Ruben Guthrie Analysis

1. Ruben Guthrie Analysis • Storyline • Key Roles • Key Theme • Technologies • Elements • Conventions Play: Ruben Guthrie Venue: Herald Theatre

2. Storyline • Ruben Guthrie lives a lifestyle that could be ripped from the pages of an upmarket glossy magazine. He's 29, creative director of the hottest advertising agency in town and lives in a fashionable apartment with a Czech supermodel several years his junior. He also likes a drink - or 20. • Winning awards, getting the girls and generally living the life, Ruben is rapidly coming to believe his own press. Feeling invincible, he leaps off a hotel roof one night and lands in a whole lot of trouble when he drunkenly mistakes the baby pool for a full-size one. • Exit the girlfriend and welcome a plaster cast on the broken arm, bruises and various abrasions and a visit to Alcoholics Anonymous. • Ruben thinks he can win back the girl if he swears off the sauce for a month or two and attends a few meetings but gradually he starts to realise maybe his life is as shallow as the baby pool he landed in.

3. Cast and Crew Crew Direction: SHANE BOSHER Written by: BRENDAN COWELL Set design: JOHN VERRYT Costume design: PETRA VERWEIJ Lighting design:  JANE HAKARAIA Production management:  JOSH HYMAN Sage management:  JOSH HYMAN, LAURYN WATI Properties management:  BECS EHLERS Technical operation:  STUART PHILLIPS Set construction:  2 CONSTRUCT Production assistance:  SEAN LYNCH Cast: Ruben Guthrie: OLIVER DRIVER Zoya: CHELSIE PRESTON CRAYFORD Ray: ANDREW GRAINGER Peter Guthrie: PETER ELLIOTT Virginia: TONI POTTER Susan Guthrie: ELLIE SMITH Damian: DEAN O'GORMAN

4. Costume The production concept for the costumes according to director Shane Bosher was to make the costumes appear like real clothing that real and ordinary people would wear. This allowed for the theme of alcoholism to be relevant to the audience as it was portrayed as an issue that can effect normal people such as ourselves. The contrast in costumes also gave us an indication of the contrast of the different characters.

5. Characters Costumes • Ruben- is dressed in popular NZ brands to show he is fashionable (indication that he is in the media industry) and is well-off in terms of income. He is commonly seen wearing colourful clothing eg- in the opening scene he is wearing a green t-shirt to symbolise a fresh start as he is at the AA meeting. • Zoya- high fashion, bold colours, dresses/skirts. This shows she is a younger women, most likely 20’s, and has experience in the media industry as a model. • Peter (Father)- casual male attire for a man in his 50’s as he is a representation of a typical kiwi ‘bloke’. • Susie (Mother)- casual female attire for a woman in her 50’s as she is a representation of a typical mother concerned about her husband and sons drinking habits. • Ray- is only seen in a suit which shows his authority as Ruben’s boss. • Virginia- is also dressed in popular NZ brands to show she is youthful and is up to date with NZ fashion. She is commonly seen wearing black. • Damian- is dressed in popular NZ brands and is generally feminine (low cut tops and cardigans) to show his homosexual side.

6. Set • One black chair symbolising Ruben is alone on his journey of dealing with alcoholism as he is responsible for the outcome of his actions. This is a very neutral set piece as it is used in many different settings eg- couch in Ruben’s house and a chair in an AA meeting. • The back wall is covered in long strands of silver beads. This sets the scene as a ‘trendy’ 21st century house but is also symbolic of bubbles relating to alcohol and smoke. • Bar/Kitchen Area- This is downstage centre and shows that alcohol plays a large part in the NZ culture as it is present in all settings (minus the AA meetings).

7. Properties • Drugs, cigarettes, alcohol- used throughout the whole play but in particular three quarters through where Damian and Ruben drink, snort and smoke various substances. • Water bottle- very significant as recovering alcoholics are commonly seen with bottles of water as it is a replacement to alcohol. • Suitcase- used when Zoya leaves and returns • Sling- used to indicate that Ruben is a wild drunk and is used in the opening scene to introduce his role.

8. Elements • Tension- In general the tension of the play is based around whether Ruben will remain drug and alcohol free. An example of where the tension is built to a climax is in the final scene where Ruben is offered a bottle of spirits by his father and he has to make the choice of whether to drink it or not. The scene finishes with a black out and his choice remains unknown, allowing the audience to decide what has happened. Another minor example of when tension is built to a climax is when Ruben’s mum offers him a glass of wine and he accepts it and drinks it. As his mum exits the room he spits it out so his alcohol-free plan is still in place. • Time- The play is based on the steps of Ruben de-toxing from alcohol and is told in chronological order. It is set in the 21st century where the media plays a large role in shaping society. It is also set in a time where alcohol and binge drinking is a large part of our culture.

9. Conventions • Monologue- The play Ruben Guthrie opens with Ruben speaking to the audience, expressing his thoughts and feelings as if he is in an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting. This sets the scene for his addiction of Alcohol and drugs that we soon become aware of. This convention is used at the beginning of every scene and gives us the situation that Ruben is in. • Conscience Alley- This convention is used to show how bad and messed up Ruben has become due to his addiction. He has just taken some drugs and is hallucinating; he witnesses his Mother, Father, ex girlfriend Zoya, Rubens current girlfriend, his boss and his best friend who is very persuading. They are all expressing their feelings towards his addiction and stand around Ruben as he is ‘Buzzing’ out because he high. They begin speaking to him one by one then soon start speaking all together giving their own advice. • Freeze Frame- Freeze frame is used at the end of every scene. This gives the audience a chance to capture the moment and take in the surroundings and imagery. It also gives you a chance to think what is about to happen next. One case of freeze frame is used when Rubens best friend who is gay tries his smooth moves on him. Ruben has promised never to go there and the scene stopped with his pants leaving the audience in anticipation and got them thinking “No Ruben Don’t DO IT!!!”