RADIO GOLF curriculum guide

© Huntington Theatre CompanyBoston, MA 02115September 2006

No portion of this Teacher Curriculum Guidemay be reproduced without written permis-sion from the Huntington Theatre Company’sDepartment of Education.

Inquiries should be directed to:

Donna Glick, Director of EducationHuntington Theatre Company264 Huntington AvenueBoston, MA 02115

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY

IN RESIDENCE AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

teacher literary & curriculum guideLimelight

Table of Contents

STAFF

This Teacher Literary and Curriculum Guide was

prepared for the Huntington Theatre Company by

Megan Sullivan, Education Intern

With contributions by

Donna Glick, Director of Education

Ilana Brownstein, Literary Manager

Kyle W. Brenton,Artistic Intern

Amanda Rota,Education Department Manager

Melissa Wagner-O’Malley, Layout

Table of Contents

3 Synopsis

4 August Wilson: Climbing the Mountain

6 One Man’s Century

7 August Wilson at the Huntington

8 History and Mythology in the Wilson Cycle

10 Audience Etiquette

10 Background & Objectives

11 Preparation for August Wilson’s Radio Golf

13 Mastery Assessment

14 Open Response &Writing Assignments

15 For Further Exploration

16 Did You Know?

17 Media Assessment

18 Questions for After the Performance

19 Lesson Plans

21 Handout 1: Vocabulary Charades

22 Handout 2: Creating a Dramatic Monologue

Nicholas MartinNorma Jean CalderwoodArtistic Director

Michael MasoManaging Director

HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY

IN RESIDENCE AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Production Sponsor

Limelight Literary & Curriculum Guide 2006-2007 3

It is 1997, the cusp of a new millennium, and Harmond Wilksis the embodiment of Pittsburgh’s new beginning. A successfulthird-generation African-American entrepreneur and real

estate developer, his star is poised to skyrocket. With his partnerRoosevelt Hicks, Harmond will soon begin transformingPittsburgh’s Hill District from a blighted near-wasteland of aban-doned homes and businesses into Bedford Hills — a new, twenty-first century housing development, complete with Whole Foods,Barnes & Noble, and Starbucks. This is Harmond’s moment, andhe’s seizing it; with the help of his media-consultant wife Mame,he will shortly announce his candidacy to become the first blackmayor of Pittsburgh.

But the past is not so easily left behind. Into Harmond’s newHill District campaign headquarters slouches an enigmaticstranger: Elder Joseph Barlow. Old Joe claims to own one of thehouses that Harmond’s company is about to demolish. But 1839Wylie Avenue is not just any house; for more than a century itwas the home of Aunt Ester, the spiritual healer and custodian ofPittsburgh’s African-American heritage. It has sat vacant sinceEster’s death in 1985 at the age of 366, and Old Joe — unawarethat it has been repossessed by the city for delinquent propertytaxes —has returned to the Hill to claim it.

As the deadline for demolition draws ever nearer, a surprisingrevelation makes matters even more complex for Harmond —his own father and grandfather had been paying the propertytaxes on 1839 Wylie for most of the last century. Why? And whatis Old Joe’s mysterious connection to Harmond and his family? Inthe final decade of 20th century, Harmond Wilks is about to learnthat the past might be something worth preserving after all. Butwill the lesson come in time to stop the bulldozers, in this, the lastinstallment of August Wilson’s ten-play cycle about the African-American experience? – KWB

SYNOPSIS

Radio Golf

4 Huntington Theatre Company

AUGUST WILSON:

Climbing the Mountain

When August Wilson succumbedto liver cancer at the age of sixty,he died a proud, successful man

— a self-made man who left a legacy thatwill not soon be forgotten. He set himselfa challenge equivalent to climbing a greatmountain: he would, he declared, writeten plays, each one set in a differentdecade of the 20th century, chroniclingthe history of the African-American expe-rience in this country. When he died, hehad reached the summit of that mountain.

August Wilson; photo: David Cooper

Born Frederick August Kittel on April27, 1945, he was the son of Daisy Wilson,whose mother had walked to Pittsburghfrom North Carolina after Emancipation.His father was Frederick Kittel, a Germanbaker who wasn’t present in the family’scold-water flat on Bedford Avenue inPittsburgh’s Hill District. Wilson grew upin an African-American cultural environ-ment; he had very little contact with hisfather over the course of his life, and shedhis father’s name at twenty.

Wilson’s mother taught him to read at age four, and he quickly became a voracious reader. He was a regular at theHill District branch of the CarnegieLibrary of Pittsburgh, and said in a speechat the 100th anniversary of that library,“Labor historians do not speak well ofAndrew Carnegie, but he will forever befor me that man who made it possible forme to be standing here today. I wore outmy library card and cried when I lost it.”

The Carnegie Library did more thansupplement his education — it providedit. When he was a fifteen-year-old studentat Gladstone High School, his teacherthrew out a twenty-page report he hadwritten on Napoleon, believing falselythat he had not done the work himself.Disgusted, he left school and neverreturned. Rather than admit to his motherwhat had happened, Wilson began spend-ing his days at the main branch of theCarnegie Library in Oakland, where hecreated his own educational curriculumand grappled with the great writers at hisown pace. He remains the only personever to be awarded a high school diplomaby the Carnegie Library.

To come of age in the Hill District in the1960s was to grow up in a neighborhoodon the decline, but still clinging to life.Wilson’s substitute fathers were the menhanging out in grocery stores and dinersand chatting on street corners, telling stories and singing songs. Wilson baskedin this verbal culture, and it became a partof him. On April 1, 1965, using twentydollars his sister had given him to write aterm paper for her, August Wilson boughthis first typewriter and declared himself apoet. He connected with other youngblack writers, and in 1968 he co-foundedthe Black Horizon Theater in Pittsburghwith Rob Penney. He began writing playsaround this time, but did not seriouslydevote himself to drama until 1978 when,at the suggestion of director ClaudePurdy, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesotaand wrote the original, one-act version ofJitney. The play was a huge success, both


in the Twin Cities and in Pittsburgh at thefledgling Allegheny Repertory Theatre.Wilson’s career as a playwright had begunin earnest.

In 1983, Wilson submitted his first full-length play, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, to the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’sNational Playwrights Conference, andwas accepted. At the O’Neill, the play was championed by Lloyd Richards, theartistic director of the Yale RepertoryTheatre and of the O’Neill PlaywrightsConference. Richards immediatelysnapped up the rights, directing it him-self at Yale Rep the next year, in a smashproduction featuring Theresa Merritt asMa Rainey and a young Charles S. Duttonin his breakout role as Levee. The playtransferred to Broadway in 1984, andWilson began to attract national atten-tion. Wilson and Richards followed upwith Fences, starring James Earl Jones andMary Alice in 1987, winning Wilson hisfirst Pulitzer Prize for Drama and theTony Award for Best Play.

Flush with these successes, Wilsonmoved to Seattle in 1990 and continued towrite the plays of his cycle. Along with hislongtime producer Ben Mordecai (whohad been the managing director of Yale

Rep) and his directors — Richards, thenMarion McClinton, and finally KennyLeon — Wilson created a method of production and rewriting that usedAmerican regional theatres as a testingground for his plays. At theatres like theHuntington Theatre Company, SeattleRepertory Theatre, Centerstage inBaltimore, Chicago’s Goodman Theatre,Pittsburgh Public Theater, and many oth-ers, Wilson would produce the premieresof his plays, but those premieres servedonly as first drafts. He and his team wouldmove from theatre to theatre, from city tocity, almost as if they were re-creating theirown version of the 19th century vaudevillecircuit. The plays would be honed andrefined all over the country before finallyarriving on Broadway. With his prodigioustalent August Wilson created somethingof a cottage industry, and many African-American actors, directors, and designersacross the country give him credit for keep-ing them working, and working on materi-al close to their own experiences.

