Fully Committed by Becky Mode Teacher Material

FULLY COMMITTED
by Becky Mode

Teacher Material

1. About the play................................................................................................. 2

2. About the author ............................................................................................ 2
3. New York and its Upper East Side............................................................... 3
4. New York Restaurants ................................................................................... 5
5. Actors in New York......................................................................................... 6
6. Possible Assignments..................................................................................... 8
7. Analyzing a One-Person Show ................................................................... 11
8. Vocabulary ..................................................................................................... 12

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1. About the play

Fully Committed is a play about the young actor Sam, who, because he keeps getting
turned down for roles he auditions for, works as a reservationist for an unnamed top
restaurant in New York. His work mainly consists of answering the phone and dealing
with unsatisfied customers who want to reserve a table.
He has to struggle with colleagues who let him cover their shifts, a brutal hierarchy
in which he stands at the bottom, capricious superiors, and a wide range of
customers and V.I.P’s who subject him to different kinds of verbal abuse. His
recently widowed father wants him to come home for Christmas, his former acting-
school colleague Jerry torments Sam by telling him about his success while Sam still
remains in the service industry, and calls to his agent do nothing to improve his
mood.
As Sam’s mood deteriorates while his problems pile up, the situation, however,
begins to change. Sam reclaims his self-respect and, through the use of wit and with
some luck, manages to find a way of escape from the situation his basement office
represents.

2. About the author

Becky Mode graduated from the American Repertory Theatre Conservatory in 1991
and moved to New York, where, like the character Sam in the play, she had to work
in restaurants to make a living. Her experiences as a struggling actor/waitress
prompted her to write her first play, as she says because she had “a horrible job”
and needed to “entertain herself.“ Fully Committed, in which one actor plays 37
different roles, was the result of collaboration with acting-school friend Mark Setlock
and became an instant hit.
The success of this play opened doors for Becky Mode, and she could leave the
service industry. In the meantime, she has written, among others, for NBC, Disney,
and Columbia Pictures, and she is currently working on a television pilot based on
Fully Committed. Becky Mode is married with children and lives in Brooklyn.

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3. New York and its Upper East Side

New York, Big Apple, Capital of the Financial World… Most non-New Yorkers have
Manhattan in mind, when they think of New York City. Fact is, however, that New
York consists of a total of 5 boroughs, which by themselves are as big as other cities.
Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan are populated by a total
of 8.6 million people; only 1.6 million of them live in Manhattan.
Originally, New York was called New Amsterdam when the Dutch settled there, but in
1664 the English seized the colony and renamed it. New York once even was the
capital of the United States, although only for a short period of time (1789-90).
Until this day, many people from all parts of the United States and from all over the
world come to the city to either try their luck or because, if they are lucky, they have
been offered a job with a big company. The often naïve “American dream” has
turned into a utopia in most cases, which most people, however, are well aware of.
Still, the city offers a great diversity of jobs and attracts younger to middle-aged
singles as a place to try and climb the career ladder. Foreigners usually need a lot of
money due to strict immigration laws; they, moreover, need an even bigger portion
of luck!
Manhattan itself consists of a number of parts, amongst them West Village, East
Village, Lower East Side, Mid-Town, Hells Kitchen, Chinatown, Little Italy, Upper
West Side, and Upper East Side, to name only a few.

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The Upper East Side ranges from 59th to 96th Street and from 5th Avenue to the
East River. The atmosphere of its streets is characterized by large apartment
buildings guarded by doormen, as well as by beautiful smaller walk-ups without any
signs of who lives in the building. It is the domain for wealthier business people, who
take great interest in park views (Central Park forms its boarder to the West),
expensive meals, well-known private schools and expensive shopping on Madison
Avenue. Another characteristic of the Upper East Side is the fact that people actually
own their apartments. This is even more amazing when one takes into account that
the prices buyers have to pay for a four-bedroom apartment average about $ 3
million. In the New York world, being able to state an Upper East Side address adds
a lot to a person’s status, even more so when the address is Fifth Avenue or Park
Avenue, where apartments are still known for their rather luxurious interiors.
Needless to say that the Upper East Side wasn’t developed by Irish or Italian
immigrants. They were shown the way to Brooklyn and to the Bronx, where to this
day their culture is highly celebrated wherever you look. Your typical Upper East Side
resident is white, upper-class, and well-educated. People of other colors and the
obviously less rich who work in the Upper East Side shops and restaurants certainly
take the subway or a bus at night to get to their homes in different parts of the city.

