Analysis Of The Last Night Of Ballyhoo

The Last Night of Ballyhoo is an interesting play with many intertwined facets that require understanding of the time period to be fully understood. The acting is entertaining because of the different voice tones of the actors and actresses. The clothing of the actors and the way the stage is set, really makes the audience feel the emotion and passion of each character. The overarching theme of the play is all about social status. The only thing Lala cares about is getting an acceptable date to Ballyhoo. Because of the time period the play was written in; every character has to act very superficial. Family does not seem to matter, relationships do not seem to matter like they do nowadays, but the only thing that seems to matter is reputation.

The way he carries himself and his voice inflections really make the viewer feel like they are in the time period and can envision themselves in the scene of the play. The actor himself really seemed to believe in the play. The way he stormed out of the Ballyhoo scene, it was obvious that he was passionate about the play and really bought into the role. At other times, he spoke to everyone like a true gentleman. The kissing scene was a soft spot in the play, and he did a great job of the whole kiss and the speaking leading up to it. In addition, the actor did a great job of using a different voice in the play. Eastern European Jews were known for speaking differently that German Jews, and his voice was unique and correct for the time

That is quickly addressed in the first scene of the play with Lala. The set shows the viewers how the family lives, with so many people under one roof. Right off the bat, it is evident to the viewer that the family is not strict in their religion. Social status is important but the actual religion is not. It ultimately confused the audience because the family talks about caring about religion, but it ends up being very artificial. The characters in the scene also talk about Christians that live by them in the beginning of the play, so that creates a picture of the street in the reader’s mind and this establishes the fact that Jews are not treated as equals compared to Christians. In the 1930’s, German Jews were known for adapting to non-Jewish cultures. This is why there is a Christmas tree in the living room that Lala is so excited to put the star on. At the beginning of the play, all the characters seem to be wearing typical clothing for the time period. Adolph and Joe are wearing suits after coming home from work. The ladies are wearing dresses. When Lala bought the expensive dress to wear to Ballyhoo, that’s when it was very apparent that the family is wealthy and will do anything to raise their social capital. At the end, when Lala wore her dress to the dance, it showed that she was the character that did not have many friends but would have nice things given to