Success followed success and, one byone, Wilson told the stories of each decadeof the 20th century. He won his secondPulitzer Prize for The Piano Lesson in 1990,and wrote the screenplay for a TV movieof the play, which starred Alfre Woodard.For many years he worked to transformFences into a feature film, but Hollywoodcould not fulfill his one demand: that thefilm be directed by an African-Americandirector. He was frustrated by this failureand, in 1996, took out his frustration

during the keynote address at the TheatreCommunications Group Conference in aspeech entitled “The Ground On Which I Stand.” This speech excoriated theAmerican theatre community for segre-gating the work of African-Americanartists and “ghettoizing” their plays — creating the “black play” slot. He called onAfrican-American theatre artists to createtheir own parallel institutions for the production of their work. The speech wascondemned by critic Robert Brustein inThe New Republic, who accused Wilson ofcultural separatism and championed the idea of color-blind and race-neutralcasting in theatre. In 1997 Wilson andBrustein met at a public debate on theissue at New York’s Town Hall. While both scored points, neither walked away adecisive victor, but the debate itselfreignited the idea that the theatre could be a place where the great questions ofsociety could be addressed passionatelyand productively.

Meanwhile, Wilson’s work continued,and the cycle neared completion. WhenRadio Golf opened at the Yale Rep in May2005, it marked the completion of a greatlife’s work, but Wilson already knew hewas not long for this world. After the Yaleproduction and a subsequent productionin Los Angeles, Wilson secluded himselfin Seattle to complete his revisions on the play. After a short hospitalization, hedied on October 2, 2005, standing atop atheatrical mountain that he had both conceived and scaled. – KWB

...substitute fathers were the men hangingout in grocery stores and diners and chatting on street corners, telling storiesand singing songs. Wilson basked in thisverbal culture, and it became a part of him.

Young People, Jefferson Avenue at Conners; photo: Enrico Natali


August Wilson’s 20th century beginswith a knock at the door. CitizenBarlow has come north from Alabama

to Pittsburgh in search of a better life, buthas found nothing but discrimination,inequality, and racism. He is a good man,but the world in which he lives has

One Man’s Century

nurtured within him a rage, and his rageled him to theft — he stole a bucket of nailsfrom the mill. An innocent man has diedfor that crime, and in Gem of the Ocean (setin 1904; completed in 2004) Citizen Barlowcomes to 1839 Wylie Avenue, the home ofAunt Ester, for redemption. Aunt Ester,whose memory stretches back nearly 300years to the arrival of African slaves on thiscontinent, is a spiritual healer. It is withinher power to take Citizen to the City ofBones, a ghostly metropolis beneath theAtlantic Ocean, where his soul can be

...this final play of the cycle and of AugustWilson’s life once more examines the question of how African-Americans are toregard their past...

cleansed of guilt. But that journey could beput in jeopardy if Caesar Wilks, the black lawman who uses his authority like a cudgel, continues his rampage of evictionsin the neighborhood. It may ultimately bebeyond even Aunt Ester’s power to calmCaesar’s rage.

Seven years later, the migration ofAfrican-Americans northward continuesapace. In Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (set in1911; completed in 1988), Seth and BerthaHolly operate a boarding house that servesas a temporary home to those who are try-ing to find a new beginning. Their oddesttenant is Bynum, a shaman whose songhas the power to bind people to new des-tinies, and to each other. Into the boardinghouse wanders Herald Loomis, a man witha dark and violent past who is in search ofhis wife, torn from him before he left the

South. When the residents of the houseengage in their Sunday night “juba” ritual— an ecstatic dance with African roots, ledby Bynum — Loomis is overtaken by theHoly Ghost and experiences a terrifyingvision of the Atlantic transforming into asea of bones that surge inexorably towardAmerica.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (set in 1927;completed in 1984) presents a very differ-ent vision of African-American life. In aChicago recording studio, a group of musi-cians await the arrival of the great bluessongstress Ma Rainey. Ma is a notoriouslydifficult performer, who uses her uniquetalent as leverage to create a comfortablelife for herself. The newest member of herband, Levee, is a trumpet player who nur-tures a fire, both for a new kind of musicand a new kind of life. Levee rejects Ma’saccommodations to the racist music indus-try, and demands what he sees as his due.The situation, tense from the beginning,finally erupts into violence as, throughLevee, a new kind of world is born.

Nine years later, back in Pittsburgh, The

Piano Lesson (set in 1936; completed in1990; winner of the Pulitzer Prize forDrama) asks the vital question: what is tobe done with the past? When the Charlesfamily migrated north, they brought withthem their most prized possession: a pianowith the history of their family intricatelycarved by one of their ancestors. Berniecekeeps the piano in her home, but will notplay it. Her brother, Boy Willie, has a differ-ent plan. He has a chance to buy back theland their family worked as slaves, but theonly way he can get the money is to sell thepiano, which Berniece will never allow.The weight of the past sits heavily on theentire Charles family, and as the conflictbetween the siblings escalates, a ghostlyvisitation forces Berniece to play the pianoonce more, in an act of exorcism.

“Who killed Floyd Barton?” is the ques-tion that animates Seven Guitars (set in 1948;completed in 1996). Floyd “Schoolboy”Barton is going to be the next big thing. Hishot new song is being played on every

Civil rights demonstrator in Harlem, New York City, 1964


radio in the Hill District, and once he’s got-ten his guitar out of the pawn shop, he’sheaded to Chicago to record a follow-up.But sometimes life gets in the way of plans— the money he is owed evaporates andhis guitar seems farther away than ever.When he is forced to turn to theft, hemeets an untimely end at the hands of theunlikeliest of characters: Hedley, an oldman who, in a tuberculosis-induced deliri-um, mistakes Floyd for a man he believesowed his father money. Hedley brutallyslashes Floyd across the throat, tragicallycutting short a promising life.

Fences (set in 1957; completed in 1987;winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama)contains perhaps Wilson’s most tragic fig-ure: Troy Maxson. Troy was a titan of theNegro Baseball Leagues, who, after spend-ing time in jail, couldn’t put the pieces of his life back together. Turned awayfrom the major leagues and with his most productive years behind him, Troyis forced to become a garbage man to support his family — his loving wifeRose, high-school-aged son Cory, brain-damaged brother Gabriel, and Lyons, agrown son from a previous relationship.Crushed under the weight of his responsi-bilities, Troy turns to another woman forcomfort, and when she dies in childbirth,he brings home a daughter who is nowleft to Rose to raise. At the same time,Cory is recruited for college football, butTroy cannot bring himself to allow Coryto play — a mixture of stubbornness,envy, and fear leads Troy to sabotage hisown son’s future.

