the shape of things

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flirty way, asking questions about each other (Adam, for example, wants to know a bit more about Evelyn). Some weeks have passed since their first encounter at the museum. Evelyn and Adam are a couple now and have seen each other every day. Development: They get to know each other better - especially Adam wants to know more about Evelyn at this point ("I don't really know anything about you. [...] not really.") Adam has changed and become more confident. The story is mainly carried forward by Evelyn who compliments Adam on his new looks (which will further motivate him to work on his appearance - "I'm doing it for you") and by asking questions. Characters Evelyn now Adam's girlfriend proud of Adam and his change in appearance of the fact that he has adopted her ideas and is changing his "entire life" (→→She does not push him to do anything, just gives him ideas. On the other hand she manages to change him.) sarcastic curious intelligent does not care about society's norms and rules adventurous streak / character trait (cf. suggests having sex in the public restroom) tells Adam to overcome his insecurities and trust her judgement of him/ assures him that he needn't worry about why she likes him Characters Phillip A living room Plot Jenny and Phillip are telling Evelyn and Adam about their underwater wedding ceremony. Phillip alludes to Adam and Jenny's former "relationship" - Jenny used to sit next to Adam who did not respond to her flirting while Phillip asked her out straightaway the first time they met. Phillip presents himself as a strong man "who's got the moves." ● Regarding the damaged statue, Phillip thinks it was vandalism whereas Evelyn thinks it was a statement. When Jenny states that it was pornography in her opinion, the discussion becomes more heated and soon escalates, with Phillip and Evelyn insulting each other and no one giving in. Jenny and Adam try to deescalate the situation, but in vain, and do not intend to take sides, even though they (naturally) end up sticking with their partners. In the end, Evelyn and Adam leave. Evelyn Adam now Evelyn's boyfriend insecure about PDA (public display of affection) and about why Evelyn likes him ("Why would you like me? I'm not anything, I mean.... And you're so ...") overthinks everything ● does not know much about Evelyn hates lifting weights and his new routine, but tries to change for Evelyn, has only done it for her overthinks everything / thinks a lot about what other may think about him cooler hairstyle / overall more fashionable appearance change of lifestyle: goes jogging, works out, eats more healthily, keeps a journal that helps him stick to his new routine O stubborn, childish, provoking, arrogant carries the action forward by bringing up the topic of the statue and later by provoking Evelyn opinionated, straight-forward, stands firm over her point of view, confident ● carries the action forward O O by talking about taking risks ("It's really amazing, it is, to find anybody willing to take a risk today. To look a little silly or different or anything.") by provoking Phillip by wanting Adam to take sides → leads to estrangement from Phillip A bedroom The scene "A Bedroom" from Neil LaBute's play "The Shape of Things" is about Adam and Evelyn who lie in Bed after having sex, talking about the night and about Adam's friends. Evelyn catechises Adam about his ex-partners and he tells her that he is thinking about her all day, She does not give him a proper answer to that but instead changes the topic of the conversation. They have put up a camera because Evelyn is of the opinion that everyone should see themselves having sex. Adam does not want other people or even himself to see the video. Evelyn asks why Phillip was Adam's friend so they start discussing about that. She is of the opinion that Adam does not need that kind of friend - whatever Phillip's kind may be. Adam feels uncomfortable talking about that. Evelyn says that she does not want Phillip to know how she feels about him which Adam does not understand. They start playing around and Evelyn slips under the covers again. A park they talk about relationship problems / about Jenny's relationship problems → Jenny worries about her relationship with Phillip and thinks that he is cheating / cheats on her as he has become more attentive and amiable, which seems out of character. As this behaviour reminds her of the time when she first got to know Phillip and he was seeing someone else, this makes her suspicious. Adam is transformed → sexual tension is building up between Adam and Jenny → they kiss (twice) ● A doctors lounge ● A lawn ● ● Evelyn and Adam are waiting because he is going to get a nose surgery Adam feels uneasy about the upcoming procedure, comparing it to flesh being chopped off him. Evelyn says that it is no big thing, that she has done it, as well, and that a lot of people, also celebrities, do it ("People do it all the time"). She considers it an adventure, an experience worth having. ● Conversation between Adam and Phillip Adam lies about