by Harold Pinter

and

by Edward Albee

a Soulpepper Theatre (Toronto) production

Study Guide
THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ENGLISH THEATRE
PROGRAMMES FOR STUDENT AUDIENCES
2005–2006 SEASON

Marti Maraden
Artistic Director, English Theatre

Peter Hinton
Artistic Director Designate, English Theatre

This Study Guide was written and researched by Martina Kuska, Education and Outreach Intern for English Theatre.
This internship position was made possible by a grant from the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation.

This document may solely be used for educational purposes.

We would appreciate your feedback on our Study Guides. Any comments on past Study Guides, this current one, or suggestions
on ways to improve future Study Guides may be directed to Martina Kuska, either by email to mkuska@nac-cna.ca or by fax (613)
943 1401.
 About This Guide
This study guide is formatted in easy-to-copy single pages, which may be used
separately or in any combination which works for your class.

Table of Contents page(s)

Theatre of the Absurd .............................................................................................. 1-2

Characteristics of Theatre of the Absurd......................................................................3

Production Who’s Who.................................................................................................4

The Dumb Waiter........................................................................................................5-13

About the Playwright .........................................................................................5
Background Information ...................................................................................6
Lesson Plan #1: Minimal Scripts...................................................................7-12
Lesson Plan #2: Newspaper Scenes .................................................................12
Post-Show Discussion Questions.....................................................................13

The Zoo Story .............................................................................................................14

About the Playwright .......................................................................................14
Background Information .................................................................................15
Post-Show Discussion Questions.....................................................................16

Related Activities .......................................................................................................17

Theatre Etiquette .......................................................................................................18

Production Photos......................................................................................................19

Resources Consulted .................................................................................................20

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................21
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 1

Theatre of the Absurd (page 1 of 2)

Theatre of the Absurd refers to particular plays written by European and

American playwrights of the post-Second World War period who shared the
view of many existential philosophers that life is meaningless, communication
impossible, society robotic and inhuman. These playwrights could not express
these views within the framework of traditional theatre; they needed new
modes of expression, new venues, new dramatic structures and new stage
imagery, and thus Theatre of the Absurd was born.
Two people in particular played key roles in the development of Theatre
of the Absurd. In his 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus,* French philosopher
Albert Camus defined the human situation as meaningless and absurd; it was
the Hungarian-born British writer Martin Esslin who coined the actual phrase
“Theatre of the Absurd” in his book of the same title, published in 1961, in
which he comments on this disorienting postwar drama. At first, most
audiences were opposed to this style of theatre because they didn’t understand
it. However, as the movement gained intellectual currency and momentum,
more and more theatre-goers began to enjoy the experience of a new and
challenging drama performed in church basements and other unconventional
venues.
Samuel Beckett (1906–1989), author of Waiting for Godot, was the first
to gain international fame as an absurdist playwright. Irish by birth, he moved
to Paris in the 1920s. His plays gained popularity first in France and then
elsewhere. Beckett’s plays are characteristic of the post-war 1950s, a time
when people still felt the threat of war and their own powerless to understand
or control the world they lived in.
Unlike the existential philosophers, the playwrights of Theatre of the
Absurd did not try to resolve the issues around the absurdity of the human
condition but rather alluded to the greatest question: why are we all here?
Unable to answer the question, many Absurdist plays are circular: they end
where they started, with no apparent resolution, no happy ending, and no
definite call to action. Language is devalued, communication is non-literal and
action and images prevail. By choosing to depart from traditional dramatic
conventions, the absurdists portrayed on the stage the chaos and despair they
experienced in the world.

* According to Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to push a heavy stone up a steep hill; but
before he reached the top the stone always rolled down, and he had to begin all over again.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 2

Theatre of the Absurd (page 2 of 2)

Other great playwrights who contributed to Theatre of the Absurd:

Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
Endgame (1957), Krapp’s Last Tape (1958), Happy Days (1961), Come
and Go (1966), That Time (1976).

Eugene Ionesco (1912–1994)

The Bald Soprano (1949), The Lesson (1950), The Chairs (1952), The Killer
(1959), Exit the King (1962), Hunger and Thirst (1966), Macbett (1972),
The Man with the Suitcases (1975).

Jean Genet (1910–1986) The Maids (1947), Deathwatch (1949), The

Balcony (1956), The Blacks (1959), The Screens (1961).

