The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

by Pauline Flannery

After-play Forum
Designed and Written by Laurie Brooks

At the end of the play the curtain call is held until the end of the forum. Instead, the audience is greeted by the facilitator, who introduces himself and invites them to participate in the Forum.

Agree and Disagree Statements

Facilitator: Now I'm going to read a series of statements and ask you to stand in support if you agree with the statement or stay seated in protest if you disagree.

The audience chooses to stand or remain seated after each statement is read. The facilitator's responses to the agree / disagree statements should be neutral as in, "That looks like about half of you agree," or "interesting," "thank you" or "all right." Avoid saying "Good" as the audience may think that signals a right or wrong answer.

1. All of us have two sides to our personalities just like Dr. Jekyll, one good and one evil.
2. If you see a friend engaging in dangerous behavior you should walk away.
3. Dr. Jekyll is right to pity Mr. Hyde.
4. Dr. Jekyll deserved the consequences of his actions.
5. Mr. Hyde deserved the consequences of his actions.
6. A good friend is supportive even when they dislike a friend's decisions.
7. At the end of the play, Dr, Jekyll's darker side won.
8. If a friend is engaged in illegal behavior you should help in any way you can.

Facilitator: Now I'd like to hear from you. What do you think this play is about? Not the story, but the themes, the meanings in the play. In a word or phrase, tell me what you think this play is about.

Facilitator calls on as many audience members as have ideas, encouraging and thanking them.

Facilitator: Great ideas. Thank you.

Explorations: Trapped

Facilitator: In the story, Dr. Jekyll became the victim of his own choices. He was trapped by an addiction to his darker, animal side. But Jekyll wasn't the only one who was trapped.

Suddenly Three pools of light delineate and reveal Hyde, Lanyon and Utterson.

Facilitator: Think for a moment, were any of these people trapped in the story? Besides Dr. Jekyll, do you think was trapped?

Audience members raise their hands and facilitator calls on them one by one. Dr. Jekyll/Facilitator moves the cage from character to character as they are discussed.

Facilitator: Why do you think this character was trapped? How did it
happen? Is this the only character that was trapped? Who else?

Audience members respond until all who want to have had a chance to speak or time is up.

Facilitator: Thank you.

Lights and characters fade.

Reflection:

Facilitator: Let's go back to one of the agree and disagree statements we explored before. Dr. Jekyll deserved the consequences of his actions. Do you think that's true? Did Dr. Jekyll deserve to die?

When you're ready, just stand and tell us briefly what you think. I won't call on you, Just take turns.

Audience stands and responds in turn.

And/or.

Facilitator: In the story, Dr. Jekyll says these words: I only ask for justice.
I'm interested in what you think would be the right justice or consequences for Dr. Jekyll.

And/or

Facilitator: In the play Dr. Jekyll says: I have had a lesson. Oh, what a lesson.

And/or.

Facilitator: I'm interested in what you think that lesson means for us.
Is there meaning for us in this story?

And/or

Facilitator: If all of us have two sides to our personalities, like Dr. Jekyll, one good and one evil, we might also think of it as dark and light animal and angel, moral and immoral. In our world today, which do you think is stronger, the good or the evil?

Facilitator: Thanks so much for all those great ideas. Now give yourself and the cast of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a big hand.

Actors de-role and with the facilitator take their curtain call.

End Forum