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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What song does Dan sing in reply to Diana's song in Act 1, Scene 6?
(a) "Just Another Day".
(b) "Hey #3".
(c) "How Could I Ever Forget".
(d) "I Am The One".

2. Who is the protagonist's husband in Next to Normal?
(a) Henry.
(b) Dan.
(c) Dr. Fine.
(d) Gabe.

3. What style of music does Henry play in Act 1, Scene 3, as Natalie listens?
(a) Reggae.
(b) Rock.
(c) Jazz.
(d) Blues.

4. What lightly textured waltz tune does Diana sing in Act 1, Scene 10?
(a) "I Dreamed a Dance".
(b) "Song of Forgetting".
(c) "Didn't I See This Movie".
(d) "How Could I Ever Forget".

5. What refers to the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning?
(a) Lie.
(b) Heresy.
(c) Irony.
(d) Rhetoric.

Short Answer Questions

1. What refers to the intentional taking of one's own life?

2. Who played the character of Gabe in the original Broadway cast of Next to Normal?

3. What refers to anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions?

4. Who suggests that what Diana is doing is a good idea and that she is brave in Act 1, Scene 4?

5. What song does Dan sing as he tidies up in Act 1, Scene 11?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Gabe's character stand apart from the others in Act 1, Scene 9?

2. Describe the structural elements which stand out in the first scenes of Act 1. How is musical improvisation used as a literary technique?

3. What is the song "I Miss the Mountains" metaphorical for? What does Diana do while singing it?

4. What songs are sung by the doctor and Gabe in Act 1, Scene 9? What do they describe?

5. How is the music used in expressing the inner thoughts of the characters in Act 1?

6. What is revealed about the character of Gabe in Act 1, Scenes 4 and 5?

7. What structurally takes place in Act 1, Scenes 10 and 11? What film is references in these scenes?

8. What song is performed by Diana and Gabe in Act 1, Scene 10? What does Gabe encourage Diana to do?

9. What does the song "I'm Alive" relate to in Act 1, Scene 8?

10. What irony can be seen by the reader or audience member in the character of Gabe?

(see the answer keys)

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