Audi}; 4 AN ANALYSIS or THE PROBLEMS _ V anvowao m THE ADAPTATION-OF- ' 211 AUGUST STRINDBERG’S g1; “FATHER _ i FOR TELEVISION Thesis for flu Degree of M. A. MtCHiGAN STATE COLLEGE Gerald C. Beckwith 1954 THESIS This is to certify that the thesis entitled An Analysis of the Problems Involved in the Adaptation of August Strindberg's The Father for Television presented by Gerald G. Beckwith has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for ALA..— degree in __Speenh__ Date Sept. 13Ll 95h 0-169 u music or m 2103mm mamas u m mummy or mouse 3231mm m m 102 mansion 57 Gerald G. leckvith “MM! Submitted to the School ef salute Studies of Iichipu State college of Agriculture end. Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the require-cute torthedeaeeof WWMS Depart-eat of Speech September. 19st Apprfledll 171/” //71/V-«»/")/e, , // ¢/ TH ESIS Although the unptetion hns essuned n position of increesing impor- tenoe on television few ettenpts hove been ado to muse the perticuler pretl-s involved in the writing of e television edsptntion. filis study we undertnken. therefore, in no effort to .tisfy, immuch es possible. the need for nore detniled infornstion on this subject. In beeping with the above purpose this study trotted the prohlen of writing the television edsptetion in e process which involved the steps listed below. 1. A stud: woo first .de of the television nediun itself. in order to deternine its cherecteristics. potentislities end linitntiens, pertioulsrly us those oherecteristios night effect the selection end treetnent of en ednptoble work. 2. August ltrindherg's m m wes selected for en odnpte- tion trestnent efter en onlysis of its suitebility to the television nediun nnd e recognition of its ilportenoe es s. piece of drnntic litereture. 3. A careful and conplete stud: wee .de of the plot selected reletive to .101! fitters es drentic type. style. the-e, plot construction. chsrocter delineetion end drenotio weeknessos. informtion which could be utilised by the writer in firing his ednptotion of the ploy. b. An ettenpt wes ads to edJust Btrindherg's concept of the pm to the needs and denuds of the television nediun end the uture of its audience. 5. a. protlens involved in the edeptetion process were analysed end vorious oonelusiens were dun no to their gonsrel nstnre. 0n the hesis of the perticuler prohlens encountered during the course of the study oreterie were esteblished for the selection of .- teriels suitehle fer edeptetion to the television nediun end e prece- dnre woo sot-up which could he followed in subsequent edoptotions. further, es s result of this study. the writer was eble to reefirn his recognition of the television mptetion es o signifioent drenotie fern in its own ridlt, one which involves prohlsns particulor to its on neture end e procedure which differs fron thet of on originel television dun. 3“: 1'- ECG in mums or m PROBLEMS INVOLVED I: m manor or wens: smmmc's m ran TELEVISION by Gerald G. Beckvith A 533818 Bub-titted to the School of Grodnnte Studies of Michigan State College of Agiculture and Applied Science in pertiel fulfillnont of the roguirenents for the degree of mm arms Deportnont of Speech Septonhor. 1951+ i J 'l J y “L‘JE/ 'Q- V'rrw ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to express his sincere gratitude to Dr. Robert P. Orswfcrd, for his experienced guidance and supervision in the orpnisetion and composition of this study. He wishes also to then]: Dr. David Dolph. who was kind enough to read the completed work and to offer many velusble suggestions for improvement. lastly, he especially wishes to thank Dr. Arnnd Hunter and Dr. Wilson 3. Paul. who together node the television production of the ndnptetion of Strindberg' s t r possible. .ttifitttilttfifi tflt$ttt¥tttt t*¥.#**##i Itltfittfi *ttififi *‘fii it t DEDICAT ION i'o my wife. Gledys, without whose understanding and inspirotion this study would never hove been completed. IABISOI‘GONTEETS 0mm 1. ABTAMNTOITEDPROBLEM............ Introduction.................. Background.................. AReview of the Literature. . . . . . . . . . theProblem .................. StotenontoftheProblen........... ImportenceoftheStudy ........... Definition of the Tern itdnptotion' . . . . . . LinitntionsoftheStudy............ hethodoofProcedure.............. II. m WSIOH mm, ITS CHARACTERISTICS m WIMIONS O O O O O O O O O 0 O O O O O O 0 me Ghnrecteristics of the television Mediu- . . Oherecteristics of Performnce . . . . . . . . relevision's Combinetion of Picture and Bound mmmr '1'103 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O nO’mlnmiuo‘eeeeeoeeeeeeeeo MonochrometicSight............. T.1"1.1M'° u°b111" O O O O O 0 O O O O O O the !elevision Audience . . . . . . . . . . . sense of 1mm... . . . SensoofIntinncy .............. The Limitations of the Television Medium . . . . PAGE H xomccxzmcruww 11 11 11 13 14 15 16 16 17 21 22 cm 111. Limitation of lime . . . . . . Totalfine......... Rehearsalfine....... i‘he Sustained Performance . fine to Capture Attention . Picturintion and Stage Business Limitation of Space . . . . . StudioSise ........ PictureSise. . . . . . . . Linitation of Budget . . . . . rho Linitation of the Sponsor Wild m PLAY l‘OR REVISION Row M; was Found to Pit Within the Characteristics of the relevision Mediun . . the television Audience . . . . . . . . . anorecter Concentration . . . . . the Continuous Perfcrnance Problem Strindberg's Space Limitations . . rho i'ine Limitation Problem . television as e Ooabinstion of Both PictureandSound ......... television's Systen of Monochromatic Sight m Conditions of Viewing . . . . . . . . Television no a Realistic Medium . . . . . Row M [light Be hpected to Benefit Iron a Eranoference to the Television Mediu- fhe Dra‘tic Importance of W PAGE 26 27 28 28 28 31 35 35 35 39 #1 42 42 43 “5 0mm 17. 7. Critical Recognition . . . . . . . no Significance of Strindberg's Su-ary.............. AIAIALYSISCIW “,Intrcduction............ Deternimtion Determination Determimtion Determination the Character rho Character The Character {the Character the Character he Claracter The Character Deternimtion Determination Deternimt ion of Style . . . . . . . of Dramatic Type . . . of the Theme of W ofCharacter....... ofAdolf....... ofLaura....... of the Doctor . . . . of Margret . . . . . . ofBortha ...... ofJonas....... oflIon ....... of Plot Construction . of Scene Construction of Drastic Weaknesses Characterieaknesses. . . . . . . . thesatleahnesses......... PlotIeaknessos.......... mnaoaaoaeeeaeeee WIOFPBOBLEMS ......... Principles of Adaptation . . . . . . Procedure............. Pics 1+8 #9 so 51 51 51 52 53 57 co 63 65 66 as 69 71 73 73 7h 76 76 79 80 81 PAW ChartingthoAdaptation............... 88 SceneBreahdownandAnalysis............. 92 Act!..............-......... 93 Scenel..................... 92 Scenoz. 95 Scene3..................... 95 Sceneh. 96 Scenes..................... 97 Scenoo..................... 98 Scene?............... ..... . 100 Scene. 101 Scene9..................... 102 ActII....................... 103 $0031.. ..... ............... 103 8603.02..................... 105 BoeneB..................... 106 Scenolt....... ..... ......... 107 Scene:..................... 109 Act!!!...................... 113 Scene 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Sconoz. 115 Scene 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Scenolt..................... 119 Scenes..................... 119 Sceno6.. 120 General Adaptation Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 0mm VI. VII . he Problem of Strindberg's Theme . . . . . . . The Problem of Opening the The [so of Title Cards . . Television Play . . . The Point of Attack, the Opening Scene . . . . . he Problem of Visual Emphasis . . . . . . . . . he Problem of Television Dialogue . . . . . . . no Technique of Dialogue Compression . . . . . The Technique of Dialogue Imitation . . . . . . The Problem of Transition The Problem of Determining TBTBIEVISION SCRIPT . . . . ActI ........... ActII........... ActIII .......... CONCLUSIONS ......... TheProblems........ the Product ion Style The Problem of Material Selection . . . . . . . The Problem of Procedure . The Problem of Telling the Story 'Ithin the Limited Means of the Televition Kodia- . . . . . The Problem of the Utilisation of the Creative Tools of the Television Medium . . . . . . . . . The Problem of Adjusting the Author' s Original Concept to the Nature of the Television Medium . M e e e e e e e e e laterial Considerations . . Adaptation Procedure . . . 121 127 129 132 133 11w M3 1% 1% 151 151: 155 182 194 202 202 202 206 207 209 211 211 213 Recommendations for Further Study Croatia—type Studies . . . . . . Hon-creative-type Studies . . . . BIBLIWBAPHY O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 mar 216 216 217 220 WM! ASTAWGI-Pkm CHAPTER I A summer THE PROBLEM Introduction M. his television industry uses a great amount of dramatic nterial each week in the course of its programming activi- ties. m1. “Comparative network TV Showduet' of W W for the month of Key, 1953. for example. shows a total of sixty—two dramatic type programs weekly for that month.1 Togeth— er. the listed programs total over thirty hours of entertainment. comparable to the time required to view twelve Broadway plays. or over twenty motion pictures.2 As was so graphically stated by Good- man Ace. This new medium has a voracious appetite. Ito feeding hours are from early morning till late at night. Its diet consists of scenery. cos- tunes. lidits. nice-up. music. choreogrp‘phy. sound. and words. And the greatest of these is words. And not Just words compounded out of thin air or lame brain, but words which have been scrupulously prepared and seasoned. and fed to those who inhabit this new box of ngic week after week after week.3 1 '0 tive Network TV Showsheet, " Win. (In: It. 1953 on 98-99. 2 These figures are based upon an estimated time length for the average Broadway play of two hours and one-half. and an eotinted time length for the average motion picture of ninety minutes. 3 Goodman Ace. “Chest writers In The Sky.“ W W. (April 26. 1952). p. 31. Because the amount of dramatic material produced for television each week is so peat. it has been found difficult to simply the needed nteriel entirely from original sources. The amount of time needed to write an erigiml drama for television is one reason for this difficulty. As was noted by Stasheff and Brats, the writing of full hour television dreams. for example. requires “almost as much investment of time and effort on the part of the writer as three act plays." In consequence of this fact, smny television producers have relied heavily on television adaptations of short stories. novels and stage plays for their program needs. Many of the better-known dramatic prop-ens on television have followed this policy, including mm W5 Studio 0». W W and the drantic portion of the m pregru. m for sample, has over the past few seasons presented in adapted farm. Shakespeare's W m m W m minions. .. won .. mum'- m Harmon'- W. 30317 Jul-0' mm: m L. May Alcott' s W and George Orwell's 1285;. The contribution nde by the adaptation to the television medium has been of major importance to the furthering of the medium's program- ming function, for the adaptation has presented an easily accessible b Bastard Stadieff and Rudy Brats. W. (low York: A. A. Ira. 1951). p. 171. 5 Per a discussion on the role of the adaptation in the history of the WW sea. “Kraft Theatre. A Television IP10.“ Wins. (Jun- 15. 1953). p. 90.. source of program uteriel at a saving of time and talent. Also, as one can see from the above-listed credits for the 53.11.411.22! program alone. the adaptation has served the important cultural function of bringing the best of the literature of the world to the home viewer in a dramatic fern. Television's reputation as an important cultural force has been built in no small part by the adaptation. W. In view of the fact that the adap- tation has proven its importance as (1) a practical source of program- ming entering and (2) an important cultural force. it is significant to note that little study has been node of the actual process of nhing a television adaptation or of the problems involved. Although nny fine books on television writing have appeared. little consider- ation has been shown the adaptation as such. Robert S. Greene's W is one such book.‘ Gilbert Seldes' 121.11.31.27; W is another.7 As far as either one of these two publica- tions has gone. they are excellent. They cover. in offodt. the entire field of writing for television. However. they do so in a very gene- ral nutter. They both find it difficult to give a comprehensive treatment to each and every aspect of tolovision writing within the space that they lave to devote to the subject. Because of this. the specific problems that the individfll television writer might fees have at times been neglected or generalised. This is particularly true of the problems involved in nking the television adaptation. 6 Robert S. Greene. W (New York: Harper and Brothers. 1952). 7 Gilbert Seldes. Winds. (In York: Doubleday ‘M 09939 19.52). Of the other books in the field of television writing, M W by Margaret R. Weiss should also be mentioned.8 In her work, Miss Ioiss attempts to accomplish the same purpose as Greene and Seldoo. to introduce the writer to the overall field of television writing. Rewovor. Kiss Weiss' work is too general to be of great value to the television adapter. The merit of g. g! Vritg'g Guide. therefore. lies principally in its presentation of television scripts and its practical information on the abject of television markets. In: Iylio's W9 another important work in the field, also fails to suit the specific needs of the tele- vision adaptor. Althougi the work contains many pages of excellent material on the problems of adapting material to radio, Iylio's book is vague and general concerning the one problem on television. Other books. such as Brats and Stasheff's W10 and Uilliem 1. nor-en's WWII contain actual production scripts. many of them adaptations, but they contain little inferntion of nterial value on writing the television adapta- tion itself. Books by Hoylemd Bettinger.12 Iturray Belem.” Louis A. 8 llsraret R. Isiso. W (low York: Pellogrini and Cudahy. 1952). 9 In I 11-. MW (low York: 31m" and 00”. 1950 e 10 Rudy Brats and Edward Stashoff. Wm (new York: A. 1. Iyn. 1953.) 11 union 1. rant-m, ed.. B r a , (Row York: llerlin Press. 1950). 12 Royland Bettingor. W. (New York: Harper and. Brothers. 19%). , ' _ 13 Hurray Belem, Mute]; of Telgvisiep. (Hollywood: Hollywood Radio Pnhlidioro. 1950). 5 spec-,1“ winin- c. nasal-5 Richard subbe11.15 and John H. Battison17 have treated most effectively various aspects of the television medium. including problems of writing. production. programming and engineering. However. few of the books mentioned contain more than an occasional raf- orence to the problem of writing the television adaptation: nest of them do not contain an information on this subject at all. In the field of unpublished nmterial. two studies have been ndo which pertain to the problem under consideration. Joan Harguerita “with“ at“! of MW W is one.18 winin- Tomlinson's W “W W is the other.” Both Kiss Lengwith and Kr. Ton- 1inson have treated particular aspects of the problem. but they have done so only in relation to other problems more particularly their own. Ir. Tomlinson. for example. was basically concerned with a comparative study of the are- stage and the television medium. and with the lb Louis A. Sposa. r r Pr a Dir (low York: licGraw-Rill Book Compaq. 191+? . 15 linu- c. w: W. (In: York: Prentice-Hall. 1915). 16 Richard Babb-11. W (New York: Rinehart and Compaq. 1950). 17 John R. Rattison. W. (low York: The KacMillen 00w 1950). 18 Jean Karguerite Longwith. W W (unpublished laster’s Thesis: State Uninsu- sity of Ian: Iowa City. 1950). 19 “111:- Henry Tomlin-on. WW (unpubliohod Master's Thesis. MichiganState College. Bast Lansing, 1952 . 6 differences involved in directing the some play for both. The problems of adapting to television hlyn Villiams‘ Eh: Qorn 1; gr”; were there- fore generalised by Mr. foulinson in order to conform with his principal purpose. Kiss. Longwith's prinsry purpose was to treat the problem of producing for television three of Sir Arthur Gemn Doyle's popular short stories. involving the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The problems encountered by Hiss Longwith in taking the television adaptations of Doyle's short stories were, therefore. neglected in favor of a concen- tration en the production problems. Althoudi each of the works mentioned above has contributed infor- mation_toward the solution of the problems of rating a television adap- tation. it was believed that a more specific treatment of some of the more important problems in this field could be valuable. rho Problem W. Because there appeared to be a need for an analysis of the problems involved in making an adaptation for television, it was the purpose of this project to males such a study. It was also the purpose of this project to set up. insofar as possible. criteria for the Judicious selection of material for other adaptations. i'his implied that certain standards could be established to determine . a material's suitability to the television medium. In view of the above objectives. the nature of the thesis problem was three-fold: rirst, the selection of a work for adaptation, second, a study of the work as it was originally conceived by its author, third, a study of the problems involved in sting the adaptation for television and an evaluation of the degree of success with which the work selected was adapted. 7 W. in analysis of the problems encountered in uking an actual adaptation will be helpful in contemplating the future work in.the field. Knowing in.part what he will face in.trans- lating a work from one medium to another, a writer will be more careful, (l) in the selection of his material, and (2) in the treatment of his material. If the writer knows beforehand that a particular problem exists. he will make a study of the work he is considering in terms of that problem. Consequently. he will be able to avoid.the difficulties that may develop from the problem when the show is in either the writing or the production.stage. Lastly; if criteria can be established which will aid the writer in the selection of materials suitable for television adaptation. the writer's problem can.be further simplified. If the writer can'be guided.at first to a work‘uhich will lend itself well to the television medium. he would be spared a substantial waste of time and.effort. It must be emphasised. however, that many rules are made to be broken, and that most standards will hold true only so long as they are observed inpractice.2° Iherefore. the work:which on first enmination appears to be unsuitable for television might. in the hands of an experienced and skilled adapter, be molded into a suitable form. Iith.ingenuity and patience. even.the greatest problems are capable of solution. 21 20 Sta-heft and Bro“. W. p. 158. 21 than..nii. " ta 1 .' he only term used in this study which midit be considered controversial is the term “adaptationd' this study recognised that, "an adaptation can never be a literal re- creation of the original nterial...“22 As the term is used in this study, an adaptation is a translation. not a transference. of material from one medium to another. The process calls for rearrangement. alter- ation or limitation of the text of the original material in consideration of the potentialities and the limitations of the medium to which the nterial is being adapted. Limitations of the Study In order to males a concentrated study of the problems involved in nking a television adaptation, it was found advisable to treat only a particular aspect of the general problem. Therefore, the study was limited to a treatment of the problems encountered in nmking a tele- vision adaptation of a three—act stage play. Ior reasons which will be discussed later in the study, August Strindberg's m was sub- sequently selected as the play to be adapted. In spite of the above limitation, it is hoped that much of the information gined from the study will be pertinent to forms other than stage dram. Because many of the problems faced in making the adaptation are problems common to the television medium in general. I they are problems to be encountered in adapting short ttories. novels. or biographical nterial to television as well. 22 Green, 91. m... p. 1&2. A second limitation placed upon this study concerns the television production of the adaptation. Although the finished adaptation was produced over the television system of Michigan State College. the con- sideration of the production problems in this study has been limited to the problem of writing for a particular production style. he study does not, then, treat to any extent the technical details of the pro- duction itself. i.e.. the problems involved in actually producing the drag before the cameras. The determination of such factors as picture euposition, camera angles, camera movement or placement, liditing, sound perspective and other such matters are problems that were handled by the technical crew under the supervision of a technical director. therefore, it was deemed advisable not to include them within the range of this study. Methods of Procedure the adaptation and production of August Strindberg' s W for television was nde possible in the six steps which follow: 1. A study was ads of the television medium in order to determine its characteristics. potentialities and limitations. 2. A drama was selected which appeared to be miited to the television medium. 3. A careful and complete study of the play and of its author' s concept was nmde. 1+. fhe adaptation of the play was made. utilising the acquired backyound infomtion on both the play and the television medium, in order to adjust the author's concept of the play to the needs of the television medium and the nature of the television audience. 10 5. he play was produced before the television cameras in the form of a one-hour video drama. 6. An amlysis of the results of the at“: was slide and the concludicns noted. Coincident with the methods of procedure outlined above. the re- minder of this thesis has been organized in six chapters. Chapter M of the study concerns the television medium itself. its potentialities as a drantie medium. and its limitations. chapter Three concerns the selection of the play for television. Chapter l'our is devoted to an analysis of the play selected, its style. type. theme. characters, and construction. chapter live is concerned with the adaptation problems encountered, and their solution. Chapter Six contains the completed script as it was adapted to television. and Chapter Seven, the last chapter. contains the conclusions of the study and the writerfis recom- mendations for further work in the area. CW 11 m mmxsxormim. as medium) mmxons mu in “1.3713101! mm, 1!! MCMISTICS AID LIMITATIONS W W Althoudi this study does not treat. to any extent. the technical appest of television. the means used in reproducing the television picture. the adaptor of W found it necessary to note some of the medium's special characteristics. particularly those which affected the selection of the play and the treatment of the play. W. the television performance of a «in. is continuous in store. i.e.. it starts at a particular time and. runs without interruption throng: to its conclusion.1 An exception to this rule occurs only when the drain is interrupted to give time for either the sponsor' s commercials or for the station identification breaks. On occasion. too. a dramatic program will be carried in seg- ments. one portion being town one day or week. and another the follow- ing day or week.2 Because the television drama is continuous in its performance. the television actor must cosmit his lines to memory in advance. and 1 [his statement does not, of course. take into consideration those television plays which are produced first on film and then shown over the television system. Tor the purposes of this discussion. the characteristics of the television medium will be considered only as they describe the 'live' television drama, i.e.. the transmission of the actual event as it takes place. 2 Gilbert Seldss. mm, (In York: Doubleday ‘nd Company. 1952). 1). 10b. 12 sustain his character and performance throughout the running time of the show. In this respect, the television actor holds a position much the same as the stage actor. He does not read from a script. as does the radio actor. and he does not memerise separate shots. or sequences. as does the motion picture actor. rho fact that a television performance is sustained also carries” certain implications for the television writer. lhother he is writing on original play or making an adaptation. the writer must foresee the physical limitations imposed on his script by the nature of its pro- duction. Once started. the television dram. cannot stop for new sot-ups or rotabs. therefore. the writer must be careful to allow sufficient time in the course of his script for the movement of cameras from one set-up to the next. and for the shifting of scenery. properties. micro- phones. and lidfll. He must also be careful to allow enougi time for the actor to change his costume or his make-up. when needed. and to move from one set to another between scones.3 Another characteristic of the television performance is the fact that it is complete in itself. rho television drama is only performed once. except when a dolayod mowing by means of a film is smdo over these stations not serviced by the network line. In the motion pictures. if a 'dot' is not acceptable. it can be redone until such time as it is acceptable. On stage. if an actor fails to give a creditable perform- ‘nco one midlt. he has the opportunity to mks up for it by giving a —. 3 ““34 Stasheff "“1 3W 31'0“. W. (NOV York: A.A. Wyn. 1951). p. 39. 13 better performs the following night. On television. however. there can be no second perfornances. Bach nidit that a program goes on the air. a television play receives its opening and closing night in one. W. The television medium is characterised by its combination and integration of both. aural and visual elements. The use of both sound and picture also forms the medium‘s principal attraction. As Bettinger has pointed. out. the fact that the medium requires the simultaneous use of the two primary senses of sifit and hearing creates "a double impact.“ Because of this. television has double effectiveness as an entertainment. adver- tising. and educational medium. However. as Bettinger further points out. television's dual appeal of sight and sound can also become a weakness. if proper control is not exercised over the W of the two senses. nae hula mind can concentrate on only one thing at a time. It cannot concentrate with the eyes and ears simultaneously... Consequently. if the attention of the television audience is to be held. the focus of attention must be shifted back and forth between picture and sound.5 the force of the television drama will. then. be carried at one time or another by both picture and sound. but on rare occasions only will picture and sound be of equal importance. t Bettinger. n. 911.. p. 12. 5 1:29.- £11- lb Although television has been termed a |'visual" mediums therefore. it is really visual only in the sense that “pictures supply that portion of the effect which can best be produced by visul moans."7 rho dual nature of television means. then, that picture and sound must complement each other. Bach must contribute to the overall effectthet "something“ which is found lacking in the other. !o achieve the most effective use of both picture and sound. cer- tain rules have been established. for sample. in stimulating the ingination and. in establishing a mood. the ear is most effective. while in the exchange of infomtion or in the transfer of knowledge. the eye is the more potent organ. Also. in carrying conviction. the picture does the better Job. while in the association of ideas. sound. is more important than the picture.8 WM. tor-s1 husmn vision is W. i.e.. seeing with two eyes. rolevision. however. is W 1;... seeing with - only one eye. the single eye of the camera. fho diudvantags of tele- vision's system of sidit is the fact that with only one eye it is impossible to perceive distance or depth with any accuracy. except by 6 felcvision has been termed a ‘visual' medium because. 'as Richard Bubboll pointed out. “of the 98 per cent. of our knowledge which we ao- quirc through our eyes and ears. roughly 90 per cent. is learned throng: moeing---on1y 8 per cent. by hearing.'| If this holds true in television. the picture should be about eighty per cent. more potent than the sound: -s the old adage states. I'ono picture is worth ten thounnd words.“ Hub- b011, no mo. Po 13o 7 Bettinger. pp. 311.. p. 8?. 8 1311.. p. 13. 15 one ochct's relative vertical or horisontal position in relation to anothor's. i'ho linear perspective of the reproduced television picture is. consequently. out of balance. The picture is reproduced on a flat. two-dimensional surface. Naturally. this fact makes it difficult to show proper spatial proportion. Boyland Bettinger has graphically noted a common oddity which can result from this limitation. His com- ment follows: lethaps you have taken a photograph of someone stretched out on the beach. the foot-“by accident or intent-wworo toward the camera and near to it. the feet. you will recall. came out sise twenty-«— sin and the head the sins of a peanut.9 Because such distortion can often develop through the use of a monocular system. it is not always possible for the television director to get the enct shot he wants and might need in a particular sequence. Because the television performance is continuous. therefore the shot normally has to be eliminated. In the motion pictures. this is not always the case. for in Hollywood the camera can always be set up at the most advantageous angle 1211.921. the action is started. W. television is W as well as monocular. i.e.. it functions with a single sound system: it hears with one ear. in effect. whereas the hush system hears with two. As a result of this fact. it is impossible for television to focus on a particular sound source. determining its horisontal and vertical position. It can, however, determine the relative distance of a sound source from the listener. or the microphone. 9 Bottincor. 212- mu p- 15. 16 W. The television picture. at present. is re- produced in variations of but one color. the color gray. the color response of the television system differs. then. from the hunn eye. which sees multichrematically. i.e.. in variations of many colors. the psychological use of color. commonly employed in the theatre. is not. then. possible on television. this fact also. however. has not proved a serious handicap in television production. due partly to the fact that the public has long been accustomed to watching “black and white'' motion pictures. Also. when colored television is nde availa- ble to the general public. in another few years. this limitation will no longer be felt.1° W. Unlike the audience in the theatre. the television audience watches from myriad, moving viewpoints. 'i'ho whole effect is (further). enhanced by the techniques of montage. vis- ual effects. and regulated sound.'11 By a process of intercutting be- tween porscns. objects. or sets. the television director is able to move his audience at will. in an effort to better tell his story for their benefit. his is one of the great advantages of the television medium. the ability to quickly transfer the viewer from one vantage point to another. alnys looking for the one point of view which seems best suited to the understanding of the drum. Because of the televis- ion camera's nobility. details can be emphasised, associations can be IBade and psychological effects can be produced which will aid the 10 Hubboll. m. 911.. p. 19. 11 Ibid.. p. 23. l7 writer in the expression of his ideas. Having a flexible medium to work with. the writer has. then, greater opportunity for self-expression p and more potential for creativity. W. The television audience is primarily a home audience. Consequently. the television audience is heterogeneous. It is made up of different age, political. religious. and social groups. and composed of small family circles and individuals with varying intel- lectual opp-cities and contrasting economic standings. Reaching into private homes in the same manner as radio. the television program con- sequently crosses all social. racial. and economic barriers. One net- work program therefore can be viewed by as may as forty million people at the sac time. Also to be taken into consideration is the fact that each member of this vast audience will bring to bear on the program his own individual tastes. prejudices. beliefs. likes. and dislikes. Because of the mixed nature of the television audience. the c.1- lowing problem is presented to both the television writer and the tele- vision producer: Should the program being written or produced attempt to please all facets of the television audience. or should the prey-an be directed to a particular portion of that audience? Upon the answer to this question is largely based the question of the selection of material for adaptation, and the treatment of that material. As Gilbert Beldcs emphasised. I'the writers. directors. technicians and actors... are employed by the sender, but their first. constant obliation is to the audience. '12 12 Sold-I. Winn. p. 16. 18 Several other factors are involved in the consideration of the television audience. One each factor involves a consideration of the conditions under which the pregam is viewed by the audience. Because the television dram is viewed largely by small family groups. in the privacy of their own homes. the television writer must take into con- sideraticn the numerous little distractions which can interfere with the audience's attention to the program.” Also. the writer of the television drama must remember that the members of his audience have the power of selection over the programs they view. If the attention of the viewer is not captured immediately. therefore. and if his in- terost is not sustained. he has the ability to select a different program. or to turn his set off entirely. In order to coupon-to for this factor, the television writer must hope to capture the immediate attention of his viewer and to sustain that attention, regardless of any distractions that might develop in the home. To do this the writer is often forced to unfold. his drama at a much faster pace than might be needed in the theatre. Besides imposing a faster pace on his play. the television writer has often been obliged to assume a greater amount of clarity in his dramatic construction. He has had to over-emphasise. in many instances. the important elements of plot “"1 nmid“. Because of the necessity for repeated emphasis. the tele- vision drama has developed o more obvious type of dra’tic construction 13 Bubbell. pp. 911.. p. 28. 1b Bettinger. pp. 911.. p. l#. 19 than that assumed by the stage p1ey.15 As Hoyland Bettinger has pointed out. because of the conditions of the television medium. “limitations in plot development. exposition. characterisation, and picturintion.‘ are often believed necessary in order to assure that the information that is given will be picked up and understood at O”.o16 Another factor which must be considered in a discussion of the television audience has to do with subject content. The individual television viewer has tastes which vary with the conditions under which he views a program. What nigit be considered acceptable enter- tainment in a theatre might not be so considered in the home. Recog- nising this. the National Association of Radio and Television Broad- casters. the lABEB. has adopted a basic policy of self-censorship which confines material consideration within the limits of good taste and decency." As Brcts and Stashcff have noted: folevision is faced... by the problems of both radio and film. It is broadcast into the home. and so must follow at least the minimum requirements of the network policy books. But it is a visual medium, and so must worry not only about offensive language and sub: ect mat ter. but must also concern itself with such unpredictable items as the plunging necklimos of feminine guests and the question- able gestures or ad-libbed mm W of midit club comedians. . .1 15 Bold-es. Winn. p. 39. 16 Bettinger. pp. 911.. p. 11+. 17 It is not the purpose of this study to treat in detail the var- ious provisions of this code. except as may be touched men in the chap— ters dealing with the selection of the play for television and the adap- tation problems of the play. Alincst on standard book on broadcasting will contain a copy of the code. the copy refered to by the adapter of W can be found in Edward Stasheff and Rudy Brets' s W from. on. cit... pp. 70-75. 18 Ibid.. p. 71. 20 Unless proper care is taken in the selection of subject nutter for adaptation. and in the treataont of that subject utter. the television drop my. than. be looked upon as an intruder in the hone rather than a welcome and entertaining visitor. A final factor to consider concerning the television audience also has to do with its nature as a hone audience. Although little is ac- tually known about the viewing reaction of the hone audience to the television draaa. it is safe to assume that the members of that audience do not react under the psycholOgical crowd factor which holds true of audiences in either the legitimate theatre or in action picture houses. There is. for example. a lac]: of the "electric' give-and-talne." the bond which is built up between an actor and his audience in 'live' theatres.” Also. there is apparently no feeling of grow participa- tion. the feeling which holds a theatre audience together as one unit. In a theatre audience. each aonber nay“ lose his self-identity and con- form to the aoup's reaction. The individual in a theatre audience may. in effect. identify himself with the crowd. and hence become a part of the crowd. the direct opposite nay be true of the television viewer. laintaining. as he does. freedom of action in his own home. the television viewer reacts in accordance to his individual character- istics. or with the reactions of a small. select group. Whether or not his individual reactions are more or less inhibited than his re- sponses while in a group situation. however. is unatter for conjecture which is not within the bounds of this study. Indeed. nuch study has l9 Bubboll. 91. 511.. p. 27. 21 yet to be made of this problen. there are certain characteristics of the television mediua itself. however. which directly affect the na- ture of the audience response gained fron watching a television drama. these characteristics are recognised in part today. and they ‘1on be considered by the television writer. Richard Hubbell refers to these characteristics as the nediua's potential 'feelings' of mm and mm.” W. One of the fundamental characteristics of the television aediua is the literal ro-statenent of what the camera sees. Except for such special effects as can be inserted into the draaa. optical illusions. visual distortions. fades and dissolves. what the audience sees on its television receiver is the transnission of actuality.21 lhat is being viewed on television is actually taking place while it is being viewed. hundreds or even thousands of niles away free the viewer. Psychologically. as Bubbell also points out:-'- [televisioa... is an extension of seeing and hearing over great distances... and because the process of visual-aural extension is instantaneous. television can achieve the effect of nking you foelzzhat you are in two 9: more places at one tins... the effect that Hubbell describes is the feeling of 'inaediacy." the feeling of actuality. is a result of this feeling. a viewer's reaction 20 11315.. p. 21+. 21 m. p- 23- 22 1314.. p. 12. Ll 22 to a successful program often takes one of two ferns. fhese reactions aretz3 l. he effect of “looking in“ on the progran free the sidelines. without actually taking part in it. 2. The effect of not only “looking in“ on the program. wherever it my be. but of actually taking part in it. Although the “give-and-tahs' reaction between actor and audience. and the feeling of group participation is lost to the television dram. then. the feeling of i-ediacy and the transmission of actuality. feelings which create a greater feeling of personal or individual participation on the part of the viewer. lessen the effect of their absence. W. Because of the proainity of the viewer to his receiver. located in his own hens. and because of the ability of the television director to bring objects and persons close to that receiver in close-up detail. there appears to be a lack of ldistance" in tele- vision. The viewer apparently fails to recognise the difference be- tween the actual show itself. and the picture on his receiver. fhe 'presence" of the television perforner is therefore "felt" to a great extent. "be reviewer feels that people in the prop-an are right there with hia as they look his in the eye. He can reach out and seem alnost to touch then. '2“ Ihis is the feeling of intincy. a feeling of close association and persoml coaeunication. 23 1122- sit- 2‘ Mes P° 2“ 23 In aany cases the feeling of intinacy is brougit on not only by the conditions under which the viewer is witnessing the prograa. but also by the physical linitations of the aediun itself. Because of the space liaitations existing in nest studies. and because of the all sise of the television screen. physical action in the television dran is in nest cases cut to a miniaua. this fact consequently forces the najor emphasis of the drau to be on character. this was recognised by Gilbert Salsas. when he wrote as follows: ‘3...because a long diet on the 2' screen fatally reduces the stature of people to inches. the mediua and close shots are the nest effective and these are the shots telling us what people m are then that the: 9.9.: we no the main W more clearly than the a that causes auction or results from it. Television is coneequently a medium where the projection of person- ality counts. is a result. 'the person or persons on the pregran seen to step into your living room and converse with you..."26 In consequence of these factors. the television audience experiences a feeling of I'intenso m far greater than is obtained in action pictures or the legitinte theatro.'27 the television dram offers. then. an attraction for an audience that is unattainable in any other asdiua. 25 Sold“. Wain. p- 152. 26 Hubboll. n. m" p. 12. 27 19.11.. P- 2“. Wm is has been previously stated in the study. the writer preparing to malts a television adaptation must first consider the limitations un- der which he will be working. Unless the writer realises what may or my not be done on television. the possibility of his construction of a successful television script would be remote. is Hoyland Bettinger has pointed out. the limitations of the television medium are not in them- selves serious. ”‘rhey become so only when they are not recognised agd when intelligent steps are not taken to circumvent them.“28 Limitat ion of Time In his book W. Gilbert Soldes writes as follows: ... one general statement applies to the whole of television production. to every department and every detail: there isn't enougi time. No matter when you start on a show. you are late already. More than lack of space or money. the limitation of time haunts the television studios...” W. felovision. like radio. arbitrarily imposes a time limit on the program which must be met to the split second. the longest regular dramatic programs on tilevision run for an hour. less commer- cials and station identification. This means. in practice. about fifty mimtes of playing time. "and this is the shortest duration for drama in any medium. being about one-half the time of a dramatic movie and considerably less than one-half of the actual playing time of a contemporary three-act play."3° Other dramatic programs on television 28 Bettinger. pp. mu p. 13. 29 Soldes. W. p. 35. 30 woe P0 37. 25 run for one-half hour. and some run for as little as fifteen minutes. less the standard thirty seconds for the Federal communication Oom- mission's required station identification and the sponsor's commer- cials. Because the program length of a drum on television is. therefore. considerably less than that enJoyod by any other medium. except radio. the television writer lac been forced to simplify his dranmtic form. In may cases limitations are imposed upon the action of a work being adapted to the medium. In order to fit his material into such a rigid time unit. the television writer is often “forced to take short cuts. to use familiar phrases and gestures which identify his characters i-ediately to the audience. and to simplify his plot while he reduces his characters often to stereotyped figures with little of the richness of hunn personality left)”- nie television writer is not the only one faced with the segmem of time to which the drama m be fitted. the television director is also concerned with this problem: for it is in his responsibility to see that the program comes out on tine. Because may things can happen on the air to alter the pace and tempo of the drama. the di- rector will perceive at times that the program is running either ahead or behind schedule. His problem. consequently. is how to sacrifice material without weakening the overall effect. or how to pad without diluting. fhose are decisions that must be made while the program is on the air. and many directors have failed to find solutions to probl-s less difficult.32 31 asides. Wan. p- 37. 