However, both Upper East Siders as well as residents of other parts of the city take
great interest in the area’s shopping. Madison Avenue offers expensive and exclusive
boutiques, where one might even spot a celebrity; it also hosts beauty salons and
gourmet supermarkets. Bloomingdale’s, one of the country’s best-known and
trendiest department stores, is located there as well. You can spend a whole day in
this rather posh area without ever getting bored: shopping or at least window-
shopping, brunching, and of course visiting the big museums (The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, The Guggenheim and The Whitney Museum), which add to the great
variety of things one can do on the Upper East Side.
Walking down the streets of the Upper East you easily start feeling underdressed.
Expensive labels are characteristic of the attire residents strolling along the streets
can afford. Prices are important, so is having money; therefore, the word modesty
doesn’t exist in this great part of Manhattan.

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4. New York Restaurants

Whenever you’re hungry in New York City, you won’t find it difficult to find a place to
eat, but it can be quite a task to decide on a particular restaurant. Basically, you can
find anything your mind could dream of or your stomach could possibly crave. The
diversity of cuisines stands for the international history and diversity in nationalities
that influence the city and add to its flavor. The immigrants from every corner of the
globe that populated the city brought their food with them. New York Bagels and
Pizzas are supposedly the best in the world. In China Town you can get original
Chinese food that might even scare you off! In Manhattan alone, there are as many
as 20,000 places to eat.
Alongside the many delis and diners, there is a large number of original restaurants,
which have got their own rules to follow: going to a more upscale restaurant, you
should be aware of its popularity and make a reservation in advance. If there aren’t
more than two people in your party, you might be lucky and even get a table when
you call the same day, but usually you have to be a V.I.P. of some sort for such a
short-term reservation. Furthermore, many places require formal dress, which means
jacket and tie for gentlemen, elegant pantsuit or evening dress for ladies. If a person
is not dressed appropriately, the restaurant might lend the customer a tie and jacket
from their stock.

The more important you are, the easier it will be for you to get a table. In general,
you can spot right away who belongs to the more influential people. The whole staff
is aware of their status and treats them with special care. And they don’t have to
wait at the bar for their table to be ready like “regular” customers, either.
Even at the cheapest and most dingy place in the United States you will have to
“wait to be seated” at the entrance. A hostess or host is there to seat customers and
to make sure that no-one who isn’t welcome will enter the restaurant. The better
places in New York City have a bar or lounge belonging to the main restaurant. In
general, everyone is asked to wait there for a few minutes and to have a drink
during that time. This takes away the time they would need for their “aperitif” at the
table and the restaurant can fit more people in on one evening. Having to wait 45
minutes can easily happen, but customers don’t mind. Going to restaurants doesn’t

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simply fulfill the purpose of eating; seeing who else is out there and being seen are
the main reasons for wealthy New Yorkers to spend a night out.
The most exclusive places, such as the one in the play, would not have their prices
listed on the menu. If you choose to go there, you are expected to have plenty of
money, or at least to have saved up enough for a special night out. So you wouldn’t
mind how much is charged for the food and drink.

5. Actors in New York

If you ask waiters in New York what brought them to the city, many will tell you
“acting.” Musicians and other kinds of artists are also featured among the many
hopeful young people who work late nights, but acting is the least surprising answer
to come out of their mouths.

The centers for film and television are located in New York and Los Angeles, plus
there are lots of additional smaller studios spread out throughout the country. Los
Angeles might be the center of the film industry, but New York is mostly known for
theater and is also home to many famous acting schools.

Most actors struggle to find steady work; only a few ever achieve recognition as
stars. Some well-known, experienced performers may be cast in supporting roles.
Others work as "extras," with no lines to deliver, or make brief cameo appearances,
speaking only one or two lines. Because earnings for actors are erratic, many
supplement their incomes by holding jobs in other fields. Actors endure long periods
of unemployment, intense competition for roles, and frequent rejections in auditions.
They work under constant pressure. To succeed, they need patience and
commitment to their craft.
Acting assignments typically are short-term – ranging from one day to a few months
– which means that there often are long periods of unemployment between jobs.
The uncertain nature of the work results in unpredictable earnings and intense
competition for even the lowest-paid jobs. Often, actors, producers, and directors
must hold other jobs to sustain a living.

