Script Analysis

I. The meaning of the play Offerings, by Alan Haehnel, is acceptance.

a. The central theme of the play is acceptance. Each character desires to
have their offering accepted by the mysterious voice.
b. The unknown is another minor theme that is evident in the play. All of the
main characters other than The Voice have no idea who is talking to them, what
happens to their offering, or why they want or don't want the offering.
c. Not everyone will be accepted. I chose this because not all of the
characters are accepted and it's a major concept of the play that even portrays
into everyday life.

II. The nature of the overall plot is a mysterious one

a. Ten students are called to a mysterious location probably after school
sometime. The environment should be mostly a somewhat school like setting. It
should have a mysterious atmosphere that makes the characters question why
they're being summoned here. The social situation is primarily unknown to the
students of which should go to the same school.
b. When the students arrive, the voice gets mildly hostile asking the students
to sit down, starting the conflict.
c. The complication is getting accepted by The Voice. Each of the
protagonists have a small desire to have their offering accepted. The antagonist
desires to have offerings that are deemed important enough. The nature in the
rising action is one of curiosity and wonder as to whos offering will be accepted
and what is yet to be offered and why.
d. The climax occurs towards the end when The Voice has seen all of the
offerings and asks the students to leave, changing each protagonists plans, or
courses of action. The problem is exorcised by all of the students leaving.
e. The play is resolved by the antagonist having his way and each of the
students have left and he/she has the offerings in the box that he/she desires.
III. The moment to moment structure of the play changes in accordance to the story
being told.
a. The play should be divided into the beats according to the entrance, then
each offering, then the exit. Consisting of 12 parts.
1. The exposition is the entrance of the main 10 characters till
the first offering.
2. Each characters offering is the next part of the offering.
There should be 10 of these.
3. The conflict reaches its peak at the end and should be the
last beat of the play.
4. Any forward action in the play is between the offerings where
The Voice makes the next person go up.
 5. Each offering will have a different mood and atmosphere.
Some will be sad, lazy, or picky, depending on the characters offering and
monologue.
6. Each thought change is the offering being offered. When
Megs Crayon is offered everyone thinks it is sad, however when the shell
or gum is offered, no one believes the story.
b. The first part is purely mystery, then picky, then it's as if everyone is being told a
story,then more of a comedic section, then an unbelievable section in which the story
can't be true, to a sad section, then a sudden burst of anger, to a more hometown feel,
then we go back to a sad section, to a section of regret, and then the ending where the
antagonist gets his way.
c. The big scenes consist of those where lots of emotion is displayed yet the chooser
does not select the offering or those where the offering has been chosen but for no
particular reason.
IV. The overall nature of most of the conflicts are man/woman vs. man/woman.
1. There is man/woman vs. man/woman where the people offering an object
go up to the platform to offer their object and the Voice chooses it or not.
2. There is man/woman vs. self between Carla and herself because she has
an inner conflict as to why she wasn't accepted, if she could be accepted, and
what she could do to get accepted.
3. Man/woman vs. society is not present for the most part unless one would
count the ten students as a society and the Voice would be the antagonist in
that situation.
4. Man vs. environment occurs when Kate forgets her offering outside the
door of the room and she isn't allowed to leave causing a sort of conflict between
the environment and Kates situation.
5. Man vs. Nature has no large appearance in this show.
V. The main questions are will my offering be accepted? and why are the accepted
offerings being chosen?
a. Moment to moment questions include:
Why are these offerings being chosen?
What is the significance of the chosen offerings?
Will my offering be chosen?
What happens to our offerings after all of this?
b. The overall question is will I be
accepted/will my offering be chosen?
VI. The play is a modern day drama.
a. This play is a drama
b. The emotional effects the play can produce include sadness from the sad
stories told from the people offering an object, inspiration from the happier
stories, comedy from Graces futile attempt at obtaining an offering at the last
 second, and confusion from the Voice not offering any explanations for its
decisions.
VII. The style is more modern and dramatic.
a. 2. Oriental
b. 2. Realism
c. 1. Theatricalism
VIII. Merits with the language include it being in modern day language, while no
apparent weaknesses in the language are appearing.
a. Everyday speech is illustrated throughout the play and the dialogue is
believable due to the use of current dialect.
b. The dialogue is commonplace, using current language techniques to
display the actors thoughts, backstories, and plans.
c. The only difficult part for the actors, in terms of language, are the large
monologues that will take large amounts of time to memorize.
d. The only accent or dialect used are those used in current day USA.
e. Only potential problem is the memorization of the large monologues, but,
with time and practice, they should be memorized eventually.

