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Understanding what’s
BETWEEN THE LINES
Welcome to the Alley Theatre
T he Mission of the Alley Theatre’s
Educa on and Community
Engagement programs is to apply
theatre prac ce in a wide range
of community contexts — to use the
prac ce of theatre to strengthen and
promote the interpersonal goals of our
community partners; to provide a vehicle
for meaningful community discourse, to
create the most advanced training ground
for emerging theatre ar sts and to become
a driving force for arts educa on within
our schools.
Our Core Values:
Empathy and collabora on
through the prac ce of theatre
Service to our community by
teaching our art form in
mul ple se ngs
Innova on and quality in
our prac ce
Excellence in developing
exemplary replicable
na onally recognized
programming
1
Foundation Ray C. Fish Founda on
George and Mary Josephine Hamman Founda on
William E. and Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust
Na onal Corporate Theatre Fund Hearst Crea ve Impact
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™
Immanuel & Helen B. Olshan Founda on, Inc.
The Powell Founda on
Kinder Founda on
Robert W. & Pearl Wallis Knox Charitable Founda on
Lillian Kaiser Lewis Founda on
William Randolph Hearst Founda on
Government Texas Commission on the Arts /Educa on
TCA/Public Safety/Criminal Jus ce
Harris County Department of Educa on
Corporation Boeing
Deloi e
Enbridge Energy Company, Inc.
Macy's
Marathon Oil Company
Parker Drilling Company
Shell Oil Company
Our Partners in Education
"Drama c conven ons offer a safe harbor for trying out the situa ons for life; for experimen ng with expression and communica on; and for deepening human understanding.” — James Ca ell
2
Alley Theatre Teaching Ar st in ac on.
Education at the Alley Theatre
A lley Theatre is firmly commi ed to the idea that par cipa on in the arts
and arts integra on in educa on is more than enriching — it is
essen al!
Studies have illustrated that students who study the arts are more
ac ve in community affairs, assume leadership roles, are more likely to par cipate
in math or science fairs and have increased self‐esteem and confidence.
Addi onally, research has demonstrated that what students learn in the arts helps
them to succeed in other subjects and promotes skills that are vital to the future
workforce. But, developing a love of theatre is a progressive process requiring
sustained exposure.
Arts Education —
Improves critical literacy skills for all learners
Sparks curiosity and foster personal growth
Celebrates diversity and cultural heritage
Encourages creativity and critical thinking
Inspires civic participation
Become a School PARTNER-in-EDUCATION
Becoming an Alley PARTNER provides teachers with a valuable outside resource
that augments exis ng curriculum. School partnerships are tailored to meet
individual school needs and can involve par cipa on in mul ple programs.
Students and educators par cipate in observing plays. They discuss the characters
and language. They take part in playmaking, theatre design and produc on
workshops with guest teaching ar sts and with each other can this be more specific.
Together, the school and the Alley design an experience to suit your teaching needs
and address the students’ needs.
If you are bringing students to a performance of A Few Good Men, please consider
scheduling a pre‐ and post‐performance workshop for your group or classes. To
check availability, please contact our department at 713.228.9341 or
educa [email protected].
This teacher guide includes eight lesson plans. The first and last ones are the most
essen al in order to prepare students for the play and to help them process the
experience. We have included TEKS sugges ons here for your convenience. Please
adjust the lesson plans for A Few Good Men to suit the needs of your classroom.
3
HYPE actors embracing the drama.
Please discuss the
PUBLIC
and
LIVE
quali es of theatre
with your students
before a ending a performance at
the Alley Theatre.
THANK YOU!
What to Bring to the Theatre
T heatre is very public and it happens before a live audience. This makes
each performance as unique as the group of people who gather as a
community to see and hear it. In the theatre, the audience affects the
performance. An engaged, a en ve and enthusias c audience will get
a be er performance from the cast and crew than a disrup ve audience. People
play games, text, surf the Internet and watch television in private. They can also
stop and rewind a program or a clip if needed, not so in the theatre. Therefore,
there are different expecta ons of you and your students when you step into a
theatre.
So here are some general guidelines that anyone new to the theatre should know.
