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Author Topic:   Am Dram Orangutan
Ooook!
Member (Idle past 5815 days)
Posts: 340
From: London, UK
Joined: 09-29-2003


Message 1 of 10 (214649)
06-06-2005 10:39 AM


Hi all,
One of my main interests - apart from an unhealthy obsession with great apes and throwing opinions around on discussion forums - is acting (or as Mrs Ooook puts it - 'acting up'). I'm a member of a local amatueur dramatics group with its own little theatre.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, I've been cast as E.K. Hornbeck in an up and coming production of 'Inherit the Wind': the extremely thinly disguised dramatisation of the Scopes Monkey Trial. I wondered whether anybody was familiar with either the play(or film) and/or the real events.
1) The character is a reporter from outside the town. I can't quite remember exactly where he is meant to be from but I think it is Baltimore. Can anybody give me any pointers for accents in that part of the states?
2)Does anybody know (or know where I can find) any interesting stuff about the real life trial? The most I've read about it is the small amount of details in a Micheal Shermer book.
Ta
To admins (and argumentative others): I didn't want this to turn into a serious discussion , just a light hearted topic which is why I've posted it in the coffee house.

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by berberry, posted 06-06-2005 10:50 AM Ooook! has replied
 Message 3 by jar, posted 06-06-2005 5:54 PM Ooook! has replied
 Message 9 by Andya Primanda, posted 06-12-2005 10:07 AM Ooook! has replied

  
berberry
Inactive Member


Message 2 of 10 (214652)
06-06-2005 10:50 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Ooook!
06-06-2005 10:39 AM


Three things: 1. Search for the Scopes trial transcripts, which are available online. 2. Search for newspaper accounts of the trial, particularly those written by H.L. Mencken (renamed - as are all characters - in the play and movie) of the Baltimore Sun. 3. Watch the picture, which is available in a crisp black & white DVD print.
All of your questions will be answered.
AbE: Oh, and I forgot something - 4. Prepare for moose to throw a fit over your thread title.
This message has been edited by berberry, 06-06-2005 09:54 AM

"I think younger workers first of all, younger workers have been promised benefits the government promises that have been promised, benefits that we can't keep. That's just the way it is." George W. Bush, May 4, 2005

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Ooook!, posted 06-06-2005 10:39 AM Ooook! has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by Ooook!, posted 06-07-2005 8:53 AM berberry has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 394 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 3 of 10 (214791)
06-06-2005 5:54 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Ooook!
06-06-2005 10:39 AM


H.L. Mencken was from Balmur, Marlyn. As stated, he was a reporter for the "Sun", which is a staple for a crab feast since at the time, brown paper cost too much money to use to cover the table. His favorite brew was National Bohemian which is always refered to as a "Boh"
He often held court in the back rooms of the Peabody Bookstore (front for a speakeasy) that is in the basement of a row house on North Charles Street about two blocks north of Mt. Vernon Place and take a walking tour of the area here and get a feel for the area . The view in the painting in the last one is looking North on Charles Street. The Church seen in the upper right is Mount Vernon Methodist which is a UMC congregation with a marvelous pipe organ, second only to the one located in Old St. Paul's which is a few blocks further south and not located on St.Paul's Street (one block East of Charles).
You can read his account of the trial here. You can get a feel for him from this quotes page.
Ask and yee shall recieve. If you want more, jess holler.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Ooook!, posted 06-06-2005 10:39 AM Ooook! has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by Ooook!, posted 06-07-2005 9:02 AM jar has replied

  
Ooook!
Member (Idle past 5815 days)
Posts: 340
From: London, UK
Joined: 09-29-2003


Message 4 of 10 (214940)
06-07-2005 8:53 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by berberry
06-06-2005 10:50 AM


Ta Berberry,
I've had a quick search for the transcripts on-line and found a site with selected bits of the trial. I haven't had a good look at the play yet (the first rehearsal was yesterday), but it does seem that large sections of the courtroom scenes were based on real occurances (like the part where Darrow questions Bryan in the witness stand).
I'll try and get my hands on the DVD, but I think that it might be a bit late for my accent as the performances start in a little over a month.
AbE: Oh, and I forgot something - 4. Prepare for moose to throw a fit over your thread title.
Well ... it is roughly on topic Besides, I felt like it was too good an oppurtunity to miss.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by berberry, posted 06-06-2005 10:50 AM berberry has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 6 by berberry, posted 06-07-2005 9:04 AM Ooook! has not replied

  
Ooook!
Member (Idle past 5815 days)
Posts: 340
From: London, UK
Joined: 09-29-2003


Message 5 of 10 (214944)
06-07-2005 9:02 AM
Reply to: Message 3 by jar
06-06-2005 5:54 PM