Urban renewal and the demolishing of the Lower Hill loom over Two Trains

Running (set in 1969; completed in 1992).The building that houses Memphis Lee’slunch counter is about to be bought out bythe city, but Memphis refuses to settle for amodest buyout — he wants $25,000 fromthe city. Hambone, a mentally damagedman who haunts the restaurant, obsessive-ly demands a ham he feels he earned forpainting a shop owner’s fence, refusing tosettle for a chicken. Is Hambone a symbol

of Memphis Lee’s future? MeanwhileSterling Johnson has been released fromprison, and is torn between two courses:should he go to the Black Power rally that’sabout to begin, or should he seek spiritualpeace by visiting Aunt Ester and gettinghis soul washed? There are two trains running every day, but the questionWilson’s play asks is: which one will getyou where you’re going?

Regular cabs won’t travel to the HillDistrict of the 1970s, and so the residentsturn to each other. Jitney (set in 1977; firstwritten in 1979, rewritten and expandedin 2000) dramatizes the lives of men hustling to make a living as jitneys —unofficial, unlicensed taxi cab drivers.When the boss Becker’s son returns fromprison, violence threatens to erupt. Whatmakes this play remarkable is not the plot;Jitney is Wilson at his most real — thewords these men use and the stories theytell form a true slice of life.

Perhaps the bleakest of all of Wilson’splays is King Hedley II (set in 1985; com-pleted in 2001). The title character of King— son of Ruby and Hedley from Seven

Guitars — has been released from prison,and now struggles to make a new life forhimself. With his friend Mister (himself

the son of another Seven Guitars character,Red Carter) King is selling stolen refriger-ators, but that is no foundation for a life.And when Elmore — the one-time loverof Ruby and perhaps King’s true father —arrives, King begins to learn that successmay never have been a possibility for himat all. And when the news hits that AuntEster has died, all hope seems lost.

Irony abounds in the final play of thecycle, Radio Golf (set in 1997; completed in 2005). Harmond Wilks seems to havesurpassed all of the hurdles that stood in the way of his forbears. A successfulbusinessman and developer, he will soonbe a candidate for mayor of Pittsburgh. But even as he tries to turn his back on the past and demolish 1839 WylieAvenue, the one-time home of Aunt Ester, the past comes walking into hisoffice in the person of Old Joe, who has amysterious connection both to Aunt Esterand to Harmond. Intricately tied to thecharacters of Gem of the Ocean, this finalplay of the cycle, and of August Wilson’slife, once more examines the question ofhow African-Americans are to regardtheir past — is it something to be used,something to be cherished, or somethingbest forgotten? – KWB

August Wilson at the HuntingtonSet in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1997, Radio Golf caps Wilson’s epic cycle of decade plays,

exploring what he called the “dazed and dazzling” African-American experience of the past

century. Eight of the ten plays have graced the Huntington stage over the years. - IMB

Play Decade SeasonGem of the Ocean 1900s 2004-2005

Joe Turner’s Come and Gone 1910s 1986-1987

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 1920s n/a

The Piano Lesson 1930s 1987-1988

Seven Guitars 1940s 1995-1996

Fences 1950s n/a

Two Trains Running 1960s 1990-1991

Jitney 1970s 1998-1999

King Hedley II 1980s 1999-2000

Radio Golf 1990s 2006-2007


History and Mythology in the Wilson Cycle

As scholars approach the work ofAugust Wilson, they face aninevitable question: in what order

should the plays be considered? Ten plays,each set in one decade of the 20th century,were written out of order. The first play tobe professionally produced, Ma Rainey’s

Black Bottom, occurs third, chronological-ly. Gem of the Ocean, the first chronologi-cally, was written next-to-last. Jitney —the eighth in chronological order — waswritten in 1979 but rewritten and expand-ed nearly twenty years later. There can beonly one answer — they must be consid-ered in the order in which the events ofthe plays occur. With the cycle completeand Radio Golf (the final play in everysense) set for its Broadway debut, theorder in which the plays were writtenmust necessarily fade into the back-ground. Wilson chose to tie his plays tothe procession of decades of the 20th cen-tury, but the Wilson cycle is more thanjust a series of plays. This singularachievement is both a history and amythology of an entire people.

Asked about the foundations of African-American culture in a 1991 interview,Wilson replied, “The one thing which wedid not have as black Americans — wedidn’t have a mythology. We had no ori-gin myths.” The Wilson cycle is permeat-ed by the tropes of mythology, andindeed, drama and myth have been inter-twined since their twin births in ancientGreece. In the Athens of 5th centuryB.C.E., playwrights drew upon the sharedbody of Greek myths for their stories. Atthe same time, the writers were able toboth reinforce and take advantage of theAthenian self-image in the way they craft-ed their plays. It is no coincidence that at

the end of Aeschylus’ Oresteia (his versionof the Orestes myth) the goddess Athenasummons Orestes to Athens, where he isput on trial for his crimes; Athenians prid-ed themselves on their rational system ofjustice, and Aeschylus could cleverly playinto this nationalism for the climax.

Gem of the Ocean — takes on the status ofa myth in the later plays. In Two Trains

Running, Sterling Johnson is transformedthrough a visit to her house at 1839 WylieAvenue. She has died at the beginning ofKing Hedley II, where Stool Pigeondeclares that God has called her back toHeaven to clear the field of battle beforeArmageddon. Finally, the sale of herhouse at 1839 Wylie Avenue is a centralissue in Radio Golf. Gem, as the first play ofthe century, is appropriately filled withmythological characters. Solly Two Kings— the Underground Railroad conductornamed for Kings David and Solomon,who makes a living selling the literalwaste of society — is every bit the mythi-cal trickster, and would not be out of placein Homer’s Odyssey.

At the same time that Wilson is creatinga mythology in the cycle, he is retellingthe history of African-Americans in the20th century. Historical drama has aproud tradition, with no more significanta figure than William Shakespeare at theforefront. Through his history plays,Shakespeare was able to examine the verynotion of what it meant to be English. In away, all British monarchs are judgedagainst the example of King Henry V. Atthe same time, Shakespeare is able toshow us that the great figures of historywere also human beings — is there a morecomplex, flawed figure than Prince Hal(Henry IV Part I), whom we meet again inHenry V as the eponymous King?

In writing his histories, however,Wilson chose not to focus on the great andthe powerful. The blues singer Ma Raineywas a real person, but more often the char-acters that fill Wilson’s plays are original,and exist just to the side of what might be

August Wilson had no analogousbody of mythologyupon which to drawin writing his cycle,and so he createdone himself.

August Wilson had no analogous bodyof mythology upon which to draw inwriting his cycle, and so he created onehimself. There are literal myths told andre-told over the course of the plays: AuntEster takes Citizen Barlow on a mysticaljourney to the fabled City of Bones in Gem

of the Ocean, and Herald Loomis of Joe

Turner’s Come and Gone sees the City in avision. Characters are mentioned againand again — in Two Trains Running welearn about the opulent funeral of“Patchneck Red,” a famous gambler, andin The Piano Lesson we learn thatPatchneck Red’s beginnings weren’t soimpressive. The figure of Aunt Ester —who we meet in the flesh only once, in


written into a history book. Troy Maxson,the protagonist of Fences, played baseball inthe Negro Leagues, but failed to make acareer of it and spent fifteen years in jail.King Hedley II, despite his oversized name,is an embittered ex-con, trying to rebuildhis life but failing miserably. Wilson delib-erately chose to dramatize stories on theperiphery of “official” history — in Two

Trains Running the shadow of a Malcolm Xrally hangs over the play, but none of themen at the lunch counter make it there,and Sterling ends up at Aunt Ester’sinstead. Yet at the same time, Wilson’scharacters exhibit as much nobility of spirit as any Shakespearean king. IfShakespeare demonstrates the humanity

within great men, Wilson dramatizes thegreatness within seemingly ordinary men.Men like Troy Maxson, Citizen Barlow, andKing Hedley II are faced with nearly insurmountable obstacles, and if theysometimes fail, the mere fact that they continue to struggle is a triumph.