(Teachers don’t expect that all of your students will know this e que e, so please
go over these common sense rules.)
• All electronic devices must be turned off upon entering our theatre, especially
cell phones, portable gaming devices, and MP3 players. These items produce noise
that is distrac ng to others and interferes with our equipment. (IF POSSIBLE,
LEAVE BACKPACKS WITH CELLPHONES ON THE BUS OR LOCKED IN THE CAR.)
• The use of recording or photo equipment of any kind is not permi ed in the
theatre before, during or a er the performance.
• Food and drink are never allowed in our theatre, even for the evening
performances.
• Applause is used to acknowledge the performers and to voice apprecia on or
approval. Dimming the lights on the stage and bringing up the house lights usually
signals intermission. A curtain call in which the cast returns to the stage for bows
follows a performance. Applause can erupt naturally from an engaged audience:
this is great.
• We welcome genuine reac ons to the work on stage. However, conversa ons
and discussions must wait un l intermission or a er the curtain call.
• Visi ng the theatre should be an entertaining ac vity, but it is also one that
requires considera on for fellow audience members, as well as the actors on
stage.
DISCUSSION: How is a ending a play different from going to the movies?
How should you react to any loud noises during the play?
Why is it so important to not talk during a play?
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What to bring to
the theatre:
RESPECT
CURIOSITY
QUESTIONS
WONDER
CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS
What to leave behind:
CELL PHONES
FOOD
ATTITUDE
JUDGEMENT
DISRESPECT OF OTHERS
5
From the Artistic Director
T heatre, Film and Television are the chief means of drama c storytelling in our contemporary life. They are where the stories that inspire the culture are told and where the lessons of the past have the most vivid impact on the present. We think of Theatre as the most immediate form, exis ng as
it does in the perpetual present moment – the live event between actor and audience. But the reach of the mass media of film and TV have an impact that is incalculable. TV has o en been cas gated as “the wasteland” – a primary source of the ‘dumbing down’ of whatever in our society is dumb or down – un l rela vely recently that is. In the last few years, drama c wri ng on TV has enjoyed a major renaissance – beginning with The Sopranos and The West Wing. Aaron Sorkin raised the bar on wri ng for television with his work – not only his 88 episodes of The West Wing but also with his Sports Night and Studio 60, and the surpassing effec veness of his current series on HBO, The Newsroom. His work in film is equally invigora ng – his Academy Award‐winning screenplay for The Social Network, and the nominated Moneyball, champion complex characters and brilliant dialogue in an art‐form where car chases eat up the running me of too many movies – and the success of his work, has helped usher in an atmosphere where strong wri ng, strong dialogue in American films (Lincoln, Django) is, if not common, more common. Language is the great strength of the Theatre – argument, passion, character and ac on put into living words. Sorkin’s plays also live in a way most theatre wri ng doesn’t – as scene follows scene his plays have a tempo‐rhythm, a quickening and almost musical life – in orchestra ng the en re event, Sorkin uses all the tools. His wri ng is alive – and he is, and rightly, a model of contemporary drama c storytelling. We’re very pleased to welcome him back to the Alley’s stage. Gregory Boyd Reprinted from A Few Good Men Playbill.
6
“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”
— Oscar Wilde
A aron Sorkin won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe and the Cri cs’ Choice Award for his screenplay The Social Network. The film received cri cal praise appearing in over 350 top 10 cri cs’ lists around the country. He recently won the Cri cs’ Choice Award and was nominated
for an Academy Award for the adapted screenplay Moneyball. The film earned four Oscar nomina ons, including Best Picture. Sorkin’s HBO hit series The Newsroom debuted in 2012 bringing in an average of 7 million viewers per episode. Set behind the scenes at a cable news show, the ensemble cast is headed up by Jeff Daniels, Emily Mor mer and Sam Waterston. Sorkin is currently wri ng the second season, which was ordered almost immediately a er the series premiere. Sorkin made his Broadway playwri ng debut with the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men for which he received the John Gassner Award for Outstanding New American Playwright. His film adapta on of the play was nominated for four Academy Awards and five Golden Globes, including Best Screenplay. He followed this success with the screenplays for Malice and The American President. Sorkin produced and wrote the television series Sports Night, winning the Humanitas Prize and the Television Cri cs Associa on Award. He spent the next four years wri ng and producing The West Wing, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series all four years. For his work on The West Wing, Sorkin received numerous accolades, including two Peabody Awards and the Humanitas Prize. In 2006, Sorkin wrote and produced the television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He also wrote the 2007 film Charlie Wilson’s War and returned to Broadway that year with his play, The Farnsworth Inven on (Alley 2009). Reprinted from A Few Good Men Playbill.
About the Author
“Don't ever forget that a small group of though ul people can change the world, it's the only thing that ever has.” — Aaron Sorin
Syracuse University, 2012
7
Sorkin on Sorkin: WRITING
“I grew up surrounded by people, members of my family and friends, who are smarter than I am and I really enjoyed the sound of smart conversa on and debate and argument. And when I write, what I’m trying to do is to imitate that sound.” — Aaron Sorkin
New York Magazine, 2012 Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html
I like wri ng idealis cally, roman cally and swashbucklingly. And the best place to do that is in an environment that people ordinarily look at cynically. It’s ironic, because when I started out wri ng, I was trying to imitate everybody else’s wri ng. But pre y early on, as early as A Few Good Men,
people in the cast just joked around, trying to imitate the style, and then I’d find that cri cs who’d write about the play — the words snappy and crackling would be used a lot. As me has gone on and I’ve wri en more, it’s just followed me around. I don’t want to analyze myself or anything, but I think, in fact I know this to be true, that I enter the world through what I write. I grew up believing, and con nue to believe, that I am a screw‐up; that growing up with my family and friends, I had nothing to offer in any conversa on. But when I started wri ng, suddenly there was something that I brought to the party that was at a high‐enough level. The great part about being a writer: You get to decide what everybody says. I always considered plot and story to be a kind of necessary intrusion on what I am trying to do, which is dialogue, because that’s how I fell in love with wri ng. Storytelling is a very old art form, and the important parts of it don’t change at all. Read your Aristotle. People should learn that rules aren’t bad things when it comes to crea vity. Just like in sports, rules help make things great. It’s the rules that make it cool. Without rules in any kind of art, it’s just finger pain ng. My favorite part of telling a story is if anything that I do lands, whether it’s funny or emo onal or tense or drama c, if I was just able to make it land, having a rela onship with an anonymous person who I’ll never meet who was si ng in the dark watching this, that’s my favorite part. Por on reprinted from A Few Good Men Playbill.
CONNECTIONS: Sorkin’s wri ng is influenced by the language used in the conversa ons that he had with his family members. Do you like to write? Name some of the people who have influenced your wri ng. What about their wri ng do you seek to emulate? If you are not a writer, name some of the people who have shaped who you are as a person, and why you seek to emulate them.
Do you agree with Sorkin’s no on that “rules help make things great?” Does storytelling need to have a basic structure to succeed?
8
I never try to tell an audience who a character is, I try to show an audience what the character wants. For me, I kind of worship at the altar of inten on and obstacle. Somebody wants something, something is standing in their way from ge ng it. They want the money, they want the girl, they want to
get to Philadelphia — doesn’t ma er. And if they can need it, that’s even be er. Whatever the obstacle is, you can’t overcome it like that or the audience is going to say, “Why don’t they just take the other car?” or “Why don’t you just shoot him?” The obstacle has to be difficult to overcome. And that’s the clothesline that you hang everything on — the tac cs by which your characters try to achieve their goal. That’s the story that you end up telling. I like wri ng about heroes who don’t wear capes or disguises. I write this kind of character a lot, beginning with A Few Good Men, the Kaffee character or, in a lot of episodes, Bartlet in The West Wing and, to an extent, Charlie Wilson in Charlie Wilson’s War. I’m wri ng about not the difference between good and bad but the difference between good and great. You take a guy who’s a perfectly nice guy. He’s doing fine. He’s not breaking any laws, he covets the fact that people like him, and he’s popular. He covets the fact that he doesn’t have a lot of enemies. Por on reprinted from A Few Good Men Playbill.