Thanks Jar,
Just the kind of background I was looking for - great for getting a feel for the character . The quotes page is especially useful, and at least I now know what my haircut should look like, even if my accent drifts from Seattle to New York via Alabama
H.L. Mencken was from Balmur, Marlyn
Yes, that's more or less what I've picked up from what little research I've done, although I've not been able to pick up anything specific about when and where to miss out letters and lose the middle of words. Is it fair to say that people in the states view the Baltimore accent as *cough* 'unique'?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by jar, posted 06-06-2005 5:54 PM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 7 by nator, posted 06-07-2005 9:24 AM Ooook! has not replied
 Message 8 by jar, posted 06-07-2005 1:23 PM Ooook! has not replied

  
berberry
Inactive Member


Message 6 of 10 (214946)
06-07-2005 9:04 AM
Reply to: Message 4 by Ooook!
06-07-2005 8:53 AM


Ooook! writes me:
quote:
...but I think that it might be a bit late for my accent...
If you can do a standard American accent you'll be okay I think. As presented in the play, Mencken is not remarkable for his accent, but he is remarkable for the invective in his voice and for his exceedingly cynical demeanor. Gene Kelly captures this wonderfully in the screen version, and that's why I urge you to get the DVD.

"I think younger workers first of all, younger workers have been promised benefits the government promises that have been promised, benefits that we can't keep. That's just the way it is." George W. Bush, May 4, 2005

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4 by Ooook!, posted 06-07-2005 8:53 AM Ooook! has not replied

  
nator
Member (Idle past 2170 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 7 of 10 (214959)
06-07-2005 9:24 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by Ooook!
06-07-2005 9:02 AM


A Maryland accent is a teeny bit southern sounding. They don't talk really fast, nor slow.
Hey, I found this super cool website.
Here you will find downloadable mp3 recordings of accent/dialect speakers from the region you selected, plus textfiles giving their biographical details, and scholarly commentary in some cases.
I LOVE the internet.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Ooook!, posted 06-07-2005 9:02 AM Ooook! has not replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 394 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 8 of 10 (215006)
06-07-2005 1:23 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by Ooook!
06-07-2005 9:02 AM


Balmur is a blue-collar city and during Mencken's day was dominated by three major industries; steel and iron forging, the Port and railroads and spice production. McCormick and Company sat right across from the Pier One Pratt Street where the Great White Fleet (bananas and spices, not rich tourists) docked and the whole of downtown was filled with the smell of spices when they were grinding.
The language is Southern, but nowhere near as slow as most. You seldom find "Ts" inside a word but do use it at the end and "the" is never "Thee". Folk actually sing "Maryland my Maryland" and there it has three sylables, "Mar-ri-land my Mar-ri-land". In every other instance it reduces to Marlyn.
The city was very much divided into ethnic neighborhood but everyone worked together and there was not much segregation in schools, churches or stores. Yiddish was very prominent and so work like mensch were in everyones lexicon. The giggest ethnic groupings were the Jews, Poles, Germans(During WWI Baltimore changed almost all the German named streets including Pulaski. When it was pointed out by Mencken that Pulaski was a Pole, not German, they changed all the names back to the original).
I've seen it claimed that H.L. went to Obrycki's but that's not likely since they didn't open until 1944.
AbE
I listened to the two samples of dialect that Schraf supplied but I need to warn you that neither are Baltimore accents. In fact they would stand out like a sore thumb even as recently as the '50's.
Howard County is most certainly not Baltimore and the Eastern Shore, at the time of Mencken was like a foriegn country. In particular, the first example is totally unlike the dialect of the Eastern Shore from before the Bay Bridge.
This message has been edited by jar, 06-07-2005 12:37 PM

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Ooook!, posted 06-07-2005 9:02 AM Ooook! has not replied

  
Andya Primanda
Inactive Member


Message 9 of 10 (216387)
06-12-2005 10:07 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Ooook!
06-06-2005 10:39 AM


Tell me where you will play--I might be interested to drop by and appreciate an orangutan playing E.K. Hornbeck. Shouldn't be too far, wouldn't it?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Ooook!, posted 06-06-2005 10:39 AM Ooook! has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 10 by Ooook!, posted 06-30-2005 7:31 AM Andya Primanda has not replied

  
Ooook!
Member (Idle past 5815 days)
Posts: 340
From: London, UK
Joined: 09-29-2003


Message 10 of 10 (220895)
06-30-2005 7:31 AM
Reply to: Message 9 by Andya Primanda
06-12-2005 10:07 AM


Hi Andya,
Sorry for the lack of reply. I took a bit of a break from posting for various reasons (none serious), and kept on forgeting to get back to you.
The play is being put on in a town just outside London (Bromley - 15 minutes from Victoria) and is in a privately owned little theatre which means that you have to be a member to get tickets. If you are still interested, I could get a ticket for you. The performances are from 15th-23rd July.
I'll see if I can establish an e-mail account purely for EvC in the next day or so, so you can contact me directly.
Oh and thanks to Berberry for the advice (I do now have a copy of the DVD), Shraf for giving me something to work on in the meantime, and Jar for confusing me even more .

This message is a reply to:
 Message 9 by Andya Primanda, posted 06-12-2005 10:07 AM Andya Primanda has not replied

  
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