Radio Golf occupies a unique positionwithin this framework. In many ways, itdramatizes the central conflict between history and mythology. Harmond Wilksis a man of history, a man of destiny. Thepath before him is clear, and he knowswhat he must do in order to walk it. Butinto his life comes Elder Joseph Barlow, a mythological archetype in the vein of Solly Two Kings or Aunt Ester. He rep-

John Earl Jelks, Phylicia Rashad, and LisaGay Hamilton in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, 2004; photo: T. Charles Erickson

resents the tradition of mythology and folklore for which Harmond has neverpreviously had time. As the successiverevelations of the plot unfold, Harmondlearns that he is not just a product of history; Wilson’s mythology of AuntEster, of Bynum the binder and HeraldLoomis of Joe Turner, of Stool Pigeon ofHedley and Hambone of Two Trains, runsin Harmond’s blood, and he cannot turnhis back on it. August Wilson gave theAfrican-American community, and allAmericans, a great gift in his cycle. He cre-ated the cycle for all of us, and he showedus in Radio Golf that we need both historyand mythology to move forward into thefuture. – KWB


BACKGROUND

& ObjectivesNote to Teachers: Use the following synopsis and lesson objectives to inform your teaching of

August Wilson’s Radio Golf curriculum.

August Wilson’s Radio Golf completes his Pittsburgh Cycle, a decade-by-decadechronicle of the African-American experience in the city in which he grew up. Set in 1997 in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, the action of the play takes place in

the Bedford Hills Redevelopment office, where a young politician with dreams of com-munity empowerment through capitalist development struggles with the resilient andever-present past. Radio Golf exposes the tensions that arise when political and entrepre-neurial successes threaten family history and community heritage.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN

Harmond Wilks: Mayoral candidate and real estate developer.

Mame Wilks: Professional public relations representative. Harmond’s wife of over twenty years.

Roosevelt Hicks: Bank vice president and avid golfer. Harmond’s business partner and college roommate.

Sterling Johnson: Neighborhood handyman and self-employed contractor.

Elder Joseph “Old Joe” Barlow: Recently returned to the Hill District, where he was born in 1918. American Theatre November 2005

OBJECTIVES

Students will:

1. Identify and analyze the play’s central themes, including:

• the individual’s struggle to define what is “right”

• the struggle for dignity and personal honor

• the tensions between past and future

• community resilience

2. Learn about the history of the Hill District community in Pittsburgh.

3. Research, write, debate, and perform responses to the central issues presented in the play.

4. Relate themes and issues of Radio Golf to their own lives and communities.

5. Identify and discuss important past and present African-American community leaders.

6. Engage their creativity.

7. Evaluate the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of Radio Golf.

Because many students have not

had the opportunity to view live

theatre, we are including an audi-

ence etiquette section with each lit-

erary/curriculum guide. Teachers,

please spend time on this subject

since it will greatly enhance your

students’ experience at the theatre.

1. How does one respond to a

live performance of a play, as

opposed to when seeing a film

at a local cinema? What is the

best way to approach viewing a

live performance of a play?

What things should you look and

listen for?

2. What is the audience’s role dur-

ing a live performance? How do

you think audience behavior can

affect an actor’s performance?

3. What do you know about the

theatrical rehearsal process?

Have you ever participated in

one as an actor, singer, director,

or technical person?

4. How do costumes, set, lights,

sound and props enhance a

theatre production?

AudienceEtiquette

BU Theatre by T. Charles Erickson


Note to Teachers: Use the following ideas

to engage your class in thinking about

August Wilson, introducing them to RadioGolf and its major themes.

AUGUST WILSON’S LEGACY

Research the life, work, and legacy ofAugust Wilson. Have students choose oneaspect of Wilson’s life they find particu-larly relevant or inspiring and writeessays describing why or how this is so forthem. Topics to consider might include:

• Family History• Youth in Pittsburgh’s Hill District

• Education

• Development as a Playwright

• Influence on American Theatre

• Attitudes and Reflections onPlaywriting

• Thirteen-year Collaboration withLloyd Richards

• Collaboration with MarionMcClinton and Kenny Leon

• Awards and Honors

FAMILY HISTORY AND HERITAGE

Wilson’s work asserts that the only way forAfrican-Americans to gain control of theirexistence is to dig deeper into the past; toremember and connect the stories ofAfrica, slavery, the U.S. civil war, emancipa-tion, the Harlem Renaissance, and the civilrights movement, to the present. In AugustWilson’s Radio Golf, Harmond uncovers asecret family connection when he meetsElder “Old Joe” that changes his life.

Ask students to investigate their ownheritage by interviewing an older familyor community member. How were thingsdifferent for them when they were grow-ing up? How does their past affect the waythis person lives their life or views theworld today? What events or memories

from their past are most powerful forthem today? Encourage students to thinkabout pivotal events from their own life-time and how these events have affectedthem. How do the experiences of theolder generation relate to their own?

PITTSBURGH’S HISTORY OF “URBAN RENEWAL”

Radio Golf takes place in the neighbor-hood where August Wilson grew up —the Hill District in Pittsburgh — and dealswith issues of community redevelop-ment. Created in the 1840s as the first res-idential neighborhood, the Hill Districtcovers nearly 650 acres in downtownPittsburgh. By the 1930s, the communityfound itself on the national jazz circuitand was considered by many to be the cul-tural center of African-American life inthe city. Harlem Renaissance poet ClaudeMcKay once called the district “the cross-roads of the world,” referring to the neigh-borhood’s heyday in the 1930s-1950s. It isknown to many Pittsburghers as simply“The Hill.” The decline of the district

began in the 1950s, when “urban renewal”projects demolished homes and business-es, and displaced thousands of residents.

Divide students into research groups toinvestigate the history of “urban renewal”and redevelopment projects in Pittsburgh(and specifically the Hill District) by look-ing at past newspaper and magazine articles.

Boston has its own unique history ofurban development projects. Ask stu-dents to compare or contrast Pittsburgh’s“urban renewal” projects with those inBoston, again by researching newspaperand magazine articles. What similaritiesor differences can they find?

Boston’s “urban renewal” history andpossible periods of focus:

1940s-50s: Construction of I-95, theCentral Artery, through the towns ofRoxbury, Jamaica Plain, and Roslindale.

1960s: Boston Banks Urban RenewalGroup’s (B-BURG) unethical real estate

PREPARATION

August Wilson’s Legacy

Left, Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge over the Charles River under construction, looking north; the old elevated

Central Artery crossing is to the right. Right, the finished Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge heading south.


practices result in increased vacancyand home-abandonment in African-American neighborhoods.

1970s: Construction of the SoutheastExpressway. Struggle over theSouthwest Corridor. Redevelopment of Quincy Market.

1980s: Redevelopment of public housing projects.

1990s: Construction of the Big Dig.

LIVING NEWSPAPER PERFORMANCE

Ask students to identify importantthemes and social issues found in theabove research. Create a list of thesethemes/issues. Have the class look specifi-cally at issues of urban development, race,and class.

Divide the class into smaller groups (4-10) around a particular period, issue ortheme.

