Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 1
Dramaturgy Packet
OKLAHOMA!
California Regional Theatre
Performed: February 5-8, 12-15 2015
Book and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Music by RICHARD ROGERS
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 2
California Regional Theatre
Executive Director: Bob Maness
1-800-722-4522
[email protected]
Created by Rebecca Hammonds
Production Dramaturg
[email protected]
Last updated 10/29/14
California Regional Theatre
3851 Morrow Ln. Suite 7
Chico, CA 95928
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Table of Contents
About the Authors...............................................................................................................................5
Lynn Riggs……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
Oscar Hammerstein II (Book/Lyrics)…………………………………………………………………………5
Richard Rogers (Music)…………………………………………………………………………………………….5
The Road to Broadway………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
Adaptation: From Song, to Play, to Musical…………………………………………………………………6
Writing…………………………………………………………………………………………………………6
Title……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
Production History……………………………………………………………………………………………………7
Agnes de Mille (Original Choreography)…………………………………………………………………….8
The Dream Sequence – Why is it in There?.............................................................8
Rouben Mamoulian (Director)…………………………………………………………………………………..9
Lemuel Ayers (Scenic Designer)…………………………………………………………………………………9
Rogers and Hammerstein’s Legacy………………………………………………………………………………………10
Themes and Messages……………………………………………………………………………………………………….10
Growing Up……………………………………………………………………………………………………………10
Celebration of Culture…………………………………………………………………………………………….11
Minorities………………………………………………………………………………………………………………11
Desires…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11
Cast Resources..................................................................................................................................11
History of Oklahoma State ……………………………………………………………………………………..11
Influence of Oklahoma! in Oklahoma – An Interview with an Oklahoma Native…………..12
Oklahoma Weather………………………………………………………………………………………………..12
The Oklahoma Accent……………………………………………………………………………………………13
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Places in Oklahoma!.............................................................................................................14
Curley McClain ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..14
Laurey Williams…………………………………………………………………………………………………..…14
Aunt Eller………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15
Ado Annie……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..15
Will Parker…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15
Jud Fry…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..15
Ali Hakim………………………………………………………………………………………………………………16
Glossary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…25
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About the Authors
Lynn Riggs – Original Story
Rollie Lynn Riggs was (1899-1954) was born in the Oklahoma
Territory before it became a state (1907) and has been the writer who has
most successfully written about his home state. He wrote two dozen
theatrical works, but his most successful was a play called Green Grow the
Lilacs. It was commissioned by the Theatre Guild who subsequently
commissioned the creation of Oklahoma!.
Oscar Hammerstein II – Book and Lyrics
Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) “was Broadway’s preeminent
librettist and lyricist. He was among the first authors to attempt a true
integration of songs and script in the new American form of musical
comedy...He was deeply aware of the world in which he lived and deeply
sensitive equally to human emotion and to human folly. Hatred was his
chief abomination” (Bloom 143). Oscar Hammerstein’s early career was full
of ups and downs. [His work on Show Boat in 1927 was his first real hit.]
Until he began working with Rogers, Hammerstein’s work was considered
good, but not delivering on the greatness people knew that he could deliver.
“Almost from the beginning of his career, Oscar Hammerstein had been dedicated to the idea of
bringing seriousness to the musical stage. He was impassioned by the thought of finding something
which was neither operetta nor escapism, something which had purpose and coherence, something
that was unmistakably American, rather than European, in tradition…He made a giant step toward
realizing his dream when he and Jerome Kern collaborated on Show Boat.” (Nolan 8)
Richard Rogers (Music)
Richard Rogers (1902-1979) first began his musical theatre career by
working with lyricist Lorenz Hart. Together, they wrote great hits like
Babes in Arms, I’d Rather Be Right, The Boys from Syracuse, Pal Joey,
and By Jupiter. But Hart was always a difficult partner to work with
because…he didn’t want to work. He was unreliable and often drunk. So
after By Jupiter was done (1942), Rogers asked Oscar Hammerstein II to
work with him on the adaptation of Lynn Rigg’s Green Grow the Lilacs which the Theater Guild
had commissioned. For Richard Rogers, working with Oscar Hammerstein was a refreshing and
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joyful experience. They methods of work and creativity matched perfectly, and their desire to
create integrated stories created musical stories that have endured as classics.
The Road to Broadway
Adaption: From Song, to Play, to Musical
Oklahoma is based off Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, and named after the old folk
tune “Green Grow the Lilacs”. (Taylor) (For a recording of the song, visit this video.)
Green grow the lilacs, all sparkling with dew
I'm lonely, my darling, since parting with you;
But by our next meeting I'll hope to prove true
And change the green lilacs to the Red, White and Blue.
