Spencer Morgan

Classyass Analysis
I. Given Circumstances
a. Environmental Factors
i. The Play takes place in the middle of a cold, rainy December in Bellmore
College, located in Bellmore, New York. Evidence found on script one in
orange.
ii. It is 3:47 am on a Thursday in December when the play begins and it is
3:59 when the play ends. Evidence is underlined in script one. The year
the play takes place in is likely somewhere in the 90s because they are still
using CDs and Fax machines, and there is reference to Scorsese and John
Woo.
iii. The College itself and the surrounding area is very expensive and home to
economically well off individuals, but there are areas near the shelter and
it’s surrounding area that are in relative poverty. Evidence of this is found
on script one in green.
iv. At the beginning of the play the political dynamic has Miles, the station
manager at the top, and Ama is afraid of punishment from him, but he is
unconcerned about BigB. However, at the end of the play, after BigB’s
identity has been revealed, she is at the top of the food chain and everyone
is answering to her. Evidence is highlighted on script one in yellow.
v. The social environment of the play is one where Ama looks down on BigB
because of her supposed background and lack of education, but at the end
of the play this has changed to show to a more inclusive social
environment, at least in the realm of the radio studio. Evidence is on script
one in pink.
vi. There is no mention of religion anywhere in the script, and there appears
to be a lack of an apparent or influential religious environment.
b. Before the play has begun, on an airing of the radio show, Ama supposedly said
that “Gloria” was written by Faure when it was actually written by Poulenc. BigB
sent a fax to Ama politely correcting him and Ama responded rudely to BigB’s
correction.
c. The play takes place in a well off New York College where people look down on
the impoverished citizens who are struggling in the winter in the surrounding
areas.
II. Dialogue
a. Especially in the dialogue between BigB (in her persona) and Ama, Jennings uses
lots of words that begin with a plosive “b” or a hard “k” sound which creates a
percussive and rhythmic feeling to the dialogue to match the musical subject of
the play.
 b. When characters describe each other, Jennings includes elongated, multi-adjective
descriptions that, again, have a very rhythmic flow and syntax. This causes the
dialogue to feel very musical in nature, and at points almost like a rap.
c. Jennings juxtaposes the image of the shiny car and the fancy date spot in Ama and
BigB’s imaginations with the realistic images of the impoverished and low quality
life at the shelter, highlighting the social environment of the play.
d. Jennings has BigB speak in improper grammar and a dialect that is typical of a
lower class when she is playing a character, but has her switch to very proper
speech that would be typical of the president of the universities daughter after her
identity has been revealed, highlighting, once again, the social environment of the
play.
e. Because of the word and phrase choice, along with the structure of lines, the
sound of the dialogue is that of an allegro piece of music. There is a rhythmic
quality to the lines and in some places rhyming lines that create a musical tone to
the dialogue of the piece.
f. Jennings begins and ends the play with longer speeches, but in the majority of the
play tends to use shorter lines where the characters seem to almost jump each
other’s lines. This assists in creating a quick back and forth between the
characters that matches the percussive tone of the word choice. At the end of the
play, after the identity of BigB is revealed, the characters speak in larger speeches
creating a more legato mood.
III. Dramatic Action
a. See Script 3
i. Who are you?
ii. I said Poulenc
iii. Can’t drink beer
iv. Something out of Scorsese
v. I’ll give you a shout out
vi. Take me to dinner
vii. Kiss me
viii. Don’t tell your dad
ix. Dean Staford’s Daughter
x. Thanks for the Lesson
b. Detailed Breakdown
i. See Script 3
c. Summary of the Action (A=Ama, B=BigB, M=Miles)
i. B startles A and A dismisses B
ii. B harangues A and A diminishes B
iii. B galvanizes A and A flouts B
iv. A bargains with B and B frightens A
v. A diminishes B and B denigrates A
vi. B bargains with A and A rejects B
vii. B emblazons A and A disenfranchises B
 viii. M interrogates B and B assures A
