Writing Assignment #6: Novel as a Play - Jake

I do not think the novel would work as a play for a number of reasons. I think that plays are theatrical and enthousiatic whereas this book is very nonchalant and plain. There are certain scenes of the book that would be very hard to portray in a play. For example, the scene where Billy is watching a tape of a battle in the war backwards. Or when Billy was a child, and was thrown into the Y.M.C.A pool. Since the overall dimeaner of Slaughterhouse is showed by Vonnegut in almost a boring way, I think that a lot of close up shots without music would help display the Vonnegut-ness of the novel if it were to be made into a film. In a play, close up shots are not possible and when there isn't much music in a play, it becomes less entertaining for the audience. Because of this, I do not think the audience will receive the full effect of the Slaughterhouse, the novel, if it were to be made into a play.
The time warps that Billy experiences would be very challenging to show because costume changes would have to be made and it would be hard to find multiple actors that look similar, but are at different ages to show the different points in Billy's life. During the show, the curtains would have to constantly open and close every time Billy becomes stuck in time. The background scenery would have to constantly be changing when the times change.
Because of these things, I do not think Slaughterhouse would make a good play.