Read the question carefully. Then enter your answer in the box provided.
How does the playwright's characterization of Lina contribute to a theme of the play? Support your
answer with evidence from the play.
That's Not What Happened
LINA: A girl in her late teens
JOELLE: Also a girl in her late teens, and Lina's best friend
FRIEND 1
FRIEND 2
1 [Lights come up on two bedrooms. In one, stage right, Lina sits
on the end of her bed, playing guitar. Her strumming is intense.
In the other bedroom, stage left, Joelle, holding her phone,
hesitates and then dials a number. Lina's phone rings. She
stops playing long enough to lean over, glance at the screen,
and decline the call with one flick of her finger. She resumes
playing, angrily, and Joelle drops her phone onto her bed in
frustration. Lights go down on Lina's bedroom and her guitar
playing fades out.]
2 JOELLE: [Addressing audience.] What did I do wrong? She
won't answer my calls, she won't answer my texts. Last night
we were hanging out with friends, having a great time, and
then she just left all of a sudden, without even saying goodbye.
3 [Joelle crosses to center stage and joins Friend 1, Friend 2, and
Lina, who sits cross-legged, playing guitar. Lights as from a
campfire flicker on their faces. When Lina finishes the song,
Friend 1, Friend 2, and Joelle applaud and make appreciative
noises.]
4 JOELLE: Isn't she great?
5 FRIEND 1: Yeah, definitely. I love that song, Lina. Did you
write it yourself?
6 [Lina smiles shyly and shrugs, but she doesn't answer.]
7 JOELLE: [Turning to Lina, encouragingly.] She sure did, didn't
you, Lina.
8 [Lina turns red and, her eyes huge, looks completely mortified
but says nothing.]
9 JOELLE: [A little exasperated.] She's written quite a few,
actually, and they're all really good. She's just too modest to
talk about it. Here, let me play some of the songs she sent me.
Lina doesn't mind. They're amazing!
10 [Joelle takes out her phone and starts tapping and scrolling.
Meanwhile, Lina sits by the fire a while, looking uncomfortable,
until she finally gathers her things and goes back to her
bedroom, stage right. When Joelle and the others finish
listening to the songs, they finally notice Lina is gone.]
11 FRIEND 2: Where's Lina?
12 FRIEND 1: Her stuff is gone too.
13 JOELLE: She just left without saying a word?
14 [Lights go down on Joelle, Friend 1, and Friend 2 and come up on Lina in her bedroom, annoyed.]
15 LINA: [Addressing the audience.] Except that's not what happened at all!
16 [She begins to play guitar again, the same song she was playing at the campfire, losing herself in it for a little bit before remembering that the audience
is there, listening. She stops playing.]
17 LINA: [A little shyly.] Mostly, I play for myself, not for an audience, but they asked me to bring my guitar. They asked me to play. So I played the song
I've been working on the longest, the one I'm most sure of.
18 [She begins to play again, crossing to center stage and rejoining the group. When the song ends, Friend 1, Friend 2, and Joelle applaud and make
appreciative noises.]
19 JOELLE: [To the group.] She's gotten so much better, right?
20 LINA: [A little sarcastically, with a sidelong glance at Joelle.] Thanks.
21 JOELLE: [Sincerely.] I mean it!
22 FRIEND 1: That was really great, Lina. Is that one of your own songs?
23 [Lina opens her mouth to speak, but Joelle interrupts.]
24 JOELLE: It sure is! She's written quite a few, actually-
25 LINA: Yeah, I've been-
26 JOELLE: [Whipping out her phone and beginning to scroll.] Here, I'll play you a song she sent me last week-
27 LINA: Joelle, those are- Please don't-
28 JOELLE: You're too humble! Listen.
29 [The Two Friends gather near Joelle to listen to a recording of Lina playing guitar while Lina sits by the fire, guitar in her lap, looking uncomfortable.]
30 JOELLE: Let me play you the other one-it's even better.
31 [Lina, frustrated, puts away her guitar and rises. ]
32 LINA: [Quietly as she passes the group.] I've got to go. [No one notices her leave.]
33 [Lights go down center stage and come up on Lina's bedroom. She sits on her bed, playing guitar. There is a brief knock at her bedroom door, but before
she can answer, Joelle pokes her head in.]
34 JOELLE: Why won't you answer my calls?
35 LINA: [Frustrated.] I wanted some time to myself.
36 [Lina begins to play again as Joelle settles herself tentatively and awkwardly in a chair beside the bed. Joelle hums along for a few bars and then waves
her hand in front of Lina's face.]
37 JOELLE: Hey. You just left last night without saying a word.
38 LINA: That's not what hap-
39 JOELLE: I looked up and you were gone, and you aren't answering my calls or my texts. I've spent the whole day wondering what I did-
40 LINA: Well, I'll tell you if-
41 JOELLE: [Speaking over Lina.] -to make you so mad, when all I wanted to do was show people-
42 LINA: Joelle-
42 LINA: Joelle-
43 JOELLE: -how talented you are, and you acted like-
44 LINA: [Sharply.] Joelle! You never let me talk!
45 [Joelle, suddenly silent, looks as though she's had a bucket of cold water flung in her face.]
46 JOELLE: [Sulky.] So talk.
47 LINA: I asked you not to share those songs with anyone-
48 JOELLE: I know, but-
49 LINA: -and you did it anyway.
50 JOELLE: Because they're really good!
51 LINA: But they aren't yours to share.
52 JOELLE: I don't understand why you're shy about sharing your songs with the world.
53 LINA: It's not about being shy. They are mine. I haven't finished writing them. I'll show the world when I'm ready. When those songs are ready.
54 JOELLE: [Resigned.] All right, I won't do that anymore. I'm sorry.
55 [Lina nods, smiles, and strums a major chord on the guitar.]
56 LINA: Want to hear something new?
57 JOELLE: Something in the key of forgiveness? You bet.
1 answer
The playwright's characterization of Lina significantly contributes to the theme of self-expression versus external expectations in "That's Not What Happened." Lina is portrayed as a talented yet introverted individual who struggles with the pressure to share her art with others. This is evident in her shy demeanor when her friends praise her guitar playing: she smiles but doesn't speak, highlighting her discomfort with being in the spotlight and her reluctance to present herself to an audience.
For example, when Joelle tries to share Lina's songs without her permission, Lina's frustration is clear as she exclaims, "I asked you not to share those songs with anyone," emphasizing her need for control over her creations and the importance of timing and completeness in her work. Lina's insistence that "I'll show the world when I'm ready. When those songs are ready," showcases her desire for authenticity in her artistic expression. This reveals a deeper theme of the play: the balance between personal expression and the external pressures to perform or share.
Additionally, Lina's emotional journey, from feeling mortified about her talent to expressing herself when she finally plays for Joelle, illustrates the conflict many face between wanting to be seen and the fear of judgment. Her complexity as a character—marked by moments of vulnerability and strength—deepens the play's exploration of self-identity and the courage required to share one's authentic voice with the world. Through Lina, the playwright effectively conveys that true artistic expression often requires patience, introspection, and a sense of agency, reinforcing the play's theme of navigating personal authenticity amid societal expectations.
1 answer