SydneyTheatreCompanyandGoldmanSachsJBWerebyarrangementwithDavid

Pugh&DafyddRogerspresent

GodofCarnage
byYasminaReza
TranslatedbyChristopherHampton
DirectedbyGaleEdwards

TeacherResources
WrittenandcompiledbyJeffreyDawson

Acknowledgements
SydneyTheatreCompanywouldliketothankBrianThomson,setdesignerforhisinvaluablematerial
fortheseTeachers'Notes

Copyright
CopyrightprotectsthisTeachersResourceKit.ExceptforpurposespermittedbytheCopyrightAct,
reproductionbywhatevermeansisprohibited.However,limitedphotocopyingforclassroomuseonly
ispermittedbyeducationalinstitutions.

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SydneyTheatreCompany.......................................................................................................... 3
STCEd ........................................................................................................................................ 3
IMPORTANTINFORMATION...................................................................................................... 4
CastandCreatives ..................................................................................................................... 5
CurriculumLinks ........................................................................................................................ 5
AboutthePlay ........................................................................................................................... 6
AboutthePlaywright................................................................................................................. 7
AboutYasminaReza.............................................................................................................. 7
TheArtofTranslation ........................................................................................................... 8

AbouttheProduction ................................................................................................................ 9
Design.................................................................................................................................... 9
Characters ............................................................................................................................. 9
DirectionGaleEdwards.................................................................................................... 11

PreperformanceQuestions&Activities................................................................................. 12
5Questionsforstudentswhohaventreadtheplay ......................................................... 12
5Questionsforstudentswhohavereadtheplay.............................................................. 13

PostperformanceQuestions&Activities ............................................................................... 15
5Questionsforstudentswhohadntreadtheplay ........................................................... 15
5Questionsforstudentswhohadreadtheplay................................................................ 17

UsefulLinks.............................................................................................................................. 19
APPENDIXA ............................................................................................................................. 20
GODOFCARNAGEREVIEWS ...................................................................................... 20
APPENDIXB ............................................................................................................................. 23
CHERRYCLAFOUTIS .................................................................................................... 23
APPENDIXC ............................................................................................................................. 24
GODOFCARNAGEProgramArticle ......................................................................... 24

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

SydneyTheatreCompany

SydneyTheatreCompany,asthepremiertheatrecompanyinAustralia,hasbeenamajorforcein
Australiandramasinceitsestablishmentin1978.ItwascreatedbytheNewSouthWales
Government,followingthedemiseoftheOldToteTheatreCompany.Thecompanypresentsan
annualtwelveplayprogramatitshomebaseTheWharf,onSydney'sharbouratWalshBay,the
nearbySydneyTheatre,whichSTCalsomanages,andastheresidenttheatrecompanyoftheSydney
OperaHouse.CurrentArtisticDirectors,CateBlanchettandAndrewUptonjoinedtheCompanyatthe
beginningof2008.

STCactivelyfostersrelationshipsandcollaborationswithinternationalartistsandcompanies.
RenowneddirectorsMichaelBlakemore,MaxStaffordClark,HowardDavies,DeclanDonnellanand
PhilipSeymourHoffmanhaveworkedwithSTCinrecentyearsandin2009LivUllmanandSteven
SoderberghwilldirectfortheCompany.STChaspresentedproductionsbyComplicite,CheekbyJowl,
OutofJointandtheNationalTheatreofGreatBritain.In2001STCperformedattheBrooklyn
AcademyofMusicinNewYorkwithitsproductionofTheWhiteDevil,returnedin2006withits
productionofHeddaGablerandwillreturnagainin2009withitsproductionofAStreetcarNamed
DesirewhichwillalsotourtoWashington.

STChaslaunchedandfosteredthetheatrecareersofmanyofAustralia'sinternationallyrenowned
artistsincludingMelGibson,JudyDavis,HugoWeaving,MirandaOtto,GeoffreyRush,ToniCollette,
RoseByrneandCateBlanchett.

In2006STClauncheditsfirstactingensemble,TheActorsCompany,which,overthreeyears,has
performedanextraordinaryrangeofrepertoireincludingawardwinningproductionsofMother
Courage&HerChildren,TheSeasonatSarsaparilla,TheLostEcho,GallipoliandTheWarsofthe
Roses.In2009STCintroduceditsnewensembleoftheatremakersTheResidentswhowillperform
rightacrossthefullrangeoftheCompanysactivitiesincludingMainStage,NextStageandSTCEd
productions.

ToaccessdetailedinformationonSydneyTheatreCompany,itshistoryandproductionsplease
contactourArchivistJudithSeeffatjseeff@sydneytheatre.com.au

STCEd

Since1987SydneyTheatreCompanyhaspresentedproductionsandworkshopsforschoolaudiences.
SydneyTheatreCompanyiscommittedtoeducationbyprogrammingoriginalproductionsand
workshopsthatenthuseandengagethenextgenerationoftheatregoers.WithintheSTCEd
programmeweproduceaseasonofplaysaswellascollaboratewithleadingtheatreforyoung
peoplecompaniesacrossAustralia.

Oftenayoungpersonsfirstexperienceoftheatreisfacilitatedbyteachers.STCensuresaccesstoall
ofitsMainStageproductionsthroughtheSchoolsDayprogrammeaswellasproducingandtouring
theatrespecificallycraftedtoresonatewithyoungpeople.
Itsvitalthatstudentsengagewithworkofthehighestquality.Artcanexpandyourviewoftheworld
andencourageinnovative,engagedthinkingandcompassion.SydneyTheatreCompanyhasan
extensiveonlineresourceforteachersandstudents.Visitwww.sydneytheatre.com.au/education.
Weencourageteacherstosubscribetoregularenewstokeepinformedaswellasaccessheavily
discountedticketsandspecialoffers.
ForfurtherinformationonSTCEd,pleasecontacttheEducationCoordinatorToniMurphyat
education@sydneytheatre.com.au

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

GodOfCarnageSchoolsday

IMPORTANTINFORMATION

Date:

Venue:

Suitability:

Preperformanceforum

LunchBreak

Performancecommences

Performanceconcludes

PostperformanceQ&Aconcludes

Therewillbenointerval

Wed28Oct
DramaTheatre,SydneyOperaHouse
Year12
10.30am
11.15am
12.15pm
1.40pm
2pm(approx)

Pleasenote:latecomersmaynotbepermitteduntilasuitablebreakinthe
performance

Thisproductioncontainsfrequentstronglanguage.Pleaseensureyouhave
discussedandconsideredtheseaspectsoftheproductioninrelationtoyour
students.

