CE THEA 1013
Review- Term 2
Theatre StylesThe Modernist Temperament: A rebellion against “Realism” and “Naturalism” in theatre
Explain the differences between the following theatre styles (-isms) and identify the playwrights
associated with each. (Refer to the presentation handouts for more info and as study material)
Symbolism
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Anti-realist movement between 1880-1910
Drama should represent mystery of being and cosmos- qualities of the human spirit and
inner meaning of life
Symbolic images are the basic means of communication; represents emotions, ideals and
values
Stage pictures had only the bare essentials to evoke the dramatic universe
Themes are chosen from fairy tales or myths, and used poetic language and artificial style of
staging.
Characters often represented human condition rather than fully developed people
Symbolic Playwrights
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August Strindberg- Miss Julie
Anton Chekov- The Cherry Orchard
Sam Shepherd- Buried Child
Existentialism
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Philosophical doctrine after WWI
Rejects traditional beliefs
There is little meaning to existence, God does not exit, humanity is alone in an irrational
universe
Individual must accept responsibility for his/ her own actions
Emphasis on freedom and moral responsibility of the individual- distrust of philosophical
idealism
Plays use cause-and-effect logic (consequences to characters actions and choices)characters are fully developed human beings
Existentialist Playwrights
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Jean Paul Sartre- No Exit
Tom Stoppard- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
David Mamet- The Cryptogram
George Bernard Shaw- Man and Superman
Harold Pinter- The Dumb Waiter
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CE THEA 1013
Review- Term 2
Epic/ Theatricalism
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Began by Bertolt Brecht in 1920-1930s
Reaction to over-emphasis on artistic illusion and aesthetic emotion
Theatre should serve a social purpose of educating audiences
Narrators used to comment on dramatic action
Political dramas use a journalistic, non-emotional style incorporating signs, projections, films
clips, etc
‘alienation effect’ distances audience from the action to help them concentrate on the
play’s message
Usually deals with foreign lands, history, covers a long period of time, shifts locale
frequently, has intricate plots and many characters.
Epic Playwrights
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Bertolt Brecht- Good Woman of Setzuan
Thornton Wilder- The Skin of Our Teeth
Alan Ayckbourn- Communicating Doors
A.R. Gurney- The Dining Room
Absurdism
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Genre of the 1950-1960s
The world is presented as meaningless and incomprehensible
Life cannot be logically explained, it is ridiculous and absurd and the human existence is
futile
Plots do not follow a traditional structure
Characters are not realistic, and they often fail to communicate
Settings are often strange, unrecognizable locales
Dialogue makes little sense, language is unreliable
Writers are highly individualistic
Absurdist Playwrights
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Samuel Beckett- Waiting for Godot
Eugene Ionesco- The Lesson
Edward Albee- The Sandbox, The Seascape
David Ives- Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread
Christopher Durang- Baby with the Bathwater
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CE THEA 1013
Review- Term 2
Post- World War II American Theatre:
Decentralization and Subsidation:
Live theatre was mostly confined to NYC, London and Paris- all wanted to branch out throughout the
countries
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England- Government Subsidies
o National Theatre- Laurence Olivier
o Royal Shakespeare Company- a leader in Shakespearean productions today
o English Stage Company- features new playwrights, new works
USA- almost no government subsidies for the arts today
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OFF-BROADWAY Theatero begun in the 1950s
 Producers looking for smaller venues, non-traditional spaces
 Targets non- Broadway/ tourist audiences
 Shorter performance runs
 Focus on new works/ playwrights
 Less than 200 audience members
 Lower insurance costs/ non-Equity (union) actors
 Ex: Circle in the Square
o in the 1960s
 Unions insist on stricter working conditions, higher wages
 Many advantages disappeared
 Leads playwrights/ producers/ actors to look for another forum= OFF-OFF
BROADWAY
OFF-OFF-BROADWAY
o Still continues today
o Most flexible and diverse of venues in NYC
o Over 100 theatre groups active at any time
o Ex: Circle Repertory Company (1969-1997)
o Ex: New York Shakespeare Festival
 Free plays in Central Park
 Became the Rubric Theatre in 1967
REGIONAL THEATERS
o 1950s- companies struggle to survive outside of NYC
o Ford Foundation made large grants to several companies across the country
o Minneapolis, MN= Tyrone Guthrie formed Guthrie Theatre- most famous today
o Pioneer Theatre Company in SLC, others include San Francisco, Boston, Denver,
Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington DC, Houston, and many more.