Arthur Adamov (1908–1971)

The Invasion (1950), Parody (1952), All Against All (1953), Paolo Paoli
(1957), Spring ’71 (1960).

Playwrights who continued the tradition after 1960:

Fernando Arrabal in Spain,
Tom Stoppard in England,
Gunter Grass and Peter Weiss in Germany,
Israel Horovitz and Sam Shepard in the USA,
Vaclav Havel in the Czech Republic.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 3

Characteristics of Theatre of the Absurd (page 1 of 1)

Situations and characters’ emotional states may be represented through poetic

metaphor (dreamlike, fantastical or nightmarish images).
The notion of realism is rejected: situations and characters are not “realistic” and
characters are often placed in obviously unreal situations.
Set and costumes may not reflect an outward reality.
Dialogue is often nonsensical, clichéd or gibberish.
Communication is fractured.
There is usually an emphasis on “theatricality” as opposed to realism.
Absurdist playwrights often use dark comedy for satiric effect.
Characters exist in a bubble without the possibility of communication.
Characters may be one-dimensional, with no clear motivation or purpose.
Characters may be symbolic of universal situations.
Behaviour and situations may not follow the rules of logic.
Structure may be circular, without a precise resolution.
Action may be minimal.
Setting of the play may be in one locale.
Often characters perceive a threat from the “outside”, leading to a sense of
powerlessness.

AFTER VIEWING THE PLAY, DISCUSS:

Which of the characteristics above were true of The Dumb Waiter and The Zoo Story?
Discuss as a class how the plays were representative of Theatre of the Absurd. How
were the staging, the script, the acting, the directing and the costumes and set
characteristic of Theatre of the Absurd?
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 4

Production Who’s Who (page 1 of 1)

The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter, directed by Ted Dykstra

The Zoo Story by Edward Albee, directed by Diana Leblanc
a Soulpepper Theatre Company (Toronto) production

starring Michael Hanrahan

! "
# #

$
$

# and Stuart Hughes

#
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 5

The Dumb Waiter: About the Playwright (page 1 of 1)

Harold Pinter, the only child of a Jewish tailor, was born on October 10, 1930
in Hackney, London. His passion for acting began when he was a child in grammar
school and continued into his teens, when he enrolled in acting at the Royal Academy
of Dramatic Art. After two unhappy years he switched to the Central School of Speech
and Drama. In his 20s Pinter toured Ireland performing Shakespeare, and acted on
the stages of London and smaller provincial repertory companies. At this time Pinter
was devoted to poems and short stories which for the most part remain unpublished.
Pinter wrote his first play, The Room (1957), in just a few days for a university
drama festival. The Birthday Party (1958) premiered in London to disastrous reviews
and a six-day run. Two years later Pinter came back with The Caretaker, an instant
success. Throughout the 1960s Pinter wrote for television, film and stage, gaining
popularity and respect, and in 1966 he was named a Commander of the Order of the
British Empire. Throughout his career Pinter not only wrote plays, but directed and
even acted in his own work.
Harold Pinter’s plays have an air of mystery, as characters’ personal qualities,
situations and motivations are left unexplained. Subtext dominates both the dialogue
and the silences: what is unspoken is often more important that what is spoken. The
plays begin in a light, often comical tone that gradually changes to one of anxiety,
conflict and fear where the threat of an unknown, powerful, often omniscient danger
prevails. This dark presence controls everything, including the characters’ lives. The
characters’ reaction to this danger is the source of conflict and action in Pinter’s plays.
Pinter is considered to be on the fringes of absurdist theatre. He creates the
premise of a realistic drama by writing surface dialogue and middle-class characters,
but adds an absurdist dimension by having his characters struggle with the
complexities of a dark, inhuman and inexplicable world.
Pinter achieved a great international reputation and is one of the most highly
respected playwrights in the world today. At age 75, he continues to write plays and
shows no sign of slowing down.

Plays by Harold Pinter: The Dumb Waiter (1957) No Man’s Land (1975)
The Birthday Party (1958) Betrayal (1978)
The Homecoming (1965) A kind of Alaska (1982)
Old Times (1970) Moonlight (1993)

For a complete list, see www.haroldpinter.org/plays/index.shtml.

 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 6

The Dumb Waiter: Background Information (page 1 of 1)

Themes
• Miscommunication between individuals.
• Arbitrary leadership.
• The gap between social classes.
• The expendability of individuals.
• The struggle for equality and meaning.

