Blog Prompt 14 Drowsy Chaperone

The Drowsy Chaperone would be a different show if it was just the play within a play. Instead, the show uses the man and his retelling of the story as part of the play. It is easy to think that the man is not a part of the play, and that the things he says are not actually his opinion. In fact, his lines are as much a part of the play as everyone else’s. If we were only analyzing the play-within-the-play, Hornby’s elements would apply differently. For one, sequence would be different. The play would go from scene to scene and move in a much more linear manner. Instead, we have scenes that break away from the central plot of the play and revolve around the man and his part of the story. The sequences in this play utilize the role of the man to help bridge gaps between scenes within the main part of the play. He is as much an integral part of the play as everyone else.

Another element that would be different is the tempo. The tension levels in the play would be much different if the man were not part of the play. The man provides a relief of tension for what is happening in the play. Martin/McKellar/Lambert/Morrison use the man in order to change the pace of the show. The play has a pretty strict tension level which is somewhat broken by the songs. However, it is the man who is the real reliever of the tension. Also, the man provides a new level of tension, thus changing the tempo when appropriate. He is able to keep the story alive and bring the audience back to the world of the play-within-the-play, thus bringing up the tension level.