32 Bettinger. 22. 233.. p. 1h. 26 W. A second limitation of time usually imposed by the television medium concerns the specific time allowed the director to prepare the dream for production. Because the television program is produced weekly. this means that in most cases the director has but one week. or at the most two weeks. if two directors are used. in which to rehearse. this is from two to four weeks' less time than that al- lowed the stage dream for rehearsal. As Seldes has pointed out: ...no matter how well orgnised a production may be. no matter how msoothly it runs. another hour or day and sometimes another week would have helped. espec- ially to give the production the glossy finish of the movies. which are not so beset by time. or the solid certainty of the play. which has rehearsed for weeks and played on the road and comes to New York a fin- ished product...” In view of the limited amount of rehearul time available for the television drama. it becomes the writer's responsibility to offer a script for production which can be done within the limits mentioned. “to gain the confidence of producers or story editors. a writer will not. (therefore) . offer a script demanding five days of rehearsal with full facilities (lights. sound. cameras. etc.) for a program bud- geted at two days: recognition of the fixed time limit mould bscue as autonatic as acceptance of the other limitations..."3” WW.” Although the limitations imposed on the television writer because of the nature of the drana's perfornncs have been mentioned previously in this chapter. it was felt that 33 fields» W. p. 35. 3H m. sil- 35 '00 p.12. 27 additioul mention of them should be made in this section. The one rule that the television writer must remember when faced with the problem of a sustained performance is that he must be careful to al- low sufficient time during the course of his script for physical move- ment and changes while a program is on the air. W336 As was previously mentioned in this chapter. the television audience has the power of program selection. fhis means that the writer of a television drama is obliged to capture the inediate attention of his audience if he expects them to remain throng: to the conclusion of his dream. Seldes refers to the time which the audience allows the writer to do this as ”a matter of min- utes.'37 Ihe problem faced by the writer because of this fact is this: in order to capture the attention of his audience in such a short per- iod of time. the television writer is often forced to rush through his exposition and to limit his initial consideration of character. the “sense we often have. when watching a i" play. that things are happening too artificially. '38 results in part from this characteristic of tele- vision. and it does so because. as writers of stage plays have long known. in the exposition is rooted the motivation of character and actions. It is the lack of motivation which is most often damaging to the television was.” 35 See page 19. 37 Seldes. W P- 3"- 38 Ibid.. p. 39. 39 mm. 28 Where. Because television is a visual medium. it is dependent to a large extent upon action. However. pictur- ised action consumes an amount of time that is not always in proportion to the contribution which the action makes to the total effect. As Bet- tinger pointed out. “a bit of stage business is frequently time-consuming but difficult to eliminate.“‘0 On stage this factor is not serious. but on television it is. because the television writer has such a short per- iod of time in which to develop his story. Therefore. if it takes an actor a minute to to a bit of business. the writer must realize that one minute can be as much as two per cent. of the total time of the show. Limitation of Space W. is Stasheff and Bret: have pointed out. ”most of the nation' s television studios ... were not built or designed for video production. '41 As a consequence. actual floor space in a tele- vision studio is at a minimum. For the television writer. this limi- tation means a restriction upon the number of sets and upon the type of sets that can be used in the television drama. The television dramatist, for example. who has at his disposal a studio measuring only sixty by forty feet would find it difficult to write his play in more than two. or at the most three. setn. Also. unless on a vetem of rear- screen projection is to be used in the production. the television dramatist should not expect a director to produce in such a small space exterior scenes of an extensive character. vis.. shots of crowded streets. #0 Bettinger. pp. 91.1.. p. lib. #1 “other! and Brats. W p. '40- 29 river beats. or moving autos. Schnes. or sets. such as those mentioned can at best only be suggested on television. For example. a lamp post set next to a plain drop will at times be used to represent a street corner, and a single bush or tree an entire forest. A second consideration the writer must give to the size of his studio must be the fact that a large portion of it must be reserved for the studio equipment. cameras. microphone booms, dollies. lighting stands. prop tables. sound wagons. floor monitors. title rollers or stands. cue sheets and cables. The writer must also be aware of the fact that technicians must be given sufficient room to operate such equipment. A cameramn. for example. must have room to maneuver his camera into a favorable position for his shot. and the boom operator must be able to place his boom in a position which will assure a proper sound pick-up. mm. The limited sise of the television screen on the home receiver. which averages from fourteen to twenty-one inches. means a definite limitation in the type of program material which can be pre- sented with effectigeness on television. With such a small field of vision. for example. it is virtually impossible to discern snmll de- tails and expressions. unless they are shown in close-up. crowd scenes. therefore. such as those cmonly employed in motion pictures by Cecil 3. Mills. are most ineffective on television. because in such scenes it is impossible to see facial expressions or small setting details. Limitation of Budget lith the possible exception of time. perhaps the greatest single limitation faced by the television writer is the limitation on budget. 30 The cost of producing the television drama in the past has been ex- ceedingly high. and unless new methods of production are devised future television adaptors will have to take this fact into consideration both in selecting material and in treating material.“2 As conditions are at present. the program budgets of most programs. though seemingly high. are very inadequate. As Brets and Stasheff point out. "there will probably never be enough money te do a show as well as the director would like to see it done."’3 the implication of such a statement is obvious. Production demands must be kept at a minimum. and outside of the producer. the television writer is the one person on the "N team'I who has the power to keep costs down. By utilisation of a limited num- ber of sets and a limited number of actors. and by being reasonable in his demands for special effects. music. art work. film inserts. cos- tumes. and set pieces. the writer can cut production costs before the dram ever reaches the production stage. 1+2 It has been noted. for example. that when the Wm M first went on the air in 191W. air time for the program cost the sponsor one hundred dollars (on WRBT-TV, New York), while today the air time cost for the program. over the forty-eight station NBC-TV network. is listed as forty thousand dollars. With production and talent cost per program as twenty thousand dollars. the total cost per week for this popular one-hour dramatic production is. therefore. sixty thousand dollars. (Bruce Robertson. pp. 211.. p. 88.) In comparison to these figures. Gilbert Seldes notes that a theatre film of comparable length of time. about fifty minutes. would have cost nearly one million dollars. (Seldes. W. p. 31.) that is most interesting to note concerning the cost of the W is the fact that two-thirds of the cost is for air time. and only one-third is actually spent on talent and pro- duction. The cost for a motion pictmre. on the other hand. is taken up entirely by talent and production costs. 43 stash“! and Bro". Wm. p. 38. 31 The Limitation of the Sponsor Not only must the television writer realise that production costs are hid: in the industry. he must also realize that television lacks a 'box office.“ In simple terms. this fact means that short of sub- scription television. there is no possible means for television drama to realize a profit. The reason for this is also simple. Tele- visicn. following in the footsteps of its sister medium. radio. has come to be regrded in the United States as a means of providing “free" entertainment in the home. The method used to overcome the cost factor is “commercialist' Commercialism means that television stations. and networks. retail available air time to commercial organizations who are willing to purchase such air time. and to pay the program's cost in return for the rigat to advertise their products. The commercialized nature of the television medium. while allow- ing the industry to profit. has resulted in a strict limitation to the television writer. the least bothersome of which is the time that must be taken away from the play for the sake of the commercials. What is most important is the fact that a sponsor of a program. in return for his money. usually demnds the right to pass on the acceptability of the program he sponsors. Because he wishes to attract as large an audience as possible. in order to sell as much of his product as pos- sible. a sponsor often demands that story content be held to the largest possible common denominator. mterial which will appeal to a "mass and-- ience.“ The accepted standard for a television drama is. consequently. that it must have wide. popular appeal and that it must adhere to 32 accepted or proven patterns. formulas believed to guarantee success. This belief has led to a quality of sameness in many television dra- mas, as most dramas are directed to the same audience. Margaret R. 'eies. for example. mentioned one commonly accepted I'standard" for story content when she wrote: ... mass audiences like to takeitheir tragedy "weak and with a little sugar. pleasez' horror must never be too terrifying, nor terror too horrible to watch in action. Crime must always be llpaid for;' violent methods of killing or torture not actually shown; a generally happy outcome to your story at least in- puss.“ This belief that all television dramas should be watered down to produce a minimum shock.and that all endings should be happy. is a common one. It is a belief that has been propagated by the men who believe in the idea of the “mass audience."u5 Such an attitude has been fostered sainly by sponsors. whose fear for their investments has led them to believe that only the pepular formula-type program can hope for success on television. Because of this attitude. many great plays are believed to be unacceptable on television because they are felt to be too tragic or too morbid or too deep. Such an attitude has been expressed. for example. by Ed Roberts. television script ed- itor for Wm. Various portions of Mr. Bobcrts' specifications for story content are reproduced below. u. Margaret R. Weiss. an. 5.11.. p. 25. #5 Seldes. W. (New York: The Viking Press. 1950). Po 296s 33 Iithin the limitations of our possible subject uter- ial. we want fine drane: renames: plays strong in suspense: sport stories: adventure stories. We are reaching out for serious plays with great impact. presenting personal problems of a universal nature involvi ethics. spirituality (but no denominational elements . faith. good will. awareness of present-day problems. Justice. nn' a relation with other men and with the universe. W W. "IBelievability'l is a one-word description of our kind of materials-«WM Mum-tori“ that “might happen to We” see Our but plan are thou Wanna.“ usually the single strong situation W on which the plot will develop ... ... We usually want a happy ending. either accomplished or “plied: MW . or. at least. a moral satisfying ending in sigit at the end of the play. me student of drama will note. particularly in those statements in italics. that the descriptions offered by hr. Roberts are not neo- oessarily descriptions of the best in story content. Some of the greatest plays written. for example. have been plays 'of a controver- siai nature.“ mess plays have also presented complex characters. rather than “characters that are quickly and easily identifiable.“ in stories with 'tragic evertones.‘ Unhappy endings have also been as common as they have been necessary. fhe limitations such ideas place upon the television writer. in the selection and treatment of adapted material. are obvious. dome of the world's greatest dramas can be 146 Isles. n. 31.1.. pp. 25-26. r3. to: gel 3'4 W l 's 31. withheld from the medium because they do not necessarily conform to co-erciai standards or because they do not adhere to the sponsor's idea of the 'nss audience.’ Ibsen's W. for example. ex- poses the emptiness of a conventional marriage and expounds woman's ridit to responsibility and self-expression. Ibeen's theme is noble. but it can be construed as an attack upon the sanctity of marriage. and this is a cardinal sin in television.” John Galswcrthy's mg; is a study of the clash of interests between labor ani capital. the play is excellent. but the theme midit offend the interest of capital or of la- bor. or of both. therefore. an adaptation of Galsworthy's play miat be frowned upon by a sponsor for fear of offending certain portions of his audience. all potential buyers of the product. he televi sion writ- or must face the problem of "taboo'l subjects on television. and he must live with it if he is to be successful. However. in the meantime. he can talus hope from the following statement by Gilbert Seides: Us are being suffocated with sameness. and should be grate- fell for every indication that the wants of the average man are not entirely satisfied by those exploiters who think: of him as part of a mass. eeeeeseeeoeeeeeeeeeeeeeoeeeeee fhere are prophets who say we have already passed the golden era of television. that everything first-rate will go down within a year or two and we will have nothing but the crud- sst forms of entertainment ... Against this despair I have noted the relative success of TV programs that are true to the characteristics of the medium. the arrival of reasonable characters. and of plays based on character. W WI. h #7 IBC's Iorking Manual for Continuity Acceptance reads. in part. as follows: W. In the treatment of these themes. respect for the sanctity of marriage and the home must be maintained...“ (Stasheff and Brets. W. p. 71*.) #8 Sold“. Weiss. pp. 296-297. cm 111 ”TING m PM! ran WIS!“ CHAPTER III SELECTING m PM! II'OB. 5331371510! Having .de a study of the television medium. the next problem faced by the writer was that of selecting the play for adaptation. i'hree basic factors influenced this selection. They were (1) that the play selected would offer materials capable of production within the characteristic limitations of the medium. (2) that the play se- lected should benefit from a transferrence to the medium. and (3) that the play selected should be of mffioient drantic importance to lake a production on television worthwhile. Ihis chapter is to be devoted to a consideration of why the writer felt that Strindberg' s W fulfilled these requirements. A consideration of the actual adaptation problems. which are often recognised in the script before it is selected. will not be treated in detail at this tine. they will be described in a separate section to follow. How m las round to Fit Within the Characteristics of the Television Medium W. Of major importance in the selection of the play for. television is the question of how that play might be re- ceived by the television audience. Before selecting m. there- fore. this question was considered very carefully. It was realized that the play night not appeal to a wide. heneral audience. tint type of audience soudit by comeroial sponsors. In fact. it was realised that a busily audience. or at lease portions of it. aidit be offended 36 by Strindberg's theme. concerned as it is with the basic problem of paternity and the struggle between the sore s. Believing this to be the case. it was yet recognised that m mu theme was an intellectually stimulating subject. and. as it is presented. a highly interesting one. It was recognised too that. philosophically speaking. the theme was a valid one. worthy of consid- eration. not only in Strindberg' s time but in the present age as well. to be sure. not many people are aware of this fact. but that does not diminish the importance of it. his knowledge that one out of every three carriages today end in some form of marital difficulty. either separation or divorce. with a corresponding hardship to the offspring of such marriages. points at least to some basis for Strindberg's con- cern over questing of naily relationships oven at so early a date as 1867. the relationship between the yowing independence of woun- hind in the last part of the nineteenth century. a movement which re- sulted in the virtual emcipation of thtt sex. and the gradual break- down of the family structure in the twentieth century has yet to be aado. Yet some relationship must be there. and Strindberg explored to some extent its early beginnings. no problem faced by Laura and the Captain was simply the prob- lea of arriving at some mutual aaoement as to their respective positions in their nrriago. rho fact that they could not. or. indeed. would not. was at the very root of their conflict. and the very cause 01 their tragedy. Ellie importance of this problem can. then. hardly be Put aside as being a taboo subject. for those watching such a tragedy from the privacy of their own liging rooms midit well reflect upon such 37 questions as were raised over seventy-five years ago by the Swedish playwright; August Strindberg. Such questions can certainly find application to today's society. Just as they found application to Strindberg' s. i'he problem of presenting W on television was resolved. in part. by the existence of a precedent. he writer was aware that. in spite of the objections raised against certain particular themes of a like nature to Strindberg' s. such themes have been presented on television with resarhble success. Hawthorn's Will.- a story built upon the problem of adultery. has been done. as has Shakespeare's m. a play which revolves around the question of Jealousy and supposed infidelity, as well as the problem of inter- racial marriage. Luigi Pirandello‘s W ABM» a study of the grotesqueness of human suffering and the ques— tion of the sense of guilt which results from the knowledge of origi- nal sin and the sexual heritage of birth. has also been done. It was believed that if those particular plays were found acceptable for production on television. then Strindberg's W aiat also be found acceptable. with but digit thesatic adjustment.)- ho fact that W has. over the years. attained an almost classic stature was also a consideration in the selection of the play for the television medium. is was noted in the introduction to this 1 Ellis problem of adjusting Strindberg's theme. when necessary. b the conditions of the television medium will be considered as an adapta- tion problem in Chapter rive. 38 study. the adaptation of important pieces of literature serves a sig- nificant cultural and educational function on television. a function which might be furthered with the presentation of Strindberg's play. Also. it was believed that people will often tend to accept. from an author of Strindberg' s reputation. ideas and situations which they normally migit find repulsive. out of rospedt for his fame and recog- nized greatness. The final selection of W in spite of its theme. or, indeed. because of it. was based upon yet another consideration. It was believed that all too often genuinely great plays have been. put aside in favor of others less great. because of the fear that the bet- ter play might offend certain portions of the 'nss' audience. It was believed at the outset of this study that this policy was not necessar- ily a rightful one. To attempt to satisfy every element of such an audience was deemed impossible. for no utter what play might eventually be selected. someone. somewhere. would be dissatisfied. with the pure theme. its plot. its style. or with some other consideration. As Elliot Lewis has noted: The mediocrity of most television programs today springs from the sponsor's and the network's desire to reach all of the audience. nioy don't want to offend anyone. so they keep eliminating all the conflict inherent in any good story. After all of this super distillation. the '1" men fimlly reach a group of viewers who are not offended. but become bored to death and quit watching anyway.2 2 Elliot Lewis as quoted by Hal Humphrey. “Radio l‘reod l‘rom Chin." W. Sunder 04.. (returner: 7. 195%). 39 WW. As a playwright. August Strindberg's chief interest was in character, his chief concern. character motiva- tion. In the preface to his published edition of the play. ”Miss Julie.“ he wrote on this subject as follows: I believe I have noticed that the psychological processes are what interests the people of our day more than any- thing olse. Our souls. so eager for knowledge. cannot be satisfied with seeing what happens, but must also learn how it comes to happen ... This principle in the dramatic theory of Strindberg was found to be in perfect accord with television dramatic theory. As was noted by Gilbert Seldes. "the programs that have impressed people more ... have spin and auin been triumphs of character.” Because television is a medium where what people are is often much more important that what people do. the selection of the play on this point was of primry consequence. he only question which presented itself in this regard was the matter of time. Strindberg had over two hours to present his characters upon the stage. It was therefore expedient to ash. could those same characters be presented in less than half the time taken by the original author? whether this could or could not be done was a definite consideration in the adaptation of the play, and one which will be discussed at greater length later in the study. In consideration of the characters of Strindberg's drama another determining factor of the play W was the concentration upon a very sull number of characters. huts and Stasheff have noted that: 3 Strindberg. WWI. J. G. Robertson. ed.. (New York: J. Cape and 3. Smith. 1939). p. 111. 1} Gilbert Soldes. W. (New York: The Viking Press. 1950). p. 188. ... the size of the television screen and the brevity of the drama itself make it difficult for the audience to feel truly familiar with more than half a dozen personlitiesJ It is significant to note in this regard that 2;; Esther has a cast list of only eight persons. and only three of these can be considered major. W. Having been originally conceived in terms of a medium which. like television. utilizes the continuous performance as a basis of production. an analysis of m m showed that the play offered few problems that could not be let utisfactorily in this regard. August Strindberg. as a dramatist. sought to comply. more or less. with Greek classical structure in his adherence to the unity of time and action. qualities which Edmond Rice. for one. considers essential to television drama.6 In the practical vein. it can be noted that because W's action takes place in a time period of less than twenty-four hours. there were no demands for costume changes. make-up changes. or set changes. A further advantage was the fact that the play was a compact. single plot. which followed a well-defined conflict throw to a decisive conclusion without any needless complexities. Was. Since Strindberg confined the action of his play to one set. the living room of the Captain's hone. 5 Sta-heft and Brett. W p. 162. 6 Hr. Edmund 0. Rice. script editor for the Kraft Television Theatre. has mentioned that the chief reason the Kraft Thutrs uses the adapted stage play so much in its programming is the fact that the dramatic uni- ties are contained in the original material and are. therefore. more easily transferred to the television mediua. (Rice. pp. git" p. 90.) 1+1 the problem of space was considerably reduced. This was a major con- sideration because of the writer's intention of presenting the finished adaptation before the cameras of the Televi sion Development Department of Michigan State College. The studio dimensions of this department in march. 1953. were quite small. measuring only twenty by forty feet. latumlly. knowledge of the actual physical limitations of the produc- ing organisation affected the selection of the play. as it affected the treatment of the play. ' W. The limitation of time was of anor concern to the writer. also. The question was. could The Rather be presented in a form which would require no more than sixty minutes' playing time? Although it was known that Strindberg constantly strove as a writer for complete unity. keeping in his plays only those ele- aents of plot. character. and thought which he deemed absolutely nec- essary to the development of his theme and the progression of his as- tien. it was felt that in this particular case he had overwritten his material. Great portions of Strindberg' s play dwell upon questions concerning his own life.8 and could. consequently. be eliminated. 7 Inasmuch as W was to be presented over a' closed cir- cuit network on the campus of Michim State College. the writer was not presented with the additional problem of alloting time to commer- cials. . ‘ 8 Professor J. G. Robertson has written that. “as in dreams the dreamer is always in the centre of the picture. so Strindberg's dreams. whatever their content or costume. are all slices of his own life. of- ten naked. unassiailated. undigested. dwelt on with the persistence of e aenomniac. but never without redeeming touches of imaginative great- ness and flashes of intuitive genius which throw new light on the re- lation of man to sun." (Robertson. J. G.. ed.. W Madness. (New York: 1939). p- 6.) I’d 3% 2c: 142 Because of this. it was believed that the major portion of the drama could be presented. within a limited playing time. without material dange to the min plot line or the major characters. It was recog- nised. however. that this end could only be realised througi a very careful amlysis of the relative importance of each portion of the dram. a process discussed in the section of this study treating the adaptation problems themselves. W. The writer realised that he faced one of his greatest adaptation problems in equalising the relative importance of sound and picture in his television adaptation of m. As Richard Hubbell has written. “the fundamental sensory appeal of a stage play is aural. the spoken word comes first." while the fundamental appeal of a television program is visual.9 The problem faced by the writer. then. was how to shift the emphasis from aural to visual. It must be remembered. however. that this is a problem that would be faced with the adaptation of any stage play to the television medium. and is not one limited to Strind— oerg' splay alone. Therefore. the fact that this problem existed did not prememt the selection of W. Because the play was so rich in character. it was believed strong enough to overcome this handicap.1° Want. One of the obviou- differences in presenting a dream on stage and on television is. as yet. the question of color. Television drama is presented in variations of 9 Hubbell. pp. 511.. p. 27. 10 This problem will be discussed in the chapter dealing with adaptation problems. 43 gray values only. This factor was considered in the selection of Strindberg's dram. but it was not considered to be a handicap. It was believed that in the production of M such a color system would actually add to. rather than detract from the play. W. as will be explained in the following chapter. is of a tragic nature. Consequently. dark tones of the television picture. if used well. could heighten the overall dramatic effect of the play. The writer was aware of Sir Lawrence Olivier's decision to present his motion picture production of m in black and white film rather than in color. as he did his production of m. for Just such a reason. W. The viewing conditions of television demand that the play presented capture the immediate attention of the audience. W. it was believed. would be able to meet this requirement. with only a slight revision in its opening scene.11 As an author. Strindberg believed that the first four sets of the typical five-act play of his day. these acts which contain all of the exposi- tion and most of the build-up. were merely the “scaffolding“ for the essential dram actually found in its climatic form in the fifth not.” His idea was to construct a type of drama which could dispense with the necessity of so much background. getting at the heart of the story as soon as possible. He therefore developed a technique of opening his plays after the crisis. which isto form his story. had been allowed 11 The question of the television Opening will be discussed as an adaptation problem in a later chapter. 12 Eric Bonner. WW. Claw York: Born-1 and Ritchhock. 1946). p. 203. It: fink an to form and mature. The result of his theory is a drama of climax. where the passions of the characters have been roused and the conflict has been formed at the open of the first act. Strindberg's plays usual- ly start on a high note. therefore. an argument or a point of differ- once which places immediate emphasis upon the question of problem solu- tion. Another factor which influenced the selection of W was that Strindberg's plays are also “highly Icnsatioml.a in that they are fast-moving and follow the development of a sharply defined con— flict between two strong-willed individuals. caught in the web of exceptional circumstances.” The result of Strindberg's sensational- ism is a type of action which is almost gripping in its intensity. It was believed that this type of drama would be effective on tele- vision. for as Robert S. Greene has written: Because of the time limit. and because of the need to establish immediate viewer interest. these scripts which begin with a crisis are apt to be the most suc- cessful. Such stories begin at a meat of pressure instead of showing that pressure develop.“ Winn. As pointed out earlier in this study. the television medium is a realistic medium. one which can most effectively present actual events as they occur. This characteris- tic has had an effect upon dramatic product ions in the following manner. Commonly used stage techniques. techniques based largely upon exaggerated movement. expression and projection. often appear ludicrous on television. 13 hank 1!. Chandler. Wham (New York: Harper and Brothers. 1931). p. 29. 1h Greene. 91. 111-. p. 71. ‘95 So too do dramas which display exaggerated characters (except in com- edy). settings. and situations.15 Naturalness in acting. writing and designing has become the general rule in television. The commonly ac- cepted theory is that the dram should be presented as a real event and not as a staged event of make-believe. as is characteristic of the theatre. Consequently. such a play as 1139 Fathpr. which depends upon the acceptance of reality, has a much better chance for success on television. Ihg Ethpr is a naturalistic play. depending upon the audience's belief in the characters as actual peOple for its primary effect. Strindberg, the author. was first above all a naturalistic playwright. believing as did Zola that all art must have a solid foun- dation in life as it was actually lived.l6 This artistic principle of Strindberg's is one with which the television theorist Hoyland Bettinger would readily agree.17 How mpg Father Might Be Expected to Benefit from a Transference to the Television Medium Strindberg once wrote that. “in modern psychological drama ... the subtlest movements of the soul are to be reflected in the face rather than by gestures and noise..."18 In the theatre this is not always possible. but it is possible on television. In selecting the play m m for television. therefore. it was believed that something could 15 Bettinger. pp_. 511.. p. 88. 16 Jameson. pp. 911.. p. 28. 17 Bettinger. op. cit.. p. 8?. “... Television in the home must be colored more truthfully with reality." 18 Strindberg. Easter and Other Plays. pp. pip" p. 115. 46 be achieved with the play that was impossible in the theatre. Sub- tleties of characterization could be captured in detail with the close- up lens. Smll objects could be isolated and given dramatic and symbol- in importance. and the viewer's attention could be directed to elements of character reaction. as well as character action. The possible use of the close-up camera. which results in a more effective presentation of character. was but one advantage to adapting W to television. A second advantage was to be found in the play's reputation as a subjective piece of literature. Strindberg sought in his writing to better present the underlying motivations of character through a process of psychoanalysis. a process which demands a concentration of intellect and a deep personal interest in human psychology. To achieve the greatest effect of the play. therefore. the viewer should not be forced to view it objectively with a sense of detachment. as is necessary in the theatre. Rather. the viewer should be given an entrance into the play, a method of viewing which dennnds participation. It was recognized that this method of viewing the play could be aimed on television by virtue of the medium's great sense of intimacy ( a feeling discussed in the preceding chapter ). and its characteristic mobility. Strindberg. himself. believed that a feeling of intimacy was needed to view his plays properly. That is why in his later years he established his M where his plays could be produced be- fore a small audience with a minimum of aesthetic distance.” On 19 Elizabeth Sprisso. W. (New York: The MacMillan Company. 1949). p. 214. 47 0n television the feeling which Strindberg experimented with in his 'little' theatre has been realised. much to the eventual benefit of his plays. m included. It was further believed that W would benefit from a transference to the television medium for yet another reason. John Gassner. for one. has written that Strindberg's drama suffers from melodramatic action by driving its point too hard.20 This criticism is due. in no small measure. to the need. in the theatre. of projecting the character and theme great distances. It was felt that the play would benefit to a large extent. therefore. by the elimination of such projection through a television production.21 In order to take ad- vantage of the medium's sense of intimacy. it is necessary to tone down and underplay the dramatic work. In the theatre. however. it is usu- ally necessary to overplay. Another consideration. one which might also benefit the play. was the fact that television sound is picked up by a microphone. a very subjective and intimate instrument. Because there would be no need to project. the play might well be toned down and smde more personal and natural. A final consideration given W in its selection was the possibility inherent in the script for the use of special effects which could be achieved through the television medium. The use of 20 John Gassner. 'Theatre Arts.‘I 1pm. (January. 1950). p. 26. 21 As was noted by Gilbert Seldes. ”The style of acting on tele- vision is determined by the conditions of reception: there is simply no room for the florid gestures. the overprojection of emotion, the eng- geration of voice or grimace of movement. inside the average American lime room" (Seldes. W p. 299.) #8 music. for example. could be made to add tremendously to the overall effect of the drama. Used properly. it could underscore the essential conflict between the characters. and reinforce the overall mood of the production. the use of a sound motif. such as the ticking of a clock. could also be used to build suspense and heiditen dramatic interest. In closing this section. one note by Elisabeth Sprigge will serve to emphasise the writer's position on the possible use of Strindberg's mm on television. lot a single one of Strindberg's plays is a period piece: neither subject. situation nor language is dated. He wrote of all tine. and was always strug- gling to break through into further knowledge and new ways of expression. Strindberg should therefore never be imprisoned between the dates of his birth and his death. but given every advantage of modern and experimental theatre.22 Ehe Dramatic Importance of W W August Strindberg has long been considered one of the world's great dramatists/5:3 " 2" According to Eric 22 swim. m0 mos P0 227. 23 Sean O'Gasey. the Irid: playwridnt. has been quoted as fol- lows: “Strindberg. Strindberg. Strindberg. the greatest of them all! Barrie tumbling as he silvers his little model stars and gilds his little model suns. while Strindberg shakes flame from the living planets and the fixed stars. Ibsen can sit serenely in his Doll's House. while Strindberg is battling with his heaven and hell.“ (A. quoted by Sprigge. 1111.. p. 229.) 2b To Eugene O'leill. Strindberg was. “... the greatest inter- preter in the theatre of the characteristic spiritual conflicts which constitute the dram-«the blood-“of our lives today‘.‘ (As quoted by Bouncy. sn- cit.. p- 195.) 1&9 Bentley. his influence as a writer is perhaps unparalleled in modern theatre history. for. to Bentley. it was Strindberg more than anyone else who was responsible for the spirit and form taken by modern dra- ma since the turn of the century.25 flith knowledge of Strindberg's importance as a writer. it was not by chance that a play of his was considered for this study. and as he himself called W “the realization of modern drama.“6 it use not by chance that this play was considered first. John Gas- sner has written that W “is indisputably a tragedy of deep insight and social significance. besides being a model of dramatic construction."27 and anus Zola. the father of mturalism. has ob- served that the 'piece is one of the few dramatic works which have moved me profoundly."28 WW. As was earlier related at some length. one of the most important considerations given 3; m in its selection for this study was the significance of its theme. In this work. Strindberg has given an imaginative and power- ful expression to a system of social philosophy that is as contro- versial as it is interesting. Strindberg has not necessarily been original in his use of idea. but he has been extremely creative in 25 Bentley. a. 3.11.. p. 203. 26 Bentley. Raid.” p. 203. 27 John Gum-r. W. (In York: The Dryden Pro-I. 19%). p. 800. 28 Zola. as quoted by Bentley. 31. £11.. p. 317. 50 his treatment. and in his delineation of character. his construction of dialogue and in his selection of circumstances. The idea that the sucdess of marriage depends upon the understanding and apprecia- tion of one member of a family for another is not new. nor is the problem of paternity and the longing of the parent for a continued existence through the person of the child. Yet the problem has seldom received such dramatic expression as given to it by Strindberg. The belief in a sub-nature struggle between the sexes for control and power has also received philosOphical consideration down through the years. yet it remained for Strindberg to give the idea creative existence througi a univeral application. Strindberg' s play is. then. a plea for understanding and sineerity in love and marriage as well as an attack upon the romantic conventions which subject the honest expres- sion of affection beneath a false code of behavior. Summary The selection of 232 Fagher for this study was based upon a care- fuJ. consideration of both the play and the television medium. The play offered materials suitable for production within the medium's character- istic limitations of time and place. and was selected because of its concentration upon character and its practicality in terms of the con- ditions of a continues dramatic performance. It was also believed that W might benefit from television production. because of the possible use of the closspup camera and because of the medium's fine sense of intimcy and subjectivity. Lastly. The father was selected for this may because of the significance of its theme and its repu- tation as an important and well-known piece of dramatic literature. m IV A! murals or m CHAPTER IV AN ANALYSIS 0]? W W. No writer can hepe to make a satisfactory adapta- tion of another author' s work without acquiring a complete understand- ing of that work and of its author. .As Robert S. Greene has written: Since your adaptation cannot be literal. the more familiar you.are with the material. the more creative- ly will you be able to handle it with the better chance that your finished work will capture the spirit and the excellence of the original.)- In order to achieve such'an understanding of Strindberg‘s th r. this chapter will be devoted to a consideration of the play's style. dramatic type. thought. character conception. and plot construction. W. As was noted in the preceding chapter. The Father has been recognised. basically. as a naturalistic work. depending upon.the illusion of reality for its chief effect. The play is also characterised by its concentration on the psychological details of character. rather than upon physical action or heavy plot. is a result of this latter characteristic. W cannot be termed wholly naturalistic. because it is not wholly objective. The utili- sation of subjective as well as objective techniques of storybtelling was indicative of Strindberg's dramatic theory. Mainly. his purpose was to attain a higier degree of naturalism than was previously known or thought possible. In effect. Strindberg thought to create a method of dramatic expression where both the inner and the outer experiences l Greene. 22. £11.. p. 146. 52 of character could bubine for the ultimate in realistic effect.2 Wm. W has been classified as a tragedy.3 but it is not a tragedy in the Aristotelian meaning of that word. Unlike classic tragedy. the play does not excite the well- known emotions of fear and pity. Unlike classic tragedy the play's protagonist cannot be considered a great hero. for upon him does not rest the social welfare of the state. Unlike classic tragedy. the play does not produce. in conclusion. a meaningful and instructive catastrophe. The Captain‘s destruction is not brought about by his own actions. and consequently there is no feeling of Justice in his fate. His destruction is as truly meaningless and as futile as the chance destruction of a soldier in war. It midit be nintained that if Th: 2312:: is not a tragedy. it must then be a melodrama. for surely it is not a comedy; This con- ception of Strindberg‘s play is also false. however. even though much of the action of the play is melodramatic. Melodrama defines that type of action which follows two opposing lines of dramatic ac- tivity. one good and the other bad. through to two different conclu- sions. At the conclusion of a typical melodrama. Justice is rather ar- bitrarily handed out to all of the participants in the drum. fhe hero usually gets that which has been withheld from him throng: lost of the play. and the villain gets his well-deserved punishment. Considering. 2 Chandler. pp. 213,. p. 29. 3 His... p. 21". 53 then. the nature of W's conclusion. the death of the hero and the complete victory of the villainess. the play cannot be clas- sified as a melodrama. the problem is not that simple. The true key to the classification of Strindberg's play is to be found in the nature of his drautic theory. It is to be found in his purpose and main interest. psychology. Not adhering to any conscious type. Strindberg constructed what has since become known as the psy- chological drama. the dram of motivation rather than action. the drama of souls in conflict. Actually. M can. perhaps. be best clas- sed as a tragedy of the mind. because Strindberg's main purpose. the psychological penetration of character. takes precedence over both the physical action and the plot of the play. W. W has been recognised as Strindberg's "supreme effort to symbolize the life-and- death struggle between nan and woman for such immortality as may be offered them by the child.” The conflict between Laura and the Captain. then. is a meaningful one. It does not serve merely to il- lustrate the Nietschean theory that “love between the sexes is strife.‘I lhis idea forms. instead. a simple yet important foundation for a whole system of philosophy built upon the general relations between man and womn. particularly as those relations have been conditioned by the trends of modern thought. Ihen Ibsen's Mun, first appeared. Strindberg attachet it violently. not as a reactionary critic. who regarded it as an h Edwin L. BJorkman. W. (New York: H. Kennenley and 00.. 1913). p. 57. 