The Show Must Go On is the drama script in English which is a humorous play.

This
drama script is written by Richard A. Via and published in 1976. This drama script tells about
four students who will play the show. Not only the students but also the teacher director is
nervous. However, each of them show their nervous in the different ways.
I will explain about this drama script based on my analysis to fulfill my final project in
Intro to Literature class. I choose this drama script for my final project because the genre of this
drama script is a farce or a humorous play which I love the most. This drama script also contains
many different meaning of words and a lot of symbolism for a life. The sentences of the drama
script look like conversation in the real life. Moreover, the drama script is simple, easy to
understand, and meaningful. Actually, understanding the humorous part of this drama script is
not easy as I thought before. However, after I read it several times, I got the joke of this drama
script which I will explain it in the last part of my writing.
At first, I would like to share about what is in The Show Must Go On ad what I get from
it. As far as I know, the title of this drama is really suitable with the story. The statement The
Show Must Go On is really having a big deal in this drama. Even though all people in the drama
really nervous and even though Mr. Gage fainted, Frank will make the curtain up on time.
Therefore, no matter what happens the show must go on.
Next is about the story of this drama. The setting of the drama is in the dressing room of
an auditorium. The story begins around 7:45 p.m., before the show. The story begins with
preparation situation. Everybody was very nervous, but they show it in the different way. As we
could imagine, everybody who in the dressing room is nervous, so the situation there becomes
mess up. The people there were thinking the same thing; Can I? Everybody will look at me. I
am not ready enough. How if I make a mistake? How if I forget my lines? Everybody will laugh
at me. I am afraid. When Mr. Gage comes to the students, he talks to the students giving them
last minute direction. Suddenly, Bob shows his nervous. Because of his action, the others become
more nervous too. It makes Mr. Gage busy to take care of them. The situation becomes more
mess up when Frank asks them to go to the stage. Mr. Gage suddenly fainted. However, the
curtain of the stage should up on time. No matter what happen, the show must go on.
The next is the analysis of Characters in The Show Must Go On. There are six
characters in this story. They are Mr. Gage, Bob, Joe, Helen, Linda, and Frank. Mr. Gage is the
teacher and the director of the show while the others are students. However, Frank is not only the
students, but also the stage manager of the show while the others are taking role as player in the

show. The interrelationships among the characters are: Mr. Gage is a teacher or Bob, Joe, Helen,
Linda, and Frank who take the role in the show. Frank is a student who also becomes a stage
manager while Bob, Joe, Helen, and Linda are the players. The last analysis of characters in The
Show Must Go On is about the characterization. The characterization of Mr. Gage is a teacher
and a director of the show. He is patient and good director, but sometimes got emotional easily
because of nervous and a mess condition. Both the feeling of nervous and a mess condition
happened because of he should work under the pressure of the limited time. Frank is a student
who also becomes a good stage manager who will open the curtain up on time. He is discipline.
That is stated in the scripts when Mr. Gage ask Frank to forget what he has said, there is a
description in the parenthetically (But Frank is a good stage manager and will get the curtain
up on time). The rest of the character is the player of this show and all of them are nervous.
Therefore they become act badly to each others. However, they are responsible with their job. No
matter what happen, they go to the stage to play the show. I appreciate the author. He is genius.
He could handles characterization by conversation and the actions of the characters. It can be
seen in the script from the conversations among them when they nervous and Frank tell that they
should go into the stage and the actions or the brief explanation in parenthetically.
The point of view of this drama is third point of view. It is proved because there is a
narrator in this drama who tells about the monolog of the drama. The narrator will lead the
audience to understand the story of this drama by telling some understandable statement which is
stated in the beginning of the drama script before the drama begins. However, everything will be
judged by the audience.
Finally this is the time to share about the most interesting part that I got in the drama
script. It is about the theme, genre, and moral value. In my opinion, the theme of this drama
script is professionalism. No matter what happen, no matter how nervous they are, as entertainer
who will play for the show, they should stand up to the stage when the curtain up. Moreover, in
my prediction, they do it because they are forced by Frank.
The genre of this show, as stated before, it is a farce or humorous play. Therefore, the
genre should be comedy. When I first read this drama script, I dont really get in which part this
script can be called as a farce. However, when I read again the first paragraph of this scripts
Humor will be attained by playing it honestly, and not trying to be funny. Therefore, I imagine
this script be played in front of me naturally. I can see how fun it is when the mess in the
dressing room happen; when Lindas black dress is covered white powder because of surprise by

Bobs voice; when Mr. Gage started to be emotional just because of the childrens nervous, I bet
he also facing his own nervous that way (showing his emotion); when Mr. Gage check Bobs
Make up, can u imagine how fun his face is? A face with too much lipstick and one eyebrow is
about an inch higher than the other. Just think about it make me smile, then laugh by myself. It is
also fun when everybody looks for the cold cream but actually the cold cream is hold by Linda
all the time. Imagine these entire run naturally makes me smile and a little laugh comes out
sometimes. Can you imagine how fun it is when Helen sits on the ice cream and Linda laugh
crazily while grabs Mr. Gages arm? That makes Bob has misplaced eyebrow again. Most of the
action of this drama actually fun if you want to read it carefully while imagine those actions run
smoothly and naturally.
The moral values that I can learn from this drama are dont be too nervous and mess up
the preparation of the show. Do the preparation carefully! We should be professional in
everything that we do. Keep the show go on!
All in all, it is a nice drama script. I love the last part when they should go to the stage
avoid their nervous and their pity on Mr. Gage. They are become wiser by doing the show even
though they are unprepared. From the beginning I just see their childish act due to nervous, but
finally in the end I can see their professionalism in the show. It will pay the hard work of all the
members of the show especially Mr. Gage who fainted just before the show started. I wish I can
really see the show of this drama. Not only imagine it and laugh by myself.