\ v ^

"VONNEGUT: SO I T G O E S , " AN ADAPTATION OF

KURT VONNEGUT, J R . ' S PHILOSOPHY

AND SELECTED NOVELS FOR

CHAMBER THEATRE

by

JAMES MAMM^RELLA, B.S. in Ed,

A THESIS

IN

SPEECH

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of

the Degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Approved

Chairman of tile Committee

Accepted

pu^ 'ekn of thd GradnAte School

August, 1974

/le:

I

/'>- /^? ACKNOW LEDGMENT S

The writer of this study would like to make a special

acknowledgment to Dr. Vera Simpson for her knowledge,

patience, and friendship. Without the support and help of

this lady, many of the ideas contained in this study would

never have been expressed. I also wish to thank the other

member of the committee Dr. Richard Cheatham for his

helpful criticism.

A special note of thanks goes also to Dr. William

Jordan, Dr. Keith Erickson, and Dr. Peggy McLaughlin for

helpful comments concerning writing style and the "model"

contained in the text of this thesis.

For their time, energy, and fine performances, a very

special thanks to the cast of 'H/onnegut: So It Goes":

John Turner, Connie Tapp, Melanie Waters, King Hill, Kip

Hyde, and Ken Williams.

"I love you sons of bitches." --Eliot Rosewater (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater)

1 1

lfVPD~%?V^

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii

Ot (V^ j jg QP ILLUSTRATIONS v

f* I. INTRODUCTION 1

Review of Previous Studies 3

Justification of the Study 5

Problem 6

Method 7

Summary 8

II. VONNEGUT'S LIFE AND LITERATURE 10

Biography of Vonnegut 10

Vonnegut' s Writing Style 16

Vonnegut's Themes 20

Vonnegut's Novels 21

Slaughterhouse-Five 28

Breakfast of Champions 35

III. ADAPTATION OF LITERATURE, ANALYSIS OF CHARACTER, AND THE PERCEPTION AND EVOCATION OF LITERATURE 38

Chamber Theatre 39

A Definition of Chamber Theatre 42

Clarification of Terms 44

Narration 45

Focus 46

iii

*,.:./

) . —'

^-^^ - ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The writer of this study would like to make a special

acknowledgment to Dr. Vera Simpson for her knowledge,

patience, and friendship. Without the support and help of

this lady, many of the ideas contained in this study would

never have been expressed. I also wish to thank the other

member of the committee Dr. Richard Cheatham for his

helpful criticism.

A special note of thanks goes also to Dr. William

Jordan, Dr. Keith Erickson, and Dr. Peggy McLaughlin for

helpful comments concerning writing style and the "model"

contained in the text of this thesis.

For their time, energy, and fine performances, a very

special thanks to the cast of "Vonnegut: So It Goes":

John Turner, Connie Tapp, Melanie Waters, King Hill, Kip

Hyde, and Ken Williams.

"I love you sons of bitches." --Eliot Rosewater (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater)

1 1

l-PD-%?^

0. 10^

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ^

I. INTRODUCTION 1

Review of Previous Studies 3

Justification of the Study 5

Problem 6

Method 7

Summary 8

II. VONNEGUT'S LIFE AND LITERATURE 10

Biography of Vonnegut 10

Vonnegut' s Writing Style 16

Vonnegut's Themes 20

Vonnegut's Novels 21

Slaughterhouse-Five 28

Breakfast of Champions 35

III. ADAPTATION OF LITERATURE, ANALYSIS OF CHARACTER, AND THE PERCEPTION AND EVOCATION OF LITERATURE 38

Chamber Theatre 39

A Definition of Chamber Theatre 42

Clarification of Terms 44

Narration 45

Focus 46

iii

Criteria for Adaptation *

Adapting Slaughterhouse-Five

Adapting Breakfast of Champions

The Perception and Evocation

of Literature

Literary Analysis

Perceptive Evocative Approach

Characterization of Vonnegut

Checklist for Vonnegut's Characterization

Summary

IV. CRITERIA, QUESTIONNAIRE, CONCLUSIONS,

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Criteria and Questionnaire

Panel Selection and Qualifications. . . .

Criteria For Evaluation

Questionnaire

Conclusions

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX

A. SCRIPT FOR "VONNEGUT: SO IT GOES" • . .

B . REVIEW OF JT^ODUCTION • • .

C. CRITERIA FOR '^VONNEGUT: SO I T GOES" . . • • .

D. QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CHAMBER THEATRE PRODUCTION

• • .

iv

L I S T OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Illustration 1 63

V

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Everybody talks about research, and practi­cally nobody in this country's doing it. . . . When most other companies brag about their research, they're talking about indus­trial hack technicians who wear white coats, work out of cookbooks, and dream up an im­proved windshield wiper for next year's Oldsraobile . . . Pure research men work on what fascinates them not on what fascinates other people.

--Dr. Breed (Cat's Cradle)

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s fascination with life, human

characteristics, and American society has earned him the

title of America's most popular contemporary writer. His

novels, first popular on college campuses in "pulp editions

p are listed now as best sellers. Vonnegut began as an

"underground" writer in 1950. His first two novels Player

3 4 Piano and The Sirens of Titan were poorly reviewed and

iDavid Standish, "Playboy Interview: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. ," Playboy, July, 1973, p. 57.

2rbid.

^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Player Piano, Avon Books (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc., 1952),

" Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., The Sirens of Titan, Delacorte/ Seymour Lawrence (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1959) .

1

considered by most critics as "science fiction." From 1952

to 1961, Vonnegut wrote short stories and novels while work­

ing in public relations for General Electric. Vonnegut's

fifth novel God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater^ won him critical

acclaim. His latest novel Breakfast of Champions was a

o

national best seller.

Currently Vonnegut's earlier novels are being seriously

reviewed. His books no longer are published in "pulp edi­

tions," but, like his latest book of edited stories and

essays Wampeters, Foma & Grandfalloons, are published in

hard-bound editions. More interestingly, Vonnegut's novels

are being taught in high school and college classrooms.

This writer was first introduced to Vonnegut's litera­

ture two years ago when he read a copy of God Bless You,

Mr. Rosewater. As most readers find true with Vonnegut,

^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1965).

Standish, "Playboy Interview," p. 58.

^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Breakfast of Champions, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973).

%ew York Times Book Review, "Best Seller List,' June 24, 1973, p. 37.

t

^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Wampeters, Foma & Grandfalloons (New York: Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence, 1974).

•'• Standish, "Playboy Interview," p. 57.

Vonnegut, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.

3

they either dislike his writing or like it so much they

read everything he writes. This writer obviously chose the

latter, reading all of Vonnegut's novels, short stories,

plays, essays, and countless critical reviews. This writer

became interested in the performance of this literature

when he adapted and directed God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

for a Readers Theatre production which was presented at

Texas Tech University on November 14-18, 1972. This

presentation received good reviews and the cast members

stated that they had a rewarding experience as a result of

their participation.

Review of Previous Studies

Based on this writer's research, there are no listed

theses or dissertations which analyze Vonnegut's writing in

relationship to the adaptation of Vonnegut•s literature for

an oral performance, either individual or group. Although

seven dissertations have been written on Vonnegut's works, ^

-^^David Hirsh Goldsmith, "The Novels of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Bowling Green State University, 1970); James William Goshorn, "The Queasy World of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: Satire in the Novels" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. The University of New Mexico, 1971) ; Raymond Michael Olderman, '•Beyond the Waste Land: A Study of the American Novel in the Nineteen-Sixties" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, 1969); Stanley Schatt, "The World Picture of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." (unpublish ed Ph.D. dissertation, University of Southern California, 1970); Ira Neil Shor, 'Vonnegut*s Art of Inquiry" (unpub­lished Ph.D. dissertation. The University of Wisconsin, 1971

4

the writers focus on his philosophy and his writing style.

Several Readers Theatre adaptations of Vonnegut's

literature have been produced. One was an adaptation of the

novel God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater directed by Elbert R.

Bowen at Central Michigan University in 1969. An Adapta­

tion of Welcome to the Monkey House- - was directed by Helen

Shafter at Angelo State University (Texas) and presented at

several speech festivals. A third adaptation, God Bless

You, Mr. Rosewater directed by this writer, has been pre­

viously mentioned. In November of 1973, Bowen adapted the

novel The Sirens of Titan for a Readers Theatre presenta­

tion. An adaptation of Vonnegut's collected short stories

Welcome to the Monkey House has been dramatized by the play­

wright Christopher Sergei. •'• This adaptation uses the

Readers Theatre technique of a designated narrator to present

internalized narration and to act as a mediator between the

John Somer, "Quick-Stasis: The Rite of Imitation in the novels of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." (unpublished Ph.D. disserta­tion. Northern Illinois University, 1971); and Sharon Rosenbaum Weinstein, "Comedy and Nightmare: The Fiction of John Hawkes, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Jerzy Kosinski, and Ralph Elison," (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. University of Utah, 1971).

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Welcome to the Monkey House, The Delacorte Press, Inc. (New Yorkr Dell Publishing Co. , Inc., 1968).

•^^Christopher Sergei, Welcome to the Monkey House, (Chicago: The Dramatic Publishing Company, 1970).

ac •J-ion and the audience

Justification of the Study

15 Although Slaughterhouse-Five has been made into a

16 _. successful movie and Cat's Cradle is currently being con-

17 sidered for dramatic adaptation, Vonnegut seems to prefer

reading the printed word. He states:

I have become an enthusiast for the printed word again. I have to be that, I now under­stand, because I want to be a character in all of my works. I ca.n do that in print. In a movie, somehow, the author always van­ishes. Everything of mine which has been filmed so far has been one character short,

-I o

and the character is me.

Vonnegut has performed his literature orally. Recently he

l^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Slaughterhouse-Five, Delacorte/ Seymour Lawrence (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1969).

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Cat's Cradle (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1963).

^"^Robert Scholes, "A Talk With Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.," in The Vonnegut Statement, ed. by Jerome Klinkowitz and John Somer, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973), p. 91.

18 Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Between Time and Timbuktu, A

Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1970), p. XV.

Many direct quotes taken from interviews with Vonnegu will be presented in this study. Since Vonnegut is some­times inconsistent in his manner of speaking, the reader should take this into consideration when reading some of these quotes. Also Vonnegut is inconsistent in his writing spelling differently names and titles from one novel to the next. For this reason all names, dates, and titles will appear in the text of this thesis as they appear in the tex or quote from the book being discussed.

recorded adaptations of two novels Cat's Cradle^ and

Slaughterhouse-Five.^Q

In a 1969 letter to Bowen concerning permission to

adapt his works, Vonnegut states, "It is my feeling that

small theatre, intimate theatre, community theatre is the

only theatre that is alive in America today. There is still

21 something sacred about it."

As stated previously, Vonnegut wishes to be physically

present in productions of his writing. This thesis will

offer suggestions concerning the retention of Vonnegut's

character and a process which may make that possible.

Problem

This thesis is related to the aesthetic considerations

of Vonnegut's literature and the performance of a character

representing him, based on two questions. How can the

literary works of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. be adapted for presen-

tation as Chamber Theatre? In addition, how can the per­

ceptive and evocative methods of literary analysis for oral

•'• Recording. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Cat's Cradle Caedmon TC 1345.

20 ^^Recording. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Slaughterhouse-Five

Caedmon TC 1376. 21 Letter to Elbert R. Bowen, Central Michigan Univer­

sity, 1969.

.22 performance as set forth by Leland H. Roloff be utilized

to develop an oral interpretation of the character of Kurt

V o ? Vonnegut, Jr. as he is presented in his literary worxcs

Method

The method of investigation will be undertaken in

seven steps. These steps can be grouped as relating

directly to the literature. Chamber Theatre, analysis of

the character Vonnegut, and responses to the adaptation and

Vonnegut's character in performance.

Steps one and two are both concerned with the litera­

ture of Vonnegut. Step one will be to read the writings of

Vonnegut, including all novels, short stories, essays, and

plays. Also included in this research will be interviews,

recordings, and speeches. Secondly, an exploration of

critical reviews discussing Vonnegut's writing will also be

researched.

Steps three and four both explore the presentational

mode of Chamber Theatre. Step three will investigate

Chamber Theatre's techniques. Step four will explore

methods of adapting Vonnegut•s writing to Chamber Theatre.

Step five will be an analysis of the character of Kurt

22, 'Leland H. Roloff, The Perception and Evocation of of Literature (Glenview, Illinois: Scott Foresman and Company, 1973).

8

Vonnegut, Jr. using the perceptive and evocative process as

set forth by Roloff in his text The Perception and Evocation

23 of Literature. An analysis of Vonnegut's character based

on his literature will be discussed.

Step six will discuss the creation and application of

a questionnaire. This questionnaire will ask panel members

to identify the types of focus and presentational modes of

the production. Step seven will be to draw conclusions from

the study.

Summary

The study will be reported in four chapters. Chapter

One has presented a background to Vonnegut's life and liter­

ature. Justifications of, and the methods for, approaching

this study were discussed, also.

Chapter Two will present a discussion of Vonnegut's

life, writing style, major themes, and philosophy as ex­

pressed in his literature. A brief review of each of his

novels will be presented discussing major themes, charac­

ters, and philosophies. Justification of Slaughterhouse-

F'ive and Breakfast of Champions ^ as representative

23rbid.

"Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five.

Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions

examples of Vonnegut's writing will be discussed.

Chapter Three will discuss Chamber Theatre, its

history, definitions, techniques in performance, and the

method of adaptation that makes it a distinct presentational

mode. Also discussed will be a report of the two methods

used to analyze Vonnegut's character, the literary analysis

approach and the perceptive evocative process.

Chapter Four will present criteria for evaluation of

the Chamber Theatre presentation "Vonnegut: So It Goes."

Results of a questionnaire devised by this writer and com­

pleted by a panel of critics will be presented. Recommenda­

tions for future research will be discussed also.

Four appendices will be included. Each appendix

presents part of an overview of the production "Vonnegut:

So It Goes." Appendix A will contain the script for the

production. A copy of the newspaper review discussing the

production will be contained in Appendix B. Appendix C will

contain a copy of the criteria that panel members used for

evaluating the presentation. Appendix D will contain a copy

of the questionnaire completed by the panel after observing

the production.

CHAPTER II

VONNEGUT'S LIFE AND LITERATURE

All of the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies.

--Book of Bokonon (Cat's Cradle)

The purpose of this chapter will be to explore the life

and the literature of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. First, a brief

biography of Vonnegut's life will be presented. Next will

follow a summation of each novel in its chronological order

of publication, presenting major themes, characters, and

Vonnegut's philosophies. Finally, the two novels that were

chosen for the basis of the Chamber Theatre presentation

"Vonnegut: So It Goes" will be examined, investigating how

these two novels are representative of Vonnegut's personality

and writing.

Biography of Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was born on Armistice Day, Novem­

ber 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the youngest

of three children, eight years younger than Bernard and

five years younger than Alice. Bernard is today a well-

known physicist, whose name is located just above that of

10

11

his brother in Who's Who in America. Bernard's major

contribution to science is the development of silver iodide

used in cloud seeding, a process creating man-made rain.

Prior to her death in 1958, Vonnegut's sister Alice was a

2 sculptress and was deeply admired by her younger brother.

A day after Alice's death, her husband also died leaving

three children, whom Vonnegut adopted and raised.

Vonnegut's childhood was uneventful. However, during

this period he did acquire some scientific background which

became a basis for his science fiction writing, Vonnegut

says of his childhood:

I used to say I wasted eight years build­ing model airplanes and jerking off, but it was a little more complicated than that. I read science fiction, but it was conservative stuff--H. G. Wells and Robert Louis Stevenson , . . .^

Vonnegut began his writing career during his high

school years as a reporter for the Shortridge High School

newspaper the Daily Echo, the nation's first daily high

school newspaper. Vonnegut followed the tradition of many

iwho's Who in America (Vol. II: 1972. Chicago: Marquis-Who's Who, Inc., 1972), p. 3277.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Welcome to the Monkey House, The Delacorte Press, Inc. (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1968), p. ix.

^David Standish, "Playboy Interview: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.," Playboy, July, 1973, p. 68.

12

orofessional writers who began their careers with the Echo.

Some of the more notable writers include Life staff writer

Wally Terry, and novelist Jeremy Lamer.

In 1940 Vonnegut entered Cornell University to study

biochemistry; however, he later admitted, "What I was really

doing most of the time was writing for the Cornell Daily Sun."

Vonnegut became editor of the Sun and wrote the column

"Innocents Abroad," a column devoted to social commentary

and college humor. In 1941 Vonnegut found it very difficult

to be humorous in his column, with World War II looming over

America, and instead took a pacifist position. One of his

columns exemplifies his writing style during this period.

Whether anyone else gives a hang or not about keeping out of World War II, we do, and from now on, readers may rest assured that material appearing in this column has been carefully edited so as to exclude anything smacking in the slightest of propa­ganda.

After bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Vonnegut

^Dan Wakefield, "In Vonnegut's Karass," in The Vonne­gut Statement, ed. by Jerome Klinkowitz and John Somer, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973), p. 56.

^Robert Scholes, "A Talk With Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.," in The Vonnegut Statement, ed. by Jerome Klinkowitz and John Somer, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973), p. 95.

Robert Scholes, "Chasing A Lone Eagle: Vonnegut's College Writing," Summary, 1 #2, 1971, p. 37.

enlisted in a student officer-training corps and attended

Carnegie Tech to study mechanical engineering. This phase of

his career was short-lived and he was sent to Germany as an

infantry scout. During the Battle of the Bulge, Vonnegut

becajne separated from his troops and wandered behind the

German lines for eleven days. Eventually he was captured by

the Germans and sent to Dresden on a work contract to a

factory manufacturing high protein syrup for pregnant women.

Dresden was an "open city," meaning it had no military or

strategic significance, according to Vonnegut.' On the night

of February 13-14, 1944, the city of Dresden was fire-bombed.

The bombing completely destroyed the city and killed most of

its residents. Vonnegut survived the holocaust in the cellar

of a meat-locker far below ground.

After the war Vonnegut attended several colleges ending

with the University of Chicago, studying anthropology. He

did not complete his degree because "the faculty committee

turned down his thesis, 'Fluctuations Between Good and Evil

in Simple Tales.'"®

'Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Slaughterhouse-Five, Delacorte/ Se3nnour Lawrence (New York: Dell Publishing Co. , Inc. , 1969) , p. 146.

^Standish, "Playboy Interview," p. 58.

14

Vonnegut next turned to reporting for the City News

Bureau in Chicago. Also during this time he became re-

acciuainted with a girl he had known since kindergarten,

Jane Cox. Shortly thereafter they were married. Vonnegut

and his wife have three children. Vonnegut says of his

marriage, "My first marriage worked and continues to work.

My wife is still beautiful."^

In 1947 Vonnegut moved to Schenectady, New York, and

worked in public relations for General Electric until 1950.

During 1950 Vonnegut decided to devote full time to writing.

As a result he published a number of short stories in maga­

zines, such as Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, The Ladies

Home Journal, and McCall* s, in order to "finance the writing

of the novels."^^

His first novel Player Piano"^^ was published in paper­

back and was reviewed by only a few critics. From 1952 to

1963 not one of Vonnegut's other three published novels.

Vonnegut, Monkey House, p. xi.

Ibid., p. X.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Player Piano, Avon Books (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc., 1952).

15

Ca t's Cradle,-'-^ Mother Night,^^ and Sirens of Titan^"^ re­

ceived a single review 15 Not until 1965 with the publica­

tion of Vonnegut's fifth novel God Bless You, Mr. Rose-

wa ter* ^ did critics begin to take a serious look at

Vonnegut's writing. Since then, Vonnegut has published two

more novels, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of

-I Q 1 Q

Champions; one play, Happy Birthday Wanda June; an

educational television script. Between Time and Timbuktu; 20

and numerous short stories. Vonnegut has spoken on a college

lecture series, appeared on a number of television talk

12Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Cat's Cradle (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1963).

i^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Mother Night, Avon Books (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1961).

-'•' Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., The Sirens of Titan, Delacorte/ Sejrmour Lawrence (New Yorkr Dell Publishing Co. , Inc. , 1959) .

-^^Leslie A. Fielder, "The Devine Stupidity of Kurt Vonnegut," Esquire, September, 1970, p. 196.

•^^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1965).

17 Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five.

•'- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Breakfast of Champions, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973).

i^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Happy Birthday Wanda June, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1970).

^^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Between Time and Timbuktu, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1970).

16

shows and been a guest lecturer at the Iowa Writer's Workshop

Two of his notable honors are a Guggenheim Fellowship awarded

in 1967 and a creative writing position at Harvard University

in 1970.

At this time Vonnegut is 52 years old. He recently

sold his home in Barnstabel, Massachusetts, and now resides

in an apartment on East 54th Street in New York City. All

of Vonnegut's children have grown up and left home. Vonne­

gut describes himself now as "an old fart with his memories

and his Pall Malls, with his sons full grown. ,,21

Vonnegut's Writing Style

Basically three major elements occur most often in

Vonnegut's writing. They are: his use of humor, sometimes

called "black humor"; his use of "science fiction"; and

Ipessimism which shows man's inhumanity to man. \

Vonnegut is a "funny" writer. One critic describes

Vonnegut's sense of humor as "a schoolboy with an old man's

melancholy, who believes finally that the only thing humor

P2

can do is comfort people," ' Because Vonnegut's readers

often find themselves laughing at objects, people, or situa­

tions one would not normally consider humorous, Vonnegut has

^^Vonnegut, sTaughterhouse-Five, p. 2.