Werespectfullyaskthatyoudiscusstheatreetiquettewithyourstudentspriorto
comingtotheperformance.

RunningLate?
PleasecontactFrontofHouseon92501904.

BookingQueries
PleasecontacttheSTCEdBookinglineon0292501778or
education@sydneytheatre.com.au

GeneralEducationQueries
PleasecontactToniMurphy,EducationCoordinatoron0292501795or
education@sydneytheatre.com.au

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

CastandCreatives

Cast

VERONICAVALLON
MICHAELVALLON
ANNETTEREILLE
ALANREILLE

SachaHorler
RussellDykstra
HelenThomson
MarcusGraham

Creatives

Director

Designer

CostumeDesigner
LightingDesigner
SoundDesigner
FightDirector
AssistantDirector

GaleEdwards
BrianThomson
JulieLynch
TrudyDalgleish
PaulCharlier
ScottWitt
KateRevz

CurriculumLinks

GodofCarnageisaninvaluabletextforintegratedstudyintheYear12EnglishAreaof
Study:Belonging,especiallyinitsrepresentationoffamilyrelations(comparedwiththe
charactersinthesettext,ShakespearesAsYouLikeIt.)

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

AboutthePlay
GODOFCARNAGE
Twoelevenyearoldboys,astickandsomebrokenteetharethecatalystinthistaleoftwo
families. Veronica, a writer, and Michel, a company wholesaler, are parents to Bruno.
Annette,awealthmanager,andAlan,alawyer,areparentstoFerdinand.Thetwocouples
meettodiscussthemisdemeanoursoftheirsons.Theeveningbeginsquiteamicably,with
apple and pear clafoutis, and the four parents intending to resolve the situation
diplomatically.However,astheirhopesforthisbegintosplinteranddisillusionmentsetsin,
the evening deteriorates from one of mild unease and discomfort, into a deluge of
accusations,recriminations,jealousyandrage.Thereisdrinking,fighting,vomitingandthe
destructionofsomeratherlovelytulips.

Boyswillbeboys,butcanthegrownupsbegrownupenoughtoresolvetheirdifferences
withoutlosingsightofrightandwrong?ThefaadeofcivilityshattersastheGodofCarnage
wreakshavocinthelivingroomandallhellbreaksloose.

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

AboutthePlaywright
AboutYasminaReza
YasminaRezawasbornin1959inParisandtrainedasanactor,startingherprofessional
careerasanactorappearingincontemporaryFrenchplaysaswellasinclassicworksby
MariveauxandMolire.

In1987shewroteConversationsafteraBurial,whichwonthecovetedMolireAwardfor
BestAuthor.HertranslationofStevenBerkoff'sadaptationoftheFranzKafkanovelThe
Metamorphosis,forperformancebyRomanPolanski,wasnominatedfortheMolireAward
forBestTranslationin1988.WinterCrossing(1990),hersecondplay,wonthe1990Molire
AwardforBestFringeProduction.

HerplayArtpremieredinBerlinandopenedinParisin1994,winningtheMolireAwardfor
BestAuthor,BestPlayandBestProductionthatyear.Sincethen,theplayhasbeen
translatedinto20languagesandbecomeacriticalandpopularsuccessworldwide.In2000
RezawroteLifex3,whichwasfirstperformedinEnglishattheLytteltonTheatre,Royal
NationalTheatreinLondoninDecember2000.LeDieuduCarnageopenedinDecember
2006attheSchauspielhausinZurichandwasfirstperformedinEnglishasGodofCarnagein
LondoninMarch2008.

Thefragilityandsolitudeofman
Transientswhoknowtheyaretransients,withacertainpanache.Liketherelationsofthe
author,daughterofaHungarianviolinist,whodecidedtosettleinPariswhentheIron
Curtainfell,andabusinessmanfather,brilliantblacksheepofaRussianJewishfamilythat
fledBolshevism,Yasminastillfondlyrecallshercosmopolitanchildhoodinacomfortablyoff,
artistic,musiclovingfamily,openmindedabouttheworld;heradmirationforherfather,
especially,apianistinhistimewho,lateinlife,tookadeepinterestinthemysteriesofthe
Jewishreligion,whosesecretfascinationhebequeathedtoher.
A masculine image haunts the plays of the woman who knows so well how to talk about
men,forthemostfamousactors,fromSeanConnerytoAlPacinothroughRobertdeNiro,
dream of a part in her plays. What they like so much is that our clever designer has a
wonderful way with ellipsis, those rejoinders embroidered on the thread of the essential,
apparentlysimplistic,butinwhichanygreatactorcanhintatgreatdepthsthroughperfectly
timed,almostmusicalsilences.
YasminaReza'stheatreisatheatreofvirtuosos;onlytheycanportraythemadmanthrough
a slightly woolly confusion, show the substance between the voids; only they can take
pleasureindreamingaboutthosefierce,yetanodyne,wordspureandhardascrystal.
Fed by the plays of Nathalie Sarraute, she too is a great embroiderer of the unsaid, the
unspokenandothermutefrustrations,YasminaRezasetsouttosayallthroughthetrivial,
thetragicthroughthecomic,theseriousthroughlevityakind ofsearchfortheabsolute.
Whatifthehystericalandcomicalactress,thestuffofmagnificentdrama,were,inherway,
agreatmystic?
FabiennePascaud
JournalistwiththeweeklyartsmagazineTlrama

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

TheArtofTranslation
Yasmina Rezas work in London has been translated from French to English exclusively by
ChristopherHamptonsincehersmashhit'Art'firstopenedinLondonsWestEnd,in1996.
The following extracts regarding their working relationship are from Al Senters program
article Friends Reunited for the Theatre Royal Bath production of God of Carnage which
openedinFebruarythisyear.

