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Lesson 1 (from Act I, Scenes 1-8 Synopsis)

Objective

In the beginning of Dogeaters, the audience meets Philippine soap stars Nestor Noralez and Barbara Villanueva. These characters' radio show serves as a framing device for the narrative of the play.

The objective of this lesson is to examine the purpose of a framing device in dramatic literature.

Lesson

1. For class discussion: As a class, read the opening two scenes of Dogeaters. Make a list of all of the information that Nestor Noralez and Barbara Villanueva impart over the course of these chapters. What does the audience learn from this introduction? How does this information serve to elucidate the narrative scenes that follow? Can the class think of another way Hagedorn might have introduced this information?

2. Divide the class into several groups and have each group think of a play, book, or film in which a framing device is used to present the narrative. How is...

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