Question

3
select the correct answer
what would most likely be the effect of changing george s. kaufmans the still alarm so that the characters reacted in a panic rather than in a calm manner?
a. the play would be significantly shorter
b. the characters would be more likeable
c. the play would not have a comic tone
d. the play would include more dialogue

Explanation:

To determine the effect of changing the characters' reactions in The Still Alarm from calm to panicked, we analyze each option:

• Option A: A change in reaction style (calm to panic) doesn’t inherently shorten the play’s length, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: Panicked reactions are less likely to make characters “more likeable” than calm, composed behavior, so B is incorrect.
• Option C: The Still Alarm relies on the absurdity of characters remaining calm during a fire (creating comic irony). If they panicked, this ironic, comic tone would be lost, so C is correct.
• Option D: There’s no logical link between panicked reactions and “more dialogue”—dialogue quantity depends on script structure, not reaction tone, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

C. The play would not have a comic tone.