Green grow the lilacs reminding me of
The ones that I brought you with all of my love,
The gates of my country will open for you
And change the green lilacs to the Red, White and Blue.
Green grow the lilacs, Your favorite flow'r,
So sweetly perfuming - a sad parting hour.
Oh send me a message - That you love me too,
Let's change the green lilacs to the Red, White and Blue.
Taylor notes that, “the American ballad tells the story of an American soldier's love for a
Mexican lass...One story of the songs origin speculates that Cowboys in South Texas loved to sing
the song. Across the way, Mexicans, who could not understand the words, could only hear
"GREEN GROW". So white Americans became known as "Gringo" by the Mexicans. ”
Writing
In a letter to the drama editor of The New York Times, Hammerstein wrote, “Mr. Riggs’
play is the wellspring of almost all that is good in Oklahoma! I kept many of the lines of the
original play … for the simple reason that they could not be improved on – at any rate, not by me.”1
The show, though usually considered a play, was more like a musical because Riggs
included many songs that struck him as being the based way to convey the feeling of his youth in
Oklahoma. (http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=11308) This website lists the 12 songs (including
some reprises) performed in the show. One of the songs was “Whoopee Ti Yi Yo, Get Along
Little Doggie”.
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http://www.arenastage.org/shows-tickets/sub-text/2010-11-season/oklahoma/all-the-sounds.shtml
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“In transforming green Grow the Lilacs into Oklahoma!, Rogers and Hammerstein took
many liberties with the musical-comedy tradition. There was no opening chorus sung by a bevy of
leggy chorines. Instead, the show opened with a lone figure singing, ‘Oh, What a Beautiful
Morning’. Furthermore the villain, Jud, was a truly menacing figure, not just a two dimensional
moustache twirler. Another change was that Jud is killed at the end, an uncommon occurrence in
musical comedy. (Bloom 301)
“Oklahoma…was somewhat unique in that it dealt with three dimensional characters in an
American locale. Most musicals at the time still featured the operetta conventions of exaggerated
lovers in exotic locales.”
Title
Oscar Hammerstein initially wanted to call the show Oklahoma, but the backers for the
show didn’t like that idea. They didn’t want people to “assume that the show was about ‘Okies’ in
the Depression.” (Nolan 13) Other ideas were Cherokee Strip, Green Grow, and Away We Go!
(“borrowed from the square dancing lingo”). Ultimately, this last name was chosen and used all the
way through the out of town performances. When the show opened in New York, the name had
been changed to Oklahoma!, with the exclamation point added at Oscar’s suggestion.
Production History
Oklahoma opened on May 31, 1943 at the St. James Theatre in New York and ran for
2,212 performances. It was directed by Rouben Mamoulian. The cast included Betty Garde,
Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts, Howard da Silva, Celeste Holm, Lee Dixon, and Joseph Buloff.
The 1951 Revival had a run of 100 performances at the Broadway Theatre and recalled
the original Director (Mamoulian) and Choreographer (de Mille). The cast included Jacqueline
Sundt, Patricia Northrop, Mary Marlo, and Jerry Mann.
The 1953 Revival ran for only 40 performances at the City Center. Again Rouben
Mamoulian was able to direct and the cast included Ridge Bond, Alfred Cibelli Jr. Harris
Hawkins, Florence Henderson, Mary Marlo, and Barbara Cook.
They decided to wait a little while before performing it again. The wait paid off because the
1979 Revival ran for 293 performances at the Palace Theatre. The show was directed this time by
William Hammerstein, Oscar Hammerstein’s son. Christine Andreas lead the cast with Laurence
Guittard, Mary Wicks, Bruce Adler, Christine Ebersole, Harry Groener, Philip Rash, and Martin
Vidnovic. Gemze de Lappe choreographed.
The Revival in 2002 at the George Gershwin Theatre ran for 388 performances before
closing. It was directed by Trevor Nunn (who likes to work on Adaptations, such as Les
Miserables) and Produced by Cameron Mackintosh. The cast included Josefina Gabrille (from the
televised version with Hugh Jackman), Patrick Wilson (from the Phantom of the Opera movie),
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Jessica Boevers, Justin Bohon, Ronn Carroll, Shuler Hensley, Aasif Mandvi, and Andrea Martin.
(The Broadway Musical Home)
Agnes de Mille (Choreographer)
Agnes de Mille (1905-1993) was born in Harlem and raised in Hollywood. She came from
a family of stage and screen artists and danced with several celebrated Ballet
companies in America and abroad. However, it wasn’t until she was asked to
choreograph a ballet called Rodeo that she found her real niche. “Cowboys and
pioneers, horses and hoedowns, romance and melodrama: this was de Mille
territory. So when de Mille heard that the Theatre Guild was working on a new
musical production of Green Grow the Lilacs, she volunteered her skills”.