Characters
Ben: A long-time hit man discontented with his job and life, becoming emotional and
childlike as he questions his duties. He is ashamed of the fact that he is part of the
lowest social class and dreams of a better life. Ben works in a field where he is
expected to do as he is told, not question orders and accept them as routine. His
newfound perspective is extremely dangerous. He forgets that within the world of
crime he is easily expendable and replaceable.

Gus: The more senior hit man. He has been Ben’s partner for a long time, but his
loyalty is to the boss, Winston. Gus accepts his criminal status and does not question
his social ranking. He is tired of listening to Ben ramble. He does his job as a matter
of course and spends his free time making model boats and creating woodwork.

Setting
The basement of an unspecified building in Birmingham, England.

Synopsis
The day begins like any other day for hit men Gus and Ben. Gus reads the paper and
Ben chats about the room. As they sit and wait for their orders, the tension mounts.
Ben questions their last job, and the very nature of their work. He is curious about
the details of the present job and wants to know more about their boss, Winston.
Ben’s banter irritates Gus and the tension escalates. When the dumb waiter in the
room springs to action, the two discover they are not alone in the building. They
frantically try to fulfill the requests that come in via the dumb waiter, including the
final one with the instructions for their next job.

What is a “dumb waiter”?

A dumb waiter is a small elevator used to transport meals and dirty dishes between
floors, usually in restaurants. It has a speaking tube enabling communication
between floors; however, one cannot speak and listen simultaneously. The dumb
waiter symbolizes the broken communication between Ben and Gus: they speak at one
another rather than to one another. The pulleys of the dumb waiter symbolize the
strings that Winston, the boss and puppet master, manipulates as he controls Ben’s
and Gus’ lives.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 7

The Dumb Waiter: Lesson Plan #1 (page 1 of 5)

Topic: Minimal Scripts

Objective: Identify and understand subtext in The Dumb Waiter.
Grades: 10–12
Materials: Chalkboard or chart paper, empty room, minimal scripts
(included herein).
Curriculum Links: ADA30 Theory - Role/Character
By the end of this course, students will: demonstrate an
understanding of subtext, motivation, and status in the
development of a character.

Warm- Students pair off and decide who is yes and who is no, then create
Up/Engage a dialogue using only these words. Students should improvise
5 min with their body language and tone and volume of voice.
Encourage students not to pre-plan, but create their scene on the
spot. Ask students what kinds of relationships emerged. Was
there conflict and/ or resolution? Who had power? How was it
established?

Activate A) Divide the class into new partners and distribute the scenes.
35 min Have students read the script once without thinking of the
subtext.
B) As a class, create a list of locations. Some possibilities are:
Church Beach
Playground Restaurant
Graveyard School
Hotel Movie theatre
Bus Hospital
Subway Art gallery

Now have students read their scene again three times, each time
with a different location in mind.
continued on next page …
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 8

The Dumb Waiter: Lesson Plan #1 (page 2 of 5)

Activate continued. C) Next have students brainstorm a list of characters and their
relationships. Some ideas are:
Mother-Daughter Father-Son
Teacher-Student Brother-Sister
Lifeguard-Patron Priest-Clergy
Boss-Assistant Salesperson-Shopper
Now have students read their scene again three times, each time
choosing a different character relationship.
D) Finally, have students choose one location and one
relationship and allow them to practise their scene and then
present it to the class. Encourage the class to determine and
discuss the subtext, the location and the relationship.

Analysis Have the students write their choice of location and characters on
10 min their script. Next, have them write the subtext beneath the actual
(or homework) script.
Ask students to write a one-page report accompanying their script
to describe why they chose that particular subtext and that
particular location and character. Did something in the minimal
script evoke that choice for them?
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 9

The Dumb Waiter: Lesson Plan #1 (page 3 of 5)

Minimal Script Extension Exercise

Setting up the scene
Encourage students to explore silence. What happens before the characters speak?
Using the minimal scripts, tell students to create different scenarios before they speak
their lines. For example, one character could be sleeping, another eating; or perhaps
they are playing catch in the garden. Also allow your students time to play with
entrances and on-stage placement. From which side of the stage do characters enter?
Or are they both already on stage? What is the distance between characters? Have
the students consider how they can use blocking to tell the story before the characters
begin to speak (weather, location, prior circumstances, relationship, mood). Ask
students to try creating three different scenarios (each scenario should last at least
two minutes).

