PLAYWRIGHTS STUDY NOTES ON ARS POETICA1 In Ars Poetica, ve people must deal with misunderstandings and conicts as they

try to save a Montreal poetry magazine from bankruptcy.Lets look at the people, and at the poetry to which they devote their time and effort.

The Characters
Naomi Rose Naomi is the rst character we meet in the play. What kind of person does she seem to be during the opening moments of the story? We soon learn that Naomi is hoping to go to New York University (NYU) to pursue her studies in creative writing. Is this a sensible ambition for her? Do you like Naomi? Hugh Rose Naomis father is the second character we meet. Within a very short time, hes arguing with his daughter. Is he unfair to her? Does his relationship with her evolve over the course of the play? Hugh is exchanging text messages and considerably more than text messages with someone named Regine, but he doesnt want the relationship to come to light. Does this make him a dishonest person? Do you like Hugh? Julia Layton From the moment Julia comes onto the stage, shes frantically trying to deal with the various problems of the poetry magazine, Ars Poetica. Yet late in the play, she says she loves her work. Do you think she means it? Why? Toward the end of the play, there are signs that Julia and Hugh might become romantically involved? Do you think these two characters are likely to get along? Do you like Julia?

Diane Langlois Diane arrives on the scene in a panic. Shes desperate to nd George, from whom she needs a new business strategy for the magazine. Her methods of crisis management may not be very efficient but are they unerstandable? As the situation deteriorates, Dianes desperation intensies. Late in the rst act, when all seems lost, Diane says in anguish that shes an honorable, highminded person, but no one is lifting a nger to help her. Do you think she deserves help? Do you like Diane? George Buckner George arrives through the window. He serves warm champagne to Hugh before offering to publish his sonnet. Do you think George actually likes Hughs sonnet or, for that matter, Hugh personally? After a mix-up involving the two mens BlackBerries, George uses what he calls stronger means of persuasion to extract a large cash contribution from Hugh. Do you think Georges blackmail is justied? If not justied, is it at least understandable? Do you like George?

The Poetry
Ars Poetica is a play about people who put a lot of energy into keeping a little poetry magazine alive. Why do they do it? After all, in this electronic age, every form of entertainment imaginable can be had at the touch of a smartphone key or the click of a remote. At the same time, the internet has made poetry more accessible than ever before. Do an online search on Montreal poetry and youll nd hundreds of websites devoted to local poets and their work, to publishing houses that put out poetry, and to reading events. Slams are becoming ever more numerous

and well-attended. Is poetry undergoing a kind of renaissance? Or are these the last twitches of a dying art form? At one point, Hugh expresses his scorn for the magazine, saying it contains the outpourings of eco-lesbians and bipolar Marxists with day jobs teaching Walt Whitman to illiterate potheads at Dawson College. What does he mean by that? Are there reasons to doubt his sincerity in making such a comment? Diane works for the Canada Council, the federal agency which administers public arts funding across the country. Are there any indications in the play that shes good or bad at her job? Do you think she likes what she does?

Other Questions to Consider:

George describes smart phones as portable inducements to creeping illiteracy and terminal shallowness. What does he mean by that? Do you think hes right? What, to you, is the most realistic aspect of the play? Whats the least realistic? Ars Poetica is a comedy. Did it make you laugh? What parts did you nd funniest? What parts did you nd least funny? What insight, if any, does Ars Poetica have to offer on The relationships between parents and children? The importance of creativity? The meaning of honesty? The relative values of money and integrity? In your opinion, which Canadian poet(s) has(have) had the greatest impact on Canadian literature? North American literature? Internationally literature? Explain why? Do you think poetry is a dying art form? Please explain.

What are the artistic, social and economic merits and pitfalls of writers/poets? Give examples. With the ease, speed and popularity of wireless communication growing exponentially, do you think the printed word (books, newspapers, magazines) will eventually become a thing of the past? If so, do you think this is a positive or negative direction and why? Do you think government bodies should support artists? Why or why not? Do artists contribute to society? How? Do you think that George, the publisher of Ars Poetica, is most concerned with the publication of new poems every month or does he have another agenda? Give reasons. Would you prefer to read: a book of poetry, a novel or a non-ction book? Explain your preference? In what situations do you think texting is appropriate? In what situations is it not (if any)? Give examples. Do you think that texting removes the human element from personal communication? Whatever your response, do you think this is a positive or negative consequence of the computer era? Why? In your opinion, in what direction is personal communication headed? How do you see people connecting in 10 years? In 25 years? What will the impact be in both business and personal relationships? Do you think live theatre is potentially as entertaining as lm? Please explain. Did you enjoy your theatre experience? Was it your rst time? Would you see another theatre productions? What did you like best? The least?

Which character did you relate to the most and why? Would you have reacted differently as any of the characters if you were in a similar situation? Explain. One nal observation:when it comes to discussing a play, or any work of art, there are no right or wrong answers. There are only opinions. It doesnt matter whether youre a student or a professional critic. If you express yourself clearly and do your best to support your views with references to the work under consideration, then youll have done your job