^^Ajiifred Sheed, "The Now Generation Knew Him When," Life, September 12, 1969, p. 69.

17

been labeled a "black Humorist." Bruce Jay Friedman so

23 labeled him in the Foreword to his anthology Black Humor,

to which Vonnegut responds "The label is useless except for

24 ^ the merchandisers." Perhaps a better explanation of

Vonnegut's style of humor can be found in a quotation from

the author himself:

Well, I'm screamingly funny; you know, I really am in the books. I think so. And that helps because I'm funnier than a lot of people, I think, and that's appreciated by young people. And I talk about stuff Billy Graham won't talk about, for instance; you know, is it wrong to kill? And what's God like? And stuff like that. And they can't get it from their minister, and I show what heaven is like, you know, which you can't get a minister to talk about. They want to know what happens after you die. And I talk about it. That's a very popular subject.^^

The obvious similarity between Vonnegut's style of social

commentary humor and that of Mark Twain has been noted by

p A

many critics as well as by Vonnegut himself. However,

recently, Vonnegut revealed different sources for his style

23 Bruce Jay Friedman, ed. "Foreword," Black Humor

(New York: Bantam Books, Inc., 1965), n. p. 24

John Casey, "Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: A Subterranean Conversation,'* Confluence, 2, Spring, 1969, p. 4.

^^Transcript, "60 Minutes," CBS News, September 15, 1970), p. 14.

^^onnegut. Between Time and Timbuktu, p. xvii.

18

of humor:

But the truth is that I am a barbarian, whose deepest cultural debts are to Laurel and Hardy, Stoopnagel and Bud, Buster Keaton, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Charlie Chaplin, Easy Aces, Henry Morgan and on and on.2'

"Science fiction" is still another inexact label.

Since Vonnegut's first six novels were published in paper-

beck "pulp" editions and, at least on the surface, contained

elements of science fiction, Vonnegut was labeled a "sci-fi"

writer. Equally critical of that label as of "black humor-

let," Vonnegut says:

I have been a sore-headed occupant of a file drawer labeled "science-fiction" ever since, and I would like out, parti­cularly since so many serious critics regularly mistake the drawer for a tall

p o

white fixture in a comfort station.'^

Contemporary critics treat Vonnegut's type of science

fiction very differently from their earlier counterparts.

In 1959 when Vonnegut published his second novel. Sirens of _. 29 Titan, critics dismissed the book, with its cover picture

T7 Ibid.

po

^^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., "Science Fiction," New York Tlme£, September 5, 1965, p. 2.

^^onnegut. The Sirens of Titan.

19

of sexy "space-opera" women, as a fine example of science

fiction. Today's critics, upon inspection of the book's

contents, have a change in attitude.

It is difficult to understand why Vonnegut was dismissed for so long with the dis­reputable title of science-fiction writer, since from the very beginning he has been dealing with metaphysical, ethical, and epistemological questions in his work. One must conclude that his imagination and talent for eccentric detail actually worked against him with the critics, who rarely looked be­neath the surface gloss to the rugged terrain underneath.-^^

Finally, Vonnegut's writing has the noticeable element

of a pessimistic style. This pessimistic style might be

traced back to Vonnegut's early family life, which encour­

aged an atheistic attitude."^"^ Vonnegut's atheism may also

account for the fact that he sometimes creates his own

religions in the novels, for example, "Bokononism" in Cat's

Cradle^^ and "Church of God the Utterly Indifferent" in The

Sirens of Titan.-^^ Vonnegut' s pessimistic style may also

stem from his experiences in World War II. As Vonnegut

rrrt

•^^David Goldsmith, Kurt Vonnegut: Fantasist of Fire and Ice (Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green University Popular Press, 1972), p. 6,

•^Standish, "Playboy Interview," p. 59.

^^vonnegut, Cat's Cradle.

^^Vonnegut, The Sirens of Titan.

20

etates

What actually happened when I was twenty-one was that we dropped scientific truth on Hiroshima. We killed everybody there. And I had just come home from being a prisoner of war in Dresden, which I'd seen burned to the ground. And the world was just then learning how ghastly the German extermination camps had been. So I had a heart-to-heart talk with myself.

"Hey, Corporal Vonnegut," I said to myself, "maybe you were wrong to be an optimist. Maybe pessimism is the thing." I have been a consistent pessimist ever since, with a few exceptions.^^

Vonnegut's Themes

Three events stand out in his history, and find their way into Vonnegut's writ­ing: his unhappy college experiences, his work for General Electric, and most

35 important, his wartime adventures.

Two of these three events in Vonnegut's life gave rise

to major themes in his novels. Vonnegut's experiences with

General Electric left him a general distrust for scientific

advancement. This theme will be explored more closely later

in this chapter. More importantly, the theme of Vonnegut's

wartime experiences, especially his experience in Dresden,

recurs time and again in his novels. One critic remarks:

^^Transcript, "60 Minutes," p. 14.

"^Goldsmith, Fantasist of Fire and Ice, p. ix.

21

Rarely has a single incident so dominated the work of a writer. The guilt Vonnegut felt about Dresden stuck to him like a Lord Jim complex. He tried unsuccessfully for nearly twenty-five years to write a novel about this experience, always putting it off in favor of other projects, but he

•y never is able to exclude it entirely.^^

An overview of Vonnegut's novels in chronological

order, briefly explaining the plots, characters, and writing

style, may serve to illustrate these recurring themes.

Vonnegut's Novels

Any summary of Vonnegut's novels certainly does in­

justice to their literary content; however, a brief summa­

tion of each novel will be presented in order to justify

Vonnegut' s last two novels. Slaughterhouse-Five-^ and

Q O

Breakfast of Champions, as being representative of his

writing. 30 Player Piano,- " Vonnegut' s first novel, recounts the

events that take place at an undetermined time in the near

future. As Vonnegut states in the Foreword, "The characters

are modeled after persons as yet unborn, or, perhaps, at

•^^Ibid. , pp. ix-xi .

37 Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five.

^^Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions.

39 Vonnegut, Player Piano.

22

40 this writing, infants." The story takes place during a

time when machines have replaced manual labor and computers

have taken over most of the supervision of the machines.

The setting for the story is Illium, New York, a

locale to which Vonnegut returns in his later stories. The

notion centers around Doctor Paul Proteus, a young genius

in charge of the Illium Works, an industrial complex com­

posed of machines and computers.

From the beginning, Proteus is discontented with the

mechanization of society. When Paul is captured by the

"Ghost Shirt Society," a radical organization dedicated to

the overthrow of mechanization, he aids in their cause.

When the radicals destroy all machines, they come to realize

their dependency on mechanization and begin rebuilding their

old society.

The theme of Player Piano strongly reflects Vonnegut's

experience as a public relations man for General Electric in

Schenectady, New York. Vonnegut seemed disillusioned with

the scientist's ideas to mechanize society.V^According to

Vonnegut, these ideas led him to write Player Piano."*

Vonnegut not only introduces Jthe theme of destruction of

40

Standish, "Playboy Interview," p. 58.

'ibid. , p. 8.

41

23

mankind by science, but also introduces himself as an implied

character. The character of the public relations man,"^^ who

is a starving science fiction writer and who writes for pur­

poses of integrity instead of giving the public what it wants,

bears a strong resemblance to Vonnegut.

The Sirens of Titan,^^ Vonnegut's second novel, begins

w ith the narration by an all-seeing persona whom one critic

44 labels as Vonnegut. This story takes place between "the

45 Second World War and the Third Great Depression."

The action centers around Malachi Constant, the richest

man in America. He is manipulated by Winston Niles Rumfoord

into fulfilling a prophesy earlier made by Rumfoord.

Rumfoord forms a new religion, the "Church of God the

Utterly Indifferent." Its motto reads: "Take Care of the

People, and God Almighty will Take Care of Himself. "" ^

Rumfoord names Constant "The Space Wanderer", the messiah

in Rumfoord's new religion. Later, Constant is "crucified,"

that is, sent off into space where he learns that his actions

42 '^Vonnegut, Player Piano, pp. 231-34.

43 -"Vonnegut, The Sirens of Titan.

44 Fielder, "The Devine Stupidity,«• p. 203.

"^^Vonnegut, The Sirens of Titan, p. 8.

"^^Ibid. , p. 80.

24

wore part of a plan devised by beings from the planet

Tralfamadore. Constant inadvertently delivers the final part

of a message to a Tralfamadorian named Salo. The message

says simply, "Greetings. "''

The Sirens of Titan presents a number of themes, philo­

sophies, and characters that Vonnegut later interweaves into

his novels. Vonnegut again presents himself in his writing,

this time in the role of an all-seeing narrator. Vonnegut's

style of pessimism is seen in the creation of the "Church of

God the Utterly Indifferent," a religion that presents a god

who is unconcerned about man. Finally, the characters of

Rumfoord and the Tralfamadorians are introduced for the first

time.

48

Mother Night begins with an introduction summariz­

ing Vonnegut's own experience with the Nazis in Dresden.

Vonnegut dedicates the novel to Mata Hari, a famous spy

during World War I. Although his dedication is somewhat

"tongue-in-cheek," this novel is none-the-less considered by

40 many to be a "spy novel."

The story centers around Howard W. Campbell, Jr., a

T7 Ibid., p. 253.

"^^Vonnegut, Mother Night.

49 Fielder, "The Devine Stupidity," p. 204.

2S

Nazi propagandist during World War li. in reality, Campbell

was an American double-agent who broadcast coded messages to

the Allies. Since Campbell's double-agent role is not re­

vealed after the war, he is hunted as a war criminal. After

a prolonged chase, Campbell is captured by Israeli agents who

plan to execute him. Miraculously, the man who recruited

Campbell as an agent breaks all oaths to secrecy in order to

save Campbell. His efforts are too late. Campbell finds

the prospect of living "nauseating" and commits suicide by

hanging himself.

Mother Night is the first novel to present the theme

of a guilt complex caused by war. Indeed, Vonnegut's com­

parison of Dresden to Campbell's experience in the Intro­

duction is intended as background for Campbell's feelings.^^

Vonnegut also presents characters who will be seen again in

future novels, namely, Campbell and Bernard B. O'Hare.

Cat's Cradle,^ Vonnegut•s fourth novel, centers

around the autobiographic story of a free-lance writer named

John. John is working on a book to be entitled, "The Day

the World Ended," the story of the bombing of Hiroshima.

Through research on his book John uncovers the plan of

Peter J. Reed, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1972), p. 92^ '

^•^•Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle.

26

n, Felix Hoenikker, one of the fathers of the atomic bomb,

to invent a chemical called "ice-nine." This chemical can

turn any water based substance into a solid and could,

technically, bring about the end of the world.

During a visit to the country San Lorenzo, John is

introduced to its national religion "Bokononism." Like the

"Church of God the Utterly Indifferent" in The Sirens of

Titan, Bokononism teaches that man is controlled by fate.

John discovers that Dr. Hoenikker has invented "ice-

nine." Accidently, this substance is spilled into the

ocean, resulting in the destruction of the world.

Cat's Cradle revives the theme of the destruction of

the world by science. The creation of a new religion re­

iterates the writing style of pessimism found first in The

Sirens of Titan. Once again Vonnegut includes himself as

an implied character. The character of John, a free-lance

writer working on a story about a great destruction during

World War II, is strikingly similar to Vonnegut in the same

type of situation.

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater,^^ vonnegut's fifth novel.

Centers around a humanitarian named Eliot Rosewater, heir to

& large fortune, the Rosewater Foundation. Eliot uses the

52 Vonnegut, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.

27

noney to help "discarded Americans even though they are use-

53

less and unattractive." Eliot sets up an office and dis­

tributes laxatives, aspirin, wine, and small sums of money

to anyone in need.

Norman Mushari, a young lawyer, tries to prove Eliot

insane in order to take away his fortune. Eliot does have a

mentally unstable background. During World War II, he led

an attack on a small German town and accidently killed two

old men and a young boy. The burden of personal guilt is

deeply felt by Eliot,

Eliot finally solves his problem. Since he is the only

living heir to the fortune, Eliot claims all the recent

babies in Rosewater County as his own, making them immediate

heirs to the Rosewater Foundation money. In blessing his

54 bastards Eliot says to "be fruitful and multiply."

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater finally unburdens, in

part, Vonnegut's nightmare of Dresden and his guilt complex

concerning Dresden. ^V^nnegut presents the character of

Eliot as a hero who fights the pessimistic attitude of man's

inhumanity to man. The novel also presents the characters

^^ibid., p. 36.

^"^Ibid. , p. 190.

^^Ibid., p. 172.

28

Rliot Rosewater and Kilgore Trout, who will play important

^ice in other novels.

Slaughterhouse-Five

In Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut comes at last to a direct confrontation with his Dresden experience. He also brings together many of the other things he has talked about in his first five novels. The numerous recapitulations of previous themes, resurrections of characters who have appeared before, and recollections of earlier mentioned incidents in this novel are not just self-parody as they might be in Cat's Cradle, nor are they simply the develop­ment of a kind of extended in-joke as they might be in the intervening novels. Rather, they represent an attempt at integration, an effort to bring together all that Vonnegut has been saying about the human condition and contemporary American society, and to relate those broad commentaries to the central trau­matic, revelatory and symbolic moment of the destruction of Dresden.57

iff*?

The reasons stated in the quote above are justifica-

tione for selecting Slaughterhouse-Five as one of the

Jf^PJ^oeentative novels of Vonnegut' s writing. Those justi-

^?*C*tions will be presented first through a summation of

yiBuyhterhouse-Five, showing themes, style, and philoso-

vff» *' "^ finally through a parallel summary of all the

novels and their recurring themes, characters, and

• ^ onnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five.

57 ^®^^> Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., p. 172.

29

philosophies in relationship to Slaughterhouse-Five.

In Chapter I Vonnegut presents himself as the charac­

ter of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Although Vonnegut has presented

himself in other novels as a narrator or implied character,

in Chapter I of Slaughterhouse-Five he presents himself as

himself. Vonnegut muses over his life and his attempt to

write a book about the destruction of Dresden. The reader

learns about Vonnegut's personality and private life: his

late night drinking and phone calls, his conversations with

his dog, his teaching at the Writers Workshop at the Uni­

versity of Iowa, and his contact with his old friend Bernard

V. O'Hare.

Vonnegut does not leave the story after Chapter I.

Throughout the novel, the reader is reminded that Vonnegut

is there watching the action of the characters and the

scenes he creates. The reader is told that the someone in

the background of a scene is Vonnegut: "That was I, That

was me. That was the author of this book."^^ Vonnegut is

present with Billy Pilgrim in Dresden, in the German prison­

er of war camp, and even at Billy's daughter's wedding when

Billy "receives a phone call from a drunk whose breath Billy

Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, p. 109.

30

59 Id almost smell, a breath like mustard gas and roses,"

<ACt that Vonnegut's presence is felt so strongly by the

Aador led one critic to remark,]". . . you can hear

VAfineout the person shouting over the voice of Vonnegut the

writBt* " e most realized character in the book is

Vonnegut himself." \

The story line dv->es not follow a chronological develop-

•tnti but instead foll'.ws the schizophrenic pattern of

/I-I

Billy Pilgrim's life. Billy has "come unstuck in time,""

Mining he can travel in time to events of the past and

ru'ture. The story contains a number of time shifts. Seldom

do BOro than two pages of the novel relate events that occur

On^the same date. There are, however, two major time

VOQllBnces in the novel: from Billy's becoming lost in

LwCBObourg in 1944 to his being in Dresden in 1945, and from

Xv68 to later in the same year. "Chronologically (which

^John Somer, "Geodesic Vonnegut; or. If Buckminster IHlllor wrote Novels," in The Vonnegut Statement, ed. by «l0rom« Klinkowitz and John Somer, A Delta Book (New York:

| . ^ ^ ^ Publishing Co., Inc., 1973), pp. 248-49.

'" Tim Hildebrand, "Two or Three Things I know About ^rt Vonnegut's Imagination," in The Vonnegut Statement, ed. '2[-f*'®"® Klinkowitz and John Somer, A Delta Book (New York: «»Xl Publishing Co., Inc., 1973), p. 132.

Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, p. 9.

^®^^» Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., p. 174.

31

it, of course, not the way the author intended us to read

it), the wartime exploits of Billy come first."^"^ The story

lines of Billy's war experiences and time-traveling experi­

ences may be presented more coherently in chronological

order.

After a brief description of Billy's unsuccessful

youth, the scene shifts quickly to 1944 and the Battle of

the Bulge. Billy is stranded behind the enemy lines where

he is captured and sent to the city of Dresden under a work

contract to a factory that manufactures a high protein

4

syrup for pregnant women. During Billy's war experiences

he is constantly time-traveling both to the present and to

the future. On one of the more important trips, Billy is

kidnapped by a flying saucer from Tralfamadore and learns

the secret of his ability to time-travel. He also learns

the Tralfamadorian philosophy of life, which he later writes

in a letter to the editor of a newspaper:

The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist. The Tralfamadorians can look at all the different moments just the way we can look at a stretch of the Rocky Mountains, for instance. They can see how permanent

32

all the moments are, and they can look at 2 ny moment that interests them. It is just an illusion we have here on Earth that one moment follows another one, like beads on a string, and that once a moment is gone it is gone forever.

Interestingly enough, only the Tralfamadorians can

eentrol the, time in which they spend eternity. Billy "has

no control over where he is going next, and the trips

eron't necessarily fun."

During Billy's stay in Dresden, the city is attacked

end destroyed by Allied bombers on the night of February 13-

14, 1944. The bombers drop high explosive incendiary bombs,

Oreating a fire storm and killing most of the population of

DfOeden. Billy and the other American prisoners survive

the bombing because they are safe underground in a meat-

looker. While Billy and the other soldiers help clean up

the city and bury the victims, an American soldier Edgar

Dotby is caught taking a teapot and is executed. /The novel

•nde appropriately with the end of the war. Billy and the

Pther prisoners are released and Billy is left traveling

nOBB in a horse-drawn cart, time-traveling.

The culmination of many characters, philosophies, and

'Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, pp. 26-27.

^^ibid., p. 23.

33

thBmes in Slaughterhouse-Five make it an excellent example

of Vonnegut's writing. To begin with, the character of

Billy Pilgrim becomes a more fully rounded representation

of the main characters in Vonnegut's novels. In Slaughter­

house-Five Billy becomes:

. . . the direct descendant of Malachi Constant, the hero who found the answer but could not bring it back to the Earth, and Eliot Rosewater, the hero who brought back the spirit of renewal but failed to show how and where he found it. Billy makes none of the mistakes of Proteus, Campbell, and John, and he combines the virtues of Constant and Rosewater.

Other characters from previous novels reappear in

Slaughterhouse-Five. The Tralfamadorians, introduced as

robots in The Sirens of Titan, become extraterrestial beings

"shaped like plumbers friends.""' Eliot Rosewater, the kind

humanitarian of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, is Billy's

roommate in the sanatorium where both he and Billy are try­

ing to rid themselves of a guilt complex. Kilgore Trout,

the "pulp" science-fiction writer first introduced in God

Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, is now a more complete character

whose books are explained in detail by Vonnegut. Rumfoord,

the creator of a universal religion in The Sirens of Titan.

"Somer, "Geodesic Vonnegut," p. 243.

f\'7 Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, p. 26.

d

34

now a retired Army Colonel who despises cowards like

nillv Pilgrim* Howard Campbell, from Mother Night, is seen

a recruiting agent for American defectors.

Many other elements of Vonnegut's writing reappear in

ciAunhterhouse-Five. From Player Piano comes the setting of

Illium, New York, Billy's home town in Slaughterhouse-Five.

The science-fiction element is continued from The Sirens of

Titan as Tralfamadorians manipulate both Malachi and Billy

for their own purposes. From Mother Night comes Billy's

wish to escape his guilt complex over war, something

Campbell can only do by killing himself. Cat's Cradle and

Player Piano tell of the destruction of the world by science,

a theme that can be equated with the firebombing of Dresden.

However, Vonnegut goes a step further by showing the end of

the universe resulting from a Tralfamadorian test pilot's

experiments with a new fuel created by the scientists on

Tralf ajnador e.

In summary, Slaughterhouse-Five is the culmination of

a series of six novels, presenting similar themes, charac­

ters, and philosophies. It would seem that the novel

resolves Vonnegut's feelings of guilt over the tragedy at

Dresden. As one critic states:

I Kurt Vonnegut could not rush home and^ \ knock out a masterpiece about the destruction of Dresden because his real

35

subject was the destruction of Kurt . Vonnegut, Jr.^^

Breakfast of Champions^^

In this novel, Vonnegut feels he has one final respons-

ibili'ty to his readers: ". . .to clear his head of all the

Sunk in there."^^ At first, Breakfast of Champions was to

be part of Slaughterhouse-Five, but, because the incom-

natibility of the plots was obvious, Vonnegut instead

created two novels.