5'4 onslaught upon marriage only. but as the philosopher. "who saw in it the first signs of the rise of feminism and the degradation of mn."5 As the Swedish critic Gustaf Uddgren explained. Strindberg believed that there must be a difference between men and women. for if all hunnity should become masculine. such a state of affairs could have but one consequence. the downfall of the human race. "If." Uddgren wrote. “women did not wish to submit to motherhood. the human race naturally could not continue."6 reeling. then. that women were for- saking the privileges and the obligations of their sex. Strindberg turned upon them bitterly and fought them with every drop of energ he had. As Bjorlusan relates: "It was fear of the mother‘s unworthiness as mother that raised his anger to a greater degree of fierceaess than anything else.” Relating the above view to the play. the full significance of Strindberg's title. W. becomes more apparent. he play is meant more to explain the relationship of each parent to the child than to each other. As Archibald Henderson relates. the play is basic- ally: ... the terrible plea of the elemental male for the riyits of fatherhood. the patriarchal functions of man as ruler of the family. holding within his hand the directive control of the future of his posterity.3 5 Ashley Dukes. W. (Chicago: 0. H. ,Sergel & Co.. 11.13.). p. 50. 6 Carl Gustaf Uddgren. MW. translated by A. J. Uppval. (Boston: The tour Seas Company. 1920). p. 26. 7 Bdormn. 92- 215... p. 35. 8 Archibald Henderson. WW. (Cincinmtti: Stewart a nu Company. 1913). p. as. 55 In his eyes. Strindberg saw the child |'as strongly and as inev- itably tied to one parent as to the other. And beneath this tie he saw the individual' s craving for continued existence in the child. '9 Therefore. one of the principal issues in the conflict between Laura and the Captain is the struggle of each to impress his or her con- scious will upon the child. to the outright exclusion of the nature of the other. In this regard. one of the most significant statements in the play reads as follows: CAPT: ... I do not believe in a hereafter: the child was my future life. That was my conception of immortality. and perhaps the only one that has any analogy in reality. If you take that away from me. you cut off my life. Holding as he did a patriarchal concept of nature. it was inev- itable that Strindberg should seek in the femle of the species a mother and a wife rather than a mi stress. He was. therefore. contin- ually attracted to that type of woman who. like his own mother. was meant to be worshipped and protected. His longing was for. as Uddgren put it. the love of a good. cheerful housewife. the object of the husband's and the children's love. a woman raised almost to the level of a modem. but who. because of the treasure she possessed in the heneb bows before the mate and supporter of the family.1 Strindberg's veneration of the woman as wife and mother was based upon the belief that she surpassed man in tenderness and in temperamental cleverness. and that she possessed a greater breadth of horison and 9 Bjorkman. m. m” p. 37. 10 Uddgren. pp. 911.. p. 26. 56 wider humanitarian concern. She was to him. in fact. ”the source of human energy.‘l much as she was to Show, who saw in her the realization of a life force.11 With this conception of women. Strindberg approached marriage almost in a state of naivote. but his experience with Siri von Essen. his first wife. contributed a new facet to his philosophy. It was this fact that forms the core of his thesis in mg rathgr. He grew to fear the “new mmmz.’I with whom he typed his wife. for he saw in her an attempt to grow masculine. hope to subjugte the male of the species as she herself had never been subjugted. This type of woman sought power over her mate for the sake of power. and Strindberg realised that this was only possible to the extent that the mate himself was weak. Therefore. he believed that Ian's only hape of salvation was to grow strong agin. There could be no new ago. no good future at all for the human race. until man learned once again to approach love honestly without the pipe-dream of false sentiment. He must discover in love a source of strength instead of allowing it to weak- en him.12 In order the emphasise his conceptions of womn and of love in m EM- Strindberg doliborately constructed his Laura to represent the exact opposite of the ideal woman he believed in. Thus. Laura symbolised what to him woman should never be. rather than what she was. or. as the rounticist might have it. what she should be. In 11 Henderson. 32. 911.. p. 55. '12 Spruce. an- mu 1:. 133. 57 this manner the problem of the masculine woman. forsaking her obliga- tion of methorhood for the sake of power. was magnified and its im- portance shaped accordingly. W. In the following character analyses. three degrees of study were considered of prime consequence: (l) the contribution made by the character to the author's theme. (2) the part played by the character in furthering the plot or the story. and (3) the personal attributes of the character himself. In making these analyses one striking fact presented itself. the tendency of the author to mold his characters according to two stand- ards: (l) as an abstraction of an idea. contributing to the solution of an universal problem. and (2) as a representative of the character as he was taken directly from life. from the personal acquaintance of the author. The character analyses which follow include the entire cast of W with the exception of the minor character of the orderly. They are listed in the order of their importance. mely. the Captain. Laura. the Doctor. Old Margret. Bertha. the Pastor. and Nb'Jd. W. Adolf. the Captain. embodies two distinctly different combinations of character traits. On the one hand. he is the literary prototype of Strindberg himself. containing in his character make-up the various weaknesses and frustrations found existant in the ..uthor. 0n the other hand. he is symbolic. or at least symptomatic. Of Strindberg's conception of the ideal modern swan. a Neischean type Of supernn. 58 .As the prototype of the author..ddolf presents a rather definite psychological problem. one of sexual maladjustment. Having been born against the will of his parents. Adolf feels that he has been born in- complete. Robbed in.his embryonic life of nourishment and will power. he became in life a weakling. a half-man. He felt. therefore. a strong need to complete himself. He leaned heavily on the women in.his life. his mother. his sister. and his wife. Laura. to satisfy that need. Es allowed them to lead.and manage him in return.for that which he felt would.make him complete as a man. mother love. protection. and under- standing. However. in order to receive from the women in.his life those sought-after elements of female companionship. Adolf soon realized that he had first to give up his rights of manhood. .As he grew older. he discovered that each woman in.his life sapped from him his strength and his position. until he became a manchild in their eyes. rather than a man. Consequently. he came to regard them as his natural enemies. ln.his later life. therefore..ddolf began to fight to regain.his negated masculinity and to overcome his natural weakness. He sought to exercise his prerogatives of manliness with a strong hand. Laura. his wife. soon learned to accept his newly-acquired virility as an open attack upon her own leadership and control of the family. Realising that the Captain could grow strong in.proportion to the degree to which she herself grew weak. ihe fought back in self-defense. and their marital problems began. Their union became. then. a battle of the sexes. as each openly attempted to conquer and subject the other to his or her will. 59 As the mbol of Strindberg's conception of the ideal modern man. Adolf comes close to being the fore-runner of Neizche's so-called "superman.“ He embodies in his spirit all of the basic philosophies and ideals of the modern age itself. even thong: he is. at heart. old- fashiensd in his outlook toward the female sex. He is a highly intel- ligent can of science. known in intellectual circles for his excellent treatises on mineralogy. He is also a free-thinker. openminded and rational. disbelieving in any spiritual immortality or after-life. Lastly. he is a captain in the army. a strong man. in a word. able to enforce his will upon other men. In almost all respects. then. Adolf can be considered as a superior modern man. an ideal member of an ideal master race. In his personal character. Adolf is also exceptioml. Besides being an ideal father. capable of great love and devltion. he is a highly moral and honorable nu. He is the only character in the drama who is given credit for having any rational insigit or conscience. In these respects. too. he is Strindberg's conception of what the modern man should be. Like most uJor dramatic heroes. Adolf has some very important weaknesses in his character. These personal flaws combine under the particular circumstances in the play to bring about his destruction. Ironically. several of Adolf's weaknesses are what could be considered under normal conditions as virtues. His strong sense of honor. for example. will not allow him to seek help from the Doctor or others in his conflict with his wife. nor will it allow him to take unfair 60 advantage of her. The fact that he loves his daughter dearly. and is concerned over her future welfare. also contributes to his downfall. for 1+. makes him vulnerable to Laura's suggestion of the doubtfulness of pa- ternity. The fact that he is an intelligent man helps to bring about his destruction. because his intelligence forces him to seek in logic an answer to his problem. In logic he is unable to find an answer. for the true solution to his difficulty can only be found in faith. Adolf' s natural weakness of will. caused by the women in his life. also places him at a disadvantage in his Itruggles. for it went against a whole life- time of training and habit for him to defend himself against Laura's attacks. W. Laura. while being the most obvious. as well as the most powerful person in the drama. is yet the most difficult to describe. This is due partly to the lack of any given artistic direction to her character. Because Strindberg molded his conception of Laura in passion and vehemence rather than in reason. she becomes distorted and unnatural when held to the light of analysis. The first problem one meets in ascertaining the nature of Laura's character is the fact that Strindberg, with diabolical intent. drew her from life. from the person of his first wife. Siri von Essen.” In doing so. Strindberg's own views concerning her character seeped into his artistic work, and the true portrait of Siri herself escaped him. Therefore. Laura is not Strindberg's wife. but rather his con- ception of and his reaction to his wife. Consequently. she is often distorted into unreality. "The dramatist is not then presenting 13 A more complete record of Siri von Essen's character and the nature of Strindberg's relations with her is given by the author in his autobiographical novel. W1. translated by Ellie Schleussner. (New York: The Viking Press. 1925). 372 pp. 61 other people's souls.” wrote Dahlstrom. “but is objectifying that pas- ses throng: his own soul.'1" The second problem concerning Laura is the fact that Strindberg also wished to mold her character into the nature of a symbol. a sym- bol “not of every woun. the modern woman. but a personification of the final possibilities of wickedness in womn.’15 The character of Laura is. then. not of a universal nature but of a specific nature. the great exception to the general order of womankind. She is. then. but half womn. the rest being abstraction. It is basically in the abstraction itself that the full realisation of her character is to be found. If the purely physical attributes of character can be removed from Strindberg' s Laura. what will remain will be the idea. pure and unadorned. and that is what. in this case. interested Strindberg most. As an abstraction. Laura has lost most. if not all. of these! char- acteristics men find most dear in women. She is. in effect. almost masculine in appearance. In a sense. she is de-sexed. which accounts for her frigidity toward the Captain. Because she is remorseful and ashamed of all sexual acts. she hates her husband. believing him to be the cause of all her frustrations and discomforts. In this reason she is willing to mother. the Captain and to care for him. but she wish- es also to direct and control him. 1‘! A more complete record of Siri von Essen's character and the nature of his rsaations with her is given by the author in his auto- biographical novel. W. translated by Ellie Schleus- sner. (low York: The Viking Press. 1925). 372. pp. 15 earl Dnhlstron. Wain. (Ann Arbor: The University of Michipn. 1930). p. 100. 16 Henderson. 21. 341.. p. #8. 62 Laura grew to enJoy the power she held over her family. and as long as she held that power she was satisfied.and happy. and remained calm. When. however. the Captain grew tired of being a child in her eyes. and began to demand his natural but negated rights of manlinoss. Laura attacked him with every weapon.at her command. Irom.her position as master in.the household. she was degraded.to that of a more house- keeper. Having lost her position. she also lost her civilized char- actor and reverted to the animal stage. docile but dangerous. Lack- ing in both intelligence and honor. she was able to capitalise upon an Inherent aniul cunning to gin her own way. Not daring to attack her husband directly. she set about to undermine his position. to draw his friends away from him. to turn the servants against him. to hamper his work.and frustrate his desires. Laura unscrupulouely sought to regain her power and position at the cost even of the Cap- tain's mental health. and she did so. in many cases. unconsciously; When. for example. she spoke with the Doctor early in the play concerns ing the state of her husband' s mind. she used exaggerated claims in an.attsmpt to prove the case of the Captain's insanity. .Actually. the Captain was. at that point. on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Therefore. when this fact becomes known and.the breakdown itself occurs. Laura was unwilling to accept the fact that the herself was the cause. In fact. she believed that she did all in.her power to prevent it. Tor all of this. it should be recognised that Laura has yet some qualities which soften her character. Without them. she would remain in literature a monster of treachery and deceit. such as Iago, her closest prototype. It is recognised. for example. that the other 63 members of the household. including old Margret. do not see in her character. to any great extent. the elements attributed to her by the Captain. It is recognised. also. that Laura can be soft and gentle when the need arises. such as it did in the second act. for example. when the Captain fell on his knees to cry like a child. In that instance she reverted to her natural state of motherhood in an attempt to calm him and to comfort him. Without this saving facet in her char- acter. however. laura would be beyond grace. W1. The Doctor is drawn. as are all of the characters in the dram other than Laura and the Captain. as a subordinate figure. He is meant to play a part in the action of the play. but not as an individual. Consequently. his conversation and his character are almost entirely confined to those aspects of the drama which concern the state of the Captain' s mental health. Not once. except perhaps in the play's final scene. does he become any- thing but an impersonal and detached element in the drama. As a diamatic instrument. his position might very well be compared to that of the chemical catalyst. His presence causes definite reaction in the other characters. yet he himself is not in turn acted upon. Sig- nificantly. he appears upon the scene Just as the conflict between Laura and the Captain has reached an unbearable stage. due to the question of Bertha's education. Significantly. too. he furnishes laura with the very weapon she needs to complete her web of destruc- tion. he weapon is the power of mental suggestion. which Laura uses with such devastating effect. 64 Even though nothing definite can be determined about the Doctor' s character. and he remains to the last a sort of mystery man. certain inferences can be drawn which enable a student of the drama to recon- struct at least the shell of his character. It is obvious. for exam- ple. that he is a highly intelligent and well-educated man. As a country physician. he seems unusually well informed upon the suture and treatment of mental problems. He also has apparently read the Captain's treatises on minerology. showing his interest in science in general. Then. too. in the second act. he finds occasion to mention Goethe with some degree of familiarity. Beyond his possession of scientific and philosophic knowledge. it is also known that the Doctor. like many of his contemporaries. is a frsethinksr. Several times in the final act he shows almost a con- tompt for the Astor's “higher matters.“ and in the final scene he makes the following character-defining statement: No Judgment. and no accusations: you who believe that a God shapes Man's destiny must go to him about this. It is apparent. too. that the Doctor is a shrewd and discerning individual. He sees and realises the nature of the circumstances of the Captain's trouble. and truly wishes to help. but he is unable to. basically because the Captain refuses to help himself. Without the complete cooperation of his patient. the medical powers of the Doctor are useless. His efforts are further hampered by social con- formity and family secrets. Honor will not allow the Captain to tell all. and professional ethics will not allow the Doctor to inquire. 65 |'Ies. yes. yes. This is a story that has deep roots and the sanctity of family life-mend so on-of course I cannot ask about everything but must limit myself to appearances. what is done can't be undone. more's the pity. yet the remedy should be based upon the past.“ When. therefore. the Doctor bows before circumstance. and withdraws from the case. it is not because he has accepted Laura's word for the Captain' s insanity. but because from his own investigations he has proven to himself that the Captain gm possess a mental problem. further. the Doctor perceives that the problem is one which he cannot cure. and since the Captain will not accept a cure. therefore he must. according to the conventions of his day. be committed to an institution. Although the Doctor lacks. then. what might be called a recognizable dramatic personality. it is obvious that he is a sympathetic and under- standable individual. W1... Probably one of the most interesting and significant characters in the drama is that of Margret. the old nurse-mid. In her. Strindberg embodied his impression of what women should be and had been. as contrasted to what they are and should not be. as shown by laura; Margret is the personification of that type of woman which today is considered by may “old-fashioned.“ She is the spirit of the loving and comforting protector. the mother-spirit. in a word. simple and en- dearing. Even when she at last turns upon the Captain. and tricks him into the strait Jacket. her motivation is governed by the highest in- tentions. She does after once refusing. in order that the Captain shall not be hurt by the rough handling of others. 66 Her whole life is motivated by two strong urges. or instincts. religion and love. She takes comfort in the fact that she has found her milieu in God. and consequently she has no fear for the future. The Captain. on the other hand. does fear the future. for all his pro- testations to the contrary. Not having the faith of Margret. he is forced to build for himself a personal salvation. which. when lost to him. is one of the causes for his final breakdown. Margret is also the spirit of moderation. because she seeks al- ways for some method of drawing Laura and the Captain together. Sev- oral times during the play. she makes an attempt to get the Captain to compromise in the best interests of all concerned. She fails to do so. however. due to the Captain's inherent obstinaacy. One final thougit should be considered when dealing with the char- actor of Margret. the fact that she exists in the play as a constant physical reminder of the Captain's former dependence upon womenfolk. Continually. she addresses him in terms normally reserved for children or adult incompetents. To her. the Captain shall always be a simple. loving child and never a grown man or rm soldier. Beyond this. Margret stando also in physical contrast to Laura. She is old and weak. whereas Laura is young and strong. Margret. the kindly spirit of mother love. has had her day. while laura. the vam- piro spirit of female degeneracy. is but coming into her own. WW. As is the case with so my unhappy marriages. the person who actmlly suffers most is the child. Bertha. unfortunately. is in such a position. for althougx she is basically a sweet and tender teen-agar. she has not been accorded the love and 67 security which most young girls enjoy and need. She has. rather. been confused and distraugat over the continual conflict between her mother and father. She is confused because she cannot under stand why her parents cannot. or will not. get along together. She is confused. too. because everyone in the household. including her grandmother. wishes to teach her in their own manner beliefs and philosOphies which. in many cases. are opposing. She is distraught because she is continual- ly being asked to choose between the love she bears her mother and the loyalty she feels for her father. By the opening of the dram. there- fore. the struggle within her has reached such a state that she has be- come alm0st a neurotic as a result. Of all the characters in the dra- ma. then. it is she. perhaps. who most deserves sympathy. because it is she who is most innocent. Sympathy for Bertha is not only felt because of the state of her personality. but also because of the fact that it is through her and over her that the battle between Laura and the Captain rages. She is literally both the object and the instrument of the struggle. for it is in her name that both Laura and the Captain Justify their actions. The Captain takes up arms for the sake of forwarding what he feels to be her best interests. a practical education away from the madhouse he calls home. and Laura figits back for the simple purpose of control. control over her daughter. and thereby. her husband. As an instrument. aw well as an object. Bertha is used basically by Laura. By suggesting to the Captain that he is not ”the father" and therefore does not have the power to fight in Bertha’s interest. she succeeds in driving the man to his death. 68 Beyond existing as a dramatic symbol of the struggle between Laura and the Captain and as the obJect of that struggle. Bertha ap- pears also as the personification of the irritating 'lihk' which binds the two of them together in marriage. It is for her ealce that they did not and. indeed. could not separate. and it is because they did not separate “in time“ that they now find themselves enmeshed in the par- ticular circumstances of the drama. Philosophically. Bertha exists also as the personification of the Captain's spiritual immortality. Because he does not believe with Margret in a religious salvation and after-life. the Captain has determined that he shall pass his soul down to future generations throng: the soul of his daughter. this is the reason he attempted to fashion Bertha in his own image. and it is also the reason he felt so strongly the need. reprdloss of the cost. to know whether he was ac- tually “the father.“ If he was not. as he grew to suspect. then his spiritual mortality would be lost. and the entire meaning of his life. that for which he lived and worked. would be destroyed. Althougi Bertha appears only briefly. then. she should not be considered a minor character in the dram. for her name and spirit continually permeate it. Strindberg was obviously concerned over the welfare of such a child in such a marriage. W. The character of Jones is significant. Basically. he represents two strong social forces. each diametrically opposed to the Captain. family and religion. In his position as the cos-unity pastor. Jonas. a fundamentalist. naturally is opposed to the freothinking philosophies of Adolf and in his position as laura' s bre- thor ho is strongly sympathetic to her cause. 69 As a representative church man. Jones is an arch-conservative and is completely conventional in his views and opinions. Also. he feels little need to defend his position. relying entirely upon blind faith rather than. as Adolf does. upon reason and logic. His stand is basically determined by doctrine and not understanding. As a representative of the family circle. he holds closely to Laura although he professes friendship for the Captain. Even thong: he knows of the role played by laura in her husband's mental collapse. 1. will not speak out against her. With the good name of the family at stabs. nothing else need be considered. In this manner. also. he proves himself to be strongly conscious of public opinion and social conformity. On a persoxml basis. Jones is perhaps best characterised by his social irresponsibility. Even though he is a member of the clergy. he will not involve himself in the problems of his fellow man. rhorefore. he continually mamas the expedient choice and takes the course of least resistance. He would not. for example. argue with 161d. or attempt to Judge his case. Instead. he dimissed the affair as merely some “stupid business.“ He refused to argue with Adolf in the setter per- taining to Bertha's confirmation. and. of course. he refused to inter- vene in the basic conflict of the drama itself. the conflict which oventully load to the mental brooHdown of the Captain. '1 shan't uy anything.“ he says. I'Aftor all. blood is thicker than water.“ W. In W. Nada servos two very im- portant dramatic functions. first. he introduces the basic question of paternity. the question'which eventually engrosses and destroys 70 the Captain. Consequently. he is an important and. indeed. a neces- eary dramatic instrument. minor character though he is. Second. be- cause he himself is involved with the quest ion of paternity. 13'on reinforces. dramatically, the Captain's position. Through Nde. Strind- berg is thus able to relate the problem of paternity to the social or- der outside of the Captain's own home. Therefore. the problem becomes one of universal significance. and the Captain's struggle for a per- soml solution in his own particular and exceptional circumstances becomes. on another level. an universal struggle. There is irony. how- ever. in NBJd's relationship to the problem of paternity. Because he is a simple and unthinking common soldier. he does not become involved in the philosophic significance of spiritual immortality. Consequently. he is able to avoid the pitfalls of mental depression which trap and destroy the Captain. a man of much more superior intelligence. There is iron. too. in the fact that Nde has reasonable Justification for his doubts. whereas the Captain has not. It is the Captain who is de- stroyod by his doubts. and it is 15!de who is unaffected. The second function served by Nde in the play is his existence as a symbol of the traditional attitude toward women. that is. the romantic belief that they constitute a “weaker sex.“ Toward the conclusion of the third act. the Captain. languishing in a strait Jack- et. dennds that 1?on come to his aid by turning on the women who have broudit him low. Né'Jd refuses. saying: ...it'o queer. but one never wants to lay hands on a woman. 71 he Captain answers: lhy not! Haven't they laid hands on no! And BBJd retorts: Yes. but I can't. Captain. It's Just as if you ; ashed me to strike the Pastor. It's second na- ture. libs religion. I can't! Throne: N’on. therefore. Strindberg attacks the conventional. and resentic. concept of the Weaker sox.‘I It is precisely because of this concept. and the chivalrous men like 11de who foster it. that Laura is able to strike down the Captain. WW“. Conceived on a plan- of mental and moral suggestion. the emphaois of m is. consequent- ly. upon the psychological struggle between laura and the Captain. the prinry effect of the play depends. then. upon the viewer' s emotional and psychological participation. The viewer must be canat up and carried along with the thought expression of the drama. as well as the outward unifoetation of that thougit as it might be seen in action. The structure of the play itself is characterised by a circum- spect directness which never for a moment leaves the question of motive in doubt. It is characterised also by a stark simplicity. where nothing is irrelevant and only the bare essentials of dramatic construction exist. {Che play' is noted also for its strong adherence to the tight unities of time. place. and action. So tightly does the play adhere to these unitios. imfact. that is often able tp pass beyond them. the physical limitations of the time and place become relatively un- important as a consequence. and the author is able to concentrate his 72 energy wholly men the moral and psychological problem of paternity in its purest state. that of idea. This is evidenced by the lack of any definite social setting to the play or any orientation to the physical world beyond the walls of the living room. It is evidenced also by the fact that time as such is virtually dispensed with. While it is stated that the action of W takes place in twenty-four hours. the action is so compressed that it could well have taken much longer. W exists. then. almost in a psycho-state of abstract idea and the physical action is underplayed to this exact extent. the plot. therefore. is better expressed in terms of ideas and in the relation- ship of persons to ideas rather than in terms of action. It is basic- ally becauso of this high degree of concentration and mental activity that the play is able to create such a ma degree of emotional ten- sion in the audience. It is because of this. too. that critical reac- tion to the drama has usually been expressed in terms of thought and theme rather than in terms of the story or plot. he he actual story of W is simply stated. It deals with the openly bitter conflict between an army captain and his wife over the sole right to determine the future of their only child. a daughter named Bertha. when the Captain. exercising his loyl rights as the master of the household. malnos known his intention of sending the child away from home to study under a friend in town. thus removing her from the influence of her mother. his wife retorts by arousing his suspicions as to whether or not he is truly the father of the child. Haunted. by his suspicions concerning the doubtfulnees of pa- ternity. thoCaptain experiences a mental collapse and expires at the 73 last in a strait Jacket. leaving his wife in complete control of the child. Win: In his play Strindberg has followed almost completely the classical method of plot construction. This method is characterized not only by the close adherence to the three unities. explained above. but also by its adherence to the clas- sical method of scene construction. This method. used primarily dur- ing the period of the French Renaissance and the age of the ”Neo- classicists." is characterised by having each new scone start with the arrival on stage of a third person. Thus. the “scene“ between the Doctor and laura in the first act concludes itself when the Captain enters. Laura forthwith leaves the stage. and the “scene” between the Doctor and the Captain commences. The plot is progressed by having one of the characters present in the first scene. in this case the Doctor. remain to converse with the character who has entered. in this case the Captain. while the second person in the first scene. laura. exits. Carrying on in this manner. the nurse enters Just at the conclusion of the scene between the Captain and the Doctor. The Doctor therefore exits. and the nurse remains to carry on her scene with the Captain. This method of progression. scene by scene. is used with rare exception by the author throughout the play. Thus. each act is nado up of certain component parts. each of which contribute to the overall effect of the drama. An analysis of a drama would be incomplete without regarding. in some detail. its recognised 7% or supposed dramtic weaknesses.” To the would-be adaptor. this recognition is of particular importance. The weaknesses. imperfec- tions and flaws in W have been grouped under three major classifications. those of character. thought. and plot. W. The fact that laura is really a represen- tation of Strindberg's reaction to his first wife contributes greatly to a weakening of the effectiveness of her character. Archibald Hen- derson writes on this subject as follows: Here is revealed the fundamental weakness of the thesis-drama: for we cannot accept as representa- tively humn a character reproduced with diabolic exactitude from a real person, who was certainly degenerate and whom Strindberg hated as the incar- nation of all that the woman. the ideal wean. should not he.18 The extent. unfortunately. to which laura becomes a truly representa- tive human being. capable of rousing the interest and at times the sympathy of an audience. depends all too much upon the interpretation of her character by a skilled actress. In all likelihood. this prob- lem could have been lessened with a more objective approach to her character on the part of the author. A second character weakness. pointed out by Ashley Dukes. is the fact that Strindberg's characters have not only their own troulzles to fiat. but those of their author as well.” The play suffers somewhat 17 This section of the analysis treats the various criticisms brought aginst Strindberg' s play. In most cases the writer has not evaluated the Justice of the attacks made. As a writer. he believed it necessary to under- stand the mturs of the criticisms. but did not feel he was under any obliation to accept them or to base his adaptation upon them. 18 Henderson. on. m” p. 1&7. 19 Dukes. m. m" p. 58. 75 from an intrusion of the author upon the dramatic scene. An audience is all too able to see by the manner in which the characters are treated the self-pity of the dishonored dramati st himself. Very few works in the history of literature have attained the peak of great- ness while so hampered. by the personal motivation of their author. A third character weakness in the play concerns the Captain. In order to compensate for the extremeness of Laura. Adolf should be a person with diom the audience could sympathise. Perhaps because he partially blamed himself for the failure cf his own marriage. Strind- berg does not wholeheartedly meet that expectation. Barrett H. Clark. for sample. found this aspect of the drama extremely disquieting. “The lather.' he wrote. “though he ought to be an object of compassion. is so brutal. so uncompromising. whatever the reason. that we can have 11m. sympathy for him."20 his last character weakness in the play ,is the “charactsrless form" given to the minor persons. the Doctor. the Pastor. and IUJd. Strind- berg. in may instances. stripped these characters of all humanistic elements save those alone which contribute directly to the dram's theme. Subsequently they live in the play not as human beings. but as one-dimensional objectifications. or abstractions. of Strindberg's thoudlt. They are used simply for purposes of plot manipulation. and their actions. in may cases. have no other motivation. 20 Barrett 3- Clark. W. (Nov York: It. Holt and Company. 1914). p. 252. '16 W. There are three basic criticisms of the thematic treatment of the drama. First of all it has been stated that Strindberg's attack on feminism loses all proportion and subsequently effectiveness. by the nature of its exaggeration.21 The author has over-emphasised the nature of the problem according to this belief. by distorting the characters and the reactions of the characters when con- fronted with the problem. ihe second mJor criticism of the play' s theme is in the fact that the drama is extremely one-sided. Strindberg stacks the cards. in a manner of, speaking. against laura and in favor of the Captain. He goes to such great lengths to discredit the female and uphold the male that the drama reverts almost to pure melodrama. pure black against pure white. Such is not a truthful presentation of the problem. nor is it a truthful presentation of the characters involved. Lastly. Strindberg frequently erred in mistaking g truth for the truth. In this manner. he allowed his personal grievance against his wife to color his outlook upon women in general. He mistook the indi- vidual for the type. and the type for the species. As Bjorkmnn pointed out. When he thought himself arraigning m. his charges were in reality directed aginst a womn. his wife."22 Wm. Strindberg was very proficient in matters of plot construction. and although he erred occasionally. the tidat unity of W is. on the whole. excellently conceived and executed. 21 Storm Jameson. W (New York: Harcourt. Brace and Howe. 1920). p. 32. 22 Bjorkman. m. sit... p. 30. 77 However. the few times he did err need to be considered. for upon them are based a few important dramatic questions. It can be noted. for instance. that several times during the course of the action. Strind- berg included material which seems extraneous or out of place. In most cases this material is contrary to character and to the basic or- der of time. For example. early in the second act the Captain sudden- ly mines reference to the fact that old Margret has had an illegitimate child. and that the father of that child was forced to marry her. This information was obviously inserted into the play to substantiate the Captain‘ s preoccupation over questions of fatherhood. and to give some Justification to his assertion that infidelity was mtural to all women. Such a purpose. however. goes apinst the character of Margret that the audience had previously pictured. and it plays no important part in the action otherwise. Another example of the same type of ‘ reference can be found in the Captain's remarks to the Doctor in the third act. His account of a certain young lieutenant in the Doctor's household is similarly out of place. and has been included for the same purpose as the one ride to Margret. At no time. it must be emphasized. did the Captain have an opportunity to come by such information. having Just not the Doctor and having known nothing concerning him personally previous to the time of the meeting. Another criticin of W is based upon the lack of probabil- ity concerning the Captain' s insanity and the Doctor's acceptance of that insanity on the basis of only one day' s observation and the word of the Captain's wife.23 The fact that the entire action of the drama 23 Jameson. 93,. 21.1.. p. 36. 78 takes place in less than twenty-four hours adds weigit to this criti- cin. for Strindberg does strain the imagination by compressing his drama in so short a period of time. It seems improbable that so strong a man as the Captain could become mentally unbalanced within a matter 0f hmie The last criticism brought against W is one which is usually brought against Strindberg' s work in general. It is a theo- retical criticism. concerning the purpose of art. Both Lewisohn and Jameson have been outspoken in this matter. even thou@ both have otherwise given Strindberg his Just due. Lewisohn first makes the following statement: There is no lifting of the soul to a larger vision from the bondage of immediate pain. That is his limitation. It my be urged. on the other hand. that the pain is so keen and absorbing that it gives his characters no chance to fiat their way to the breathing of ampler air. And that. too. is life.“ Jameson describes this aspect of Strindberg's work in a similar manner: Art must mks life better than it is: Strindberg makes it worse. But at the same time he nukes it greater. and here is the saving quality‘that allows his darkest dramas to be his finest.25 In effect. than. both Lewisohn and Jameson were concerned over Strind- berg' s morbidness. an aspect of his art which Edwin BJorkman defended when he wrote: If he dwelt on our unlovely sides of character and mnners with rather “morbid preoccupation.“ he did so because he thought me sick. dead. damned souls which needed light.26 2k Ludwig Iewisohn. W. (New York: B. W. Huebsch. 1915). p. 28. » 25 Jameson. 93. 3.11.. p. 62. 26 BJorkman. 93. _c_i_t_.. p. 78. 79 M. The process of play analysis. as related in this chap- ter. was believed by the writer to be an essential part of the adapta- tion procedure. Indeed. it was believed that the more familiar the writer was with his material. the more likely would be his changes of producing a script in keeping with the spirit and character of the origiml. Therefore. having made as complete an analysis of The gather as possible. the writer was prepared to utilize his findings in the television adaptation. The procedures and methods used as well as the problems encountered in the actual process of adapting the play will be the meect of the following chapter. CHAPTER 7 W10! P3031” CHAPTR V ADAPTAT I OH PROBLEMS Principles of.Adaptation In making the television adaptation of Strindberg's The_£§1hez. the writer conceived of three principles: (1) that the writer should strive to present on television. to the best of his ability. the es- sentials of the drama as Strindberg conceived it. (2) that the writer should seek to construct an adaptation that would be in keeping with the principles of television production theory and practice. and (3) that the writer should be aware of the fact that a television adapta- tion can never be a literal re-creation of the original material. but is. rather. an.assimilation of that material in.form suitable for the television medium. It is to be recognised that each of the above principles entails an.understanding of certain particular areas of information. The first demands that the writer be aware of that constitutes the essentials of the original material. This necessitates a study of the play. its plot. its characters and its theme. a process related in the previous chapter. The second demands that the writer be aware of the nature of the television medium. with its limitations. its potentials. its conditions of reception. and the tools utilised in.achisving its pri- mary effects. This problem was one of the first considered in this study. The third demands a knowledge of writing in general. It often requires an.ability to restate. or reform. ideas and actions in.a mans nsr different from the original. perhaps. in order to give emphasis.and form to them through the utilisation of the tools of a medium quite 81 foreign to their nature. is Robert S. Greene has wisely noted. the television writer often runs into a seeming paradox. "That to give the spirit of the original you [often] have to change the original."1 Procedure he actual adaptation of fig Eathgr followed a predetermined pattern. Because of the essential differences between the mediums of stage and television. it was first realized that the writer would have to come to some understanding of the basic components of drama in both mediums. Drama in the theatre is the result of over two thousand years of practice and theory; Consequently. it has arrived at a practical fora which is characteristic of its nature as a live presentation on a stage. before an audience gathered together in a theatre. Drama on television. while its hi story has been brief. has also arrived at a certain state of development which can be characterised by its con- ditione of production and reception. The problem faced by the writer was. then. to determine the differences and similarities of dramatic expression between the two mediums and then to use that information as a practical basis for the adaptation to follow. capitalizing on the similarities between the two mediums. and then adausting the essential differences. In following the above process. it was first recognized that both the drama on a stage and the dram before the camera could be charac- terised as having the same basic elements of worhanship. They are l Greene. 22. 511.. p. 1&3. 7H? mm a. "I P . 43! snow. '3 Mo '°N "‘3 9-Daletee. .‘i.14. )‘teleer. Doc‘s-e val I i I III! '....|..lr.|l| ' EDI tluol6'195'E 82 both meant to tell a story in terms of action and dialogue. they are both meant to display character. having peeple act out the story. and the both; to be effective. must present a conflict or an opposition of wills.2 l‘urther. it was noted that the two forms lack meaning. except for that which can be supplied through either action or dialogue.3 Also. as in the time of Aristotle. the dramatic form. mether on stage or television. must utilise for its effect the basic elements of plot. character. thougit. spectacle. music and speech. The structural characteristics of both stage and television drama are also similar. for example. it is essential for the playwrigit in either of the two mediums to supply at the beginning of his action certain elements of exposition in order to explain the background of his story and to orient the audience to it and to the characters in- volved.“ It is also essential for the playwright to focus his attention upon a I'point of attack.“ that place in the dramatic structure where the audience is made to become aware of the nature of the conflict and the particular forces or persons affected by it. It is normal. too. for the playwright to involve his characters in a series of difficul- ties or complications. meant to give rise to dramatic questions concern- ing the outcome of the conflict. a process which normally involves a 2 John Howard Lawson. W. (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. 1949). p. 163. 