It was through his agent, Peggy Ramsay that the name of Yasmina Reza first reached
ChristopherHamptonsears,anditwasanamethatwouldresurfaceyearslaterononeof
Hamptons regular writing trips to Paris. "'Art was playing at a theatre around the corner
frommyhotelandIwasstrollingpasttheentranceonedaywhenInoticedthetitleofthe
playandthenameofthewriterontheposter.Iwasintrigued.IrememberedthatPeggyhad
sent me Yasminas first play, Conversations After a Burial. So I went to the box office and
tried to buy a ticket for Art, but I was told that the play was sold out for the next month.
However,ImanagedtogetareturnandsoIsawtheplay.Iwasextremelyimpressedbyhow
wiseandhowfunnyitwas.

Hampton remembers the early days of their working relationship. Even when Yasminas
commandofEnglishwasnotasgoodasitisnow,itwasapparentthatshekeptaveryclose
eyeonthetranslationsofherwork.Shewasveryconcernedthatwewouldntgetawaywith
anythingandthatherworkwaspresentedascloselyaspossibletotheoriginalproduction.

Inanyprofession,interpersonalchemistryisessentialforafruitfulworkingrelationshipand
Hampton reports that: We all had a very good time working on 'Art' so there seemed no
reasonwhywecouldntcontinue.Whenweworktogether,Ioftenfindmyselfbeingreined
backfromgivingtheaudiencetoogoodatime.Irememberuswatchinganearlypreviewof
ArtandYasminawascompletelytakenabackbytheamountoflaughtertherewasfromthe
audience.Whathaveyoudone?shewantedtoknow.Whyisthereallthislaughter?Ihad
toexplainthatamongthephilistineEnglish,modernartisgenerallyasubjectforcomedy.
Hampton is inclined to see Rezas plays as satires on bourgeois values, behaviour and
hypocrisy. It is clear that there is undoubted humour in the plays and a humour that has
successfully crossed the English Channel as well as numerous other frontiers around the
world.

For Hampton, preserving the humour in the translation is a matter of patiently weighing
eachelementofthetext.Youhavetoarrangethelinesinacertainwayandsometimesits
simplyamatterofchangingthewordorder.Yasminawritesinaheightenedlanguage,she
hasaverydistinctivevoiceandherplayscouldnotbewrittenbysomeoneelse.Illoftensay
toherthatshehascomeupwithanunusualturnofphraseandshetellsmethatshehas
inventedit.Soyouhavetofindatheatricalwayofexpressingsuchinventedturnsofphrase
andinawaythatwillmakepeoplelaugh.Itsnotaneasyexercisebutitscertainlyfun.

AlSenterisaLondonbasedtheatrejournalistandintervieweronalsenter@yahoo.co.uk

ForMoreBiographicaldetails:Seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasmina_Reza

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

AbouttheProduction

Design
Rezainformsusthatthesettingfortheplayis:

Alivingroom
Norealism
Nothingsuperfluous.

ThenwemeetthetwocouplesTheVallonsandtheReilles
sittingdown,facingoneanother.Weneedtosenserightawaythattheplacebelongstothe
Vallonsandthatthetwocoupleshavejustmet.

Inthecentre,acoffeetable,coveredwithartbooks.Abigbunchoftulipsinaglassvase.

TheplayissetinParisbutthesituationrepresentedisuniversal.ThecharactershaveFrench
names,theincidenthappensinaFrenchpark,theyeatFrenchfoodetc.Ifthisproduction
tried to locate the action in Vaucluse, for instance, a Sydney audience would immediately
getasenseofwhosomebodyisfromtheparktheylivenear.

Thesetfeaturesanappropriatebloodredrugandasquaredsilverbackwallandminimalist
redleathersofas(veryNickScalliesque!)andsidetable.

Characters
Allintheirforties.Allthecharactersareunheard;nobodygivestheotherpersonthetimeof
day.Weperceiveattheoutsetoftheplaythattheprevailingmoodisserious,friendlyand
tolerantbetweenthetwocouplestheVallonsandtheReilles.Thetwocoupleshavejust
metattheVallons.

VERONICAVALLONVeronicaisthevictimsmother,acaringearthmothertypewhoturns
intoawildwomanwarrior;awriter,[specialisinginAfrica,]andworksparttimeinanart
historybookshop.She tellstheother coupleunActI,Icontributedtoacollectiononthe
civilisation of Sheba, based on the excavations that were restarted at the end of the
EthiopianEritreanwar.AndIhaveabookcomingoutinJanuaryontheDarfurtragedy.Son
Bruno,thevictimoftheschoolyardscufflethatcatalysestheplay,has,Veronicainformsus,
anineyearoldsister,Camillewhosfuriousatherfatherbecauselastnightherfathergot
ridofthehamster.

Veronicaisalwaysright!PlaywrightYasminaRezahassaid,Veronicaisthecharacterweall
wouldliketobe.Shestheonewhocaresdeeplyabouttheadultschildrenaregoingtogrow
uptobe. Theonlyreasonsheisbecominginsufferableisthatshesmaking abigeffortto
turnthisintosomethingpositive,andshesnotlistenedto.[TheTimes,9/3/08]

AlantellsVeronicathatYouandIhavehadtroubleseeingeyetoeyerightfromthestart.
VeronicacomestobelieveBehavingwellgetsyounowhere.Courtesyisawasteoftime,it
weakensyouandunderminesyou.Sheadmitssheishumourless.