CONNECTIONS: Sorkin develops a character by revealing the character’s wants. The character is subsequently confronted with a series of obstacles and must employ tac cs to overcome those obstacles. What are the obstacles that you have faced in your life, and what tac cs have you used to overcome those obstacles? What have you learned about yourself through these struggles?
History: Many dramas are presented as a conflict between good and evil (i.e., su‐perhero and science‐fic on movies like The Dark Knight trilogy, Star Wars, The Avengers). As you have read, Sorkin prefers to write about good and/or average people who are called to do great things, like Kaffee in A Few Good Men. Can you list any regular, decent people in history who have answered the call to do great things?
Sorkin on Sorkin: CHARACTERS
“When I wrote The West Wing, the juice behind it was that in popular culture, our leaders in government are generally portrayed as Machiavellian, or as idiots. I thought, well, how about wri ng about a group of hyper‐competent people?”— Aaron Sorkin, The Telegraph, 2012
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter117/ch117c.html
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Sorkin on Sorkin: MOVIE VS. STAGE
W hen Aaron Sorkin was last at the Alley during produc on of his The Farnsworth Inven on (2009), he spoke on the central differences between wri ng for the stage and wri ng for the screen:
I like them both, I love them. But there’s nothing I like more than doing a play. It’s where I’m happiest. The difference is, mostly, that there is a vocabulary of the camera that you can take advantage of. I can have the camera do a slow push‐in right here and it’s going to be meaningful to the audience. I can direct the audience where to go. You can’t do that onstage, it’s done en rely with language. On the other hand, onstage you get to use language. I use more language than most people do in films. But, by and large, what most people want, whether it’s a studio or the audience, are stories that are told visually, which is not my strong suit at all. The first movie that I wrote was a movie based on my first play, which was A Few Good Men. In the movie, Kaffee is driving along on a street in Washington. He pulls over on the side of the street to hop out at a newsstand, buys a copy of Sports Illustrated, gets back in the car and drives away. That’s my ac on sequence. Por on reprinted from A Few Good Men Playbill.
CONNECTIONS: Aaron Sorkin has wri en for movies, television and the stage. How does storytelling differ across the three mediums? Are there certain stories that we can tell on film that cannot be told on the stage and vice versa?
Context Clues: Using the tles of Sorkin’s works as clues, can you iden fy three subjects that he likes to write about?
Sorkin argues that people want stories that are told visually, and that the only “ac on sequence” in the film adapta on of A Few Good Men occurs when Kaffee buys a magazine at a newsstand. Do you think that novels (like To Kill A Mocking‐bird) and plays that were adapted into films are more language‐driven than films based on original concepts?
Most people think of ac on scenes as superheroes saving the world, but they can come in many forms. Can you think of different ac on scenes from your favorite plays, television shows and movies? Can a scene become drama c by using words alone? Think of scenes that use language in order to create drama.
Special effects have become an important part of modern‐day cinema. Think of some ways movies use special effects to enhance the story. Can staged theatre use any of these effects for live shows? Does staged theatre need any effects like these to help tell a story?
10
“I think the cinema you like
has more to do with silence,
and the theater you like has
more to do with language.”
