Analysis Of Trifles By Susan Glaspell

A director is the heart of a play production. He is responsible for the interpretation of a script – the enlivening of the play. The very first thing to do for any director who wants to choose Trifles by Susan Glaspell, one of the earliest feminist dramas, for a stage production, is to analyze it. Doing so not only enables the director to fully comprehend the characters, the structure, the setting of the play, but also empowers him to instruct the actors during the audition, as well as the rehearsals.
First and foremost, the director has to grasp the functions of all the characters in the play. For instance, Mr. Hale’s character elaborates the patriarchal dominance, one of the themes of the play. Despite the fact that he’s an ordinary farmer,
Since it’s a quite short one-act play, the falling action of Trifles is omitted from its exposition-to-denouement structure. In Trifles, the differences and the relationship between two genders are the main conflict. In the beginning part of the play, we are being exposed to what has happened through Mr. Hale’s recount of the discovery of the murder. Additionally, the men’s belittlement over the women’s worry about Mrs. Wright’s preserves, as well as Mrs. Hale’s line, “Men’s hands aren’t always as clean as they might be,” serves as a foreshadowing of the play. Revolving around the conflict, the women finding the unfinished quilt and the birdcage, as well as the men ignoring them can be seen as the point of attack which sets off the course of action. Eventually, the rising action – the discovery of the dead canary, with its neck wrung, together with the sense of empathy of the two women – add up to the climax of the play, where the women decide to conceal the vital evidence that could convict Mrs. Wright. Finally, the play ends with Mr. Henderson’s one last sarcastic, diminishing comment followed by Mrs. Hale’s reply. Furthermore, based on his analysis, the director will decide how to interpret the
Hence, casting. Preferably, since there are only five characters in Trifles and their ability to cooperate is the utmost importance, the director should include both monologue and dialogue in the audition pieces. Those who want to audition for Mr. Hale can read the exposition part of the play, which is supposed to attract the audience’s attention (line 19-23). Triers for Mr. Peters, the sheriff, can recite all of his lines as there are only 10 of them in the whole play. The director can make his judgment by fixating on how the actors are expressing the sheriff’s carelessness and disparagement concerning women through their speech. Mr. Henderson’s conversation with Mrs. Hale (line 31-45) can be used for those who are trying out for their roles. This part, where Mr. Henderson attempts to blame Mrs. Wright as a bad housewife, while Mrs. Hale takes a stand against him to defend her fellow woman, is significant as it sheds light on both characters’ personalities and functions in the play. As for Mrs. Peters, the director can use the dialogue between the two women (line 49-61), for it can show the cooperation between the women, the main protagonists, especially in their movements. After finishing with the casting, the director should advise the actors to further analyze the play, as well as their own