3 301d”. W. p. 1M- 1! G. P. Balser. W. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1919). p. 182. 33 degree of suspense or a feeling of expectation. In furthering his dram. by developing his conflict and involving his characters. the playwrigzt in either of the mediums will usually direct his efforts toward a final clinax. In the final climax the parties to the con- fliot reach a point of no return. ‘ They thus involve their respective faiths with the determimtion of the outcome of the conflict. This element of dramatic structure is particularly important. As John Howard Lawson has stated: The climax is the concrete realisation of the theme in terms of an event. In practical play- writing. this means that the climax is the point of reference by which the validity of every ele- ment of the structure can be determined.5 In furthering the progression of his drama, the playwright will also direct his action toward a particular point. which Lawson terms “the obligatory scene.” in which the expectations of the audience are fulfilled and the set of circumstances which have been constructed reach their inevitable conclusion.6 Lastly. the playwright must de- termine the results of his actions by presenting a set of resolutions to his complications and by answering the previously unanswered dra- matic questions. As Aristotle has stated. then. a drama is. essen- tially. 'the imitation of an action that is complete and whole and of a certain mgnitude ... having a beginning. a middle. and an end. “7’3 5 Lawson. m. 91.1.. p. 178. 6 Ihide. Do 2670 7 mos P0 30 8 An all-inclusive review and analysis of the elements of dranatdc construction. theory and technique. does not fall within the limitations of this particular study. However. to an interested reader, the two works listed under the names of John Howard Lawson and George Pierce Baken in the biblography will present a more than adequate definition of the overall problem. 8h mile noting certain similarities between the structural aspects of stage drama and television drama. the writer also noted certain dif- ferences. fhe differences are. basically. the result of medium charac- teristics and dre directed. in the case of television writing particu- larly. to the fulfillment of certain needs in the medium. One of the more obvious differences in the structure of a stage drama and a television drama is to be- seen in the very first scene of each.9 On television. for example. it is absolutely essential that the Opening of the drama be constructed in such a tanner as to capture the immediate attention of the viewer. his does not mean that the playwright in the theatre does not need to capture the attention of his audience. He does. as George Pierce hirer has noted.” But drama in the theatre is basically non-competitive. fhe audience ar- rives at the theatre prepared to give its undivided attention to the performme. If. therefore. the play in the theatre fails. it is usu- ally because the writer has allowed the interest and attention of his audience to wane. rather than because he has failed to capture it. On television. the matter is quite different. On any nidxt of the week the audience at home has the selection of several programs. The tele- vision play is only one of these. If. therefore. the viewer's atten- tion is not captured at once and held at the expense of the competition. the viewer might well switch to another station or turn his set off 9 he adaptation problem of opening the television production of W has been treated in more detail under separate heading. 10 Baker. 31. 91.1.. p. 16. 85 entirely. which is a far more easy process than getting up in the dark and stumbling for a theatre exit. Also to be taken into account is the fact that the theatre audience must pay an admission price and is usually determined to get its money's worth. while the television drama is offered free to the public. People in general. it is believed. are far more appreciative (and critical) of things they have paid for. Because the television play is contained in a unit of time less than half that of the average stage play. the Opening must be developed much more quickly. Exposition must. on the average, be limited to the essentials. Characters must be quickly introduced and identified. The television audience is unwilling to accept in an hour drama. for exam- ple. a five-minute scone between two maids discussing the affairs of the dramatic principals. Rather. the principals themselves must usu- ally present their own exposition and begin to involve themselves be- fore the eyes of the audience. when the drama is but to last a matter of sixty minutes. or less. it would also appear a dramatic waste to hold the appearance of a major character until the second act. a tech- nique that was accomplished most recently by Arthur Miller in his stas- pley W9.- A second structural difference between the stage play and the television play relates to the question of conflict. Gilbert Seldes has written that. “the motive power for forward movement is supplied by conflictJ'n mat is to say. the play my not progress to any 11 801d”. W. p. 15?. 86 degree until the conflict has been established and the point of attack given dramatic expression. Lasting interest in a drama. either on stage or television, cannot be assured unless the viewtr is brought to a point where he can literally question the outcome of a conflict. This being the case. it is of the utmost importance on television that the play begin its development at as early a stage as possible. that the conflict be identified and explained. and that the character's re- 1ationship to the conflict be made known. In the theatre. on the other hand. it is not at all uncommon for the playwright to hold his point of attack until the termination of the first act. Some have even saintained. for example. that the first act of a three-act stage play should be reserved for exposition. the second. development. and the third. resolution. While this might appear a reasonable dramatic division in the theatre. on television it would be inadequate in the measure of the time limitation and the competitive nature of the medium itself. Another structural difference between the drama for stage and television involves the question of plot progression. A television dram. is usually a sponsored prom. Consequently time must be al- lowed for the sponsor's commercials. this necessitates at least one. and more likely two. breaks in the drastic action. lasting between one and three minutes each. To accomplish these breaks with the least amount of difficulty. the television writer will usually construct his drama in such a manner as to reach two hid: points of interest. one- third and two-thirds of the way along. This allows for a certain mea- sure of suspense to hold the audience through the sponsor's message 87 until the re-introduction of the dramatic action.12 Also. following the commercial. the television writer will find that he must (1) re- orient the audience to the action. (2) re-establish the mood. and (3) pick up the action progptly. and progess the plot at once.” This method of plot construction is contrary to the normal form used in the theatre. In the theatre. a play will usually build in a steady pro- gression from the point of attack toward one final climax. It may be argued that the act divisions in the theatre are similar to the tele- vision medium' s breaks for commercials. In practice. however. this is not the case. for while pulling the curtain in the theatre does break the dramtic action. it is usually done in order to provide some method of changing time. Also. the intermission in the theatre is meant as a rest period. so that the returning audience will be more attentive to the next unit of dramatic action. It is doubtful if the television commercial can be termed a “rest period.“ A last major difference in dramatic structure between the two mediums has to do with the conclusion of the dram. On television it has become expedient to relate the climax of the play to the final scene.“ fine is usually the dictator in this matter. as is the spon- sor's desire to maintain enougi dramatic interest to insure an audience for the final commercial. Thus the television writer will usually find 12 8.l-d'QQs We P0 11‘70 13 1111.. P. 162. 1‘" Ibid.. Po 163- 88 it necessary to relate his resolutions to the final climax. This. of course. usually means in practice a simple solution to the dramatic action rather than a complex one. On the stage the matter is quite different. is John Howard Lawson has seen fit to state: ... the assumption that the final scene is the climax is contradicted by a large body of technical theory. It is customary to place the climax at the beginning-«not the endmof the fiml cycle of activity: it presumably occurs at the end of the second act of a three-act play. and may fre- quently be identified with the event which I have defined as the obligatory scene.15 Charting the Adaptation As Brots and Stasheff have indicated. 'one good method in adapta- tion is for the adaptor to sit down with the original work and lay out the 'scenes' into which his script will be divided..."16 This was a process followed by Joseph Cochran in his television adaptation of Henry Jaaes' novel. W." and it was the one utilised in asking the adaptation of W. Therefore. following the general analysis of the form and structure of stage and television drama. the writer began a process which he termed the problem of charting the ad- aptation. This entailed (l) a structural breakdown of the play as Strindberg conceived it. in order to determine the essentials of its dramatic composition. and (2) a process of aelection and compression. 15 Lawson. m. 211.. p. 267. 16 Stash“! and Bro". W. p. 173. 17 ".1“. 22o Me. Fe “10 89 utilised to orpnise and adjust those elements to the television medium's chief limitation. that of time. The problem of charting the adaptation followed the pattern of laying the work out in its several parts and then the analysis of those parts to determine their relation- ship to the dramatic structure as a whole. Because it was decided to retain Strindberg's concept of charac- ter in its essential form. only aspects of plot and theme were detailed in the scene analysis. lith such a short as indicated. the writer had. in effect. a guide to be used in mining the adaptation itself. Such a guide was almost essential. for in mining an adaptation it is always necessary for the writer to keep in mind the whole of a drama's struc- ture as well as its respective parts. in order that the essentials of the drama as a whole can be best fitted into the characteristic time limitation of sixty minutes. renewing the breakdown of the play into a scene-by-soeno chart. or outline. the writer bean a process of selection and compression of the essential el-ents of the drama. By selecting certain of the im- portant elements to be retained in their entirety and by compressing still others. it was believed that the nJor portion of the drama could thus be incorporated into the television script. Inmsuch as the completed adaptation would have to be contained in a unity of sixty minutes' time. this process naturally called for an elimination of the less important scenes. to be determined by (1) the purposes to be fulfilled by the adaptation in regard to theme and plot. namely a concentration upon the min action between laura and the Captain and the subject of paternity: and (2) the amount of time 90 taken by the partiquar scene or action in relation to its ultimate effect upon the main action of the play as a whole. The process of compression and selection also called for an elimination. or at least a modification. of excessive dialogue. his was deemed necesary not only because of the time limitation. but be- oauso of two tendencies on the part of the original author. Strindberg tended first of all to step' out of the dramatic action at times. to “preach“ the ideas about which he felt so strongly. This tendency miyit be tolerated in the theatre. with its limits of aesthetic dis- tance. but few television viewers would tolerate it in their own homes. ‘ Second. .8trindberg often tended to build relatively long speeches around single ideas. elaborating at times when such elaboration was unneces- ury. This also is frowned upon in television production. where the simple statement is deemed a writing virtual-3 The third aspect of selection concerned an elimination of the unimportant characters in the dram. or a lessening of their dramatic importance. This is normal procedure in making an adaptation. because of the cost of actors and because of the time needed to identify and develop each additioml character in the dran. This problem was not. however. of major consideration in the television adaptation of m m because of the play' s concentration upon such a -11 number of people. Therefore. the only character actually deleted from the com. pleted script was the relatively unimportant figure of the orderly. who 18 he problem of television dialogue has been given more detailed treatment in a special section which follows. 91 appears for a brief period only in the first and last acts of the play. he characters of Iliad. Margret and the Doctor were. however.- while retained. lessened in their dramatic importance. The last step in charting the adaptation was the construction of a comparative chart showing the outline of the drama as it would be adapted. This second chart. in its essence. could be compared to a television scenario. ins-ich as it outlined the respective units of action and was used as the basis for the final adaptation. is can be seem then. the television adaptation of W actually evolved from a process of analysis. selection and compression as well as creation. The entire problem can. perhaps. best be illus- trated throw a reproduction of the scene chart mentioned. mowing the play as Strindberg conceived it and a discussion of the play as it was adnpted. he fir“ portion of this related discussion will show a scene analysis of the play as related to the two important ele- ments of theme and action. The second portion will be concerned with the presentation of a discussion of each scene. showing (1) why the scene was either retained or deleted from the script. and (2) .1... changes were found to be nscosnry. Il'ollowing the presentation of the scene chart and the related discussion. the more general adapta- tion problems. such as dialogue and theme. will then be treated in greater detail. he actual structural breakdewn of Strindberg's play was based upon a consideration of his method of plot construction. is was noted in the amlysis of the play. Strindberg followed almost completely a 92 classical method of construction. composing his action in terms of -11 dramatic units involving only two or three characters at a time. rollowing this method of construction. Strindberg usually began a new unit of action with the arrival on stage of a new character. is this appeared to be the most convenient method of analysing the structure and content of the drama. the writer used as a basis for his adaptation the compositioml units constructed by Strindberg himself. Scene Breakdown and Analysis In the breaflewn of the structure of W. the writer in- dicated two important elements. first. it was important to understand the contribution made to the play's theme by the individual scene. that is. the ideas. thoughts or impressions contained in the particular dramatic unit which either relate to the author's major thematic promise or aid in the understanding of the nature of the conflict. Each unit of drantic structure nomlly contains some such idea as the basis for its inclusion in the drama. Second. it was important to understand the contribution trade by the individual scene to the play's action or main conflict. It was important. also. to understand these aspects of the scene which cause major concern and interest and further the movement of the action toward its conclusion. LOT I Scene 1. he Orderly. the Captain. 163d and the Pastor. a. T336: This scene introduces rather innocently the idea that the man can never be sure of the fatherhood of his child. The basic question of paternity is therefore raised. 93 B. AOTIM: he question of lb‘jd's relationship to 3m provides an important complimentary situation to the captain' s yet to be expressed problem over Bertha. The scene is also important for its exposition concerning the Oaptain' s official position. Interest is aroused at first ever Hojd‘s problem. but the interest is quick- ly shifted to the captain when it is later discovered that he has a similar problem. Strindberg' s conception of the opening of W was found inadequate for television production. The first and perhaps major reason for this fact was the knowledge that Strindberg did not at once make his conflict clear and definite. nor did he immediately in- troducs the reupective parties to the conflict. lather. he introduced a sub-plot element concerning the character H‘o’jd. who had become in- volved in a paternity dispute. The problem faced by the adaptor. therefore. was one of clarification. the problem of remolding the introduction of the play in terms suitable to television theory and practice. This was accomplished by writing into the drama two short scenes at the beginning of the action. The first. that between laura and the nurse. served to focus attention on the problem concerning Io'jd. and it also pointed up the captain's relationship to that problem. as well as suggesting the general relationship between laura and the Gap- tain. The scene also served to introduce the character of laura. at a much earlier time than she was introduced in the origiiml. and gave some hint as to her character. Therefore. when at a later time the Captain and the Pastor made laura the subject of ceasrsation. the and-- ience had an indication as to what they were talking about. 91! he scene between the Pastor and laura served to strengthen the audience's conception of the relationship between laura and the Cap- tain. as well as to introduce the question concerning Bertha. Thus the principal issue in the drm. that of the conflict between laura and the Captain over Bertha. was pointed up and given emphasis. With this mound. even thou brief. it was believed that the audience would be more in a mind to accept and listen to the scene between the Pastor and the Captain concerning the state of affairs in the Captain' s household. This later scene. them. became in the adaptation one of development and clarification rather than an introduction and exposi- tion of the conflict. is to lo‘jd: by having the Nurse introduce his exxsntial difficulties. his position was relegated to its proper per- spective. that of secondary importance. The subject of Nb‘jd posed a second problem to the adaptation not clarified above. In the original. his problem is left hanging without a solution. even to the end of the dram. This occurs regardless of the fact that he later appeared in the third act of the play. It was believed adviuble. therefore. in ever so sliflt a degree. to offer some solution to his difficulties. This was important also because of the nature of his difficulties. He could not be allowed to go free. being the cause of such distress to the servant girl. In the original. I. was given the pri-ry blame for the incident. and Iéjd allowed to go free. lot so in the adaptation. In the adaptation. ldjd was placed under restriction. and offered to the courts for justice. and the biased renrks apinst the female sex and apinst has were eliminated. 95 Scene 2. The Pastor and the Captain. 1a-: The problem of the struggle between the sexes is here introduced. along with the question of “woman's rifltu' 3. ACTION: The ecene contains important elements of exposition concerning the Captain'e relationship to the women in his household. particularly his wife. It also introduces the basic conflict between the Captain and his wife laura over the education of their daughter. Bertha. The expectation of an open con- flict is felt and interest is captured from it. Iaotly. the scene nahee known the Captain's smoc- tation of a new Doctor. The expectation of charac- ters in also something to arouse interest. After the exit of read. the adaptation followed the original quite closely. This was permissible because of the essential elements of exposition contained in the scene between the Captain and the Pastor. The only elements altered in the scene concerned a general condemrmn tion of the fenle sex. in the person of 3-. Such remarks were usu- ally removed from the adaptation because of their complete unreasomble- ness and their controversial content. Some speeches were aleo tri-ed to a more appropriate drastic length. and others were given a more natural form. but en-~the whole the scene remained the same. thus serv- ing the purpose of reinforcing the elements of conflict introduced earlier in the scene between laura. the lurse. and the Pastor. Scene 3. laura and the Captain. ' a. m: The legal position of the nu as the master of the household is presented. Also. the Captain substan- tiates lon’s assertion of the doubtfulness of paternity. B. ACTIOE: The inediate recourse to argument between laura and the Captain over the accounts serves to point up their relationship. The direct conflict between them is harpened over the question of Bertha's education. and the threat of laura to fidat the Captain's decision on this question and prevent the child leaving home sharp- ens the audience interest in the play. 96 firing the scene between Laura and the Captain. Strindberg had introduced certain business concerning the Captain's accounts. The subject occasioned an argument between the two. which tended to inten- sify their struggle concerning the education of Bertha. This action in the adaptation was changed for two reasons. first. if there was to be an argument. which was reasonable under the conditions of the con- flict. it appeared more natural to have it over the subject of Bertha's education to begin with. since, after all. the immediate difference between the two was over this subject. Second. this argueent intro- ducod the eubject of a reomer in the Captain's house. one who was never otherwise identified in the action. The subject of arch a room- er midit. it on believed. tend to sidetrack the audience into an un- important detail. morefore. it was deemed advisable to eliminate it. Beyond this. the eeeae could be retained with its basic elements. This was done because of the important references to Iojd. which serve as the foundation of the problem of paternity. so important to the later development of the nin action. renewing the scene. the writer faced the problem of a time tran- sitien. It was of couroe possible to have the Doctor enter convenient- ly after the exit of the Captain. in the anner indicated on stage. but this was believed to be too obvious. Therefore. in order to be more exactly true to life. an indication of a slight time lapse was in order. Scene It. laura and the Doctor. a. ram: The baeic idea of the power of mental suggestion is here introduced. 97 B. ACTICI: Important exposition concerning the Captdin's ave- cation of science is brought out in this scene. as is the informtion of the doubtfulnoss of his sanity. The Doctor's innocent warning to laura to avoid arousing unnecessarily the Captain's suspicions pro- tides her with the key to her husband's eventual destruction. The scene between the Doctor and laura was retained with but slidut alteration in some of the more involved speeches. This was done because of the scene's importance as introduction of a substan- tial threat to the position of the Captain. the subject of his mental condition. it the conclusion of the scene. however. the writer decided to introduce a second set location. that of the Captain's study. This new setting was introduced for two reasons. Iirst. it was considered an important method of explaining vioually the mture of the Captain's work. thus contradicting laura on the subject: second. the writer wanted to talus advantage of the television medium' s potential of in- tercutting between scenes. By having two sets in which to play the action of the dream. the writer could introduce visual variety. and eliminate the normal need for transitions between scenes. those portions of the action devoted on stage to motivating the characters to and from the living room for their reepective scenes. Iatching a play in one set only was also believed contrary to the normal viewing habit of the television audience. an audience used to the technique of switch- ing between actions. Scene 5. The Doctor and the Captain. a. THEE: he picture of the modern scientific investigator is drawn clearly in this scene. 98 B. ACTION: The intonation concerning the exact nature of the Captain's work. not only clears up. for the moment. the question of his mental health. but in so doing it points In) the doubtfulness of Laura's motive. The question the audience now asks is what .motive did laura have in casting such doubts! Where will the conflict between the Captain and laura lead. and what part will the Doctor play in it! The scene between the Captain and the Doctor. it was believed. was an important scene. Because of the Doctor's conversation with Laura. it was considered important for him to have time to observe the Cap- tain's reactions. Not only would the Doctor be watching for signs of mental instability. but the audience would be also. Therefore. time had to be allowed for such observations to take place. Scene 6. The Captain and the Nurse. a. m The introduction of the Captain's belief in Bertha as his only hope of immortality is carried out. thus emphasising the importance of fatherhood to the Cap- tain. This scene also points up the fact that the Captain is a freethinker and that he does not believe in religion as a solution to a problem. he rigits of a father as against the rights of a mother are also presented. B. ACTIOI: This scene shoes clearly the uncompromising nature of the Captain and also his lack of faith. It flows. too. his distrust of the motives of others. including Nar- gret and the new Doctor. The fear of developing a persecution complex causes some concern. Also. by the manner in which Margret acknowledged the existence of a problem. the conflict receives additionl empha- sis. The euspense caused by the feeling in the char- acters themselves that something is about to happen between laura and the Captain causes a like mopenee in the audience. lxpectation is therefore at some- what of a high point. This short scene was eliminated from the adaptation. partly be- cause its essential inforntien could be carried in other scenes and by a compression of dialogue. ‘ and partly because of the Captain' s 99 attitude toward religion. Tor example. half way thread: the scene. the Captain makes the following statement: CAPT: It's a strange thing that no sooner do you speak of God and love than your voice becomes hard and your eyes fill with hate. Ho. 1hr- grot. surely you have not the true faith. Such a statement and others liloe it. while being important to the def- inition of the Captain‘s character. might be considered offensive by a large segment of the television audience. and rifitly so. Therefore. the root of the statement was tahen from the script. The loss of the material itself was not believed substantial. however. Strindberg frequently made such attacks upon religion. and during the course of the play. he did so in such a manner as was considered i-aterial to the statement of the play's theme or its conflict. Inasmuch as the test of a material's value was believed to be in its relation to either the subject of paternity or to the conflict between laura and the Captain. the reference above and others like 1Q». elimimted‘ from the adaptation. hey were deleted because they had no reference to the njor or minor conflict. These aspects of this scene‘ believed of sufficient importance to the conflict or theme were retained. \‘but in a different context. a change was indicated in the action. motivat- ing the Captain to his study desk where he proceeded to write in his diary suspicious and fears concerning the outcome of his struggle with his wife. Over the silent scene. the desired information was heard in the Captain's own voice. This. while the scene was eliminated. the information was retained. and at a great saving in time. 100 Scene 7. Bertha and the Captain. A. rm: Graphically presents the conflict between science and superstition. B. ACTIOI: This scene introduces the result of the Captain's struggle with his wife. the child's hysteria. Also. the scene points up the Captain‘s sincere concern over the child's welfare and the actual need for her leaving home. Audience sympathy is thus allied through the girl to her father. Apin. it is seen that the Captain is unwilling to compromise his po- sition as a father. The fear of further conflict and of eventual disaster for either himself or his wife is thus strengthened. The scene between Bertha and the Captain was considered one of the most important in the drama. Consequently. the sin substance of the action in the scene was retained unaltered. The reason for the scene's importance lies in the fact that Bertha represents the focal point of the min conflict within the drama. for it is in her name that both laura and the Captain justify their actions.” As a result of being pulled first this way and then that. Bertha is in a highly emotioml. almost neurotic state by the time of her first on- trance into the play. The subsequent scene. revolving as it did around the question of the grandmother's teaching and the Captain's decision to send her away from home. tends to direct the action to a head. and emphasise the importance of a resolution to that action. Insofar as the scene was important thentically. it was also im- portant for its shock value and its purely physical action. As was recognised. Strindberg's play does not contain a pest amount of 19 no character analysis of Bertha in the preceding chapter shows how the action of the dream is reflected in the character of Bertha herself. 101 physical action and. as physical action is considered important on television. the writer thought it wise to retain these elements as are present in the play. in their essential state. The variety in pitch and mood offered by this particular scene was considered import- ant in the overall structure of the television adaptation. Scene 8. The Captain and laura. A. will": The bitter struggle between us and woman for the rigit to control the child is given strong enhasis: also. the power of suggestion is first used in the combat and the feeling that the woman actually feels herself to be superior to the male is pre- “ntho B. ACTION: The point of attack is reached and the audience is now sure that one or the other must win out with a complete victory. The fact that laura has used underhanded means to pin for herself an advantage sways the audience to take the Captain's part in the sex duel. The fact. however. that Laura succeeded' in ascertaining the nature of the Captain's weakness shows. too. that she has an advantage. It appears that the Captain is hopelessly upset over her sugges- tion that he might not be the father of her child. Now he not only has the question of the child's future to consider. but also he must be concerned over the salvation of his looked-for immortality thread: the child and questions of personal honor. The scene between the Captain and laura that follows the declar- ation of Bertha‘s willingness to leave her home for further study in town crystallised the play's min conflict and theme in a brief but dramatically effective manor. The action was between the play's two drautic principals. who could be seen once more in open opposition to one another's wishes. The dramatic importance of both theme and action at this point in Strindberg's structure was considered too great to be tampered with. Consequently. little alteration in the essential character of the scene was indicated. 102 Scene 9. The Captain and the Nurse. A. rm: This scene represents repeated emphasis on the ques- tion of paternity. The Captain shows his need for a child. and his concern over Laura's assertion that he 3y not be Bertha's father. B. ACTIU: The action of this scene concerns itself chiefly with the Captain's reaction to Laura's statement concern- ing paternity. By the manner in which he reacts. the audience can see the importance of his knowing the truth of the utter. and the probability of his defeat. In order to emphasise the effect of laura's statement concerning the legitimacy of Bertha upon the Captain. this scene from the original play was retained. however. certain changes were made. It was con- sidered important at this point. for example. to enhasiss the fact that the Captain was actually troubled over the possible truthful- men of Laura's statement. In the original. the Captain' s reaction was limited to a display of temper. To fulfill a different aim. how- sver. the writer inserted several short lines of conversation between the Captain and the lures. as well as certain business concerning a picture ef.Bertha. By so doing. the Captain's preoccupation with the subject of paternity could be foreshadowed and the scenes concerning this problem in the second act could ultintely be strengthened. Two other modifications were nde in this scene. The first con- cerned the subject of dinner. To activate the Nurse's entrance in the origixml. Strindberg had her enter and announce dinner. In the tele- vision adaptation the lures is drawn to the acting area by the sounds of argument. which seemed more natural and in keeping with the nature of the scene. The second change concerned the character of Mrd. who enters when the Captain calls to order his sleidi. As the orderly. 103 Svdrd. was eliminted fr- the script. so too was the business con- cerning the slew. lornlly. the structure of the television play demands that each act end upon a note of high suspense. so that the commercial can nfely be incorporated into the program. The problem of commercial breaks was not faced in this particular adaptation. however. and therefore the writer tended to think in terms of one overall drantic unit. This was because the writer. in this case. was able to continue his action without interruption. Therefore. the time difference be- tween aots one and two was bridged by a transition and the action was immediately picked up and continued. ACT 11 I Scene 1. The Doctor and Laura. A. run: The idea that women are both cold and calculating receives strong emphasis. Here. the power of mental suggestion is also referred to. B. ACTIOI: Iaura' s interference in the Captain' s affairs is seen as a threat to his mental health. along with the idea that he is not the father of his child. Also. an im- portant plot element is introduced. in the form of a Certificate in Luncy. It is recognised that this im- strumeut could be the means of laura's pining control of Bertha. To further heighten the fear of the Cap- tain's nfety. there is a re-emphasis of the threat of the will with a recurrence of suspicion or frustra- tion. A medical emlanation strengthens the probabil- ity of action. The danger to the Captain's mental stability is now recognised to be great. and the ex- pository information given in the scene that the Cap- tain himself once feared for his reason shows a med- ioal history to his case. n. web of circumstance is drawn tiater around him. with the knowledge of a letter as incriminating evidence against him. that is still in existence. 101i Loin. the writer was able to retain most of this scene in its origiml fora. Exceptions to this occurred only in the beginning and conclusion of the scene. it the beginning. it was necessary to provide a transition from nothingnees to action. Since there was a certain lapse in ties between acts. the writer relied for this need upon the tine-honored device of the grandfather clock. By fraaing the clock at the Opening. the time could be established. By simply dollying the caasraiback from the clock. an entry could be pined into the action. hereafter. the scene closely followed the original. with only some modification in the stiffness of certain lines. siting them more natural. lor the conclusion of the scene. additioml changes were believed necessary. l‘irst of all. it nust be stated that the writer attempted in his adaptation a certain aodification in the char- acter of laura. because the original character was believed too strong for probability. It was not a njor change. to be sure. but it was a departure fron Strindberg's text. It was decided to attempt a slight softening of Iaura's character by the introduction of an element of reaarse er sorrow on her part for the captain. This element is not emphasised. but it did tend to give her character acre depth. In this particular scene. for example. the writer. on Laura's exit. had her turn to the Doctor and exchange the following words with his: nun: (MING) Doctor? DOME: Yes! mm: (amount) Please help hin. DOOM: 0f oourse.f Of course. 105 his exchange. siapls though it is. also tended to introduce a feel- ing of the inevitable. as if the forces in the play were at last out of control. It tended to give the impression that even laura was unwill- ing to have happen what was bound to happen. A second departure from the original text in this scene concerned the character of the Euros. Strindberg related a scene between the lures and Bertha following. to the ocene between Laura and the Doctor. by having the Nurse cone into the scene to wait the Captain's return. In order to broaden the scope of the play and yet lessen the dramatic dennds on time. this scene was removed from the rain action and a third location us established. the Nurse's roea. In the adaptation. therefore. the scene was concluded between laura and the Doctor. and a transition was used to connect the concluded action with the new action. the writer indicated a dissolve from the one location to the other. By so doing. it was also possible for him to renove the dia- logue activation for the nurse's entrance. and the reason for her waiting up for the captain. It is not convenient on stage to move frcn one location to another. because of the tine involved in setting the new scene. but in television the shift can be made quickly and effectively. and at a saving of tine. Scene 2. largret and Bertha. A. rm: lhis scene reveals through Hargret the protecting confort of religion. a peaceful haven in an otherwise frightful household. B. A0110]: is a transitionl scene. its nin purpose is to strengthen the foreboding mood of the inevitable catastrophe. Even the wstical presence of the spirits reveal this feeling. the scene's only 106 importance. otherwise. is to be found in the infor- nticn that Margret considers the Captain "in" and this points up the belief that the Captain's insan- ity is recognized by some as a thing that has al- ready occurred. rather than something that has yet to happen. has. the feeling of inevitability is further strengthened. and there is a foreshadowing of impending doom. is was noted earlier. the location for this scene was shifted from the living room to the Nurse's own room. his shift served two purposes. rirst. it saved time. as noted. Second. the resulting transitions to and from the scene allowed for a camera rhythm which could build. along with music. a definite mood. a feeling of impend- ing catastrophe. In this manner the writer hoped to vary the pace of the dran sufficiently so as to nhm more effective the build toward the climax at the conclusion of the act. 'l'he writer has noted from observation that most playwrights will tend to alter a fast-paced show wo that when the need arises for a quichening of the pace. a surge of strong emotion. for ample. that surge will be all the more effective. This scene. throng: its isolation from the main action itself. was intended for Just that purpose. As to the transitions themselves. the two separate actions were connected first by a dissolve and second by unit identification. By unit identification. the writer implies that the two scenes were Joined visually by placing emphasis on a similar object in both scenes. in this case a book. and dissolving away from the one object and open- ing upon the other. Scene 3. rho captain and Margret. A. man: The idea that all women are basically false hero reeeives some empinsis. 107 B. ACTION: this scene is actually a continuation of the one which proceeds it. in that Hargret renins on stage to serve as a transition to the next unit of action. he major concentration is upon the revelation that the Nurse has had an illegitimate child. his fact tends to focus attention upon the Captain's concern over the problem of paternity. Because the location of the lures-Bertha scene was shifted away from the main action. it was no longer necessary to view a meeting between the captain and the Nurse. borders. that action was dis- pensod with. at some saving of time. Also. consideration was given the fact that this short scene included certain pieces of information that were considered by the writer as extraneous to the min develop- ment of the action and the proper delineation of the character of the Nurse.” In this scene the Captain made known the fact that old Mar- gret had an illegitimate child. and that the father of that child. was forced to marry her. As this information served little purpose except. possibly. to reinforce the Captain's belief in the idea that all women are by their nature false. it no considered desirable to dispense with it. Another reason for the diminution of the scene was occasioned by its subject fitter. headless to uy. the subject of the infidelity of women was considered too indolicate for home consumption. Perhaps there are those who would agree with Strindberg on this subject. but the writer felt that such a group would be by far in the minority. Scene 1}. rho Doctor and the Captain. A. m: rhis scene builds up the belief that all women are faithless. thus substantiating the Captain's suspi- cions concerning the doubtfulness of paternity. 20 this subject was treated earlier in the consideration of ‘Strindborg's drantic weaknesses. 4/— 108 Also. the obsession of the Captain proves the potency of the power of suggestion. rho fact. too. of the Captain' s mental balance having been so completely undermined. due to the suggestion that he migt not be Bertha' o father. shows graphically the need of the male for fatherhood and for continuing existence throw his child. B. honor: rho audience. along with the Doctor. has by now vir- tually given up hope for the salvation of the Captain. imsmuch as the Captain now refuses to help himself. His obsession with the idea of the doubtfulness of paternity has gown to dangerous proportions. Heed- loss to say. because of this. suspense has reached an extremely high state. Althoua. technically. this scene was retained in its proper re- latinnship to Strindberg's structure. in the adaptation the pattern of the scene was altered considerably. rho writer had two reasons for his changes. l‘irst. he wanted to concentrate his attention upon the action and by-play between Laura and the Captain in the scene to ' follow. Second. he wanted to eliminate Strindberg's thematic emphasis upon the untrustworthinoss of women. a subject. as mentioned previous- ly. that could be well considered too indolicate for television. rollowing the elimination of the Captain's references to his "winter fly“ with a .rried won. the writer found that he had remin- ing two sections of dialogue. the one concerning striped foals and sebras and the subject of paternity. with which Strindberg opened the scene. and the other concerning the Captain's refusal to accept the Doctor's offer of assistance. the writer reversed the natural order of these dialogue units. and connected the scene itself to the pre- ceding action by means of new dialogue. It is difficult to state why the writer considered a reversal of the units in the scene necessary. As the scene stood in its altered form it held together very nicely. 