Summary Of Lynn Nottage's Play 'Poof !'

Lynn Nottage’s play Poof! is noteworthy due to the combination she used of realism and the fantastic which played well in the effectiveness as a piece of drama. In drama, realism is the attempt to imitate real life which, Nottage does with the two leading characters in her play. Loureen and Florence both endure spousal abuse which connects them as friends. Nottage opens Poof! with an element of the fantastic (the spontaneous combustion of Samuel) following Loureen's curse “Damn you to hell Samuel” to grabbed the audience’s attention. When reading a play as opposed to seeing it the author really needs to try to convey the emotions of the characters and to relay what the dramatic conflict is. In the essay Poof! Nottage uses realism and the fantastic

The interplay between Loureen and her friend Florence set the tone for the play with their back and forth dialogue that Nottage uses to address a contemporary issue with empathy and humor. The subject matter of Poof! (domestic violence) is serious but is presented in a manner that is often comedic in tone infused with realism and the fantastic. We know that domestic abuse is very serious and I think Nottage used the dialogue between the two characters to bring a humorous tone to this issue. The death of Samuel gives rise to much of the humor in the play, as Loureen attempts to explain to Florence something she herself does not understand. In the exchange between the two friends when Florence asked Loureen where the body is? You can see the comical, imaginative, realism, and fantatisic in the way they talk to one another. For example “Loureen points to Samuel's pile of ashes, Florence asks, “You burned him?” I DON’T KNOW! replies Loureen, “Either you did or you didn't, what you mean you don't know? We're talking murder, Loureen, not oven settings (Nottage 1088).” In the exchange you can see the elements that Nottage used to make the interaction between them come alive. In another exchange between Loureen and Florence about calling the police to report Samuel missing you can feel the emotion and empathy that Nottage used. As seen in the quote “what are you going to tell them? about all the times they refused to help you? about all the nights you slept in my bed because you were afraid to stay down here? or the time he nearly took out your eye? (Nottage1093) you feel the tone of empathy between the two friends. Nottage applies a lot of imagery and fantastic that really engage the audience, it is like you are watching the scenes happen. For example, another theme in the play is friendship. Nottage uses literary devices to grab and hold the audience. The use of