(Arena Stage) “I was like a pitcher that had been overfilled. Dances simply
spilled out of me,” she once said.
The Dream Sequence – Why Is It In There?
This Act 1 finale was choreographer Agnes de Mille’s visionary gamble to
create a dance in a theater performance that supported the storyline instead
of merely entertaining. Entitled “Laurey Makes Up Her Mind,” de Mille
focused on bringing ballet down to earth, humanizing it, and infusing it with
humor and truth.
The audience and critics quickly took notice. In the original New York
Times review, the “Dream Ballet” was called “a first-rate work of art … it
actually carries forward the plot and justifies the most tenuous psychological
point in the play, namely, why Laurey, who is obviously in love with Curly,
finds herself unable to resist going to the dance with the repugnant Jud.
Many a somber problem play has … failed to illuminate it half so clearly
after several hours of grim dialogue. Yet this is a ‘dance number’ in a
‘musical show’!” De Mille’s work in Oklahoma! would define American
dance for decades, catapulting her to the top of her field as the most famous
and influential choreographer of her time. (Arena Stage)
Hammerstein wanted to illustrate Laurey’s ambivalence about her
relationship to Curly by having characters turn into circus performers at the
end of Act 1. De Mille objected, insisting that Laurey’s dream reveal her
conflicted longings, her sexuality, her fears. She pushed for more suspense
and more sex. After all, said de Mille, “Girls don’t dream about the circus.
They dream about horrors. And they dream dirty dreams.” De Mille
described the 18-minute “Dream Ballet” as “lyric, nonrealistic and highly
stylized but salted with detailed action that is colloquial, human,
recognizable.”
De Mille believed that the ballet was essential to the audience’s
understanding of the characters because it conveyed emotions that words
could not. And the audience agreed. “Wonderful is the nearest adjective,”
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wrote Lewis Nichols in The New York Times. “There is more comedy in
one of Miss de Mille’s gay little passages than in many of the other
Broadway tom-tom beats together.”
Agnes de Mille had also studied psychotherapy and knew a great deal about Freud. She
wove these aspects into her dances. So in the Dream Ballet, Jud is the “Id”, while Curley is the
“Superego”. (Kantor and Maslon 204)
Agnes de Mille’s major Broadway shows include Carousel (1945), Brigadoon (1947), Gentlemen
Prefer Blondes (1949), Paint Your Wagon (1951), and Juno (1959).
Rouben Mamoulian (Director)
Rouben Mamoulian (1897-1987) was born in the country of
Georgia, which was then part of the Imperial Russian government.
(Rouben Mamoulian) He was highly educated and began directing in
Russia, then England, then New York. He directed the Porgy and
Bess along with several other shows and was also a very
accomplished Hollywood Director (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). He
was very good at stories that were outside the sphere of realism and
preferred a more stylized look. At times this was a benefit, but other
at other times he was very difficult to work with, especially as he got
older. He stuck to his vision and was hard to dissuade. He fought
with Agens de Mille, the choreographer, often.
Lemuel Ayers (Scenic Designer)
“A prolific Broadway theatrical scenic and costume designer, Ayers was a master at creating a sense
of vast spaciousness within a stage proscenium frame.” (Anonymous) One good film example of
his work is Meet Me in St. Louis with Judy Garland. He also designed productions of Kiss Me
Kate and the film The Pirate.
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Rogers and Hammerstein’s Legacy
Oklahoma’s Legacy
“It has often been said that one of the important elements in the success of Oklahoma! Was that it
appeared in 1943, a grim period during World War II when both the United States and Britain were reeling as
Germany and Japan battered them into retreat after retreat. Certainly that might explain the warmth with which its
lyrical escapism was greeted at the premier; but the appeal of Oklahoma! Transcended every and any musical
show which had been written up to that time.” (Nolan 24)
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2,212 performances (5 years and 9 weeks) – No musical had ever approached that number, and
wouldn’t until My Fair Lady in 1956 (2,717 performances). (Kantor and Maslon 255)
The touring company played for 10 years in more than 250 cities for more than 8 million people
across the US.
There are over 600 productions of Oklahoma! worldwide each year.
The show received special mention by the Pulitzer Prize Committee that year.
“The show helped to inaugurate a practice which has since become standard in the recording industry,
the ‘original cast’ album.”