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

MICHAEL VALLON I have a wholesale company, household goods. A selfmade

wholesaler of domestic hardware. There is a diverse range to this man, grounded and
earthy,whooneminuteisdefendingcrueltytoapethamster[guineapig]andnextminute
isconscientiouslyblowdryingadamagedartbook!Rezausesjuxtapositiontocompareand
contrast the boys bullying incident with Michael letting loose his childrens pet hamster,
Nibbles.

ANNETTE REILLE Im in wealth management. Son Ferdinand. Second wife of Alan.

AnnoysMichaelwithhertauntsabouthimbeingsomeonedescendedfromSpartacusand
John Wayne who cant even pick up a mouse. Becomes sick during her visit with her
husband to the Vallons. Fed up with Alan constantly being on his mobile phone, she
believes Men are so wedded to their gadgets. It belittles them. It takes away all their
authority. She challenges her husband, Why are you letting them call my son an
executioner?Youcometotheirhousetosettlethingsandyougetinsultedandbulliedand
lecturedonhowtobeagoodcitizenoftheplanet,oursondidwelltocloutyoursandIwipe
myasswithyourbillofrights!

ALANREILLEaboorishlawyer;constantlytakingcallsonhismobilephone,dealingwitha
crisis,defendingapharmaceuticalcompanythathasbeensellingadrugthatmayhavebad
sideeffects;nicknameshiswifeWoofwoof.Atruealphamale.Secretlyproudofhisbully
son,lateradmittingFerdinand.isasavage.Annetteishissecondwife;hehasanotherson
fromhisfirstmarriage.

Saysaboutmen:Womenalwaysthinkyouneedaman,youneedafather,asiftheydbe
anyhelpatall.Menareadeadweight.,theyreclumsyandmaladjusted.

Says about women to Veronica: Youre part of the same category of woman [as Jane
Fonda,] committed, problem solving, thats not what we like about women, what we like
about women is sensuality, wildness, hormones. Women who make a song and dance of
their intuition, women who are the custodians of the world depress us, even him, poor
Michael,yourhusband,hesdepressed.

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

10

DirectionGaleEdwards
Reference:BryceHallett,Ferociouscomedyignitedbyanactofyouthfulviolence,inThe
SydneyMorningHerald,Wednesday7/10/09
''It'sAlbeemeetsMolire,''GaleEdwardssays.''Theplayisn'tnaturalisticand[it]feelslikea
Molire farce Great comedy has to be based on great truth, and in this production we
havechosentopushtheboatout.It'stremendouslyfunnyinanirreverentwayanddigsinto
ourpsyche.''
ThedirectorofsuchmemorableproductionsasBuriedChild,FestenandJerrySpringerThe
Opera, says God of Carnage has splashes of boulevard comedy and escalating strains of
Albee'sdomesticcombatsanduneasytruces.
''What is the style of the piece? That is the danger. It moves into Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf? territory but not in the way [Albee] plunges into the fire with great seriousness or
darkdespairRezaplayswithrapiersnotswords;she'sswift,cleverandwitty,andthere
aretimeswhenweputthebrakesontobetterservethetext.''
"Thefirstimpressionaudiencesgetisoneofsimplicitytherearefouractors,twosofasand
theplayhappensinrealtime,"Edwardssays."Thecentralmetaphorisprettyobviousinthe
broader issues it touches on by looking at a small group of individuals who find conflict
resolutionnearimpossible.
''How, then, can communities, nations and society be expected to come together? It is
goingonbetweenPalestineandIsrael,onlyinmicrocosm."
Apart from playing hard and fierce with the comedy, Edwards and the designer Brian
Thomsonhavesoughttointroduceasoberingvisualnote.Inrehearsalstheplaytookona
deeper resonance for the cast and creative team when they heard about the death of a
Mullumbimbyschoolboy,JaiMorcom,afteraschoolyardfightinAugust.
"Herewasaninnocentboywhodiedafteraviolentincident,''Edwardssays.''Itplayedonall
ourmindsasweminedthelayersoftheplay,especiallyasRezaquestionswhoweareand
howweliveourlives.Itraisescomplexquestions.Dowehaveanaturalinclinationtowards
violence?Howaretheseedsofviolencesown?
''The'godofcarnage'isthemoralargumentthatwecan'tbeintrinsicallygoodorvirtuous
peoplegiventhechaosandconflictintheworld.Soalthoughthe play looks simple, it
is concerned with broad, compelling issues."

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

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PreperformanceQuestions&Activities
5Questionsforstudentswhohaventreadtheplay

1. God of Carnage plays out in real time, following an interaction between two couples
discussingaplaygroundfightbetweentheirchildrenoveranhourandahalf.Whatother
playsorfilmsortelevisionshows[e.g.24]canyouthinkofthatplayoutinrealtime?

2. ResearchthebackgroundonartistsOskarKokoschka(whosepricelesscatalogueAnnette
owns) and Francis Bacon. Annette is also working on a book on the Darfur tragedy.
The Darfur Conflict refers to violence taking place in Darfur, Sudan. which started in
February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Army and Justice and Equality Movement
tookuparms,accusingthegovernmentofoppressingblackAfricansinfavourofArabs.

3. As one critic has said, With Rezas characteristic wit and sharp eye for contemporary
detail, the play God of Carnage tells of four parents who meet to discuss an issue
between their two young sons and rapidly descend into childishness.
Read the fabulous Australian novel The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas which has a similar
theme,

4. AphotographofthefouractorsinroleastheVallondandtheReilles.,featuresonthe
STC flyer for the play.. The text is written in aggressive red and black.
Clip the ad for God of Carnage from the Amusement Section of The Sydney Morning
HeraldorlookuptheSTCwebsitepagefortheplaywww.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced
Whatcanyoutellaboutthepublicitycampaignfortheplayfromthisimageoftheplay?
Use the following copy to put together your own flyer for God of Carnage using the
followingtext.Chooseaspikyfontaswell.