4/— 109 even with the elimination of substantial portions of the tutorial contained. It is believed that sometimes a writer will make a change or a modification in a script by ear. often altering. selecting or adding to a scene on the basis of what migmt be considered his intui- tive understanding of or feeling for the material. Perhaps the treat- ment of this particular scene can be Justified on these grounds. What- ever the cause. however. the problem was the proper selection of mater- ial and the cause was one of time consideration. The solution to that problem was the reversal of the scene's order. thereby building toward the discussion of paternity. rather than Opening on it and building toward a consideration of the infidelity of womankind. Scene 5. Laura and the Captain. A. TERM]: The idea of the battle between the sexes here receives its moot complete expression. he idea of the father's immortality through the child is also presented and clarified along with the contention that the wosan fidits for power alone. and that power determines ridit. i'he belief. new to the play. that in the sex- ual act there is both attraction and repulsion takes form in this scene. along with the expression that there is a split consciousness in the female. between a mother's instinct and a vampire persomlity. B. ACTIOI: his scene is to all intents and purposes the heart and soul of the dram for the primary drives of mo- tivation. for both thought and character receive their most complete expression“. he build to this scene and the fall away from it is basic to the over- all effectiveness of the drama as a whole. that. perhaps. is most important in this scene in the ex- pressed self-analysis of the characters. which shows in laura. for example. certain characteristics of sex- ual repression and mother instinct not before felt or implied. he final cry of the dishonored father for a persoml immortality is presented most effectively. As the only two means of achieving that immortality. throng his work or throng: his daughter. have been blocked by the fouls. he has nothing more to live 110 for. Consequently. his will and his hind break down completely under the strain placed upon them. he pitifulness of his defeat. however. is effective only to the extent of the realization of the impor- tance of his desire for such an immortality. In mat- ters of plot progression. new that the looked-for destruction of the male under the evil attack of the female is completed. the play is carried forward by the wish to see the results of that crash and its effects upon the various participants in the drama. As this scene was considered the climax of the play. as well as the central core of its theme. the writer naturally wished to empha- sise its importance by alloting to it as much time as was needed to convey its purpose. However. the writer was aware also of the need to adjust the scene as originally written to a proper proportion in the adaptation. so that it would not out-balance the remaining parts of the dramatic structure. As a result of the two aims. one to retain the essentials of the scene as written and the other to adjust those essentials to a more desirable time unit. the writer faced problems of selection. proportion. and emphasis. he first problem concerned in the scene was that of selecting those elements considered essential to the overall understanding of the play. Basically. this problem involved a question of a critical analysis of the content of the scene. In so doing. the writer noticed two elements. one mturel to the play. the other related althougi un- natural. he second element was that which Strindberg wrote into the play partially to explain the failure of his own marriage to Siri von Essen. Such lines as the following emphasise this aspect of the scene: CAPT: Yes. that's how it was. My father's and my mother's will was aginst u coming into the world. and con- sequently I was born without a will. I thought I was completing myself when you and I become one... 111 Much of Strindberg's self-analysis was deleted from the final adapta- tion because it tended to detract from what the writer considered the primary reason for the failure of the Captain's marriage. a reason not out of line with Strindberg's own persoml conception. that of Laura's personality - a personality split between the mother spirit and the female degenerate. The sedond problem not in this scene concerned that of the proper proportion of material. he primary characteristic of this scene is that is is one of discussion. and. as John Joward Iawson has pointed out. an idea is essentially undrantic.21 even though it can be stimulating. herefore. to males the scene palpable in terms of television production. a certain proportional relationship had to be maintained between action and discussion. By this the writer does not mean to imply that speech is itself undramatic or actionloss. for “speech is a kind of action. a compression and extension of action. '22 But speech as used in discus- sion or analysis is. essentially. abstract and therefore it requires a closer concentration from the viewer. i'ee great a concentration upon the ear alone would. it was believed. do more harm than good to both the scene and the adaptation. herefore. to lessen the danger of the unproportioned scene. the writer attempted to direct his selection. modification. elimination and creation of dialogue along lines more suitable to a direct by-play between the two characters rather than a monopolisation of sound by either the one or the other. 21 ”v.03. a. me. Po 176e 22 m" P0 288' 112 he third problem faced with the action of this scene was the problem of emphasis. he writer was faced with the question of whether to emphasise the past relationships of the two characters or their present predicament. In actuality. the two elements cannot be separated. Yet the limitation of time denuded that the emphasis be placed upon either the one or the other. A decision was made. there- fore. to concentrate as much as possible upon the present conflict. and to utilize past relationships only so far as the time limitation itself would allow. he reason for this decision lies primarily in the fact that the plot itself is concerned basically with the im- mediate problem. evon thong: that problem is based upon past differen- cos. Qit side of the normal construction of the scene. one addition to the script was ads at the conclusion of the scene. Although it later became apparent that the addition was impractical in terms of the limited space available to the production of the script. it was still made part of the adaptation. he addition called for a special combination of visual and aural effects. intended to convey an impres- sion of the mental anguish of the Captain at the moment he threw the liaitod lamp at Laura to clinx the play. In tune to an increased volume of music. the writer inserted in quick order several key speech- es taloon from the context of the preceding action. hose speeches all revolved around the problem of paternity. and related to the Captain‘s need for a child to carry on his own spirit throng: time immomorial. Iith the speeches sounding subjectively in the Captain's ears. as the camera focuses in and out at an increased rate. the effect was 113 intended to heighten the climax of the Captain' s breakdown by convey- ing the impression of the troubled and confused nature of his mind. As often happens. however. although the idea was basically sound. the potential hig. the actual conditions on the production floor dictated last-minute changes in the form and content of the adapted script. h effect was ultimately eliminated. therefore. althougi its presence could have added immeasurably to the scene and the transition that followed. AC! III Scene 1. laura. n'ojd. llargret. and the Pastor. A. m: Objectively. Strindberg illustrates in this scene that wenan shall rule where the man is so weak that he cannot. Bach member of the household. including the Pastor. bows to Laura's superiority. Another idea treated in this scene is the superficiality of morality. he Pastor. a moral man in the eyes of society. refuses to accuse laura of the guilt he knows she hears. because of a feeling of family loyalty. Another idea is the belief that the fe— mals strikes down the sale unconsciously. not even daring to armlyxe her own motives. B. ACTION: he fact that the Captain is still active. althoudi deranged. poses a definite threat to the security of Laura's position. herefore. the que stien is what will be the final disposition of the case as regards the Captain and laura. Suspense agin begins to build. this time in a different sneer. he ques- tion is not. now. will the Captain become .d. but new that he is mad. what will he do! he opening portion of this scene was not included in the adapted script for two important reasons. first. as the climax of the play had technically been reached. it was decided to hasten along the end- ing of the drop in a manner more in beeping with the principle of ll. television production.23 Secondly. the scene involved certain busi- ness concerning the Captain's desk. his property and affairs. objects which were removed to the Captain's study when that new location was incorporated into the script. A third. and perhaps more drentically significant reason. was the desire of the writer to more closely as- sociate the lamp-throwing scene with the immediate result of that scene. which is best illustrated in the scene between laura and the Pastor. therefore. following the lamp-throwing incident. the writer indicated a transition that would return to the action by cutting into a scene already in progress. thereby overlapping the one action onto the other. he essential inforntion included in the opening of the third act. the information tint the Captain had indeed gone mad. included also in this scene. was more explicitly stated. In the scene between laura and the Pastor. placed immediately at the beginning of the third. act. certain changes were also indicated in order to conserve time. he changes that were made were minor. however. ror example. rather than have the Pastor enter the scene. and thereby involve him in a process of introduction. the writer mere- ly bean the scene with the Pastor already present. A second minor change concerned the elimination of references to preceding actims which were not included in the adaptation. Other references altered included those concerning the strange noises off-stage. or off-camera. hile it was recognised that such sounds in a theatre could be taken for granted as indications of a threat to Laura's position. it was be- lioved that their pres-co in the television adaptation would tend to 23 8.. 1380' 87-88e 115 distract the viewer fron the scene in progress for two reasons. First. the television audience would be umware of the entire set of the play at any one tine. Viewer concentration is therefore concentrated upon the characters only. as played in but a small portion of that set. Also. on television there could be no indication of the placement of the sounds. or of their possible significance. without taking time to identify and locate each sound as it occurred. Secondly. the tele- vision viewer is aware of the nediun‘s potential for switching free the one action to the other. and more or loss expects it whenever an unidentified sound. such as the ones noted. occurs. Althoudi this was considered inconvenient at this tine. however. the motivation for the eventual switch fron the living room to the captain‘ s study was based upon one such noise. a process explained later. Scene 2. Laura. the Pastor. the Doctor. and later Hargrot and Io'Jd. a. PM: the fanily is reprded above the interest of any in- dividual. and the social opinion is down to ’se of nore concern than the health and welfare of the Gap- tain. 3. “£101: fho scene's prinry importance is to show that fanily. social. and economic considerations can interfere with hunanitarian concerns. however. the scene also mollontly serves to reveal character. the plot itself is proyessed upon the question: Vill lurso largret succeed in placing the strait—Jacket on the Captain! If not. what will be the outceno of the captain's rage? Will he be able to get at Laura? If he does. what will happen to her! his scene was incorporated into the adaptation with but slight nodification and change. It was retained because of the necessity to learn of the possible disposition of the Captain's case. he only logical way of doing this was through the ctnracter of the Doctor. as 116 this was his prinry function in the drain. he changes that‘were in- dicated in the script were at the conclusion of the scene. where the characters of the m5. and IIon were once more removed froa the ac- tion. As it was detersined that the Nurse disuld be asked to fit the Captain into the strait Jacket. it was not considered necessary to in- dlude that action in the adaptation. this was particularly true. since it was decided to dispense with the following scene between the Captain. the Pastor. and the Doctor. Scene 3. he Captain. the Pastor. and the Doctor. A. mu: Complete emphatic expression is given to the probl- of paternity and the universality of wickedness in women. 3. must: he captain's nind is shown to be completely lost. Nothing is left for hin now but degradation and sorm. the audience is led to pity this nan now. and to won- der over his future. his scene was cut in its entirety fron the adaptation. and a di- rect transition was Jude between the action preceding it in the struc- ture of the drama and the action routing it. !he question, of tine u. not alone involved in the decision to cut the act ion at this point in the progression of the play. the writer believed. rather. that the Captain‘s mental suffering could Just as effectively be presented with- out the use of an excessive aaount of dialogue. as indicated in the stage version. the essential idea. that of the problen of paternity. as expressed threudrthe captain's suffering. could be stated throw the use of the canera Just after the transition. and before the scene between the Captain and Bertha. 117 Another consideration involved in the decision not to incorpor- ate this particular scene into the adaptation was the subject utter of the scene itself. is was noted earlier. the writer nude the-decis- ion to dispense with that portion of Strindberg's theme which states that all women are faithless. and that the problem of the degenerate woun is universal. his subject forms the backbone of the scene deleted. Further. it was believed that the min conflict could be shown to better advantage. and without undue prejudice. if the con- flict concerning laura and the Captain was recognised as a spedific. rather than a general case. By elimination of this scene. the writer also avoided another eraaple of what he termed Strindberg's including of extraneous ma- terial. In this case that material took the form of the Captain‘s reference to a possible affair between the Doctor' s wife and a cer- tain young lieutenant in the Doctor's house. By elimimting this particular scene. too. the writer avoided reference to such ideas as follows. ideas which most. certainly would be considered by the mus as being in violation of the network standards of good taste: MP5}: ... Do you know what we would have to do to make sure! l'irst. one should mry to get the respect of society. than be divorced soon after and become lovers. and finlly adopt the children. then one would at least be sure that they were one's adppted children. Such a renrk as the one above could also be inferred as an intrusion of the author. Strindberg. into the dramatic scene. Considering the state of Strindberg's own marriage at the time of his writing W. 118 his bitterness toward his wife. Siri. and his fear that his son was not his own. the idea might be considered a personal reference rather than one organically related to the thematic framework of the drama itself. Because the writer decided to eliminate this scene. he faced a problem of placement. If the Captain was not to break into the living rose. then his scene with Bertha would have to be placed elsewhere. and a transition indicated to connect the two different actions. The logical placement of the following action was the Captain's study. the logical transition was a dissolve. fo Ilse a dissolve effective. however. motivation not be indicated prior to its taking place. As Hoyland Bettinger has indicated. each picture or sound must be a prep- aration of the one to follow.” his principle is actually one of continuity. the problem of connecting the several parts in such a nan- ner as to construct a unified and articulate whole. It was to provide this needed motivation that the writer relied upon the off-stage noise referred to earlier in the act. By providing a sudden and unexpected sound. a crash possibly. the action between laura. the Doctor and the Pastor would necessarily be interrupted. and a transition between the scenes could be achieved in a logical manner. also making for a con- nection between the sound as heard in the one scene and the cause of the sound. as seen in the other. 2h Bettinger. n. 91.1.. p. 90. 119 Scene II». Bertha and the Captain. a. rm: this scene presents dramtically the longing of the father for an imnprtality of his self in his child. the scene also touches upon the question of the van- pire personality. here called "cannibal.” which asserts that some women drain their nates of all their strength and give nothing in return. B. 1.0210]: he Captain is perceived to be still dangerous. and suspense im renewed over the situation's final out- come. ilthoudi this scene was shifted from its origiral location. for reasons noted above. its essential character was retained as written with but one exception. he only change indicated concerned the busi- ness of the Captain taking his gun from the wall and attempting to kill his dauditer. Because the information concerning the fact that the bullets had been removed from the gun had been eliminated along with a previous scene. this business was also eliminated. lot. the attempt on Bertha's life was significant in the light of the scene's action. to resolve this difficulty. the writer indicated that the Captain should attempt to strangle his daughter. or at least appear to approach her in a threatening manner. By incorporating this change in business into the mono. thus eliminating the need for a gun. the writer could also compose a scene that could be played within a tight ermine. Scene 5. he Captain and Nargret. a. m: the end result of the theae is that man is helpless before the female of the species. beacuse of her trickery and deceit. regardless of motive. B. 1.011011: he fixnl catastrophe has arrived. The Captain is trapped. 1'he wosmn has conquered. 120 In its essence. this scene comprises the final catastrophe of the play. Consequently. it was retained in the adaptation. Also. it was played closely to the original because of the time needed to pursue the business of tricking the Captain into the straidit jacket. Fol- lowing the trapping of the Captain. the catastrophe was. to all intents and purposes. accomplished. therefore. the writer resolved to conclude the drama in as fast a manner as possible. i‘he business concerning the entrance of lojd was therefore eliminated. and laura was brougit onto the scene earlier than usual to introduce the final. closing scene. Scene 6. The Captain. Margret. laura. the Pastor. and the Doctor. a. m: rho basic contention that the future belongs to the woman because the children belong to her receives its firml expression. The denial by the Captain and the Doctor that these events have happened because of the will of God leaves the belief that in the end the torment of mu is caused by himself. B. MICE: The conclusion of the play finds laura in absolute control over her daughter and over her own household. while the Captain expires in madness. It is evident. however. that thong: the Captain no longer stands in the way of Laura's will. she will not be happy. it the conclusion of the drama. she herself is an emo— tionally shipwrecked woman. ' Because the slim: had been reached and the catastrophe virtually accomplidied. the writer decided to conclude the action of the drum at once. rather than hold a dramatic post-aortas in the manner indica— ted by Strindberg. l'his decision was any in accord with the varia- tion of television dramatic construction from that of stage drama. and it was used even though the writer did not face the need of holding interest for a closing comercial.25 25 See pp. 87-88. 121 the two factors considered by the writer at this point in his adaptation were. (1) to provide enough time following the strait jack- et incident to mahs'valid the Captain's eventual expiration. and (2) to introduce once more an element of remorse on the part of laura. in- dicating that the outcome of the conflict was not entirely of her choosing. The latter factor was introduced in the drama not so such to draw sympathy to the character of Laura as to introduce an element of retribution. It was intended to show that while laura received tha which she was fifliting for. the control of Bertha. she migit not be happy with the means of that achievement. Other factors considered in the alteration of the final scene were that the idea of wonn' s control of the children could be shown rather than stated. and that the Doctor's remarks upon the value of religion would be inappropriate to the nature of the television medium. Both factors were. therefore. eliminated from dialogue consideration. General Adaptation Problems WWW. As as related in the chapter treating the selection of the play for television. the principal adap- tation problem concerning Strindberg's theme was one of adjustment. The theme had to be adjusted to the time limitation of sixty minutes. and according to the conditions of reception. i.e.. the nature 'of the medium and the nature of the audience. '. The problem of adjusting Strindberg's theme to the time limits of production was one. basically. of selection and compression. a problem referred to earlier in this study. Because the playwridit in the the- atre has more time available for the development of his theme than 122 does the television writer. he normally elaborates upon his major thesatic premise. that is. he involves in his work as many variations of thought as he considers wise. according to the nature of his sub- ject. It is not unnatural. also. for the playwright in the theatre to incorporate into his drama ideas or impressions which. while re- lated to his sajor premise. are not absolutely necessary to its under- standing. Such secondary lines of thought might be considered sub- themes. in the manor in which secondary plot elements are spoken of as sub-plots. the use of sub-themes was a particular writing characteristic of Strindberg. fherofore. in W the major theme of which is the problem of paternity and the struggle between the sexes. Strindberg also treated with varying degrees of emphaeis such ideas as. (l) the intrinsic superiority of the male over the fouls. (2) the inadequ- cies of religion. (3) the instinctiveness of fouls treachery. (It) the potency of the power of suggestion. and (5) the artificiality of morality. lhile it is true that most of the above ideas are related to Strindberg's rain theme. by being related to his characters. it is also true that their presentation does not effect. to any major ex- tent. the nature of that theme. literature. as time did not all» a complete treatment of the entire thought content of the play. the writer faced in many instances the necessity of selecting units of action or dialogue that related to the mjor idea. as opposed to cer- tain units that did not. In each case the ideas considered were weighed against their importance to an understanding either of the problem of paternity or the struggle between the sexes. 123 he second thematic problem faced in making the television adap- tation. one which was of najor importance. was that presented by the conditions of the medium itself. other than that of its time limita- tion. As was emphasised by Margaret Veins. the presentation of con- trmrsial subject material on television must be handled with the utmost care and delicacy. The writer must lseep in mind at all times standards of continuity acceptance. good taste. and decency.26 Be- cause the television program is received in the home. the television writer must concern himself with the problem of suitability. In writing an original television play. the writer can adjust the con- ceptof his material to suit the mture of these standards. but in making an adaptationthis is not generally possible; consequently. the television adaptor must consider the problem of continuity ac- ceptance ppm; selecting the play for treatment. This was a prob- lem considered at some length in the chapter on selecting the play for television.” At that time it was noted that the importance of Strindberg's theme was such as to urrent its production on tele- vision. Although this was basically true. there were yet some ad- justments needed in accordance with the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcaster's television code. In that code. for ex- ample. the following statement appears from the section treating the acceptability of program mterial: 26 'eiss. m. cit... p. 24. 27 l'he reader may refer to Chapter III. “Selecting the Play for Iolevision.‘l pp. 35-50. tr: \ 121+ b. (i) Attacks on religion and religious faiths are not allowed. (ii) Beverence is to mark any mention of the name of God, His attributes and powers.28 In accordance with this rule of acceptance. certain portions of Strind- berg's theme had to be either adjusted or deleted. In the scene be- tween llargret and the Captain in the first act. for example. the fol- lowing lines appear: nuns: mi. hr. Adolf. you believe evil about every- body. But you see it's because you haven't the true faith. that's just what it is. CAP?! Yes. you and the Baptists have found the only true faith. You are indeed lush! In the context of these lines. and others. the Captain is nae to sneer at the thougit of any religious blessing. Such an attitude was not considered of absolute necessity to an understanding of the play. and. as its presence would be a violation of the television material acceptance standards. it was subsequently deleted from the adaptation. In article (a) of the television code. broadcasters are forbid- don the use of “profanity. obscenity. smut and vulgarity."29 Ihile this ruling is open to considerable debate reprding‘interpretation. the writer did believe it necessary to alter the nature of the tele- vision script to a certain degree in accordance with standards of good taste. It was. for example. decided that such references to sex relations and sex acts as were contained in Strindberg' s play would not be contained in the adaptation. In the second act. for instance. the 28 mm, W p. 2. 29 m" p. 2. 125 Captain relates the history of an affair in these terms: Once when I was hung a trip on a steamer and sitting with a few friends in the saloon. the young stewardess cane and flung herself down by no. burst into tears. and told us that her sweetheart had drowned. We sympathised with her. and I ordered champagne. After the second glass I touched her feet; after the fourth her knee. and before morning I had consoled her. Lain. in the third act. the Captain speaks as follows: he first wonn I embraced was my enemy. for she an as ten years of illness in return for the love I gave her. Althondi both of the above statements contribute to an understanding If the Captain's character and to his belief in the untrustworthinoss of all women. neither can be said to be of such importance as to affect the nature of the main theme. Therefore. their presence in the adap- tation was not missed. i'he final consideration given the treatment of Btrindberg' s the. evolved around the nature of the action of his play. and the conflict between Laura and the Captain. It is to be noted that the presentation of theae is not limited to dialogue. as might have been @thered fron the above discussion. Thene is also emphasized in the nature of a play's action and the nature of its characters.3° Not only was it im- portant for the writer to select for his adaptation those elements of dialogue which contribute to an understanding of the play' s theme. but 30 Here it should be pointed out that because theme is directly related to action. the original theme of an author cannot be altered in its basic sense. To do this would necessitate a complete change in ac- tion and character. fherefore. the writer is more or loss obligated to accept a particular theme at the time he selects a particular play. If the nature of the theme is such as to be wholly unsuited to the televis- ion mediua. the nature of the action of the play will also be unsuited to the medium. 126 it was also important for him to consider the significance of each in- volvement of character in action. It was necessary for the writer to select certain units of action. to emphasize others. and to alter still others. in accordance with the demands of the drama's main theme. As Charles Adams has indicated. Vith a theme every action and line of every character will have a basic relationship to the theme of the play and will advance the solution of it.31 In accordance with this fact. the adaptation problem faced by the writer was once more one of selection and emphasis. the problem of selection of action according to the dictates of the mJor theao involved a selection of those units of action which related directly to the principal conflict between laura and the Captain. thus empha- sising by example or inference the struggle between the sexes. The problem of emphasis was faced in the writer's decision to focus statements of theme in dialogue upon the problem of paternity. at the expense. possibly. of secondary elements concerning the relationships between the sexes. Beyond the problems discussed above. the writer also faced a problem of theme clarification. Because the adaptation represented a considerable reduction in time. the writer felt the need of a strong emphasis on the important problem of theme. thus insuring. as much as possible. an understanding of the drama in the lidlt of its philosophi- cal fraaowork. In the opening of the drone it self. it say be recalled. 31 Charles Adam. (New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1953). p. 221. 127 the writer inserted two statements. one visually and the other aur- ally. which were intended as a clarification of theme and conflict. It was believed that the two statements referred to would tend to focus attention upon the essential nature and cause of the‘struggle between Laura and the Captain about the control of Bertha. Other thematic references could then be explained in the context of this understanding. In sumry of this consideration of theme problems. it can be stated that the theme of W was shown in the adaptation in two manners. First. theme was stated. through character. by means of dialogue. or what people say. The problem of paternity was ex- pounded basically by this method. Socondly. theme was stated. or inferred. by means of action. or what people do. i'hs problem of the struggle between the sexes was stated my this method. Other secondary problems and ideas were then either related to the two above conceptions. or eliminated from consideration either because of the modiua's reception. in accordance with the MB” standards of continuity acceptance. on utters of good taste and decency. or because of the. time limitation. WW. rho III-thou employed to open the television play is one of the most important problems faced by a writer. for unless the opening catches the immediate attention and. interest of the audience. the entire play my suffer. This problem is further complicated by the two needs (1) to begin the action as soon as possible. and yet (2) to pause long enough to orientate the audience to the play by means of exposition. In any dramatic form it is always 128 necessary to convey to the audience four important pieces of informa- tion. As noted by John Howard Lawson. the playwright in any medium ... is writing supposedly for peOple who. except on a few historical subjects. know nothing of his material. If so. as soon as possible. he must mains them under- stand: (1) who his people are. (2) where his people are: (3) the time of the play. and (1+) what in the present and past relations of his characters causes the story.32 In the theatre. playwrigits are allowed by tradition a certain amount of time to accomplish this necessity. But on television. as noted earlier. this must be done almost at once. his is usually managed by starting the action of the story as near as possible to the focal point of the conflict. thus moving the play forward almost immediately.33 l'his is necessary. too. because of the limited time alloted to the tele- vision playwright to tell his story. l'ho question naturally arises how. then. can the playwright dispose of his exposition while at the same time starting his action! rho answer to this question. one sup- plied by Stasheff and Bren.“ is that the writer for television must supply exposition in terms of action. action which will present and define a clear-cut conflict. "which may be man against nu. man against circumstance. ran against rate. nan against himself.'35 32 Sta-hot! and Brats. Whom. p. 182. 33 Adams. en. 311.. p. 221. 31+ Stashoff and Brets have written that. "... it seem quite evident that television dram requires a combination of exposition with action at the beginning. and additional exposition. if needed. as the following action progresses.“ (W p. 181;. ) 35 Sold”. W. p- 157. 129 In adapting W it was noted that Strindberg opens his stage play on a point of difference between the Captain and Nojd. concerning Non's relationship to the servant girl. Emma. new with child. This scene serves to introduce to the theatre audience the problem of paternity. but it does not sufficiently explain the re- lationships between the characters involved or point up what will be the true nature of the conflict. further. it focuses attention upon 11on and his problem. rather than upon the Captain. Eberefors. it was deemed necessary to fit the time limitation of the television medium by altering Strindberg's first scene in order to (1) intro- duce all of the njor characters and explain their relationships as soon as possible. and (2) to point out in advance the tension which exists between the Captain and his wife. thus making more clear the focal point of the mJor conflict. the techniques used to capture viewer interest and to explain the relationship between the Captain and his wife were (1) interest to be captured by billing and opening the drain. (2) relationships to be established by adding a scene to the beginning of the dram. W. In television. as in motion pictures. it is necessary that the program to follow be identified for the audience. There are various methods in use for accomplishing this need. but the most commonly employed is that of the use of title cards printed with the necessary information.” The purpose of the 36 V. G. Eddy. 91. 911.. p. 189. 130 title card is twofold: (l) to give the necessary information concern- ing the mas of the play. the author. the program. and the sponsor. if any. and (2) to properly orientate the audience to the mood of the dram to follow. he method used to bill W tns intended to fulfill both of these purposes. i'hs use of a heavy music theme. backing the printed titles. was a device intended to strengthen and build the mood of the dram. Combined with the music was the symbolic repre- sentation of a tragic mask. displayed on a dark field. a device not uncommon to the medium. but nonetheless effective. fhs association of the music with the symbolic sash was meant as a psychological need—building device. to prepare the audience for the play to follow and to forewarn then of the mture of the play. Next. the title-wards. noting the producing organisation and the name of thd play. were superimposed over the tragic mask. thus continuing the suggestion of program content. no name of August Strindberg was used with the ' title of his play for obvious reasons. because it is a well-known name. one which could be counted on to capture interest. and because of the association of a certain type of dram with his name. After the title cards were displayed. a third card was broodit in. a card containing a quotation from one of Strindberg' s works. this is a device which is sometimes employed in motion pictms. Not only does it force viewer interest and concentration. but it forms a focal point for the program to follow. It gives the audience a par- ticular foundation or reference. to be used in the better understanding of the motivating forces which will control the actions of the author' s 131 characters. In a recent motion picture. for example. W M (an was release) this technique was employed through the use of a quotation from the writing of John Donne. the famous “for whom the bell tolls“ line. The quotation served effectively to underline the theme and meaning for the entire motion picture. following the use of the quotation. the television screen was tabn 'to black.“ a device not unlike the lowering of the house lidits in a theatre. a traditional effect used to announce the fact that the play is about to begin. the play itself was then opened on a photograph of the Captain. laura. his wife. and Bertha. his daughter. By framing on the picture. the audience was visually introduced at once to the three principals of the dram. The audience was also told by the fact that the cos- tumos worn in the picture were of the late nineteenth century. what the general setting would be and the time in which the drain. would talus place. Over the picture. an off-camera voice was used to speak a few simple lines concerning the nature of the drama to be unfolded. This technique is open to criticism. but it was believed that such a reference over such a picture would create an imge in the minds of the audience which would hold through any additional introduction of exposition. Also. it was believed that such a reference would create a certain amount of interest by making known that the play would be concerned with a most unusual type of conflict. The lure of the un- usual or the exceptional. it was believed. is one which is fascinating to most people. 132 While the lines were to be spoken. it was deemed advisable to dolly the camera slowly back away from the picture. in a movement reminiscent of the opening of a traveler curtain in the theatre. thus placing the picture in a social perspective. the setting of the drama. By so doing the audience would become aware visually of certain selec- ted properties meant to set the drama. an oil-lamp. a book. a pipe. a table. and a room furnished appropriately in the style of the times. W. The Opening Icons between Laura and Margret served two purposes. (1) to introduce character and character reference. and (2) to introduce'expository information con- corning the conflict. then forming. The fact that their argument revolved around. a problem. that of Boyd. ave emphasis to the need of a problem solution. one which the audience would be interested in seeing answered. Therefore. a dramatic question was immediately formed which gave rise to an element of suspense at the very begin- ning of the drama. The fact that the question concerning NSJd could only be solved by the Captain servsdalso to help define the charac- ters of both laura and the Nurse. thus introducing them to the audience at a much earlier time than they were in the original play. The problem faced by the writer. and solved in part by the intro- duction of the new material. was one of clarification. In Strindberg' s play. the major conflict between laura and the Captain is not estab- lished until midway throw the first act. which is contrary to the principle of television production. Also. the introduction of a major party to that conflict. Laura. is reserved until the exit of the Pastor and the conclusion of the business concerning HSJd. The writer of the 133 adaptation. on the other hand. was under the impression that the scene between the Captain and the Pastor could be made more effective if Laura were introduced at an earlier time. By this means. the audience would have an indication as to the character of laura before the two men bean to discuss her and. her difficulties with the Captain. his purpose was also behind the inclusion of the scene between the Pastor and. Laura before the entrance of the Captain. W1. is was noted previously in this study. the visual imge is a far more important factor in television writing than its aural counterpart.37 to the extent that this is true. the television writer must. therefore. write or think in terms of pictures. Ihis doea not. however. mean that dialogue must be no- glected in order to "give visual emphasis to the television play. It aust not be. for as Gilbert Seldes has pointed. out. it is the spoken word tut determines what imge the audience then see.38 what it really means is that the television writer should. when possible. vis- ualise an action or an idea rather than describe that action or idea.” According to Robert 8. Greene. this can be done through the proper use of three visual writing tools. (1) the set and the datails of the set. (2) actions. expressions and stage business. and (3) camera tinge.” 37 See Chapter II, p. 1“. 38 asides. W. p- 53. 39 the television writer must beware of underrating the importance of dialogue. The fact is that the basic tool used between humns for eomnication is speech. lhen a person wishes something. or wishes some- one to know what he intends to do. he usually comnicates that know- ledge by means of the spoken word. And. when a person wishes someone to understand the nature of his feelings. he usually speaks of those feel- ings in as effective a manner as possible. “'0 “.03.. 92s git-e. Pa 6e 134 In adapting W to television. the writer noted first of all the virtual lack of overt physical action in the play as Strindberg conceived it. With the exception of Bertha's entrance in the first act. the lamp-throling incident and the Captain's attempt on Bertha's life in the final act. the action of W is mostly of a limited type. However. it was noted also that Strindberg's play did contain other elements of visual expression which were of equal importance. and which could be effectively presented on television. the play contains an abundance of character material. the picture of human beings mentally struggling against each other as they are drawn closer and closer toward an inevitable catastrophe. In view of the possible effectiveness of facial expressions and character reaction.“- it was believed that 1h! mpg; would play very well on television in spite of its lack of physical activity. fhis belief. of course. reconises that action differs in kind. and deg-ea. and as W contained a good amount of the one kind of action. its lack of the other was not regarded as a severe handicap. #1 is was stated by Hoyland Bettinpr. One of the nest dranatieally powerful techniques on television ... is the Juxtaposition of action and reaction. ... In a drastic sense. the audience is much more interested in what £131.11 from action. than in the ac- tion itself. Bettinger. a. 9.11-- p. 92. 135 Because the visual impact of reaction and expression in W was potentially quite higi. the problem faced by the adaptor of the stage play. therefore. was to describe the reactions of character in such a manner as to point up their importance to the television di- rector."2 In the television script such descriptions are usually far more orplicit than in the same script as written for the theatre. this is due prinrily to the fact that the playwrigit in the theatre unally thinks in terms of an entire action. an action which fills the entire stage and is visible to an entire theatre. whereas on television the writer must write in terms of limited actions. as seen by the tele- vision camera only. Whether he thinks in terms of shots or in terms of scenes. the television writer must describe his action in such a manner as to in- dicate what the camera should be concentrating upon at any particular moment in his play. That concentration may be upon a group of char- acters. or upon one character out of a group. It may be upon a char- acter reading a book. or upon the book only. In any case. important elements of the scene. those elements the writer wishes to emphasise. must be made clear in the script. 42 Needless to say. the dramtic situations themselves would have to be built in such a manner as to imply the need for reaction shots. is this was the type of writing done by Strindberg himself. however. the television writer did not face the construction prob- lem to any great degree. 136 The third tool utilized by the television writer is. then. the element of camera usage. is Robert Greene wrote. The writer is not responsible for everything that is done: camera angles. on the whole. are not in his province. nor is he asked to anticipate con- ditions on the floor when he is writing the script.” However. the writer is asked to indicate where the important elements of drama are to be found. He is asked to remember that the television camera is flexible and mobile. and can see various details of an over- all stage picture. Therefore. the writer is asked to direct the cam- era to those elements of dramatic action and reaction in the overall picture which will best emphasize the point his play is to make. For example. early in the action of M291- at the conclusion of the scene between Laura and the Pastor. the writer indicated the following: LAURA: Then if it is nothing. you won't mind if I leave you. I have some things to attend to in the kitchen. PASTOR: No. he. sister. Of course not. LAURA HITS. 1M OUT LAURA AND REMAIN mum) ON THE PASTOR. HE SITS IN A CHAIR NEXT TO THE GREAT CLOCK AND SLDLI SEARS HIS HELD. CAPT: (votes on aim. AGIIAI'ED AND IN anon) mm: mm: m PASTOR LOOKS UP SHARPLI I! m DIRECTIOI 03‘ THE VOICE. CU! IO m ENTRANCE KAI BIGHI, AS THE CAPTAIH OMS STORING 13. A ORUKPIED SHEET 01‘ PAPER IN HIS HARD. 101-LUV THE CAPTAIN. 103 Greene. 22. 911.. p. 10. 