Discussion for next class after viewing the play

If you have a copy of the play The Dumb Waiter, introduce students to the “light the
kettle” vs. “put on the kettle” scene. Ask students to discuss the subtext in this scene.
What was really going on below the surface? Was it a discussion about syntax, or is
there a deeper meaning related to the power struggle between the characters? If you
do not have a copy of the play, describe this scene to your students and encourage
them to watch out for it while viewing the play, then discuss the subtext in the scene
when you get back to the classroom.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 10

The Dumb Waiter: Lesson Plan #1 (page 4 of 5)

Minimal Script #1
A: Have you seen it yet?
B: No, you?
A: Not yet.
B: How long have you been waiting?
A: Awhile
B: Me too.
(pause)
A: Is that it?
B: What?
A: Is that it?
B: Where?
A: Over there!
B: Where?
A: There!!!
B: Oh no, I don’t think so.
A: That’s too bad.
B: Yeah.

Minimal Script #2
A: It’s hot.
B: Do you really think so?
A: Yes.
B: I rather like it.
A: How could you like it?
B: It doesn’t bother me.
A: But do you prefer it?
B: I don’t mind it.
A: Are you sure?
B: Yes.
A: Suit yourself.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 11

The Dumb Waiter: Lesson Plan #1 (page 5 of 5)

Minimal Script #3
A: I’m ready.
B: I’m coming.
A: I want to start.
B: Okay, go ahead, start.
A: Are you coming?
B: Yes, give me a minute.
A: What’s taking you so long?
B: It’s not as easy as it looks.
A: Hurry up.
B: I’ve almost got it.
A: Do you need my help?
B: No, I’ll manage.
A: I have to go.
B: Fine. (pause) Go.
A: Are you mad?
B: Why would I be mad?
A: I really have to go.
B: Then go!
A: Fine, I’m going.
B: Good.

Minimal Script #4
A: I understand.
B: I don’t believe you do.
A: I know what you mean.
B: How could you possibly know?
A: I have my ways.
B: That is most unfair.
A: I was bound to find out sooner or later.
B: I can’t believe you know.
A: It’s okay.
B: What do you mean?
A: I understand.
B: I thought you would.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 12

The Dumb Waiter: Lesson Plan #2 (page 1 of 1)

Topic: Newspaper Scenes

Objective: Use the media to create a scene.
Grades: 10–12
Materials: Plenty of newspapers and an empty space.
Curriculum Links: ADA3M — Creation
By the end of this course, students will: create a working
script for production, using a variety of strategies.

Warm- Present your class with three different newspaper headlines. Ask
Up/Engage the class to state the five Ws (who, what, where, when, why).
5 min

Activate Distribute newspapers to the class. Allow the students time to

skim through a couple of articles and choose one they like. Then
ask the students to identify the five Ws in their article.

Next, ask the students to pair off and create a scene using that
article as a basis for discussion. Students can first improvise the
scene, then script it. The scenes should not re-create the
newspaper story but discuss the newspaper story. Students
should make definite choices for characterization and location.
Give students ample time to rehearse their scenes and then
present them to the class.

Analysis Discuss how the media can be a tool for creating dramatic work.
After viewing The Dumb Waiter, ask students to recall a scene from
the media... In The Dumb Waiter, who read the story and who
reacted to it? How was the discussion of newspaper stories a
reflection of the relationship between Gus and Ben? Why does
Gus choose those particular stories to read to Ben?
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 13

The Dumb Waiter: Post-Show Discussion Questions (page 1 of 1)

1. Michael Hanrahan and Stuart Hughes appear in the double bill The Zoo Story
and The Dumb Waiter. Consider and discuss the challenges and demands this back-
to-back structure creates.

2. What is the significance of the title of The Dumb Waiter?

3. What is a dumb waiter? What is the function of the dumb waiter in the play?

4. What is the relationship between Ben and Gus? Who is the more senior
partner? How do we as an audience learn who is more senior?