The plot of the book is simple. Vonnegut states,

"This is a tale of a meeting of two lonesome, skinny, fairly

72 old white men on a planet which was dying fast." The men

are Dwayne Hoover, a Pontiac dealer, and Kilgore Trout, the

character presented in many previous novels as a science

fiction writer. The two old men are destined to meet at an

Arts Festival in Midland City. Trout is to be one of the

guest speakers at the festival, recommended by one of his

admirers Eliot Rosewater. What Hoover and Trout do not know

is that their meeting, and all other events in the novel

• ^ Somer, "Geodesic Vonnegut," p. 223.

Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions.

Otto Friedrich, "Ultra Vonnegut," Time, May 7, 1973,

^onnegut. Breakfast of Champions, p. 5.

71

p. 66.

'onnegut. Breakfast of Champions, p. 7.

36

s. ecur only because the "Creator of the Universe," that i:

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., wants to watch their reactions in differ­

ent situations.

After a number of scenes telling of their trips to

Midland City, Hoover and Trout are about to meet in a

Holiday Inn cocktail lounge, where Vonnegut tells the reader

that Hoover is going to go insane. Before the two men meet,

the "Creator of the Universe" steps into the cocktail lounge.

He watches the confrontation of the two men in which Dwayne

learns from Trout that he, EWayne, is nothing more than a

73 creature of the "Creator of the Universe."

After watching this confrontation, Vonnegut tells

Trout that he, Vonnegut, is going to begin a new writing

career, but first he must free all the characters, who

"have served me so loyally during my writing career."'^

Vonnegut allows only Trout to know his true intentions

because, according to Vonnegut, Trout is the only character

he ever created "who had enough imagination to suspect that

75 he might be the creation of another being."

'^^ibid. , p. 254.

' ' Ibid. , p. 293.

^^Ibid., p. 240.

37

Indeed, Vonnegut uses Breakfast of Champions to clear

all the "junk out of his head." However, the novel is

representative of Vonnegut's present position in relation­

ship to his writing career. Breakfast of Champions^ once

again presents the characters of Eliot Rosewater and Kilgore

Trout. Kilgore Trout becomes a more rounded character by

the expansion of his personality and the more detailed

descriptions of his novels. Finally, Vonnegut places him­

self within the actual scene of the literature, just as he

has done in Slaughterhouse-Five, but in an enlarged role.

This writer's attempt to compile a script representa­

tive of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s novels aimed at two goals: to

present Vonnegut's writing technique of placing himself in

his novels as an actual character in both Slaughterhouse-

Five and Breakfast of Champions,Ithus allowing the reader

and the audience to see Vonnegut's own emotions and person­

ality;! and secondly, to present representative works of

Vonnegut. Both Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of

Champions incorporate many of his literary themes, charac­

ters, and philosophies, and for these reasons Slaughter­

house-Five and Breakfast of Champions were chosen as

representative works for the Chamber Theatre presentation,

'Vonnegut: So it Goes."

CH- PTER III

ADAPTATION OF LITERATUIRE, ANALYSIS OF CHARACTER, AND THE PERCEPTION AND EVOCATION OF LITERATURE

I'm doctor of cowshit, pigshit, and chickenshit. When you doctors figure out what you want, you'll find me out in the barn shoveling my thesis.

--Mr. Haycox (Player Piano)

The purpose of this chapter is to present a three-fold

approach to the Chamber Theatre presentation "Vonnegut: So

It Goes." First, a brief history, description, and defini­

tion of Chamber Theatre will be presented. From the defini­

tion will evolve criteria for the adaptation of both

1 2

Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions for Chamber

Theatre. Next, an explanation of the perceptive and evoca­

tive process to the oral interpretation of literature will

be presented and applied to the creation of the characteriza­

tion of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Specific examples from the final

script will be cited. Finally, a report of the Chamber

Theatre performance of "Vonnegut: So It Goes" will be

^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Slaughterhouse-Five, Delacorte/ Se3nnour Lawrence (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1969).

^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Breakfast of Champions, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1972).

38

39

DtBsented, specifically discussing only those details that

concern the characterization of Vonnegut.

Chamber Theatre

Chamber Theatre began as a classroom experiment con­

ducted by Robert Breen at Northwestern University in 1947.

Breen observes that when students interpret prose fiction

they tend to read dialogue "with vitality and fullness of

character."^ However, when the students read narration, he

notes, " . . . there was often a lack of character and the

story seems to sag in interest."'^ To enhance his student's

abilities to read narration, Breen suggests to them that

they express stronger empathy with the narrator:

. . . no narrator would ever describe 'faces' and 'comments' without at the same time express­ing some emotional attitude either about the objects of perceptions or through empathy with the objects.^

Through this process of empathy, Breen notes a significant

improvement in the students' ability to read narration:

The students found that the narrative passages expressed the "point of view"

^Robert S. Breen, "Chamber Theatre," Suggestions for a Course of Study in Secondary School Theatre Arts (revised: American Educational Theatre Association, Inc., 1968), p. 108.

"^Ibid.

^Ibid.

40 which the author took so that the narra­tion became a distinguishing feature of a story and central to an understanding of its theme and tone.^

Breen defines Chamber Theatre,

. . . as a method of preparing and present­ing undramatized fiction for the stage, as written, the only changes being those to accommodate the limitation of time, physical stage set-up, or number of actors. 7

According to Breen the label "Chamber Theatre" was

chosen for two reasons:

. . . because of the close relationship between the original piece of literature and the audience provided by this method of preparation--it puts the book as close to the listener and viewer as if he held it in his hand; and . . . because of the stripped simplicity and intimate relation­ship between the actor-author and the audience provided by this technique of presentation.^

Since Breen's creation of Chamber Theatre in 1947,

little has been done to standardize it as a presentational

mode. According to a bibliography compiled by Clark S.

Marlor in the Bibliographic Annual in Speech Communication,

^Ibid., p. 109.

'^Ibid., p. 107.

^Ibid.

41 1972,^ only two theses^^ ^^^ ^^ dissertations or books have

been devoted entirely to the study of Chamber Theatre. Some

authors of textbooks do devote portions of their books to a

discussion of Chamber Theatre; however, these definitions

and descriptions differ widely. Among those authors of text­

books who discuss Chamber Theatre are : Otis Aggertt and

Elbert Bowen,• •'- Wallace Bacon,•'•^ Charlotte Lee,-*"- Leslie

Irene Coger and Melvin White,^"^ Joanna Maclay, ^ Clayton

^Clark S. Marlor, "Readers Theatre Bibliography: 1965-1969,'* Bibliographic Annual in Speech Communication, (1972 Annual) New York: Speech Communication Association, pp. 21-22.

•'• Jack Lynn Brizzi, "An Experimental Study of Chamber Theatre as a Teaching Device in a Ninth Grade Literature Class" (unpublished M.A. thesis , Kent State University, 1965); and Norma Griffin Coston, "An Adaptation of Stories of the Bible for Chamber Theatre" (unpublished M.S. thesis. East Texas State University, 1965).

Otis J. Aggertt and Elbert R. Bowen, Communicative Reading (3rd ed. ; New York: The Macmillan Company, 1972), pp. 475-81.

Wallace A. Bacon, The Art of Interpretation (2nd ed. ; New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc., 1972), pp. 319-24,

13 Charlotte I. Lee, Oral Interpretation (4th ed. ;

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, ;971) , pp. 225-31. 14

Leslie Irene Coger and Melvin R. White, Readers Theatre Handbook: A Dramatic Approach to Literature (revised ed. : New York: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1973^ pp. 4-5, 21, 50. ' ; »

Joanna Hawkins Maclay, Readers Theatre: Toward a Grammar of Practice (New York: Random House, 1971) pp. 49-52, 74-77, 82-99.

42

^ ggett,""" Baxter Geeting,^'^ Jean Bertram,^^ and Louise

Scrivner. In addition to the aforementioned article by

Breen, there are currently three articles in speech journals

20 discussing Chamber Theatre. ^

A Definition of Chamber Theatre

Experts in the field of oral interpretation still dis­

agree as to the definition of Chaimber Theatre. Bacon

describes Chamber Theatre as a "hybrid form" of Readers

21 Theatre; Lee, as a presentational mode using only

1 f\

Clayton E, Liggett, Concert Theatre (New York: Richards Rosen Press, Inc., 1970), pp. 119-28.

i^Baxter M. Geeting, Interpretation for Our Time (Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers, 1966), pp. 290-91.

i^Jean De Sales Bertram, The Oral Experience of Litera _ture (San Francisco: Chandler Publishing Company, 1967, p. 162.

^Louise Scrivner, A Guide to Oral Interpretation (New York: The Odyssey Press, Inc., 1968), pp. 201-10.

^^Breen, "Chamber Theatre," pp. 107-10; Robert S. Breen, '^Chamber Theatre," Illinois Speech and Theatre Journal/Illinois Speech Association, 26 (Fall, 1972), 20-23. Judy Yordan King, "Chamber Theatre by Any Other Name. . .?" The Speech Teacher, XXI, No. 3 (September, 1972), 193-96; *nd Sister Mary Susan, "Chamber Theatre," Catholic Theatre, IB, No. 8 (May, 1960), n. p.

21 Bacon, Art of Interpretation, p. 416.

43 22

narrative fiction. Maclay's definition combines these two

gtatements in the following manner:

Chamber Theatre is a technique for pre­senting narrative literature on the stage in its original form and staging it in such a way that the text is featured. There is no essential difference between Chamber Theatre and Readers Theatre as we have defined it; Chamber Theatre is Readers Theatre whose literary text is in narrative form.^3

Other authorities discuss various other elements of Chamber

Theatre in their textbooks. Concerning types of focus used

in Chamber Theatre, Bacon implies that the two predominant

types of focus are on-stage for dialogue and direct audience

for descriptive narration. In his discussion of staging

a Chamber Theatre presentation, Bowen states that Chamber

Theatre is theatrical and can use complete staging if

desired.^^

By using elements from various sources, the follow­

ing definition is established for the evaluation of the

22 Lee, Oral interpretation, p. 229.

^^MacLay, Readers Theatre, p. 10.

24 Bacon, Art of Interpretation, pp. 416, 420.

25 Aggertt and Bowen, Communicative Reading, p. 481.

44

presentation "Vonnegut: So It Goes." This production style

for the group interpretation of literature uses only narra-

tive literature. Focus is predominantly on-stage for

scenes using dialogue. Other types of focus may be used

during narration, though direct audience focus tends to be

used more frequently. Narration describing a character's

internal dialogue or his actions may be presented by more

than one character. Staging may be realistic and literal

when the scene of the literature reflects immediacy of

action.

Clarification of Terms

In clarification of this definition, a discussion of

2^era L. J. Simpson, "A Study of Selected Radio Plays by Norman Corwin for Adaptation to Readers Theatre" (unpub­lished Ph.D. dissertation, Wayne State University, 1972), pp. 15-17, lists the following five t3^es of focus, as summarized by this writer :

Direct Audience - This type of focus occurs when the reader establishes direct eye-contact with the audience, as does the public speaker.

On-stage - "On-stage" focus is established when the readers use direct eye contact with one another "on-stage" as in drajna.

Character Placement - This type of focus is establish­ed when the reader assumes the character who is speaking. Other characters in the scene then are addressed as if they were in the audience opposite the stage position which those persons reading the other characters occupy.

Off-stage - This type of focus is established when the reader reflects in mirror fashion and by means of physical empathy the scene which he sees taking place in the midst of the audience.

Inward - "Inward" focus is established when the eyes of the reader gaze into space, to suggest that a person is searching his mind and thinking aloud.

45

two major t e rms used in Chamber T h e a t r e , n a r r a t i o n and f o c u s ,

• i l ows . The method of p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e s e two t e c h n i q u e s

y^QS Chamber T h e a t r e a d i s t i n c t p r e s e n t a t i o n a l mode from

other forms of Readers T h e a t r e .

Narra t ion

The point of view is presented through narration which

in turn creates the persona, or the narrator. Generally,

four points of view are possible from which a story can be

told. According to Breen, these points of view are:

. , . from the point of view of a major character who tells his own story in the

27other forms in addition to Chamber Theatre are dis­cussed in Simpson's dissertation: Ibid. , pp. 11-14.

Choral Reading - that production style of group interpTe^tation of literature which places the major emphasis upon the blending of several voices to speak as one voice. This definition does not exclude the use of solo or partial choric work. In terms of physical communication this style may utilize little or no overt movement, or it may use very broad s3nnbolic movement, as long as it does not detract from the major emphasis upon the oral communication of the liter­ature.

Concert Reading - that production style of group inter­pretation of literature which places major emphasis upon the vocal communication of literature by two or more readers. The physical communication in this case tends to be less overt and in a large degree readers either may sit, or stand, usu­ally in one stage area.

Composite Group Reading - that production style of group interpretation of literature which combines two or more of the foregoing styles. This somewhat broad category tends to encompass a large segment of current productions and is the most flexible of the four productions styles.

^

r I

46

first person; . . , from the point of view of a minor character who reports in first person the actions of the major characters; , . . from the point of view of an omniscient observer who reports in third person what goes on in the minds and hearts of the charac­ters in the story; . . , and the objective observer who views the actions of the charac­ters from outside the story and, like the rest of mortals, can only speculate on the motiva­tions that lie back of those actions.^^

The foregoing discussion seems to indicate that a

Chamber Theatre adaptation should use only one person to

present the narrative point-of-view. However, one specific

type of description deserves special attention. Internal

dialogue, or narration in which a character's thoughts or

emotions are described, either by the narrator's observa­

tions or by the reader performing that character.

In summation, an adaptor may create many responsibili­

ties for a performer reading narration. A reader could read

all narration or combinations of narrations including the

author's point-of-view and internalized dialogue.

Focus

Another performance techniq'ie which distinguishes

Chamber Theatre as a distinct mode of presentation is focus,

Focus has been described in the following manner:

2^Breen, "Chamber Theatre," p. 109.

47 in performance, scene location is established

*|> by the exact focusing of the eyes by the readers on the spot where the scene is imagin­ed to be occurring, a process which this writer designates as "focus."^^

AflOOrding to Simpson's study there are five basic t3^es of

^^^g^30 Chamber Theatre tends to rely predominantly on two

^^^g. Hdirect focus" and "on-stage focus." Bacon implies

that the focus a reader uses when performing narration tends

to bo direct. He states, ". . . narration summerizes,

dOBOCibes, explains, or reflects--talking as it were directly

- 31

lO UB| the silent readers." Internal dialogue may also use

dlfOOt focus. The second predominant type of focus is on-

tttgo* Since Chamber Theatre retains the "vital immediacy"" ''

•f the literature, dialogue may be performed as it is done in ^ F| HMIVOntional theatre, that is, with the readers directly

.dilivoring lines of dialogue to one another.^^

oeviations from the two predominant types of focus in ^ . * ' • '

>e

•or Theatre do occur, but these occurrences seem to be

^i?^*?®*^^^®'^ rather than the norm. A reader should b<

W ^ * » depending upon the literature to dictate his

Simpson, "Study of Selected Radio Plays," p. 15.

Si^*, pp. 15-17.

^ ^ ° " ' Art of Interpretation, p. 416.

Breen, "Chamber Theatre," p. lOB.

' ^ Art of Interpretation, p. 420

48

approach to focus.

In summary, two techniques are generally used when per­

forming and adapting narrative literature as Chamber Theatre;

the two types of focus, on-stage and direct audience and

retention of the narration as it appears in the literature.

These techniques seem to distinguish Chamber Theatre as a

distinct presentational mode.

Criteria for Adaptation

Since much of prose fiction is told through narration,

dialogue, and indirect discourse, the adaptor should try to

balance the story and retain those portions of the litera­

ture which keep intact:

. . . the story line, the theme or statement on life, the descriptive elements, essential for painting the picture of setting and characters in the audience's mind, the necessary interior monologue as well as the outward dialogue and the portions of the plot to be enacted. Sometimes it is even necessary to rearrange the order of events.^^

Besides retaining the main story line and the "state­

ment of life" or the author's philosophy, the point of view

should be retained in narrative form. The adaptor is some­

times tempted to delete all forms of narration. In such a

case only dialogue is left and, what was once a novel, nov7

^"^Coger and White, Readers Theatre Handbook, p. 48.

49

has most of the traits of a conventional play.^^ According

to Scrivner:

. . . the adaptor should resist the im­pulse to turn the arrangement into a dramatization by cutting all the direc­tive "tags" and other narrative inter­ruptions. He should remember that this is a technique for presenting narrative fiction as it is written.36

No rigid standards should be set for adapting litera­

ture. Sudden shifts in the literature from scene to scene,

shifts in narration, in addition to the fact that each piece

of literature is unique and may be approached differently,

causes one frustrated expert to comment, "I cannot tell you

37 how to do it." The adaptor must use his intuitive sense

and insight as to what '^ill work" on the stage. Explaining

the phrase "will work" is difficult to do. Although no

proof of this theory exists, it is generally accepted in the

field of oral interpretation that certain individuals have

been successful in adapting literature because they are able

to "see" the literature as it could be performed. Every

time a scene is evaluated the adaptor should ask himself,

"How will this look on stage?" A vivid imagination is likely

35o ^^con. Art of I n t e r p r e t a t i o n , p . 420.

S c r i v n e r , A Guide to Oral I n t e r p r e t a t i o n , p . 205 .

Class, r.onu^ ^ ' ^ ' ' '^^" ' '^Handout Sheet f o r Readers Theatr< 5. 320" a t C e n t r a l Michigan U n i v e r s i t y , 1971 n p

50

to produce readers performing the scene in the minds' eye

of the adaptor. Experience is the best teacher, or as Q O

Bowen states, ". . . it gets easier with experience."

Often "bridging" the action of the main story line is

necessary. "Bridging" is a technique used when the adaptor

deletes a portion of the literature. A "bridge" is a sen­

tence, sentences, or a short paragraph written by the

adaptor briefly describing the action that takes place in

the portion deleted. A bridge must accomplish two goals.

First, the action taking place in the deleted section must

be summarized, citing the necessary background of the events

between retained portions of the text. Secondly, the bridge

must be an adequate representation of the author's writing

style, in order that the bridge 'TDlend in" with the entire

script. Again, experience is the best teacher. If the

adaptor has read much of the author's literature, the writing

of these bridges in a style similar to that of the author

will be much easier to achieve. For example, quick, short

sentences, brevity of description, and dry humor are trade­

marks of Vonnegut's writing style. Although one can never

hope to accomplish an exact duplication of an author's style,

the adaptor can write an acceptable representation that will

^^Ibid.

blend

51 into the rest of the adaptation.

Adapting Slaughterhouse-Five

As previously discussed, the story line of Slaughter­

house-Five shifts quickly from scene to scene without trans­

itions. Because the main character Billy Pilgrim has a

schizophrenic mind, in one moment he may be in Dresden, 1944,

and the next in his home in Illium, New York, 1968. Since

inclusion o.f all the schizophrenic interruptions might have

been confusing to an audience, this writer chose three

elements of the novel to adapt: the character of Vonnegut;

Billy's Dresden experience; and Vonnegut's philosophies.

The point of view in Chapter I of Slaughterhouse-Five

is obvious. As previously discussed, the speaker, or persona,

introduces himself to the reader as Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. In

Chapter II, when the point of view in the narration shifts to

omniscient, other readers may be allowed to read narrative

passages. The character of Vonnegut remains as the first

person narrator only when the point-of-view shifts from

omniscient to first person.

The main story line of the novel concerns the events

surrounding Billy Pilgrim's experience in Dresden. Events

and characters included in the Dresden story line are re­

tained in the script. In addition, a short background for

52

Billy* his separation from his troops during the Battle of

the Bulge, and his march to the prisoner of war camp are

included in order to clarify the Dresden experience.

Throughout the novel the main story line is interrupt­

ed by numerous scenes from Billy's time travels. Vonnegut

intended the nov^i to be schizophrenic in form; therefore,

a separation of the main story line from the subplots of the

time travels could laisrepresent the style of the novel and

also delete most of Vonnegut's philosophy. Since many of

Billy's time travels reflect Vonnegut's major philosophies

those which do so are included in the cutting. A brief dis­

cussion presenting the justification for each interruption

of the main story line follows.

First, the time travel segment after Billy's daughter's

wedding is included. This scene explains the recurring

phrase "So it goes." The Tralfamadorians explain that it is

an expression used when someone dies. According to the

Tralfamadorians, a dead person is "simply in a bad condition

39 that particular moment." Also included in this scene is

the explanation of time travel. Billy comes "slightly un­

stuck in time'* and watches a war movie on television. The

movie is run backwards. Warplanes suck up bombs and take

•^Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, p. 27.