TWOOSTENSIBLYCIVILISEDMARRIEDCOUPLESMEETUPTOSORTOUTAPLAYGROUND
FIGHT.

Thesonofonecouple,theReilles,hasbrokentwooftheteethofthesonofanother,the
Vallons.Atfirstdiplomaticnicetiesareobserved,butasthemeetingprogressesandthe
rumflows,hugetensionsemergeandtheglovescomeoff,leavingmorethanjusttheir
liberalprinciplesintatters.

5. ReadthereviewsoftheWestEndandBroadwayproductionsofGodofCarnagein
AppendixA.WhatexpectationsdoyouhaveforYasminaRezasplayinproductionnow
youhavereadreviewsoftheplay?

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

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5Questionsforstudentswhohavereadtheplay

1. BelowisanimageofBrianThomsonsredandsilversetforthisproduction.Hesaysof
theset,ThesettingisstillParis,although that'sonlyinplacenames,newspapersetc.
(Theactorsuse)noaccentsandtheyuseEnglishversionsoftheirnames.Itsbasicallyan
islandwithnosuperfluousbitsandpiecesthedrinksbarhasbeencutallthereis(is)
what'sneeded.

Explorewhattheredandwhitemotifsofthesetmightmean.

2. PlaywrightYasminaRezaalludestotheJohnWaynevirilityofAlan:Alansayshedidnt
come to the Vallons place hoping for reconciliation: When youre brought up with a
kindofJohnWayneishideaofvirility,youdontwanttosettlethiskindofproblemwith
a lot of yakking. John Wayne was an American film actor who epitomised rugged
masculinityandhasbecomeanenduringAmericanicon.Heisfamousforhisdistinctive
voice, walk and height. He was also known for his conservative political views and his
supportinthe1950sforanticommunistpositions.

Whatdoestheplaywrightmeanbythisallusion?

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

13

3. MichaelandVeronicassonBrunoisaccusedfromtheoutsetoftheplayofcallingAlan
andAnnettessonFerdinandasnitch,whichhasbeendefinedasathief;aninformer,
usuallyonewhobetrayshisgroup,orcolloquially,afink,someoneactingasaninformer
or decoy for the police. As a verb it means to denounce: give away information about
somebody;"Hetoldonhisclassmatewhohadcheatedontheexam."Brainstormother
examplesofthislanguageofbullying.
Alan discusses the tribal nature of the recess break: Theyre young, theyre kids, kids
havealwaysgiveneachotheragoodbeatingatrecess.Itsalawoflife.Doyouagree
withhim?

4. GodofCarnagehasbeencalledacomedyofmannerswithoutthemanners.What
modernexamplescometomindfromthecomedyofmannersgenre:e.g.Friends,
SleeplessinSeattle.

5. MakethedessertclafoutismentionedintheplayseeAppendixB.
Heresthereferencetoitintheplay:Clafoutis?Isitacakeoratart?SeriousquestionI
wasjustthinkingLinzertorte,forexample,isthatatart?Veroniquereplies:Clafoutisis
acake.Thepastrysnotrolledout.Itsmixedinwiththefruit.Inmyview,itsonlythe
classictart,thatstosayonapastrybase,thatdeservestobecalledatart.

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

14

PostperformanceQuestions&Activities
5Questionsforstudentswhohadntreadtheplay

1. Create an oral presentation [interview or hotseat] that demonstrates understanding

and empathy for one of the characters in God of Carnage: VERONICA, MICHAEL,
ANNETTEorALAN.
In3minutesyouwillneedtorespondtoscriptedcharacterquestionsandexplainyour
characterssituationandconcernsasdepictedinthestoryoftheplay.Youwillthenbe
asked23impromptu questions.ThisislikealifeoffstageexercisebyfamedRussian
actingpractitioner,KonstantinStanislavsky.Youneedtoanswerthesequestionsbased
on the facts of the play and your interpretation of the characters motivation and
relationshipsinthecontextoftheplotline.

Herearesomeguidelinequestions:

1)Stateyourname.

2)Howoldareyou?

3)Towhichsocialgroupdoyoubelongandwhatjobdoyouhold?

4)Wheredoyouusuallylive?

5)Whoareyourfriendsandwhoareyourenemies?

6)Howdoyoufitintothestoryoftheplay?

7)Doyouconsideryourselftobeagoodorbadpersonwhy?

8)Attheendoftheplay,whatdoyouthinkpeoplemightsaytheyknowaboutyou?
Thesearesimplequestionstobreaktheice.Youshouldthenbeabletorespondto
yourchosencharacteringreaterdepth.

2. Comment on Rezas use of physical comedy such as slapstick, wit and other comic
techniquesinhersuburbansatireGodofCarnagetoexpressherabsurdistviewoflife.
DiscussthephysicalityofHelenThomsonasvisitingmother/commoditybrokerAnnette.
GodofCarnage,likeotherRezaplays,hasbeendescribedasafunnytragedy.Hence
theplayingofithastobedeadlyserious.

Sydney Theatre Companys God of Carnage Teachers Notes 2009

15

3. Comment on the directors decision that the actors not play in French accents with
Russell Dykstra playing Michael Vallon as workingclass and Marcus Graham as Alan
Reille as debonair and rather British. [On Broadway the play was Americanized for
stateside audiences.] The actors are not playing French stereotypes. Reza didnt want
theplaytobeaboutsocialdifferences,butaboutpeoplenotbeingabletotalktoone
another.