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People give different reasons why actors often choose to work as waiters or
waitresses. The most prejudicial argument would be that you don’t need to have
studied anything “serious” for this kind of job. Fact is that working hours are often
even longer and physical pressure is even worse in restaurants than it is on a film set
or during a theatre production. Some might have to spend six or seven nights a
week working long shifts and depend largely on tips while they go to numerous
auditions to make it big. In times like these, the job as a waiter can be really
frustrating. Being talented but not being able to do anything with that talent burns
young actors out. On the other hand, the restaurant is a kind of stage as well.
Waiters talk to people, deliver their speeches about specials, they walk around being
watched all the time, and: the friendlier their attitude, the better the tips. Often this
kind of job serves as a substitute in times of unemployment in their chosen
profession.
One major argument in favor of restaurant work mustn’t be forgotten: it can be
really well paid!

In a city like New York, there might be a whole variety of acting jobs available, but
there is also a whole lot of more or less talented people seeking these jobs. Worse
than that, talent and ambition aren’t necessarily the main criteria for which actors
get chosen. Looks are important. Often, an actor or actress will be told they are “too
short, too tall, too fat, too thin, too blond, not what we are looking for” etc. Even the
best professional training won’t be a guarantee to be successful in their dream job.

The common understanding of how to make it in the entertainment industry is to “be

at the right place, at the right time”, talent, a good agent, and a big portion of luck!

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6. Possible Assignments

Extract 1, pp. 15-16:

SAM (new line) Thank you for holding, how can I help you?
BRYCE (frighteningly cheerful) Hi, this is Bryce calling from Naomi Campbell’s office!!!
SAM Oh hi, Bryce, How are you?
BRYCE I’m fine, thanks, who’s this?!!!
SAM Sam
BRYCE (Pathologically excited to talk to Sam) Sam!!! I didn’t know you were still
working there! How are you?!!
SAM Good, how are you?
BRYCE Super! How’s the acting career?
SAM It’s okay.
BRYCE (Gushing sympathy) Oh, it’s such a tough business!! Hang in there!!
SAM (About to respond) Thanks I –
BRYCE (not waiting for a reply; quickly shifting gears) Okay, Naomi would like to
come in this weekend with fifteen people, on Saturday night at eight
P.M., and she’s gonna need a round, freestanding table, hold on for just
one second … (Checking his records) … it’s number seventeen.
SAM Okay.
BRYCE Thanks! You can put that in her name. Naomi H. Campbell. And you
can confirm that with me. I’m Bryce!!
SAM Right, and the number there?
BRYCE (very hush-hush) Okay, it’s 866-2250 and I know you’ll be discreet with that
information.
SAM Of course.
BRYCE Thanks! And you know she doesn’t eat dairy, right?
SAM Right.
BRYCE And no female wait staff at the table!
SAM Okay.
BRYCE Thanks a million!

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Assignment
You get to spend one day as a star! Everybody is treating you like you are the most
important person in the world and fulfilling all your wishes. This is YOUR evening at
one of New York’s finest restaurants, rounding off a perfect day. Describe your
evening at the restaurant and everything that is going on around you.
How would you want to be treated at the restaurant? Who else would be there? How
would people react to your presence? Which special requests would you have? What
would you eat?

Extract 2, page 23
Sam (calling his agent)
CURTIS Diana Drake Agency.
SAM Hi Curtis, it’s Sam.
CURTIS (Tired) Sam, how are you?
SAM Pretty good, could I talk to Diana?
CURTIS She’s … (Silently communicating with Diana, who’s dodging Sam) … in
a meeting, is there something I can help you with?
SAM I was just calling to see if you had heard anything from Lincoln Center.
CURTIS Sam, if we would had heard anything I would have called you.
SAM No, it’s just that I was talking to Jerry Miller and he said he’s going back
in this afternoon and –
CURTIS Sam, why don’t you worry about your career and let Jerry worry about
Jerry’s.
SAM No, I just wanted to know if today was the last day they’re seeing
people.
CURTIS I have no idea. (The phone starts to ring.)
SAM Well, can you have Diana call me when she gets back? I’m at the
restaurant.
CURTIS (unimpressed) Oh … I didn’t know you were still working there.
SAM Yeah, I’m still working here. (It’s still ringing.)
CURTIS All right Sam, I’ll give her the message. Ciao.

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Assignment 1
Actors as waiters; having read a few facts already you understand how difficult it is
for people like Sam to make it in the city and get out of the restaurant business.
Write an angry but reasonable speech ending the selected sequence of the play, in
which you, as Sam, explain to Curtis, why you are “still working there”.

