ASAP Read this excerpt from an adaptation of “The Fox and the Cat” from Aesop’s Fables. Identify the text that describes the setting. (A cat and a fox are in a forest. They are standing in front of a backdrop with trees. On stage left there is a large tree. The cat looks at the fox in admiration. The fox is center stage. The cat approaches the fox.) CAT: (Thinking aloud to herself as she walks) He is clever and full of experience and much esteemed in the world. CAT: (Speaking to the fox in a friendly way) Good day, dear Mr. Fox. How are you? How are you getting on in these hard times? (The fox looks at the cat from head to foot. There is a long pause before he replies.) FOX: (Arrogantly) Oh, you wretched and hungry mouse hunter! What can you be thinking of? How dare you ask me how I am getting on? What sort of education have you had? How many arts do you understand?

(A cat and a fox are in a forest. They are standing in front of a backdrop with trees. On stage left there is a large tree. The cat looks at the fox in admiration. The fox is center stage. The cat approaches the fox.)

Explanation:

The text that describes the setting of this theatrical adaptation of The Fox and the Cat is located at its beginning:

(A cat and a fox are in a forest. They are standing in front of a backdrop with trees. On stage left there is a large tree. The cat looks at the fox in admiration. The fox is center stage. The cat approaches the fox.)

We can consider these lines to be the exposition of the play. The exposition introduces us to the characters and the setting of the story. Here, it is written in parentheses.

Words written in parentheses in a play are called parentheticals, actor/character directions, or wrylies. They are usually located after a character’s name, in dialogue blocks, and their purpose is to spell out tone, intent, or action.