4. ReadtheprogramarticleGodofCarnage(AppendixC)
Analyse the title God of Carnage. Alan, the corporate shark type, admits proudly to
believinginthisgod.Heexplains,"YouseeVronique,IbelieveintheGodofCarnage.
Hehasruled,uninterruptedly,sincethedawnoftime..."

5. Exploreandcommentonthefollowingrepresentationsintheplay:belonging,attitudes
to politics, work, conscience, material possessions,parenting, gender, education, racial
prejudice and crucially guinea pigs! Have a class debate on Annettes assertion that
Aninsultisalsoakindofassault.

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5Questionsforstudentswhohadreadtheplay

1. Direction: The role of the director of a theatrical production not only includes finding
thebestactorsfortheplay,creatingtruthfulandbelievableperformances,andbuilding
an effective ensemble, but also defining a particular vision for the text.
WhatdoyouthinkwasthevisionofthedirectorGaleEdwardsandherinterpretationof
theplay,particularlytheuseofphysicalmovementwithintheconfinesofalivingroom?
CommentonEdwardsuseofthetechniqueofhiatusorbeatorchangeofintention.
Consider the following: A British critic Alice Jones in The Independent (27/3/08) has
commented on Playwright Reza that she "has proved that she can skewer the middle
classeslikenoother,revellinginthegrotesqueprejudicesnotonlyofhercharactersbut
alsooftheaudience.HasEdwards'productionmetthisend?

Commentonthefilmsequenceusedinthemiseenscnetorepresentchildrenatplay.

2. SetDesignConsiderthefollowing:
Online critic Diana Simmonds on her theatre blog Stagenoise opines, Between them,
designer Brian Thomson and lighting designer Trudy Dalgleish have created a finely
definedplayingspaceforthequartet.Stacksofartbooksandelegantmodernsofasand
coffee table speak of social aspiration; while the back wall is both a mosaic of screens
that effectively come into their own at the beginning and end of the play, and a large
screenthatallowsadistortedshadowplayextensionoftheactors'physicalpresence.It
adds another element to Edwards' choreography and helps transform what might
otherwisehavebeenavisuallystaticwork
WhatmooddoesBrianThomsonsstarksilversquaredbackwallevokefromtheoutset
oftheplayinthelivingroomoftheVallonslivingroom?Sketchthesetandbloodred
minimalistfurnitureandrugandlistsomeoftheprops,includingtheartbooksandthe
exquisite vase of tulips. How is the set used later to represent the vast crevices of
disagreementnotonlybetweenthetwocouplesbutbetweenhusbandsandwives?And
theentireworld?

3. CostumeDesign:HowhasCostumeDesignerJulieLynchinterpretedthelookofeachof
the main characters? Outer garments like trench coats are put on or removed like
armour by Annette and Alan at different points in the play. Alan sees himself as a
Neanderthal Man. (Diana Simmonds on her theatre blog Stagenoise says, Costume
designer Julie Lynch raises the visual ante with a clearly themed outfit for each
character.)

4. HowdoesLightingDesignerTrudyDalgleishssidelightingandsmokecontributetothe
moodofscenes?Whateffectdotheselightingstatesachieve?

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5. Music/SoundDesign
How does the soundscape of Sound Designer Paul Charlier evoke different moods at the
beginningandendoftheplay?CommentonCharliersuseofFrenchhiphopmusicinthe
miseenscneincludingsamplesofcontemporaryFrenchtelevisionandchildrensvoicesto
accompanythevideofootage.Phonecallsplayamajorpartinthecomedy.

UsefulLinksForMusic/SoundDesignCOMPOSITION
GOTO<http://www.sibelius.com/home/index_flash.html>
musicformultimediaproductionsMusicformultimediaproductionsreferstothestudyof
musicanditsrelationshiptothevariouscombinationsofmedia.Forexample:radio,film,
television,CDROMs,computergames,softwaresoundtracksandslides/audiovisual
productions.

ThisStage6Music1topicencouragescompositioninoneofthesemedia.Nowthatyou
haveseentheuseofmusicasunderpinningofcharacter(forinstance,theuseofjungle
musicandcries),composeamusicpieceforoneoftheothercharactersintheplay.Use
http://www.soundjunction.org/default.aspaor
http://www.sibelius.com/home/index_flash.htmltoachievethis.

Alsousethissitetocompileadiskofthefollowingsoundeffects(FX):soundsofchildren
playinginaplaygroundorpark.

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UsefulLinks

www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stcedSTCEdwebsite
Hereyoucanfindresources,watchvideotrailers,sendusyourfeedbackontheproductions
youhaveseen,emailourarchivistforspecificinformationyoumaybesearchingforor
checkthedateandtimeofaperformance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasmina_Rezabestbiographicalresource

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,2543294016947,00.html?from=public_rss
RosemarySorensenscomprehensivefeaturearticleonYasminaReza

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/16/090316fa_fact_thurmanLifeand
LettersaboutYasminaRezafromprestigiousAmericanmagazine.

http://www.playbill.com/features/article/127875.htmlTonyAwardwinnerYasminaReza
bringsarazorwitandprofoundunderstandingofhumansubtletiestoherGodofCarnage

http://www.godofcarnage.com/GodofCarnageBroadwayproductionwebsite.

http://www.independent.co.uk/artsentertainment/theatredance/features/yasminareza
onwritingaplaythatcanrivallsquoartrsquo798608.htmlYasminaRezaonWritingaPlay
ThatCanRivalArt

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/nothingmessyaboutthisnearperfect
nouvellefarce8230exceptprojectilevomit/2009/10/09/1255019613363.htmlJason
BlakesreviewNothingmessyaboutthisnearperfectnouvellefarceexceptprojectile
vomitinTheSydneyMorningHeraldWeekendEdition,1011/10/09

http://www.stagenoise.com/reviewsdisplay.php?id=368DianaSimmondsreviewPetit
bourgeoishahaha,ofYasminaRezascrowdpleaserplayontheStagenoiseblogsite..