5. What is subtext? Can you describe the subtext in a scene from The Dumb
Waiter?

6. Where does the play take place? What do the characters do for a living? Who is
their boss?

7. What are the characters waiting for?

8. How does this play end? What is resolved? What is left unresolved?

9. In the confrontation during the last scene, one of the characters has a gun.
Who is it? Does the gun go off?

10. Pinter chooses to end his play in ambiguity. Neither character dies on stage.
What is the significance of this choice?
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 14

The Zoo Story: About the Playwright (page 1 of 1)

Edward Albee was born on March 12, 1928, and was adopted by millionaire
couple Reed and Frances Albee at the age of two weeks. Reed Albee was the son of
Edward Franklin Albee, a rich and powerful early American Vaudeville producer. An
only child, Edward grew up in a privileged household. His every wish was fulfilled and
his life consisted of private tutors, servants, chauffeurs and winter getaways.
However, his adoptive parents were uncommunicative and cold, and his mother
controlling. To her it was of utmost importance that Edward attend the “right” schools
and associate with the “right” people. By age 20, Albee was estranged from his
bourgeois family and had moved to New York’s Greenwich Village to live a bohemian
life.
An inheritance from his grandmother allowed Albee to live in New York City,
where he continued to write (with little success) and do odd jobs. After a period of
depression, he challenged himself to write a play before his 30th birthday. Albee said:
“I finished The Zoo Story in three weeks… everything in my life had led to this
moment; the writing seemed to flow from some inner need and conviction… it was sort of
an explosion and the words never stopped.” Rejected by several New York City
publishers, The Zoo Story made its way to Europe, where it premiered on September
28, 1959 at the Schiller Theatre in Wensfaff, Germany. Four months later it returned
to New York City, paired with Samuel Beckett' s Krapp's Last Tape at the Provincetown
Playhouse in Greenwich Village. This marked the beginning of Albee’s prolific and
outstanding career as a playwright. Recently (in 2004) Albee expanded The Zoo Story
into a two-act play. At the age of 77, Edward Albee is not slowing down as he
continues to write and teach.

Plays by Edward Albee: The Zoo Story (1958)

The Sandbox (1960)
The American Dream (1961)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962)
Tiny Alice (1964)
A Delicate Balance (1966)
Seascape (1975)
Three Tall Women (1991)
The Lorca Play (1995)
The Play About the Baby (1997)
The Occupant (2002)
The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (2002)
Several novels adapted for the stage (1970s–1980s)
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 15

The Zoo Story: Background Information (page 1 of 1)

Themes
• Isolation of human existence in a world without God.
• Lack of communication between individuals.
• Dehumanization in a commercial world.
• Social disparity.
• Life without purpose or examination.
• Loneliness.

Characters
Peter: A plain-looking man in his early 40s who smokes a pipe and carries horn-
rimmed glasses. His dress and manner are that of a younger man.
Jerry: A man in his late 30s, carelessly dressed, once muscular and handsome. He is
weary.

Setting
A park bench in Central Park, New York City, in the present time on a sunny day.

Synopsis
Peter, a middle-class publishing executive who lives in ignorance of the world outside
his married life, sits on a park bench, reading. Along comes Jerry, an isolated,
disheartened man who is very troubled and probably mentally ill.
Jerry is desperate to have a meaningful conversation with another human being. He
intrudes on Peter’s peaceful state by interrogating him and forcing him to listen to his
life story and the reason behind his visit to the New York Zoo.
The action is linear, unfolding in front of the audience in “real time”. The elements of
ironic humour and unrelenting dramatic suspense are brought to a climax when Jerry
brings his victim down to his own savage level and initiates a shocking ending.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 16

The Zoo Story: Post-Show Discussion Questions (page 1 of 1)

1. What does the title signify? Which character is most representative of a caged
animal, i.e., living in a metaphorical zoo?

2. Jerry has a knife and Peter has a book. What is the playwright trying to
achieve by giving the characters these specific props?

3. Jerry first calls Peter a vegetable, then changes his mind and calls him an
animal. Why?

4. How are Jerry and Peter different? (Think of their socio-economic class, their
careers and their family life.) How does Edward Albee emphasize these differences?

5. How are Jerry and Peter alike?

6. Having seen the play, how would you describe Albee’s view of the world?

7. Describe how Jerry dies. Albee purposely makes the final moment of the play
ambiguous; why does he make that choice?

8. What will Peter take away from this day in the park?

9. Absurdist playwrights rebelled against the traditional structures of theatre and

created their own. What convention/institution would you like to rebel against, and
what alternative would you offer?
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 17

Related Activities
1. www.artsalive.ca
Encourage students to explore artsalive.ca (English Theatre), go to the activities
section and try What Lies Beneath. This is a good introduction to subtext. On
artsalive.ca (French Theatre, English version), students can find out more about
Theatre of the Absurd.

