Noises Off

        One motif in Noises Off is doors. Like in most farces, the characters are constantly making quick and perfectly timed entrances and exits. Because of the multiple doors, characters are getting 'shut off' from other characters, hiding, getting invited in or intruding. However, these actions are not only occurring in the play within the play. The strange part about the play is that we get to see whats happening behind 'the scenes' of the play they are performing. We get to see all of the drama; what happens behind closed doors. All of the actual relationships, the gossip, the addictions, and the infidelity of the 'actors'.
       I think a good tag line would be "can't even get the door open". This has a lot of meaning for the play. Doors are terribly important to the play the characters are performing. It expresses how they can not perform the play correctly and smoothly. It also comments on the drama going on between the 'actors'. Opening a door seems like a fairly easy task, just like putting a play together with an experienced team. However, just as the doors frequently get stuck so do the performers. Overall, Noises Off is filled with failures and ridiculousness. Thats why " can't even get the door open" would make a good tag line.

The Glass Of Water

      Usually, identifying the protagonist of a story isn't difficult. The story is about them. They are often the first character we meet and the character that we follow throughout the plot. however in The Glass of Water, we follow the lives of five characters. They each have their struggles and triumphs. however, the character whose struggles are most central to the plot would have to be Abigail's. To determine this, I thought about the goal of each character. Then I asked three questions: "which 'want' is the most important to the plot?", "which 'want' is the most difficult to satisfy?", and "which 'want' is satisfied?". Abigail's was the answer to all three. Abigail's want is centered around Masham. Therefore anything in the play that sets him back or separates the two of them counts as an Abigail struggle. Almost every conflict in the show does or both of those things. The feelings of the queen for Masham, the feelings of the Duchess for Masham and even Masham's mistake of killing Bolingbroke's cousin all stand in the way of Abigail and Masham's happiness. Scribe makes it easy to lean towards Abigail as the protagonist because he gives her a lot of stage time and made her a likeable character. She is the most innocent character that we follow and her wants are the most pure.
      There are times that we root for everyone in the play. I would say that the next most frequent would be Masham. He is the second most innocent character with the second purest motives. After him would be Bolingbroke because he is an advocate for peace and is constantly aiding Masham and abigail. The Queen and the Duchess would probably be tied for last because they are what intentionally stands in the way of Masham and Abigail. There are times that we feel pity for the Queen and times that we like the Duchess. For example the first time that the Duchess and Bolingbroke, she keeps up with him while they banter. It presents her as a sort of badass female character. That said, if I had to chose a protagonist for The Glass of Water it would definitely be Abigail.