137 CAPT: Blast that stupid fellow! Q1, hello. Jonas. Bore already. eh? Good. good. m CAPTAIN CROSSES TO THE ABCEIAI. our: rem Fon! (as mass) Confound that blasted Jack-an-apesl The action described here served two purposes. Like the stage di- rections in a stage play. it indicated to the actors where. in gene- ral. they were to be played. And it indicated to the television director the general type of camera work denuded on the action. l'irst. the writer asbed for a reaction shot of the Pastor. Then. at the sound of the Captain's voice. he indicated by the movement of the Paster's head what the following shot mould be. and then he asked that that shot be taken in order to bring the Captain into the scene. It was not necessary for the writer in this case to call for a specific shot. vis.. a med. I..8.. for in order for the director to frame his camera on the Captain's entrance in such a manner as to give him leeway to pan with the Captain's cross. such a shot would be inev- itable. and the director would be well aware of that fact. A second example of the camera usage described in the script in- dicated the following transition between scenes: IAUBA: But why don't you do it yourself. Doctor! DOCTOR: Because the patient distrusts me. You. madam. would seem to be the logical one to do it. but I fear he distrusts even you. LAURA ILUSEES AT THE DOCTCE'S REMARK. SEE STARTS To SPEAK. BUT BEFORE SHE CAN. THEY ALLABB STARTED B! A LOUD CRASH mos ABOVE. mum. LOOK or. um ran CAMERA Pins urn THEIBLOOKS. AS I! PANS. WNA 138 CAMERA IN THE CAPTAIN'S STUDY. THE SECOND CAMERA IS FOLLOWING A MOVEMENT SIMILAR TO THE FIRST. IT MOVES ACROSS THE SCENE 0? THE CAPTAIN'S R004. THE ROOM IS A MESS OI DESTRUCTION. BOOKS SCATTERED ABOUT THE FLOOR. A CHAIR OVRRTURNRD. SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS SHATTRRED. NOTES TCRN PROM MEIR BINDINGS. THE CAPTAIN IS SFATED AT HIS DESK. HIS READ IN HIS HANDS. AFTER A SECOND. HE LOOKS UP AND STARES AT A PICTURE OF LAURA AND HERTEA IN A FRAME ON THE DESK BEFORE HIM. HIS FACE IS CONTORTRD WITH PAIN AND SUFFERING. THEN. IN A FIT OP SUDIEN ANGER. HE REACHRS OUT 0N3 ARM AND BRUSHES THE PICTURE AND BOOKS FROM THE ESE TOP. THEY LAND WITH A CRASH ON THE H.003. THEGAIERAMOVESDOHNTOI‘RAHBONTHE BROKEN norm. In this instance. the camera has been given story-telling power. By moving from a scene where the subject had been the question of the Captain's insanity. to a scene of wanton destruction. the audienee is led to a confirmation of its suspicions regarding the actuality of that insanity. And by framing upon the tortured figure of the Cap- tain and his reaction to the picture of his wife and child. the source of that insanity is clearly pointed up. In both of the illustrations above. it is to be noted. the camera was ashed to take the position of the audience. to move from scene to scene or person to person. in such a manner as to tell the story as clearly as possible. In neither case could the effect called for have been duplicated in the theatre. This. by its nature. then. is the true essence of the visualization process of making the television adaptation. to tell the story in such a manner as to utilise those techniques of television production to effectively picture a story intended for another medium. 139 Another visual tool utilized in television writing is that of writing in terms of the set and the details of the set. As can be seen above. this is usually accomplished in terms of either the ac- tion or camera usage. The writer notes in his stage directions that the Captain is to cross from an entrance right to an archway left. Therefore. by describing that action, he is also writing in terms of the set. The writer describes a particular camera sequence. such as the pan across the Captain's room. and by so doing he also describes the elements of the set as seen by the camera. Or he utilises cer- tain objects within the set. such as the picture. to create a certain visual emphasis on an idea. in this case the cause of the Captain's suffering. Earlier in this chapter a description was offered of the opening of the television adaptation. This description. it is to be remembered. contained eluents of all three visual tools; (1) the set and the de- tails of the set were used to describe the photograph and the objects on the table. (2) actions. expressions. and stage business were used in describing the entrance of laura. the Nurse. and the Pastor. and in the scene which followed. (3) camera usage was utilised by indicating the dolly away from the tahle and the pick-up of certain elements of the action. By visualizing the television adaptation in such a nanner as indicated above. the writer .... aware that his problem was priurily one of translation. that of taking material intended for one nediun and translating it in a suitable form to another. In most cases. the original material itself offered the writer the basis for his 140 translation. in picture terms. For example. the first scene of the third act. a scene not included in the finished adaptation. concerned in part the noises which were heard coming from the Captain's room upstairs. These noises were interpreted into the picture of the de- struction in the Captain's roon. Also. in the stage version. the Captain enters the scene in the last act in a state of mind indicating his preoccupation over the problems of paternity. Although this scene was also deleted from the finished adaptation. the same impression was pined from the picturintion of the Oaptain's suffering and his reac— tion to the photograph of his wife laura and his daughter Bertha. It was found. then. in preparing the adaptation of nterial fer the tele- vision medium. that quite often the writer can take the gern of ideas communicated in several long speeches. in the stage version. and trans- late those ideas into a visual impression in a matter of seconds by means of the television camera. In its essence. this is one of the fundanental techniques to be used in making the adaptation.“ W. In general. the functions of dialogue are the sees in any medium of dramatic expression. they are (l) to give informtion. (2) to characterise. (3) to convey emotion. and (1+) to further the dranatic action. he characteristics of dialogue M It is recognised. of course. that the technique of picturin- tion. as used to interpret ideas er impressions, can also be used for purposes of shortening the running time of a dramatic sequence. identi- fying characters without the use of dialogue. gaining emotional effects. and providing relationships between characters. objects. or places. 1141 do. however. vary between the mediums. A speech which seeks. for example. to further the action of a play may be written in one manner for the theatre and another manner for television. The reason for such a change lies not so much in the nature of the speech content. or in the amount of it. as in the nature of the two mediums themselves. Both television and the theatre have stabilised conventions of expres- sion. which differ. Because the writer in the theatre has upwards of twice as much time to develop his story. his dialogue usually contains much more substance. The same dialogue on television would. cones- quently. have to be compressed in order to achieve the same effect. Likewise. because the theatre audience is accustomed to listening more keenly to a stage play. the writer for the theatre usually places greater emphasis on speech than on action. On television the reverse is usually true. The television writer places more emphasis on pic- turisation. but uses sound to interpret the visual image. Because the audience in the theatre is accustomed to "stage diction' and to dra- matic effect. the writer for the theatre will often use an euphemistic or epigranatical style. Whereas. on television. the audience is used to less talk and. except in rare cases of historical dramas. it ex- pects the characters in the television drama to speak in a life-like manner. avoiding affectations deemed "theatrical.“ In general. therefore. because of the distinctive features of the television mediua. television dialogue can be characterised as follows: 1. It is unusually clear. direct. and to the point. being in a vocabulary that is easily understood by the average viewer. 142 2. It is usually written in short speeches. thrown back and forth between two or three characters. The monologue. or long single speech. is most often avoided. 3. It usually serves to emphasize the meaning of the visual image. Because of the characteristic differences between stage diction and television dialogue. certain changes were made in mm. It was recognised, for example. that Strindberg was an extremely verbose playwright. basically because he used the spoken word as a tool for an analysis of the character. Consequently. some of his speeches. particularly in the second act. ran uninterrupted for as long as twenty or thirty lines. As Brets and Stasheff have observed. this type of dialogue becomes oppressive on television. a medium where brevity is essential. ... the long. sustained speech of a dosen printed lines in the book will seem twice as long in the TV script. and three times as long on the screen. Shorter speeches. thrown back and forth between two or three characters. will convey the same thougits and promote the same dramatic action.'*5 In most cases. therefore. Strindberg's longer speeches were either trimmed to a more appropriate length. broken up with additional lines of dialogue from other characters. or eliminated entirely. Another technique common to the television medium. one often ap- plied in making an adaptation. is to state an idea in visual terms reth- er than aural. This is a technique termed the “use of the charade' by Robert Greene. #5 Stashot'f and Brats. W. p- 17"- 1143 he key to visual writing is the charade. A charade is simply this: Througi symbolic representation. an idea is communicated. The idea may originally have been stated in words. but the charade translates it into a symbolic picture language which stands for the same thing. One example of this type of writing has already been described in the section treating the problem of visual emphasis. Another appeared in the first act. as follows: DISSOLVR TO THE CAPTAIN'S STUDY. m CAPTAIN IS DISCOVERED AT HIS STUDY TABLE. LOOKING THROUGH A SPICTROSCOPB. HR CHECKS . A MINERAL SPECIMEN AGAINST A CHART. AND SEEMS PLEASRD WITH THE RESULTS. THEN HR JOTS DOWN A BRIEF NOTE: IN A ROCK AND TURNS TO PICK UP A IARGR VOLUME NEXT TO HIM. HR SEARCHES THROUGH THE BOOK IN VAIN FOR THE INFORMATION HE NEEDS. HR CLOSES THE BOOK IN DISCUST. RIPS HIS NOTE FROM THE BAD AND TEARS IT UP. THEN RB-RKAMINRS THE MIMEAL SPECIMEN UNDER THE SPECTROSCOPR. HE IS OCCUPIED THUS AS THE DOCTG Am LAURA am. The above charade communicates two basic ideas to the television audi- ence: (l) the knowledge of the nature of the Captain's scientific ex- periments. and (2) the fact that his work is not going as well as expected. WW. Often. in making an adap- tation. the writer is faced with the problem of retaining certain pieces of information from a scene which he wishes to eliminate from the final script. This problem was faced. for example. when the writer discarded the scene between the Nurse and the Captain early in the first set. me seene was eliminated for two reasons: (I) because of the 146 Greene. pp. 911.. p. 23. 1141} Captain' s remarks concerning religion, and (2) because it was deemed advisable to have the Nurse accompany the Doctor to his new quarters. After the scene was dropped. however. the writer still felt the need to express the Captain's troubled mind concerning his conflict with Laura and his suspicions concerning the new Doctor. elements of dia- logue contained in the scene eliminated. The method used in this case was what might be considered a compression of dialogue. Both of the ideas were retained in a short "thought" speech. which the writer com- posed. The Captain's thoughts were to be recorded and played “over frame" while he reacted to them as he wrote of his fears in his person- al record. MARGRET AND THE DOCTm EXIT. THE CAPTAIN STANDS FOR A SECOND. LOOKING AFTER THEM. A PUZZLED EXPRESSION ON HIS PACE. THEN HI CROSSES TO HIS DESI. PICKS UP A MINERAL SPECIMEN. STUDIES IT AND IAYS IT ASIDE. HE SITS RC3 A SECOND. THEN OPENS THE DESK AND DRAWS FORTH A DIARY. HE BEGINS TO IRITE. A RECORD OF HIS VOICE PLAYS OVER THE IRATE AS HR WRITES. CAPT'S VOICE: Things are not good in this house tonight. They are all turning aginst me in this fuss about Bertha. Even the new Doctor is against me. Why. I do not know. but I feel as if something must happen soon to break the struggle between laura and myself. What it is. I don't know. yet. But I am sure that something evil is on the way ... WW Still another prou- mod by an adapter is one of imitation. "Any additional dialogue written by the adaptor will try to keep the style and feeling of the original."l”7 1»? stashoff sud Brats. W. p. 171; 1H5 Several times the writer felt the need to include speeches in his adaptation of W that were not contained in the original. This necessitated an understanding of and a feeling for the origiml material. After a careful study. it was found that Strindberg's dialogue. in most instances. followed one of two patterns. It was either sharp and piercing. coming in quick thrusts and pointed phrases. or it was long and easy. stylised in the mnner of poetic diction. The scene between Leura and the Captain in the second act contains elements of both. By far the more commonly used style is the former. however. be- cause it suited the strong mture of Strindberg's theme and because it was the more mtural of the two. Consequently. in most cases. additional dialogue was included intne script in this fashion. re: the opening scene. for example. the writer wrote the following lines. NURSE: Mistress? LAURA: 'Ies. Margret? NURSE: Mistress Laura. there is a great sin in this house. LAURA Are you speaking of the servant girl's child. old woman? NURSE: Yes. I am speaking of the child. LAMA: And what do you expect me to do about it? NURSE: You must ask Master Adolf to do what is rigit. NBJd must be forced to marry the poor girl. In tone and style. this dialogue exchange is quite similar to the one utilised by Strindberg in the scene between Laura and the Captain, as reproduced below. 1M6 LAURA: What do you mean to my by all this! CAPT: I feel that one of us must go under in this struggle. LAURA: which? CAPT: The weaker. of course. LAURA: And the stronger will be in the right? CAPT: Always. since he has the power. LAURA: Then I am in the right. In the last analysis. one fact was made clear to the writer in mung his adaptation. Much more of the original dialogue must be retained in the adaptation of a stage play than in either the adapta- tion of a short story or of a novel. This is true. basically. because the writer of a stage play will usually take pains to make clear. through his dialogue. such dramatic elements as character motivation and thought. both of which are essential to the television form as well. Therefore. the writer of the television adaptation of Strind- berg's play found the problem of dialogue less troublesome than the problem of time. As a result. he was led to believe. as Robert Greene stated. that the fundamental problem of adeptation "is one of selection and compression. ”“8 W- In adapting W ‘0 “107181011. two additional locations were indicated for the action and several Jumps in time were found necessary. Because of this. some method had to be found to Join the various segments of action together. This is 1+8 Greene. an. git... p. 11:1. 147 the function served by the transition. a device used to bridge the gap between two actions separated by either time or space. As was noted by Brats and Stasheff: The best transition is the one that is best suited to that which has gone before. and that which is to come. and which leads us gently but inevitably on to the next scene. This means. in effect. that a transition must appear to grow out of one scene and into another in such a manner as to maintain a contin- uity between the two actions. In order to accomplish this. the transition must (1) be motivated. i.e.. some cause for its being must be shown either in the action or the dialogue. (2) it must serve its purpose by orientating the viewer at once to the new ac- tion or time. and (3) it must establish the dramatic relationship between the two consecutive actionsé"o In making the adaptation of W it was decided that relatively simple transitional devices should be employed because of the lack of production facilities. For example. to bridge the the between the Captain's exit and the Doctor's entrance in the first act. the following directions were indicated: TEE CAPTAIN EIITS TO THE BALL. THE W HOLDS ON LAURA All) DOLLIS Ill ICE A 0.0. REACTION SHOT. THEN PARS Down TO mm HANDS. SHE IS mxcnms m WEDDING mm: on HEB. 11mm. ms ING TO FREE IT. W COMB UP ON MUBA‘S HAND. EXTENDED. #9 Stash-ff and Brett. W. p. 201*. 5O Gael». “.0 “in P0 9‘"- 1’48 LAURA: Doctor Ostermarkt (OVER FRAME) DOLLY BACK ON SAME SCENE AS BEFORE. THE DOCTOR ADVANCES TO TAKE LAURA'S OFFERED HAND IN A GESTURR Ol' FRIENDSHIP. This transition sequence accomplished three purposes. First. by going 'to black.“ thus interrupting the action entirely. the time difference between.the two scenes was bridged. Because the amount of time was insignificant in this case. it was not believed necessary to state it. Secondly. by matching both the preceding action and the following ac- tion en.the eaae pictorial detail. Laura’s hand. a degree of visual continuity was established. The third purpose of the sequence was incidental to the transition itself. The concentration upon.Laura's hand was symbolic and thus served.a dramatic function. .As Laura wrenches at her wedding band. she emphasised her distaste for the vows that bind her to her husband. and as she extends her hand to the Doctor. it is suspected that she seeks an ally. One of the problems faced by the television writer. and solved in part by the transition. is the problem of continuous action. then. for sample. it becomes necessary to move a character from one set to another. the writer must pad his action for a time sufficient for the character to makehis move between sets. This problem arose when it was decided to move the scene between the Captain and the Doctor in the first act from the living room to the Captain's study; The transi- tional device employed in.this instance had to be of such a nature as to connect the two different locations in a continuous action. and yet to allow the Doctor and Laura time to make the change between sets. It was decided to dissolve between the two actions. and to supply the 1&9 Captain with a piece of business with which he might occupy hiaself until such time as the Doctor and his wife would appear. The di s- solve is most often called for. in a case such as this. when a con- nection is wanted between two actions occuring at the me time. but separated by distance. This is true because the dissolve actually connecta the two different pictures. by bringing one out and the other in at the some time. thus superimposing for a time one action on top of the other. The action supplied the Captain in this case was in the nature of a charade. and has been described in the section treat- ing with the problem of dialogue. The charade referred to set the scene for the actions to follow. by emphasising the nature of the dialogue content to follow. Another transitional device used in the adaptation. one which is quite familiar to the average viewer. was that of using a clock to symbolize a passage of time. There is. for example. a difference of some five hours between the first and second acts. Some method was therefore needed to convey this passage of time to the viewer. The method used was to open 'on the face of the grandfather clock in the living rose. and to dolly out on the scene between the Doctor and Laura. This same technique was later utilised as a continuity device between the first and second scenes of the second act. he directions which follow indicate how this was accomplished. AITRR LAURA'S.RXIT THE CAMERA IRAMRS OI'TEI DOCTOR. DOLL! II’PCR.A 0.0. REACTION 530! OF HIS TROUBIED PACE. mm TO THE no: OI.A RICHLI CARNRD WALL CLOCK. THE TIME 18 NOV TWELVE THIRTY. THE SOUND OF THE CLOCK'S SVINGING PENDUIBM IS HEARD CLEARLY. DOLLY 150 BACK 1'30! THE CLOCK TO THE FIGURE 01‘ THE NURSE. SEATED IN A ROCKING CHAIR. HIT- TIEG. THE sum: 01’ THE CBIAKING CHAIR OVEBCOIBS THAT 01‘ THE CLOCK. A different type of device from the one above was used to nove free the Nurse's room back to the main action in the living room. The method used was that of selecting a similar prop in both sets and then using that prop as a basis for the continuity between the two scenes. This is a device which Robert Greene. for one. considers most effective. for it creates a feeling of anticipation in the second action.51 A description of the use of this device follows: BERTHARISBSTOnIT. LBTRRROUTAID REMAINFRAEDONTEBNURSE. SERLOOKS Arm BERTRA. A SAD EXPRESSION ON m PACE. THEN SEE PICKS UP HER GLASSES. PUTS THEM ON AND RRACEBS FOR HER BIBLE. AT REST OF A 94AM. TABLE BESIDB HEB. SHE HEADS ALOUD. NURSE: The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want... etc. as mos, DOLLY In on ma BIBLE. AS THE BIBLE 13 mar In 0.1!. am so AN arm soon on MAN'S LAP (m moms), A LISTLESS am) LAID Across IT. DOLLY our r0 REVEAL m Docrm SKATE]? IN A CHAIR BESIDE THE CLWK. El 13 ASIBEP. TEE CLOCK HEADS AT OBI. As can be gathered by the simple mtnre of the above transitions. W offered no great probleas in regard to changing locations and time. This was true. basically. because of the play's tialt adher- ence to the unities of time. place. and action. In a manner of spent- ing. the chief transitional problem faced was really not a transitional 51 Green. on. sit... p- 100. 151 problem at all. It was the problem of arranging the action of the play in such a manner as to take advantage of the characteristics of the transition. It is to be recalled that Strindberg's action was origi- nally laid out in one set only. This immediately eliminated all tran- sitions. except those of time. and placed a degree or visual sameness on the television adaptation. Consequently. in order to take advantage of the nedium's potentials of mobility and flexibility. the writer de- cided to shift portions of the drama to different locations. as indi- cated above. This allowed him to utilise the ability to intercut be- tween scenes and actions. thus enhancing the visualnoss of the play by breaking up the static effect of one location. By so doing. the transition became a much more effective writing tool in the adaptation. and the finished script was more in keeping with the demands of the medium to which the transfer was nude. WW- ‘thOl' 1'03!“ for selecting W for television. one not particularly conndcted with the play's merit. was the fact that it offered possibilities of being produced in a suggestive nnner. As was noted by Brets and Sta- sheff: Certain promising trends have been seen ... which indicate that television can go far in suggesting complex settings through a few set pieces and the proper lighting. Various dra- mtic series. such as DuMont's Eggs of Lizstgrz. used simple suggestive backgrounds; KBC's @1922 12.2311 pioneered in telling a story with simple close-up shots aginst a pure black backyoundfiz 52 Stashoff and Brotz. W. p. 67. 152 Althoua the actual problem of physical production is one which rests primarily with the producing organisation. the television writer does have the responsibility of selecting a play and preparing a script which is workable in terms of the limitations of such an erm- isation. Because the selected play was to be presented under less than average conditions. within a less than average production budget. it was particularly important that the writer select a play for this study that could be adapted along simple and practical lines. Such potentials. normal to the commercial field. as film clips. rear-screen projection. special effects and realistic-type settings. were mostly beyond the means of the Television DevolOpment Department of Michigan State College. and the budget limitations of the production. While it was realized that Strindberg's W was a natural- istic play. it was also noted that its life-like nature was due not so much to its setting as to its theme and its characters. The actual setting of the play is almost immterial. serving only as a method of containing the action of the play within the bounds of a stage. If the setting were to be suggested rather than stated. therefore. the play would not be handicapped. Its story and its message could still be presented. In fact. the possibility existed that the story could be told in a more forceful manner by the elimination of the physical setting. Such an elimination would concentrate attention much more closely upon character and theme. It was decided. then. that W would be produced suggestive- ly. against a black background. with the action contained within a min— imum amount of space. as determined by set pieces to be utilised as 153 boundaries. Such a style migit not be appropriate for comedy. but it seemed ideal for tragedy and for the psychological development of character. The dark background combined with low-key lighting would heighten the mood of the drama. and the use of the close-up camera would concentrate the attention of the audience on character. Such a production style would also be in keeping with the best interests of the television medium. It would tales particular advan- tage of the medium's sense of intimacy. for it would call upon the use of the audience's imagination. It would emphasise the character- displaying potential of the medium. because it would utilise character as the main instrument in the telling of the story. It would be econ- omical to produce and would thus held within the limits of a nominal budget. Such a dramatic production style would also be particularly in keeping with the production means of the educational outlet of Michi- an State College. and it would present a method whereby the very best in literature could be produced within a limited space and a limited budget. 01mm '1 m MUSIC)! some mm 71 m REVISION 8031?! he television script included in this stray is. with two excep- tions. a copy of the one used in the production of m as pre- sented ever the Michign State College television system. “arch 7. 19,53.1 the first exception in the script's reproduction is the fact that it does not contain the technical direct ions used at the time of its presentation. Ihese are not included in the script because they do not reflect upon the nature of the study. The second exception con- cerns the mture of the form followed. In writing the adaptation. the HBO standard forsat was utilised. his form is characterised by having all directions for both picture and sound located on the left-hand aar- gin of the page.2 M purposes of conserving space. this format has not been followed in the reproduction of the television script which follows. l he seems true with so-aanv writers. the adapter of Strindberg's play was gifted with a certain measure of hindsight. Upon viewing the production of his adaptation. therefore. he perceived elements in the drama which could have been improved upon and \hich. if he were to re- peat the adaptation process. would be treated in a different manner. 'fhe writer's suggestions for revision. while not important to the na- ture of this study. have nonetheless been included in the following script. in the form of footnotes. 2 Greene. 91. 91.1.. p. 19. 155 W ACTI m: HOOD OVRRTONES. UP HEAVY. COME FROM BLACK TO OPEN ON A DARK TITLE CARD VIE A SYMBOLIO REFER- SRHTATIOE 01' TEAOID AED 00410 MASKS ON TE LEFT SIIE. m IN OVER TE RIGHT SIDE 01' m CARD THE TITLE: “The Michipn State College Television Players Present“ W: “be rather by August Strindberg“ W: “Hatred and level All is one. the same source of energ. sometimes positive. sometimes negative. But one and the same...“ W8 W810: W FULL. USI TO BRIDGE TRANSITION TO THE PLAY. HOLD um EARRATION FOLLOWING. TERCAHIRAWENS ONAPEOTOGRAPESET INTOANARTIQUI IRON mun. TE! PICTURE IS O!’ A TAMIL! onour, POSED IN A STIIT. FORMAL MARKER. TEE ME PERSONS IN THE PICTURE ARE LAURA. BERTEA. AND THE GAPTAII. RI TEE DRESS 0! RACE IT SHOULD ER alums THAT THE TIER 01' m PLAY I8 IETEELATTERPAflOITERLAST CENTURY. VOIW: (om ram) This is the story of a -n and a wean. The sun. a respected Army officer and scientist: the wenn. his wife. Happily carried. owe. there grew between then a bitter hate. and over the soul of their only child they fouazt libs the Jungle beasts... for their very existence. AS THE VOICE SPEAKS OVER THE PICTURE. PULL A“! IRON TEE PHOTOGRAPH. WING A NINETEENTH-CENTURY TABLE. MARBLE TOPPED. WITH A CHINA- COVERED OIL “MP. A FEW BOOKS. A PIPE AND TOBACCO mm. PULL BACK TAB ENOUGH TO REVEAL THE ACTION AS IT BEGINS. LAURA ENTERS THE 50m 3304 THE COTE-m ENTRANCE VA! LEFT QI‘ mm. 3H3 IS am RI 133 NURSE. W. WHO Ems CLOSE BEHIND. HORSE: llistress‘l LAURA: (TURNING) res. Margret! SUBSB: Mistress—Laura. there is a great sin in this house. LAURA: Are you speaking of the servant girl's child. old wenn? LAURA: man: 156 Tee. I am speaking of the child. And what do you expect me to do about it? You must ask Master Adolf to do what is rigit. Rodd must be forced to marry the peer girl. I'm eerry. llargret. Truly I am. but you know how things are in this house. You know that the Captain will never willing- ly do anything that I suggest. But this time he must. he girl cannot be left without a husband. It isn't right. That's for the Captain to decide. Margret. Then I must go to his neelf. mom ATTEMPTS TO PASS. LAURA STEPS RETURN HEARD m DOOR. ROV- rm. REE LAURA: LAURA: NURSE: TERIURSE or LAURA. LAmA: Am GRADE!) TO SLIGHT ANGER. (TAKING HOLD or am) You as: net! res knew that the Cap- tain will not abideany interference in his affairs. (mm man!) Yes. Ma‘am. I know that well enough. but it's .de little difference before. when something was wanted in this house. (mm) Uhat do you mean by that? tell Ia'am. not that I mean to talk none. but you've always managed te get your own way in matters concerning yourself. (STIJ'J‘L!) hat will do. Iiargret. Leave me. or I shall be Panhde Very well. Ma‘am. but remember. . . God does not asile on a sinful house. TURNS VITRA EUFIAID HITS. LET ERR WTARD REMINFRAHRD ens LOOKS AFTER HARM! CWSLI. reelidi old wens. I wonder I stand her about. Her. and her self-righteousness. AT THIS sums! TEE PASTOR nmns non RERIID. PASTOR: LAURA: Good evening. sister. (TURNING TO CREE! HIM AHECTIWI. VIE A ”EAT SMILE) Jamel. But this is a surprise. (SEE MS TO DEBIT EDI) PASTOR: LAURA: PASTm: LAURA: new: LAURA: PASTOR: LAURA: PASTOR: PASTm: LAURA : PASTOR: LAURA: PASTG: 157 (RR TAES OJ'ZI' HIS COAT. ERUIS IT. AND PLACES IT W THE BACK BBSIIE THE DOOR) Not much of one. I trust. sister. Why do you say that? (TURNING TO am) You mean to say that Adolf hasn't told you? Told me what? (m mamm) why, that he's nun: consented to Bertha's confirmation. of course. Has he? (SEE TURKS FRO“ RIM. ORVIWBLI SO THAT ER WILL NOT THE MOT OF THIS HE'S UPOR ERR) That is interesting. (cause up CLOSE mun m) v.11, he didn't come right out with it. of course. butphe did ask me over this evening to discuss the ntter. I see. But surely. he must have told you about it. ”mCre You' re the girl' s No. he didn't. hit. then. my good husband has not seen fit to talk with me of late about matters concerning my child. Nould you believe it. Jonas. I have to actually force him into conversation these days. He's so taken up with those feelish experiments of his. (“HI”) I see. Same old trouble. eh! And after twenty years being arried. (smart!) Now do you mean that: (means IT on) (a, it's nothing. nothing at all. Just talk. Then if it's nothing. you won't mind if I leave you? I have some things to attend. to in the kitchen. No. no. sister. of course not.) 3 Upon reflection. the writer realised that the scene between Laura and the Pastor is dinseociated with the scene which directly pre- cedes it. A possible revision of the scene would. therefore. maintain the subject of Non throu; this action by involving the Pastor in its consideration. LAURA HITS. SADLY. CAPTAIN: TEE PASTE. GLANCRS 011' QUICKLY IN THE DIRECTION 01' THE VOICE. 158 mmwrmrnmtmusm nmnsnzsm (vows on aim. mum m IN Anon) was: run: M THE BID DOOR AS THE CAPTAIN COINS SIGNING IN. A PM ON CRUIIPLND I’M IN HIS RAND. was THE CAPTAIN. CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTG: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTG: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTON: CAPTAIN: Blast that stupid fellow! Oh. hello. Jonas. Here already. eh: Good. good. (run CAPTAIN cnossns r0 on cam sacs- HAY m cums LOUDLY om: moan) Nd'Jdl raga: (an ms IN) Confound that blasted Jack-aurapesi Adolf. about Bertha's confirmation. . . (tum BIN on) Later. Jonas. to attend to. first. '3de Yes. Nde. I've some official business That stupid little orderly of mine. I see. and that has he been up to new? that ins he been a to. you ask! Nero. read this. (ES HANDS TEE PASTOR THE PAPER El HOLDS IN HIS HAND) It seems that NUJd has been cutting up with one of the servant girls again - only this time he's gone in far. (LOOKING UP VIE M CONCERN) then did you learn of this? Just this mints. I dare my the whole village has heard of it by new. hey can it official channels. net letter is from the magistrate. Ne asks what action I intend to take in the matter. And Just mt are you going to do? As his com-ending offi- cer. you really should do something. you know. Don't you suppose I new tint? I've seem at him and flogged him. and it hasn't had the least effect. As you're here. won't you be good em to give him a talking-to? You're his pastor. Perhaps you can mks some impression on him. After all. he mould marry the girl. (UNEASY) I see. him. In other words. you want me to preach to If you wish to put it that way. Yes. PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: non ENTERS no: 3mm AND STANDS u ATTENTION. SIONLESS. NOJD: CAPTAIN: NOJ’D: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: N62119: - CAPTAIN: NOJD: CAPTAIN: NOZJD: CAPTAIN: NOJD: 159 And what effect do you suppose the word of God would have on him! I don't know. but promise me you'll try it anyway. Premise! Ve'll see. HIS PAGE IS EXPENS- ALmOUGB RR APPEARS OTHERWISE QUITE NERVOUS. Ahem! (TURNING ON NIH IN A NANSN MAM) Oh. so you're here. now. Oh? Did the Captain call. sir! Of course I called. you numbskull. I've heard a few words about you. concerning the girl Inna. I... 'Are lhat have you got to say for yourself? Bless me. Captain. but I couldn't talk about it with the Pastor himself here. (mm BY THE Manson) Now. not. don't be afraid of me. my boy. I won't hurt you. Come now. Non. you had best confess. You now what will happen if you don't. Yes. sir. You see. sir. it was like this. sir. I were at a dance at Gabriel's when . . . Ludwig and Ludwig! lhat has Ludwig got to do with it? Stick to the truth. Yes. sir. And thenhn said . . . (1s m mm or A PNOSNCUTOB) ch, so it was nus who led you astray. was it? Is that what you're saying? Well. not far from it. Captain. unless the girl's willing...... You know yourself that (snoumm) 1 know weelf. do 1: Nell. new. I didn't mean :21. Captain. but . . . NOJD: CAPTAIN: NOJD: 160 Oh. hang the story. nn. I've had Om of your stories. Come out with it straight. Are you responsible for Inn's dhild. or not: (PAUSE) Nell? (SIMPLY) who knows? (30mm mm) rh: what's that: Don't you new: Uhy. no. Captain. that is. you never can be sure. now. can you? Now. what do you mean by that. oh: (EB SPEAKS TO THE PASTOR) This is terrible. isn't it? It's the same old story over again. See here. Non. you surely ought to know whether or not you are the father of Emma's child! (morass ms nus) Begging the Pastor's pardon. sir. but who's to ny? (BREAKING IN) Are you trying to put the blame on Ludwig! Is that whatyou're up to? Well. now. Captain. sir. It's not easy to my who's to blame. ‘ no'm. HIS EYES CAST DONNWABD. moms TO TUITCE ms NAT IN ms nuns AND sour non roor no room. ms mscom'osr, 30mm, 18 cam now an BY m curmms. who cm as: no u: our or m mnzcum AT ALL. mud sons, ms mm mus so on: m user or am. CAPTAIN: NO'JD:" Banal I can't ferret out the truth of all this. nor is it to myvliking. It's a case for the courts. pure and simple. (TO NOJD) And you can consider yourself under restriction until the nagietrate calls. And if I see you outside your quarters during the next fortreight hours. I'll have you before the review board as well. Now be off. I'm sick of looking at you. (on! roo mp! r0 nscnn) God save you. Captain. And you. too. Pastor. (EB HITS IN BASTN) 1: If a revision of the adaptation were to be ado. it is believed that NBJd would be eliminated from the action entirely. although his problem would be retained on a discussion basis. ."l CAPTAIN: NOJ'D: CAPTAIN: NOJ'D: 160 Oh. hang the story. mm. I've had enoud: of your stories. Come out with it straight. Are you responsible for Inn's child. or not? (PAUSE) Nell? (81:91.!) who knows! (WT PNBPLEIID) 1h? Ihat's that: Don't you know! thy. no. Captain. that is. you never can be sure. now. can you? Now. what do you mean by that. oh: (EB SPNANS TO TEN PASTOR) This is terrible. isn't it? It's the same old story over again. See here. Non. you surely ought to know whether or not you are the father of mu childt. (mass 318 rm) Begging the Pastor's pardon. sir. but who's to my? (mums IN) Are you trying to put the blame on Ludwig? Is that whatyou're up to? tell. now. Captain. sir. It's not easy to say who's to blame. ' soon. HIS nus our Dorms, nous TO rumor! ms nu IN ms sums an arm non rear 20 room. 1113 mscmaonr, Hm, IS cum new no BY m mum's, no can so: no u! our or m DIl‘l'ICULTY AT ALL. mud Ions, NIS Arm arms so on m use or m. CAPTAIN: 16.11:.“ Basal I can't ferret out the truth of all this. nor is it to myuliking. It's a case for the courts. pure and simple. (TO NOJ’D) And you can consider yourself under restriction until the magistrate calls. And if I see you outside your quarters during the next fortygseight hours. I'll have you before the review board as well. Now be off. I'm sick of looking at you. (on! roo NAPPY ro nscm) God save you. Captain. And you. too. Pastor. (El HITS IN EAST!) 1: If a revision of the adaptation were to be rude. it is believed that mo would be eliminated from the action entirely. although his problem would be retained on a discussion basis. CAPTAIN: PASTm: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTG: CAPTAIN: PASTCB: 161 (EN TURNS TO THE PASM. SLIGHTLY PUT (NIT BECAUSE THE PAS- TOR DID NOT C043 TO HIS ASSISTAMN) Now. why didn't you get after him. eh: You only at there and mumbled something or other. To tell the truth. I didn't know what to say. It's a pity about the girl. yes. but more a pity about the lad. Nis future may be ruined if he is dismissed from the regiment. And what about the girl's future. eh: (TEE PASTG OFFERS A SLIGHT SHBUG) Sump: Upon u soul. I should like to be in the magistrate's position and Judge this case. (TN! CAPTAIN CROSSNS TO A SMALL SIDNBOAED AND POURS HIMSELF A GLASS 03’ VI“) (mono AND 10mm) wen. well. 1 Judge no one. (u musrs rm: mnmsonsrm or A cuss) But what about Bortha's confirmation: You asked to seems about it. didn't you: (BCALLIE) Oh. yes. so I did. But it was not in particu- lar about her confirntion that I asked you to come by this evening. Really? Vhy did you ask me. then: Nell. it's about Bertha. at least. But it's about her whole future welfare. This house is full of women who all want to have their say about my child's education. Ny mother-in- law wants to make a Spiritualist of her. laura wants her to be an Artist. as governess unto her to Join the Salvation Army. and old Margret wants her to become a Baptist. libs yourself.5 (BEGINNING TO WSTAND) I see. I am being constantly opposed in my efforts to develop the child's character. Therefore. I have decided to send her away from home. (SITTIN) ONCE AGAIN) You have too may women trying to run this house. Adolf. 5 In a revision the element of conflict between the Captain and the members of his household would be limited. to emphasise the conflict between him and laura only. PASTm: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIR: PAM: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN : PASTOR: CAPTAle 162 (MOVING IN TO mam HIS POINT) You're right: You're ridlt. Jonas. It's like going into a cage full of tigers. and if I didn't hold a red-hot iron under their noses they would tear us to pieces any moment. (TEE PASTOR IINDS THIS commsor msm) And you lanai. you rascal. Wasn't it enough that I married your sister. without your palning off your old step-mother on me? But. good heavens. one can't have step-mothers about one's house. It isn't mtural. To. you think it's better to have mothers-in-law about someone else's. Tell. we all have some burden in life . . . But mine is certainly too heavy. I have my old nurse into the bargain. who treats me as if I out still to wear a bib. (POINTING A mm rImn) You must keep a tight rein on the women folk. You let them run things too much. low. will you please inform me how I'm to keep. order among the women folk. I can manage the men in the barracks with no trouble. but women are beyond me. loll. laura was brought up with a firm hand. but although she is my own sister. I must admit she 2; pretty troublesome. Sorry I can't give you an advice on that. laura certainly has her faults. but with her it isn't so serious. lo. no. w dear fellow. She is the one who really wears on you most. Tell the truth, new. (UPSET HOV) Good heavens. man. won't you understand the ser- iousness of the situation. must you treat everything with levityt Iaura won't let Bertha leave her. and I feel she can't be allowed to remain in this house any longer. as. so laura won't let Bertha leave her. eh! Yell. then. you are in for trouble. laura had a strange trait as a child. She had to have her own way. and he wouldn't let up until she got it. Don't you think I've seen that trait often enoudi since we've been brried! PASTOR: CAPTAII: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTCR: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: 163 I suppose so'. But can't you compromise: that do you want to do with Bertha that's so unpardonablot (SITTING) You mustn't think I want to cake a prodigy of her. or an image of myself. I don't want to educate her exclusively for matrimony. as is the custom. for if she were left unmarried she might fall upon hard times. On the other hand. I don't want to influence her toward a career that would require a long course of training which would be entirely thrown away if she mould marry. Ihat do you want. then! I want her to be a teacher. If she r‘ins unmarried. she will be able to support herself. And if she nrrios. she can use her knowledge in the education of her children. How. am I not right? Yes. I would fly you were quite ridit. But on the other hand. hasn't she shown a great talent for painting? It would be a pity to waste it. Talent. you say: (RI RISES AND CROS‘ TO A RIORBOY. mm as rchs UP A rouo or PAIMIms) Hero. look at these. (me) They are the sort of thing any school 811']. an do. Hm. I see. They are rather poor. aren't they! run CAPTAIN PIAOBS TERM BACK IN THE FOLIO AND PLACES THE 101.10 OK In TABLE. CAPTAIN: PASTOR: CAPTAIN: PASTOR: GAP’IAII: PASTE: Then you see what I meant Yes. but from what Laura said. I gathered the girl had truly a great talent. I laura is given to exaggeration. when it suits her purpose. Well. then. I can see no hope for you. old man. This situa- tion could become very serious. indeed. And. of course. laura has her supporters . . .1 Yes. you my be sure of that. The whole house is already up in arms over the prospect of Bertha's leaving. And between ourselves. it is not emactly a noble conflict that is being waged from that quarter. thatdeyoumeant 161+ CAPTAIN: hey all hint that men had better be careful. because women can do this or that nowadays. All day long. incessantly. it is a conflict between an and woman. PASTOR: Ah. yes. the oterml struggle. m m 01.00! STRIKES SIX. PASTG: Rm. (EB OWNS HIS HATCH) Six o'clock. (NB RISIS) I really must be off. CAPTAIN: mat. leaving so soon: No. stay. please do. You know I'm expecting that new doctor. Nave you seen him: PASTCB: (CROSSIB TO COAT RACK) Oh. I caudit a glimpse of him as I came along. Ne looked pleasant and reliable . . . should be an excellent replacement for old Doctor Norling. CAPTAIN: bat's good. Do you thihk it possible that he may become my ally! I could use a good friend in the house with this fuss over Bertha. PASTCB: he can tell: It depends on how much he has been Among women. That's the question. you know. CAPTAIN: Nero. let me help you with that. THE CAPTAIN HELPS m PASTOR ON WITH HIS COAT. PASTOR: Thank you. (AS HI STARTS TO GO. El ST“ WIN A SIGN THOUGHT) You know. Adolf. I've been rather concerned about you. of late. CAPTAIN: Concerned: PASTG: Yes. you must take better care of your hoolth. You seem nervous. Perhaps if you had a talk with the new Doctor . . .. CAPTAIN: Nae laura put that idea into your head: ror the past twenty years she has treated me as if I were on the point of death. PASTG: Laura: No. You she as uneasy about yourself. You're spending too much time with those scientific experiments of yours. You don't get any proper rest. Take care of yourself. that's my advice. And don't worry so mch. Half the troubles in the world are caused by worry. Good bye. and good luck. on. but didn't you want to talk about the confirntion: CAPTAIN: Not at all. for now. I assure you that utter will have to take its course in the ordinary way. at the cost of the clerical conscience. PASTOR: m PASI'G EXITS. EXPIRESSION ON HIS PAGE. 165 Run. I see. then I won't trouble you about it spin. Good bye. Love to laura. MWMGAPTAIN. WOMVITHASIBIWS HIGROSSESTOTEBCENMW. mun STANDS PCB A Mm Loonm AT THE PAHILI GROUP PICTURE. HI MS HIS HEAD AID PEACHES 1'03 HIS PIPE. THIS 3! PILLS Am LIGHTS: A! THAT MOMENT LAURA runs PRO]: MIND. LAURA: CAPTAIN: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAII: LAURA: Am I disturbing you: (LOOKING ARGTND) (h. laura. No. not at all. you want: That did (IN AN rm mom) I wanted to um: to you about Bertha. (msr) the: about Bertha: You haven't hired the tutor I asked you to. for her art lessons. I don't think that will be necessary. now. And why won't it: Because Bertha is going to burding school in town. starts in two weeks. She And that is the decision you and my brother arrived at tonight: No. I had already come to that decision, and therefore it only resained for me to talk it over with the one friend I and the family have in common. Bertha is . . . . . . to go to boarding school in town. school. if I may venture to ask: To which boarding (ma more or A 300: nu: mm mm AND 0205535 20 A cum) Professor Safburg's. Professor Safburg. That free thinker: (8RD CROSSBS AFTER HIM. mum ROWAN!) DETERMINED TO 1163!! FORM 83! CONSIDIRS m RIM) (SITTING) According to the law. children are to be brouQIt up in their father's faith. And the mother has no voice in the matter: LAURA: CAPTAIN: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAth: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: 166 None whatever. That is to say. then. she has no rigits concerning her child. No. none at all. She has sold her birthright by a legal transaction. When she narries. she forfeits her rights in return for tho mn' s responsibility of caring for her and her children. But if both father and mother should agree: (RISING) Do you seriously believe that could ever happen? I want Bertha to live in town. to study something useful. You want her to stay at home and play around with a lot of foolishness. The arithmetical result would be that she rennin at the railway station midway between town and home. his is a knot that cannot be untied. you see. (NB TURNS TO EXIT FRO: TBB ROGI) (TURNIN AWAY ram mu. IN A van: ALMOST TO mm) nun it must be broken. (ALOUD) What did Nb‘Jd want here: (srorrurc AT m noon) That I. an official soorot. lhich the whole kitchen knows. (ANGRY now. NB nous romp IN sucrs, m m TO msmr non or 318 mass) cooc. then you must know it. too. I do know it. And have your dudgmsnt ready-ids: Ny Judgment is the Judasnt of the law. But it is not written in the law we the father of the child is. (“mar-non!) No. but one usmlly knows um. Niso minds claim that one can never know for certain about such matters. (PAUSE. IN EACTION: CUT TO LAURA ALONE) That's strange. Can one never know who the father of a child is: (OVER HAHN) No. so they claim. LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAUNA: m arms: mrs. cm. manor 3110!. mm PARS Down 20 m nuns. 167 (m READ COMES UP IN A STRANGE HANNRR. INDICATING TR! NATURE ON TEN THOUGHT NRICN HAS JUST OCCURRED TO m) Now extraordinary. Now can the father have such control over the children. then: ' (CUT TO TWO SHOT) Ne has control only when he has assumed the responsibilities of the child. But. then. in wedlock. there is no doubt about the fatherhood. (TURNING SLONLY AROUND TO FACE TEN CAPTAIN) There can be no doubts then: Nell. I should hope not. (IN DEASURBD TONES) But if the wife had been unfaithful! (DISMISSING THIS STATEMENT) That's another matter. there anything else you wanted to say: (TURNING ONCN Mm ANAY non RIM) (0001.!) Nothing. (BEHIND m) Then I shall go up'to u room. and perhaps you will bokind 0110131 to let me know when the new Doctor arrives. Ne may want to lot Doctor Norling's old rooms. Certainly. (RR STARTS TO NOYR TONARD THE DOOR) As soon as he comes. you understand. for I don't want to seem rude to him. (SOJ'TLY) I under stand. TEE CAMERA HOLDS ONLAUNAAND DOLLIS IN NORA SHE IS WONING TEN VENDING BAND ON m PINM. TRYING TO PENN IT. men. can or or LAURA'B um. mm. LAURA: (OVER FRAME) Doctor Osternrk: DOLLY BACK ON SAME SCENE AS BEFORE. TN! DOOTG ADVAMNS PRO! TEE DOOBVLAI TO TAKE LAUEA'S ormn HAND IN A GESTUEI OP HENDSNIP. DOCTOR: LAURA: Nadam. Nslcome. Doctor. you are heartily welcome. The Captain is out but he will be back soon. Please let me take your things. DOCTG: DOCTOR: LAURA: DOCTOR: LAURAPOORSEBNINB. 