— Sir Ben Kingsley, Actor
Sorkin Dialogue
A major obstacle encountered by many beginning writers is dialogue. What should I say? How should I say it? When should I use it?... The list of fran c frustra ons con nues on. The wonderful news is that just a li le dialogue can go a long way! Just as a picture can paint a thousand
words — a simple statement directly from a character can develop the plot, reveal character inten ons, and allow the audience to understand the story on a greater personal level. So who be er to learn about dialogue wri ng than from Aaron Sorkin? Sorkinʼs quick‐wi ed, educated quips made notorious by shows like The West Wing and The Newsroom offer a glimpse of how effec ve dialogue can leave an audience completely entranced. Sorkin has o en described his experience with dialogue to be “musical.” He suggests that the rhythm of dialogue between characters and the building of emo onal intensity can enthrall an audience just like a great song at a concert. To understand effec ve dialogue, you simply have to listen to the world around you. Every conversa on you have with a friend, parent, or teacher is dialogue. Whether itʼs about music, video games, or your latest school crush, you can find dialogue everywhere. Once youʼve found it, you should no ce something crucial about dialogue — itʼs short and itʼs fast. People speak in short phrases and quickly answer or jump into the conversa on. For example: Girl #1: Do you like the soup? Girl #2: Kinda. Girl #1: Why “kinda”? Girl #2: Itʼs just so hot! Girl #1: What? Girl #2: IT BURNT MY TONGUE! Wri ng dialogue that is short and fast makes your characters more relatable and your stories more exci ng! Now you can read and listen to A Few Good Men and understand how Aaron Sorkin creates his drama! How to Write Dialogue that Ma ers: Lessons from Aaron Sorkin by Todd Finely
CONNECTIONS: Students should find two partners and a pencil and a piece of paper. Give them a few topics of conversa on, i.e. favorite music, video games, tv shows, etc., and have them choose a topic to talk about with their partners. As two students ask ques ons and talk to each other, the third student should write down the en re conversa on. The students can take turns conversing and then present their conversa ons to the class. Emphasize how short and fast they found their conversa ons to be.
“I don't want to analyze myself or anything, but I think, in fact I know this to be true, that I enter the world through what I write. I grew up believing, and con nue to believe, that I am a screw‐up, that growing up with my family and friends, I had nothing to offer in any conversa on. But when I started wri ng, suddenly there was something that I brought to the party that was at a high‐enough level.” — Aaron Sorkin
A Few Good Men Playbill
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter117/ch117c.html
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Stichomythic Worksheet
S chomythic: a style of dialogue in which single lines or fragments of lines are spoken by alternate speakers. Also called “line‐talking.”
S chomythic dialogue originated as a part of Ancient Greek drama. In
ancient Greece, many popular stories revolved around disputes that were eventually se led inside a courtroom. The emo onal intensity of these arguments would cause the dialogue between characters to become rapid
and short, even to the point where characters would interrupt each other. During these moments, s chomythic dialogue was used to portray the heated and drama c arguments between opposing characters.
The s chomythic style con nues today in popular plays, television shows and movies. Aaron Sorkin employs this dialogue technique in many of his works. Read this excerpt from A Few Good Men as an example:
KAFFEE. You said “He was in danger.” I said “Grave danger?” You said –
JESSEP. Yes, I recall what –
KAFFEE. I can have the Court Reporter read back your –
JESSEP. I know what I said. I don’t need it read back to me
like I’m a darn –
KAFFEE. Then why the two orders? Colonel? Why did you –
JESSEP. Some mes men take ma ers into their own hands.
No ce the short sentences and the interrup ons at the end of every line. From
just this excerpt, it is apparent that tensions are very high and Kaffee and Jessep
are in the midst of an intense argument. By making phrases rapid and short, as
well as inser ng interrup ons, s chomythic dialogue can evoke the impassioned
conflict between characters in any story.
CONNECTIONS: Now it’s your turn. Display a picture of at least two people or characters and create a dialogue between them as a class. Each student is allowed to contribute a line containing no more than seven words. Then you can have volunteers act out the en re scene of s chomythic dialogue for the class. Have students discuss some of the arguments they have had with a friend, parent or sibling. Did these arguments have any characteris cs of s chomythia? Were statements fast and short? Did anyone interrupt the other person? Then have the students write an imaginary argument using the style of s chomythic dialogue.
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html
12
To buy this book, visit:
h p://www.amazon.com/Studies‐S chomythia‐
Classic‐Reprint‐Leonard/dp/B008KF4W7E
ref=sr_1_1s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362182780&sr=
1‐1&keywords=s chomythia
What is an EPIC?
T he word epic is derived from the Greek epikos, from epos, "word, story, poem." An epic, in the true sense of the word, is a long poem or story that tells a heroic tale. Homer's "Iliad" is one of the most famous epics. As an adjec ve, epic has come to describe events that happen over a
long period and involve a lot of ac on and difficulty. (e.g. "It was an epic struggle," or "It was an epic journey.") Epic has also come to describe something large. This most likely comes from the fact that epics were long poems. Nowadays, epic is also used as a slang term to mean "great or awesome."