A Great Partnership
Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein the II were men who believed in “integrated musicals”. Though
they weren’t the first to try it (Show Boat was a previous attempt), they were the pioneers who were able to bring it
to the level of commercial success. Why? What was so interesting about these integrated musicals? They were
more concerned with the narrative and the message than with the spectacle and old stage conventions. Oscar
Hammerstein, especially was deeply tolerant in his political views and this impacted the stories he told. South
Pacific about mix-raced couples and family groups, Sound of Music about love in a political landscape that is
quickly being overrun by Nazis, Carousel about a leading character who is by no means a “good man”. He is quite
a scoundrel who dies, not as a martyr, but in the midst of a criminal act.
Each show pushed the boundaries of social conventions of the time. What shows and authors fall into this
category today? How do we respond to them? Is it possible that in another 20 years, the avant garde shows of
today will be disregarded as too “old-school”, too “over-done” and “irrelevant”? The Legacy of Rogers and
Hammerstein teaches us 1) to celebrate the fact that many of these social problems have been overcome, 2) that
the best shows have the ability to entertain, teach, inspire, and affect those who participate with it whether on stage
or in the audience, and 3) that classics are classic for the reason that they dig deep down to enduring human
nature, and so can be retold countless times and teach new productions and audiences lessons while giving them
hope during our dark days of conflict.
Themes
Growing Up is one of the most predominant themes in Oklahoma!. Both the characters and the territory
are growing from their floundering callow state and into fully developed maturity.
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Celebration of Culture was perhaps the most, simple overarching, theme that Rogers and Hammerstein
intended for the show according to the Documentary by PBS called Oscar Hammerstein II: Out of My Dreams.
(PBS)
Community is the theme that our production is most interested in addressing. It was partly for this reason
that we chose to partner with the Red Cross for this CRT production. Strong community bonds create a
community that can weather the hard times with love and joy. Oklahoma was certainly a land full of “hardy” folk
who were dedicated to building a community with farmers, cowmen, women, children, and many others.
The minorities receive a nod in this show. Jud Fry, the dirty (in several ways) hired hand lies outside of the
nice “society” who attend box socials and have dances. In the script he is described as “bullet colored”, or goldenbrown. Whether he was just tanned or whether he was, perhaps, a mixed race man is not specifically noted.
However, one of the sources mentions that in the original play, Green Grow the Lilacs, Riggs wanted to cast his
friend who was a mixed race Native American.2
Desires are one aspect in the show that are dealt with in a realistic, though not overblown, manner. Jud Fry
has pictures in his smoke house which speak to his desires. Laurey uses her bottle of elixir to help her sort out her
desires until she finally realizes that what she really wants is Curley. Curley’s desires are often thwarted by Laurey’s
pride or Jud’s threats, but in the end he overcomes both. Ali Hakim wants all the freedom of the bachelor’s life,
while still enjoying an occasional night in “Paradise” with some girl or other. Will’s desire, like Curley’s, is
constant throughout the show. He wants Ado Annie, but is often distracted…temporarily. Ado Annie, like Laurey,
has some trouble deciding what she really wants…besides a bunch of kisses, but finally settles on Will and seems
content with the arrangement.
Cast Resources
Please read through everything, you may learn something valuable from someone else’s section.
History of Oklahoma State
1803 – Louisiana Purchase (most of Oklahoma acquired)
1834 – The region was set aside as Indian Territory
1845 – Annexation of Texas (the western Panhandle became part of the territory)
[California became a state on September 9, 1850]
1889 – April 22, The first day homesteading was permitted. “Those who tried to beat the noon starting gun were
called ‘Sooners’, hence the state’s nickname.”3
1890 – Divided into Indian Territory and Oklahoma territory
22
The other minority is Ali Hakim. Many productions treat him as a comic relief sort of character. But it ought to
be remembered that he is a Persian Peddler. Persians come from the middle east, particularly Iran. Clearly this
Persian has virtually no ties to his ethnic heritage, speaking as he does with the same southern accent as everyone
else. But it is curious to consider that Lynn Riggs chose that particular ethnicity. The actor for that roll might look
to see what, very small, “tid-bits” he might add to his character to add complexity to his performance.
3
http://www.infoplease.com/us-states/oklahoma.html
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 12
November 16, 1907 – The territories were combined to make the State of Oklahoma (treasurenet.com)
The Influence of Oklahoma! in Oklahoma – An interview with an Oklahoma Native
This interview was conducted via Facebook with Krista Jo Miller, PhD. She was my (Rebecca) theatre professor
during my undergraduate. I asked her to describe how people in OK feel about the show. Below are her thoughts.
I’ve taken out my questions to give you just her answers.
“First of all (hopefully most people know this), the title song is our state song. I knew the song before I
knew the musical because we sang it in assembly every morning, right along with saying the Pledge of Allegiance.4
“It is a point of pride for Oklahoma that we had one of the biggest Broadway musicals telling our story.
