I Am American

Question

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

Question
Use the passage below to answer the question.

How does the dramatic structure present an image of the prairie?

(1 point)
Responses which answer is correct and why

Gestures and scenery create a detailed literal representation.
Gestures and scenery create a detailed literal representation.

Set design stages a vivid backdrop for the unfolding action.
Set design stages a vivid backdrop for the unfolding action.

Speech and gestures combine to suggest a general impression.
Speech and gestures combine to suggest a general impression.

Lyrical spoken language evokes a figurative impression.
Lyrical spoken language evokes a figurative impression.
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Answer 1

The best response is:

Speech and gestures combine to suggest a general impression.

This answer is correct because the passage describes how silhouettes spread out to represent the prairie, and the primary emphasis is on how Gretchen Schriver's speech is combined with the visual elements (the silhouettes) to create an overall impression of her family's journey and the landscape. The imagery of the prairie grass "waving mile after mile" suggests a broader understanding rather than a precise, detailed representation, which aligns with the idea of a general impression.