http://www.cookingsoftware.com.au/recipes/Clafoutis_Recipes.htmlFourteendifferent
clafoutisrecipes:

www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.auHereyoullfindfullinformationaboutsubjectsyllabiand
pastexaminationpapers.

http://encarta.msn.comEncartaEncyclopediaArticleonYasminaReza.Helen

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APPENDIXA
GODOFCARNAGEREVIEWS

TheGuardian:GodOfCarnage
Mar.28,2008
MichaelBillingtonTheatreCritic

GielgudTheatre,London

The first night of Yasmina Reza's new play was disrupted by a power failure. At one point
CameronMackintosh,thetheatreowner,appearedtoexplain:"Ihaven'tshortchangedthe
meter."But,aftera10minutehiatus,theshowwentonwiththeaidofaworkingstagelight
and a frontofhouse spot. And, even if dramatic momentum was briefly lost, it couldn't
disguiseReza'sbrutallycomicdissectionofbourgeoisvalues.

Disruption lies at the heart of the play itself. Two ostensibly civilised couples meet to sort
outaplaygroundpunchup:thesonofAlanandAnnettehasbrokentwoincisorsoftheson
of their hosts, Michael and Veronica. At first, diplomatic niceties are observed. Gradually,
however,tensionsemergebetweenandamongthecouples.

Alain, a cynical lawyer distractedly defending a dodgy pharmaceutical company on his

mobile, irks his hosts and causes his wife to throw up. Meanwhile, Veronica, a moral
crusader who has just done a book about Darfur, allows her mask to slip and exposes the
hollownessofhermarriagetoMichel,whoisavulgarnihilistatheart.

As she proved in Life x 3, Reza is an expert analyst of social hypocrisy; and her play, in
Christopher Hampton's witty translation, starts out as a rancidly funny account of two
couplestiptoeingaroundtheirmutualdislike.

Ralph Fiennes's detached lawyer raises the roof as, tucking into his host's sweetmeat, he
announces:"Atleastallthishasgivenusanewrecipe."AndJanetMcTeer'sVronicareveals
wherehertruevaluesliewhenshelamentsthatTamsinGreig'sAnnettehasspewedupall
overherpricelessKokoschkacatalogue.

Even Ken Stott, as the wouldbe pacifier Michael, turns out to a bruiser who has cruelly
releasedhisdaughter'shamsterintotheParisianstreets.Allfouractorsareexcellentand,in
MatthewWarchus'sdeftproduction,showthethinveneerofbourgeoispretence.

But,evenallowingfortheenforcedbreaktwothirdsofthewaythrougha90minuteplay,
naggingquestionsarise.YouwonderhowthemarriageofachicradicallikeVroniquetoa
deepseated racist like Michel has endured as long as it has. And there is a sense of
acceleratedAlbeeaboutthebreakdownofthepalesandfortsofreasonundertheinfluence
ofafewglassesofrum:ifanything,theplayistooshorttobeawhollyplausiblemetaphor
forthedeclineofwesterncivilisation.

But, to those who dismiss Reza as a boulevard writer, I would counter that she has the
couragetotacklebigthemes;andthisperformanceisfullofdelights.

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McTeer'svoiceseemstosinkintoherbootsassherevealsVeronica'srealvenom.Fiennes's
comicindifferencegraduallyacquiresatragicedge.Stottalsoexposesthecowardicebehind
hismachobombastandGreig,asarguablythesanestofthequartetwhosaysofthefighting
sonsthat"thereiswrongonbothsides",conveysthesicklyimpotenceofliberalism.

Reza's commercial success is often held against her; but here, as so often, she holds the
mirroruptobourgeoishypocrisywiththesavageindignationofabornsatirist.

Reference::<http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2008/mar/26/theatre>

TheTorontoStar:GodOfCarnage:ABroadwayMustSee
Greatteamwork,strongactorsmakecleverlyshiftingplayamustsee
Apr26,2009
RichardOuzouniaTheatreCritic

NewYorkThewords"savage"and"merciless"don'tnormallycoexistwith"hilarious"and
"entertaining", but that's exactly what's currently happening in Manhattan where Yasmina
Reza'slatestassaultonourpolitesensibilitiescalledGodofCarnageiscurrentlyplayingto
packedhouses.

If a play ever mirrored the patterns of guerilla warfare, this one is it, starting out as a
seeminglyinnocuouscomedyabouttwouppermiddleclasscouplestryingtoworkoutthe
problemstheirchildrenhadinarecentquarrel,onlytoend90minuteslaterinanallout,
noholdsbarredassaultontheveryfoundationsofourcivilization.

Theatrethiscleverrequiresconsummateteamworkfromtoptobottomandthat'swhatwe
gethere.Reza'swriting(superblytranslatedfromtheFrenchbyChristopherHampton)takes
usalongtheroadtohellstepbystepwithgossamerskill.DirectorMatthewWarchusisable
tomodulatehisstagingfrompolitecoffeetablebantertofullbodypressviolenceandthe
fourcastmembersJeffDaniels,HopeDavis,JamesGandolfiniandMarciaGayHardenare
allthekindofcourageoustroupersyouwouldliketohavewithyouonbeachatNormandy,
aswellasonthestageofahitBroadwayshow.

Oneofthebeautiesofthisplayisthewaythetectonicplateskeepshifting.Thepersonyou
mayfindthemostcontemptibleasthecurtainrisesistheoneyou'relikeliesttocheerasit
falls.Themostrighteousturnsouttobethemostprejudiced;thewimpturnsouttobethe
viperandsoon.Nothingornooneiswhattheyfirstseemtobe.That'swhatmakesthis
such a constantly fascinating piece of theatre: a dialectical Rubik's cube that invisible
hands keep reshaping before your eyes. While the writing and direction command our
respect,it'stheactingthatdemandsourtotaladmiration.IurgeyoutoruntoManhattanas
soonaspossibletoseethisshowinordertosavourthesheermagicofthequartetofartists
joinedtogetherinthisproduction.