^^ The next time t r a v e l scene occu r s on the p l a n e t

53

them back to America where they a r e d i sassembled i n t o t h e i r

na tu ra l e l emen t s , thus p r e s e n t i n g Vonnegut ' s a n t i - w a r p h i l o ­

sophy

Tralfamadore when B i l l y i s d i s p l a y e d in a Tra l famador ian

xoo. B i l l y l e a r n s t h a t t h e d e s t r u c t i o n of the u n i v e r s e i s

the r e s u l t of Tra l famador ians exper imen t ing w i t h a new

rocket f u e l . This scene p r e s e n t s Vonnegu t ' s ph i l o sophy

concerning the d e s t r u c t i o n of the u n i v e r s e by s c i e n c e . In

the next scene b r i e f l y i n t e r r u p t i n g the main s t o r y l i n e ,

Bi l ly time t r a v e l s to an a i r p l a n e f l i g h t in 1968. On board

the p lane i s a barbershop q u a r t e t t h a t reminds B i l l y of the

German s o l d i e r s in Dresden a f t e r they have seen t h e g r e a t

de s t ruc t i on of the f i r e s torm. Both the q u a r t e t and t h e

s o l d i e r s sing the same song "So Long F o r e v e r . "^^ As B i l l y

l i s t e n s to a r e p o r t of the d e s t r u c t i o n of Dresden, Hiroshima,

and Nagasaki , Vonnegut adds h i s own op in ions in comments

about the dea ths of Robert Kennedy, Mar t in Luther King, J r . ,

and the Vietnam war-dead. His ph i losophy concern ing s e n s e ­

l e s s k i l l i n g i s r e f l e c t e d a l s o in h i s comments about h i s

F a t h e r ' s i n h e r i t e d gun c o l l e c t i o n which he says i s now

"^Qlbid. , pp . 74-75 .

^ ^ I b i d . , p . 117.

"^^Ibid. , p . 178.

rusting

54 43

Adapting Breakfast of Champions

The adaptation of Breakfast of Champions attempts to

accomplish the same three goals as the adaptation of

Slaughterhouse-Five: to present the main story line, the

personality and character of Vonnegut, and his philosophies.

Once again the character of Vonnegut is presented in

Chapter I. In first person narrative, Vonnegut informs the

audience/reader of the purpose of the book and gives a brief

summary of the story line. In Chapter II the narration

changes from the first person to the omniscient point-of-

view. Since the character of Vonnegut re-enters the story

line toward the end of the novel, this character, as in

Slaughterhouse-Five, is retained as a first person narrator.

The main story line in Breakfast of Champions as

described by Vonnegut is "the tale of a meeting of two lone­

some, skinny, fairly old white men on a planet which was

44 dying fast." The two "old men" are Dwayne Hoover and

Kilgore Trout. Vonnegut writes many scenes about the travels

of Trout and Hoover before their destined meeting. In the

43 Ibid., p. 210.

^^onnegut, Breakfast of Champions, p. 7.

55 daptation many of these scenes were deleted. Aside from the

cenes which present Vonnegut's philosophies, personal choice

is the basis from the inclusion of some scenes in the final

, ntation. Scenes are chosen on the basis of what this

iter felt could be humorous and entertaining. W A ^

Little of Vonnegut's philosophy is included in Break-

^^5t of Champions, most of it being presented in the final

chapters when Dwayne learns "the meaning of life." Here,

Vonnegut describes the human race as "robots" who are unfeel­

ing toward Dwayne and his problems."^^ The final scene pre­

sents Vonnegut granting "freedom" to his characters in order

that he may begin a new writing career. However, the only

character informed of his emancipation is Kilgore Trout.

An adaptation may be described as "successful" if the

audience leaves the performance feeling as if they had

experienced reading the entire novel. As Bowen states, the

audience should feel as if "they too had read the book."

Simplicity of plot and story line are essential in achieving

this goal. If the adaptor includes too many scenes that

deviate from the main story line, his audience is apt to be

confused. However, if the adaptor does not include some of

these scenes, he may misrepresent the individual style of

^^ibid., pp. 253-57.

"^^Elbert R. Bowen, "Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon," in Coger and White, Readers Theatre Handbook, p. 184.

56

the novel. This delicate balance in presenting the right

^ount of plot and sub-plot is a problem this writer feels is

better achieved by creating goals and criteria for adapta­

tion.

The discussion of Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of

Champions has suggested that the character of Kurt Vonnegut,

Jr. remains consistent throughout both novels. Since

Vonnegut himself insists that the author's physical presence

should be in media adaptations of his works,"^^ this writer

decided to go one step further than media adaptations for

the Chamber Theatre presentation of "Vonnegut: So It Goes."

What better way to show the author's personality and charac­

ter than to present the physical presence of the author him­

self? Because Vonnegut's literature has been of personal

interest to this writer, the thesis chairman suggested that

he play the part of Vonnegut. The physical similarities

existing between Vonnegut and this writer was another factor

in reaching this decision.

The Perception and Evocation of Literature^"

Two basic approaches in oral interpretation to the

analysis and performance of literature currently exist. One

^^Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Between Time and Timbuktu, A Delta Book (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1972), p. xv.

"^^Leland H. Roloff, The Perception and Evocation of Literature (Glenview, Illinoisr Scott, Foresman and Company, 1973).

57

literary analysis approach; the second the perceptive

• o A discussion of each of these approaches as they evocative. "•

+ the oresentation of the character of Kurt Vonnegut, relate to tii' t"

. ^Y\e Chamber Theatre production of "Vonnegut: So It J* •

Goes" follows.

Literary Analysis

The literary analysis approach is advocated by many

authorities. Among those who have written textbooks concern­

ing i t are: Otis Aggertt and Elbert Bowen, ^ Wallace Bacon,^^

Charlotte Lee,^^ Alethea Mattingly and Wilma Grimes,^^ Robert

Beloof,^^ and Don Geiger.^^ The li terary analysis approach,

though each author makes use of variations, is a step-by-step

process for studying the historical and contextual background

of the literature and the author. Only after thoroughly

researching the author's background, his style of writing.

'^^Aggertt and Bowen, Communicative Reading.

^^Bacon, The Art of Interpretation.

•'"Lee, Oral Interpretation.

^^Alethea Smith Mattingly and Wilma H. Grimes, Interpre tation: Writer Reader, Audience (2nd ed.; Belmont, Californ­ia: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1971).

^^Robert Beloof, The Performing Voice in Literature (Boston: Li t t le , Brown and Company, 1966).

Don Geiger, The Sound, Sense, and Performance of Literature (Chicago: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1962).

58

and the historical period of the literature can the inter­

preter begin to perform orally. Close attention is given to

the performance of the literature as the author intended it

to be read. The interpreter is constantly evaluating his

performance, saying in effect, "I think this is what the

55

author meant." A literary analysis approach to the person­

ality and literature of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. would probably

have resulted in an attempt to duplicate exactly Vonnegut's

voice, reading style, and physical appearance. In fact, the

literary analysis method was first used by this writer. After

background research into Vonnegut's life, personality, and

physical and vocal characteristics, plus a study of critical

reviews of his writing, this writer proceeded to attempt to

"become" Vonnegut by imitating every bodily characteristic and

particularly concentrating on vocal imitation. The vocal

imitation was based upon Vonnegut's recording of Cat's

Cradle, in which he performs selected portions of that

novel. Research for physical representation was taken from

television appearances by Vonnegut. After weeks of labori­

ous attempts to imitate Vonnegut's voice and physical

gestures, both the director and other critics viewing

^^Aggertt and Bowen, Communicative Reading, p. 80.

Recording, Cat's Cradle, CaedmD.n Records, TC 1345.

59

rsals commented that this writer's attempt at duplicat-

the physical aspects of Vonnegut was interferring with

communication of the literature. Imitation of Vonnegut's

cments and voice were accurate; indeed, they were too

ccurate. Although Vonnegut is a fine writer in this

riter's opinion, he, like many other novelists and poets,

does not seem to be able to perform his own literature well.

Vonnegut reads without inflection, without changes in vocal

characteristics, without pauses; in short, he has a monoton­

ous voice. After researching alternate methods for inter­

preting Vonnegut's character, this writer chose a process

created by Leland Roloff: the perceptive evocative approach.

Perceptive Evocative Approach

57 The Perception and Evocation of Literature presents

the second approach to analysis and performance of litera­

ture. Roloff's approach assumes that the interpreter has

already accomplished the necessary research for the histori­

cal and contextual analysis of the author and the literature.

Now the interpreter is asked to begin anew in understanding

the literature. According to Roloff, the study of literature

is "somatic thinking--that is, thinking, intuiting, and feel-

57 Roloff, the Perception and Evocation of Literature.

60

about literature with the body."^ He asks that the ing

interpreter express the "uncommunicable" implications of

literature. Roloff's process is as follows: The reader

perceives the literature through confrontation with and

mediation upon the literature, asking himself, "What happened

to me in this initial experience?"^^ The response to this

first step should tend to "stimulate new perceptual relation-

ships between events." As a result, »»we have not one but

many possible performances in the interpretation of litera-

ture." The important point is that the response is evoked

from the literature through the reader's own perceptions, and

not through the perceptions of literary critics and/or

historians. Next, the reader creates what Roloff calls

"metaworlds." Metaworlds are created by the reader as he

perceives the literature. Metaworlds are "inner worlds

which are real to the perceiver, worlds in which he believes,

worlds to which he reacts, and worlds which--even conveyed with

a touch of genius--live with him always." Metaworlds may be

^Qlbid., p. 3.

^^Ibid., p. 23.

^^Ibid., p. 14.

^^Ibid. , p. 15.

62 Ibid., p. 9.

61

ftmoared to what is more commonly labeled "imagery." The

taworlds of which Roloff speaks are the result of the

ader's imagination working and creating scenes from the

literature. The reader then interprets through oral perform-

nce the metaworlds he has created. During the oral perform­

ance the reader continues to create metaworlds. As Roloff

explains: " . . . since metaworlds are created both by silent

reading and by oral performance of literature, the metaworld

of silent creation may be jarred or enhanced by the metaworld

63 voiced in performance." The interpreter's performance is

transmitted through "acoustic space," the area between the

performer and the audience which Roloff describes as the

64 "media through which literature is given life." Roloff

further states, "When literature is being performed in

acoustic space the audience is dependent upon the performer

for its perception of evocative elements." While seeing

and listening to the oral performance, audience members

create metaworlds of their own and respond to the performer

with feedback that creates "resonance." According to Roloff,

"resonance" is the affect of art which "creates a tension, a

63

Ibid., p. 11.

'Ibid. , p. 10.

64.

^^Ibid., p. 12.

62

kind of cognitive dissonance, and compelling center of

interest within the interpretive artist and his hearers."^^

jlodelin is a technique used to illustrate and simplify

visually a method or theory. Since the models are used in

speech communication to illustrate the communicative proc-

sincs, so too the model on page 63 is intended to illustrate

Roloff's process of perceiving and communicating literature.

jn this model, the writer attempts to present Roloff»s theory

in graphic form. The model is intended to illustrate

Roloff's process, beginning with the reader, showing the

intrapersonal process of the reader's perception of the

literature, creation of the metaworlds, and resultant

resonance. The reader then performs the literature which may

create greater resonance within himself. As the literature

is being performed in acoustic space, the model is intended

to illustrate the process the listener may experience; the

perception of the performance, resonance, creation of meta­

worlds, and finally the listener's perceptions of the litera­

ture as perceived from the performance. Each phase of the

process is continually interacting with the others, as

indicated by the arrows, thus creating greater perceptions of

literature, greater metaworlds, and greater resonance in both

66 Ibid., p. 16.

63

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64

j e reader and the audience member.

Characterization of Vonnegut

As a result of the application of Roloffs method, this

writer, instead of attempting to imitate precisely Vonnegut's

physical and vocal characteristics, chose to "empathize" with

the character of Vonnegut as presented in the literature.

Roloff defines empathy as the suggestion of "stance, posture,

and physical attitude inherent in the literature."^^ The

major task, then, was to express empathy with Vonnegut's

emotions as expressed in his literature and thus to suggest

elements of Vonnegut's personality and character within the

metaworlds created through experience with that literature.

The result was a character who suggested both Vonnegut's

physical appearance and voice as created through metaworlds.

Instead of suggesting what Vonnegut was like in real life,

this writer attempted to suggest what seemed to be his

character in the literature. There was a vocal change, but

the character Vonnegut could now reflect vocally an emotional

reaction to the metaworlds created from the literature. The

character of Vonnegut emotionally expressed pity and anger;

emotions which, because of his detachment or his inability to

perform, the real Kurt Vonnegut does not project in his

67 Ibid., p. 69.

65

^i^^< To prevent the characterization from becoming

-^^rding^* . - removed from the real character of Vonnegut, this

too x* oonrentrated on using restrained reactions and ijtiter conc-ei

tact ions.

Although the character of Vonnegut has very few lines,

empathy with, or his personal "attachment" to, the

»i«.r-»ture and action of the performance is essential. As

ill be discussed later, the character of Vonnegut is

SBOtionaliy tied to the actions and to the personalities of

the characters he creates. Roloff says of such an omniscient

narrator :

Especially interesting is the narrator who knows totally, or nearly totally, what is happening inside and outside the characters. Here his detachment or attachment is import­ant. At one extreme is what may be called a "clinical sense," a profound understanding of human motivation and feeling. At the other extreme may be a strong necessity of perceiving the world in a particular way, a "personalist sense" in which subjectivity is all-important.^^

Roloff also provides a checklist for analyzing a

character in literature. Hopefully, this writer's answers

reflect a knowledge about the character and literature of

Vonnegut through literary analysis^ perception of metaworlds

created through Roloff's method, and, more importantly, what

Ibid., p. 282.

66

was perceived through the metaworlds created by performing

the character of Vonnegut.

Checklist for Vonnegut's Characterization

All answers to Roloff's questions will be cited from

Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions unless other­

wise indicated. Quotations from these two novels from this

point on will be cited in parentheses following the descrip­

tion or quote. Slaughterhouse-Five will be abbreviated SH-5

and Breakfast of Champions will be abbreviated, Breakfast.

Page numbers also will be included in the parentheses.

Roloff asks the interpreter four basic questions. The

first question is, "What is the general impression created by

the character?" In explaining this question, Roloff states:

Our common language and our shared sensi­bilities acknowledge a range of human conduct along a continuum from simple to complex. In saying this we assume that all human beings are complex, but that some are more complex than others. . . . A constant temptation in dramatic litera­ture is to reduce all characters to simple terms in order to make them communicable. The fault is not with the dramatists so

69 often as it is with the perceivers.

In answer to Roloff's question, this writer found

Vonnegut's character to be highly complex. Vonnegut's

rajnbling narrative in the first chapters of both Slaughter-

^^ibid., pp. 315-16.

67

f

house-Fiv£ and Breakfast of Champions reflects the personality

f someone whose mind is continually creating tangents of

thought. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut begins talking

bout Dresden, only to be reminded of a limerick, which in

turn reminds him of a childhood song, which reminds him of

his late-night drinking and of talking to his dog. (SH-5,

D 2-7.) Only after long reminiscing does Vonnegut finally

return to the main point of his narration: the story of

Dresden. In Breakfast of Champions, Vonnegut views himself

as Philboyd Studge, a character whom he creates when he

wishes to take a critical look at his writing. Mr. Studge,

Vonnegut states, "is who I think I am when I write what I'm

seemingly programmed to write." (Breakfast, p. 4.) It is

also in Breakfast of Champions that Vonnegut thinks of him­

self as the "Creator of the Universe," a term he uses liter­

ally to mean that he creates and completely controls his

characters and scenes. However, Vonnegut also tells the

reader that he is having mental problems. He tells the reader

that he is "sick," has been seeing a psychiatrist, and that

his mother left him a legacy of suicide. (Breakfast, p. 294.)

Finally, Vonnegut mentions his relationship with his father.

As the "Creator of the Universe," he gives his character

Kilgore Trout many of the same physical features as his father

^^^' (Breakfast , p. 225.) Vonno.j at also sees his father in a

•i 5 1

68

iivoid which is my hiding place when I dematerialize."

(Breakfast, p. 294.) In this void, he hears his father's

voice calling, "Make me young, make me young, make me young."

(Breakfast, p. 295.) The psychological implications of these

events are many. However, any exact conclusions should be

drawn by an authority more qualified than this writer. The

examples do seem to prove, however, that Vonnegut is a

complex character and that the many interpretations could

evolve from the previous examples.

Roloff combines the second and third questions on his

checklist in his discussion of them. The second and third

questions are: "What are the persona's basic attitudes

toward life?" and "What are his important behaviors?" In

explaining these questions Roloff states:

While all four questions are bound together, these two must be considered together. An attitude is reflected in behavior. If an interpreter fails to suggest basic atti­tudes and important behaviors through verbal and non-verbal means, he has failed in the sense of dramatizing a person. An attitude is a bodily tone, a gestural thrust in space and time linked to the sounding voice and punctuating body in its total communicative

impact 70

Vonnegut's attitudes toward life seem to illustrate a

person who views mankind with a certain distrust. As

70 Ibid., p. 319.

I,

69

previously discussed, one of Vonnegut's themes is man's in­

humanity to man. This theme is presented time and again as

Vonnegut writes about the destruction of the world by

science. As was previously discussed, Vonnegut seems to be

anti-religious. He seems to prefer to believe in fate since

many of the characters in the novels have no control over

their futures. Billy Pilgrim is resigned to his time travels

and to acceptance of everything that happens, even though he

knows it is to happen beforehand. Vonnegut, as the "Creator

of the Universe," places his characters in precarious situa­

tions sometimes harmful to them, but he does so in order to

watch their reactions. Although the previous discussion

would tend to suggest cynicism, Vonnegut is really a loving

human being. At the end of Breakfast of Champions he tells

Trout, "Mr. Trout, I love you." (Breakfast, p. 292.)

Question four asks, "How does he use language?" In

explanation of this question, Roloff states:

Language manifests persona, it manifests actions, and it may, as well, point to a manifestation of potential action. In dramatic literature a distance exists--sometimes great, sometimes small--between human action and the language. What a person says with words need not be con­gruent to what a person says with his physical self. -"-

71 Ibid., p. 321

70

gr«*

language

Vonnegut's language is simple. His characters use a

t deal of colloquialism and profanity. Vonnegut's

as a character is also simple and profane. Vonne-

ut's limerick concerning a young man in Stamboul is ribald

And crass. (SH-5, pp. 2-3.) Vonnegut also creates language.

Hi* phrases are sometimes "coined" in his novels, and may be

Interpreted as symbolic, at times. For example, the recur-

rino phrase "So it goes" in Slaughterhouse-Five is repeated

only when there is a death or a description of death. His

phrase "And so on" in Breakfast of Champions is used to end

long descriptive passages, thus implying much more than

Vonnegut tells the reader. Finally, Vonnegut has his charac­

ter Kilgore Trout invent a definition of "leak" which Trout

uses to describe a mirror. Later, Vonnegut wears a pair of

mirrored sunglasses and calls them, using Trout's definition,

"leaks." (Breakfast, p. 192.)

Summary

Roloff's method of analyzing a character may help the

reader to create "metaworlds" of his own. In performing the

character of Vonnegut, this writer was tempted to research

the psychological background of Vonnegut's many idiosyncra­

sies and emotions. Hov/ev/er, he felt that such a study would

tend to categorize the characterization, stifling other

netaworlds that might be created by leaving his mind open to

71

Other interpretations.

Not a single rehearsal or performance occurred during

this writer did not learn something new about the

cter of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Even at this writing, many

*^ r,-f his character and personality still remain a facets oj-

* ,-„ However, this writer does not feel that an incom-jnystery.

lete character was presented. In his opinion, many facets

of Vonnegut's personality and character probably remain a

mystery to Vonnegut himself. The discovery of those

mysteries make the character of Vonnegut an interesting

challenge to the oral performer.

Chapter Four will present the criteria for the evalua­

tion of "Vonnegut: So It Goes" and the results of the

questionnaire completed by a group of qualified critics.

Recommendations for further research will also be discussed

in Chapter Four.

CHAPTER IV

CRITERIA, QUESTIONNAIRE, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Farewell, hello, farewell, hello. --Billy Pilgrim (Slaughterhouse-Five)

The purpose of this chapter is to present the criteria

and the questionnaire given to the panel members for the

Chamber Theatre presentation "Vonnegut: So It Goes." An

evaluation of the hypothesis presented in Chapter One will

also be discussed, exploring possible answers to those

questions. Conclusions drawn from this study will be pre­

sented. Finally, recommendations for further research will

be made.

Criteria and Questionnaire

The criteria for evaluation, the selection of panel

members, and the questionnaire are not in any way part of

an experiment. No controls were used for this evaluation

and no comparisons are intended. The questionnaire was

created to ascertain if a selected panel of critics could,

from criteria given, recognize different types of focus

and a Chamber Theatre production as a presentational form.

72

73

Panel Selection and Qualifications

panel members were selected with the consent and

oval of the thesis committee. The only stipulation

laced on panel members was that he/she have knowledge in

the field of speech, preferably oral interpretation.

Seventeen audience members received copies of the

criteria and the questionnaire. Of the seventeen, fifteen

returned the questionnaire completed.

The qualifications of the responding panel members

were impressive. All panel members had obtained college

degrees and nine had advanced degrees, three masters and

six doctorates. Eight members of the panel were speech

teachers. Evaluation of the panel members' backgrounds in

oral interpretation indicates that every member had had some

experience in that field of study. Eleven members had per­

formed as oral interpreters, nine had taught or coached oral

interpretation, nine had directed Chamber or Readers Theatre

productions, and eight had had other experiences, such as

judging and experimental work. One panel member had written

a masters thesis discussing Readers Theatre,

• Keith V. Erickson, "Opinions Held and/or Techniques Practiced in Readers Theatre by College Level Instructors, Directors of Readers Theatre and New York City Professional Readers" (unpublished M.A. thesis, Pennsylvania State University, 1968).

