20TH CENTURY THEATRE
THEATRE HISTORY
THE NEW CENTURY
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Absurdism: states that the efforts of humanity to
find inherent meaning in the universe will ultimately
fail (and hence are absurd), because no such meaning
exists, at least in relation to the individual.
Epic Theatre-wanted to break the idea of theatrical
illusionImpressionism-reminds the audience that human
dramas are but brief episodes on a vast stage which
will survive us all.
Regional Theatre-not just Broadway, encourages
new talent; famous regional theatre=Guthrie Theatre
in Minneapolis
STAGE TECHNOLOGY
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Revolutionized Theatre design
Adolph Appia- Switzerland
 Gordon Craig- English
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-used color and line to create mood
-used revolving stages
-used projected scenery
-amazing light effects
EUROPEAN THEATRE
Germany:
- Bertholt Brecht:
-epic theatre
-wanted audiences to think more critically
-promoted social reform in plays
-addressed poverty, war, and social struggle
-wanted to break the idea of theatrical
illusion1. inserted narration and songs between
scenes
2. made no effort to hide lighting from
audience and used sparse props and set
3. alienate audience-actors should not become the
character completely
4. influenced by Asian theatre
Famous Plays:
The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mother Courage
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EUROPEAN THEATRE
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FranceJean Giraudoux
Madwoman of Chaillot- theatre of absurd
-groups of poor people of the streets with a selfappointed queen of the beggars
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Post- WWII:
Absurdist movement grows among playwrights
- group known as “angry young men”
Avante-garde theatre:
ALL LIFE IS MEANINGLESS became their theme
Actors speak and act with no regard for rules of theatre
EUROPEAN THEATRE
Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco
theatre of the absurd
-loneliness and isolation; alienation
-rejected traditional plots and characters
-comic plays about the meaninglessness of life
-life ruled by chance
Plays: Rhinoceros; The Chairs; Waiting for Godot
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AMERICAN THEATRE
Major influence:
Professor George Baker; Harvard:
Students:
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Eugene O'Neill (1888 –1953) was an American playwright, and Nobel
laureate in Literature. His plays are among the first to introduce into
American drama the techniques of realism. Dealt with psychological
issues.
Plays- Morning Becomes Electra; Long Days Journey Into Night
Lillian Hellman:
Plays- The Little Foxes; The Children’s Hour
Stanley McCandless (1897-1967) is considered to be the father of
modern lighting design. He paved the way for future lighting
designers by playing a role in all aspects of theatrical lighting.
Thomas Clayton Wolfe (1900 –1938) was a major American novelist
and playwright of the early 20th century.
Plays: Look Homeward Angel
AMERICAN THEATRE
GREAT PLAYWRIGHTS:
 Thorton Wilder
 Tennessee Williams
 Arthur Miller
 Neil Simon
 Lorraine Hansberry
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THORTON WILDER
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OUR TOWN
-American life in a small town in the early 20th
Century
-minimal set
- the eternal patterns of human existence; life
and death
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
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The Glass Menagerie; A Streetcar Named
Desire
-Southern settings and characters
-neurotic characters
-universal truths about people
ARTHUR MILLER
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The Crucible; Death of a Salesman; All My
Sons
the dilemma of American families
the tragedies of common people
how society affects the individual
NEIL SIMON
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The Odd Couple; The Last of the Red Hot
Lovers; Brighton Beach Memoirs
- comic genius combined with realism and
serious themes
LORRAINE HANSBERRY
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A Raisin in the Sun-The story is based upon a
black family's experiences in Chicago's Woodlawn
neighborhood. A Raisin in the Sun was the first
play written by a black woman to be produced on
Broadway, as well as the first play with a black
director (Lloyd Richards) on Broadway
THEATRE TODAY
Theatre continues to grow across the country.
 Theatre continues to change and experiment.
 Theatre continues to revisit former styles and
eras of theatre from Ancient Greece to more
recent styles.
 Theatre will always be a reflection of the human
experience.
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