his nose surgery by O being evasive O making jokes about Phillip O brushing it aside as unimportant O distracting Phillip's attention to other subjects O by inventing a story about having fallen down by saying saying that Evelyn must have misunderstood him when he told her about the accident O his reasoning: he is afraid that Phillip may make fun of him and say that Adam is Evelyn's puppet (= Marionette), doing whatever she wants him to do he is too embarrassed to admit the surgery (even though Evelyn has said that a lot of people do it, it is probably still something unusual in the small town conservative environment Adam lives in considered a symbol of vanity) O O ● Philipp knows about the kiss Philipp asks Adam about his jacket... he reacts pissed A coffee shop Evelyn's strategies to create a feeling of mistrust between Jenny and Phillip and to make Adam give up his friends 1 4 2 deliberately hides a decisive fact when she says "I just wanna talk about the kiss. 3 Says that people need to be more open about things so that "this covert stuff" doesn't happen. ● ● ● says that she has read in Adam's journal Jenny and "something about a meeting... and a drive after" makes Adam plead with Evelyn to trust him again ➜makes Adam ask her what he can do and that he does not want to lose her ➜makes Adam give up his friends for her as proof of his love for her ► makes them admit more than they wanted to uses the kiss to put him under pressure and make him feel guilty > pressurizes / pressures Adam into giving up his old friends - pushes him to his limits ► the noose has finally tightened on him (= die Schlinge hat sich um ihn zusammengezogen) devious / mischievous character trait becomes apparent: "One should always be careful when asking to be put to a test ... Pretty much like these things end. I mean, in life, at least .... If this was a movie, I'd see the light eventually, but no such luck." Adam can't reject Evelyn's demands because →later on she admits to Adam that this was a bluff, that she hasn't read anything about a bluff →Adam feels the need to defend himself and Jenny, saying they did not go anywhere ● ● →Adam feels the need to reassure Jenny that he has not written anything like that into his journal ● Jenny feels the need to admit that they have kissed. Jenny especially and Adam are shocked when they learn that she meant the kiss between her and Phillip. Continues to stress the importance of telling the truth ("I don't care about what happened. I don't. I just want the truth.... I told you about what I did.") and to question his faithfulness ("But lemme ask you, Adam, if it hadn't been her, if it'd been, oh, say, that 'cute waitress' the other night...) Key issues in "A coffee shop" he feels guilty of his kiss (and maybe sex with Jenny) he is in love with Evelyn, puts his love above her behaviour, very much afraid of losing her Adam's dependency on Evelyn or, true love (true love or infatuation (Vernarrtheit))? ● Evelyn's ability to manipulate ● Change/ transformation maybe he needs someone who tells him what to do, what to wear, how to behave he is still insecure when being confronted with Evelyn and her demands Friendships / friendship or love Superiority and inferiority / (Evelyn's) fear of losing control Cheating on your partner / honesty, trust and betrayal Jealousy Authenticity and manipulation Surface and depth An auditorium Eventually, Adam learns that he has been part of Evelyn's MFA thesis project, a topic often mentioned in conversation but never fully explained. Evelyn presents Adam to an audience of students and faculty as her creation, announcing that she had been instructed to "change the world" by her graduate adviser, but that she had chosen to "change someone's world" instead. Her work consisted of "sculpting" Adam into a more attractive human being. Accordingly, none of the feelings she has shown him throughout the film are genuine; at no stage in their "relationship" has she fallen in love with him; her videotapes of their lovemaking are simply part of the project's documentation. She also announces that she is not going to marry him and the engagement ring he offered her is simply one of the exhibits of her art installation, the "capper to my time at Mercy". An exhibition gallery Publicly humiliated and emotionally devastated, Adam confronts Evelyn in the gallery (as no one else showed up to the Q&A afterwards), demanding an explanation for her actions. She responds by saying that he should in fact be grateful to her, claiming that, objectively speaking, she has been a positive influence on his life, making him a more attractive and interesting person in the eyes of society. He calls it a heartless joke, not art, and asks for the ring back, as it was his grandmother's. Evelyn agrees. He asks her if "anything you told me about yourself was true" and she tells him what she whispered in his ear the night they had sex on tape was true. Evelyn leaves Adam standing alone in the gallery. He goes over to the TV and pushes "Play" as it shows when the two of them were in bed making love. In tears, he watches it over and over again.