Post-Show Discussion Activity
Use these questions to reflect, discuss, or journal about your experience and reactions to Jitney! Explore any of the questions that interest you.
If engaging in this activity independently, consider taking notes or writing your reflections down. If engaging in this activity with a class or group, decide if you would like to answer every question in order, skip around, or select certain questions to spend time on.
Discussion Questions
- Consider the relationships between men and women that are depicted throughout Jitney. What are some of the chief patterns of misunderstanding and distortion? How are these patterns broken or perpetuated throughout the play?
- Youngblood is a veteran of the Vietnam War, and Doub is a veteran of the Korean War. How do their experiences as soldiers influence the way these men move through the world?
- Why do you think August Wilson chose to write a play about a jitney station? What can these institutions and the folks who work in them illuminate about the Black experience?
- Becker dies before he is able to reconcile with his son Booster. Compare and contrast their individual relationships to masculinity and responsibility.
- This activity aligns with the following standards:
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards
- Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
- Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
- Common Core State Standards
- CCSS.ELA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- CCSS.ELA.RL.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards