DETROIT: A CLOSER LOOK

Steppenwolf’s innovative, thought-provoking theatre sparks conversation.Use this outline to frame a dialoguewith your group even before arriving atthe theatre.

In a “first ring” suburb outside a mid-sized American city, Ben and Mary fire upthe grill to welcome the new neighbors who’ve moved into the long-emptyhouse next door. The fledgling friendship soon veers out of control, shattering thefragile hold Ben and Mary have on their way of life – with unexpected comicconsequences. Detroit is a fresh, off-beat look at what happens when we dareto open ourselves up to something new.

BEN – Raised in the United States—Kansas City or maybe Denver. He workedat one bank for 5 years and another bank for 6 years. He was recently laid off fromthis job.

MARY – Raised in the United States—Kansas City or maybe Denver. Met Ben aftercollege, when they were both working, at a happy hour. She works as a paralegal ata small to mid-sized law firm.

KENNY – Raised in several cities in California until he was 12 or 13 when hisparents finally split up and he moved to Omaha with his mom. Now he works asa warehouse manager. Fresh out of major substance abuse rehab.

SHARON – Raised in Tucson, AZ until she was 9. Then she and her mother movedto Columbus, Ohio for 2 years and then to Indianapolis, where she went to highschool. In her junior year, her mother moved back to Arizona with her boyfriend, andSharon lived with her best friend to finish school. Now Sharon works at a phonebank, answering customer service calls. Fresh out of major substance abuse rehab.

FRANK – Two generations older than the other characters. Maybe in his late 70’s,early 80’s. He’s spry, the kind of man who’s been fixing his roof and rewiring theelectricity on his house and taking care of his impeccable lawn for many years.He’s happy.

Suburbia as utopia in connection with urban developmentDetroit takes place in a present day first ring suburb. The term “first ring” denotesany of the small suburban communities directly beyond the geographic border ofthe city.

Herbert Muschamp describes the recent decline of such single family startercommunities made popular between 1947 and 1977 in his New York Times article,The Nation: Becoming Unstuck on the Suburbs. “The postwar suburban dreamis now entering its second decade of physical obsolescence… bedroom communi-ties and urban workplaces – [have] been eroded by edge cities, office parks, andsecond and third rings.”

In Detroit, Ben and Mary find themselves living in one such first ring suburb. Theiridealized version of suburban life comes to a newfound reality after they befriendKenny and Sharon. The relationships that ultimately develop between thesenew neighbors and their idea of happiness and success are examined throughoutthe progression of the play.

For Discussion:• Suburbia is a community – How has the creation of suburban developmentssupported the creation of a community? How has this changed since the 1950’s?

• Suburbia is utopia – What were the original intentions of a suburban utopia? Were theseever actualized?

• Urban planning – Are there any endeavors being pursued to revitalize a declining suburbaninfrastructure?

• After the play – How does the location of Detroit directly influence the behavior of the characters?How do the visions of suburbia differ between Ben and Mary vs. Kenny and Sharon?

ABOUT THE PLAY

DETROIT THEMES, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

CHARACTERS

Additional Resources:Muschamp, Herbert. “The Nation;Becoming Unstuck on theSuburbs.” New York Times19 Oct. 1997Falanga, Mark. The Suburban You.Random House, 2004 Print.

The psychology of unemployment and self-employmentThe effects of the recent economic recession have impacted millions of Americanfamilies. Businesses were sometimes forced to lay off a large percentage of theirworkforce, thus leading to anxiety, mental health issues and insomnia for the newlyunemployed. Michael Luo and Megan Thee-Brenan’s New York Times article,“Trauma of Joblessness in US,” found that:

• More than half of the nation’s unemployed have borrowed money from friends or relatives

• Almost half suffered from depression or anxiety

• 4 in 10 parents have noticed behavioral changes in their children

• Roughly half of respondents described the recession as a hardship that had caused fundamentalchanges in their life

• Almost half said unemployment had led to more conflicts or arguments with family membersand friends

In Detroit, both families encounter the ramifications of recent unemployment. Onecharacter, Ben uses his job loss as an opportunity to pursue his ambitions tostart a new business. Faced with the pressures from his wife Mary and his finalunemployment check, Ben struggles with navigating his professional endeavorswith his personal desires.

For Discussion:• Unemployment – How can the sudden loss of a job weigh on the relationships betweena family?

• Self-employment – What qualifies as creating success? Who defines this?

• Psychological effect – What are the internal psychological effects of unemployment?How can this trigger success? Or sabotage?

• After the play – How does Ben’s idea of creating meaningful ‘work’ differ from Mary’s?Where do you see this in the show?

Virtual worlds and online communities as related to media studiesThe prevalence of online communities has increased dramatically in the last coupleyears. Some startling facts about these communities:

• Typical users spend 20-30 hours per week online

• Power users spend every available moment online

• In a recent survey, 20% of users claimed their fantasy world was their “real”place of residence

• Synthetic worlds double every two years

• Virtual communities generate at least $30 million in the United States annuallyand $100 million globally

THEMES, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

In Detroit, Ben uses a virtual world as a means to escape the isolation andmonotony of his everyday life. Throughout the play, Ben’s online community be-gins to impact the fragile relationship among friends and family members closestto him.

For Discussion:• Virtual worlds – What motivates an individual to actively participate in a virtual community?

• Online communities – How do you balance your online identity with your actual identity?

• Impact – What is the long-term effect of virtual participation on your real world relationships?

• After the play – How does a character in Detroit use a virtual world as a form of escapism?Is this behavior unrealistic?

Substance abuse and addictionThe effects of alcohol on the brain can have devastating consequences. The BettyFord Center Book of Answers identifies how the number of drinks a person con-sumes affects different functions of your brain.

• Drinks one, two and three affect the cerebral cortex of the brain; alertness and automaticresponses to our environment are affected.

• Drinks three, four and five affect the back of the brain – the cerebellum. Capacity for fine motionand coordination are lost.

• Drinks five, six and seven work deep in the brain at a place called the mid brain and limbicsystem. Primitive emotional makeup of humans reside here.

• Drinks seven, eight, nine and more strike at the deepest part of the brain, the medulla, the site ofrespiratory control. In acute alcohol overdose, the respiratory center shuts down and the victimstops breathing.

In Detroit, alcohol serves as a means for socializing between the two couples. We, the audience,see the progressive effects on the newfound relationships after increased consumption of alcohol– inhibitions are lowered and the characters begin to behave in socially unacceptable manners.

For Discussion:• Substance abuse – What are the immediate effects on family and friends? Long-term?

• Addiction – What are the earliest signs of addiction?

• Locations – How does an urban/suburban environment impact the disclosure ofprivate affairs?

• After the play – Choose one character from the play. Detail how their behavior changes as theconsumption of alcohol increases.

Additional Resources:Luo, Michael. “For Many,Uncertainty, Fear and ShameOften Follow Pink Slips.”New York Times 15 Dec. 2009

Luo, Michael and Thee-Brenan,Megan. “Trauma of Joblessnessin U.S.”New York Times 15 Dec. 2009

Additional Resources:Castranova, Edward. SyntheticWorlds: The Business and Cultureof Online Games.Chicago: The University ofChicago Press, 2005. Print.

Alter, Alexandra. “Is This ManCheating on His Wife” Wall StreetJournal 10 Aug. 2007

Additional Resources:West, James W. M.D.The Betty Ford Center Bookof Answers. New York: PocketBooks 1997. Print.