Discover William Inges Play Picnic

Discover William Inge's Play 'Picnic' Picnic is a three-act play written by William Inge, the author of Bus Stop and Come Back, Little Sheba. Set in a small town in Kansas, Picnic details the lives of ordinary Americans, from hopeful widows and embittered spinsters to idealistic teenagers and restless wanderers. The play was first performed on Broadway in 1953 and was adapted into a motion picture in 1955, starring William Holden and Kim Novak. The Basic Plot Mrs. Flora Owens, a widow in her forties, runs a boarding house with the help of her two teenage daughters, Madge and Millie. Madge is constantly admired for her physical beauty, but she longs to be acknowledged for something more substantial. Her younger sister, on the other hand, has brains but not a boyfriend. A young stranger (who at first seems like a vagrant) is passing through town, working for food at the neighbors house. His name is Hal, a strong, shirtless, sometimes shifty hero of the play. Nearly all of the female characters are entranced by him, especially Madge. However, (and heres where the conflict starts to come into play) Madge has a serious boyfriend named Alan, an up-and-coming college student who leads a life of privilege. In fact, Hal has breezed into town hoping that Alan (his old college buddy) will be able to use his connections to land him a job. Alan is happy to help, and for a short time, it seems that Hal might be able to give his aimless life direction. Although handsome, Hal isnt the most cultured of young men. During the Labor Day festivities, he feels very awkward while socializing with others. Mrs. Owens and her tenant Rosemary, an aging school teacher, do not trust Hal, maintaining their first impression that deep down he is merely a bum. The communitys perception of Hal worsens when he allows Millie to drink whiskey. (Although in Hals defense, the illegal booze is supplied by Rosemarys boyfriend, Howard the traveling salesman. While Millie is getting drunk, Rosemary (also under the influence) makes a move on Hal while dancing. When he is uncomfortable with the school teachers advances, Rosemary viciously insults Hal. Millie then becomes sick and Hal is blamed, incurring the wrath of Mrs. Owens. The Plot Thickens: (Spoiler Alert) The increasing animosity toward Hal softens Madges heart. She feels both empathy and desire. When Alan isnt around, Hal steals a kiss from Madge. Then, the two lovebirds (or lust birds?) have sex. The copulation doesnt occur onstage, of course, but a sudden natural portrait of premarital sex demonstrates how Inges dramatic work was a harbinger of the sexual revolution of the 1960s. When Alan finds out, he threatens to have Hal arrested. He even throws a punch at his ex-friend, but Hal is too fast and strong, easily defeating the book-wormish college boy. Realizing that he must catch the next train (hobo style) and leave town before the cops toss him in jail, Hal departs - but not before announcing his love for Madge. He tells her: HAL: When you hear that train pull outa town and know Im on it, your little hearts gonna be busted, cause you love me, God damn it! You love me, you love me, you love me. Moments later, after Hal has caught the train headed for Tulsa, Madge packs her bags and leaves home for good, planning to meet up with Hal and begin a new life together. Her mother is shocked and despondent as she watches her daughter head off into the distance. The wise neighbor Mrs. Potts consoles her. FLO: Shes so young. There are so many things I meant to tell her, and never got around to it. MRS. POTTS: Let her learn them for herself, Flo. The Sub-Plots As with other plays by William Inge, an ensemble of characters deal with their own squashed hopes and wistful pipedreams. Other storylines that run throughout the play involve: Rosemary and her reluctant boyfriend: By the end of the play she coerces Howard into marriage, allowing her to shed her old maid lifestyle.Mrs. Potts and her elderly mother: Surprisingly optimistic about life, Mrs. Potts is often tied down by the demands of her severely debilitated mother.Millie and Alan: After Madges relationship with Alan falls apart, Millie finds the courage to admit that she has always had a crush on the young man. (And who can blame her? The original Alan was played by Paul Newman.) Themes and Lessons The prevailing message of Picnic  is that youth is a precious gift that must be savored instead of squandered. In the plays beginning, Flo speculates that her daughter might be working at the towns dime store well into her 40s, a depressing idea for Madge. In the plays conclusion, Madge embraces adventure, thwarting the convention wisdom of older characters. Throughout the play, the adult characters envy the young. During her tirade aimed at Hal, Rosemary vehemently declares: You think just cause youre young you can push people aside and not pay them any mind... But you wont stay young forever, didja ever thinka that?

Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States

Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump is a former model, businesswoman and the first lady of the United States. She is married to Donald Trump, the wealthy real estate developer and reality television star who was elected the 45th president in the 2016 election. Born Melanija Knavs, or Melania Knauss, in the former  Yugoslavia, she is only the second first lady to have been born outside the United States.   Early Years Mrs. Trump was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, on April 26, 1970. The nation was then part of communist Yugoslavia. She is the daughter Viktor and Amalija Knavs, a car dealer and a childrens clothing designer. She studied design and architecture at the  University of Ljubljana, in Slovenia. Mrs. Trumps official White House bio states that she â€Å"paused her studies† to advance her modeling career in Milan and Paris. It does not state whether she graduated with a degree from the university. Careers in Modeling and Fashion Mrs. Trump has said she began her modeling career at age 16 and signed her first major contract with an agency in Milan, Italy, when she was 18.  She  has appeared on the covers of Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, GQ, In Style and New York Magazine. She has also modeled for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Allure, Vogue, Self, Glamour, Vanity Fair and Elle.   Mrs. Trump also launched a line of jewelry sold in 2010 and marketed clothing, cosmetics, hair care and fragrances. The line of jewelry, Melania Timepieces Jewelry, is sold on the cable television network QVC. She was identified in public records as the CEO of Melania Marks Accessories Member Corp, the holding company of Melania Marks Accessories, according to The Associated Press. Those companies managed between $15,000 and $50,000 in royalties, according to the Trumps 2016 financial disclosure filing. Citizenship Mrs. Trump moved to New York in August 1996 on a tourist visa and, in October of that year, obtained an H-1B visa to work in the U.S. as a model, her attorney has said. H-1B visas are granted under a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations. Mrs. Trump  obtained her green card in 2001 and became a citizen in 2006. She is only the second first lady born outside of the country. The first was Louisa Adams, wife to John Quincy Adams, the nation’s sixth president. Marriage to Donald Trump Mrs. Trump is said to have met Donald Trump in 1998 at a New York party.  Numerous sources have said she declined to give Trump her telephone number. Reports The New Yorker: â€Å"Donald saw Melania, Donald asked Melania for her number, but Donald had arrived with another woman - the Norwegian cosmetics heiress Celina Midelfart - so Melania refused. Donald persisted. Soon, they were falling in love at Moomba. They broke up for a time in 2000, when Donald toyed with the idea of running for President as a member of the Reform Party - â€Å"TRUMP KNIXES KNAUSS,† the New York Post declared - but soon they were back together.† The two married in January 2005. Mrs. Trump is Donald Trumps third wife. Trumps first marriage, to  Ivana Marie Zelnà ­Ã„ kov, lasted about 15 years before the couple divorced in March 1992. His second marriage, to  Marla Maples, lasted less than six years before the couple divorced in June 1999. Family and Personal Life In March of 2006 they had their first child, Barron William Trump. Mr. Trump had four children with previous wives. They are: Donald Trump Jr., with his first wife Ivana; Eric Trump, with his first wife Ivana; Ivanka Trump, with first wife Ivana; and Tiffany Trump, with second wife Marla. Trumps children to previous marriages are grown. Small Role in the 2016 Presidential Campaign Mrs. Trump largely remained in the background of her husbands presidential campaign. But she did speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention - an appearance that ended in controversy when part of her remarks were found to be very similar to those in a speech delivered previously by  then-First Lady Michelle Obama. Nonetheless, her speech that night was the biggest moment of the campaign and Trumps first term for her. â€Å"If you want someone to fight for you and your country, I can assure you he’s the guy,† she said of her husband. â€Å"He will never ever give up. And most importantly, he will never ever let you down.† Disagrees With Trump On Occasion Mrs. Trump has kept a relatively low profile as first lady.  In fact, a controversial 2017 report in Vanity Fair magazine claimed she never wanted to the role. This isnt something she wanted and it isnt something he ever thought hed win. She didnt want this come hell or high water. I dont think she thought it was going to happen, the magazine quoted an unnamed Trump friend as saying. A spokesperson for Mrs. Trump denied the report, stating it was riddled with unnamed sources and false assertions.   