![]() ![]() Writing at the time of publication in the mid 1950s that the ‘house of the play is situated in Carlton, a now scruffy but once fashionable suburb of Melbourne,’ the playwright is alerting us to an important subject: ideas, dreams, relationships, buildings, and even entire facades fade. The extensive stage direction and setting notes in Ray Lawlor’s Summer of the Seventeenth Doll provide innumerable clues about the play’s subjects and its trajectory. Given the attention that the narrative text receives, it is understandable that the role of geography and stage direction is less clear in this paradigm. As a society, we are hungrier than ever for ‘relevance’ and immediate access to a text so the ability to perceive foreshadowing is invaluable. To be able to accurately ‘predict’ a play based on a handful of lines is a useful skill for time poor participants. I propose that the world of a play, the plot elements within it, and its thematic concerns can be entirely understood through stage direction. Understanding the geography of a scene and the signposts of meaning has arguably never been more of a challenge due to the sheer weight of images that are immediate, unearned and accessible in today’s world. Theme, Opposition and Sensory Analysis through stage direction in Summer of the Seventeenth Dollĭisregard location: as one of the givens in the play it is there for a ![]()
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