ix. M congratulates A and A probes M
x. B disenfranchises A, A apologizes to B, and M begs B
IV. Characters
a. Desire
i. Ama: He wants to go back to his radio show and studying for his test in
peace.
ii. BigB: She wants Ama to show her respect and take her seriously despite
her “background.”
iii. Miles: He wants to keep his job.
b. Will
i. Ama: Ama’s will is fairly weak. He rejects all of the deals BigB tries to
make and is only changed when he is forced into the kiss by BigB
ii. BigB: Big B has a strong will. She dresses up like someone from a lower
class and puts on an elaborate persona to change Ama.
iii. Miles: Miles will is moderately strong. He continuously begs Belinda not
to tell her father and chases her as she leaves to get conformation.
c. Moral Stance
i. Ama: According to the moral code established by Belinda/BigB, Ama has
a weak moral stance because he is disrespectful to and talks down to
people less fortunate than himself.
ii. BigB: BigB is the most moral of the three in the world of the paly. She has
dropped out of school to help the less fortunate and is acting to change the
view that more well off individuals have of the people at the shelter.
iii. Miles: Miles has a weak moral stance as established by the rules and
regulations of the school because of the drinking on the job and the
bargaining to hide his and Ama’s misdeeds.
d. Decorum
i. Ama: Ama wants to be seen as a sophisticated, educated classical music
aficionado. He is not successful in his approach and comes off boring and
stuck up.
ii. BigB: BigB wants to be seen as a less fortunate but still cultured
individual who understands conventionally “high class” music despite
being from an impoverished background. She is successful in this and
changes Ama’s view on people like her persona at the end of the play.
iii. Miles: Miles wants to be seen as the laid back cool boss and friend to
Ama. He is successful in his approach as seen by the casual nature of
Ama’s address to him at the beginning of the play and the fact that they
both drink on the job under his supervision.
e. Summary list of adjectives
i. Ama
1. Desire: Moderate
2. Will: Weak
 3. Moral Stance: weak
4. Decorum: Sophisticated
ii. BigB:
1. Desire: Strong
2. Will: Strong
3. Moral Stance: Strong
4. Decorum: Multi-faceted
iii. Miles:
1. Desire: Strong
2. Will: Strong
3. Moral Stance: weak
4. Decorum: Easy-going
f. Initial character-mood-intensity
i. Action Cycle 1
1. Ama:
a. Heartbeat: slow
b. Perspiration: light
c. Stomach condition: easy, no turmoil or stress
d. Muscle tension: relaxed
e. Breathing rate: deep and slow
2. BigB:
a. Heartbeat: Fast
b. Perspiration: Heavy
c. Stomach condition: determined pit in her stomach
d. Muscle tension: Tense legs and arms, ready to scare and
fight with Ama
e. Breathing rate: Moderately fast and deep
ii. Action cycle 10
1. Ama:
a. Heartbeat: Fast
b. Perspiration: Heavy
c. Stomach condition: butterflies in his stomach
d. Muscle tension: relaxed muscles
e. Breathing rate: Light and fast
2. BigB
a. Heartbeat: Easy, moderately slow
b. Perspiration: Heavy from the continued activity and
physical contact with Ama
c. Stomach Condition: easy, no stress of turmoil
d. Muscle tension: relaxed, accomplished her goal
e. Breathing rate: deep and slow
V. Idea
a. The title is a reference to what BigB calls Ama, and means someone who is stuck
up, classist, and who gatekeeps conventionally “high society” activities or
enjoyments.
b. “You don’t have to be stuck up and white to love classical music. You don’t have
to be a snob either”
c. BigB, otherwise known as Belinda, comes into the studio pretending to be
someone poor rather than someone who is well off, the way she is in real life, to
show Ama that even impoverished citizens can understand and enjoy what is
conventionally seen as “high class” music.
VI. Moods
a. Action cycle 1
i. Taste: Sour
ii. Touch: Rough and bumpy
iii. Sight: Beige
iv. Smell: Beer, yeasty, sour
v. Sound: Staccato
b. Action cycle 8
i. Taste: Salty
ii. Touch: Sharp
iii. Sight: Red
iv. Smell: Oily
v. Sound: Screeching brakes
c. Beginning Mood Image:

d. Ending Mood Image:

VII. Tempos
i. Staccato
ii. Agitato
iii. Andante
iv. Allegretto
v. Ritardando
vi. Allegro
vii. Accelerando
viii. Calando
ix. Largo
x. Cantabile
VIII. Tone
a. Classyass is a symphony depicting the complexity of social relationship between
two people with voices from different economic situations, combining to create a
single, beautiful musical motif.