74

Mm#wi Responses to questions concerning background knowledge

rU'i, ,_ ^w- l i terature and l ife of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. indicates

teven members had read Slaughterhouse-Five^ and two had

m^MA f^rt^^Kfa^st of Champions. Five members had read other

mMtala or short stories by Vonnegut. Fourteen of the panel

'S had seen photographs of Vonnegut or his appearances

television. Three panel members had no previous exposure

to th« l i terature of Vonnegut.

Criteria For Evaluation

Criteria for evaluation were given to panel members

I bffor« they witnessed the presentation. The criteria

d^titiad and described the five types of focus and defined

And described the presentational formats of Readers and . . . • ' ' • ^ ^ ' " •

5 GhMt>«r Theatre. The purpose of the criteria was to give

g\i panel members the same information and background from

4 which to evaluate focus and type of presentational mode for

fjtht production of »»Vonnegut: So It Goes." A copy of the

\ Oltit«ria handout may be found in Appendix C.

Questionnaire

A copy of the questionnaire was given to each panel

2Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Slaughterhouse-Five, Delacorte/ , 3 »0ur Lawrence (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc.,

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Breadcfast of Champions, A Delta (New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973).

75

her before the presentation. No requirements as to when

Questionnaire was to be completed were made. Most panel tne T

bers chose to take it with them and return it later. A

of the questionnaire may be found in Appendix D.

Eight questions were asked. Each question will be

presented as stated in the questionnaire with results

following.

Question One: According to the criteria given to you before the performance, what t37pes of focus were used ia Slaughterhouse-Five? (check appropriate blanks)

A. Inward 10 B. On-stage 14 C. Off-stage 13 D. Direct audience 15 E. Character placement 10

The majority of members recognized the fact that all five

types of focus were presented.

The second part of Question One asks: What was the predominant focus for Slaughterhouse-Five?

A. Inward 2 B. On-stage 2 C. Off-stage 4 D. Direct audience 6 E. Character placement 1

The greatest number of members correctly chose direct audi­

ence and off-stage.

Question Two: According to the criteria given to you before the performance, what types of focus were used in Breakfast of Champions? (check appropriate blanks)

76

A. Inward 8 B. On-stage 15 C. Off-stage 15 D. Direct audience 14 E. Character placement 10

The two highest totals were on-stage and off-stage, each

selected by fifteen panel members. The third choice was

direct audience, selected by fourteen panel members. Again

all types of focus were actually used in the presentation of

Breakfast of Champions and most panel members recognized that

all were present.

The second part of Question Two asks: What was the predominant focus for Breakfast of Champions?

A. Inward O B. On-stage 6 C. Off-stage 4 D. Direct audience 5 E. Character placement 0

Again the predominant types correctly identified were direct

audience and on-stage.

Question Three: Did the movement (blocking, stage grouping, etc.) seem to evolve from the literature?

A. Yes 14

B. No 1

This question was asked to be included by the director of

"Vonnegut: So It Goes" in order that he might evaluate,

for his own curiosity, the success of the blocking in the

presentation. The one panel member who answered "no" did

not elaborate further on his answer.

77

The next two questions pertained only to members of

r anel who had read the two novels presented, the pa.ii«=-*-

Question Four: Do you think the adaptation was a fair , -justifiable representation of the novels?

c>ionnhterhouse-Five: Yes 5 No 0 No response 10 T T Tkfast of Champions: Yes 2 No 0 No response 13

Some panel members further explicated their answers.

Some of the interesting comments are quoted below.

I anticipated, and was rewarded with en­joyment, the recognition of lines and scenes from the books.

Flashback occurrences in Slaughterhouse-Five are difficult to understand, but script adaptation handled very well.

Question Five: Which elements of the novel do you think seemed to be presented in a complete, understandable, and justifiable manner in the adaptation? (check appro­priate blanks)

A. P l o t 3 B. C h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n s 6 C. Main s t o r y - l i n e 6 D. Vonnegut ' s phi losophy 6 E. Other 0 F. No response 8

Although eight of the panel members did not answer this

question, there seemed to be general consensus among the

members who did answer as to those elements of the novel

best presented. As was discussed in Chapter Two, three

aspects were chosen from Vonnegut's novels Slaughterhouse-

fi^e and Breakfast of Champions to be retained: Vonnegut's

78

philosophy, the main story-line, and Vonnegut•s writing

style. Two of the three aspects were recognized as included

in the adaptation by the panel members responding.

Question Six: Do you feel as though you now know more about the character, personality, and philosophy of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.?

Yes 15

No 0

The purpose of this question was to satisfy this writer's

personal curiosity concerning the characterization of Vonnegut.

Question Seven: According to the definitions estab­lished in the criteria that were given to you, how would you categorize Slaughterhouse-Five?

Readers Theatre 1 Chamber Theatre 14

Breadcfast of Champions?

Readers Theatre 2 Chamber Theatre 12 No response 1

Question Eight: If you have any other comments, or criticisms of the presentation or the questionnaire, I would appreciate your taking the time to share your view­point with me.

All panel members responded to this question. Some inter­

esting comments are quoted below:

Although I have read much of Vonnegut's work, to hear it and see it makes it more impressive--the difference between, to some degree, reading and seeing a play.

I felt the "ease" of presentation was

79

very like the feeling I have when read­ing Vonnegut.

Because I was looking for focus, I felt that the characters were inconsistent in maintaining a specific focus. It seemed that all of the characters were trying to avoid an audience focus but they just couldn't ignore the audience.

Conclusions concerning this questionnaire are drawn

as general observations rather than as any experimental

or statistical analysis. Concerning the presentational

mode of Chamber Theatre, this study would seem to indicate

that it is indeed a distinct mode of presentation. As was

discussed in Chapter Three, Chamber Theatre seems to use two

predominant types of focus, on-stage and direct. Panel mem­

bers seemed to reinforce this contention by their answers to

questions One and Two. Also, given criteria consisting of

descriptions and definitions of Chamber and Readers Theatre,

the panel members seemed to recognize the presentational

mode of Chamber Theatre. Also discussed in Chapter Two was

the adaptation of the literature to the presentational mode

of Chamber Theatre. Based on observations in this study, it

would seem that, when adapting narrative literature for

Chamber Theatre, careful consideration should be given to

the retention of the narrator's shifts in point of view.

Observations concerning the interpretation of the

literature, specifically the interpretation of Vonnegut,

80

seem to indicate that for this study Roloff s process of

perception and evocation can be applied with favorable

results.

Conclusions

Two h3/pothetical questions were stated in Chapter One.

First, how can the literary works of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. be

cut and arranged for presentation as Chamber Theatre? In

addition, how can the perceptive and evocative methods of

literary analysis for oral performance as set forth by

Leland H. Roloff be utilized to develop an oral interpreta­

tion of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. as he is presented in his liter­

ary works?

In answer to the first question, the study seems to

indicate that Vonnegut's literature can be cut and arranged

for presentation as Chamber Theatre by retaining his charac­

ter, major philosophies, and writing style in the adaptation.

In answer to the second question, this study indicates

that Vonnegut's character can be performed by analyzing the

literature and applying Roloffs process of perception and

evocation to the performance of the literature.

Recommendations for Future Study

Several studies are recommended for future research.

Experimental studies could be designed to compare and/or

81

ontrast various approaches to the analysis of literature

for oral performance. Other group performances of Vonne-

t's literature could be presented which adapt it to the nu t ^

presentational mode of Readers Theatre. Experimental

studies could be designed to compare adaptations of the same

piece of literature to the presentational modes of both

Readers and Chamber Theatre. Finally, this writer suggests

that more of Vonnegut's literature should be performed,

individually, as well as in groups. Based on personal ex­

perience with "Vonnegut: So It Goes" and from experience

with the Readers Theatre presentation of God Bless You,

Mr. Rosewater, the performance of Vonnegut's literature is

a rewarding experience for both the reader and the listener.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Primary Sources

Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. Between Time and Timbuktu. A Delta Book New Yorkr Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1972.

Breakfast of Champions. A Delta Book. New York: 'Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973.

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1965.

Cat's Cradle. New York: Dell Publishing Co., 'inc. , 1963.

Cat's Cradle. Caedmon Records, Inc., TC 1346.

Happy Birthday Wanda June. A Delta Book. New 'York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1970.

"In a Manner That Must Shame God Himself." Harper's Magazine, November, 1972, pp. 60-66.

Mother Night. Avon Books. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1961.

Player Piano. Avon Books. New York: Holt, "Rinehart & Winston, Inc., 1952.

"Science Fiction." New York Times, September 5,

"1965, p. 2.

Slaughterhouse-Five. Delacorte/Se3mour Lawrence "New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1969.

Slaughterhouse-Five. Caedmon Records, Inc.,

"T C "1376.

The Sirens of Titan. Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence NewYork: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1959.

82

83

Wampeters, Foma & Grandfa loons . New York: 'Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence, 1974.

Welcome to the Monkey House. The D e l a c o r t e "press . I n c . New York: Del l P u b l i s h i n g C o . , I n c . , 1968.

"What Women Rea l ly Want I s . . . . " Vogue, 'August 15 , 1972, pp . 56-57 .

Secondary Sources

Casey, John. "Kurt Vonnegut, J r . : A Sub te r r anean Conversa­t i o n . " Confluence, 2 , S p r i n g , 1969, p p . 3 - 5 .

F ied le r , L e s l i e A. »n?he Divine S t u p i d i t y of Kurt Vonnegut ." Esqu i r e , September, 1970, pp . 195-97 , 199-200.

Friedman, Bruce Jay , ed . Black Humor. New York: Bantam Books, I n c . , 1965.

F r i ed r i ch , O t t o . "Ul t ra Vonnegut." Time, May 7 , 1973, pp. 65-66, 69.

Goldsmith, David. Kurt Vonnegut: F a n t a s i s t of F i r e and I c e . Popular W r i t e r s S e r i e s , Pamphlet #2. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green U n i v e r s i t y Popular P r e s s , 1972.

Goldsmith, David Hi r sh . "The Novels of Kur t Vonnegut, J r . " Unpublished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n . Bowling Green S t a t e Un ive r s i t y , 1970.

Goshorn, James Wil l iam. "The Queasy World of Kurt Vonnegut, J r . : S a t i r e in the N o v e l s . " Unpubl ished Ph.D. d i s s e r t a t i o n . The U n i v e r s i t y of New Mexico, 1971 .

Klinkowitz, Jerome, and Somer, John, e d s . The Vonnegut Statement . A Del ta Book. New York: Dell Pub l i sh ing Co. , I n c . , 1973.

O'Hara, J . D. " I n s t a n t l y D i g e s t i b l e . " The New Repub l i c . May 12, 1973, pp . 26-28 .

84

Olderman, Raymond Michael. "Beyond the Waste Land: A Study of the American Novel in the Nineteen-Sixties." Un­published Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, 1969.

Reed, Peter J. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1972.

Schatt, Stanley. "The World Picture of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. University of Southern California, 1970.

Scholes, Robert. "Chasing A Lone Eagler Vonnegut's College Writing." Summary 1, #2, 1971, pp. 25-40.

Sergei, Christopher. Welcome to the Monkey House. Chicago: The Dramatic Publishing Company, 1970.

Sheed, Wilfred. "The Now Generation Knew Him When." Life, September 12, 1969, pp. 64-66, 69.

Shor, John. "Quick-Stasis: The Rite of Imitation in the Novels of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Northern Illinois University, 1971.

Standish, Eavid, "Playboy Interview: Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." Playboy, July, 1973, pp. 57-60, 62, 68, 70, 74, 214, 216.

Todd, Richard. "Breakfast of Champions: This Novel Contains More Than Twice Your Minimum Daily Requirements of Irony." The Atlantic Monthly, May, 1973, pp. 105-09.

Tunnel1, James R. "Kesey and Vonnegut: Preachers of Redemp­tion." Christian Century, November 22, 1973, pp. 1180-83.

Weinstein, Sharon Rosenbaum. "Comedy and Nightmare: The Fiction of John Hawkes, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Jerzy Kosinski, and Ralph Elison." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. University of Utah, 1971.

Who's Who in America. 37th ed. (1971-72). Chicago: Marquis-Who's Who, Inc., 1972.

(unsigned). "Best Seller List." New York Times Book Review, June 24, 1973, p. 37.

85

signed). "60 Minutes." CBS News Transcript, September "" 15, 1970, pp. 14-17.

nsigned) . "We Talk to . . . Kurt Vonnegut." Mademoiselle, ^ August, 1970, p. 296.

Oral Interpretation

Books

Aggert t , O t i s J . , and Bowen, E l b e r t R. Communicative Reading. 3rd ed . New York: The Macmillan Company, 1972.

Bacon, Wallace A. The Art of I n t e r p r e t a t i o n . 2nd ed . New York: H o l t , R inehar t & Wins ton , I n c . , 1972.

Beloof, Robert . The Performing Voice in L i t e r a t u r e . Bos ton: L i t t l e , Brown and Company, 1966.

Bertram, Jean De S a l e s . The Oral Expe r i ence of L i t e r a t u r e . San F r a n c i s c o : Chandler P u b l i s h i n g Company, 1967.

Coger, L e s l i e I r e n e , and Whi te , Melvin R. Readers Thea t r e Handbook: A Dramatic Approach t o L i t e r a t u r e . Rev. ed. New York: S c o t t , Foresman and Company, 1973.

Geeting, Baxter M. I n t e r p r e t a t i o n fo r Our Time. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Company, P u b l i s h e r s , 1966.

Geiger, Don. The Sound, Sense , and Performance of L i t e r a ­t u r e . Chicago: S c o t t , Foresman and Company, 1963.

Lee, C h a r l o t t e I . Oral I n t e r p r e t a t i o n . 4 t h ed . Bos ton: Houghton Mif f l in Company, 1971 .

L i g g e t t , Clayton E. Concert T h e a t r e . New York: R ichards Rosen P r e s s , I n c . , 1970.

Maclay, Joanna Hawkins. Readers T h e a t r e : Toward a Grammar of P r a c t i c e . New York: Random House, I n c . , 1971.

Mat t ing ly , Alethea Smith, and Grimes, Wilma H. I n t e r p r e t a ­t i o n : W r i t e r , Reader, Audience . 2nd ed . Belmont, C a l i f o r n i a : Wadsworth P u b l i s h i n g Company, 1971 .

86

Boloff) Leland H. The Perception and Evocation of Litera­ture. Glenview, I l l ino is : Scott, Foresman and Company, 1973.

Scrivner, Louise. A Guide to Oral Interpretation. New York The Odyssey Press, Inc. , 1968.

Articles and Journals

Breen, Robert S., "Chamber Theatre." I l l inois Speech and Theatre Journal/Ill inois Speech Association, 26 (Fall, 1972), 20-23.

"Chamber Theatre." Suggestions for a Course of " Study in Secondary School Theatre Arts. Rev. ed.

Washington, D.C.: American Educational Theatre Association, Inc., 1968, pp. 107-10.

Cobin, Martin. "Response to Eye-Contact." Quarterly Journal of Speech, XLVIII (December, 1962), 415-18.

Coger, Leslie Irene. "Interpreters Theatre: Theatre of the Mind." Quarterly Journal of Speech, XLIX, No. 2 (April, 1962), 157-64.

Dalan, Nonna Childress. "Audience Response to Use of Offstage Focus and Onstage Focus in Readers Theatre." Speech Monographs, XXXVIII (March, 1971), 74-77.

711 . . . ' King, Judy Yordan, "Chamber Theatre by Any Other Name

The Speech Teacher, XXI, No. 3 (September, 1972), 193-96.

Kleninau, Marion L., and Kleninau, Marvin D. "Scene Location in Readers Theatre: Static or Dynamic?" The Speech Teacher, XIV, No. 3 (September, 1965), 193-99.

Marlor, Clark S. , ed. "Readers' Theatre Bibliography." Central States Speech Journal, XII, No. 2 (Winter, 1961), 134-37.

. "Readers' Theatre Bibliography." Central States Speech Journal, XVII, No. 1 (February, 1966), 33-39.

87

"Readers' Theatre Bibliography: 1965-1969." Bib1iographic Annual in Speech Communication (1972 Annual) New York: Speech Communication Association, pp. 21-34.

<lleux, Jere. "The Interpreter: His Role, Language, and ^* Audience." Speech Teacher, XVI, No. 2 (March, 1967),

124-33.

Unpublished Material

Rowen, Elbert R. "Handout Sheet for Readers Theatre Class: 320." Central Michigan University, 1971.

Personal Letter from Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Copy in "—— ^Bowen's Personal Files, 1969.

Brizzi> Jack Lynn, "An Experimental Study of Chamber Theatre as a Teaching Device in a Ninth Grade Literature Class." Unpublished M.A. thesis, Kent State Univer­sity, 1965.

Coston, Norma Griffin. "An Adaptation of Stories of the Bible for Chamber Theatre." Unpublished M.S. thesis. East Texas State College, 1965.

Erickson, Keith V. "Opinions Held and/or Techniques Practiced in Readers Theatre by College Level Instructors, Directors of Readers Theatre and New York City Professional Readers." Unpublished M.A. thesis, Pennsylvania State University, 1968.

Loving, M. Lavern. "'Here Is A Place': An Application of the Group Involvement Approach to a Readers' Theatre Production of Southwest Literature." Unpublished M.A. thesis, Texas Tech University, 1971.

Simpson, Vera Loie. "A Readers' Theatre Production of Sophocles' Electra." Unpublished M.A. thesis, Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University), 1972.

"A Study of Selected Radio Plays by Norman Corwin for Adaptation to Readers Theatre." Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Wayne State University, 1972.

APPENDIX

f^^ Script for "Vonnegut: So It Goes"

o. Review of Production

Q^ Criteria for "Vonnegut: So It Goes"

P, Questionnaire for Chamber Theatre Production

88

89

APPENDIX A: SCRIPT FOR "VONNEGUT: SO IT GOES"

Abbreviations Used in the Script

. „ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Venn ^ ' _ p Billy Pilgrim

Reader Number One R-1

R-2

R-3

Reader Number Two

Reader Number Three

R_4 Reader Number Four

R>5 Reader Number Five (In Brealcfast of Champions only)

R-6 Reader Number Six (In Breakfast of Champions only)

90

"VONNEGUT: SO IT GOES"

Slaughterhouse-Five

Vonn: All this happened, more or less. The war parts, any-way* ^^^ pretty much true. One guy I knew really did die of the dry heaves after digging for bodies in Dresden. Another guy I knew really was a colonel from Cody, Wyoming. And so on. I've changed all the names.

I would hate to tell you what this lousy little book cost me in time, anxiety, and money. I thought it would be easy for me to write about the destruction of Dresden, since all I would have to do would be to report what I had seen. And I thought, too, that it would be a masterpiece or at least make me a lot of money, since the subject was

so big. But not many words about Dresden came from my mind

then--not enough of them to make a book, anyway. And not many words come now, either, when I have become an old fart with his memories and his Pall Malls, with his sons full grown.

I think of how useless the Dresden part of my memory has been, and yet how tempting Dresden has been to write about, and I am reminded of the famous limerick:

There was a young man from Stamboul, Who soliloquized thus to his tool: "You took all my wealth And you ruined my health. And now you won't pee, you old fool.'^

And I'm reminded, too, of the song that goes:

My name is Yon Yonson, I work in Wisconsin, I work in a lumbermill there. The people I meet when I walk down the street. They say, "What's your name?" And I say. My name i s Yon Yonson, I work i n Wisconsin

And so on to i n f i n i t y .

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Over the years, people I've met have often asked me t I'm working on, and I've usually replied that the main

*'hing was a book about Dresden. I said that to Harrison Starr, the movie-maker, one

time

and Vonn. together: and he raised his eyebrows and

[nquired,

« a- " I s i t an a n t i - w a r b o o k ? " R-J. -

Venn: "Yes . I g u e s s . "

K-3: "You know what I say to people when I hear they're ;^ting anti-war books?"

Vonn: "No. What do you say, Harrison Starr?"

R-3: "I say. Why don't you write an anti-glacier book Tn¥tead?" What I meant, of course, was that there would always be wars, that they were as easy to stop as glaciers.

Vonn: I believe that, too. When I was somewhat younger, working on my famous Dresden book, I asked an old war buddy named Bernard V. O'Hare if I could co-re to see him. We had been privates in the war. We had never expected to make any money after the war, but we were doing quite well. But now we are both grown up, and I'm an old fart with his memories and his Pall Malls. My name is Yon Yonson, I work in Wisconsin, I work in a lumbermill there.

I had the Bell Telephone Company find him for me. They are wonderful that way. I have this disease late at night sometimes, involving alcohol and the telephone. I get drunk, and I drive my wife away with a breath like mustard gas and roses. And then, speaking elegantly into the telephone, I ask the telephone operators to connect me with this friend or that one, from whom I have not heard in years. Sometimes I try to call up old girl friends on the telephone late at night, after my wife has gone to bed. 'Operator, I wonder if you could give me the number of a Mrs. So-and-So. I think she lives at such-and-such.'

B"l • "I'm sorry, sir. There is no such listing."

Vonn: "Thanks, Operator. Thanks just the same." And I let the dog out, or I let him in, and we talk

Some. I let him know I like him, and he lets me know he

92

likes me. He doesn't mind the smell of mustard gas and roses. 'You're all right, Sandy,' I'll say to the dog. lyou know that, Sandy? You're O.K.'

Anyway, I got O'Hare on the line. I told him who I was yn the telephone.