168 (MOVING HIS COAT) Thank you. I hepo you will excuse my coming so late. but I have already been called upon to pay some profossioml visits. (HANGING THE COAT) Not at all. Sit down. won't you: (SITTING) Thank you. the trip has been tiring. (GOING TO SIDRBOARD) Perhaps you would care for a glass of wine: I have no doubt but that you are thirsty from your Journey. You are really cut kind. Tlmnk you. ASSHNPWRS. TEECAMERAPRAMSSONM. NIB PACE MEALS m NAM OP HEB. THOUMTS. CALCULATING AND CRAFTY. LAURA: DOCTOR: DOCTG: LAURA: DOCTOR: LAURA: DOCTm: ”OCT“: (NRO: m SIDHBOARD) As you mentioned it. Doctor. there is a great deal of illness in the neidaborhood now. Nothing serious. I trust. (RETURNING NITH THE CLASS) Oh. no. no. but then I do hope you will find it pleasant here. So many doctors haven't. (TAKING m GLASS) Indeed? (SITTING BNSIDN HIM) But none of that now. I'm so happy that it's you that has come to us. Nor no simple country peepls. it is of such great comfort to find a doctor who is interested in his patients. and I Just know that the pleas- antost relations will exist between us. You are indeed kind. and for your nice I hope that u vitits with your family will not be caused too often by necessity. And I. Doctor. Yet. as a newly-arrived physician to this area. I should acquaint usolf with its problems. Your family is; I be- lieve. in good health as a rule: Portnnately. we have been spared acute illnesses . . . line. I thought as much. But still. things are not altogether as they should be. (EB SETS HIS MINI ON THE TABLE) Indeed? DOCTG: LAURA: DOCTOR: LAURA: DCCTQ: LAURA: LAURA: worm: LAURA: DOCTOR: LAURA: DOCTOR: LAURA: DOCTm: .LAURA: 169 Heaven knows. things are not as might be wished. Really. but now you begin to alarm me. (RISING. WITH HER HANDS POLDND IN l'RONT ON HER As 11' RI.- TRmRLY mvous) There are some circumstances in a family which through honor and conscience one is forced to conceal from the whole world . . . (BNCQIING INTERESTED) Nxcepting the doctor. of course. (qmonr 53mm HIS-POINT) Exactly. Therefore. I :«1 I should tell you the whole truth immediately. Perhaps you can help us. and we do so need help. (RISING) fltouldn't we postpone this conference until I have had the honor of being introduced to the Captain: If the problem is this serious . . . (INTRRUPTING) No. You must hear me Nofore seeing him. (UNDERSTANDING) It relates to the Captain. then: (manna AWAY m nor) Yes. it relates to him. my poor. dear husband. But what is it: Really. madam. you begin to Alarm as indeed. It is not easy for me to tell you this. even thong: you are the doctor. (mum TO HURRY HER SMY) Of course. of course. (rum: our m mumcnm) Doctor. I fear that my hue- band's mind 1. affected. (883 ms rHOM HIM) Now. you know all. and my Judge for yourself then you see him. (Hummus) Surely. Nadam. you must be mistaken. I've read the Captain's excellent treatises on mineralogy. with nothing but admiration. and have found that they display a clear and powerful intellect. Really: 01. how happy I should be if we should all prove to be mistaken. You say. 'we .' illness: There are others. then. who have noticed this Of course. Old Doctor Norling himself knew of it. as does the Captain's comsmnding officer. the Colonel. and his {finale DOCTOR: LAURA: DOCTOR: LAURA: DOCTm: LAURA: DOCTOR: DOCTOR: DOCTG: LAURA: DOCTG: LAURA: DOCTG: LAURA: DOCTOR: LAURA: 170 Hume. Then it is possible that his mind might be affected in other directions. (SITTIm) Yes. that ll Just what we fear. too. You too. he has sometimes the most extraordinary ideas which. of course. one might expect in a learned nan. if they did not have a diastrous effect on the welfare of his family. (IN A PRONNSSIONAL MANNRR) What sort of ideas: Nor instance. one of his whims is buying all kinds of things. Really? But what does he buy: Ihole boxes of books that he never reads. There is nothing strange about a scholar's buying books. I myself have in excess of two thounnd volumes. You don't believe what I am nying: (OBSERVIE RRR CLOSNLY) Noll. Madam. I am convinesd’ that you believe what you are fiy'ing. (PAUSNS NOR A SECOND. AND THEN LOOKS UP AT THE DOCTOR) Tell me. then. Doctor. is it reasonable to believe that one can see what is happening on another planet by locking throng a microscope: (PROI‘OUmJLY INTERESTED) Does he say he can do that: Through a microscope. yes. This is serious. if it is so. If it is so: Then you have no faith in me. Doctor. and hero I sit confiding the family secret to . . . (EATING IN TOIARD HER) Indeed. Madam. I am honored by your confidence. but as a physician I must investigate and ob- serve before giving an opinion. Now. then. has the Captain shown any symptoms of indecision or instability of will: Has he! Ne have been mrried twenty years. and he has never yet made a decision without changing his mind afterward. Is he ob stinte: He always insists on having his own way. but then. once he has got it. he dreps the whole matter and asks me to decide. 171 DOCTOR: Hmmm. This does demnd close observation. The will. you see. is the ninspring of the mind. and if it is affected the whole mind goes to pieces. LAURA: Heaven knows that I have taught myself to humor his wishes through all those long years. Oh. if you know what a life I have endured with him. Doctor, if you only knew. (- CRIBS DOCTm: Your misfortune touches me deeply. Madam. and I promise to see what can be done. But after what you have told me. I must ask you to avoid suggesting any ideas that midxt make a deep impression on the patient. for in a weak mind they dovelOp rapidly and quickly turn to monomer. or fixed ideas. LAURA: (LNRING UP now HRH HANDERCHINP. A W LOOK. AS IN AN IDEA HAS JUST OCCURND TO HER) You mean to avoid arousing his suspicions. Doctor: DOCTG: Nnctly. One can sake the insane believe anything. Just because they are receptive to everything. LAURA: Indeed: (SHE RISES) Ah. then. I understand. Yes. yes. you can count on mycooperation. Doctor. out now you must meet your patient. He is in his study. Dacron: (SURPRISRD) In his study: But I thought you said he sat out . . . A LAURA: (INNOCRNTLY) Did I uy tht: cm. are you must have mid- understocd. Doctor. (SHE POINTS THE NAY Will you follow me: we Dacron STANDS was A CURIOUS NIPRRSSION on HIS nor. AS I! H: DOESN'T QUITE KNON wHAT To MATH or THIS SITUATION. mm TO THN CAPTAIN'S STUDY. THS CAPTAIN IS mscovmn AT HIS STUDY TABLE. LOOK- ING THROUGH A SPRCTROSCOPN. HR Snort MINERAL SPHSIHHN AGAINST A CHART. AND sums PLHASHD WITH TEN RESULTS. THHN Hr JOTS now A mm NOTE IN A Boo: AND TUHNS TO PICK UP A LARGE vomur m TO HIM. RI moms THHoucm THH BOOK IN YAIN NOR THH INFORMATION HH ms, SOON CLOSING IT IN DISGUST. RIPS HIS NUTS non THH PAD AND THAHS IT UP. THSN HH-HIAKINHS THE MINHHAI SPHOIMHN UNDER THE SPRCTROSCOPN. RN 1: OCCUPIED THUS AS THE DOOTOH AND LAURA TNTHH THT Tout. LAURA: (TRON THB DOGNAY) Adolf. I've brought the new Doctor. as you requested. CAPTAIN: (RISING) at. here already. Doctor: You are very welcome. (EN BEACHES WT TO TAKE THE DWTOR'S HAND) 172 LAURA HITS. CLOSING THE DOOR BEHIND HEB. DOCTOR: CAPTAIN: DOCTCR: CAPTAIN: DOCTOR: CAPTAIN: DOCTOR: CAPTAIN: DOCTOR: CAPTAIN: DOCTOR: CAPTAIN: (TAKING THE CAPTAIN'S HAND) Captain. it is a very great pleasure for me to mks the acqmintance of so celebrated a man of science. (BRUSHING ASIDE THE CCMPLIMNNI‘. BUT WING PLNASND NONRTHN- LNSS) Oh. I beg of you. The duties of service do not allow me to nke any very profound investigations. However. I do believe I am really on the track of a discovery now. (OBVIOUSLI WIRING HIS CONVERSATION NIH LAURA) Indeed: Yes. Come here a moment. won't you: (HI MOVES m DOCTOR TO HIS STUDY TABLE TO SEE HIS NOR!) You see. I have ub- mitted meteoric rocks to spectrum analysis with the result that I have found carbon. or at least I believe I have. Carbon: Surely you know what that means. Doctor: Carbon. a clear trace of the existence of organic life on other planets. That do you say to that. oh: (nor TRULY IMPHHSSHD) And can you see that with a micro- seeps: Ch, Heavens. no. Doctor. with the spectroscOpe. You see. I merely place the specimen so that the light or flame shall heat it sufficiently to emit its characteristic spectrum. Then I analyse the spectrum to determine its chemical com- position. Simple. eh: Very. Pardon. then you will soon be able to tell us what is happening on Jupiter. Really. Doctor. Not what Al. happening. but what Lag happened. That is. if those confounded book dealers in Paris would send me the books that I need. Books: Yes. You see. Doctor. relatively little is known as yet in the area of spectrology. with the result that few works are available on the subject. I've tried to locate the ones that are. but they never seem to arrive in time for my work. I am coming to the conclusion that all the book dealers in the universe are conspiring aginst me. Think of it. for the past two months not a single one of them has even answered w communications. (HR SIANS HIS NIST ONTO ONR or THE BOOKS ON THNTABLN) I shallgomadover it. 11:an shall.andI can't imagine what's the matter. DOCTOR: CAPTAIN: DOOM: CAPTAII: DOCTG: DOCTOR: CAPTAII: DOCTG: DOOTG: 173 Ch. I suppose it's the usual carelessness. You mustn't let it vex you so. You don't seen to understand. Doctor. The devil of it is that I shall not get q treatise done in tine. If what I believe is true. it shall revolutionise the thinking of the world. and I know they are working along the sane lines in Berlin. on. but then. we mouldn't be talking about this. but about you. Sit down. Doctor. Thank you. (HE SITS? low. then. being newly arrived to the country, you cannot have found suitable quarters as yet. low. if you care to live here. we have rooms for you in the wing. that's where old Doctor Norling lived: but. then. perhaps you would rather live in the village? Just as you like. Captain. IO. as you like. lhich is it to be! You must decide that. Captain. lo. it's not for no to decide where you should live. You not say which you prefer. I have no preference in the nutter. none at all. ' (mssmo m mun! sum. mm) cu, but I really can- not decide. ror heavon' s sake. Doctor. my which you prefer. I have no choice in the nutter. no opinion. no widos. Haven't you the chracter to know what you want? Answer no! (SIMPLY) Very well. if it rests with no. I prefer to live here. Mk you. (HI 63.03838 TO THE D001. m n RIHGS A SMALL BELL LOCATED AT THE SIDE) I rang for the Hurse to show you to your roons. (WHO) You nust forgive no. Doctor. but nothing annoys no so noch as to see people undecided about anything. Of course. W ENTERS m 3001. OLPTLIH: (WHO HEB AT m mm) (11. there you are. Margot. Do you happen to know whether the rooms in the wing are in order for the new Doctor? 17‘: NURSE: Yes. sir. they are. CAPTAIN: (HOYING BACK TO THE DOCTOR) Very well. Then I won't do- tain you. Doctor. You must be tired. Good night. and welcome once more. DOCTOR: (RISING) Good evening. Captain. (THEY SHAKE HANDS) THE DOCTOR STARTS T0 EXIT. BUT IS STOPPED N! A FURTHER WED PROM THE CAPTAIN. THE NURSE WINS AT THE DOG KAITING FOR HIM. sun SEEMS. HWEVER. TO BE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THE CAPTAIN THAN TO THE DOCTOR. CAPTAIN: (AS A]! APTERTHOUCHT) on. I daresay that my wife explained conditions here to you a little, so that you have sons idea how the land lies. eh: nocrcu: (NOW AT THE DOG) Yes. Captain. your excellent wife has given me a few hints about this and that. such as were nec- essary to a stranger. That's all. Good evening. Captain. (n: m m suns: mm.) m: noon. 5m INTO mcxcnm. THE CAPTAIN STANDS l'OR A SECWD LOOKING AFTER THEN. A PUZZLRD EXPRES- SION ON HIS PACE. HEN HE CROSSES TO HIS DESI. PICKS UP A MINERAL SPECIMEN. STUDIES IT. AND LAYS IT ASHE. HE SITS FOR A SECOND. THINKING. THE PICTURE OP HERTHA AND LAURA mean HIM. THEN HE OPENS THE DESK AND DRAWS NORTH A DIARY. HE BEGINS TO WRITE. AS HE DOES 50. A HECmD Ol' HIS VOICE PLAYS OVER THE FRAME. DOLLY IN ICE A 0.11. 01‘ THE CAPTAIN. VOICE: “Things are not good in this house tout. They are all turning against no in this fuss about Bertha. Even the new Doctor is aginst as. why. I do not know . . . but I feel that something must happen soon to break the struggle be- tween Iaura and ayseIf. lhat it is. I don't how. yet. But I an sure that something evil is on the way . . ." DERTHA: (A LOUD SCREAM OH GAMER. now THE HALL) MUSIC: BEACHES A HIGH PITCH AND CUTS COLD. THE CAPTAIN REACTS WITH A START AT THE SOUND OP BERTHA'S SCREAM. B STARTS TO RISE. AND AS HE DOES SO BERTHA COMES BUSHING INTO TE ROG! IN TEARS. SHE FALLS INTO HIS ARMS. ON HER KNEES BEFORE HIII. BERTHA: rather! rather! Oh. lather! (SHE BEANS C" IN SOBS) CAPTAIN: (ATTEMPTING TO concur m) m cane, what is it: Speak. girl. what's happened! EERTHA: BERTHA: CAPTAIN: BERTHA: CAPTAIN: mm: CAPTAIN: BERTHA: CAPTAIN: BERTHA: CAPTAIN: BNNTNA: CAPTAIN: PERM: CAPTAIN: PENTHA: CAPTAIN: 175 (ALMOST HYSTRBICAI.) Help ee. she wants to hurt as. ho wants to hurt you: Tell me. Grandmother. NhatI How: No. you mustn't be angry. deceived her. It's ny fault. really. for I You deceived her: Yes. but you mustn't say unthing about it. won't. Proni so no you Tell no what it is. then. In the evening she generally turns the lamp down. and then she nakes no sit at a table holding a pen over a piece of paper. And then she aye that the spirits are to write . . . That's all this. and you have never told as about it: l'orgive as. rather. I dared not. for Grandmother says that the spirits take revenge if one talks about them. Go on. (IN 0.0.) And then the pen writes. but I don‘t know whether 1'. doing it .or not. Sometines it goes well. but sometimes it won't go at all. and when I'n tired nothing comes. but then she wants it to cone Just the same. And tonight I thought I was writing beautifully. but then Grandmother said it was all from Stagnelius and that I had deceived her. and then she got terribly angry. (IN TWO snow. near) (a: LIFTS m can mm 315 um) um LOOKS m IN m ms) Do you believe that there are spirits: I don‘t know! I don't know! But I know that thbre are none. But Grand-other says that you don't understand. rather. and that you do much worse things. you can see other planets. (TAKING HOLD OP BNHTHA. TIGHTLY. IONCING HEB TO am: EST) Does he say that: Does she say that: And what else does she lay? 176 BHHTHA: (mGHTENED) She says that you can't work witchery. CAPTAIN: (CAINING HIMSELF) Child. I never said that I could. Now listen. You know what meteoric rocks are. rocks that fall from other heavenly bodies. I can examine them. and learn whether they contain the same elements as our own world. That's all that I can tell. all amne can tell. BERTHA: But Grandmother says that there are things that she can see which you cannot see. CAPTAIN: Then she lies. BEHTHA: (STANDING UP TO HIM) Grandmother doesn't tell lies. BNRTHA: Because if Grandmother tolls lies. then Mother must lie. too. CAPTAIN: I see. BENTHA: And if you say that Mother tells lies. I can never believe in you again. CAPTAIN: I have not said so. and so you must believe in me now. when I say that it is for your future good that you should leave home. leave your Grandmother. leave your Mother. and your rather. and go to town to learn something useful. Will you: Nill you do that for your hthor? BEBTNA: Oh. yes. yes: I mould love that. to go to town. away from here. anywhere. If I can only see you sometimes. often. May 1: It‘s so gloomy and awful here all the time. like a winter night. and then when you come. rather. it's like a new world. CAPTAIN: (TAKING m IN HIS ARMS) My child. w dear child. In CAMERA POLLS ANAY mom m soon: 20 m IN LAURA. sunmm mm m m: mmur. m A m. 530:! or non ALONE. 1mm nor. commons 11: mm. m ms 5m: sump. rm. um A snoono. 1m ASPECT canons. sun mums. mu SMILES. IADRA: Oh. so Bertha is here. Then perhaps we my have her own opinion as to how the question of her future is to be de- cided. THE CRTAIN PULLS ANAY l'RGl BERTHA. MOVING THE GIRL TO ONE SIDE. IN A HANNER AS 11' TO PROTECT HER FROM SCHE ANIMAL CR OTHER PCRM OP DANGER. 177 CAPTAIN: (ANTAGONISTICAILY) The child can hardly have any well- grounded opinion about what a young girl's life is likely to be. while we. on the contrary. can more easily estimte what it might be, as we have seen so many young girls grow up. LAURA: (ADVANCING INTO THE R004) But as we are of different opin- ions. Bertha must be the one to decide. CAPTAIN: No: I let no one usurp my rights of fatherhood. neither women nor children. Bertha. leave us. m CROSSES THE R004 AND TURNS AT THE Dom, TO LOOK UPON BOTH Cl‘ HER PARENTS. SHE IS HURT AND CONFUSED. NOT KNONING WHY THEY CANNOT AGREE. 6 SUDDENLY. SHE IS OVERCOME ONCE MORE. SHE LEAVES THE R004 IN TEARS. um: (momma no: urcnmo BHRTHA'S mr) You were afraid of hearing her opinion. because you thougit it migit be to my advantage. CAPTAIN: I know that Bertha wishes to go away from home to learn. but I also know that you possess the power of changing her mind to suit your own pleasure. even before my own eyes. LAURA: Oh. and am I really so puerful. then: CAPTAIN: Yes. you have an almost fiendish power of getting your own way. But. then. so has anyone who does not scruple about the way in which it is accomplished. LAURA: I see . . . and Bertha is to leave now. is that right: CAPTAIN: Yes. I sinll make arrangements for her to start within two weeks. LAURA: That is your fiml decision: CAPTAIN: Yes. um: (ALMOST moan!) Then 1 must try to prevent it. 6. As an afterthought. it is now believed that Bertha's scene with the Captain should be altered considerably. As it stands. it hinders rather than clarifies the nature of the conflict. because it introduces the question of Bertha' s Grandm0ther. a person not shown. and mentioned only one other time. If the adaptation were revised. therefore. some other method would be found to convey the impression of the emotional strain on the girl caused by the nature of the play's conflict. ' s - . I l l . I V . Q . Q s O . e ’ . e s . I - . . ' ‘ a . a . . u I . . o , . , . O ‘ s - e e e . e e ' s ‘ I O s e . _ ' I . I . e . e . O CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAUM: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: 178 You cannot. (ncxousu) Can't I: Do you really think that I will trust my daughter to wicked people. to have her taught that every- thing her mother has implanted in her child is more foolish- ness: Why. afterward she would despise me all the rest of her life: And do you think that a father mould allow ignorant and conceited women to teach his daugiter that he is a charla- tan: (SIMPLY) It means 1... to the father. Why so? Because the mother is closer to the child . . . as it has been discovered that no one can tell for a certainty who the father of a child really is. (NARILY) How does that apply to this case: You do not know whether you are Bertha's father. (Incmousm) 1 do not know: No. What no one knows. you surely cannot know. You said as much yourself. Do you remember: I believe you were speaking of Najd at the time. Are you Joking: No. I am only smking use of your own teaching . . . the teaching you find in all of these goat books of yours . . . for that hatter. how do you know that I have not been un- faithful to you: I have had the opportunity! (NAYHNING) I believe you capable of almost anything. but not that: nor do I believe you would talk about it if it were true. Suppose. then. Just suppose that I was prepared to bear amhing. even to being despised and driven out. everything for the sake of being able to keep and to control my child. Nould you believe that: And would you then believe that I am being truthful when I declare that Bertha is my child. but not yours: Suppose . . . StOp... LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: IAIEA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: IAUBA: CAPTAIN: IAUBA: CAPTAIN: 179 Just suppose all this. In that case. your power over Ber- tha and me would be at an end. wouldn't it: When you had proven that I was not the father: That would not be difficult. Would you like me to do so: Stop . . . Please stop: (HE rams TO STOP HIS EARS) (MOVING IN SHABPLY. HITTING EVEN HARDER) Of course. I need only to declare the name of the real father . . . Stop now. or else . . . Or else what: Shall we stop now: Think carefully about all you do or say. and whatever you do. don't make yourself ridiculous. I can't stand that. (SITTING. EXHAUSTED) I consider all this most lamentable. Nhich makes you all the more ridiculous. And you: Oh. but we women are really too clever. That‘ s why one cannot contend with you. (NATTIT-OJ'JACTLY) Then why provoke contests with a superior enemy: Super ior: ‘ Yes. it‘s strange. but I have never looked at a man without knowing wself to be his miporior. (TAKING HEART. HE RISES) Then you shall be made to see your superior for ones and for all. and so that you all never forget him: (IN A 31mm) That will be interesting. Get out! Get out of my sight. you devil! LAURA SMILES COOLLY AT HER HUSBAND. TURNS AROUND AND WALKS OUT. LEAVING THE CAPTAIN A BROKEN HAN. HURT TO THE HEART. HIS HAIR. TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF HER WORDS. WITH HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS. DEPARTED LAURA. TO PREVENT THE COMLICT. HE RUNS HIS HAND THRWGH HE SITS. NON. THE NURSE ENTERS. GLANCING RACK AFTER THE SHE SENSES THE TRWBIE IN THE HOUSEHOLD. BUT IS UNABLE SHE CROSSES TO THE CAPTAIN. PLACING HER HAND ON HIS ARM. NURSE: CAPTAIN: NURSE: CAPTAIN: NURSE: CAPTAIN: NURSE: CAPTAIN: MAHGRET: CAPTAIN: NURSE: 180 Master Adolf! What has happened? What's wrong? (LOOKING UP. A PAINED masssxon on ms non) I don't know what it is. I can't say. But can you explain to me why it is that you women treat an old man as if hs-'were still a child: That I can't answer. but it must be that all you men. great and small. are women's children. every one of you. (RISING) Margret, Margret. you have the soul of a philoso- pher. am kind heart. (HE cnossns T0 THE DESK my PICKS UP mm norm or mm um mm. as LOOKS AT THE GIRL'S anunss realm. rm rm ms TO A 1:121:01: THAT IS moms man up LOOKS AT ms own man.) (MOVING TO HIM) Master Adolf. can't you speak with old Margret: Man and boy. I've looked after you. cared for you as if I were your own mother. Do you remember. as a child. how you used to turn to me for help when you found a problem you could not solve: Yes. Margret. I remember. But that's over now. It was written somewhere that when a man becomes a un. he must put away childish things. I don't remember now where I read that. but the thougit is good. It's from the Bible. I read it to you often. Yes. I seem to recall. now. then. So much has happened since Margret. do you think that Bertha looks libs ms: lhy. of course! You are like as two peas. lhy do you ask: But you said that no child is born of man. and yet I am . Bertha's father. am I not: You believe that. don't you. Margret: You do believe that I am Bertha's father. don't you? Lord. how silly can a man get. And at your age. Of course. you are Bertha's father. Now don't fret so. MARGRET PLACES HER HAND ON THE CAPTAIN'S ARIAND ATTMTS TO CALM HIM. HE IS. HOWEVER. BEYOND THE STATE OF CALM. NOV HIS ANGER AGAINST HIS WIFE TAKES HOLD ONCE MORE. AND HE PUSHES THE OLD NGIAN ASIDE. CAPTAIN: Leave off: You women are all alilbe. You all seek to take hold of a man. Away with all hags: 181 THE CAPTAIN RUSHES TO THE COAT BACK ON THE HALL RESIDE THE ENTRANCE DOCB. THERE HE PUTS ON HIS COAT. A @EAT ARMY COAT WHICH COMES ALMOST TO THE noon. NURSE: Master Adolf. listen to me . . . CAPTAIN: No. I‘m throng listening to you women. man: But where are you going: It's late now. and the weather looks like a storm. CAPTAIN: here I'm going is no concern of yours: HE STORES FROM THE 3001. SIAMMING THE Dom BEHIND. AS HE EXITS. THE CAMERA SHQIIDNRAMEUPONOLUMARGRET. HERBODYGOES LIIB. AND!!! SITS VEARILY IN m CAPTAIN'S OLD CHAIR. HER PACE IS SAD. 10R SHE TOO SUI- IERS. HUT PCB A DIPI'ERENT REASON. NURSE: (SADLY) Lord preserve us. Whatever will be the end of this: m: COMESUPFROXANUNDERSNEAH. ITSHOULDRESADANDOFA FCEBBODING NATURE. UP HILL. AM: new rm: MUSIC or non ran msmon. ENDACT I 182 ACTII m: SHONE FRO)! THE OVERTONBS W CLEAR ON BLACK TRANSIT ION TO A 803 01' HAUHING rm REI'RAIN. THE KUSIC mm TRY TO 8!!!- BOLIZN THE PASSIN W TIME. or on A omen PICTURE or A muons cnocx man. now on m pmou rm A run. snoonn 11 0mm no norm m mos ormommnuusm. Wsmrnmmrnrmmm mam cLocx. IT now ms nmmosr. PULL AIAY no: me once: no um mm mm mszm m cnoox, an no: m or carom. m: HODINBACIBROUIDMAMSNODSIITOTHBSCRNR.“ snuour. m: m cnocr sums rmm. LAURA: , lidnight. and-he hasn't come home yet. (SN! TURNS TO THE DNTm. WHO IS STANDING 0]" TO ONE am.) Now we may fear tha worat. (THE CAMERA HAS BY NOV mm A POIH um: BOTH LAURA AND HE Doorca ARI VISIBLE) DOOM: I understand your apprehension. fladam. yet from what I gathered during w conversation with him the case is not fully proven to as. Do you remember. you said that he had arrived at these astonishing results about other heav- enly bodies by means of a microscope. hit new tut I have learned that it was a spectroscope. he is not only cleared of an suspicion of insanity. but has rendered a great service to science. um: (name AWAY no: HIM) Yes. but 1 did not say tint. You must have misunderstood. DOCTG: ladam. I nos careful notes of our conversation. and I re- member asking about this point because I did think I had misunderstood you. One must be careful about such econ.- tions. when a Certificate in Lucy is in question. LAURA: (STCPPING) A Certificate in Lunacy. did you say: was: (COIING UP DESI”) Yes. you must surely know that an in- sane person loses both civil and family rights. LAURA: (TURNING SLOVLY AND SITTING) my. no. Doctor. I did not know that. DOOM: LAURA: DOCTG: LAURA: LAURA: Doom: LAURA: MTG: DOCTG: 183 There was another matter that seemed to me suspicious. He spoke of his communications to his book dealers being unan- swered. Permit me to ask. if I may. if you. throng: motives of mistaken kindness. no doubt. have intercepted them: Yes. I have. It was sw duty. Doctor. to guard the interests of the family. I could not let him ruin us all. without some intervention. Pardon me. but I think you cannot have considered the con- sequences of such an act. If he discovers your secret in- terference in his affairs. he will have some grounds for suspicions. and they will now like an avalanche. In doing this you have thwarted his will and irritated him still more. (N! SITS RESIDE HER) Now. then. if I am to help him at all. you must tell me what actually happened this evening after I left. I must know everything. (TAKING ON THE APPEARANCE O! A WEAK MALE) Oi. Doctor. it was terrible. He raved in the wildest way. and had the strangest ideas. He . . . he even believes that he is not the father of his own child. Uh. . .buttlmtisstrange. one into his head: How did such an idea ever (INNOCENTLY) I really can't ismgins. But this cannot go on. such delusions before: Tell me. has the Captain ever had Yes. Six years ago things were in the same state. and then he. himself. confessed in his own letter to the doctor that he feared for his reason. (RISING. HIS PACE TRGIBLED) Yes. I see now. This is a story that has deep roots that must be uncovered. Tell me. where do you think he is new: I have no idea. He has such wild struts. lould you like to have me stay until he returns: If youonly Yes. yes. please do. Don't leave us. Doctor. (m CRIBS. knewhowtreubledlam: Ifyouonlyknew. . . HERIACECOVEW) (mosses ro m) I understand. Madam. and believe me. I sympathyse with you. But now. don't you think you had best retire: I'm sure you must be tired. his has been a trying evening. 181:» LAURA: (RISIB) Yes. perhaps you are right. Doctor. Good nigit. (SEN mus HIS HAND AND MOVES TO THE DOGNAI) DWTG: Good hidit. Madam. (HE TURNS. ROBBIE} HIS CHIN IN DEEP TH‘IIGHT AS HS MOVES TONARD THE CAMERA) mm: mu: m: snu mo BACKGROUND. LAURA (TURNING AT DOORNAY) Doctor: DWTOR: Yes? LAURA: Please help him. DOCTG: Of course. LAURARXITS. ATTERHERRXITTHI CAHEBAIBANNSUPONTHEDOCTCB. DOLLY IN 103 A 0.0. REACTION SHOT ON HIS ram FACE. m: UP PULL. m TO THE PAGE 01' A HIGHLY CARVED WALL CLOCK C! THE CUCKOO VARIETY. WITH A swmom: PNNIIILUM BELOW. THE TIME IS NW TEL" EIRTY. m SOUND OF THE CLOCH'S PENDULUN IS HEARD NOW ABOVE THE MUSIC. DOLLY RACK non THE CLOCK TO m FIGURE 0? THE NURSE. SEATRD IN A 300nm CHAIR. KNITTIE. THE soon C! THE CHIAKING CHAIR OVERCGIES EAT W m CLWN. m: snoop no: TIME rm TO NOW warms. HOLD HOOD NUSIC IN EDMUND rca THE mm SCENE TO I‘CLID'. ANTHRASBCWDQTNO. RERTHANNTESTHISCNNE. TO SI! ONASNALLSTOOL ATOIDKARGRET'SINNT. THINURSNLOOHSUPATTHRENTRANCROITHRGIRL. SURPRISE TO IINDHER STILL W. BERTHA: Margret. may I sit with you: It's so frigitfully lonely in w rows NURSE: Tor goodness' sake. are you still up. Bertha: Dut bless u soul. this won't do. You must be up in the morning. and it's after midnidit new. BNBTHA: (LEAIING m HEAD ONTO MARMT'S LAP) That does it matter? I don't dare sit up alone. I believe_the spirits are at work tonidit. IARCRET: (STRMING THE GIRL'S HEAD) There. there. you see. Just what I've said. Iark my words. this house was not built on a lucky spot. That did you hear: PETRA: (SITTING UP) nick of it. I heard someone singing up in W ‘ttue 185 NURSI: In the attic! At thio hour? am: Yes. and it was such a sorrowful. melancholy song. I never heard anything like it. It soundod as it it cane fro- the store-room. you her. where the old cradle stands. the one that was used for lather vhen he was a child. mam Dear as. dear no. And such a tearful nigzt. too. Ah. dear child. nay God have aorcy on us poor sinnors. 3mm: Margret. is it true that rather is ill? mar: (sum) Yes. child. I'm afraid he 1.. 13mm: But hair can b. be up and around 5.: he is 1111 NURSE: Nov. thou. nover you aind about that. dear. You Just run along up to bed. and old Margret will be in soon to see you to sleep. BERTHA: Good night. Margret. (- nxsrs AND ms om r0 nss m on mum coon non) NURfl: (HOLDIB THE GIRL ran A NOIENT) Good night. w child. God bless you. (mm ARR TEARS IN THE OLD NMN‘S RIBS AS m BIDS THE GIRL TO SLRRP) BNRTHARIITS. IMHNRCUTANDRDIAINIRAHRDONTHINURSI. -LOONS um RRRTHA. A SAD RIPRESSION ON HER PACR. THIN SHE PICKS UP HER GLASSES. PUTS THEM ON. AND RRACHES rm HER BIBLE. AT REST or A SIALL TABLE BNSIDN HIR. m READS ALOUD. IN A CAL“. CLEAR 7010!. 110333: The Lord is n Shepherd. 1 shall not want . . . etc. AB on ms. m m Dams IN or m BIBLE. A8 m 3151.! 18 mm nu 0.0. mm ro All our 1300: an units w (m worms). A morass HAND um ACROSS 1r. DOLLY our ro mm). mm: more: m In A can BNSIIB m cm. as Is ISM. run once: nuns A! an. m: THE TIN! mm COIIBS mecca m HOOD MUSIC IN m RACMOITND TO CREATE A HAUNTIN IMPRESSION PG. JUST ONE NWT. THEN MINES AIAI. TEN HOOD REMAINS NW. AS mom, IN WOUND. HOLD INTO SOUR. THEN SNEAK OUT. THI CAPTAIN ENTERS m SCENE. HIS cow HANGI” LOOSE. HIS TUNIC UNBUT. mom. HR RNMOYRS m COATAND HANDS IT WTHRRACKANDTURNS TO THE DOCTm. BY HIS WHOLE APPEARANCE. HE IS SUFFERING n04 NERVWS BRAIN. HR CROSSNS TO THE DWTOR. AND STANDS om HIM. UBSNRVING HIM CLOSNLI. HIS RIBS NARRCURD. m A MED. UN. 01' THE DOCTG. IN HIS 3mm HR SEEMS TO SENS! THE PRISNNCD 01' TH! CAPTAIN. H3 BEGINS TO STIR PRO! HIS SLUKBHRS. Doom: mull: recruit OAPIAIH: D0023: Mil: MTG! OAHAIlt «Pull: DOOTG: CAP‘IAII: DOOM: CAPTAIN: 186 Ih . . . Q1. Captain. (SUSPIOIWSLY) Iaiting up for no. Doctor! "o no 9 “pt-til. reading. I. ah. nust have fallen asleep while I see. reasons. I thought perhaps you were here for professional Profo ssioml reasons. Captain! Yeo. You need not deny that you are here to watch no. Doctor. Iatch you! Yes. and if I wore not a non. I should have the ridtt to nab acountions. or coaplaiato. as they are so cleverly called. Porhaps I lidlt oven be able to give you the wholo diagnosis of ay case. and. what is lore. its history. (RI ms AIAY) But. unfortuntely. I a a non. (3181“) Captain. if you are ill. it will certainly not re- flect upon your honor as a an to tell no all. In fact. I ought to hear the other side. (IAOIIG Elli) You have had W in hearing the one. I ingine. Dootor. So. good nidtt. (mum A! A 1038) Good niat. than. Captain. I'n afraid I oanbo of no further uso in thiscaso. (arms £03111; BUT IS STQPRDBYA'GDPRMEICAPTAIN) Are we onoaios! lar fro. it. Good niuat. But it io too bad flit we cannot b0 frAOIdI. m. MtWe Yes! Is it true that you can obtain striped foals if you cross a nre with a cobra? (ASTOIISEID) lhy. yos. perfectly true. Is it true.‘too. that tho foals continue to bo otripod if the breed is oontinuod with a stallion? mm: mum GLPTAII: Doom: «nun: room: mm comm 90020: mm 187 (remnant) Yes. that ii trot, site. (Hours I!) ”not is to say. then. that under certain con- ditions. a_stallion can be sire to striped tools. or the opposite! Be it seens. But what does this nean! rherefore. an offspring' s likeness to the father proves nothing? tell. I . . . hat is to ny. then. that paternity cannot be proton. Captain. I believe it was Goethe who sin a ’1 nnst tab his children on good faith. (II. but it's rich to taho awthing on good faith where a worm is concerned. there are nny kinds of wcnen. captain. good and bad. You nistakn yourself there. Doctor! learn invostiptieno have pronounced that there is only one kindl Captain. your thwarts are taking a norbid turn. You ongt to control then. You not not use the torn norbid. Doctor. Stea- boilers. as you know. explode at a certain pressure. but the sane pressure is not needed for all boiler explosions. Do you understand! I understand. Captain. Good night. Good nidit. then. Doctor. and you needn't fear. I’n not ready to leave the battlefield yet. I'n too Itch or a soldier for that. rm MTG 3:118 urn 30! A name 1.003. on 0" m comm. um HIS 211! mu cons DWI-Y 20 m SIDE DOW! AND POLLS MOI 118 com. T0 mm mm. PanLI 0mm 13 THE SHADOWS. A BED“! GI LIGHT FALLS ACROSS m PAGE. A 1A0! m IS 10' mp LED BI!- 188 CAPTAIN: (timer—norm) Cone in. and «'11 talk. I heard you out there listening. It is late. but we nust cone to some decision. (IAUBA ms nu now, in! or SOME TRICEBY. SE! GIANCES QUICKLY mm) He's gone. You have nothing to fear. Sid down. (su D038 80. HEB FACE 3033881011388. m ASPECT COLD) I have been to the post office. late though it is. to get ny letters. (IAUBA GIVES A SLICK! 82AM) Iron theno (H3 P30130038 THE LETTERS) it appears that you have been keeping back ny nail. both coning and going. rho consequence is that the loss of tits has as good as destroyed the result that I had expected from my work. LAURA: It was an act of kindness on ny part. as you neglected the service for this other work. CAPIAIN: (n mums AT THIS PRONWHW. BUT CONTINUES) It tots hardly kindness. for you were quite sure that some day I should win more honor from that than from the cervice. But you were particularly anxious that I should not win such honors. for fear that your own insignifioanco would be en- phaoitod by it. IAUBA: ily 1noi¢nif1¢IDCOI CAPTAIE: (IGBOBIIG m cm) In consequence of all this. I have also intercepted certain letters addressed to you. LAURA: that was a noble act. CAPEAII: It appears fron these letters that for sons tine past you have been arraying ny old friends aainst no. by spreading reports about ny mental condition. And you have succeeded in your efforts. for now. not one person exists fron the Colonel down to the cook who believes that I an sane. LAURA: And are you so are of your sanity? CAPIAIN: lo. not new. You have succeeded in undernining u will to such an extent that the} whole works ny go and: any tine. nerofore. I will not new appeal to your feelings. for you have none . . . that is your strength. Dut I will appeal to your better interests. LAURA: I'n listening. CLPYAII: You have succeeded in arousing ny suspicions to such an ex- tent that ny nind io no longer clear. and ny thoughts begin to wander. his is the approaching insanity that you are waiting for. which will leave you in absolute control of the household. So you are face to face with the question whether it is nore to your interest tint I should be sane or insane. I —L CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPMII: IAURA: CAPrAIlf: um: CAPEAIH: LAURA: CAPTAII: GAPi'AIl: 189 here to ny interest! I don't understand. what I want . . . If I mould have Consider this. then. If I go under. I shall lose the ser- vice. and where will you be then! If I die. of course. ny life insurance will fall to you. But if I take ny own life. you will got nothing. Consequently. it is to your interest that I should live out ny life. You say that you will kill yourself! You won't do that. Are you so sure! Do you think a non can live. when he has nothing and no one to live for? You surrender. then? lo. I offer peace. rho conditions? flat I my keep ny reason and finid: ny work. I‘roe no free ny suspicions and I give up the conflict. that suspicions? About Bertha's origin. Are there any doubts about that? Yes. I have doubts. and you lave awakened then. It Yes. or have you so soon forgotten your statononts of ear- lier this evening! laura. free no fro‘ the uncertainty. roll no outright that it is true. and I will forgive you be- forehand. How can I acknowledge a sin that I have not oo-ittedr Ihat does it ntter. when you know that I shall not divulge it! A an does not so easily throu his own honor about. If I say it isn't true. you won't be convinced. But if I fly it is. then you will be convinced. You soon to hope it is true. It nust be. becauoo the first sup- no latter can be. Yes. strangely enough. position can't be proven. LAURA: mm! M!!! LAURA: GAPI'AII! LAMA! CAPTAII! LAURA: CAPIAII: 190 (RISING) I believe you want to prove no guilty so that you can get rid of no and then have absolute control over the child. But you won't catch no in am such sure. (u nus HOLD or m. PORCING m omen r0 am) Laura. save no and w reason. You don‘t soon to understand what I say. If the child is not mine. I have no control over her. and don't want to have. and that is precisely what you do want. isn't it! (E! IBAVS AIAY mm am) But. perhaps. you want even nore . . . to have power over the child. but still have no to support you. (BREAKING WITH HI]! EMMY) Power. yes! Power! What has this whole life and death struggle been for. but power! (SEE MOVIES YO m 00103 AND SBAHDS 13023]! ID P0811101. m HANDS YIGHILY CLIE- IN 1301!! or m) to no. it has noant noro. I do not believe in a life. for no. after death. he child was ny future life. She was for no a conception of mortality. and perhaps the only one that has any analogy in reality". If you take that away free no. you cut off w life. (31mm :0 rm: ma) cc. why didn't te spparato in tins! lo couldn't. the child bound us together like a link. And then the link bocsno a chain that grow so tight we couldn't I". o e e Adolf. I will swear by all that I hold norod that you are Dertha' s father. Ihat use is that. when you yourself have often said that a nether can and ought to conit any urine for her child! You nisundorstood . . . I understood perfectly. Laura. I inplore you. as a wounded nan begs for a death-blow. please tell no the truth. (ER ms was HEB) Don't you see I'n as helpless as a child! Don't you hear no couplaining as to a nether! Von't you forgot for one nonont that I an a nu. that I an a soldier! Like a sink un. I ask only for cenpassion. I lay down the tokens of ny power. and implore you to have norcy on ny life. (an moms HIS BAH! AND INSIGHIA no: HIS MIC AND PLACDS -INHERLAP. mar M83013!) ormunrucrsms BAD 0!! m MAS! AllD (nus) (sacrum. on same) whet: Are you crying. m: CAPTAIN! LAURA: CAPTAIN! LAURA: CAPTAIN: CAPTAIN: 191 Yes. I an crying. althoud: I an a nan. Put. them. has not a nan eyes! Has not a nan hands. limbs. senses. thougits. passions! Is he not fed with the sans food. hurt by the sane weapons. warned and cooled by the sans summer and winter as a woman! If you prick us. do we not bleed! If you tickle us. do we not lanai! And if you poison us. do we not die! Why shouldn‘t a nan conplain. a soldier weep! Because it is unnnly! by is it un-nly! (SHE RUNS HER HAND 'L'NROUGH HIS HAIR) Veep. then. ny child. as if you were with your nothor once noro. Do you ronenber. Adolf. when I first cane into your life. I was like a second nether to you. Yes. I renbnbor. and because you were so you were allowed to rule: and I. the sounder at the barracks and before the troops. becans obedient to you. grow throng: you. looked q» to you as to a nore highly-gifted being. listened to you as if I had been your undeveloped child. And for that. I loved you. as a nether loves a child. But then I grew tired of being a child in your eyes. for I believed you despised no for any unnnlinoss. and I resolved to win you as a worn by being a .n. (23mm r0 mama) Yes. but that on your mistake. he mother was your friend. you see. but the wonn was your one”. and love between the sense is strife. Do not think that I pve nysolf to you. I did not give. but I took. what I wanted. But you had one advantage. I felt that. and I want- ed you to feel it. (mum AIAY mm am) You eitsye m the advantage. You could hypnotise no when I was wide awake. so that I neither aw nor heard. but noroly obeyed. You could give no a raw potato and nake no imagine it was a peach. You could force no to adnire your foolish caprices as thong: they were strokes of genius. You could have influenced no to crine. yes seen to noon. paltry deeds. because I was living in a drean. I loved you. once. but-when I at last awoke fron ny droan. I realised that ny honor had been corrupted. and a nu cannot live without honor. (RISING) But a wonn! (run or m mu. DOLLY IN no A 0.11.) Yes. yet. a nun can. for do has her children. which he has not. But. like the rest of unkind. we lived our lives unconscious as children. full of inagimtion. ideals. and illusions. and then we awoke: it was all over. But we awoke with our feet Captain: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: LAURA: CAPTAIN: CAPTAII: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAIIIA : CAPTAII! 