Publication Date

1985

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Chesler, S. Alan

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Theatre Arts

Abstract

Light Times consists of two plays that lightly satirize our values with dark humor. The Uncertain Surf is the story of four college kids, Frank, Anna, Bunny and Rick. All four have a secret sexual past with a fellow student named Ken Wentworth. Bunny feels it is her psychic duty to turn him away from these people and get him back for herself. Bunny surprises the others by inviting Ken to the beach house where they are all spending spring vacation. Ken tells them that they were all a part of the ground work for his plan to sexually liberate the youth of America. He has written a book naming all of them. It will go to press as soon as he kills himself with a bullet. Ken tries to kill himself. There is a struggle and he is knocked unconscious. The four decide that they must kill him and make it look like an accident. They set him afloat on a surf board. All seems as if things will be all right when gunshots are heard. Ken did not die. He crawled ashore covered in seaweed. He went to the wrong house. The lady there shot him to death. Personal Tastes is the story of the Hannibal family from the North Shore of Chicago. The head of the family, Clarence, calls his children back to the house after ten years, to decide who will inherit the family fortune. Sheila and her fiance, Herbert, plan to gain control of the money by proving the children’s socially destructive activities to Clarence. The kids have a lottery to see who will get rid of Herbert. Margo, the eldest, gets the job. She has become a cannibal and serves him to the family for dinner. Sister Vicky, Margo's traveling companion, alerts the rest to what has happened. Margo confesses and, to avoid a trial, the family decides to forget what has happened. This drives Sheila to insanity. She becomes like her cousins and leaves to find herself. Clarence is so impressed by this, he leaves the money to Sheila.

Extent

109 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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