'Night, Mother Response

“Will Jesse kill herself?” could be the Major Dramatic Question, but it is definitely not an intriguing one.  I see two very interesting questions in the play.  The first is:  Will Mama ever understand Jesse?  And the second question is:  Will Jesse explain why she is committing suicide?  These questions offer up a much more dynamic way to look at the play.  Instead of focusing on the most obvious issue at hand, these questions allow the director to bring a deeper meaning to the play.    Asking if Mama will ever understand Jesse allows the director to bring focus to the relationship between the mother and the daughter.  This question gives new meaning to the play.  It makes the audience wonder about the women’s past and want to know what they are really thinking.  Asking if Jesse will fully explain why she is committing suicide also gives the director a way to focus more on the characters and their relationship.  I believe the main focus of this play should not be put on Jesse’s suicide, but instead on the mother/daughter relationship.  The play tells the story of these women’s lives.  It helps you to understand who they really are and how they have become who they are now.  Asking simply if Jesse will kill herself takes away from the women’s lives and focuses solely on her death.  The production would be much more interesting if the focus was on discovering whom the women really are instead of on the end of a life.