Oklahoma was settled by hard-working, salt-of-the-earth people, but they – for the most part – were not people of
money or influence. They were people who didn’t have the means to purchase land so they came to Oklahoma at
the opportunity to make something of themselves (incidentally, my great-grandfather acquired his farm in one of
the Land Runs.)
“Oklahoma was the 46th state to enter the Union; we were sparsely populated, and consisted of people who
worked with their hands – farmers, ranchers, oil men. We didn’t wield a lot of influence in the halls of power.
Add to that the perceptions of ‘Okies’ that came with the migration out of Oklahoma to other parts of the
country, and Oklahoma spent a lot of years of its existence as a state being looked down upon. Growing up in
Oklahoma, I certainly felt that sense of inferiority communicated by people from other states.
“So imagine how it felt to have your story told on Broadway, and to have that story become so popular and
then told over and over again in theaters all over the world. It’s validating in some ways, it says, ‘our story is
important enough to be told.’ And isn’t that the best of what theatre can do?
“I think the show captures how Oklahomans feel, generally: Very optimist about the future and what is
possible through hard work; but like Laurey, trying to figure out who she is and wants to be.”
Oklahoma Weather
Weather may not seem important, but for actors in a show like Oklahoma! it is! If you visit this chat forum
about Oklahoma5, it will soon become clear to you that both the weather and the soil are points of major
frustration. In winter it gets below freezing and in summer it boils (110 ͦ F). There are frequent tornados,
hailstorms, thunderstorms, and occasional dust storms. The red soil gets on EVERYTHING.
So when Curley, in the very first song, is able to come in singing, “Oh, what a beautiful morning”, it’s
because he’s seen plenty of downright nasty ones. Farmers and Cowmen alike have had to battle their
environment to scratch out a living. These are hardy folk who live with hope in the future. They NEED each
other to survive. This is one reason why CRT wants to support Red Cross for this show. They support those who
have been affected by natural disasters and need that hand of hope.
4
5
Many of our Patriotic songs came from Broadway shows. Look up George M. Cohan (“Yankee Doodle” and “Over There” etc.)
http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html?t=9972398#page:showThread,9972398
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The Oklahoma Accent
“Southern dialects originated in large part from immigrants from the British Isles who moved to the South
in the 17th and 18th centuries. Settlement also included large numbers of Protestants from Ulster, Ireland, and
from Scotland.” (Southern American English)
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Dropping of the verb “are”. (“You taller than Louise.” Or “They gonna leave today.”)
Use of a…-in (a-hootin’ and a-hollerin’, a-howlin’)
The use of like to, meaning nearly (I like to had a heart attack.)
Using the simple past infinitive rather than present perfect infinitive (“I like to had” vs. “I liked to have
had.” “We were supposed to went” vs. “We were supposed to have gone.”)
Using “yonder” (“They done gathered a mess of raspberries in them woods down yonder.”)
Using Ya’ll for a group of people. The possessive form is y’all’s (I’ve got y’all’s assignments here.)
“Some of y’all.” Vs “All ya’ll.”
Use of done between the subject and the verb. (“I done told you before.”)
Use of done instead of did. (“I only done what you told me.”)
Use of past tense rather than present tense. (“I seen her first.”)
Double pass tense (drownded, knowed, choosed, degradated)
Use of was in place of were (You was sittin’ on that chair.)
Use of been instead of have been. (“I been livin’ here darn near my whole life.”)
Preservation of older English me, him, etc (“I’m fixin’ to paint me a picture.” “He’s gonna catch him a big
one.”)
Use of this here. (“This here’s mine and that there is yours.”)
Use of a-fixin’ to or just fixing to to indicate immediate future. (“He’s fixin’ to eat.” “They’re fixing to go
for a ride.”)
Use of ever in place of every. (“Ever’where’s the same these days.”)
“The dialect of Oklahoma is a mixture of Midland American English and South Midland Southern
American English…white settlers who arrived in Oklahoma Territory from the Midwest in the late 19th
century brought more Midland forms.” (Southern American English)
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Places in Oklahoma!
Kansas City, MO (Will won at the Fair)
(The area where the musical takes place is Rogers County, named after the father of Will Rog
Bushyhead, OK (folks coming from Bushyhead for the hoe-down)
Claremore, OK (Place Curley rented his surrey from)
Curly McClain
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In Act 1, scene 2, it notes that you are supposed to spin a rope. Here6 is a link for a nice intro to roping.
In the context of the show, Curley serves as the noble knight who is vying for his love against his evil rival.