193 on the pillow. and he who waksd us was hinsolf a sleep- walker. Ihon wonon grow old and cease to be wonon. they get boards on their chine: I wonder what non got. when they geow old and cease to be non. Do you know. you should have been a poet. (RISING) who knows. low. I an sleepy. so if you have any nere fantastic visions. keep then till tonorrow. (SE! STARTS T0 EXIT) (STOPIH m) Pirat. a word nore about realities. hate as! Doyou Yes. soutiaos. lhen you are a In. This is like race hatred. If 'it is true that we are decen- ded from nonkeys. at least it nust be two separate species. to are certainly not like one another. are we! that do you noan to say by all this! I feel that one of us met go under in this struggle. To be are. but which! The weaker. of course. And the stronger will be in the right! Always. aim he has the power. ‘ Then I an in the right. Rave you the power already. then! Yes. and a legal power with ehidi I shall put you under the control of a guardian. Under a gurdian! And then I shall edndate ay child without listening to your fantastic notions. Now can you have no put under a guardian! (runs our mm) lith this letter. of ehich an attested copy is already in the hands of the Board of Lunacy. lhat letter! 193 LAURA: (RACIII Am TONARD TEE DOORIAY) Yours! The declaration you me to Doctor Norling that you were insane. Now you have fulfilled your function as an unfortunately necessary father and broadrinner. you are not needed any longer and you must go. You nust go. since you have realised that ny intellect is as strong as ny will. and since you will not stay and acknowledge it. me CAPTAIN. 330nm BY m STRAIN. WY SE12” TEE LIGHED HIP mourn IABL‘EANDBAISBS ITABOTBHISEBAD. A'IIDLOOKUPOIHIS PAGE. LAURA SCREAMS AS El TERWS TEE LAMP. EARLY MISSING m. SE3 STANDS mm. A LOOK 0! ram 3mm UPON HEB PAGE. m: HEAT HASAGADII. HOODBAOKGRWED. OOMESUPIULLIO'ASA STRONG WASHING CONFLICT mm. mm om rnr ACTIOI. MAVAY 1'30! IAURA AND TO THE CAPTAII. um IN TWABD HI)! rm A 6.0. MOTION. FWUS I! AND WT AS HIS IS AGGGPLISHBD. VOIGS: rm IN AND W! WITH 100118. 13 A m TO INDICATE m roam THOUGHTS UHIOH m PASSING mm m CAPTAII‘S MIND. LAURA: "You do not know that you are Bertha's father. You do not know. You do not know that you are Bertha's father." m: “rather. rather. rather!I R BURST: 'lhy. liaster Adolf. of course you are lertha's father. of course. of course. you are Bertha's father.’ LAURA: “How do you know that I have not been unfaithful to you! Rowdoyouknow! Rowdoyouknow!’ RBRTRA: “rather. lather. rather!“ HBOAPTAIIPIAOISHISEAHDSOVBHISRABSIIOMTOSHU!mm OOEE'LIOTIIG SOUIDS PROM EIS HIID. HIS PAC! IS MSW VIE PAIN AID SWMNG. W INDACTII mm: 19‘! A0! III 0] BLACK SBGUE TO SOP! HOOD mm. HOLD IE BACKGROUND INTO SCENE. TEEN SW WT. OPEN 1'30! BLACK ONA CLOSE TWO SHOT Ol' IAUBA AID m PASTOR HEAR m GREAT CLWI IN m LIVING BOG. LAURA IS 83AM. PASYOR: LAURA: PASTE: LAURA: PASTE: LAURA: PASNR: PASTG: LAURA: PASYG: LAURA : PASYOR: LAURA: PASM: LAURA: 11' ISMMNOORWI'HRMDAI. TEE PAM STADS NEAR BY. . . . And you say it all bepn with his wild idea of not being Bertha' s father! Yes. and ended with his throwing the lighted lamp in my face. Dreadful ! done now? fully doveloped insanity . . . and what is to be Is must try to prevent further violence. the Doctor has gone to the hospital for a strait-Jacket. Deplorable. but I have always expected something of the sort. Yin and powder must end in an explosion. Row. tell.ae. Laura. are you entirely blaasless in all this? (HR mm 11! BEHIND ERR CHAIR) (ma non mm m: non m) I: Uhy should I be to blale because a nu goes out of hit aind! '011. well. I M" I3! anything. Ohio”! m “me After all. blood is (smart!) lhat do you dare to intinatet Row. listen. Yes! You can hardly deny that it suits you pretty well to be able to educate your child as you widn (IRROORMLI) I don't understand. Hui-p! Mel R'I. How I adaire you! And I an to be guardian of that free-thinker! Yes. as you are the closest sale member of the fanily. PASTE: LAURA: msrm: LAURA: PASTOR: D0093! PAS'IG: DOOICR: PASYOR: 'Docrcn: LAW: 195 I can't say as I will rclid: that. Do you know. Iaura. I have always looked on him as a wood in our garden. Even when I was closest to hie. And you dare say that to me. his wife? You're strong. laura. incredibly strong. You're like a fox in a trap. You would rather gnaw off your own leg than let yourself be caught! Lib a naster thief. no accomplice. not even your own conscience. Here. let no look at your hand. (RB ms I!) let a trace of the insidious poison! A lit- tle innocent murder that the law cannot reach. an uncon- sciouo crime. Unconscious! Ihat a splendid idea! (LAURA VITRDRAVS m RAND) (RISING) You tell: too Inch. Accuse as. if you can. (VIM A 83300) I cannot. You see! You cannot. and therefore I an innocent. You talne care of your ward. dear brother. and I will take care of mine. (SEE ms AWAY no: HIM JUST AS TEE DOCTOR El- ‘I'ERS THE 3001. HE GABRIES A PAPER-WRAPPED BUNDLE. UHIOH RR PLACES 01! mm: mm) Ah. good evening. Doctor. I womer if you are convinced m! I an convinced. Madam. that an act of violence has been connitted. The question now is whether that act of vio- lence can be considered an outbreak of ndness. or of passion. But. surely. Doctor. apart fro. the actml outbreak. you nust acknowledge that he has certain “fixed ideas.“ (OOQLLY) I think that m ideas. Pastor. are nuch nore {Mo ‘ ily oottlod views about the hidnost things are . . . We‘ll leave settled views out of this. (10 LAURA) Nodal. it rests with you to decide uhether your husband is guilty to the extent of inprisonaent and fine. or diould be put in an aeylun! .How do you close his behavior! (HESIIAIH‘LY) I cannot answer that now. (mssm m) ms is to usy that are: have no decided opin- ion as to what will be aost advantageous to the interests of the £3.11). that do you say. Pastor! 196 PASI‘OR: Well. there will be a scandal in either caeo. It is not easy to .y. LAURA: (IOU MAKING ERR STAND rcn YEAR THAT m CAPYAIU MIGHT m ESCAPE am) But if he is only sentenced to a fine for vio- lence. Doctor. it is possible that he will repeat the vio- lence. loom: (UNDERSTANDING) And if he in cent to prison. he will be soon out again. i‘herefore. we consider it most advantag- eous for all parties concerned that the Captain be immod- iatoly treated as inane. (RR LOOKS CLOSELY I'OIARD 30!! LAURA ARI) THE PASTOR. IN MI) Yhat is what you noon to fly. is it not! (1mm PARYY USERS) I see. here is the Nurse! LAURA: Uhy! Dacron: She must put the strait-Jacket on the patient. I have the want here. (R3 PRODUCRS m JACKET mu: m RURDLI) ‘ LAURA: ' But why don't you do it youreolf. Doctor! DOOM: Because the patient dietrusts no. You. Mad-a. would soon to be the logical one to do it. but I fear he distrusts even you. IAOBAILUSEESA! MDW'SW. -msrospm. MEI- I'ORB SHE CANTEIAREALL SMILEBIALOUD CHE IBMABOVI. AS 11' SOMETHING HEAVY. SUCH AS A BOOIDASE. um PUSEBD own. THE! LOOK QUICKLY UP IN THE DIRECTION (II' M 8WD. m “MIRA PAHS VIII -Il 1.0038. mm mm In run. In now moss rmmon. rm scour r0 noon mu om com 1! mm: mm. W mo; mm m m «cums STUDY. m swam um 18 rommc A 140mm“ 3mm 20 m rmsr. I! nous ACROSS m scan or m mum's noon. on now 18 A mass or msraucnon. nooxs moms» ABW'I' m noon. A 0mm 0mm. scxmznc Irsrnmrrs mom, NOTES roan non mm mmnns. mm: mm 18 saw u as max. ms mam IN ms mus. AFTER A ICORD. AS on: am new In roman. nnooxsupm smsu mmcm or LAURAANUBII» m or m ms: moan am. as non IS conronm urn PAIN m: sor- rmxc. mu. m A no or mean, In: means our om: m: m) names car new ma BOOKS ram m ms: ence. on: mm) mm A cm orrnnrnoon. mmumsmnwmmurommm now new. 19? WA L.S. or m mum's count. 33mm on: noon laminar. m HAW ms, m DOOR MOVES. HEAD IS WCB “GEE IN HIS HANDS. m m SOJ'ILI AND S'I'AHDS m A SECOED LISTENING. TEE CAMIN MS HO NOTICE. HIS mm ENTERS THE 3004. SEE MS W-IURIS AEDADYANCBS TOMCAPI'AII. mmms-mmnlmron HIS SHOULDER. 13m: Are you ill. rather! mm (a: LOOKS 1:? ma A mm 3192383101 on RIS nor) 1: m: SEAR our. mm: Doyouknowwhatyeuhavedenot Doyouknowthatyou threw the lamp at Mother? CAPIAIU: Did I! nnrn: Yes. you did. Just think if she had been hurt. CAPTAIN: Iould that have mattered? mm: You're not w father when you talk like that. CAPYAIR‘: (SUDDRULY JULTSD RACK 1H0 REALIYY) that do you say? I on not your father? (El ms HOLD (1' m HARD) How do you know that? Who told you that! Answer me! She is your father. then. who! m: (mm mm AWAY) Rot you.- at any rate. mum (msxm. an urns now or m war um. rononn m ro run! :0 am) can not 1: She. then? She! You a... to be well informed. lho told you? Yhat I should live to see ay child come and tell no to w face that I an not her father! Don‘t you know that you disgrace your nether when you ny that! Don't youknow that it is to her shone if it is so! mm: (m SPIRII UP. BREAKS AIAY. SYARDIIU 01'! I]! Am) Don't you say anything bad about )lother. Do you hear! CAPIAII: So. You hold together. every one of you. apinst me. And you have always done so. m: 01. rather. CAPTAIS: (SWING) Don't use that word again! mm: (RIUILERSD) rather. what is it. rather: 198 CAPTAIN: (TAKING HER IN HIS ARMS) Bertha. Bertha. Dear. dear child. and you are ny child. (HR HOLDS HER AT ARII'S LENGTH. LOCKING AT ERR) Yes. yes. it cannot be otherwise. It is so. The other was only sickly thougito that come with the wind. like pestilence and fever. Look at me. that I my see my soul in your eyes. Look at no. (PRO! THE CAPTAIN'S POSITION. THE CAMERA TAKES A CU. QI' RERTBA. SUDDENLI. HOWEVER. A CHANGE TAKES PLACE. DIS- SOLVING THROUGH HER FEATURES IS THE FACE OF LAURA. SMIL- ING AND CRAFTY.) But I see her soul, too. You have two souls. and you love no with one and hate me with the other. BNRTBA RACKS AIAI IRON HIM IN NEAR. A mm “8 COKE OVER THE CAPTAIN. IN HIS MIND HE SEES LAURA IN BRRTHA. AND HE WISHES TO KILL THE LAURA IN HER. BE HOVES AFTER HIS DAUGHTER. FCBCING HER INTO A CORNBRODTBRROU. ‘HAECGINSUP TOHNHMWTH. HEREINSARN FULL 01‘ TERROR AS THE OLD MANADVANCNS. CAPTAIN: You must have only one mind. which is the child of my uind. and only one will. which is my will. You must have only one life. which in my life. and mine alone. Do you under- stand. ny dear? You must have only one being. which is nine. mine! on CAPTAIN'S HANDS SLIP UP FROM THE GIRL'S SBWIJERS TO m NECK. SHN STRUGGLRS TO rm HERSNIJ‘. AT LAST BEING ABLE TO BAIT A SCREAM. AS SHE SCREAMS. OLD HANGER RUSBES INTO THE noon. HEARS A IARGE SHAWL. NURSE: Master Adolf! what are you doing? CAPTAIN: (TURNING. A SICK MAR. HS LOOKS STRANGRLY A! HIS HANDS.) lh. . . Idon'tkncw.uargret . . . NURSE: (KINDLY) Here. Master Adolf. you must come here. Do you underetand! CAPTAIN: (HE ALLOWS am 1'0 SIT HI)! IN A CHAIR) You. Hargret. BETHA WATCHES THN ACTION. TERROR-STRICKNN. OLD ”ABSENT REMOVRS 1R0! UNDER HER SHAWL THE STRAIT-JACIET. SHE TAKES A POSITION MIND m CAPTAIN'S CHAIR. BEETHA HITS. m: SNEAK IN HOOD OVHRTONE. BACKGROUND. NURSE: CAPTAIN: NURSE: NURSE: CAPTAIN: NURSE: CAPTAIN: 199 Master Adolf. do you renenber when you were my dear little boy and I tucked you in at niat. and used to repeat: “God who holds his children dear“ to you. and do you renen— ber how I used to get up in the nidxt and give you a drink. how I would light the candle and tell you stories when you had dreams and couldn't sleep! (SHE STANDS BEHIND HIM. HUBBING HIS HEAD. CAIMING HIS TATTMD NEWS) Go on talking. Margret. It soothes w head so. Tell me some noro. Oh. yes. but you aust listen. then. Do you renenber when you were little. and had to be dressed. and when you didn't want to. I had to dress you. and then how I had to coax you and say that you mould have a coat of gold and be dressed like a little prince. And then I took your little blouse that was Just Id. of green wool. and held it in front of you and said. in with both arms (Tn CAPTAIN BEACHES INTO THE JACKET). and then I said, “Now sit nice and still while I button it down the back.“ and then I said. “Get up. now. and lot no see how it fits.“ (THE CAPTAIN STANDS) Now. walk across the floor. like a good boy. so nice. (m CAP- TAIN DOES AS DIRECTED) Now you look like such a little gentlenn. so lilne a little gentle-.n. (THERE ARE TEARS IN Hm HES AS SHE SPEAKS) Now. then. do you remember when I said. I'you must go to bed.’ There in front of you. the one that your own father made for you. (THE CAPTAIN SITS ON on COUCH. mm: MOVES TO HIM AND BEGINS TO HELP HIM DOIN TO HIS max) SNEAKOUT. (an arms HIMSELF ro mun) What did you any. Margret? Was I to go to bed when I was new dreth (HE IS HIS POSITION AND TEES TO THIN HIMSELF lh. . . Thunderationi Ihat have you done to no? what have you done? Oh. you cunning devil of a womn! Who would have thought you had so each wit. Trapped, shorn. outwitted. lilne an animal. and not be able to die like a nu. Forgive me. Nestor Adolf. forgive no. I wanted to keep you from hurting your child. Vhy didn't you let me! You way that death is the kingdo- of Heaven, and that children belong to Heaven. But who can say what comes after death? But that is the only thing we do know. It is of life that to know nothing. (Ia. (H3 mums TO rm: COUCH) if one had only known that from the beginning! LAURA ENTERS THE ROOM AND HAYES MABGRET TO ONE 5113:. BECTLI TO THE CAPTAIN WEOUT A W031). 200 SHE MOVES DI- SHE STANDS FOR A SECOND LOOK- INGDOVNAT HI“, AND THEN SEE moms OUT HER HANDAS IT TO TOUCH HIM. HE SHUDDEBS IN REVU'LSION. CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIN: LAURA: CAPTAIH: CAPTAIH : LAURA: GAPTAIN: Vitch! Iitchl Don't touch me . . . don't! (mouse m m») Adolf, listen to as. 1 don‘t know that I ever thought or even intended what you think I did. It my be that a desire to be rid of you as an ob- stacle to-“my course lay at the bottoa of it, and if you see any design in my behavior, it is possible that it existed, although I was unconscious of it. I have never thougzt how it all came about, but it is the result of the course you yourself laid out. Of that I an certain, and before ny God and w conscience I feel um I an in- nooent of any wrong. even it I an not. All that sounds plausible. But how does it help as! I don't know. And whose fault is it? Perhaps spiritual marriages! Yes! Formerly. you know, one married. a wife. now one enters into partnership with a businesswomn, or lives with a friend, and then one ruins the partnership and dishonors the friend! What has become of love, Laura, strong, healthy lover Has it died in the transaction? And what is the result of this new love in shares, payable to the bearer without Joint liability? who is the bearer when the crash comes? Who is the father of the spiritual child. I-ra. who! As for your suspicions about the child, Adolf. they are ab- solutely ymndless. Yes, I know that, new, and that's Just what nkes it all so horrible. If at least there were any grounds for my sus- picions. it would have been something to get hold of, to cling to, to fight. A fatal reality would have called forth resistance. stirred life and soul to action. Adolf? (TO HIMSELF) Now my thoughts dissolve into air, and my brain grinds a void until it is on fire . . . (HE sums INTO A SM) THE DOCTOR AND THE PASTOR ENTER BEHIND. LAURA GOES TO MET THEM. rm STAND IN CONVERSATION FOR A MQIENT, HE TWO MEN TAKING OCCASIGEAL GLANGES IN THE DIRECTION 0? m CAPTAIN. THE NURSE WEEPS TO HERSEIJ‘ IN THE BAGMWND. 201 E SNEAK INTO BACKGROUND, SOFT HOOD. UNDEBPLAI SCENE. CAPTAIN: (WEAR!) Laura? Where are you, laura! LAURA: (RETURNING TO THE (mum's SIDE) Yes? I'm here. CAPTAIN: Laura. do you remember when we were young and we fllhed in the birch woods, with the prinroses and the thrushes? Glorious, glorious! Think how beautiful life was, and what it is now. You didn't want to have it like this, nor did I. and yet it happened. Why, Laura? Why did we let it happen like this? LAURA FALLS DOWN BESIDE TEE CAPTAIN,» ON HER KNEES. SHE IS CRYING. IT IS ALMOST AS 11' SEE NEBE A DIFFERENT PmSON. PERHAPS IS. LAURA: I don't know. God help me, I don‘t know. CAPTAIN: (HE STRAINS T0 RISE) Don't cry, Laura. It's not your fault. You never really wanted it this way, not really. There's something evil in the world, and it's seised upon the 80111! of man s e e (m HALLS MCI ON THE OWCH, HIS BREATHING HEAVY AND IABCBED) LAURA: (LOCKING UP) Adolf? Adolf? Doctor! Doctor, do some- thing! THE DOCTOR MOVES TO THE CAPTAIN, BENDS om AND RAISES HIS CLOSED EYELID. THE BREATHING HAS STOPPED. THE DOCTOR IBAUS THE QUILT FRO! THE BACK OF THE COUCH AND COVERS THE CAPTAIN: DOCTmi- (SIIPIJ) I'm afraid tbt I can do no more. He's beyond nw power. Perhaps the Pastor . . . THE PASTG PBAYS IN MUTFLED TUNES IN THE BACKGBGIND, HIS HEAD BONED. OLD HAHGBET'S WEEPING SEEMS LOUDER NOW. BEBTHA ms THE 3004, GIANCES QUICKLY AROUND AND MOVES DIRECTLY TO HEB MOTHER. 3mm: Mother. oh, lather! (SEE CRIBS) mum: (mu m 01mm IN m mus) 'uy child, my very own child! PASTOR: (ILOUD) Amen. m: sun. so A CONCLUSION. W8 THE END L 6mm vn ocsomsxo‘u CHAPTER VII CONCLUSIONS As a result of this study, the writer arrived at three sets of conclusions. First. he was able to note the nature of the problems involved in wiring a television adaptation of a three-act stage play. Second, he arrived at some criteria for the selection of materials for television, that is, standards which migit pro-determine a story's suitability to the nature of the medium. run-a. he was able to estab- lish a procedure which could be followed in the adaptation process. The Problems The actual problems involved in the adaptation of Strindberg' s W for television fell within five general categories: (1) the problem of material selection, (2) the problem of procedure, (3) the problem of telling the story within the limited means of the televi- sion medium, (1+) the problem of the utilization of the creative tools of the television medium. and (5) the problem of adjusting the author' s concept, his theme and style, to the particular demds of the medium. W93. In all likelihood. one of the most important problems faced by the writer was that of material as- lection. The selection of Strindberg' s W was influeneednby three factors. (1) because the play offered materials capable of pro- duction within the characteristic limitations of the television me- dium, (2) because the play could benefit from an adaptation to the medium, and (3) because the play was of sufficient dramatic importance 203 to make its production on television worthwhile. The actual problem of play selection. then, encompasses a consideration of the charac- teristics of the television medium and involves an analysis of the play to determine. insofar as possible. the suitability of its material and an understanding of its significance. As a result of his study of the play and as a rasult of the adap- tation process which followed, the writer arrived at the following con- clusions in respect to the problem of play selection. I‘irst, it was noted that the stage play, using as it does the limited means of the theatre, was in terms of physical production very easily adapted to the television mediua. Consequently, the selection of a stage play for the adaptation portion of this study appeared in my respects to be a practical one. However, during the course of this study it be- came apparent that the structure 01' the stage play tended to deprive the medium of a good deal of its flexibility. one of the primary characteristics and potentialities of television drama. Because the action of the stage play was confined to one set at a time. and be- cause the scene structure was built in a progressive order, the adaptor was often limited in his selection of possible me of expression. The only alternative to this portion of the preblem would have resulted in the writer taking considerably more liberty with the nature of his material than was believed wise. During the course of this study the writer also became aware of the fact that the playwrigit in the theatre depends to a large extent upon the spoken work for his dramtic effects. This is a characteris- tic of stage dram which differs greatly. from the norml means of 20h expression utilized on television, where the picture is believed more important that the sound. Because of the above discoveries, the writer was moved to con- clude that while the theatre offers a practical source of programming material for television, the characteristic difference of dramatic construction and expression between the two media mains it extremely difficult to construct an adaptation that does not take the appear- once of a photographed stage play. Although this conclusion is strongly supported by the nature of the problems faced in the adap- tation of Strindberg's play, however, it might not be borne out in all instances of application. Therefore, it is recommended that while the adaptor should consider the implications of this conclu- sion, he should not allow it to interfere with his material selec- tion to any great extent. WW. After selecting his mterial for treatment in this study, the writer next was faced with the problem of procedure. The question was, what process mhould be followed in the adaptation of Strindberg's play! In seeking a solution to this problem, the writer became aware of a basic difference between the creation of an original television script and the writing of an adaptation. That difference was conceived as a ntter of approach. In constructing an original television play, the writer is often able to form his ideas in such a mnner as to satisfy the limitations of the medium and to take advantage of its creative tools of expres- sion. In writing an origiml script, the playwright is thus able to adjust his story idea to the deuns of the medium. In writing the 205 adaptation, however, the exact opposite is true. The adapter must try to impose the limitations of his medium upon.the material his work is treating. This being the case, it was found that the adap- tor must, in many respects, possess a greater degree of familiarity with the tools and techniques of the television.medium that the writ- er of an original script. This is true because the adaptor must find in the television medium method of expressing ideas and.actions cons ceived for the conditions of a different medium. When, for example. the writer is faced with a particular problem created by his limita- tions, he must locate a manner of solving that problem through the utilisation of the tools and techniques of the television.medium. The original writer, on the other hand, can often.avoid.the problems imposed on the adaptor by the nature of his selected materials, be- cause he has control over the creation of his own story elements. A second aspect of procedure found important in adapting m m to television was one which demnds a great amount of under- standing and appreciation on the part of the writer for his material. In order to fit the essentials of 1hl_lgthe;,into the pattern of television ppoduction, and in order to insure an honest treatment of Strindberg's conflict and theme, the writer found.a complete analysis of the play to be absolutely necessary. This process involved.a num- ber of readings, a conetant sifting of information, a minute examina- tion of structure and dramatic purpose. It involved.also a determina— tion of the essential aspects of thought, character, and action.and an evaluation of those aspects in.accordance with the demands of the television medium. 206 Was. The problem of adapting W to the limited means of the television medium involved two basic considerations, (1) the nagnitude of the script as related to the physical demands of pro- duction, and (2) the material demands which resulted from the conditions of reception. The first question involved primarily problems created by the limitations of time, space and budget. The second concerned those imposed upon the..nature of the play by the characteristics of the viewing audience. The solution to both problems involved, basically, a process of amlysis, selection, and compression. First, it was found necessary to analyse and evaluate the relative importance of each aspect of Strindberg's dram, his statement of theme, his treatment of charac- ter, and his manner of plot progression. Second, a process of selec- tion and compression was employed in order to adjust the important elements pf plot, character, and theme to the limitations of time and space. Third, it was necessary to arrange the selected elements of the play in an order of progression that would result in a proper proportion of the materials, and an emphasis upon the important as- pects of conflict and them. It was also found necessary to modify the nature of the material in order to suit the characteristics of the viewing audience. Inas- much as the television medium is primrily a means of providing infor- mation and entertainment for the home audience, certain aspects of Strindberg's theme had to be altered in accordance with standards of good taste and decency. Another problem created by the nature of the 207 viewing audience, as well as the characteristic time limitation im- posed ‘by the medium, was the necessity of capturing the immediate interest and attention of the viewer. The solution to this particu- lar problem entailed the creation of additional dramatic naterial and the modification of certain of the structural characteristics of the original. Pursuing the above process in the solutionof the general prob- lem of telling the story within the limited means of the television medium, the writer arrived at the conclusion that the primary prob- lem of adapting the three-act stage play to television is one of se- lection and compression, the process of fitting or adjusting the dra- stic elements of the original material to the characteristic limita- tions of the television medium. W W. Basically, the problem of the proper use of the creative tools of the television medium was determined by the nature of the writer's materials. As was noted earlier, the distinctive characteristic of the adaptation process was to be found in the nature of procedure. The writer had to start with his nterials, and then seek the appropriate means of expressing these materials, means which included camera usage, video effects, sound, music, transitions, and charades, meaning the method of expressing ideas and impressions with action and business. The problem of the use of the tools and techniques of the medium of television was, then, an interpretation problem. The adaptor con- ceived of himself as being an interpreter as well as a translator of 208 the original material. His Job was to interpret August Strindberg's The rather, in.a manner in keeping with the characteristics of the television medium. His problem bean with the selection of the play for production and ended with the expression of’the play in terms suitable to the medium. To accomplish his purpose, the television writer had.first to recognise the essential elements of the original material, and second, to locate the means of expressing those elements. The meane used to fulfill the writer's purpose were found in the nature of the medium itself. The television camera, for example, was one of the tools utilised in the interpretation of Strindberg's play. The writer found that he could use the camera in his adaptation by calling for close-up pictures or reaction shots, by asking for camera movement, and by playing the camera either objectively or subjectively as the nature of the material might demand. Video effects were inserted into the script in order to form actions, reactions and expressions into a unified visual continuity. Music also was integrated as a method of interpreting:and reinforcing the play's conflict and theme. Transi- tions were employed to bridge the ape in tins and place, and charades were indicated to aid in the interpretation of character and action. Because his was the role of an.interpreter, the writer had to maintain a sincere feeling for his material and. he had to select the proper tools for the expression of that material in a manner in keeping with itslintent and purpose, and in a manner in keeping with the char- acteristics of the television medium. 209 W W. One of the difficulties encountered in the adaptation of W involved the translation of Strind- berg's dramatic concept into a form more suitable to television pro- duction. In general this problem encompasses everything written or concluded about the treatment of the adaptation to this point. More specifically, however, it concerns the adjustment of Strindberg's theme and conflict as well as his style to the demands of the tele- vision medium. l'he major problem concerning Strindberg's Grantic concept per- tained to his treatment of theme, his ideas relating to questions of paternity and the basic struggle between the sense. In order to pre- sent Strindberg's concept, it was necessary to clarify and emphasise it. Ehis was needed not so such because the author of W was unclear in his thinking, as because he had, in the theatre, approxi- mately twice as much time for the develOpment of his theme as was available to the adaptor. Once more, therefore, the television wri- ter was faced with the question of selection and modification, and once more it was required that he exhibit a complete understanding of the nature of his materials. It was necessary for the writer to elim- inate those aspects of Strindberg's thought which were unessential to the main theme, and those elements of thought which were considered too strong for treatment on television, in accordance with the stand- ards of continuity acceptance outlined by the National Association of Radio and Islevision Broadcasters. Beyond this process, it was nece- seary, too, for the writer to give a greater amount of emphatis to 210 the treatment of theme than was employed by Strindberg. This was ac- complished once more through a process of selection.and compression, and be a re-statement of some of the more important elements of theme in.a more obvieus manner. The problem of'the statement of Strindberg's theme of conflict, also, involved.a degree of clarification. To this end, the writer altered the opening scene of the play, in order to hasten the expo- eition.and to speed the point of attack. This was done in order to capture more quickly the attention of the viewer, by stating at an earlier time the nature of the major conflict in the adaptation. the changes were necessary because of the limited time available to the writer to tell the story, and because of the competitive nature of the mediumt The question of Strindberg's style became a problem whenever it was necessary, for one reason.or another, to alter, add to, or amp phasise the essential nature of the play, a process which was often dictated by the nature of the time limitation. the problem in gene- ral involved.an.understanding oi Strindberg's.dramstic technique, and it resulted iano small degree in the evolution of'the adaptor as‘an interpretive writer and as an indtaterf To insure that all additions to Strindberg‘s drama would be in keeping*with the original, it became necessary for the writer to consciously imitate the style and feeling of the original. 211 Summary, In general, it can.be stated that the problems involved in.adapting‘a three-act stage play to the television.medium, were probleme of analysis, selection.and compression, as well as those imp volving the stylistic imitation of the original. the a result of these problems, it can.be inferred that the adaptor of’a stage play is not, to any great degree, an original dramatist, although: he may be very original at times in.his treatment of the play; Rather, it may be said that the adaptor is a translator, or an interpreter, who seeks to state in terms of the television medium what has, in most cases, been.very effectively stated in the language of the theatre. The actual adaptation process demands, then, that the adaptor be extremely. familiar with the nature and content of the original material, as well as the nature of the television.medium itself. Further, it can.be stated that the writer of the television.adaptation is obliged to follow a procedure which is directly apposite that followed by an original writer. The adaptor must apply the tools and techniques of the television medium to the nature or his materials, and seek to find in the medium an.effective method of expressing the inate ideas and actions of the material he means to translate or interpret. Material Considerations One of the principal objectives of this study was the wish to de- termine, insofar as possible, criteria for the selection of material suitable to the television medium. is a result of the problems encoun- tered in the adaptation of ILI_I§12!£. it was decided that such criter- ia could be established to a reasonable degree. .As‘a means of further- ing this end the following checkrlist of material considerations has been created: 212 1. Can the story be told effectively within a limited time period of between fifty and sixty minutes (or less, as demnded)? 2. Is it possible for the story to be produced within the limited means of the television medium, or do the material demands make its production impractical in respect to the sise and number of sets required, costume, setting, and talent costs and the nature of the action? 3. Is the story of a type and nature that can be effective- ly presented under the conditions of a continuous action, with limi- ted denands in costume and make-up changes, shifts in time and place, and strenuous physical activity on the part of the actor? a. Is the story of a nature suitable for viewing by a home audience! Is it in keeping with continuity standards of good taste and decency, or, if not, can it be adjusted to meet such denial 5. Can the story be told by visual as well as aural means! The adaptor should remember that the primary appeal of television is to the sense of sight. 6. Does the story contain elements of both character and, action? The adaptor should take into consideration the fact that the television medium' s feelings of intimacy and immediacy are such as to produce an atmosphere highly suited to the effective presentation of character. 7. Is the story of a realistic nature? Does it depend on a feeling of actuality for its effect?1 I This is Optional, inasmuch as the writer has found little on which to base his conclusion intthis respect: but it is his qualified opinion, based on his experience with the medium, that extreme dramatic forms such as expressionism or symbolism would be difficult to present on TV, though several fantasies have been produced effedtively in recent years. 213 8. Does the story contain potentialities for the effective utilisation of the creative tools of the television medium, such as camera usage, liQts, sound, music, video effects, transitions, and charades‘l 9. Does the story have germine audience appeal and dramatic value!2 It may be recognised, in consideration of the above criteria, that the major concern of the writer is that of relating the mture of his material to the characteristics of his medium. Because his adap- tation must be accomplished in terms of the television medium, the writer should be aware of the problems confronting him before he be- gins his work with the selected story. Adaptation Procedure As was related earlier, one of the first difficulties encountered in the television adaptation of M3; was the need to discover a method of approach which would facilitate the translation process. In 2 This final consideration is basically subjective and is, there- fore, difficult to measure. The adapter will find, undoubtedly, that the question of a material's dramatic worth will be answered; in terms of his personal experience and insight. If he has a sufficient critical appreciation of letters, dramatic or otherwise, and if he has an under- standing of the possible likes and dislikes of people in general, he should be able to recognise quality and appeal in almost any form. How- ever, the adaptor mould beware of nking his judgments on the basis of a pre-determined formula, such as that created by the concept of a “mass audience." (See pp. 17 - 20.) 3 It say be noted here tint often the adaptor will be unable to answer satisfactorily some of the questions which relate to material considerations until he encounters them in the form of writing problems. This being true, he may at times select material for adaptation which he may later discover to be unsuited to the television medium. 2114» view of the nature of the problems considered in the subsequent nature of treatment of Strindberg's play, the procedure established by the. writer was found to be both practical and functional. Therefore, its continued use is recommended,“ salthough some variation.might be in order in.accordance with the specific nature of the selected material. 1. Because the adaptation.process requires the application of the limits of the television medium to the nature of the writing materials, the writer must first familiarise himself with the nature of the medium, its characteristics, its limitations, and its creative tools of expression. 2. Knowing the character of his medium of expression, the writer must select a story which, by its nature, is suitable to the demands of the medium and the nature of its audience. 3. Having selected a story, the writer should next consider the question of adaptation.rights. If the material he wishes to adapt is not in public domain, the writer must gain the permission of its owner before he can seek to have it performed on television.5 b. If rights for the story selected are made available to the writer, he may'begin.the adtual adaptation, the first step of which L h The one aspect of procedure which cannot be evaluated or stated in.accordance with any formulated process is that of writing skill. It must be assumed that if the writer has the ability to express himself in.a dramatic form, if he can use language properly, if he can describe actions, characters, and ideas in.an effective manner, if he is gifted with sensitivity, understanding and imagination, then he may follow the procedure outlined for writing the adaptation.and, most likely, produce a television drama that will be faithful to the original and yet take advantage of the characteristics of the medium to which it is being adapted. 5 Public domain may be generally defined as anything published more than fiftyasix years ago. Permission for adaptation of the Edith and Warner Orland translation of ghg_E§£hgz were obtained in.writing from the John I. Dues Company of Boston, publishers of the play. 215 is the complete analysis of the story, in terms of thought, character, and plot. 5. Once aware of the nature of his material, the adaptor should determine the structural elements of the story and then analyse those elements in order to discover the relative importance of each unit in the overall statement of plot, character, and.thought. 6. Following the structural brealdown of his nterial, the writer should instiwte a process of selection-and compression of the essential dramatic elements under consideration. This procedure in- volves a continuation of the process of analysiswand evaluation begun earlier. 7. Having determined those aspects of his material to be used in the construction of the adaptation, the writer next faces the problem of expressing his material in a manner suitable to the television medium. The procedure followed at this point is that of applying the tools of the medium to the nature of the materials se- lected. In its essence, this portion of the adaptation process can be identified with the problem of interpretation. 8. After he has located the proper means of expressing his material, the writer should begin to chart his adaptation. The com- bination of the elements of thought and action selected from the orig- inal, with the means of expressing them, creates the final nature of the adaptation. 9. The final procedure involved in writing the adaptation is that of producing the television script. This basically involves a 216 question of form and style. The writer selects a physical format which appears suited to his needs, or the needs of the program for which he is writing, and proceeds to adjust his material to its ”ture e ’ Recommendations for Further Study Because of the character of some of the problems encountered in this study, the writer found the need for additional work in the par- ticular field covered and in its related subject areas. WM. By its nature, this study has been an introduction to the problems and procedures involved in writing a television adaptation. The study was, however, limited to a con- sideration of the problems encountered in the adaptation of a three- act play. To test the validity of some of the conclusions drawn from this study, its character should be consequently expanded to include analysis of other adaptable materials, such as short stories, novels. motion pictures, radio dramas and biographies. It is believed that each literary and dramatic form will present individual problems of adapta- tion in beeping with its respective character. If a study were to be made of each of these forms, a whole body of information could be made available for the prospective television writer. A second approach to this problem would be to make a study of available television scripts of adapted material in each of the dif- ferent forms, and to arrive at some conclusions as to the nature of the writing problems and techniques to be found to exist. 217 There is room in the field of television writing, also, for various studies to be mde covering the problems involved in writing the origiml television dram. The characteristic difference of ap- proach between the original script and the adaptation was touched upon in this study, but additional work is needed. This is true also for the differences in the techniques of dramatic expression which exitt between the theatre and television. In conclusion, it can be stated that in the field of television 4 writing there is a great lack of available material on specific writ- ing problems. In an effort to cover the entire field, most works on the subject, including the good ones, have too often been confined to generalities. Win. One of the most important problems faced in the adaptation of W was the consideration of the television audience and its possible reaction to the nterial. No conclusions could be drawn from this problem, however, for the simple reason that information of its type was not available. It would ap- pear, then, that there is room for several basic undertakings in the area of audience research. There is, first of all, a strong need to determine, insofar as possible, the difference in reaction between the home viewer and his theatre counterpart. Undoubtedly, such a difference exists, but the degree to which this difference should affect the question of material selection has not, as yet, been in- vestigated. This is true although it can be stated that this problem is one which must be considered both by the producer and the writer in the selection and production of the television adaptation. 218 It is also apparent that too much consideration has been shown by the television industry and by commercial sponsors for the views and Opinions of individual pressure groups and for the idea of the ”mass audience." Both of these factors have resulted in severe limp itations in.the field of dramatic literature on television, with the result that many television writers are presently being asked to create in accordance with pro-determined standards of material. In order that a play, for example, may attract a wide, general type of audience without being offensive to any portion of that audience, character conceptions are often.made to adhere to some type of dramatic formula, as are plots, themes, and actions. This attitude is presently causing the television medium to lose much of the vital- ity of which it is capable. Consequently, if possible, it would be valuable in terms of the programming structure of the medium to de- termine whether or not the above factors involving material selection standards are valid in terms of the needs and wants of the television audience. The second body of information which needs to be studied is the determination of the relative effectiveness of dramatic types of materials on television. .At the present time, there is no definite method available to accomplish this purpose except by established means of coincidental audience surveys, a system.which indicates only if a viewer is watching’a particular type of program and not whether or not he is enjoying it. In this study, concern for this problem a- rose over the fact that the writer had no means of testing the effec- tiveness of Strindberg on television, or the effectiveness of his 219 particular type of psychological, analytical drama as exemplified by fig gther. In concluding this study, the writer is aware that he has been unable to cover sufficiently the entire field of writing the television adaptation. Nonetheless, by analyzing the nture of some of the more important adaptation problems, as encountered in the treatment of a three-act stage play, by providing a means of selecting dramatic types of materials for television and by establishing a procedure which may be utilisedinthe adaptation process, he believes that he has been able to offer a practical introduction to that subject. Whether or not the writer's efforts in the field have been beneficial remains to be seen, but at least he has been able to point the way toward a better understanding of what has become one of the more prominent fields of modern writing. In so doing, he has been able to recog- nize the adaptation as a significant dramatic form, and the adaptor as an important figure in the media of communication. BIBLIOGRAPHY .B IBLI comer £9.23! Adana. Charles. W. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1953. Baker, George Pierce, W, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1919. 531 PP- Bentley, Eric Russell, W, New York: Reynal 8s Hitchcock, 19%, 382 pp. Battison, John H.. W, New York: The McMillan Company, 1950. 376 pp- Bettinger, Hoyland, W, New York: Harper do Brothers, 19M. 23? pp. Bjorhmn, Edwin August, W New York: I. Kennerley, 1301011. Murray. was. Hollywood: Bounced Radio Publishers, Inc., 1950, 270 pp. ' 31‘0". Rudolf and Edward Stasheff. WM 51m New York: A.A. 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