Ask each group to then identify and cutout the most crucial and pertinent quota-tions and sections from their research,then compile a script using only these clippings as text. This script will be usedto create a Living Newspaper Perform-

ance, similar to the ones produced by theFederal Theatre Project in the 1930s. Formore information on the Federal TheatreProject and Living Newspapers, see:http://www2.let.uu.nl/solis/ams/xroads/1theatre.htm.

To make the script, students need to putquotations/clippings in a particular orderto create a narrative or storyline. Tell thestudents to be creative about the order ofthe clippings. During this process, theywill determine characters in their storyand assign spoken lines. They can identi-fy one or two narrators or divide the linesequally amongst the members of thegroup. Characters can speak as a chorus,individually, or in pairs. They can echowords or vary in rhythm, pitch, and tone.They can add percussion (clapping or with instruments) or other sounds.Encourage students to be creative andassure them that there is no “wrong” wayto put this performance together.

Next, have students identify importantthematic imagery in the quotations/clippings that can be created physicallythrough movement and/or visually

through drawing or painting. A themesuch as “urban renewal” can be madephysical by asking questions like: “whatdoes urban renewal look like?” Ask stu-dents to answer that question with theirbodies, by making a stage picture bysilently creating a physical picture orfrozen tableaux as if a snapshot will betaken. Standing in a circle, have one per-son start the picture by entering the circleand freezing in a position. The next per-son enters and adds to the picture withtheir body and freezes. This continuesuntil each member of the group hasentered the circle.

Ask students to then add a repeatablegesture or movement to their picture. Thepicture then becomes a moving, livingpicture that can become activated as apart of the performance, with studentsspeaking their lines as they move.

For visual enhancement, students cancreate/design the sets/props for thisLiving Newspaper performance. Usingphotographs or descriptions from theirresearch, students can determine theenvironments and architectural stylesthat would best create a sense of place forthis performance. Have students drawrenderings of set designs, using realisticor non-realistic scenery. For performance,if possible, students could design aPowerPoint slide presentation of photo-graphs found in their research.

Finally, hold in class performances ofthese short Living Newspaper pieces, followed by a talk-back/post-performanceresponse session. Ask students about theexperience of creating a play: what wasmost difficult? What came most easily?What would you do differently? Whatdid you learn by embodying the charac-ters and objects, rather than just readingabout them? How did your performancechoices reveal new meanings or ideas?How did it affect your feelings about theissues?

Scene from Triple-A Plowed Under, a Living Newspaper Performance produced by the

WPA Federal Theatre Project; photo: National Archives and Records Administration


Act 1

1. Why do Harmond and Rooseveltwant the Hill District to be designat-ed as “blighted” by the government?

2. Mame and Harmond have an argu-ment about renaming the ModelCities Health Center. He wants toname it after Sarah Degree, the firstAfrican-American registered nurse inthe city. Why does Mame want tokeep the name the same? Why doesHarmond argue that it should bechanged?

3. Why does Sterling Johnson first cometo the Bedford Hills Redevelopmentoffice?

4. Sterling does not bring Harmond aresume of his past employment.What does Sterling tell Harmond tolook at instead?

5. Why was Old Joe charged with fraud?

6. Old Joe asks Harmond if he will putlights up at Kennard Field when he iselected Mayor. What is Harmond’sresponse? Why is this important?

7. Why was Old Joe painting the houseat 1839 Wylie St.? Who was he paint-ing it for?

8. Mame believes that something inHarmond’s speech might anger thePolice Commissioner and threatenthe election. What is it?

9. Harmond tells Old Joe the story ofhow he and Mame first met. In thestory, why did Harmond think Mame“was gonna melt”?

10. Why did the city sell Old Joe’s houseto Harmond?

11. Roosevelt comes to Harmond with anexciting business opportunity that

MASTERY

Assessmenthe’s been offered by his boss at thebank. What is it? And why isHarmond skeptical?

12. Sterling and Old Joe reminisce aboutMiss Harriet’s Fried Chicken. Whatdoes this discussion add to the play?What does Miss Harriet’s place represent?

13. Who was Raymond Wilks and howdid he die?

14. Old Joe has never paid taxes on theWylie St. house. Who does Harmonddiscover was paying Old Joe’s taxesover the years?

Act 2

15. How does Harmond get his stolengolf clubs back?

16. What is Harmond’s response whenSterling asks if he’s “gonna be themayor of the black folks or the whitefolks?”

17. Harmond tries to give Old Joe $10,000for the Wylie St. house. Why does he

do this? Why does Old Joe refuse themoney?

18. After Harmond visits the house onWylie St., what does he say the air inthe house smells like? Where does hefind an “old language” in the house?

19. Harmond makes adjustments to thedevelopment plans to save the Wyliestreet house. What does the new planlook like? Why does Roosevelt disap-prove of the new plans?

20. Who is Black Mary, and why is sheimportant? How are Harmond andOld Joe related to each other?

21. Harmond decides to go to the court-house and try to stop the demolitionof 1839 Wylie. How does this actionpotentially risk his reputation and hiscareer, and why does he do it any-way?

22. Who does Sterling call a “Negro”?How does he define “Negro”?

23. After Roosevelt buys Harmond out ofthe redevelopment project, Harmondtakes what poster off of the wall togive to Roosevelt? What might thisaction represent?

24. Where is Harmond headed at the endof the play? How do you know?

Rocky Carroll in the CenterStage production of August Wilson’s Radio Golf.


Instructions for students: Please answer the fol-

lowing as thoroughly as possible. Remember to

use topic sentences and examples from the text.

OPEN RESPONSE ASSESSMENT

1. Most plays have a protagonistic andantagonistic force. Define these twoterms. Who or what is the protago-nist in this play? Who or what is theantagonist? Justify your choices.

2. Both Harmond and Roosevelt are avidgolfers in August Wilson’s Radio Golf.In fact, Harmond says, “you teach thekids how to play golf and they haveall the rules they need to win at life.”Roosevelt turns the local radio stationinto a talk station devoted to golf.Why did August Wilson choose golfas the important sport in this play?What does golf represent to you?

3. How does Radio Golf comment onracism and classism? How do classand economics intersect with race inthis play? How do the characters inthe play represent different racial andclass identities?

4. How does Radio Golf deal with thesometimes-conflicting commitmentsto personal success, the law, family/heritage, and community?

5. In Radio Golf, Harmond and Rooseveltplan to bring in a Starbucks, WholeFoods Market, and Barnes & NobleBookstore. What do these particularcompanies signify or mean to you?Why do you think August Wilsonchose these companies over other corporations?

6. After Harmond’s hopes of becomingmayor are dashed, Mame explains herdisappointment. She suggests that hecould have made important social

changes after winning the election,rather than telling the truth about thehouse when he did. Do you agree ordisagree?

7. Why do you think Wilson named thisplay Radio Golf?

8. How do the Huntington TheatreCompany production’s set and scenicdesign add to your understanding ofthe play? What choices did the setdesigner make to create a sense ofplace? How does the set represent theBedford Hills Redevelopment officeand the rest of the Hill District neigh-borhood?

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

1. Designating a building as an historiclandmark legally protects it fromdemolition or alteration. Choose abuilding in your community that youbelieve should be designated as anhistoric landmark and write a persua-sive letter to your local landmarkcommission arguing for this designa-tion.

2. Construct the employment resumesof Harmond, Mame or Roosevelt.What other jobs or offices have theyheld? Where did they complete theirstudies? To what associations do theybelong?