A Few Good Men is, in a sense, an epic hero’s tale. Lieutenant Kaffee, aloof and seemingly uncaring in the beginning, is soon moved into ac on by the passion of others and the search for truth. He is in a sense an unexpected hero, an an ‐hero, who rises to the occasion when met with unfortunate circumstances.
A hero needs an obstacle, and in Colonel Jessep, Kaffee has a true nemesis, (also known as an antagonist). Colonel Jessep, however well inten oned, believes himself above the rules of his society. He ordered his subordinates to break the law, with the tragic result of killing one of the men under his command. Kaffee’s job is to seek jus ce.
The structure of the play is epic‐like in its loosely connected scenes that deal with the concept of loyalty. It is, like true epics, a moral story. One must do what is right rather than simply do what society tells us to do.
CONNECTIONS: 1) What is a hero?
2) Who do you consider a hero?
3) What is “right?”
4) How do you decide your personal morals?
5) What other stories could be considered an epic? Describe the quali es that make the story an epic.
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter117/ch117c.html
“A hero would die for his country,
but he'd much rather live for it.” — Aaron Sorkin, Goodreads Inc, 2013
13
Dan Hagen, 2012
The prac ce of rituals and other ac vi es involving harassment, abuse or humilia on used as a way of ini a ng a person into a group. Hazing is seen in many different types of social groups, including gangs, sports teams, schools, military units, workplaces, and fraterni es. In the United States and Canada, hazing is o en associated with Greek‐le er organiza ons (college fraterni es and sorori es). Hazing is o en prohibited by law and may comprise either physical (possibly violent) or psychological abuse. It may also include nudity or sexually oriented ac vi es. — Wikipedia
E ven though the behavior is banned in both schools and in the military, hazing persists. Its objec ve, one assumes, is to make one person subservient to another, or to “toughen” them up. The impact of hazing though goes much deeper, with the injured le feeling isolated and devalued.
It is akin to bullying, although the purpose of bullying is not usually about ini a ng a person into the group. Bullying is for the entertainment of the Bully, and acts as a statement of the Bully’s physical and mental superiority.
Not long ago, we could leave bullying behind at the school yard. But now, with modern technology, bullying can become a 24‐hour endurance test, an eternal cloud hanging over that bullied party’s head thanks to social networking sites like Facebook.
To whom can we turn when we are faced with abuse? If at school, our chain of command begins with our teacher or the nearest adult. The teacher may then turn the issue over to a counselor or principal.
At home or at a neighbor’s, you can turn to your parents or another trustworthy adult. Online however, to whom we can turn gets a li le hazy.
CONNECTIONS: Who can you turn to if you are being harassed on the Internet? Certainly your parents should know, but can they stop the harassment? Do you call the police? Should there be Internet policing of social networking sites in order to insure the safety of, say, Facebook?
Divide the room into two groups. The first group is in favor of policing the Internet. The second group is opposed. Have the members write down why they believe the way they do and then elect a representa ve from each group to debate the issue based on their findings.
Hazing and Bullying
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113d.html
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Tim McCurdy, 2011
Loyalty
Noun: The quality of being loyal to someone or something. A strong feeling of
support or allegiance.
Synonyms: allegiance — fidelity — faithfulness — devo on — faith
A mong the central themes of A Few Good Men, the concept of loyalty requires us to wonder to whom we are loyal and why? For the average ci zen, the ques on of loyalty is answered from personal experience. We are beholden to whoever we choose to be beholden, based on our
personal answer to the primal ques on, “Who do I owe my allegiance and why”? For some, God tops the list of those worthy of our allegiance, while others who may be a‐religious share their primary allegiance to their family. Others are loyal to their country first and foremost.
For members of the Armed Forces, allegiance is prescribed by the military. There is no wavering from the chain of command.
CHAIN OF COMMAND: The order in which authority and power in an organiza on is wielded and delegated from top management to every employee at every level of the organiza on. Instruc ons flow downward along the chain of command and accountability flows upward.
According to its proponent Henri Fayol (1841‐1925), the more clear cut the chain of command, the more effec ve the decision making process and greater the efficiency. Military forces are an example of straight chain of command that extends in unbroken line from the top brass to ranks. Also called line of command.
Read more: h p://www.businessdic onary.com/defini on/chain‐of‐command.html#ixzz2LSMQJZtj
h p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Fayol
CONNECTIONS:
According to the play, A Few Good Men, the Code of loyalty for the Marines is clear‐cut and hierarchical; loyalty to the Marines is first to one’s Unit, then to the Corp of Marines, and then to God and Country.
Pair‐share the concept of loyalty as it relates to the students personally. Make a list on the board about the way in which they order their lives.
Using a pack of cards, rank students randomly from two to Aces. Delineate a large part of the room for those with cards 10 and above. Have students move about the space in the character and rank of their number (place their esteem in the posture of their bodies).
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113d.html
Themes: Loyalty Worksheet
“When I was in the Corps, loyalty was to God, Corps and then country (and s ll is for me). We swore to uphold and protect the Cons tu on and abide by LAWFUL orders. Marines swore loyalty to the Corps first in order to protect the Cons tu on and our Country from all enemies foreign and domes c which is why Corps came before country. That key word "domes c" was put there for a reason. Swearing to country before Corps makes the domes c part of our oath invalid.” — Brian, Leatherneck.com, 2011
15
Coastal Law, 2013
Setting the Stage for Conflict
This story takes place in
three loca ons:
Washington, D.C.
Guantanamo Bay in Cuba
Military Courtroom
“The red gash represents the mountain ranges of Cuba in the literal world. In a more symbolic world, it represents the danger of having a U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay. The gash is a line, purposefully as severe as the fence line both protec ng the U.S. troops behind the fence line and the Cuban civilians on the other side of the fence line. It's tone seemed to match the tone of the scenes that take place in Cuba.” — Brandon Weinbrenner,
Resident Assistant Director
Guantanamo Bay in Cuba Home of the Marine Corps Commanding Officers at Guantanamo Bay. The backdrop reveals a menacing red gash in the sky. This focal point symbolizes the harsh ac ons taken in order to a ain freedom in society. Also note the eleva on of Colonel Jessep’s desk above the courtroom, illustra ng the conflict between loyalty to military and individual morality.
Military Courtroom Exposed industrial steel depicts the Marine Corps hangar. The cold rigidity of this design is meant to represent the confinement of military prison and the strict moral code of the Marine Corps. Compare the steel hangar to the wooden details of the courtroom. The wooden material portrays the natural order of law in society. The contrast between steel and wood sets up the struggle between military duty and law.
Finale The play ends with the Guantanamo Bay hangar doors opening upon the view of an American flag. This patrio c sight is a stark reminder of the struggle between different codes of loyalty in American society.
CONNECTIONS: During the play, can you figure out: 1) How the set is changed between scenes?
2) How the same set is used to portray different places?
3) Where the characters are in each scene — Washington, D.C., Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, or the military courtroom?
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Guantanamo Bay/ Military Courtroom Final Scene
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter117/ch117c.html
Takeshi Kata, Scenic Designer
Terms You Should Know
T his play is full of language specific to the military and can be hard to decipher if
one is not familiar with military law.
Marines Ranks (those seen in the play only):
Lieutenant Colonel Jessep Captain Markinson, Whitaker, Randolph Commander Stone Lieutenant‐‐‐Commander Jo Lieutenant Kendrick, Ross Lieutenant junior grade Kaffee, Sam Corporal Howard Lance Corporal Dawson Private First Class Downey, Santiago
Appellate — A court that hears appeals on cases that have already been ruled on in an earlier trial.
Arraigned — Called before a court to answer charges.
Asphyxiation — Die or lose consciousness through a lack of regular breathing, as in suffocation.
Bilaterally (lungs) — In this context, affecting both lungs at the same time.
Billet — An assigned location or job. Refers to the location where a member of the military is stationed.
Coronary disorder — A medical disorder in which the blood vessels in the heart are not able to supply enough blood flow. This condition puts the patient at risk of heart failure.
