Introduction
I saw Radford University’s production of Junie B. in Jingle bells, Batman smells on Saturday, December 3rd. Junie B. was a popular children’s book by Barbara Parks. Her books have sold over 60 million copies in North America alone and the series was on the New York Times bestseller list for 180 weeks. Parks passed away on Friday, November 15th, 2013. This play was adapted from Park’s 25th book by Allison Gregory and was debuted on November 15th, 2009 and ran until December 27, 2009. Gregory is an American playwright and theatre collaborator. In Gregory’s biography, it states that her plays have been produced all around the country and has “received commissions, grants, and development from [ such places as] Oregon Shakespeare …show more content…
From the beginning of the play the audience is given the relationship between Junie B. and May when Junie B. calls her a “blabbermouth” and states that she is fed up with the constant tattle tailing. This tension between the two girls develops even more throughout the play when Junie B. pulls Mays name for the class’s secret Santa. The major dramatic question of the play would be “ Will May and Junie B. work out their problems?” The moment in the play where Junie B. and May argue is the inciting incident. This argument takes place in the beginning scene where Junie B. is calling May a Blabber mouth and, as usual, May tattle-tails on Junie B.. This consistent tattle-tailing leads Junie B. into retaliation and, throughout the whole story, builds momentum so that at the end of the play the reconciliation of the two girls is dynamic enough to make the audience feel warm inside. The Exposition is given to us via the Junie B. monologues. Throughout the play, Junie B. alludes to different times where May has harassed her with child antics. The one that most stands out is the Columbus Day flashback. Junie B. references this moment in one of her monologues and explains why she is excited and nervous about the holiday singalong in the auditorium. Then, after this little cut scene, the play goes to the beginning of the Columbus Day fiasco. We see competition between May and Junie B. when Junie B. becomes the “Pinta” and when she comments on May’s ship, the Santa Maria, stating that the “Pinta was the fastest ship, the Nina was the smallest ship, and the Santa Maria was a BIG TUB” and even sings the song “the Pinta got here first, the Pinta got here first, hi ho the Dairyo, the Pinta got here first”. The climax of the play would be the moment when May opens her Secret Santa gift. The audience believes it to be coal but in a turn of events turns out to be the Squeeze-a-burp that Junie B. had planned to give to
I saw Radford University’s production of Junie B. in Jingle bells, Batman smells on Saturday, December 3rd. Junie B. was a popular children’s book by Barbara Parks. Her books have sold over 60 million copies in North America alone and the series was on the New York Times bestseller list for 180 weeks. Parks passed away on Friday, November 15th, 2013. This play was adapted from Park’s 25th book by Allison Gregory and was debuted on November 15th, 2009 and ran until December 27, 2009. Gregory is an American playwright and theatre collaborator. In Gregory’s biography, it states that her plays have been produced all around the country and has “received commissions, grants, and development from [ such places as] Oregon Shakespeare …show more content…
From the beginning of the play the audience is given the relationship between Junie B. and May when Junie B. calls her a “blabbermouth” and states that she is fed up with the constant tattle tailing. This tension between the two girls develops even more throughout the play when Junie B. pulls Mays name for the class’s secret Santa. The major dramatic question of the play would be “ Will May and Junie B. work out their problems?” The moment in the play where Junie B. and May argue is the inciting incident. This argument takes place in the beginning scene where Junie B. is calling May a Blabber mouth and, as usual, May tattle-tails on Junie B.. This consistent tattle-tailing leads Junie B. into retaliation and, throughout the whole story, builds momentum so that at the end of the play the reconciliation of the two girls is dynamic enough to make the audience feel warm inside. The Exposition is given to us via the Junie B. monologues. Throughout the play, Junie B. alludes to different times where May has harassed her with child antics. The one that most stands out is the Columbus Day flashback. Junie B. references this moment in one of her monologues and explains why she is excited and nervous about the holiday singalong in the auditorium. Then, after this little cut scene, the play goes to the beginning of the Columbus Day fiasco. We see competition between May and Junie B. when Junie B. becomes the “Pinta” and when she comments on May’s ship, the Santa Maria, stating that the “Pinta was the fastest ship, the Nina was the smallest ship, and the Santa Maria was a BIG TUB” and even sings the song “the Pinta got here first, the Pinta got here first, hi ho the Dairyo, the Pinta got here first”. The climax of the play would be the moment when May opens her Secret Santa gift. The audience believes it to be coal but in a turn of events turns out to be the Squeeze-a-burp that Junie B. had planned to give to