Just as Jud Fry has a dark obsession for Laurey, Curley has an open and honest love for her that will drive
him on to win his prize. He isn’t afraid of Jud. (See the end of II, ii.) He is, in fact, stronger than Jud, and
ultimately proves it by 1) winning the bidding for Laurey’s basket, 2) supporting Laurey after she’s fired
Jud, 3) proposing and being accepted, 4) killing Jud.
Laurey Williams
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6
Laurey, in this story, is the driving force behind the theme of juveniles growing into mature adults. She is
young, proud, fanciful, fearful, and passionate. These things make the “belle of Claremore” attractive, but
they also impede her as she grows. Original choreographer Agnes de Mille, when she created the Dream
Ballet, wanted to give the “good girl” a chance to vent her pent up emotions and sexual desires. She finds
herself caught in a love triangle and doesn’t know how to get out. She loves one man, but in classic juvenile
http://youtu.be/GRxcCKeaLlw “Intro to Roping”
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romance fashion, she makes bad decisions for the right reasons. Her fear overcomes her. But in the end,
she is able to conquer her fear and is well on her way to becoming the “hardy” woman she desires to be.
Aunt Eller Murphy
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Aunt Eller is the backbone of this story. She was likely one of the ones to run in the land grab in 1889. In
fact, given how she is in favor of occasionally “bending the law”, she may have been a “sooner”, who
crossed the line ahead and got her land early! You can have a lot of fun making up a backstory for Aunt
Eller and where she may have come from.
Aunt Eller is respected by everyone. She seems to have had a good head for business. She doesn’t seem to
have any children, so either she was never married or she never had children who survived. She likely did
a great deal of the farm work and business herself, though she has clearly slowed down as she is aging. The
fact that she has enough land to grow oats, own a wagon, and hire a man to help with the labor are
indicators that she is fairly well off.
Ado Annie Carnes
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Annie is a wonderful example of how teenagers sometimes navigate the affairs of the heart. She admits that
when she was younger, she was not very attractive, and now she thrives on the attentions she gets from
men.
There are many examples of “Cain’t Say No” women in movies today. They are often the free-living best
friend of the heroine. They are characters whose comically complex lives offer a break from the dramatic
action of the heroine’s life. An example from theatre would be Ilona from She Loves Me. The nice thing
about these characters, is that fairly often, they are finally able to go “All or Nothin’” with one man and be
very happy.
Will Parker
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For a nice video on how to begin roping, see the link above (“Intro to Roping”) under Curley’s section. In
addition, if you want to try some trick roping, here’s an entertaining little scene from the Will Roger’s
Follies7. Will Roger’s is the most popular kind of Trick Roping. Here’s another video with the actual Will
Rogers8 doing crazy kinds of roping! It’s important to remember that Will one first prize for roping at the
Kansas City Fair. He’s not always smart, but he’s really good at this. You might think of Will as quick
hands, slow brain, big heart.
Jud Fry
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7
Since you basically RUN the Aunt Eller’s farm, I thought you might like some info on Oklahoma
agriculture. Visit A Look at Oklahoma Agriculture.9
The Police Gazette was a popular men’s magazine. It included sensational stories as well as scantily clad
women. This website10 includes black and white copies of issues of the Gazette from 1844 to 1906.
http://youtu.be/D7lufzwHhpQ?list=PL7W8k5WtI4lIyOwSIrG4kwIxcJclBzWrq
http://youtu.be/W9V9l5eJCVs?t=20s
9
http://www.agclassroom.org/kids/stats/oklahoma.pdf
8
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 16

Jud grows oats on their farm. Back in those days, farmers lived off their own produce and sold the extra
for money. Jud had to work very hard to raise enough crop to sell, tend the animals (chickens, cows, pigs,
and horses), mend fences, chop wood, repair tornado damage, and more! The women would help him
haul water, cook food, harvest fruits and vegetables from the garden, process the dairy products, do any
sewing and mending, and keep the house.
Ali Hakim – Peddler
 Ali Hakim is called a “Persian Peddler”. This can be taken literally or as a ploy. In the original story, Ali
Hakim was presented as ethnically Persian (Iranian).
(Taylor)
10
http://fultonhistory.com/my%20photo%20albums/All%20Newspapers/New%20York%20NY%20National%20Police%20Gazette%201
844-1906/index.html
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 17
However, in Oklahoma, Ali has very few verbal or behavioral traits that set him apart. He uses the
Oklahoma accent, but references his (Persian) brother’s and their wives, and later gives Annie a “Persian
Goodbye”.(See footnote on page 11 for more notes about an ethnically played Ali.) For productions with a
clearly Caucasian Peddler, it might be reasonable to understand Ali Hakim as a white man who con’s
others into buying his merchandise by assuming the role of a mysterious foreigner, knowing these “Okies”
won’t know enough about the world to contradict him. He also uses this mystique to get girls!