R-4: I had no trouble believing it. I was up, and reading. Everybody else in my house was asleep.

Venn: "Listen, I'm writing this book about Dresden. I'd Yike some help remembering stuff. I wonder if I could com^ down to see you, and we could drink and talk and remember."

R-4: I was unenthusiastic. I said, "I really can't remem-hc7 too much," but ' you can come on ahead though."

Venn: "I think the climax of the book will be the execution of poor Edgar Derby. The irony is so great. A whole city gets burned down, and thousands and thousands of people are killed. And then this one American foot soldier is arrested in the ruins for taking a teapot. And then he's shot by a firing squad."

R-4: "Um."

Vonn: "Don't you think that's really where the climax should come?"

R-4: "I don't know anything about it. That's your trade, not mine."

Vonn; A couple of weeks after I telephoned my old war buddy, Bernard V. O'Hare, I really did go to see him. I met his nice wife, Mary, and I admired the two little girls of O'Hare's. Then Mary sent them upstairs to play games and watch television. It was only after the children were gone that I sensed that Mary didn't like me or didn't like some­thing about the night. She was polite but chilly. After the children were out of sight, she turned to me and let me see how angry she was, and that the anger was for me.

R"2: "You were just babies then!"

Vonn: "What?"

R-2: "You were just babies in the war like my babies up-

93

stairs.

I nodded that this was true. We had been foolish •^—I'ns in the war, right at the end of childhood.

"But you're not going to write it that way, are you?"

vonn: "I--I ^ ^ ' know."

., 2 • "Well, I know. You'll pretend you were men instead of faFies, and you'll be played in the movies by Frank Sinatra and John Wayne or some of those other glamorous, war-loving, dirty old men. And war will look just wonderful, so we'll have a lot more of them. And they'll be fought by babies like the babies upstairs."

Vonn: So then I understood. It was war that made her so angry. She didn't want her babies or anybody else's babies killed in wars. And she thought wars were partly encour­aged by books and movies. So I held up my right hand and I made her a promise: "Mary, I don't think this book of mine is ever going to be finished. I must have written five thousand pages by now, and thrown them all away. If I ever do finish it, though, I give you my word of honor, there won't be a part for Frank Sinatra or John Wayne. I tell you what, I'll call it 'The Children's Crusade'."

R-2: I was his friend after that.

Vonn: I looked through the Gideon Bible for tales of great destruction. "The sun was risen upon the Earth when Lot entered into Zo-ar. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire and overthrew those cities, and all the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew upon the ground,"

And Lot's wife, of course, was told not to look back where all those people and their homes had been. But she did look back, and I love her for that, because it was so human.

So she was turned to a pillar of salt. So it goes. People aren't supposed to look back. I'm certainly

not going to do it anymore. I've finished my war book now. The next one I write is

going to be for fun. This one is a failure, and had to be, since it was

written by a pillar of salt. It begins like this:

94

Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. • ends like this: poo-tee-weet?

R.l: Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. He ]JJ walked through a door in 1955 and come out another one in 1941. He has gone back through that door to find himself in 1963. He has seen his birth and death many times, he says, and pays random visits to all the events in between, he says.

R-2: Billy is spastic in time, has no control of where he "is going next, and the trips aren't necessarily fun. He is in a constant state of stage fright, he says, because he never knows what part of his life he is going to have to act in next.

R-3: Billy was born in 1922 in Ilium, New York. He was a funny-looking child who became a funny-looking youth--tall and weak, and shaped like a bottle of Coca-Cola. He gradu­ated from Ilium High School in the upper third of his class, and attended night sessions at the Ilium School of Optom­etry for one semester before being drafted for military service in the Second World War. His father died in a hunt­ing accident during the war. So it goes.

R-1: Early in 1968, on a charted plane to Montreal, Billy and 100 other optometrists, crashed into Sugarbush Mountain, in Vermont. Everybody was killed but Billy. So it goes.

B.P.: When Billy finally got home to Ilium after the air­plane crash, he was quiet for a while. He had a terrible scar across the top of his skull.

R-2: And then, without any warning, Billy went to New York City, and got on an all-night radio program devoted to talk.

B.P.; He told about having come unstuck in time. He said too, that he had been kidnapped by a flying saucer in 1967. The saucer was from the planet Tralfamadore, he said. He was taken to Tralfamadore, where he was displayed naked in a zoo, he said.

R-1; He was mated there with a former Earthling movie star named Montana Wildhack.

95

2- Billy said that the Tralfamadorians were two feet r^h, and green, and shaped like plumber's friends. Their ction cups were on the ground, and their shafts, which ore extremely flexible, usually pointed to the sky. At the

of each shaft was a little hand with a green eye in i' s aim. The creatures were very friendly.

B P. ' l h most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore as''that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist. When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is 'So it goes'.

R-3: Some night owls in Ilium heard Billy on the radio, and one of them called Billy's daughter Barbara.

R-1: Barbara was upset. She and her husband went down to New York and brought Billy home. "Don't lie to me Father, I know perfectly well you heard me when I called you on the phone last night...."

R-2: This was a fairly pretty girl, except that she had legs like an Edwardian grand piano. Now she raised hell with him about the radio talk show.

R-1: "Father, Father, Father...what are we going to do with you?"

B.P. : 'What is it about me that makes you so mad?"

R^i* "It's all just crazy. None of it's true! There is no such planet as Tralfamadore."

B^P^: It can't be detected from Earth, if that's what you mean. Earth can't be detected from Tralfamadore, as far as that goes. They're both very small.

^zl.' "Where did you get a crazy name like 'Tralfamadore?'"

S-'Pj,' "That's what the creatures who live there call it."

96

R.l: "Ob God. May I ask you a simple question?"

„ p • "Of course." B«'-L*

R-1: "Vv/hy is i t you never mentioned any of this before the Jifplane crash?" ~

B .p.: "I didn't think the time was ripe."

R.4: Billy first came unstuck while World War Two was in progress. Billy was a chaplain's assistant in the war. A chaplain's assistant is customarily a figure of fun in the American army. Billy was no exception. He was powerless to harm the enemy or to help his friends. In fact he had no friends. He bore no arms and had a meek faith in a loving Jesus which most soldiers found putrid,

R-1: When Billy joined the regiment, it was in the process of being destroyed by the Germans in the famous Battle of the Bulge.

B.P. : Billy survived, but he was a dazed wanderer far be­hind the new German lines,

R-2: Three other wanderers, not quite so dazed, allowed Billy to tag along. Two of them were scouts, and one was an antitank gunner. They were without food or maps. Avoiding Germans, they were delivering themselves into rural silences ever more profound. They ate snow.

R-4: After three days of wandering, Billy was captured by two German boys in their early teens, two ramshackle old men, and a German commander who was red-eyed, scrawny, and sick of war.

R-2: The Germans sorted out the prisoners according to rank. They put sergeants with sergeants, majors with majors, and so on. A squad of full colonels was halted near Billy. One of them had double pneumonia. He had a high fever and vertigo. As the railroad yard dipped and swooped around the colonel, he tried to hold himself steady by staring into Billy's eyes.

R~3: The colonel coughed and coughed, and then he said to Billy J "You one of my boys?"

97

This was a man who had lost an entire regiment, about rr^l^ five hundred men--a lot of them children, actually. forty-J-- ^ '

P . Billy didn't reply. The question made no sense.

3. 'What was your outfit?" Every time he inhaled his •J^gs rattled like greasy paper bags.

P • Billy couldn't remember the outfit he was from.

R-3: "You from the Four-fifty first?"

B.P. : "Four-fifty-first what?"

R-3: "Infantry regiment "

R-2: There was a long silence, with the colonel dying and dying, drowning where he stood

R-3: "It's me, boys! It's Wild Bob!"

R-1: That is what he had always wanted his troops to call him: 'Wild Bob' .

R-3: But the colonel imagined that he was addressing his beloved troops for the last time, and he told them that they had nothing to be ashamed of, that there were dead Germans all over the battlefield who wished to God that they had never heard of the Four-fifty-first. He said that after the war he was going to have a regimental reunion in his home town, which was Cody, Wyoming. He was going to barbecue whole steers.

B.P. : As he shouted this speech at his imaginary troops, he made the inside of poor Billy's skull echo with balderdash.

- ••3: "God be with you, boys! If you're ever in Cody, Wyoming, just ask for Wild Bob!"

Vonn: I was there. So was my old war buddy, Bernard V. O'Hare.

Billy Pilgrim was packed into a boxcar with many other privates. Most of the privates on Billy's car were very young at the end of childhood. But crammed into the corner With Billy was a former hobo who was forty years old.

98

R-4: "1 been hungrier than this," the hobo told Billy. "I JJJn in worse places than this. This ain't so bad."

R-3: Billy Pilgrim's train, the longest train of all, did •^^ move for two days.

R-4: "This ain't bad,*" the hobo told Billy on the second • ^ , "This ain't nothing at all."

R-1: Even though Billy's train wasn't moving, its boxcars Ji7e kept locked tight. Nobody was to get off until the final destination. To the guards who walked up and down outside, each car became a single organism which ate and drank and excreted through its ventilators. It talked or sometimes yelled through its ventilators, too. In went water and loaves of black bread and sausage and cheese, and out came shit and piss and language.

R-2: Human beings in there were excreting into steel hel-inets which were passed to the people at the ventilators, who dumped them.

B.P.: Billy was a dumper.

R-3: The human beings also passed canteens, which guards would fill with water.

R-2: When food came in, the human beings were quiet and trusting and beautiful. They shared.

R-1: Now the train began to creep eastward. Somewhere in there was Christmas.

B.P.: Billy Pilgrim nestled like a spoon with the hobo on Christmas night, and he fell asleep, and he traveled in time to 1967 again to the night he was kidnapped by a flying saucer from Tralfamadore.

R-j : Billy Pilgrim could not sleep on his daughter's wed­ding night.

B.P.: Billy now shuffled down his upstairs hallway, knowing he was about to be kidnapped by a flying saucer. He padded downstairs and went into the kitchen where he found a half bottle of champagne on the table. Its label boasted that it contained no nourishment whatsoever.

99

R-1: "Drink me," it seemed to say.

op,: So Billy uncorked it with his thumbs. it didn't make

a pop.

R-3: The champagne was dead. So it goes,

B.P. : Billy looked at the clock. He had an hour to kill before the saucer came. He went into the living room, turn­ed on the television. He came slightly unstuck in time, saw the late movie backwards, then forwards again. It was a movie about American bombers in the Second World War and the gallant men who flew them. Seen backwards by Billy, the story went like this:

R-1: American planes, full of holes and wounded men and corpses flew backwards over a German city that was in flames. The bombers opened their bomb bay doors, exerted a miracu­lous magnetism which shrank the fires, gathered them into cylindrical steel containers, and lifted the containers into the bellies of the planes.

R-4; The Germans below had miraculous devices of their own, which were long steel tubes. They used them to suck frag­ments from the crewmen and planes. They made everything and everybody as good as new.

R-3: When the bombers got back, the steel cylinders were taken and shipped back to the factories where they were made. Touchingly, it was mainly women who separated the dangerous contents into minerals, which were then shipped to special­ists in remote areas, who put them into the ground, so they would never hurt anybody ever again.

Billy; Billy saw the war movie backwards then forwards and then it was time to go out into his backyard to meet the flying saucer.

B^P^: He stopped, took a swig of the dead champagne. It was like 7-Up. Overhead he heard the cry of what might have oeen a melodious owl, but it wasn't. It was a flying saucer irom Tralfamadore.

E:ii: "Toodle-oo," it seemed to say, "Toodle-oo."

^ j ^ : Billy's will was paralyzed by a zap gun aimed at him

100

9 from one of the portholes. He was hauled into the airlock and only then the rays from the zap gun let him go. Billy's brain started working again.

j ^ : There were two peepholes inside the airlock--with ^ l o w eyes pressed to them. There was a speaker on the wall. The Tralfamadorians had no voice boxes. They communi­cated telepathically. They were able to talk to Billy by means of a computer and a sort of electric organ which made every Earthling speech sound.

R-1: "Welcome aboard, Mr. Pilgrim. Any questions?"

B^P.: Billy licked his lips, thought a while, inquired at last: "Why me?"

R-2: "That is a very Earthling question to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber?"

B.P. : "Yes." Billy, in fact, had a paperweight in his office which was a blob of polished amber with three lady-bugs embedded in it.

R-2: 'V/ell, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why."

R-1: The terrific acceleration of the saucer as it left Earth twisted Billy's slumbering body, distorted his face, dislodged him in time, sent him back to the war.

B.P.: And Billy let himself down oh so gradually now, hang­ing on to the diagonal cross-brace in the corner in order to make himself seem nearly weightless to those he was joining on the floor. He knew it was important that he make himself nearly ghostlike when lying down. He had forgotten why, but a reminder soon came.

R-3: "Pilgrim--is that you?"

B.P.; Billy didn't say anything, but nestled very politely, closed his eyes.

R-3: "God damn it, that is you, isn't it?" He sat up and explored Billy rudely with his hands. "It's you, all right. Get the hell out of here."

101

o . NOW Billy sat up, wretched, close to tears. B** • *

1. tTGet out of here! I want to sleep!" R-:3 •

R-4: "Shut up will 'ya?"

P 3. "I'll shut up when Pilgrim gets away from here."

n p. : So Billy stood up again, clung to the cross-brace.

TivJhe're can I sleep?"

R-3: "Not with me."

R-4: "Not w i t h me, you son of a b i t c h . You y e l l . You k ick . And w h i m p e r . "

B.P. : " I d o ? "

R-4: "You're God damn right you do. Keep the hell away from here. Pilgrim."

B.P. : So Billy Pilgrim had to sleep standing up, or not sleep at all. And food had stopped coming in through the ventilators, and the days and nights were colder all the time,

R-4: On the eighth day, the forty-year-old hobo said to Billy, "This ain't bad, I can be comfortable anywhere,"

B.P.: "You can?"

R-3: On the ninth day, the hobo died. So it goes.

R-j: His last words were, "You think this is bad? This ain't bad."

- "i • Listen--on the tenth night the peg was pulled out of the hasp on Billy's boxcar door, and the door was opened. I'he train had arrived on a siding by a prison which was originally constructed as an extermination camp for Russian prisoners of war.

£iP^: Billy didn't want to drop from the car to the ground. He sincerely believed that he would shatter like glass.

^li: So the guards helped him down.

102

R-2: ^nd Billy and the rest were encouraged to shuffle J^und their dinky train and into the prison camp. Here there wasn't anything warm or lively to attract them--merely long, low, narrow sheds by the thousands, with no lights inside.

B.P. : Billy'blacked out as he walked through gate after gate. He came to in what he thought might be a building on Tralfamadore. "Where am I?"

R-2: "Trapped in another blob of amber, Mr. Pilgrim. We are where we have to be just now--three hundred million miles from Earth, bound for a time warp which will get us to Tralfamadore in hours rather than centuries."

B.P.: "How did I get here?"

R-2: "It would take another Earthling to explain it to you, Earthlings are the great explainers; explaining why this event is structured as it is, telling how other events may be achieved or avoided, I am a Tralfamadorian, seeing all time as you might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains, All time is time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber."

B.P. : "You sound to me as though you don't believe in free will."

R-2: "If I hadn't spent so much time studying Earthlings, I wouldn't have any idea what was meant by 'free will.' I've visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe, and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will."

R-4: "Halt," said a guard.

R^: The Americans halted. They stood there quietly in the cold. The sheds they were among were outwardly like thou­sands of other sheds they had passed. There was this differ ence though: the sheds had tin chimneys, and out of the chimneys whirled constellations of sparks.

R-4: A guard knocked on a door.

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R-1: The door was flung open from inside. Light leaped out •^ough the door, and escaped from prison at 186,000 miles per second.

.,3- Out marched fifty middle-aged Englishmen, They were Tinging "Hail, Hail, the Gang's all Here," from the Pirates Qf Penzance,

R-2: These lusty, ruddy vocalists were among the first TTJ^lish-speak ing prisoners to be taken in the Second World War. Now they were singing to nearly the last. They had not seen a woman or a child for four years or more.

R-1 : Now they were singing their welcome to their guests in "th winter night. Their clothes were aromatic with the feast they had been preparing. They were dressed half for battle, half for tennis. They imagined that they were sing­ing to fellow officers fresh from the fray.

R-4: They wrestled the .American toward the shed door affectionately filling the night with manly blather and brotherly rodomontades. They called them,

R-3: "Yank."

R-4: Telling them...

R-3 : "Good show."

R-4: Promised them that,,,

R-3: "Jerry was on the run,"

R-4, And so on.

B,P. : Billy Pilgrim wondered dimly who Jerry was.

R"l: Now Billy was indoors, next to an iron cookstove that was glowing cherry red. He was so close in fact that the hem of his coat caught on fire, Billy wondered if there was a telephone somewhere.

B.P.: Billy wanted to call his mother, to tell her he was alive and well,

^"3: There was silence now, as the Englishmen looked in

104

astonishment at the frowsy creatures they had so lustily waltzed inside. One of the Englishmen saw that Billy was on fire. "You're on fire, lad! Oh, Yank, Yank Can you talk? Can you hear?"

B.P.: Billy nodded.

R-3: "My God--what have they done to you, lad? This isn't a man. It's a broken kite. Are you really an American?"

B.P._: ^'Yes."

R-3: "And your rank?"

B.P. : "Private.'^ Billy didn't like the questions. They were fatiguing.

R-3: "Ohhh-Yank, Yank, Yank Jerry has made you into an insult."

B.P. : "Who?"

R-3: "The Germans. You mustn't let Jerry do things like that."

B.P.: Billy Pilgrim swooned. Billy came to on a chair fac­ing the stage. He had somehow eaten and now he was watching the British soldiers performing the play Cinderella. Some part of him had evidently been enjoying the performance for quite a while. Billy was laughing hard.

R-4: The women in the play were really men, of course. The clock had just struck midnight, and Cinderella was lamenting:

R-3: "Goodness me, the clock has struck Alackaday, and fuck my luck."

B.P. ; Billy found the couplet so comical that he not only laughed--he shrieked. He went on shrieking until he was carried out of the shed and into another, where the hospital Was. It was a six-bed hospital.

R-1: Billy was put to bed and tied down, and given a shot of morphine.

B.P. : And Billy traveled in time to the zoo on Tralfamadore.

105

was forty-four years old, on display under a geodesic He was reclining on the lounge chair which had been

cradle during his trip through space. He was naked.

He dome his

2« The Tralfamadorians were interested in his body all "T^t. There were thousands of them outside, holding up their little hands so that their eyes could see him. Billy had been on Tralfamadore for six Earthling months now. He was used to the crowd.

n p, : Billy was displayed there in the zoo in a simulated Earthling habitat.

R-1: Most of the furnishings had been stolen from the Sears iJoebuck warehouse. There was a color television set and a couch that could be converted into a bed. There were end tables with lamps and ashtrays on them by the couch. There was a home bar and two stools. And there was wall to wall carpeting.

R-3: There were no walls in the dome, no place for Billy to hide. The mint green bathroom fixtures were right out in the open. Billy got off his lounge chair now, went into the bathroom and took a leak. The crowd went wild.

B.P.: Billy ate a good breakfast from cans. Then he did exercises he had learned in the Army straddle jumps and deep knee bends.

R-1: Most Tralfamadorians had no way of knowing Billy's body and face were not beautiful. They supposed that he was a splendid specimen.

B.P. : This had a pleasant effect on Billy, who began to enjoy his body for the first time.

F-3: Outside, a Tralfamadorian zoo guide was lecturing telepathically, sending out thought waves to the crowd. On the platform with him was a little keyboard instrument with which he would relay questions to Billy from the crowd. Now the first question came:

Srj.: "Are you happy here?"

-iCL* "About as happy as I was on Earth." But the subject

106

of war never came up until Billy brought it up himself. MAS you know, I am from a planet that has been engaged in senseless slaughter since the beginning of time. I myself have seen the bodies of schoolgirls who were boiled alive in a water tower by my own countrymen, who were proud of fight­ing pure evil at the time."

Vonn: This was true. Billy saw the boiled bodies in Dresden.

B.P.: "Earthlings must be the terrors of the Universe! If other planets aren't now in danger from Earth, they soon will be. So tell me the secret so I can take it back to Earth and save us all: How can a planet live at peace?" Billy felt that he had spoken soaringly. He was baffled when he saw the Tralfamadorians close their little hands on their eyes. He knew from past experience what this meant: He was being stupid, ^"Would--would you mind telling me what was so stupid about that?"

R-2: "We know how the Universe ends--and Earth has nothing to do with it, except that it gets wiped out, too,"

B.P. : *'How--how does the Universe end?"

R-2: "We blow it up, experimenting with new fuels for our flying saucers. A Tralfamadorian test pilot presses a starter button, and the whole Universe disappears. So it goes."

B.P.; "If you know this, isn't there some way you can pre­vent it? Can't you keep the pilot from pressing the button?

R-2; "He has always pressed it, and he always will. We always let him and we always will let him. The moment is structured that way,"

B.P.: »»So--I suppose that the idea of preventing Barth is stupid too."

war on

R-2: "Of course."

B.P,; "But you do have a peaceful planet here."

