Scene Component Paper - Danny and the Deep Blue Sea

1. Play Analysis

The play Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by John Patrick Shanley is the heart-wrenching story of Danny and Roberta, both who have been hurt, both emotionally and physically, and have considered themselves to be unable to be healed. Danny and Roberta prove to be extremely interesting characters with many levels. Both of their pasts pasts truly effect them throughout the course of the show and the dynamic between them is extremely interesting to see.

The show begins in a bar; Roberta at her own table, and Danny at his own. The two begin to talk to one another. Danny makes it apparent to Roberta that he is a "bad guy", by saying this such as "Nobody crosses my fuckin' line, man!" (13) and "When I turn thirty I'm gonna put a gun in my mouth and blow my fuckin' head off." (14) To just a run of the mill person, Danny would most likely send them running. However, Roberta merely brushes Danny's "tough guy" remarks to the side and regards them as normal. As this scene escalates, Roberta reveals to Danny that she also considers herself a "bad" person, because she had a sexual encounter with her father. As the scene becomes more emotional for the both of them, Roberta asks Danny come home with her "For love." (26)

The next scene takes place in Roberta's room after she and Danny have just finished making love. Roberta attempts to romance Danny, however Danny won't have it. He makes it apparent that he's afraid of becoming close to anyone, and because of that fear he lashes out at Roberta. However, Roberta stays strong to what she wants, and tells Danny "Let's be romantic with each other! Say things to each other!" (33) Then, Roberta and Danny sheepishly exchange compliments with one another. This escalates, once again, into Danny lashing out and even going so far as to slap Roberta, but she holds fast, and continues to care for Danny. Danny's fear seems to subside, and he proposes marraige to her. Roberta says yes, and the two of them fantasize about their new life together before falling asleep.

In the last scene, Roberta wakes Danny up playfully, and the two share some small talk about their jobs and other trivial subjects. Then, Danny brings up getting married to Roberta, and she confesses that she wasn't serious about she and Danny getting married. "I was lyin cause I wanted a nice thing." she says "Get serious. No way are you an me gettin married. That was strictly make-believe." (44) Danny begs her to not say this, but she retorts with "Open your fuckin eyes. I ain't got no serious way possible I could get married to anybody. Not anybody. No less a guy like you." (44) In this scene, the way she acts is parallel to how Danny acted in the first two scenes, as Danny's disposition is with Roberta's previous one. The two of them completely flip flop. Roberta reveals to Danny that he isn't the reason she doesn't want to get married, it's because she is punishing herself for what happened between her and her father. "I don't mean ta spill my poison any further than I already have. Ya hear me? It's over. I'm through screwin everything up." (47) Danny, sensing that there is no way Roberta can forgive herself, forgives Roberta for what had happened. Roberta takes this, and the two then decide that they will get married after all.


2. Character Arc

In the first two scenes, Roberta maintains a level-headed, cool disposition. She seems to have it all under control and brushes Danny off when he says things about wanting to kill himself or worrying about killing someone else. However, multiple times her self-hatred rears its ugly head. In the first scene in the bar, Roberta grabs Danny by his shirt and says to him "But what you don't know is I'm crazy, too! Yeah. You dont' know me! I could do anything. I did something so awful. I ain't even gonna tell you what. If I told you, you wouldn't even look at me." (19) Danny presses her to tell him what she did, and she reveals that she had a sexual encounter with her father. After this, Roberta goes back into her "calm and cool" disposition and coaxes Danny to come home with her.

This type of flip-flopping continues in the second scene as well, but in the thrid scene it's apparent that Roberta has changed. She lets her emotions run free, releasing all the hatred she's held in herself for her whole life. She then turns it onto Danny, and calls him out on having slapped her and screaming at her. This is intersting, because when the actual event happened, Roberta acted like it didn't even happen. It becomes apparent that she internalizes all conflicts she may have, and she lets them boil into her very soul. The scene continues like this, with Roberta becoming more emotionally destructive, until Danny forgives her for what happened. Roberta seems to have been wanting someone to tell her that it's ok, and she almost immediately becomes at peace. In the first two scenes, Roberta seemed peaceful, however also with a wall up around her. In this last scene, she is also at peace, but she is completely vulnerable and exposed.

It's very ineteresting to see Roberta change so rapidly thorughout the play. Reading the whole play made it obvious to me that Roberta is the type of person to hold things in and not express how she feels until she just can't take it anymore. In the acutal moments that may hurt her, she acts like nothing happens, but once she starts unraveling herself in front of Danny, you can see that every conflict has stuck with her; and she blames herself for them. I've come to understand that Roberta is a very self-destructive person; not because she hurts herself, but because she truly believes that every conflict she is involved with is her fault in one way or another. She may recognize a conflict as wrong, but it is her fault. Roberta puts up a front to seem like she has everything together and to compensate for how broken she feels.


3 & 4. Scene Break Down & Objectives

I scanned a version of my script with beats and objectives. To view them, simply click on the image.




5. Rehearsal Analysis

I really enjoy working with DeAndre for this scene. I really feel like this scene is perfect for the two of us. During all our rehearsals, we really see eye to eye and are able to suggest what we want without feeling judged or bossy. Every time we rehearse, I feel like I know more and more about Roberta, and I'm finally letting her speak through me as opposed to simply pretending to be her. I find that our rehearsals are really moving along, and I can't wait to work on it more and get it concrete and ready to perform.


6. Performance Analysis

DeAndre and I haven't had a chance to perform our scene yet, however I can't wait. I'm confident that we'll do an excellent job. I really think that this is one of the best scenes I've ever worked on.


7. Short Evaluation

So far, this whole process is going excellently. It's such a pleasure to work with DeAndre, I honestly don't think I could have asked for a better scene partner. DeAndre really commits himself into the scene, and he just goes for it unapologetically. I really admire the fact that he can immerse himself so passionately, and I hope to channel that very soon. We're both really making progress with the scene and characters, and I can't wait to perform it. I really feel like we're both pushing ourselves to do better and better, and it's really a fun and enlightening experience.


8. Bibliography

• Shanley, John Patrick. (1984). Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.