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CE THEA 1013
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Review- Term 2
ALTERNATIVE THEATRE GROUPS
o The Living Theatre- late 1960s to 1970s
 Two important changes to live theatre
 Obscenity
 Nudity
o Bread and Puppet Theatre- 1960s
 Denounced war and materialism
o San Francisco Mime Theatre
 Addressed civil rights, equality for women
POOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL THEATRE
o No set theatre space
o Blurred distinction between audience and performers
o Uses multi-media
o “happenings”- mixed many art forms: dance, art, theatre
o “performance art”- Put Out the Fire video clip
CULTURAL DIVERSITY: gaining ground in the 1960-1970s and beyond
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African-American theatre
o Lorraine Hansberry
o George C Wolfe
o August Wilson
Latino Theatre
o El Teatro Campesino- Luis Valdez
o Maria Irene Fornes
Asian American Theatre- 1970s
o Frank Chin- The Year of the Dragon (1977)
 1st Asian American play produced in NYC
o David Henry Hwang- F.O.B (1980) & M. Butterfly (1988)
Theatre by and for Women- 1980s
o Marsha Norman- ‘Night, Mother (1983- Pulitzer Prize winner)
o Beth Henley – Crimes of the Heart (1981- Pulitzer Prize winner)
o Wendy Wasserstein- The Heidi Chronicles (1989 Pulitzer Prize winner)
o Paula Vogel- How I Learned to Drive- (1997 Pulitzer Prize winner)
Gay and Lesbian Theatre
o The Boys in the Band (1968)
 1st play on Broadway specifically about gay men
o 1980s AIDS crisis=> many more ‘gay’ plays
o Tony Kushman- Angels in America
 Most famous playwright/ play of this genre
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CE THEA 1013
Review- Term 2
Class Chapter presentations:
Understand the different roles of the following:
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Director
Director’s Assistant
Producer
Playwright
House Manager
Dramaturg (literary management and production dramaturgy)
Actors
What are auditions? Callbacks? Rehearsals? Productions/ Performances?
Types of stages: what are they, and give an example of a local theater who uses each type
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Arena stage- Hale Centre Theatre- WVC, HCT-Orem (sort of)
Proscenium stage- Layton HS, Capitol Theater, Pioneer Theater, Centerpoint
Thrust stage- Terrace Plaza Playhouse
Flexible stage- black box, reconfigured for each production, colleges, universities, etc
Auxiliary spaces- “front of house” vs “back of house” spaces
Scene shop, costume shop, box office, house, storage, dressing rooms, green room, lobby, etc
Actors: know these terms
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Three types of blocking; movement, gestures, business
Interpret roles
An actors instrument is Voice and Body
Observation and Imagination
Improvisation
Actor’s Equity Association= union for professional actors
Character analysis
Dress Rehearsal vs. Tech rehearsal- know the difference
Transfer of power from the DIRECTOR to the STAGE MANAGER on opening night! There’s a new boss!
Types of scenery
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Soft scenery
Framed units
3-D sets
Set decoration / dressing (banners, furniture, etc)
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CE THEA 1013
Review- Term 2
Moving scenery
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Manual power
Fly line
Wagon unit
Revolving stage
Costume and Make Up Design- what is the basic function of costume design? Make up design?
Sources for costumes? Building new, renting, existing stock, borrowed from other theatres, purchase
from a store
What is a costume parade? Dress rehearsal? Performance?
Lighting and sound design- what is the most important function of lighting and sound on stage?
What are the 3 types of lighting design elements?
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Specific illumination i.e. spotlight
General illumination- lights that cover the whole stage
Specials- projections, fog, disco balls, special effects, etc
What is the difference between a lighting designer and a light board operator? A sound designer and a
sound board operator?
AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE- Read through the rest of the handout- you will need to be familiar with
the following information:
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Specific musicals that we’ve covered in class and why they are significant.
Specific composers/ composer teams and why they are significant.
Plays to know: Review the scripts/ plots/ characters for the plays we have covered this term. Also be
familiar with the playwrights’ agenda and the historical context of each playThe Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Company
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