"If there was one thing..."

So, I asked the cast of Picnic the following curious question:

If there was one thing from your experience thus far that has helped you get into character within this William Inge world of the 1950s in Kansas,
what would it be?
Here's how some responded:

Emily Mark playing Christine Schoenwalder said, "If I had to choose one thing that's helped me the most I'd say it was the opening scenes from The Wizard of Oz. The flat landscape, the farm images, the way that people (especially Margaret Hamilton!) spoke, all of that has been the strongest influence for me. "

Matthew Carlson playing Alan Seymour said, "For me, its been Alan's car keys. My entrances in both Act I and II are preceded by the sound of a car, so I asked for a set of keys to use. It's been a subtle reminder of class difference for me, creating a little social distance and a pride that sets Alan apart."

Amy da Luz playing Rosemary Syndey said, "Images are big for me, I always cut and past a lot of historical and geographic (to set time and place), but also conceptual. Which is often a lot less "literal" as you know. Anyways, this one clicked for me in a big way for Rosemary. Everything about it. What it once was. What it is now. The proud stalk still standing - but with the hopeless droop of its head. The washed out fence behind it. It worked for me on several levels...

Funny thing is, I had no idea the state flower for Kansas was the wild sunflower until after I had cut the image. Who knew?"

Jim Crawford playing Howard Bevans said, "There were a lot of helpful visual images, but the thing that helped me the most on Picnic came from Chris Morris, our dialect coach. She recommended that we listen to Kansas-based Farm Radio (KFRM link). I listened to it often in my apartment. There is a particularly midwestern way of talking about business--the rhythm is clipped and upbeat, and it's simultaneously friendly and keeps people at arm's length. It helped me to get a handle on my character, Howard the shop owner, more than anything."

Beth Ritson playing Flo Owens said, "For me its the image of the landscape: flat, barren, and endless, but with a beauty so extraordinaire that its pioneer ancestors said, 'Let's stop here.' "