The Search for “Illusive Dramatic Action” Ends with John Patrick Shanley’s "Danny & the Deep Blue Sea"

The Pitkin Review: Fall 2020

This Critical Commentary appears in the latest issue of The Pitkin Review, a literary journal published by students in the Creative Writing MFA program at Goddard College.  I thought I’d share it with you here.  Copies of The Pitkin Review: Fall 2020 is available for purchase on Amazon.  You will also find my 10-Minute plays, Climate Change in that edition.

When I was studying playwriting at Chicago Dramatists, Russ Tutterow, the Artistic Director, often spoke about dramatic action during feedback sessions.  The presence of dramatic action in a play was the biggest difference between one that was working and one that was not.  Everyone seemed to understand what he was referring to, except me, so one day I asked him, “Russ, what exactly is dramatic action?”  He thought for a minute, then answered, “I can’t explain it, but I can tell when it’s there.”  That was no help to me, but at least he was honest.  It set me on a journey in search of what I called “the illusive dramatic action.”  A few weeks later I was reading John Patrick Shanley’s play Doubt.  I stopped part way through and shouted, “There it is!  Dramatic Action!”  I could not explain it, but I knew it was there.  It was present in every word.  It drove every line of dialogue.  In my continual search for how to infuse dramatic action in my writing, I recently turned to the earlier plays of John Patrick Shanley.  A close look at the characters and dialogue of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea gave me a clearer understanding of what I have been in searching of for an extended period of time. 

The opening seven lines of dialogue set up the fire between the two characters, Danny and Roberta, and set the tone for the rest of the play.

Danny:  How ’bout a pretzel.

Roberta:  No.  They’re mine.

Danny:  You ain’t gonna eat ‘em all.  Lemme have one.

Roberta:  Fuck off.

Danny:  All right.

Roberta:  You wanna pretzel?

Danny:  Yeah.                                                                         (pg. 12)

June Stein & John Turturro in the orignal
1984 production of Danny & the Deep Blue Sea
at Circle in the Square Theatre
Photo courtesy of Martha Swope

Danny wants something.  Roberta says no.  Danny pushes.  Roberta pushes back.  Danny steps away, then Roberta makes an offer.  These seven lines might be about pretzels, but the underlying tension is much deeper.  The actors can play into the primal need of the characters while talking about pretzels.  This is how Mr. Shanley’s dialogue is full of dramatic action.  The characters are driven by a deep need, a yearning.  No matter what the dialogue reveals, how the story line develops, or what their objective is in the scene (in this case pretzels), a powerful need drives the characters and propels the action forward.  Danny tells Roberta, “When I turn thirty I’m gonna put a gun in my mouth and blow my fuckin head off.” (pg. 15)  He is twenty-nine.  This is an aggressive decision and sharing it with her fills an emptiness.  Filling this emptiness is the yearning that drives Danny in all his interactions with Roberta.  Mr. Shanley appropriately subtitles this play “An Apache Dance.”  The way these two characters react to one another is brutal and visceral.  An Apache Dance is “sometimes said to re-enact a violent ‘discussion’ between a pimp and a prostitute.  It includes mock slapping and punches, the man picking up and throwing the woman to the ground, or lifting and carrying her while she struggles or feigns unconsciousness.” (“Apache (dance)” n.d. para. 2)  That succinctly defines the relationship and interactions between Roberta and Danny, yet Roberta is just as strong, if not stronger than Danny.  Writing two equal forces in these characters builds tension and creates strong dramatic action throughout the play.

In scene two, Danny asks Roberta to marry him.  It does not feel unusual for Danny to propose to Roberta, even though they just met.  It is compulsive and aggressive, consistent with his character. 

Danny:  That’s right. That’s me.  Will you marry me?

Roberta:  All right.  I mean, yes.

Danny:  You will?

Roberta:  Yeah.  I mean, yes.

Danny:  No!  Yeah?

Roberta:  Yeah!

Danny:  All right!  Good! That’s good!  I feel like I won a prize or somethin.

Roberta:  And will I wear a white dress?

Danny:  Yeah!  Sure you will!

Roberta:  And you’ll wear the bow tie and everything!

Danny:  Yeah, yeah.  The whole outfit.

Roberta:  You think we could?                                                          

Danny:  Why not?  People get married like that left and right!    (pg. 38)

The subtext is strong.  It is impulsive, then doubtful, then certain, then questioning, then they convince themselves.  These thirteen lines go deep into the thoughts of each individual character.  They bounce off one another until they come to an agreement.  The dramatic action is all in the subtext, until it accelerates into the explicit reality of the scene.  Roberta has a young, special needs son, lives with her parents who help her care for him, and recently quit her job.  She is trapped in her life and has no opportunities for escape.  Danny cannot offer her a better life, but does give her a chance for mutuality and passion at a level she craves.  They are the same.  They are both in need, equal partners in this dance. 

Roberta later re-negs on Danny’s marriage proposal in scene three.    

Danny:  I asked ya ta marry me last night square business an you said yes

              an I meant it.

Roberta:  All right then, I didn’t!

Danny:  What?

Roberta:  You heard me!

Danny:  What?

Roberta:  I was lyin cause I wanted a nice thing.  Get serious.  No way are you

                an me getting married.  That was strictly make-believe.

Danny:  Don’t do this to me!                                                              (pg. 44)

Playwright John Pattick Shanley
Photo courtesy of John Partick Shanley

Their dance continues with a new conflict.  Roberta cannot forgive herself for her past actions.  Danny steps up and forgives her.  She fights it, then opens the door to acceptance.  The ending of this play does not give closure to these characters.  We can see them continuing this ongoing dance, fueled by their unfulfilled need.  There is constant conflict between them, which results in potent and effective dramatic action.

These examples from Danny and the Deep Blue Sea illustrate how Mr. Shanley skillfully and consistently crafts all his plays.  He writes characters who are on fire with deep need and potent desire that pushes them against one another.  Dramatic tension is created when the characters start pushing back.  This viscerally engages the audience.  They identify with the struggle and root for a satisfying outcome.  The dramatic action is created by the constant buildup in this struggle, which is caused by the insatiable need of the characters.  This is how dramatic action is created.  It is vital to dramatic writing and keeps the audience engaged throughout the course of the play and, if successfully done, long after the play’s conclusion.

Domenick Danza

"Apache (dance).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 16 April 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_(dance).

Shanley, John Patrick. 13 by Shanley. New York, NY: Applause Theatre and Cinema

Books, 1992.