Excerpt from Acceptance
Barbara Winkler

ANTHONY: (Despondently) Everything.

STEPHANIE: (In a boisterous tone) I have something that might cheer you up!

ANTHONY: (Looks away and addresses the audience in an aside) What could possibly cheer me up? At this point, I'm a collegiate
failure. After applying to seven universities, I've been rejected by six of them. I just can't figure out where I went wrong. Yes, the
college admissions process is extremely complicated, but I thought my credentials spoke for themselves: straight-A student,
volunteers for local charitable organizations, participates in extracurricular activities, involved in the student government,
successfully juggles school with part-time employment

(With an exasperated sigh) It's so frustrating! I was so optimistic when I mailed out my applications, but now I can't help feeling
a little cynical about the entire process. Each successive rejection only accentuates my feelings of inadequacy. Most of my
friends already know which university they'll attend in the fall, and I'm still trying to reconcile the fact that I might not be going
to college next semester. I feel so disconnected from them right now-while they're mapping out their futures, reviewing the
curriculum for freshman year, and filling out roommate questionnaires, I'm still stuck in limbo. Everyone's been sympathetic and
supportive, but their reassurances offer little comfort.

Which dramatic convention BEST conveys Anthony's mood to the audience?

A) Stage directions

B) Dialogue

C) Setting

D) Aside