Court‐martial — Court martials are convened to try members of the military for violations of the US military’s criminal code (also known as the Uniform Code of Military Justice). Deposition — Testimony or a written statement given under oath.
Judge Advocate General Corps — Refers to the legal branch of the military. You often see it abbreviated as “JAG” or “JAG Corps.” Lawyers within this branch of the military are referred to as Judge Advocates. Judge Advocates primarily serve as legal advisers to the military, so it is significant that Kaffee, Weinberg and Galloway participate in a trial during A Few Good Men. Lactic acidosis — A condition in which body tissues and blood become acidic. It is usually caused when cells receive too little oxygen.
Patriot Act — The Patriot Act is an Act of U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2001. The acronym stands for “Uniting And Strengthening America By Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept And Obstruct Terrorism” Act of 2001. The Patriot Act removed many of the restrictions that law enforcement agencies had against intelligence gathering in the United States. It is one of the primary reasons why prisons like Guantanamo Bay were allowed to thrive. Plea bargain — An agreement in a criminal case whereby the defendant agrees to plead guilty in return for a lighter sentence, avoiding a trial. Plea bargains are beneficial to both sides: the defendant will get a lighter sentence than if they were convicted after a trial, and the prosecution avoids a lengthy and costly trial.
Subpoena — A document issued by a court to summon a witness or some type of evidence to a court.
17 Marine Corps News, 2012
CONTEXT: Enemy Combatants, Civil Liberties and Guantanamo Bay A
aron Sorkin’s original script for A Few Good Men takes place on Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in the late 1980s. In 2005, he updated the script for a produc on in London’s West End. Two decades a er Sorkin’s script was first published, the Naval Base was s ll opera onal. However, the base now houses
a United States‐operated military prison, which opened in 2002. To understand Sorkin’s revised script, one must understand the context in which it exists. In the wake of the September 11th a acks, there was a pervasive sense of vulnerability in America. Anyone perceived as an enemy to America needed to be stopped. The administra on of then‐President George W. Bush determined that the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base was outside of U.S. legal jurisdic on, and the first 20 prisoners arrived at the new deten on camp on January 11, 2002. The Bush Administra on’s decision would not go unques oned. In 2006, the Supreme Court determined (in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld) that detainees at Guantanamo Bay are classified as prisoners of war, not “enemy combatants” with no legal standing, and are thus covered by certain provisions of the Geneva Conven ons (a document signed by the United States in 1949 that regulates the treatment of prisoners of war). In the wake of the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld decision, the Guantanamo Bay deten on camp appeared on the radar of human rights groups worldwide. The United Na ons first called for the camp’s closure in 2006. In January 2012, United Na ons High Commissioner for Human Rights Navy Pillay referred to Guantanamo Bay as a “clear breach of interna onal law.”
CONNECTIONS: Now that you have read about Guantanamo Bay, is the loca on integral to the play’s narra ve, or could it have taken place at any military base? Why?
Is ensuring America’s safety more important than protec ng the rights of prisoners of war? How would you feel if American ci zens were imprisoned in another country without due process?
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113d.html
18 Coronado Common Sense, 2011 The Guardian, 2008
A er a night at the theatre that was filled with military intrigue, you land
back in your classroom and your home, among friends, acquaintances, strangers, and family, and you begin to wonder... with all of these people of varying familiarity around me, how do I make sense of my world?
As children, we are like military cadets, beholden to adults with varying degrees of authority.
When a primary care taker, such as a parent, is not present, to whom does the parent give authority over you in their absence? Are these chosen authority figures the same people to whom you feel loyal? If they are willing to insure your safety, do you in turn trust them?
In one column, rank the people in your lives in order of authority. In another column, rank the people to whom you feel loyal. Who is missing from one list or another? Brothers and sisters? Cousins and neighbors? How do they fit into your life’s “chain of command?”
Reflections
“One of the greatest things
drama can do, at it's best, is
to redefine the words we
use every day such as love,
home, family, loyalty and
envy.” — Sir Ben Kingsley, Actor
Find TEKS applica ons at: h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113c.html h p://ri er.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113d.html
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Dr. Mitra Ray, 2011
Juneau Family Health and Birth Center, 2009