The Tangled Web

After-play Forum

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 the audience to participate in the Forum.*

Agree and Disagree Statements:

Facilitator: I’d like to read you a series of statements about the events we’ve just seen. If you agree with the statement, stand in support. If you disagree, stay seated in protest. There’s no right or wrong, just your opinions.

(Facilitator responds to the audience with “thank you” or “looks like an equal split on that one” or other neutral comments, then asks the audience to sit before offering the next statement.)

1. Owen was an innocent victim in Sarah’s scheme.

2. Sometimes it is right to lie, even to a friend.

• Julie and Tommy played no part in what happened to Sarah and Owen.
• It is Sean’s own fault that his father controls his life.
• Money is the key to achieving your dreams.
• Julie is being a good friend to Sarah when she lies to Owen.
• Tommy assisted Owen in taking advantage of Sarah in a weak moment.
• Owen made a good decision to stay with Sarah and the baby.

Exploration: Box of Blame

Facilitator: Now I’d like to ask the group to join us.

(The actors enter, still in role as the characters in the play, and stand in a group at center facing the audience.)

Facilitator: Let’s remind everyone who you are.

(Actors state their character names.)

Facilitator: (To the audience.) Now, I’m curious to know how you feel about Julie’s decision to keep Sarah’s secret from Owen. We know that Julie made the choice, but there might have been others who contributed to that decision. We want you to think of this space in the center as the participation box, the box of involvement. Let’s assume that everyone somehow contributed to Julie’s decision, so everyone begins inside the box.

(The Facilitator moves the characters inside the “box of blame” drawn on the stage.)

Facilitator: If you think that someone up here did not play a part in Julie’s decision, tell us who and why. (Facilitator moves anyone the audience believes was not involved, out of the box of blame.)

Facilitator : Do you all agree?You can argue them back into the box if you think they were involved.

(The group moves at the prompting of audience members who argue them in and out of the box. Facilitator reiterates that it is okay to disagree and repeats comments so that everyone can hear.)

Two other actions in the play may be explored, with the facilitator leading the audience as they move the characters in and out of the “box of blame.”

Facilitator: Sarah seduced Owen to get Sean back . Who wasn’t involved in this decision, and why?

Facilitator: Owen chose to stay with Sarah and the baby. Who wasn’t involved in this decision, and why?

Facilitator: Thank you so much for those ideas. I know there’s more to say but I’m going to give you another chance.

Reflection: The Future

(Facilitator asks actors to sit around the stage.)

Facilitator: Now let’s think about the future. What do you think will happen to these people? Where do you think they’ll be and what will they be doing? I’d like to know what you think. I’m looking for a sentence or a phrase, so that everyone who wants to speak can have a turn. If you have an idea to share, stand and take turns telling us. I won’t even call on you, just go ahead when you’re ready.

(Audience members stand, waiting their turn to offer ideas about the future of the characters. The Facilitator steps back, allowing the audience to negotiate this section themselves.)

Facilitator: Thank you for those thoughts and ideas. I’d like to encourage you to continue this dialogue…

(One character interrupts, wants to speak. The character responds to an idea that has been offered from the audience. A different character is chosen prior to each performance. It is crucial that these responses not be didactic in nature but relate directly to that character’s emotional response to what the audience has offered. Each character has several responses ready to share and chooses one in the moment, according to the preceding dialogue.)

Facilitator: Thank you. I’d like to encourage you to continue this discussion with your friends, family, and professionals. When we share differing points of view we are all richer for the experience. And please, keep yourself safe. Give yourselves and the cast of The Tangled Web a big hand.

(Applause. The actors and Facilitator shed their roles, take their curtain call, then exit.)

End Forum

*For the purposes of this document, the pronoun “he” is used, but the facilitator may be any gender. In the premiere production, the actor who played The Host facilitated the forum.