R-2: "Today we do. On other days we have wars as horrible

107

s any you've ever seen or read about. There isn't any­thing we can do about them, so we simply don't look at them, u/e ignore them. We spend eternity looking at pleasant moments like today at the zoo. Isn't this a nice moment?"

R-2: "That's one thing Earthlings might learn to do, if The y tried hard enough: Ignore the awful times, and concen­trate on the good ones."

B.P._: "Um."

R-4: Listen : Billy Pilgrim says he went to Dresden, Ge7many, on the day after his morphine night in the British compound.

R-1: The Americans arrived in Dresden at five in the after-noon. The doors were opened, and the doorways framed the loviest city that most of the Americans had ever seen. The skyline was intricate and voluptuous and enchanted and absurd.

B.P.: It looked like a Sunday school picture of Heaven to Billy Pilgrim.

Vonn. : Someone behind him in the boxcar said, "Oz." That was I that was me. That was the author of this book. The only other city I'd ever seen was Indianapolis, Indiana.

R-2: Every other big city in Germany had been bombed and burned ferociously. Dresden had not suffered so much as a cracked window pane. Sirens went off every day, and people went down into cellars and listened to radios there. The planes were always bound for some place else.

R-3: Steam radiators still whistled cheerily in Dresden. Streetcars clanged. Telephones rang and were answered. Lights went on and off when switches were clicked. The principal enterprises of the city were medicine, food-processing, and the making of cigarettes.

B"l: The parade of American prisoners staggered and reeled to the gate of the Dresden slaughterhouse, and then they went inside. The Americans were taken to the fifth building inside the gate. It was a one-story cement-block cube with sliding doors in front and back. It had been built as a

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shelter for pigs about to be butchered. Now it was going to serve as a home away from home for one hundred American prisoners of war.

R-2: There was a big number over the door of the building. Jhe number was five. Before the Americans could go inside, their only English-speaking guard told them to memorize their simple address, in case they got lost in the big city. Their address was this: "Schlachthoffunf." Schlachthof meant slaughterhouse. Funf was good old five.

B.P.: Billy Pilgrim got onto a chartered airplane in Illium "twenty-five years after that. He knew it was going to crash, but he didn't want to make a fool of himself by say­ing so. It was supposed to carry Billy and twenty-eight other optometrists to a convention in Montreal.

R-3: The plane took off without incident. The moment was structured that way. There was a barbershop quartet on board. They were optometrists, too. They called themselves "The Febs," which was an acronym for the "Four-eyed Bastards."

R-2: Bill's father-in-law asked the quartet to sing his favorite song. They knew what song he meant, and they sang it, and it went like this:

Me and Mike, ve vork in mine. Holy shit, ve have good time. Vunce a veek ve get our pay. Holy shit, no vork next day.

Billy's father-in-law laughed and laughed.

R-3: The barbershop quartet on the airplane was singing "Wait Until the Sun Shines, Nelly." When the airplane smacked into the top of Sugarbush Mountain in Vermont. Everybody was killed but Billy and the copilot. So it Goes.

B.P,; Billy thought hard about the effect the quartet had had on him, and then he found himself time traveling once again to the experience of Dresden, 1944:

R-1: He was down in the meat locker on the night that Dresden was destroyed. There were sounds like giant foot­steps above. Those were sticks of high-explosive bombs. The

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Americans and four of their guards were safe in the cellar f the meat locker. The rest of their guards had gone to the comforts of their own homes in Dresden. They were all being killed with their families. So it goes.

R_4: A guard would go to the head of the stairs every so T fTen to see what it was like outside, then he would come down and whisper to the other guards.

11^3: There was a fire-storm out there. Dresden was one big fTarae. The one flame ate everything organic, everything that would burn.

R-1: It wasn't safe to come out of the shelter until noon the next day. When the Americans and their guards did come out, the sky was black with smoke. Dresden was like the moon now, nothing but minerals.

R-2: The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighbor­hood was dead.

Vonn: So it goes.

R-3: The guards drew together instinctively, rolled their eyes. They experimented with one expression and then an­other, said nothing, though their mouths were often open. They looked like a silent film of a barbershop quartet,

Vonn: "So long forever," they might have been singing, "old fellows and pals; So long forever, old sweethearts and gals--God bless 'em, God bless 'em, God bless 'em all,"

B.P, : Billy Pilgrim was meanwhile traveling back to Dresden, two days after the city was destroyed, Billy and the rest were being marched into the ruins by their guards,

Vonn: I was there, O'Hare was there.

R~l: Prisoners of war from many lands came together to be­gin digging for bodies. The soldiers nicknamed their digging "corpse mining".

B«P.: Billy found himself paired as a digger with a Maori, who had been captured at Tobruk.

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R-2: There were hundreds of corpse mines operating by and 5 ^ They didn't smell bad at first, were wax museums. But then the bodies rotted and liquefied, and the stink was like roses and mustard gas.

R-3: The Maori Billy had worked with died of the dry h^ves, after having been ordered to go down in that stink and work. He tore himself to pieces, throwing up and throw­ing up.

All: So it goes...

R-2: So a new technique was devised. Bodies weren't brought up any more. They were cremated by soldiers with flamethrowers right where they were. The soldiers stood outside the shelters, simply sent the fire in.

R-3: On the night of March 9th, 1945, an air attack on Tokyo by American heavy bombers, using incendiary and high explosive bombs, caused the death of 83,793 people. The atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 71,379 people. The bombing of Dresden killed 135,000 people, by a conservative estimate.

R-4: I deeply regret that British and U.S. bombers killed 135,000 people in the attack on Dresden, but I remember who started the last war and I regret even more the loss of more than 5,000,000 Allied lives in the necessary effort to com­pletely defeat and utterly destroy Nazism.

Vonn: So it goes Robert Kennedy, whose summer home is eight miles from the home I live in all year round, was shot two nights ago. He died last night,,,So it goes,,,

Martin Luther King was shot a month ago. He died, too. So it goes.

And every day my Government gives me a count of corpses created by military science in Vietnam. So it goes.

My father died many years ago now--of natural causes. So it goes. He was a sweet man. He was a gun nut, too. He left me his guns. They rust.

R-1; And somewhere in there was springtime. The corpse mines were closed down. The soldiers all left to fight the Russians.

B.P, : Billy and the rest of his group were locked up in the

Ill

stable in the suburbs. And then one morning, they got up to discover that the door was unlocked.

R-3: World War Two in Europe was over.

B.P.: Billy wandered out onto the shady street. There was no traffic of any kind. There was only one vehicle, an abandoned wagon drawn by two horses, in which sat Billy Pilgrim.

R-1: The wagon was green and coffin-shaped.

R-2: Birds were talking, and singing.

B.P.: One bird said to Billy Pilgrim, "Poo-tee-weet?"

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

Vonn: This book is my fiftieth birthday present to myself. I feel as though I am crossing the spine of a roof--having ascended one slope. What do I myself think of this particu­lar book? I feel lousy about it, but I always feel lousy about my books. My friend Knox Burger said one time about a certain cumbersome novel...

R-4: "Read it as though it had been written by Philboyd Studge."

Vonn: That's who I think I am when I write what I am seem­ingly programmed to write. I am programmed at fifty to perform childishly. I think I am trying to clear my head of all the junk in there. I am trying to make my head as empty as it was when I was born onto this damaged planet fifty years ago. This is a tale of a meeting of two lonesome, fairly old white men on a planet which was dying fast.

R-3: One of them was a science-fiction writer named Kilgore Trout.

R-2: He was a nobody at the time, and he supposed his life was over. He was mistaken. As a consequence of the meeting between him and Dwayne Hoover, he became one of the most beloved and respected human beings in history,

R-5: The man he met was an automobile dealer, a Pontiac dealer, named Dwayne Hoover, IDwayne Hoover was on the brink of going insane,

R-2: Dwayne Hoover was fabulously well-to-do when he met Kilgore Trout,

R-1: And here's how much of the planet Kilgore Trout owned in those days:

R-3: Doodley-squat.

j _2. Kilgore Trout and Dwayne Hoover met in Midland City,

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hich was Dwayne' s home town, du r ing an A r t s F e s t i v a l t h e r e in autumn of 1972.

R-6: Dwayne was a widower. Dwayne' s wi fe had k i l l e d h e r -"seTf by swallowing Drano, which a t e her i n s i d e s o u t . Dwayne's only companion a t n i g h t was a Labrador R e t r i e v e r named Sparky. Sparky could not wag h i s t a i l because of an automobile a cc id en t many yea r s ago , so he had no way of t e l l ­ing o the r dogs how f r i e n d l y he was . He had to f i g h t a l l the t ime.

R_5: EXvayne r e se rved most of h i s c o n v e r s a t i o n for the dog. Hi~would ge t down on the f l o o r and r o l l around w i t h Sparky, and he would say th ings l i k e , "You and me. Spark , " and "How's my o ld buddy?" And so on.

Vonn: Ki lgore Trout was a f a i r l y o ld man. I made him snagg le - too thed . I gave him h a i r , bu t I t u rned i t w h i t e , I wouldn ' t l e t him comb i t or go to a b a r b e r , I made him grow i t long and t ang led .

I gave him the same l e g s the Crea to r of t he Universe gave to my f a t h e r when my f a t h e r was a p i t i f u l o ld man. They were p a l e whi te b r o o m s t i c k s . They were h a i r l e s s . They were embossed f a n t a s t i c a l l y wi th v a r i c o s e v e i n s .

R-2: Ki lgore Trout owned a Pa rakee t named B i l l . Like Dwayne Hoover, Trout was alone a t n i g h t , excep t for h i s p e t .

R-3: T rou t , t o o , t a lked to h i s p e t .

R-6: But whi le Dwayne babbled to h i s Labrador R e t r i e v e r about l o v e . Trout sneered and mut t e red to h i s p a r a k e e t about the end of the wor ld .

R-3: "Any time now. B i l l . And h igh t ime , t o o . "

R"l : I t was T r o u t ' s theory t h a t t he a tmosphere would become unbrea thab le soon.

R_^: Trout supposed t h a t when the a tmosphere became p o i s o n ­ous . B i l l would kee l over a few minu tes b e f o r e Trout d i d .

fi~3; He would k id B i l l about t h a t , "How's the o ld r e s p i r a ­t i o n . B i l l ? "

R-1 : He would say, o r .

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R_3: "We never discussed what kind of funeral you want, BiTl. You never even told me what your religion is."

Vonn: And so on.

R_l: Trout did another thing which some people might have •^^sidered eccentric: He called mirrors leaks. It amused him to pretend that mirrors were holes between two universes.

R-3: If Trout saw a child near a mirror, he might wag his finger at a child warningly, and say with great solemnity: «»Don't get too near that leak. You wouldn't want to wind up in the other universe, would you?"

R-2: Sometimes somebody would say in his presence,

R-4: "Excuse me, I have to take a leak."

R-2: This was a way of saying that the speaker intended to drain liquid wastes from his body through a valve in his lower abdomen.

R-3: And Trout would reply waggishly, "Where I come from, that means you're about to steal a mirror."

Vonn: And so on.

R-3: Trout tried to make his living by installing and sell­ing aluminum combination storm windows and screens. But he was a failure because he had no charm.

R-1: Charm was a scheme for making strangers like and trust a person immediately, no matter what the charmer had in mind,

R-5; Dwayne Hoover had oodles of charm.

Vonn: I can have oodles of charm when I want to.

R-2: A lot of people have oodles of charm.

R-4; Trout's employer and co-workers had no idea that he was a writer. No reputable publisher had ever heard of him, for that matter. He got in touch with a firm called "World Classics Library," which was a publishing company who published hard-core pornography.

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j,_3 . They used his stories, which usually didn't even have ^ Sraen in them, to give bulk to books and magazines of salacious pictures. Here is what they paid him.

R-3: Doodley-squat.

R-4: Trout received only one fan letter before 1972. It 7i[s from an eccentric millionaire, named Elliot Rosewater. The letter was hand written, and Trout concluded that the writer might be fourteen years old or so. The letter said that Trout should be President of the United States, for his great writings.

R-3: Trout read the letter out loud to his parakeet. ""Things are looking up, Bill, Always knew they would,"

Vonn: Two months after Trout received his first fan letter, I had him find in his mailbox an invitation to be a speaker at an Arts Festival in the American Middle West. The letter had a letterhead with two masks which represented comedy and tragedy. They looked like this:

R-2: The letter was from the Festival's chairman, Fred T. Barry. Barry confessed that he had not read the works of Kilgore Trout, but he beseeched him to be one of several distinguished guests and out of town participants to cele­brate the opening of the Mildred Barry Memorial Center for the Arts in Midland City.

R-4: "You come highly recommended by Elliot Rosewater, who assures me that you are perhaps the greatest living American novelist. There can be no higher praise than that."

R-2: Clipped to the letter was a check for one thousand dollars. It was a lot of money.

R-1: Trout was suddenly fabulously well-to-do!

R-3: Trout laughed at the flattering invitation. "Why all this sudden interest in Kilgore Trout? They not only want Kilgore Trout, they want him in a tuxedo. Bill. Some mistake has been made. Maybe they invited me because they know I have a tuxedo."

R-2: Then Trout thought about what Bill himself might want. It was easy to guess.

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R_3 : "Bill, I like you so much, and I am such a big shot in "the Universe, that I will make your three biggest wishes come true." He opened the door of the cage, something Bill couldn't have done in a thousand years.

R_l : Bill flew over to a windowsill. He put his little "Shoulder against the glass.

R -3; "Your second wish is about to come true. Bill." And he again did something which Bill could never have done. He opened the window. But the opening of the window was such an alarming business to the parakeet that he flew back to his cage and hopped inside. "That's the most intelligent use of three wishes I ever heard of. You made sure you'd still have something worth wishing for to get out of the cage."

R-1: Two days before the Festival was to begin, he deliver­ed Bill into the care of his landlady upstairs, and he hitchhiked to Midland City--with five hundred dollars pinned to the inside of his underpants.

R-5: Dwayne was meanwhile getting crazier all the time. He saw eleven moons in the sky over the new Memorial Center one night. The next morning, he saw a huge duck directing traffic at the intersection of Arsenal Avenue and old County Road.

R-2: He didn't tell anybody what he saw. He maintained secrecy.

R-4; And the bad chemicals in his head were fed up with secrecy. They were no longer content with making him feel and see queer things. They wanted him to do queer things, also, and make a lot of noise.

R-1; They wanted Dwayne Hoover to be proud of his disease.

R-2; The only person who said out loud that Dwayne was go­ing crazy was Dwayne's sales manager at the Pontiac agency, who was Harry LeSabre.

R-6; A full week before Dwayne went off his rocker, Harry said to Francine Pefko, Dwayne's secretary and mistress: "Something has come over Dwayne. He used to be so charming. I don't find him charming anymore."

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R-1 : "Harry," said Francine, "everybody is entitled to a few bad days. Dwayne has fewer than anybody I know, so when he does have one like today some people are hurt and sur­prised. They shouldn't be. He's human like anybody else,

R-6: "But why should he single out me?"

R-2: Dwayne had singled him out for astonishing insults and abuse that day. Everybody else still found Dwayne nothing but charming,

R-6: "Why me?"

Vonn: This was a common question. People were always ask­ing that as they were loaded into ambulances, or arrested, or burglarized, or socked in the nose, and so on: "Why me?"

R-4: E^ayne was going crazy. For instance, on the day he insulted Harry's clothing, he also spent two hours with Vernon Garr, his friend, discussing the hallucinations Vernon's wife was having, "She sees things that aren't there," said Vernon.

R-5: "She needs a rest, Vern."

R-4: 'Maybe I'm going crazy, too. Christ, I go home and I talk for hours to my dog."

R-5 : "That makes two of us, Vern."

R-1 : Meanwhile, Kilgore Trout got a ride in a truck. The truck looked like this; A little ways down the road the truck driver stopped at a rest stop.

R-4: "Excuse me," said the truck driver to Trout, "I've got to take a leak."

R-3: "Back where I come from, that means you're going to steal a mirror. We call mirrors leaks."

g-^: "I never heard that before Leaks" He pointed to a mirror. "You call that a leak?"

R-3: "Doesn't it look like a leak to you?"

.R : "No. Where did you say you were from?"

118 R-3: "I was born in Bermuda."

R^: About a week later, the driver would tell his wife that mirrors were called leaks in Bermuda, and she would tell her friends.

R-]^: At the rest stop Trout noticed a message written in jSTcil on the tiles of the bathroom. This was it: "What is the purpose of life?"

R-3: Trout plundered his pockets for a pen or pencil. He had an answer to the question. But he had nothing to write with. So he left the question unanswered, but here is what he would have written if he had found anything to write with:

To be the eyes and ears and conscience of the Creator of the Universe you fool.

R-1; The truck Trout hitched a ride on was hauling seventy-eight thousand pounds of Spanish olives. The truck drove along country roads of New Jersey. The driver said he used to be a hunter long ago. It broke his heart when he imagined what the marshes and meadows and lakes had been only a hundred years before.

R-4: "And when you think of the shit that most of these factories make wash day products, cat food, pop "

R-2: He had a point. The planet was being destroyed by manufacturing processes, and what was being manufactured was lousy, by-and-large.

R-3; "Well, I used to be a conservationist. I used to weep and wail about people shooting bald eagles. There's a river in Cleveland which is so polluted that it catches fire about once a year. That used to make me sick, but I laugh about it now. When some tanker accidently dumps its load in the ocean, and kills millions of birds and billions of fish, I say, 'More power to Standard Oil, or whoever it was that dumped it.' Up your ass with Mobil gas!"

R.l: Around the town of Cohoes, the truck driver pretended

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that Trout had begged to know what the sex life of a trans­continental truck driver was l ike .

R -3: Trout had begged no such thing.

P^^. "You want to know how truck drivers make out with JSmen, right?"

R-3: Trout shrugged.

R_4: "Let me tell you, Kilgore that's your name, right?"

R-3: "Yes".

R-4: " K i l g o r e , God damn i t i f I was t o have my r i g b r e a k down i n C o h o e s , f o r i n s t a n c e , a n d I was t o have t o s t a y t h e r e for two d a y s w h i l e i t was w o r k e d o n , how e a s y you t h i n k i t would be f o r me t o g e t l a i d w h i l e I was t h e r e ? "

R-3 : " I t would d e p e n d on how d e t e r m i n e d you w e r e . "

R-4: "Yeah, God t h a t ' s p r o t a b l y t h e s t o r y of my l i f e : not enough d e t e r m i n a t i o n . "

R-5: Meanwhi le EXvayne' s b a d c h e m i c a l s l e d him a c r o s s t h e lobby of a H o l i d a y I n n . But when he s t e p p e d o u t of t h e s i d e door of t h e I n n a n d o n t o t h e a s p h a l t p r a i r i e which s u r r o u n d ­ed b o t h t h e I n n a n d h i s P o n t i a c a g e n c y , he d i s c o v e r e d t h a t someone had t u r n e d t h e a s p h a l t i n t o a s o r t of t r a m p o l i n e . I t sank b e n e a t h Ds 'ayne ' s w e i g h t . I t d ropped Dwayne t o w e l l below s t r e e t l e v e l , t h e n s l o w l y b r o u g h t him o n l y p a r t way up a g a i n . He was i n a s h a l l o w , r^-ibbery d i m p l e , Dwayne t o o k ano the r s t e p i n t h e d i r e c t i o n of h i s a u t o m o b i l e a g e n c y . He sank down a g a i n , came up a g a i n , and s t o o d i n a b r a n d new dimple , IXvayne p r o g r e s s e d f r c m d i m p l e t o d i m p l e . He blopped a c r o s s t h e u s e d c a r l e t now. He s t o p p e d i n a d i m p l e , looked up a t a young b l a c k man. The b l a c k man was p o l i s h i n g a maroon 1970 B u i c k S k y l a r k c o n v e r t i b l e w i t h a r a g . He wore * cheap b l u e s u i t and a w h i t e s h i r t and a b l a c k n e c k t i e . A l s o : He w a s n ' t m e r e l y p o l i s h i n g t h e c a r he was b u r n i s h -

' g i t , IXvayne t h o u g h t t h e young man was an h a l l u c i n a t i o n ,

. « ^ : "Good m o r n i n g s i r , " s a i d t h e young man t o Dwayne,

R-5 "Good m o r n i n g " , EWayne s a i d i t s o f t l y , so h i s v o i c e

120 wouldn't carry very far, in case he was conversing with an hallucination. Dwayne entered his showroom. The ground wasn't blooping underneath him anymore, but now he saw something else for which there could be no explanation: A palm tree was growing out of the showroom floor.

R-4: Dwayne's bad chemicals made him forget all about Hawaiian Week.

R-2_z "Hawaiian Week" was a sales promotion scheme which involved making the agency look as much like the Hawaiian Islands as possible.

R-5: The tree so bewildered Dwayne that he almost swooned. Then he looked around and saw pineapples and ukuleles scattered everj/where. And then Dwayne saw the most un­believable thing of all. His sales manager, Harry LeSabre, came toward him wearing a lettuce-green leotard, straw sandals, and a grass skirt, and a pink T-shirt which looked like this:

R-6: "Aloha" he said.

R-5: When CWayne Hoover saw Harry he could not believe it. So he made himself not see it. He went into his office, which was also cluttered with ukuleles and pineapples.

