In this play, the main tool used by Park is the "rest", a tool derived from the influence of jazz in order to depict a structure where the Black Americans scuffle against an imperceptible power of coercion. This rest found in every few lines does not allow the characters to gain any thrust going. Ironically, even though their advancement moving forward is facing breakage by the rest, in the real sense they are never at rest from the daily struggles. Actually, the “rest” turns to be very Brechtian since actors have to take musical breaks whereby the audience can see to the action taking place on the stage. In their use, the recesses are not just estranging but also simulate the operatic style applied by Brecht to categorize his piece as patent fiction. Theatrical “rest” creates pictures for the audience to clearly examine the depiction of African American’s life by Park just as the gestures by Brecht enabled the audience to analyze his depiction of the lower class.
The silent images depicting the life of an African American makes the audience aware of their environment and enhance their understanding of things that can hardly be said using words. Similarly, the actors are motivated to play rations of silence by use of their bodies with their lengths being determined depending on the audience as well as the mood depicted on the podium. The rhythm of the play as well corresponds with the movement of the contemporary hip-hop where one of the mostly used tools is to “drop the beat”. By using the rest Park intends to enstrange and emphasize crucial lines after the “rest”. Today, hip-hop has changed into a black culture stereotype, and its rhythm in the play generates an atmosphere where the characters cannot evade the stereotype of the world they are in.
Work Cited
Parks, Suzan-Lori. Topdog. Theatre Communications Group, 2002.
