than providing a literal representation or vivid details. The use of silhouettes and the way the characters move can evoke the feeling of the wide-open prairie without needing to be overly detailed.
