OFFICIAL4 Why does the woman say this?

[00:00.00]Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and a librarian.
[00:06.89]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: Can I help you?
[00:08.20]MALE STUDENT: Yeah, I need to find a review. [00:10.55]It's for my English class. [00:11.77]We have to find reviews of the play we're reading. [00:13.99]But they have to be from when the play was first performed—so I need to know when that was… and I suppose I should start with newspaper reviews…
[00:20.88]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: Contemporary reviews.
[00:22.44]MALE STUDENT: Sorry?
[00:23.14]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: You want contemporary reviews. [00:25.31]What's the name of the play?
[00:26.57]MALE STUDENT: It's Happy Strangers. [00:28.13]It was written in 1962 and we're supposed to write about its influence on American theater—show why it's been so important.
[00:33.87]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: Well, that certainly explains why your professor wants you to read some of those old reviews. [00:38.61]The critics really tore the play to pieces when it opened. [00:42.16]It was just so controversial—nobody'd ever seen anything like it on the stage.
[00:46.61]MALE STUDENT: Really? It was that big a deal?
[00:47.70]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: Oh sure. [00:48.55]Of course, the critics' reaction made some people kinda curious about it, [00:52.65]they wanted to see what was causing all the fuss. [00:55.32]In fact, we were on vacation in New York—[00:57.97]I had to be, oh around sixteen or so—and my parents took me to see it. [01:03.56]That would've been about 1965.
[01:05.95]MALE STUDENT: So that was the year it premiered? [01:07.37]Great! But… newspapers from back then aren't online, so how do I…
[01:12.02]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: Well, we have copies of old newspapers in the basement, and all the major papers publish reference guides to their articles, reviews, etc. [01:20.49]You'll find them in the reference stacks in back. [01:23.25]But I'd start with 1964. I think the play'd been running for a little while when I saw it.
[01:28.42]MALE STUDENT: Oh, how'd you like it? [01:29.47]I mean it's just two characters onstage hanging around and basically doing nothing.
[01:32.82]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: Well, I was impressed: [01:34.73]the actors were famous and, besides, it was my first time in a real theater. [01:39.29]But you're right—[01:40.72]it was definitely different from any plays that we'd read in high school. [01:44.07]Of course, in a small town, the assignments are pretty traditional.
[01:47.41]MALE STUDENT: I've only read it, but it doesn't seem like it'd be much fun to watch. [01:47.41]The story doesn't progress in a, in any sort of logical manner. It doesn't have any real ending either. It just stops. [01:56.50]Honestly, y'know I thought it was kinda slow and boring.
[01:59.04]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: [laughing]Well, I guess you might think that, [02:02.16]but when I saw it back then it was anything but boring! [02:04.82]Some parts were really funny—but I remember crying, too. [02:09.05]But I'm not sure just reading it… [02:11.47]You know, they’ve done this play at least once on campus. [02:15.55]I'm sure there's a tape of the play in our video library. [02:18.53]You might want to borrow it.
[02:19.55]MALE STUDENT: That's a good idea. [02:20.45]I'll have a better idea of what I really think of it—before I read those reviews.
[02:24.15]FEMALE LIBRARIAN: I'm sure you'll be surprised that anyone ever found it radical—[02:27.23]but you'll see why it's still powerful—dramatically speaking.
[02:30.60]MALE STUDENT: Well, there must be something about it or the professor wouldn't have assigned it. [02:33.31]I'm sure I'll figure it out.