Assignment 2
Many actors who come to New York have to work in the service industry. They get
miserable pay in a job they do not want and that offers them very little financial
security. In the play, Sam even has to clean a toilet. Try to create an interior
monologue of his while he does the cleaning.

Assignment 3
The actor playing Sam has to play 37 different characters. Write a little scene
yourself, in which you (or somebody else) play(s) up to six roles. Try to make each
character unique (voice, pose, something they have in their hands), and put them in
a public setting (a restaurant, cinema, theatre, or someplace else you come up with).

Assignment 4
Maybe one of your favorite film stars started his or her career in a restaurant, or in a
call-center. Imagine and write about your favorite star’s former, badly-paid job. Write
how the nobody then finally became a star.

Assignment 5
Naomi Campbell’s personal assistant keeps calling Sam with sometimes ridiculous
requests. Find out about the quirks of the rich and famous, and how far the portrayal
of Naomi Campbell and other V.I.P’s is removed from reality. Try to come up with
some demands of your own (e.g. there can be nothing that has the color green
within a ten-meter radius).

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7. Analyzing a One-Person Show

A play in which one actor is alone on stage and performs a large number of roles is
particularly interesting to analyze with regard to the techniques that are used to keep
the individual characters apart so that the audience can always know who the actor
is portraying at any given moment.
Staging elements to look out for in this respect are, among others:
ƒ costume / props
Does the actor change into different costumes for different characters? Are different
props (e.g. a particular telephone, an umbrella, a hat, a cigarette, etc.) used to
indicate a particular character?
ƒ physical appearance / body language
Does the actor change his or her physical appearance and/or body language to keep
characters apart? Does he or she look older or younger for particular characters? Is
there more or less energy for different characters? What can the audience learn
about different characters through their physical appearance and body language
(age, mood, attitudes, …)?
ƒ voice
Does the actor change his or her voice for each different character? What is typical in
a particular character’s voice and pitch? Do we as the audience simply get to keep
characters apart that way, or do we also learn something about a character through
the way he or she speaks?
ƒ facial expression
Are different facial expressions used to indicate different characters? Do the facial
expressions tell us something about the individual characters as well?
ƒ position on stage
Does the actor move about on stage and always stand/sit/lie in the same place for a
particular character? What effect does this have in addition to defining characters? (it
also helps define the space, particularly if the set is non-naturalistic).

This list is by no means complete, but it provides a number of suggestions for

analyzing a one-person performance from a more technical point of view.

