TPO 4 Conversation 1

　　Narrator
　　Listen to a conversation between a student and a librarian.

　　Librarian
　　Can I help you?
　　Student
　　Yeah, I need to find a review. It's for my English class. We have to find reviews of the play we are reading. But they have to be from when the play was first performed, so I need to know when that was and I suppose I should start with newspaper reviews and…
　　Librarian
　　Contemporary reviews.
　　Student
　　Sorry?
　　Librarian
　　You want contemporary reviews. What's the name of the play?
　　Student
　　It's Happy Strangers. It was written in 1962 and we are supposed to write about its influence on American theatre and show why it's been so important.
　　Librarian
　　Well, that certainly explains why your professor wants you to read some of those old reviews. The critiques really tore the play to pieces when it opened. It's so controversial. Nobody had ever seen anything like it on the stage.
　　Student
　　Really? Is that a big deal?
　　Librarian
　　Oh, sure. Of course the critiques' reaction made some people kind of curious about it. They wanted to see what's causing all the fuss. In fact, we were on vacation in New York. Oh, I had to be, eh, around 16 or so, and my parents took me to see it.
　　That would've been about 1965.
　　Student
　　So that was the year premier, great, but eh, newspaper from back then weren't online, so, how do I…
　　Librarian
　　Well, we have copies of all the newspapers in the basement, and all the major papers publish reference guides to their articles reviews, etc. You will find them in the reference stacks in the back. But I start with 1964, so I think the play had been running for a little while when I saw it.
　　Student
　　How do you like it? I mean just two characters on the stage hanging around and basically doing nothing.
　　Librarian
　　Well, I was impressed. The actors were famous, and besides it was my first time in a real theatre. But you are right. It was definitely different from many plays that we read in high school. Of course, in a small town the assignments are pretty traditional.
　　Student
　　Yeah, I've only read it but it doesn't seem like it would be much fun to watch. The story doesn't progress in any sort of logical matter, doesn't have real ending either, just stops. Honestly, you know, I thought it was kind of slow and boring.
　　Librarian
　　Oh, well I guess you might think that. But when I saw it back then it was anything but boring. Some parts were really funny, but I remember crying too. But I'm not sure just reading it. You know, they've done this play at least once on campus. I'm sure there is a tape of the play in our video library. You might want to borrow it.
　　Student
　　That's a good idea. I'll have a better idea of what I really think of it before I read those reviews.
　　Librarian
　　I'm sure you will be surprised that anyone ever found it radical. But you will see why it is still powerful, dramatically speaking.
　　Student
　　Yeah, it must be something about it, or the professor wouldn't have assigned it. I'm sure I'll figure it out.