3. Using what you’ve learned of thecharacters from watching the play,write the life story or memoir ofeither Old Joe or Sterling. Write abouttheir childhood, family, jobs, dreams,and concerns. Be creative!

4. Imagine that you are running formayor in your town. Write a speechthat you will present to the class as amayoral candidate. What issues are

OPEN RESPONSE & WRITING

Assignmentsof most concern to you and/or yourcommunity? What issues will youdiscuss in the speech? What will youleave out? How will you constructthis speech in order to get the votesyou need to win?

5. Imagine that a large corporation likeWal-Mart plans to move into yourtown or community, bringing jobsand inexpensive goods. In order tomake room for the store and parkinglot, the corporation plans to teardown 15 homes and demolish a park.Imagine that you are a local politicalleader, and draft a letter to this corpo-ration either in favor of or against thisdevelopment plan. Be creative aboutyour response and feel free to con-duct research about these types ofdevelopments in other communities.

6. Choose a female character from oneof Wilson’s other Pittsburgh Cycleplays (see Did You Know section forcomplete list) and compare her to the character of Mame Wilks in Radio

Golf. What role does each of themplay? How are they similar and/or dif-ferent? How do their actions complywith or defy the roles women typical-ly played during that decade inAmerican history?

7. Sterling says, “Some things you ain’tgot to study up on. You ain’t got tostudy up on right and wrong.” Do youagree? How do we distinguish rightfrom wrong? What does it mean to“do the right thing?” How do weknow or learn this? Who decideswhat the right thing is?

8. Research an event in history when aperson, or a group of people, defiedthe law (i.e. Harriet Tubman/Underground Railroad, Rosa Parks/Civil Rights Movement) for socialand/or political reasons. Write areport describing the circumstancesof the event. Do you agree with thechoice(s) that were made? Why orwhy not?


Note to Teachers: The following ideas and

questions can be used to further explore the

text. They can be used as prompts for class

discussion or additional writing assignments.

1. Have students consider the historicaland political events of the 1990s andthemes of August Wilson’s Radio Golf

to create a radio talk show, similar toNational Public Radio’s Talk of the

Nation or Fresh Air, or Air America’sThe Al Franken Show. They wouldprobably begin by brainstormingabout the political focus of their show.Who would be the guests they’d wantto invite for a program aboutPittsburgh’s Hill District or the decadeof the 90s? What topics would be dis-cussed? Have students prepare a seriesof questions. Each presentation shouldbe 3-5 minutes, using music (taped orlive). If possible, have students recordor videotape their presentations.

Suggested projects/groups to be formed:

• Interviews: Students can create asleast 5 specific interview questions.What facts do they wish to elicit?How about opinions? Controversy?What kinds of questions can besthelp the interviewer obtain thedesired information?

• News Story: Have students brain-storm ideas for stories that could belabeled “news.” In groups, assignthem to choose one idea, improviseand outline their story in a scriptedform. Have them script interactionsbetween hosts/news anchors andreporters/eyewitnesses/trial person-alities “in the field.” Include at leasttwo unrehearsed questions from theanchors/hosts.

FOR FURTHER

EXPLORATION• Point Counter Point: Identify an

important conflict in Radio Golf,which could be fashioned into a livebroadcast radio debate, with a “host”character serving as a moderator.Students may use characters fromthe play or create their own.

• Editorial/Opinion: Ask students tochoose a “Radio Golf topic” and deliv-er an editorial on it. Have studentsscript this editorial in words andvisual images.

• Call/Response: Have students in the“home audience” script questions tocall in to the station. The hosts/guests will have to improvise theirresponses as if this were a live radiobroadcast.

2. Assign class members to researchpast/present politicians and commu-nity leaders in Massachusetts or with-in the United States who focus onracism and civil rights for African-

Americans. Ask students to writebiographical profiles of these leaders.Some possible subjects include:

Mohammed AliCarol Mosely BraunEdward BrookeGloria FoxJesse JacksonMartin Luther King Jr. Mel KingRobert KennedyBarack ObamaRosa ParksDeval PatrickColin PowellAl SharptonDianne WilkersonMalcolm X

3. August Wilson was greatly influ-enced by what he called the “Four B’s.”Using the descriptions provided inthe following Did You Know sectionas a guide, ask students to choose oneof the “Bs” to research further, locating

Sean Hannity sits down to debate Al Franken on his radio show while at the Democratic National Convention; photo, Mark Davis - WBAP Dallas / Fort Worth


Controversial and politically charged,Amiri Baraka (born E. LeRoi Jones) and hisworks passionately speak out againstracism, imperialism, and slavery. His play,Dutchman, won an Obie Award in 1964.The most respected and well-known Blackwriter of his generation, Baraka spearhead-ed the Black Arts movement of the 1960s, amovement closely linked with the BlackPower movement. Although often criti-cized as sexist and homophobic, the BlackArts movement cultivated many youngartists and writers through the develop-ment of Black theatre groups, poetry per-formances and magazine publications. Inan interview in 1974, Baraka stated, “I seeart as a weapon, and a weapon of revolu-tion.” August Wilson helped found theBlack Horizons Theatre where he mount-ed several of Baraka’s works. Modern American Poetry, www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/ index.htm

Considered one of the foremost literarythinkers of the 20th Century, Argentinepoet, essayist, and short-story writer JorgeLuis Borges’ tales of fantasy and dream-worlds are classics of 20th-century worldliterature. Borges’s work belittled national-ism and racism and drew on influences ofmany times and places. Borges wrote, “Allthings have been given to us for a purpose,and an artist must feel this more intensely.All that happens to us, including ourhumiliations, our misfortunes, our embar-rassments, all is given to us as raw materi-al, as clay, so that we may shape our art.” The Modern Word, www.themodernword.com/borges

Romare Bearden grew up at the height ofthe Harlem Renaissance. Family friendsLangston Hughes, Duke Ellington, andW.E.B. DuBois greatly influenced Bearden’slife and work. A painter and activist,Bearden fused Harlem life and the

American South in vibrant collages, gath-ering inspiration from African art (sculp-ture, textiles, masks), Japanese prints, andChinese landscape paintings. Reardan alsodesigned costumes and sets for Alvin AileyAmerican Dance Theatre. Seattle Repertory Theatre Study Guide; Romare BeardenFoundation, www.beardenfoundation.org

The Blues greatly inspired each of thethree artists above. A musical style thatemerged from African rhythms andAfrican-American slave songs, the Bluesgained popularity in the 1920s withsingers such as Bessie Smith and Gertrude“Ma” Rainey. Many early songs of this stylewere not written down or recorded, butpassed from one musician to another. TheBlues truly defines American music, serv-ing as the foundation for virtually everymajor American music form born in the20th century, including jazz, rhythm andblues, rock and roll, and hip hop.PBS—the Blues, http://www.pbs.org/theblues.

August Wilson set each Pittsburgh Cycleplay in a particular decade during the 20thCentury and related them to each otherwith the family lineage of characters andthe location in which they are set (HillDistrict).

1900s Gem of The Ocean

1910s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

1920s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

1930s The Piano Lesson

1940s Seven Guitars

1950s Fences

1960s Two Trains Running

1970s Jitney

1980s King Hedley II

1990s Radio Golf

Wilson has won two Pulitzer Prizes forhis Pittsburgh Cycle plays: Fences, 1987; andThe Piano Lesson, 1990.