The third option, rather than playing him as ethnically Persian or a Con Artists, is to play him as a white
Persian, the way they do in the movie.
Glossary
A lot o'tempest in a pot o'tea
achin
ack
agin
air
arn
arn some fo the craziness out
of you
ast
ast yer
astin
at
at
a-tryin' to spark her
At's a right smart turnout
a lot of trouble over nothing
aching
act
against
are
"y'arn", yours
Iron some of the craziness…
ask
ask you
asking
that
that
trying to win her
I'm really pleased with how this turned out
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 18
barb yer hide
bawl
beau
beauty spots fastened on
Use barbed wire to protect your hiding place, related to Curley’s comment
about having “to have pertection”. Curley is implying that Jud doesn’t have
the inner strength that he thinks he does.
cry
boyfriend
fake moles that women wore to be add to their appearance
Bell Telephone
Brass-banded Churn
bresh som'eres
Bronc Buster
brush somewhere
A cowboy who had special skill in taming (or breaking) wild horses to be
ridden.
Bull-Dogger"
bullet-colored, growly man
bunkoed
Burleeque
Bushyhead, OK
cajoled
Carpet beater
Catoosie
cawfin
c'd
cheer
chimbley
bulldogging, another name for steer wrestling, is an event in which a horsemounted rider chases a steer, drops from the horse to the steer, and then
wrestles the steer to the ground by twisting its horns. It is dangerous for both
the steer and the cowboy
native colored, gold-brown, possibly mix-raced
Bunco, cheat, swindle
Burlesque Theater
city (see map above)
persuade through flattery, coax
used to beat the dust and dirt out of rugs to clean them
town
coffin
could
chair
chimney
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 19
Claremore
c'n
city
can
Colt forty-five
Gun
corsets
count
cracker-jake
cud
cussin'
on account
"cracker jack", something that's really good
could
cussing
cut-glass bowl
daid
dell
diked
dinger
dead
a small valley among trees
decked
a good one
Dutch rub
to rub your knuckles across the top of someone’s head whilst holding their
head under your other arm
eggbeater
f
fambly
if
family
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 20
f'ar
f'ard
Fascinator
Fed'ral Marshal
fellers
fer
fergit
fitten
Foot!
fire
fired
a smallish hat which is usually worn on the front of the head.
Federal Marshal
fellows
for
forget
fitting
like hell; over my dead body
long knife
frog sticker
funril
fur
funeral
for
garter
Gas buggies
got her cap set for?
hadn'ta
h'ar
h'ard
hell fer leather
hisself
automobiles
attracted to, likes
hadn't of
hired, rented
hired, employed
characterized by reckless determination or breakneck speed
himself
horn to hoof
top to bottom
rubber bottle that you fill with hot water and put in bed with you to keep you
warm
hot water bag
idy
idys
if you was a mind to
idea
ideas
if you had the mind to
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 21
I'll 'mount to sumpin yit
Isinglass curtains
jines
Jippity crickets
jist
I'll amount to something yet
Isinglass is a thick plastic often used for windows and doors where a real
window or door won’t work. They are never folded, only rolled. (Some
shower curtains are made out of this thick clear plastic.)
joins
Jimminy Crickets - an old English phrase substituted for "Jesus Christ"
just
June bugs
Kansas City, Mo
keer
Ketch on to it?
kickin' up some capers
city [see map above]
Care
Catch on? Do you get it?
going out and living free, causing trouble
Nosey-pokes
exclamation when you're impressed by something. Often used as "Land
Sakes!"
Learned
Let's
Frivolous boy
Hello
City
Allow
crazy person
early form of cinema
Maybe
Meadow
Minute
Miserable
wasps that construct their nest in mud, aka mud dauber
No
Then
Nor
Nor
No
from the phrase “nosy parker”, meaning someone who is overly inquisitive in
other people’s business.
off'n
Oh, they would?
