Opening Agenda
 Things to Get:
 Notebook page
 Things to Do:
 Turn in last self portrait
 Finish Music – Rhapsody in Blue and Jazz Rap
 Opener: Modern American Drama
 Class work: 1) Notes
 Closure: Scene Analysis
Opener
 1) Name the artist, title, and theme of the work below:
 2) Describe the color used by pop artists. Name one artist of this
movement.
 3) What is one similarity between George Gershwin and Duke
Ellington?
 4) Why are the Ballet Russe and Petipa similar to and different from
Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey?
Modern Drama/Theater
 Modern drama grew out of four changes in American
society:
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economic, political, social, cultural
 In the modern era, individuals had been cut loose from the
following institutions:
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religion, socio/political alignments, family relationships, and a
defined self-image
 The hero of modern drama is a tragic hero who is trying to
belong to a broken down society who has animal desires
 Four things that became integral to dramatic scripts:
lighting, music, visual props, and set design
Playwright Biography Activity
 Objective:
 To understand how the lives of modern playwrights influenced their
work
 Assignment:
 Create a Sensory Sketch of each of the playwrights we will discuss
today

In this Sensory Sketch, you must include the responses’ or reaction for all
of the following body parts:
 eyes, nose, ears, mouth, heart, hands and feet
 In other words, what would the playwright speak about? Where would
the playwrights’ feet take them?
 Method:
 Use a different colored marker for each playwright

8 minutes per article and sketch.
Can you identify the work of the playwrights?
 You will receive three selections of plays.
 Read them and identify the playwright.
 Five minutes per play.
Tennessee Williams
1911-1983
Thomas Lanier Williams
New Orleans, LA
“Tennessee” – father’s birthplace
Plays reflect stories from his own life
Used film techniques in his plays (thought it made the
play better for the audience)
 Pulitzer prize for, A Streetcar Named Desire, in 1947
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Emotional deterioration of Blanche du Bois
 Known for: strong characters, creative presentations,
excellent dialogue and perceptive portrayal of American
life, especially in the south.
Famous Works: A Streetcar Named Desire
 Theme: Reality vs. Idealism
 Story of a woman who tries to escape the reality of
her life (idealism) by going to visit her sister and
brother-in-law. He constantly reminds her of her
past problems. (reality)
Famous Work: A Streetcar Named Desire
 As you watch this clip, answer the following
questions:
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1) How do Blanche and Stanley show the theme of reality vs.
idealism? Cite examples from the scene.
2) What is the role of the following “integral parts of a
dramatic script”?:
Lighting:
 Music:
 Visual Props:
 Set Design:
 In other words, how do the parts mentioned above influence
the scene?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsVxmk9pq2Y

Arthur Miller
 1915-2005
 Married to Marilyn Monroe 1956
to 1961
 Famous works include:
Death of a Salesman – 1949
The Crucible – 1953
 Known for allegory, expressionism
and realism
Famous Work: Death of a Salesman
 Date: 1949
 Theme: Explores the ideas of:
 Death
 Family
 Broken American Dream
 How the play would influence audiences: It would be
a reality check; no matter how hard someone works,
sometimes they can’t become prosperous
 Tragedy
 Interesting Facts: Story of a salesman who decides
that he is worth more to his family dead than alive
Famous Work: Death of a Salesman
 As you watch this clip, answer the following
questions:
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1) How does the scene with the sons show the idea of the
broken American dream? Cite examples from the scene.
2) What is the role of the following “integral parts of a
dramatic script”?:
Lighting:
 Music:
 Visual Props:
 Set Design:
 In other words, how do the parts mentioned above influence
the scene?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ZyUYBNz_U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1lazBK1Pec Dustin Hoffman version
Lorainne Hansberry
 1930-1965
 Chicago, Illinois
 Most famous work:
 A Raisin in the Sun
 First African-American woman to write a drama
performed on Broadway
Famous Work: A Raisin in the Sun
 First woman to write a play that was produced on
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Broadway
Date: 1959
“living room” drama
Theme: dealt with strengths and weaknesses that families
experience
How would the play influence audiences: Focused on the
need to protect one’s self-respect and dignity of others
Interesting Facts: Known for adding realism to characters
of the 1960’s
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Ml5pCKhro
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-PqjSJOwfk
Exit Slip
 1) Describe the hero of Modern American drama.
 2) What were four things that became an integral
part of modern American drama scripts?
 3) What was the theme of A Streetcar Named
Desire?
 4) Which of the following playwrights was married to
Marylyn Monroe and whose plays are known for
allegory, expressionism and realism?
 5) Why is Lorraine Hansberry so important to the
history of American theater?
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