Read Marsha Norman’s play Getting Out. Compare and contrast the way Norman uses the dualcharacter technique in her play with the way Gerstenberg employs it in Overtones. What are their similarities and differences? Does Getting Out relate to Freud’s theories of the ego and the id in any way?

Research the history and etiquette surrounding the ritual of taking afternoon tea. Who originally popularized this custom? Do we still use any of this same etiquette today when eating or drinking with friends? Explain.

Research the history surrounding women’s entry into the workplace around the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. How did this change the lives of American men and women and their relationship to each other? What problems arose when more women left the home?

Read an overview of Freud’s theories about the ego and the id. Do you agree with his conclusions? Why or why not?

How would you direct this play so that the audience could easily understand the associations between the characters? Would you follow Gerstenberg’s stage directions or use an alternate technique? Why or why not?