DID YOU KNOW?Wilson noted in a recent NPR interview that his greatest influences are the 4 ‘B’s: Writers Amiri

Baraka, and Jorge Luis Borges; the artist, Romaire Bearden; and the Blues.

specific places in two of Wilson’splays where these influences appear.

4. In 1997, the year in which Radio Golf

takes place, playwright AugustWilson and theatre critic RobertBrustein engaged in a public debateover their views on racial diversityand theatrical standards in theUnited States. Wilson argued thatrace mattered — so much that he discouraged “colorblind” or cross-race casting. Wilson said, “We wantyou to see us. We are black and beau-tiful. We have an honorable historyin the world of men. We do not needcolorblind casting.” Instead, he calledfor Brustein to “imagine a theaterbroad enough and secure enough inits traditions to absorb and make useof all manners and cultures ofAmerican life.” Wilson wrote that itis time “to have a theatre that pro-motes the values of black Americans,our hard won survival and prosperity,which addresses ways of life that arepeculiar to us, that investigated ourpersonalities and social intercourseand philosophical thought, is not tobe.” Robert Brustein called Wilson’sremarks “the language of self-segrega-tion.” In his opinion, theatre shouldbe universal, created by artists whose“perceptions go beyond racial andsectarian agendas.” Have studentsresearch the Wilson-Brustein debateand discuss the issues these writersraise. What do you think of Wilson’sassertions? Of Brustein’s response?

August Wilson; photo, AP

For Further Exploration continued


Note to Teachers: The following exercises are

interactive, hands-on challenges in Drama,

Music, Visual Arts, and Design. They aim to

give students a better understanding of the

many kinds of tasks that contribute to a

theatrical production.

ROLE PLAY AND IMPROVISATION

The Decade of the 90s:

Have students research the economic,political, and social conditions, as well asthe music, fashion and entertainmenttrends of the 1990s, focusing on theircity/hometown/community.

Have students interview their teachers,parents, relatives, or community leadersabout how their community has changedin the past decade. Where have develop-ment projects occurred within their com-munity? How have businesses changed?How has the community been affected?What are the benefits/consequences ofdevelopment? Are there families thathave had to relocate due to these econom-ic shifts? If possible, have students taperecord or videotape their interviews. Askstudents to take notes. Students shouldinterview at least two people. Next, askstudents to create a character based onthese oral history interviews. They can becreative in this process. The characterthey create can be strongly or looselybased on the interviews.

Next, have students come to classdressed as their character. Conduct a com-munity meeting, where each characterhas 3 minutes to present their feelingsabout development in their communityand discuss their personal/family con-cerns. (If the student wishes to use anyactual statements from an interview, besure the student asks the interviewee forpermission).

Hold a debate as characters in the play

Choose two characters in August Wilson’sRadio Golf that have differing opinionsabout a central issue in the play, like thedemolition of 1839 Wylie St. or the largerissue of race and politics. Ask for two vol-unteers and conduct a debate of this issue.Give the first pair a chance to argue theircase for at least two minutes. Next, ask theother members of the class if anyonewould like to “tap in” and take over one orboth of the characters by entering thescene silently and gently tapping the actorthey wish to replace. Give these two achance to debate, and then allow others to“tap in” again. Continue this process aslong as there are students who wish to par-ticipate in the debate. This allows studentsto hear different perspectives.

Scene Study

Have students act out a scene from Radio

Golf . They should use props and elementsof costumes, if possible. Have them con-sider their placement on stage, blocking(who moves where and when), gestures,vocal tone, music, and the intended emo-tional impact of the scene. If you havetime, have the students act out the scene asecond time, testing the effects of chang-ing something about the performance,such as the tone of voice, a character trait,or a vital remark. How does such a changeaffect the selected moment? How doespacing or posturing of an actor affect thedramatic or comic timing of the piece?

MOVEMENT/MUSIC

Creating Choreography

Ask students to create short movementpieces, consisting of a movement phrasecomprised of at least 6 gestures, to repre-sent one of the key themes or relationshipsin the play. Start by asking them to identify

MEDIA

Assessmentkey themes in the play, such as communityheritage, family history, racism, economicdisparity, or displacement, or a central rela-tionship, like that between Harmond andRoosevelt. What gestures or movementphrases can represent this issue or relation-ship? Where do certain emotions live inthe body? Encourage students to use theirwhole bodies and play with different levels.Divide students into small groups, and askthem to teach each other their choreogra-phy. Next, they can perform each piece forthe larger class. Ask the larger class to try todetermine the theme or relationship repre-sented by each student’s piece.

SOUNDTRACKS

Have students create a soundtrack for ascene from Radio Golf. Students can chooseexisting songs for each scene, but alsoshould be encouraged to make soundsusing found objects, percussion instru-ments (if available), their bodies and theirvoices. After allowing everyone to rehearse,invite some students to act out the scenewhile the rest of the class performs thesoundtrack. Discuss how the music andsound helped to create a certain mood forthe scene.

VISUAL ART

Character Collage

August Wilson credits the art of RomareBearden as one of his major influences.Look at some of Romare Bearden’s workand discuss why he chooses collage as hisprimary medium of expressing African-American history. Have students chooseone character from Radio Golf and create acharacter collage. Students can use paper,sketches, paint, fabric pieces, photographs,old puzzle pieces, magazine and newspa-per clippings, and quotations from theplay to express the character’s conflicts,relationships, and emotions. Encouragestudents to consider texture and colorwhen making decisions to best representtheir chosen character. Have studentsshare their work with the class withoutnaming the character. By picking out thequalities of each collage, have the classguess which character is being expressed.


Note to teachers: After viewing the play,

ask the following questions:

1. About the Play and Production

A. What was your overall reaction?Were you surprised? Intrigued?Amused? Explain your reactions.How was the play structured? Did itbuild to a single climax? Was itepisodic? Did this structure help orhinder your understanding of theplay? Was the dialogue interesting?Appropriate? Poetic? Were youaware of the imagery and symbolismduring the course of the play? Wouldyou have been aware of these deviceswithout previous preparation?

B. Was the pace and tempo of the pro-duction effective and appropriate?

2. About the Characters

A. Did the characters touch you per-sonally in any way? Did you careabout them?

B. Were the characters three-dimen-sional and believable?

QUESTIONS FOR AFTER

Attending the PerformanceC. Were the motivations of the charac-

ters clear?

D. What qualities were revealed by theaction and speech of the characters?

E. Did the characters develop or under-go a transformation during thecourse of the play?

F. In what ways did the charactersreveal the themes of the play?

3. About the Set

A. Was the set usable and workable?

B. Was the set compatible with theproduction as a whole? Were thereany features of the set that distract-ed from the action of the play?

C. Did the design reflect the themes,type and style of the play?

D. Were the artistic qualities of unity, balance, line, texture, mass andcolor used effectively?

E. Did the set provide appropriateenvironment and atmosphere?

F. Was the set used to present any sym-bolic images or did it simply repre-sent the space in which the action ofthe play occurred? Did it containelements of both a “realistic” and a“symbolic” approach?

4. About Lighting and Sound

A. What mood or atmosphere did the lighting establish? Was the illu-mination sufficient? Did the light-ing harmonize with, and contributetoward, the unity of the production?

B. How did the sound used in the playenhance your overall experience?

5. About Costumes/Makeup/ Hairstyles

A. Were all of these elements correct in terms of the period fashion? Were they suitable in terms of character and storytelling for theproduction?

B. Did the color/design of the cos-tumes and make-up serve to illumi-nate the themes, type, and style ofthe play?

Wylie Street; photo, Charles Teenie Harris

Lesson PlansTeachers’ note: Choose activities that are appropriate for your classroom period. All assignments are suggestions. Only a teacher knows his or her

class well enough to determine the level and depth to which any piece of literature may be examined.

ONE-DAY LESSON PLAN introduces students to the context and major themes of the production on the day of attendance.

DAY ONE - Introducing August Wilson’s Radio Golf and attending the show

1. Read the synopsis of Radio Golf. Discuss other works students have studied with similar themes and issues.

2. Distribute Mastery Assessment for Radio Golf for students to read before, and to review again after attending the performance.

3. Review audience etiquette before attending the production.

4. Choose one writing assignment from the Open Response and Writing section to give students as homework after attending the production.

5. Attend the production.

TWO-DAY LESSON PLAN allows students to do background research before attending the play and introduces students to the context and major themes.

DAY ONE - Introducing August Wilson’s Radio Golf and conducting background research Read the synopsis of Radio Golf. Discuss otherworks students have studied with similar themes and issues.

1. Choose one Preparation activity to complete in class. Schedule library or computer time if necessary.

2. Distribute Mastery Assessment for Radio Golf for students to read as homework, and to review again after attending the performance.

3. Review Audience Etiquette before attending the production.

DAY TWO - Attending the show

1. Attend the production at the Huntington Theatre Company.

2. Choose one writing assignment from the Open Response and Writing section to assign as homework.

3. Review audience etiquette before attending the production.

Optionial: Students can choose one activity from For Further Exploration or Media Assessment for extra credit.

FOUR-DAY LESSON PLAN introduces students to the production and then, after viewing the performance, asks them to think more critically and creativelyabout what they have seen. Includes time for class discussion and individual assessment.

DAY ONE - Introducing August Wilson’s Radio Golf

Same as Day One above.

DAY TWO - Attending the production.1. Attend the performance at the Huntington Theatre Company.

2. Assign Mastery Assessment questions as homework.

Optionial: Students can choose one activity from For Further Exploration or Media Assessment for extra credit.

DAY THREE - Follow-up Discussion1. Discuss Mastery Assessment answers in class and any of the following elements:

• Their reaction to the play and what they saw as its single most important theme. • Their reaction to elements of the play: setting, plot, characterization, dramatic structure, and language. • Their reaction to the production’s scenic, lighting, sound, and costume designs; direction; and acting.

2. Distribute and complete Handout 1: Vocabulary Charades.

3. For homework, students may choose one activity from the Media Assessment or For Further Exploration activities.

DAY FOUR - Process Knowledge

Individual Assessment: Choose either several questions from the Open Response Assessment or one question from Writingassignments for students to answer in class. Presentation and assessment of students’ homework.

SEVEN-DAY LESSON PLAN introduces students to the production and then, after viewing the performance, asks them to think more critically and creativelyabout what they have seen. Includes time for class discussion and individual assessment.

DAY ONE - Preparation1. Read the synopsis of August Wilson’s Radio Golf. Discuss other works students have studied with similar themes and issues.2. Distribute Mastery Assessment for Radio Golf for students to read before, and to review again after attending the performance.3. In groups or individually, students choose one Preparation exercise to complete prior to seeing the performance.

This activity can be completed over the next two days. Homework: Read Act One of Radio Golf and answer corresponding Mastery Assessment questions.

DAY TWO - Act One1. Discuss Act One and answers to Mastery Assessment questions.2. Continue work or start new Preparation activity. Schedule library or computer time if necessary. Homework: Read Act Two and answer corresponding Mastery Assessment questions.

DAY THREE - Act Two1. Discuss Act Two and answers to Mastery Assessment questions.2. Continue work or start new Preparation activity. Schedule library time if necessary. 3. Review audience etiquette before attending the performance.

DAY FOUR - Attend PerformanceHomework: Have students choose one Media Assessment activity.

DAY FIVE - Creative work and Further Exploration1. Students present Media Assessment homework in class.2. In groups or individually, students choose one For Further Exploration activity to begin in class.

These can be finished as homework.

DAY SIX - Presentations and Further Exploration1. Completion/presentations of For Further Exploration projects. 2. Distribute Handout 2: Creating a Dramatic Monologue. If possible, allow in class time for students to

brainstorm ideas and write.

DAY SEVEN - Assessment1. Presentations and assessment of monologues.2. Choose either several questions from the Open Response or one question from the Writing Assignments for

students to answer in one class period.Optional in-class activity, time permitting: Distribute and complete Handout 1: Vocabulary Charades.

Optional homework: Students may choose to complete another of the For Further Exploration or Media Assessmenttasks for extra credit.


Paperboys; photo, Charles Teenie Harris

Name:_______________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Handout 1

VOCABULARY CHARADESDistribute this vocabulary handout and ask students to match as many words as they can with their appropriate definitions. Next, divide the class

into small groups and assign each group 2-3 terms to act out silently for the class, using only their bodies to “describe” the terms. While each group

is presenting, the rest of the class should try to guess the term being acted out. Once all of the groups have presented, distribute another copy of the

vocabulary test. You’ll be amazed at the number of perfect scores!

1. blight ___: The period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; A cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries; The revival of learning and culture.

2. redevelopment ___: Taxes, which were not paid when due.

3. deed ___: The saving or rescuing of condemned, discarded, or abandoned property, and of materials contained therein for reuse.

4. back taxes ___: A drawing in perspective of a proposed structure.

5. Renaissance ___: A call by an authority to appear in court.

6. salvage ___: A deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain; Trickery, a trick; One who assumes a false pose; an impostor.

7. fraud ___: To develop again; Renew or restore.

8. campaign ___: The term used for areas with substantial physical deterioration, unsafe conditions,excessive vacancy, abandoned buildings, high incidence of criminal activity, or other conditions that make the area undesirable for businesses or residents.

9. rendering ___: A document sealed as an instrument of bond, contract, or conveyance, especially relating to property.

10. summons ___: A race between candidates for elective office.

Name:_______________________________________________________ Date:_____________________

Handout 2

CREATING A DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE

In August Wilson’s Radio Golf each character harbors very unique perspectives and concerns about the redevelopment of the Hill Districtand the demolition of the house on Wylie Street. For this assignment, choose a character for which you would like to write and perform a monologue.First, locate one line in the play that you believe best represents the essence of the character’s needs, beliefs, or desires.

Using that line or moment in the play as a starting point, write a monologue of at least 200 words for your character, which you will thenrehearse and perform for the class. You do not need to memorize the monologue, unless there is time. But do commit to your character andbe familiar with your lines.

Be creative!

Consider the following questions before you begin:

1. Do research on your character. How do they speak? What words do they like to use? What is the rhythm of their speech? Do they use long or short sentences?

2. To whom are you speaking? Are you alone on stage or with someone?

3. If you are speaking to someone, what do you want from this person?

4. Where are you?

5. With what props might your character interact during this monologue?

6. At what point in the play can this monologue be inserted? In which scene might this monologue take place? Is this monologue at the opening of the play? At the closing? Why is the character telling this story at this particular moment?

7. What do we learn about your character through this monologue?

8. How will you use your voice and your body to help create your character and get their message across?

Documents

RADIO GOLF curriculum guide