2. Abstract Painting
Bring an abstract painting to class and discuss it. How do you look at an abstract
painting? What feelings and emotions does it evoke? Is it necessary to understand it?
How are the reactions to abstract art similar to Theatre of the Absurd? What do these
two art forms have in common? Consider the non-linear aspect of both art forms.
Theatre of the Absurd and abstract painting are both non-literal, use metaphor, and
are meant to evoke emotions. The focus is on emotional reactions rather than
narrative. After discussing the various paintings with your class have the students
divide into groups and create a tableaux to capture the essence of their painting.

3. Come and Go by Samuel Beckett

In the Drama textbook Interpretation:Working with Scripts by Charles J. Lundy and
David W. Booth, you will find the script of Samuel Beckett’s short play Come and Go, a
perfect example of Theatre of the Absurd. Give students time to work with the script;
encourage them to pay close attention to the very detailed stage directions, especially
with regard to hand positioning. Have students perform it for each other. Discuss
and elicit comments on interpretation, subtext, staging, choices and their
effectiveness. What different emotions did each interpretation evoke? You can tie this
in to the previous discuss on abstract painting by asking your students how they
would paint Come and Go: what colours, textures and images would they use?

4. Research
Edward Albee and Harold Pinter are extremely well-known playwrights. Critiques
have been written about their plays, biographies have been written about their lives
and essays have been written about their playwriting styles. Give students time to
discover these playwrights by researching them. Ask students to share their
newfound information with the class. The Internet is a good place to start and has a
wealth of resources on both playwrights.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 18

Theatre Etiquette
Please take a moment to prepare your students for their visit to the National Arts
Centre (NAC) by explaining good Theatre Etiquette which will enhance the enjoyment
of the play by all audience members.

1. The Zoo Story and The Dumb Waiter will be performed in the Studio of the NAC.
It is important for everyone to be quiet (no talking or rustling of materials) during the
performance so others do not lose their immersion in the “world of the play”. Unlike
movies, the actors in live theatre can hear disturbances in the audience and will give
their best performances when they feel the positive involvement of the audience
members. The appropriate way of showing approval for the actors’ performance is
through laughter and applause. For the enjoyment of all, people who disturb others
during the show may be asked to leave the Studio.

2. It is important that no electronic devices be used in the Studio so that the

atmosphere of the play is not interrupted and others are not disturbed. Cell phones,
pagers and anything that beeps must be turned off. Cameras and all other recording
devices are not permitted in the Studio.

3. Seating in the NAC Studio is by general admission, wherein those attending

may select their own seat upon entering. Teachers may wish to distribute tickets
before arriving at the Studio.

4. A trip to the washroom before the play begins is a good idea. Anyone leaving
while a play is in progress may not be allowed back into the Studio. There will be a
15-minute intermission between the presentation of these two one-act plays.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 19

Production Photos

The Dumb Waiter

The Zoo Story

(left to right: Stuart Hughes, Michael Hanrahan)

photos by Guntar Kravis
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide – page 20

Resources Consulted
Amacher, Richard E. Edward Albee (revised edition). Boston: Twane Publishers/G.K Hall &
Co., 1982.

Brockett, Oscar G. History of Theatre (seventh edition). Toronto: Allyn and Bacon, 1995.

Gordon, Louis. Pinter at 70. New York and London: Routledge, 2001.

Hinchliffe, Arnold P. Harold Pinter. Boston: G.K Hall & Co./University of Manchester Press,
1981.

McCarthy, Gerry. Modern Dramatists: Edward Albee. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.,
1987.

Pinter, Harold. Various Voices: Prose, Poetry, Politics. New York City: Grove Press, 1998.

Prentice, Penelope. Harold Pinter: Life, Work and Criticism. Fredericton, New Brunswick:
York Press Ltd.,1991.

Quigley, Austin E. The Pinter Problem. Princeton New Jersey: Princeton University Press,
1975.

Raby, Peter. The Cambridge Companion to Harold Pinter. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press, 2001.

Worthen, ed. The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama (second edition). Florida, USA:
Harcourt Brace & Company, 1996.
 The Dumb Waiter / The Zoo Story Study Guide– page 21

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