off of
Oh, there would
Lands
larned
Le's
light lad
Lo
Lone Ellum
low
lummy
Magic Lantern Show
mebbe
medder
minnit
mis'able
mudwasps
Naw
Nen
ner
ner
nix
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 22
ole
onct
on'y
ornery
Orta
Padded
palpatatin'
Paw
payin' a call
pertater
pitchers
pizen
Plen'y
Police Gazette
privies
purties
purty
put upon
Quapaw
Rag-time Dance
ride a-straddle of them lights awinkin' like lightnin bugs
Old
once
only
bad tempered and combative
ought to
wearing pads under clothing to eventuate one's shape
palpitating, pounding
Pa, father
coming to call for a date
potato
pictures
poison
plenty
first popular men's magazine (playboy pictures included)
outhouse, bathroom
pretty ideas
pretty
imposed upon, taken advantage of
town
Go watch the "Shapoopee" dance in The music man
rubber-t'ard buggy
S
sartin
Sattidy
Scuse
seed
she began to peel
shet
shike-poke
shivoree
shore
Shore's you're borned
sic the dogs
sich
side-gaited
Side-lights
Skeer
so's
Steer-roping
stid
rubber tired buggy/car
That's
certain
Saturday
excuse
saw
take off clothes
shut
a green horn, an inexperienced person
good-natured hazing ceremony for newlyweds
sure
As sure as you're born, that's for certain
send the dogs
such
off center, not able to keep oneself straight
headlights for the carriage
Scare
so
riding a horse and using your lasso to rope a steer and bring it down
instead
I'll ride up in that carriage between the side-lights
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 23
sumpin
sump'n
Surrey
Suzanna
Sweetwater
t'ard
tetch
th yer airs
theayter
Thet
they
thingumbobs
th'ough
thout tetchin'
thrashin' machine
tole
t'other
tuck
Turrible
something
something
popular American doorless, four-wheeled carriage of the late 19th and early
20th centuries. Usually two-seated (for four passengers). Surreys were
popular family vehicles, often used in the country
Waltz
exclamation
town
tired
touch
with your airs
theater
That
there
things
through
without touching
threshing machine - used for threshing wheat and other grains
told
the other
took
terrible
The two-step is similar to the waltz in that there are only 3 steps involved,
BUT it fits into 2 beats in a common songs time signature of 4/4 time. So,
for every two beats, one has completed the 3 steps of a waltz--meaning for
example a Step (right foot), together (Left foot), Step (right foot)
combination. To make this work, the dancer usually leads and counts in
their mind with an imaginary "step" (usually with the knee up) just before the
downbeat. As a dancer, I would count this as: "AH - 1 - and - 2, AH - 3 - and
- 4..." The first AH in each 2 step combination is that imaginary step (leading
with the knee) where the "1 - and - 2" portion is the step-together-step
combination.
you'd
used to
get going, from the Spanish "vamos"
a nice two-seater seat
veterinarian
The waltz is always in 3/4 or 6/8 time, where each step made is on each beat.
You might hear dancers count to the music: "1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3..."
whur
Whut're
Whyn't
widder
womern
y'
Where
What are
why don't
widow
woman
ye, you
Two-step Dance
ud
useter
Vamoose
velveteen settee
vet'nary
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 24
y'aint
Y'c'n
y'd
yeller
yeow
you aint
You can
you'd
yellow
natural exclamation: first recorded in American English in the 1920s; often
used as “Yes” or “Ya”. (example: “Yeow, but who wants to be dead?”)
yer
yere
you
here
Oklahoma! Dramaturgy Packet 25
Works Cited
"Agnes de Mille." n.d. Kennedy Center. October 2014. <http://www.kennedycenter.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=3719>.
Anonymous. "Lamuel Ayers." n.d. IMDB. Web. October 2014. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0043791/bio>.
Arena Stage. "Arena Stage Oklahoma!" 2011. OUT OF HER DREAMS: AGNES DE MILLE. Web. October
2014. <http://www.arenastage.org/shows-tickets/sub-text/2010-11-season/oklahoma/out-of-herdreams.shtml>.
Bloom, Ken. Broadway: An Encyclopeidic Guide to the History, People, and Places of Times Square. New York:
Facts on File, Inc., 1991. Book.
Free Images of Rice, Beans, and Grains. n.d. October 2014. <http://teacherresource.cwahi.net/Rice_Beans_Grains.htm>.
Kantor, Michael and Laurence Maslon. Broadway: The American Muscial. New york: Bulfinch Press, 2004.
Book.
Miller, Krista Jo. About Oklahoma! by an Oklahoman Rebecca Hammonds. 9 October 2014. Web.
Nolan, Frederick. The Sound of Their Music: The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein. New York: Applause
Theatre & Cinema books, 2002. Book.
PBS. Oscar Hammerstein II - Out of My Dreams. 2012. Youtube. <http://youtu.be/HJxXVnOjYo8>.
Rouben Mamoulian. n.d. October 2014. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/120701%7C135536/RoubenMamoulian/>.
"Southern American English." 2014. Wikipedia. Web. October 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English >.
Taylor, Barry. "Green Grow the Lilacs." n.d. Web. October 2014.
<http://www.contemplator.com/america/lilacs.html>.
The Broadway Musical Home. n.d. Web. October 2014.
<http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/oklahoma.htm>.
treasurenet.com. "Oklahoma." 1996. Treasure Net. Web. October 2014.
<http://www.treasurenet.com/images/americanwest/westok.html>.