R-2: Harry LeSabre, meanwhile, had been destroyed by EAvayne. He was nervous in the first place and had spent all weekend arguing with his wife whether or not Dwayne sus­pected that Harry was a transvestite. They concluded that Dwayne had no reason to suspect it. Harry never talked about women's clothes or entered a transvestite beauty contest or exchanged Polaroid pictures with any other trans-vestites.

R-4: Now when Dwayne treated Harry as though he were in­visible, Harry thought he had revealed himself as a revolt­ing transvestite, and that he would be fired.

R-6: Harry closed his eyes. He never wanted to open them again. His heart sent this message to his molecules: "For reasons obvious to us all, this galaxy is dissolved!"

R-3: Meanwhile, Kilgore Trout was not far away and he was

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steadily closing the distance between himself and Dwayne. He passed a sign upon entering the confines of Midland City. Here is what the sign said:

R_2: Dwayne Hoover was only four miles away. He was sitting alone in a cocktail lounge of the new Holiday Inn. It was dark in there, and quiet too.

R_l: "Give me a Black and White and water," he heard the waitress say.

Vonn: Dwayne should have pricked up his ears at that. That particular drink wasn't for any ordinary person. That drink was for the person who had created all of Dwayne's misery to date, who could kill him or make him a millionaire or send him to prison or do whatever he damn pleased with him. That drink was for me,

I had come to the Arts Festival incognito, I was there to watch a confrontation between two human beings I had created: D vayne Hoover and Kilgore Trout. I was not eager to be recognized, I had on a pair of sunglasses. The lenses were silvered, were mirrors to anyone looking my way. Anyone wanting to knov/ what my eyes were like was confronted with his or her own twin re.flections. Where other people in the cocktail lounge had eyes, I had two holes into another universe. I had leaks.

"This is a very bad book you're writing" I said to my­self behind my leaks.

"I know" I said. "You're afraid you'll kill yourself the way your mother

did," I said, "I know," I said.

There in the cocktail lounge, peering out through my leaks at the world of my own invention, I mouthed this word: schizophrenia. I did not and do not know for certain that I have that disease.

I am better now. Word of honor: I am better now.

I was really sick for a while though. I sat there in a cocktail lounge of my own invention, and I stared through my leaks at a cocktail waitress of my own invention. I named ber Bonnie MacMahon. I had her bring Dwayne Hoover his customary drink, which was a House of Lords martini. Bonnie

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made a joke now as she served liira his martini. She made the same joke every time she served anybody a martini.

R-1 : "Breakfast of Champions."

^ : Dwayne Hoover just sat there. He was still hypnotized, turned inward. He had bats in his bell tower. He was off his rocker. He wasn't playing with a full deck of cards.

Vonn: Bonnie brought me another drink. She wanted to light the hurricane lamp on my table.

R-1: "Can you see anything in the dark with your sunglasses on?"

Vonnr ' The big show is inside my head."

R-1: "Oh."

Vonn: "I can tell fortunes. You want your fortune told?" I am on the same par with the Creator of the Universe."

R-2: Meanwhile, Kilgore Trout found himself standing on the shoulder oC the Interstate, gazing across a small river named Sugar Creek. He merely had to cross that creek and he would be at the same cocktail lounge that Dwayne Hoover was at.

R-4: There were no bridges across the creek. He would have to wade. So he sat down on a guardrail, removed his shoes and socks, rolled his pantlegs to his knees.

Vonn: I also gave Kilgore my father's feet, too, which were long and narrow and sensitive.

R-3: Trout lowered his artistic feet into the concrete trough containing Sugar Creek. They were coated at once with a clear plastic substance from the surface of the creek. The plastic substance was coming from the Barryton plant. Trout lifted one coated foot from the water, the plastic substance dried in air instantly, sheathed his foot in a thin, skin-tight bootie resembling mother of pearl. Trout climbed out of the trough and onto the asphalt desert which was the parking lot of the Holiday Inn. It was his plan to enter the lobby of the Inn on wet bare feet, to leave foot-

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prints on the carpet like this: So Trout entered the lobby as the most grotesque human being who had ever come in there.

R_l: All around him were what other people called mirrors which he called leaks. The entire wall which separated the lobby from the cocktail lounge was a leak ten feet high and thirty-feet long. There was another leak on the cigarette machine and yet another on the candy machine.

R-3: And when Trout looked through them to see what was going on in the other universe, he saw a red-eyed, filthy old creature who was barefoot, who had his pants rolled up to his knees.

Vonn: And I sat there in the new Holiday Inn, and made it disappear, then appear again, then disappear, then appear again. It was high time, I thought, for Trout to meet Dwayne Hoover, for Dwayne to run amok. So Kilgore Trout entered the cocktail lounge.

Vonn: Trout was feeling spooky. He chose a table close to me and Dwayne Hoover. He laid down on his table a copy of his novel. Now it Can Be Told. This was the book which Dwayne Hoover would soon take so seriously.

I made Trout nervous. Trout was the only character I ever created who had enough imagination to suspect that he might be the creation of another human being. He had spoken of this possibility several times to his parakeet. He had said, for instance,

R-3: Honest to God, Bill, the way things are going, all I can think of is that I'm a character in a book by somebody who wants to write about somebody who suffers all the time,

Vonn: Now Trout was beginning to catch on that he was sit­ting very close to the person who created him. He was embarrassed. It was hard for him to know how to respond, since his responses were going to be anything I said they were.

R-4: Kilgore Trout's white tuxedo shirt suddenly became the center of focus for Dwayne Hoover,

R-2: The reason for this was due to the cocktail lounge's ultraviolet light, which makes white clothes ridiculously

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bright. There in the cocktail lounge, Dwayne Hoover's bad chemicals suddenly decided that Kilgore Trout had the secrets of life.

R-^: Dwayne tottered up from his banquet, crashed down again next to Trout. "Give me the message."

Vonii: And here Dwayne did something extraordinarily un­natural. He did it because I wanted him to. It was some­thing I had ached to have a character do for years and years.

He rested his chin on poor Trout's shoulder, dug in with his chin,

R-5: "The message?"

R-4: Dwayne's chin was shattering his shoulder,

R-5: Dwayne, snatched up Trout's novel. Now It Can Be Told, "Is it? Is it?"

R-4: "Yes--that's it,"

R-5: EXvayne now began to read hungrily, as though starved for print,

R-2 R-1 R-4 R-6 R-2

R-6 R-2

Dear sir, poor sir, brave sir:" he read, "You are an experiment by the Creator of the Universe, You are the only creature in the entire Universe who has free will.

R-1: You are the only one who has to figure out what to do next, and why. Everybody else is a robot, a machine. Some persons seem to like you. And others seem to hate you, and you must wonder why. They are simply liking machines, hating machines. You are surrounded by loving machines, hating machines, greedy machines, cowardly machines, truthful machines.

R-6 R-4 R-1 R-2 R-4 R-1 R-4 R-.2 R-6 R-1

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R-6: lying machines, R-1: funny machines, R-2: solemn machines. R-4: Their only purpose is to stir you up in every conceiv­

able way Vonn: So the Creator of the Universe can watch your re­

actions. .. R-1: They can no more feel or reason, R-2: than grandfather clocks.

R-5: Dwayne got to his feet now, having wolfed down tons of thousands of words. He was going to respond to his new understanding of life with finesse, for an audience of two--himself and his Creator. He walked swiftly over to the piano bar. "Never hit a woman, right" he said to the Creator of the Universe. He then socked Bonnie MacMahon in the belly. He honestly believed that they were unfeeling machines.

"All you robots want to know why my wife ate Drano? I'll tell you why: She was that kind of machine!" Dwayne went berserk. • He began to hurt people, whom he thought were merely machines. Dwayne didn't kill anybody on his ram­page, but he hurt eleven people so badly they had to go to the hospital. He hurt so many people seriously that a special ambulance known as Martha was called.

R-2 : Martha was a full-sized General Motors transconti­nental bus, but with the seats removed. It had enough food and medical supplies aboard to serve as an independent little hospital for a week without help from the outside world.

Vonn: My psychiatrist is also named Martha. She gathers jumpy people together into little families which meet once a week. It's a lot of fun. She teaches us how to comfort one another intelligently. She is on vacation now. I like her a lot.

R-3: Trout was one of the walking wounded. He had tried to grab Dwayne from behind. Trout's right ring finger somehow slipped into Dwayne's mouth and r>Arayne bit off the topmost joint. So Trout was made also to climb aboard Martha, where he was taken to the hospital with the rest of the wounded.

R-4: Here is what EWayne said to the policemen when they

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finally stopped him

R-5 : "Thank God, you're here."

vonn: As for myself: I kept a respectful distance between all the violence--even though I had created Dwayne and his violence. Even so, I came out of the riot with a broken watch crystal and what turned out later to be a broken toe.

R-3: Meanwhile Trout signed release forms at the hospital. He assumed that the Arts Festival would still take place that night, so he set out on foot toward the Midland City Center for the Arts.

Vonn: I was waiting to intercept him, about six blocks away. I sat in a Plymouth Duster I had rented from Avis with my Diner's Club card.

When Trout saw me he turned away. He hastened anxiously back toward the hospital. So I chased him. Trout was cantering when I came alongside. "Whoa! Whoa! Mr. Trout! Whoa! Mr. Trout!" It slowed him down to be called by name. '•lA/hoa! I'm a friend!" I bring you tidings of great joy."

R-3: "Are are you from the Arts Festival?"

Vonn: "I am from the Everything Festival."

R-3: "What?"

Vonn: "Mr. Trout, I am a novelist, and I created you for use in my book. I'm your creator. You're in the middle of a book right now close to the end of it actually."

R-3: "Pardon me?"

Vonn: "Feel free to ask anything you want--about the past, about the future.

R-3 : "Are you crazy?"

Vonn: "No." And I shattered his power to doubt me, I transported him to the Taj Mahal and then to Venice and then to the surface of the Sun where the flames could not consume him and then back to Midland City again. The poor old man crashed to his knees.

127 "Mr. Trout Kilgore 1 am approaching my fiftieth birth­day. I am cleansing and renewing myself for the very different sorts of years to come. Under similar conditions, Thomas Jefferson freed his slaves. I am going to set at liberty all the literary characters who have served me so loyally during my writing career. Mr. Trout 1 love you. I have broken your mind to pieces. I want to make it whole. You are the only one I am telling. For the others tonight will be a night like any other night. Arise, Mr. Trout, you are free. Bon voyage."

I somersaulted lazily and pleasantly through the void, which is my hiding place when I dematerialize. Trout's cries to me faded as the distance between us increased.

His voice was my father's voice. I heard my father and I saw my mother in the void. My mother stayed far, far, away, because she had left me a legacy of suicide.

A small hand mirror floated by. It was a leak with a mother of pearl handle and frame. I captured it easily, held it up to my own right eye, which looked like this:

Here was what Kilgore Trout cried out to me in my father's voice: "Make me young, make me young, make me young!"

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APPENDIX B: REVIEW OF PRODUCTION

"REVIEW: VONNEGUT'S WORKS GIVEN LIFE IN CHAMBER THEATER PRODUCTlON'^i

Those of you who have seen such previous Tech produc­

tions as "The Investigation" and "God Bless You,

Mr. Rosewater" already know that some of the most encourag­

ing, as well as entertaining, campus stage presentations are

those which fall under the heading of "chamber theater."

These offerings alone allow the viewer to hear readings from

a book and see the characters at the same time, to actually

savor the author's style and story simultaneously. And

VONNEGUT: SO IT GOES, the chamber theater production which

closes with tonight's performance at the Laboratory Theater

is one of the best that's been offered here to date.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is, of course, the perfect source

for such a medium. One of the most popular of today's

authors, his writing is the type that has readers laughing

in no time at all . . . only to have them gradually see

through his satire and uncover the serious tones he's been

communicating all along. Such ability is ably transferred

to the chamber theater cast and crew in their abridged

Iwilliam D. Kerns, "REVIEW: Vonnegut's Works Given Life in Chamber Theater Production,'* University Daily, March 12, 1974, p. 4.

'VMM^HiMilA.

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readings from two of his most popular books; "Slaughter­

house-Five" and his relatively new "Breakfast of Champions."

But a new aspect has also been added. "Vonnegut: So

It Goes" not only gives us the characters from these books,

but the author as well! Yes, walking out on stage in rather

obvious, but nevertheless effective makeup is the image of

the shock-haired Kurt Vonnegut. The well-known author is

played by James Mammarella, who directed the previous

Vonnegut inspired chamber presentation and who perhaps steals

the new show with only a minimal amount of dialogue. The in­

clusion of Vonnegut himself on stage allows the crew to go

one step beyond other productions: for here, the author can

reveal his philosophies, his inspirations, his goals and

his thoughts.

Mammarella does all this and more. He's a delight to

watch in "Slaughterhouse-Five": especially when slouching

off in a corner with his hands in his pockets, lovingly

watching the banter of the characters he's brought to life

and sometimes turning away from the painful scenes which

obviously remind him of their real-life, just as painful in­

spirations. During the second half of the show, he's given

a larger speaking role . . . but the effect is pretty much

the same.

As most know by now, Vonnegut was a prisoner of war

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in Dresden, Germany on the immortal February 13, 1945: the

day when the then-untouched city was fire bombed by Allied

Forces, with over 130,000 people being incinerated in the

attack. The readings on the Lab stage beautifully capture

Vonnegut's expose of the irony of war, as well as his somber

revelations on human death. ("So it goes.") It is a mar­

velous interpretation, with Kip Hyde standing out and Ken

Williams, with his naive and totally innocent voice, well

cast as Billy Pilgrim. Later readings by Williams, though,

are somewhat hampered by his West Texas twang.

Now I'll admit I've read "Slaughterhouse-Five" a great

many times, but I haven't even opened a copy of "Breakfast

of Champions" (my budget demands that I wait for its paper­

back release) . . . and thus I can verify once and for all

that one does not have to be familiar with the material to

enjoy readings of Vonnegut's works. For once again the cast

lends an uproarious rendition. Laughs are certainly not few

and far between. And yet, though it's nowhere near as som­

ber as "Slaughterhouse-Five," Vonnegut's "Breakfast of

Champions" certainly is sad to an extent. The author label­

ed the book "a 50th birthday present to myself" and proceeds

to emancipate all the characters which served him so well

over the year; the Kilgore Trouts, Elliot Rosewaters and the

like. But Mammarella's final reading, just before the lights

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go out, really makes one wonder whether the author is speak­

ing the pleas he's set forth for his characters, or the ones

which he himself may be holding inside.

The other characters are also made more than believable,

largely through the efforts of a well executing cast which

didn't miss one of the multitude of dialogue cues during the

entire opening performance. Kip Hyde and King Hill have

performed in this medium before. Hyde is still supremely

impressive, especially with his ability to change dialects

and manipulate the audience with facial expressions. Hill,

on the other hand, comes on a little too strong in some

parts -- but is very good in scattered segments of

"Slaughterhouse-Five," and downright great as the cynical,

sci-fi writer Kilgore Trout in "Breakfast of Champions."

Connie Tapp lends a mature dignity through a variety

of roles (being most impressive as the straightforward

Tralfamadorian), and Melanie Waters, with her raised eye­

brows, is also a vital factor. Director John Turner keeps

the production moving at a rapid clip and even becomes the

main attraction in the second half, stealing most of the

laughs for himself with his portrayal of the insane Dwayne

Hoover, The scene in which Dwayne, driven on by his "bad

chemicals," imagines the asphalt to be a trampoline is a

beaut!

132

Indeed, "Vonnegut: So It Goes" is one of the bright­

er- entertainments to light up a Tech stage this year. It

i£ -c^tally captivating and totally intriguing. Chamber

theater, if it's done right, should be good enough to create

t-"- respect for the author and interest in the literary

^',zi. being highlighted. This new production has reached such

a _ivel. The program notes state "We regret every word

caL-' ed and hope that you will read the novels in their en­

tirety," Turner's effort is so marvelous that the viewers

sz^re the regret over omitted words -- and more than one

w: probably leave the lab Theatre inspired enough to pick

ui: i-Dpies of Vonnegut' s works for the first time. A perform­

ance such as this can earn no higher compliment.

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APPENDIX C: CRITERIA FOR "VONNEGUT: SO IT GOES"

Focus

Focus is defined behaviorally as the exact spot at which the reader looks while reading a given line or phrase. Focus is multiple group readings, regardless of the specific production style, can be determined by a close analysis of the locus in the literature. There are five distinct types of focus available to the oral interpreter.

1. Direct audience - This type of focus occurs when the reader establishes direct eye-contact with the audience, as does the public speaker.

2. On-stage - This type of focus occurs when the read­er establishes eye-contact with other readers or objects located in front of the audience, as does the actor.

3. Character placement - This type of focus occurs when the reader establishes an imaginary eye-contact with other characters in the midst of or slightly behind or above the heads of the audience, a convention of long standing in oral interpretation.

4. Off-stage - This type of focus occurs when the reader establishes imaginary eye-contact with a scene which he is visualizing slightly behijnd or above the heads of the audience, as if the reader were watching a play occurring in that area.

5. Inward - This type of focus occurs when the reader appears to be consulting his own mind and examining his own thoughts, a kind of "unfocused" wandering of the eyes.

Styles of Group Interpretation Productions

Readers Theatre - A form of multiple reading in which a dramatic dimension pervades the performance and in which the literary experience is communicated by suggestion rather than by literal portrayal. This production style may use any literary genre. Focus is usually character placement or off-

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stage for all readers except a single designated narrator who interacts with the audience, often using both direct audience and inward types of focus. Action is largely suggestive or symbolic rather than realistic or literal.

Chamber Theatre - This production style for the group interpretation of literature uses only narrative literature. Focus is predominantly on-stage for scenes using dialogue. Other types of focus may be used during narration, though direct audience focus tends to be used more frequently. Narration describing a character's internal dialogue or his actions may be presented by more than one character. Staging may be realistic and literal when the scene of the literature reflects immediacy of action.

VaOMBKAUi.

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APPENDIX D: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CHAMBER THEATRE PRODUCTION

I n f o r m a t i o n P r o f i l e ( t o b e c o m p l e t e d b e f o r e p e r f o r m a n c e )

1 . Name:

2. Position (full title)

3. Educational background (check appropriate blanks)

A. College B.A. B. M.A. C. Ph.D.

4. Background of Oral Interpretation (check appropriate blanks)

A. Participated as a performer B. Taught or

coached oral interpretation C. Directed a

Readers Theatre and/or Chamber Theatre production

Other (please explain)

5. Background of the literature and life of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (check appropriate blanks)

A. I have read Slaughterhouse-Five B. I have

read Breakfast of Champions C. I have read

other novels or short stories by Vonnegut

(please list titles)

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6. Background information on Kurt Vonnegut's personality and life. (check appropriate blanks)

A. I have seen pictures of him or know what he looks

like

B. I have heard recordings of Vonnegut reading his own

novels

C. I have seen Vonnegut in media presentat

D. I have read interviews with Vonnegut

ions

E. Other (please explain)

Thank you so much for coming. I hope you enjoy the perform­ance of 'Vonnegut: So It Goes" as much as we enjoy present­ing the literature to you.

HMP<<«*Pipa«a

137

Evaluation of Performance (to be completed after the perform' ance)

1. According to the criteria given to you before the per­formance, what types of focus were used in Slaughterhouse Five? (check appropriate blanks)

A. Inward B. On-stage C. Off-stage

D. Direct audience E. Character placement

What was the predominant focus for Slaughterhouse Five?

A. Inward B. On-stage C. Off-stage

D. Direct audience E. Character placement

2. According to the criteria given to you before the per­formance, what types of focus were used in Breakfast of Champions? (check appropriate blanks)

A. Inward B. On-stage C. Off-stage

D. Direct audience E. Character placement

What was the predominant focus for Breakfast of Champ ions?

A. Inward B. On-stage C. Off-stage

D. Direct audience E. Character placement

3. Did the movement (blocking, stage groupings etc.) seem to evolve from the literature? (check appropriate blank)

A. Yes B. No

(please explain)

Please answer the following question only if you have read the novels in question:

4. Do you think the adaptation was a fair and justifiable representation of the novel?

S l a u g h t e r h o u s e - F i v e Yes

( p l e a s e e x p l a i n )

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No

B r e a k f a s t o f C h a m p i o n s Yes

( p l e a s e e x p l a i n )

No

5. Which elements of the novel do you think seemed to be presented in a complete, understandable, and justifiable manner in the adaptation? (check appropriate blanks)

A. Plot B. Characterizations C. Main

story-line

E. Other

D. Vonnegut's philosophy

(please explain)

The following questions should be answered by all the critics

6. Do you feel as though you now know more about the charac­ter, personality, and philosophy of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.?

Yes No

(please explain)

7. According to the definitions established in the criteria that were given to you, how would you categorize Slaughter house-Five?

Readers Theatre Chamber Theatre

Breakfast of Champions?

Readers Theatre Chamber Theatre

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Additioriai Comments

8. If you have any other comments, or criticisms of the pre^ sentation or the questionnaire, I would appreciate your taking the time to share your viewpoints with me.

Thank you again. The information gathered from these evalua tions will give valuable insight to many questions that are thus far unanswered, I hope you enjoyed the presentation and iviil continue to support Readers Theatre at Texas Tech, I also implore you to read more Vonnegut, since our small sampling was not nearly enough!!

1?- ^^/