Here are some of the most important quotes from Mrs.Trump: On talking politics with her husband: â€Å"Do I agree with everything he says? No. I have my own opinions too, and I tell him that. Sometimes he takes it in and listens, and sometimes he doesn’t.†On how she talks to her husband about politics:  I give him my opinions, and sometimes he takes them in, and sometimes he does not. Do I agree with him all the time? No.On her relationship with her husband: We know what our roles are and we are happy with them. I think the mistake some people make is they try to change the man they love after they get married. You cannot change a person.†On her husbands controversial positions: â€Å"I chose not to go into politics and policy. Those policies are my husband’s job.†On her own political beliefs and how she advises Trump: â€Å"Nobody knows and nobody will ever know. Because that’s between me and my husband.†On her appearance:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I didn’t make any changes.  A lot of people say I am using all the procedures for my face. I didn’t do anything. I live a healthy life, I take care of my skin and my body. I’m against Botox, I’m against injections; I think it’s damaging your face, damaging your nerves. It’s all me. I will age gracefully, as my mom does.† On her husbands temper: When you attack him, he will punch back ten times harder. No matter who you are, a man or a woman. He treats everyone equal.†On her husbands presidency:  He is not politically correct, and he tells the truth. Everything is not roses and flowers and perfect, because it is not. He wants America to be great again, and he can do that..  He is a great leader - the best leader, an amazing negotiator. America needs that, and he believes in America. He believes in its potential and what it can be, because it is now in big trouble.  On why she didnt campaign more for her husband: â€Å"I support my husband 100 percent, but ... we have a 9-year-old son together, Barron, and I’m raising him. This is the age he needs a parent at home.On the naturalization process and becoming an American citizen: I came here for my career, and I did so well, I moved here. It never crossed my mind to stay here without papers. That is just the person you are. You follow the rules. You follow the law. Every few months you need to fly back to Europe and stamp your visa. After a few visas, I applied for a green card and got it in 2001. After the green card, I applied for citizenship. And it was a long process. Takes On Bullying and Opioid Abuse It is tradition that the first lady of the United States use the platform of the highest office in the nation to advocate for a cause during their tenure in the White House. Mrs. Trump took up child welfare, particularly around the issues of cyberbullying and opioid abuse. In a pre-election speech, Mrs. Trump said American culture had gotten â€Å"too mean and too rough, especially to children and teenagers. It is never OK when a 12-year-old girl or boy is mocked, bullied or attacked †¦ It is absolutely unacceptable when it is done by someone with no name hiding on the internet. We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other.† In a speech to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, she said â€Å"nothing could be more urgent nor worthy a cause than preparing future generations for the adulthood with true moral clarity and responsibility. We must teach our children the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity, and leadership which can only be taught by example.† Mrs. Trump led discussions on opioid addiction in the White House and visited hospitals caring for babies who were born addicted, as well. The well-being of children is of the utmost importance to me and I plan to use my platform as first lady to help as many kids as I can, she said. Like her predecessor, First Lady Michelle Obama, Mrs. Trump also encouraged healthy eating habits among children. I encourage you to continue and eat a lot of vegetables and fruits so you grow up healthy and take care of yourself. ... Its very important, she said. Mrs. Trump memorialized those goals, or pillars, in her Be Best campaign, which among other things called on adults to serve as role models for how to treat others, particularly on social media. It is our responsibility as adults to educate and reinforce  to them  that when they are using their voices - whether verbally or online - they must choose their words wisely and speak with respect and compassion, she wrote. References and Recommended Reading Archived Official Bio: MelaniaTrump.com  Official White House Bio: Whitehouse.govThe Model American: The New YorkerFrom Small-Town Slovenia to the Doorstep of the White House: The New York TimesMelania Trumps Childhood in Sovenia: ABC NewsMelania Trump Juggles Motherhood, Marriage, and a Career Just Like Us: ParentingMelania Trumps American Dream: Bazaar