Melodrama
TAYA HUMPARTZOOMIAN AND JACQUIE PUGH
Melodrama
ˈmɛlə(ʊ)drɑːmə/
noun
1.
a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters
and exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions.
"he gloated like a villain in a Victorian melodrama"
2.
historical
a play interspersed with songs and orchestral music
accompanying the action.
The Beginning
 Originated in France but quickly transferred to
America.
 Melodrama dominated the American stage from
1850-1920.
 It was said to be more real than reality at the time
 It made the greater evil easier to identify and the
problems easier to find solutions to.
 Virtue was the foundation of melodrama.
 Works were parodies of social issues or the works of
other playwrights.
Virtue
 Social issues of the day could be acted out.
 Audience goers could understand the moral
stories of the plays.
 It provided an outlet for American’s emotions.
 There was something about addressing the current
issues in society that attracted audiences.
Staging
• The plays were performed on
Thrust or Proscenium Arch
stages.
• There was very elaborate
staging including earthquakes
and volcanoes on stage.
• The plays were accompanied
by music, hence the term
“melo”, meaning melody.
Costumes
 Costumes were made to reflect the class that the
character was in: lower, middle, or upper.
 Often, one or more costume pieces reflected or
accentuated a character’s personality.
Stock Characters
 A hero
 A heroine
 A villain
 A villain’s accomplice
 A faithful servant
 A maid servant
Famous Works
 J. J. Rousseau's melodrama Pygmalion (1762; first
performed 1770) helped create a vogue for stage
plays.
 Famous examples of stage melodramas include East
Lynne by Mrs. Henry Wood and Ten Nights in a
Barroom by W. W. Pratt.
Melodrama in the Media
 Melodrama can also be found in older
and modern day film.
 Charlie Chaplin is a great example of
an actor who used melodrama
techniques to communicate.
 TV series have been created off of
melodrama. An example is the
 British TV series ‘Mr. Bean’.
Sir Henry Irving (1830’s-1905)
 He began his acting career in 1856,
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appearing with various provincial Stock
companies.
During the following ten years he
played over 600 parts
By 1866 he was established in London
Another five years later he found over
night fame in ‘The Bells’
In 1895 he became the first actor to
be knighted for his achievements
Ellen Terry (1847-1928)
 Ellen never went to school and at the age of
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eight appeared as Mammilius in The Winter's
Tale at the Prince's Theatre in London
In 1864, Terry established herself as
Britain's leading Shakespearean
actress
In 1878 she formed a partnership with
Henry Irving at the Lyceum.
She dominated English theatre for over
twenty years
In 1903 Terry went into theatre management
and with her son helped to popularize the
work of Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard
Shaw.
Performance
“EXAM” SKIT FROM MR. BEAN