It's impossible to decide who to praise first. Harden is front and centre with the risks she
takes, going from tightlipped liberalism to freeswinging anarchy as the play progresses.
There's nothing more hysterical or braver than the way Harden throws herself on her
opponents, or leaps up and down in anger when things don't go her way. Davis has a
fascinatingtrajectory,runningfromdoeeyedsubserviencetoprojectilevomitingworthyof

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a character from The Exorcist, while Daniels as her cellphonedependent husband works
withinanarrowermarginofhysteria,butstillfindsenoughgroundtofrightenusaswell.

And then there's Gandolfini, spending a large part of the evening radiating that smiling
benevolenceweknowsowellfromhisdaysasTonySoprano.But,justliketheformerrefuse
manager from New Jersey, Gandolfini's character here is capable of the most horrifying
eruptions and if there's any doubt how close our civilized society is to the jungle, his
Neanderthalrantingswilleliminatetheminaminute.

GodofCarnageisthatrareplaywhichwillnotonlysurpriseyouandentertainyou,butgive
youplentytodiscussforhoursafterwards.Putthisonthetopofyour"mustsee"listinNew
York.

Reference:http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/624239

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APPENDIXB

CHERRYCLAFOUTIS

INGREDIENTS(SERVES4)
600gcherries
3/4cup(165g)castorsugar
1/2cup(75g)plainflour
4eggs,atroomtemperature
2eggyolks,atroomtemperature
2cups(500ml)lukewarmmilk
1/2tspvanillaextract
2tbsArmagnac,Cognacorbrandy,optional
60gunsaltedbutter,melted
Finelygratedrindof1lemon

METHOD
1. Remove the stalks from cherries then, using, a cherry pitter, pit the cherries. Place the
cherriesonasmalltrayjustlargeenoughtoholdtheminasinglelayer,scatterwith1/4cup
(55g)sugarandshaketocoatinsugar.Placeinthefreezerfor1houroruntilfirm.

2.Siftremainingsugar,flourandapinchofsaltintoabowl.Inaseparatebowl,whiskeggs,
eggyolks,milk,vanillaandArmagnac(ifusing)untilcombined.Graduallywhiskeggmixture
intoflourmixtureuntilsmoothandcombined.Coverwithplasticwrapandsetasideatroom
temperaturefor30minutes,thenwhiskinwarmmeltedbutterandlemonrind.

3.Preheat oven to 180C. Grease four 1 1/2cup (375ml) capacity (or one 6cup capacity)
shallow,ceramicorporcelainovenproofdish(es)thenplaceinalargeroastingpan.Divide
frozencherriesbetweendish(es)andgentlypourinbatter.Pourboilingwaterintoroasting
pan to come onethird of the way up side of dish(es) then bake for 2025 minutes for
individualpuddingsor40minutesforalargepudding,oruntiljustset.Serve.

NOTES&TIPS
Cherry and olive pitters can be used interchangeably they are available from specialist
kitchenshopsandmakespeedyworkofpitting.Acrudebuteffectivealternativeistousea
small,cleanpaperclip.Inserttheclipintothecherryandusethebasetohookandpullup
thepit.
Warmingthemilkslightlywillpreventthebutterfromsolidifyingandhelptheingredients
tocombinebetter.
Other summer and early autumn fruits can be given a similar treatment. Try halved
apricots,figsorplums.

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APPENDIXC

GODOFCARNAGEProgramArticle
If theatre has a primitive origin, common to us all, superseding all religion, cultures and
beliefs,aplacewherewecanvenerateandweaveacollectivespiritintobeing,thenperhaps
theatrehastheuniqueabilitytomakeusseewhowetrulyareasprimalhumanbeings.

Across all cultures whether from Ancient Greece to Hindu Mysticism, one of the many
unique facets that seems to transcend us all, a base animalistic if not Neanderthal like
factor,istheneedtodestroy,dismemberandannihilate.Aneedwetendtosuppressbuta
feelingthatrearsitsuglyhead.Tothiseffectwehaveallindulgedinagod,agodofwar,a
godofbrutality,agodofdestruction:thegodofcarnage.

Ares:Greekgod.a.k.a.MarstotheRomans.Thegodofbloodlustandslaughterisbrotherto
Athena and son to Zeus and Hera. Abhorred by the gods and more so by his father who
declared (as per The Iliad): I hate you more than any of the gods on Olympus; your only
dreamsarethoseofdestruction,warandcombat.

Anhur: Egyptiangod.ThesonofRa(orSunGod)wasinchargeofhuntingandslayingthe
enemiesofhissolardeityfather.

Agrona:Celticgod.Sheisthegodofstrifeandslaughter.TheriverAeroninWalesisnamed
afterherandliterallymeanscarnage.

Kali: Hindu god. She is associated as the god of death and destruction and the ultimate
figure of annihilation. Through this role, she is also seen as the redeemer of the universe,
andthusthepatronfortimeandchange.

AesmaDaeva:Persiangod.Aruthlessandimmoralgodofwarseekswrathandrevenge.He
chasesthesoulsofthedeceasedastheyrisetoheaven.

Hachiman:Japanesegod.Shintogodofwar,guardianoftheMinamotoclanofsamurai,is
symbolised by a vortex or whirlpool with three heads. Hachiman became one of the most
important gods after the establishment of the Shogun regime from 1192 to 1867, second
onlytoAmaterasu(thesungoddess).

Tumatauenga: Maori god. The god of war and destruction is also the ancestor of
humankind.Hisexploitstaughtmankindhowtoharnesstheresourcesofthenaturalworld.
ThebodyofthefirstwarriortofallintobattleisusuallyoffereduptoTumatauenga.

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