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8. Vocabulary

chef Chefkoch
effeminate verweichlicht
utmost äußerst
neurosurgeon Nervenarzt
Wisconsin U.S. Bundesstaat
Gourmet magazine eine Feinschmeckerzeitschrift
salutation Begrüßung
saran wrap Frischhaltefolie
to be all set fertig sein, bereit sein
L.I.E. Long Island Expressway
to go overboard übertreiben
sympathy Sympathie
lyme disease Zeckenborreliose
dying to do something etwas unendlich gern tun würden
pathologically pathologisch, krankhaft
gushing überschäumend, überschwänglich
cover someone’s shift die Arbeitsschicht von jemandem übernehmen
to confirm bestätigen
dairy Milchprodukte
wait staff KellnerInnenpersonal
cuisine Küche, im Sinne von: Art des Essens
fusion Verschmelzung
menu Speisekarte
jicama Süßkartoffel, „Mexikanische Rübe od. Kartoffel“
squab noch nicht flügge, junger Vogel
poached pochiert
ginger Ingwer
broth Eintopf; Suppe
wrapped eingewickelt
wilted gewelkt
herb-crust Kräuterkruste
grouper Barsch
speckled gesprenkelt, bespritzt
hyssop Ysop
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to ramp wuchern
cedar Zeder
organic organisch
on average durchschnittlich
crescendos Crescendos, immer lauter werdend
piercing stechend
hostess Hostess
to graduate die Schule abschließen (maturieren, promovieren…)
in advance im Vorraus
to make up one’s mind sich entscheiden
advance deal Frühbuchertarif
US Air amerikanische Fluglinie
familiar bekannt
callback zweites Vorsprechen; für diejenigen, die in der engeren
Auswahl sind
HBO Home Box Office; amerikanischer Privatsender (produziert u.a.
„Sex and the City“, „The Sopranos”…)
audition Vorsprechen
vegan veganisch
tasting menu Kostproben
soy Soja
Bell Atlantic amerikanische Telefongesellschaft
The Village Voice New Yorker Stadtzeitung (vgl. in Wien: “Falter”)
digit Ziffer
four-digit number vierstellige Zahl
to dodge ausweichen
impressed beeindruckt
unimpressed unbeeindruckt
Lincoln Center Kulturzentrum in New York, beherbergt u.a. Metropolitan
Opera, Julliard (Kunstschule)
cab Taxi
FedEx amerikanische Expresspostgesellschaft
global positioning unit GPS Empfänger, Satellitennavigationsinstrument
“I’ll be there in five” “Ich komme in fünf Minuten”
scratch kratzen
party of two eine Gruppe von 2 Personen
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to honor ehren
a regular ein Stammgast
anniversary Jahrestag
tacky klebrig, schleimig (im Sinne von: einschmeichelnd),
geschmacklos
“It’s not rocket science.” Im Sinne von: “Es ist nicht wer-weiß-wie kompliziert.”
authority Autorität
Mickey Rourke amerikanischer Filmschauspieler
to transfer transferieren, weiterleiten
upset verärgert, aufgeregt
detained verhindert, aufgehalten
seniority höheres Dienstalter / höherer Rang in der Hierarchie
to buzz someone jemanden mit dem Summer / Gegensprechanlage rufen
Cheetos eine amerikanische Chipsmarke, Knabbergebäck
file cabinet Aktenschrank
attitude Einstellung, Verhalten (oft: überheblich)
vital wichtig, lebenswichtig
ASAP as soon as possible, so schnell wie möglich
rude unfreundlich
to accuse sb. jem. beschuldigen
hilarious zum Schreien komisch
to tow abschleppen
to insist on bestehen auf etw.
Mr. Zagat famous New York restaurant critic
to bump sb. hier: einen reservierten Tisch an jem. anders vergeben
to assume annehmen, vermuten
balls ugs: Hoden, Eier
node Knoten, hier: Lymphknoten
to strain zerren, beanspruchen, belasten
vocal chords Stimmbänder
to yawn gähnen
to pull a file eine Akte heraussuchen
marinated mariniert
fluke Flunder
quail Wachtel
head cheese Presskopf, Presswurst
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alternate appetizer andere Vorspeise, Vorspeisenalternative

maitre d’hotel Oberkellner
to be entitled in der Position sein / die Erlaubnis haben / einen Anspruch haben
double A.R.P. A.A.R.P. = American Association of Retired Persons –
Pensionistenverband
discount Preisnachlass, Sonderangebot
cataract grauer Star (eine Augenkrankheit)
glaucoma grüner Star
bladder suspension Blasenerweiterung
Paramount Pictures amerikanische Filmgesellschaft, Mediengigant
the paper newspaper; Zeitung
salmon Lachs
scrumptious toll, prima, ausgezeichnet, lecker
puddle Pfütze, Lacke
urine Urin
pretentious anmaßend, anspruchsvoll, hochtrabend, angeberisch
crap Quatsch, Unsinn, Mist
to convey überbringen, mitteilen, vermitteln
worthiness Wert
catfish Katzenwels
harsh brutal
sconce Wandleuchter
bulb Glühbirne
to supply ausstatten, zur Verfügung stellen
to puke sich übergeben, speiben
outlet Ausgang, Auslass, Öffnung
apoplectic apoplektisch, cholerisch, zu Schlaganfällen neigend
apoplectic stroke Schlaganfall
busboy Hilfskraft im Restaurant, Tellerträger, Bedienungshilfe
dignitary Würdenträger
Le Barnadin thin disguise for Le Bernardin, a famous New York restaurant
Bed Bath and Beyond ein in New York beliebtes Einrichtungshaus
interview Vorstellungsgespräch
gross grauslich, eklig
ruckus Krawall, Unruhe
gumdrops Gummibonbons
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goody goody gumdrops Ausspruch, der Freude ausdrücken soll; hier zynisch verwendet
entitlement Anspruch, Berechtigung
national spot hier: ein im gesamten Land gesendeter Werbespot
Carson Aviation private Fluggesellschaft, mittlerweile aufgelöst (2001)
Bell Atlantic amerikanische Telefongesellschaft
to get cut off abgeschnitten werden
favor Gefallen
to appreciate würdigen, schätzen
orange roughy tropische Fischart
dish Speise
“Break a leg.” “Hals- und Beinbruch” – Schauspielerjargon für “viel Glück”
to pop in hereinschauen
to leave sb. in the lurch jemanden hängen lassen

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