Roar response

I really liked Roar, it was a much easier read than Purple (not a dig at Purple- just definitely a different kind of play). What especially hooked me was not the different culture, although the new cultural references about instruments and whistling tea kettles added depth and uniqueness to the story. Also they added familiarity in another way- every family has its own rituals and quirks and those particular items reminded me of the unique routines that my family does. But what really interested me was the family dynamics and how quickly the conflict of Irene trying to get a break in the music world- pitting her and her family vs. the cruel producers- escalated into a conflict that ultimately tore her family wide open. The escalated conflict opened up all the secrets that had been covered up and ignored and shared them with everyone- eventually disintegrating the family- at least the particular bond between husband and wife.

The dialog was very accessible and what was more amazing to me (with the billion page play that I'm supposed to write this semester), all the lines seemed very writable to me. I'm not saying that "I could have written this play," but it seems like she could have experienced these moments herself- coming home as a teenage girl and bragging that her voice was better than the angels. It was so relatable and so real to me (partially because when I read that opening line, I cringed with the embarrassing memories of how I used to brag about myself when I was younger), that I could write a similar line- taking cringe-worthy, or wonderfully memorable moments of my life and others and stringing them into a story. Of course the story has to have more than amusing dialog, but I could see how thinking of specific moments could give the playwright something to build off.