External Analysis
I. Offerings has been produced about 40 times with no huge reviews that
damaged the outlook or brought fame upon the work.
a. It has not been produced professionally with only about 40 performances
since its release and, from the reviews given, it was mildly successful.
b. Compared with other plays, it has been seldom produced by others.
c. Since the play hasn't been produced many times, there are no official critic
reviews but any weaknesses would be the lack of closure in the end. The drama
and backstory would be the strengths.
II. Alan Haehnel is an English and Theatre teacher in New Hampshire who
has written several award winning plays and monologues.
a. The background that is portrayed in the play are the long monologues and
dramas that Alan Haehnel has gotten awards for.
b. The only way the author would be reflected in the play would be from the
fact that these are students and Alan Haehnel is a teacher, so there is no exact
portrayal in this piece.
c. The author hasn't had anything to say on this piece as it was not one of
his bigger pieces.
d. This is a single piece of work that stands alone and has no connection
with his other pieces of work.
III. Offerings was written in the 21st century and is also set in the 21st
century. The people's language and social cues (crying when appropriate) make
it much easier to understand the play. The play creates a mysterious world where
someone stays hidden and is demanding yet never makes a physical
appearance.
 IV. A bare stage with 10 chairs and a small circular wooden platform in the
middle and a table with a box down stage left, would be the main
locale/atmosphere. Soccer balls, a fishing fly, a crayon, include the props used in
the show.
V. Alan Haehnels other plays or works could be used to analyze the type of
drama he uses.

Production Scheme
1. I plan on showing how being accepted and not being accepted can affect
a persons behavior and the reactions included. I would like the audience to
question past decisions on people and I would like them to react well to the
events occurring on stage. Whats special about this production is the endless
possibilities that not only the actors could be involved in, but also a large amount
of tech influences as well.
2. Limitations would be the scene changes due to the amount of storage
backstage.
3. 10 chairs and a table with a box on it for the set, along with a few tables

possibly.
 A soccer ball,
pencil, fishing fly, football, penny, crayon, gum and a tissue, a shell, a wheelchair,

and a tie are needed for props.

Costumes include workout clothing for Estelle and Jake, a more
professional/preppy look for Carla and Grace, a run down look for Meg and
Casey, and any type of school clothing for the rest of the main ten on stage.
Extras may be in childish clothing, a flannel and jeans, or adult or school kid wear

(not in uniform, typical public school clothing).

 Typical stage make

up for everyone. I need the ten chairs, table and box, and
middle circular platform. I want the scene changes in mind (school for pencil
flashback, football field/kick stand for Jake, Amber in a wheelchair coloring, etc.).
Alternative approaches could be to go through the script without the flashback
scenes occurring. I would like techs/actors to bring on small set pieces for each
flashback scene and I would like the stage lights to change to a certain color to
differentiate the atmosphere on stage from a flashback to the main story.
4. The text is ready for the most part. Lines must be distributed in certain
areas with extras correspondingly, but otherwise it's ready for the most part.
a. The current version is perfect for this production.
b. Extras will be added for a visual interpretation of the story being told. Also
certain lines will be given to small characters mentioned, like Amber or Caseys
father.
c. The main 11 characters can all be changed in accordance to gender.
d. No cuts will be made. Alterations will be given for certain lines and some
scene changes that weren't written in.
5. For the Voice I would like: Tristan Weber, Darin Ronne, or Porter Skouson.
For Kate I would like: Mikaela Page, Laura Osborne, or Kerstyn Sass. For Carla I
would like: Lydia Goldthwaite, Kerstyn Sass, or Julie Hagopian. For Micky I would
like: Zach McDougal or Tristan Weber. For Estelle I would like: Ava Kee or Madi
Major. For Grace I would like: Hailey Watson or Emma VanWagoner. For Meg I
would like: Destiny Roberson, Emma VanWagoner, or Mikaela Page. For Jake I
would like: Bruno Voigt, Zach Mcdougal, or Adam Wadley. For Sam I would like
Adam Wadley or Bruno Voigt. For Morgan I would like: Kerstyn Sass, Lydia
Goldthwaite, or Destiny Roberson. For Casey I would like: Destiny Roberson,
Emma Vanwagoner, or Mikaela Page.
6. I need to emphasize how the stories being told, effect the actors
characters.
a. I would like minimal movement from the main ten on stage and I
movement into flashback scenes will come from backstage or wings to the front
of the stage.
b. A small dim of the main lights on stage and a spotlight on those that are
either narrating or partaking in the story being told.
c. I would like the correct body language, even a little in the chairs, and when
the actor is supposed to be mad, theyll be loud and storm off appropriately.
Facial reactions will be key when the story has ended and when it takes place.
7. I would like to emphasize how the narration of the story will determine
what the extras will be doing in the flashback scenes. I would also like the
transition of lines from narrator to extra to be easy. Scene changes will be a
huge factor in this production.