Modern Theatre: Realism to Absurdism

Realism

Key Aspects of Realism

• Observation of human behavior
• Contemporary settings and time periods
• Realism reflected in theatre design

Unsavory Social Topics in Realism

• Poverty
• Disease
• Prostitution
• Illegitimate children

Henrik Ibsen: The Father of Modern Drama

• Challenged moral values and social norms
• Wrote Ghosts, Hedda Gabler, An Enemy of the People, and A Doll's House
• A Doll's House: "The slam heard around the world"

The Box Set: A New Style of Realism

• True-to-life interiors
• Full settings of rooms
• Fourth wall

The Box Set: Imaginary

Naturalism: A Slice of Life

• Documentary of everyday life

Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen: The First Director

Moscow Art Theatre

• Constantin Stanislavski (Founder)
• Anton Chekhov (Head Playwright)

The Stanislavski System: The ABCs of Acting

• An Actor Prepares
• Building a Character
• Creating a Role

Basic Premises of the Stanislavski System

• Body and voice
• Human behavior
• Character motivation
• The "Magic If"
• Moment by moment

Reaction to Realism

Modernist Temperament: Formal Innovation

A Pattern Disrupted

• Before: Same conventions
• After: Different conventions

Symbolism

• Mysterious
• "In a mist": scrim
• Chanting
• Unnatural gestures

Futurism: Audience Reform

• Oversold seats
• Itching powder
• Provoking the audience

Dadaism

• Chance and sound poems
• Reciting obscene poems
• Wood sculpture: hatchet

Expressionism

Industrialism

• Humans as machines
• Materialism

Visual Aspects

• Dream/nightmare
• Color reflecting emotion

Dramatic Aspects

• Distorted human spirit
• Search for identity

Expressionistic Playwrights

• August Strindberg (Dream plays)
• Elmer Rice (The Adding Machine)
• Eugene O'Neill (The first great American playwright)

Stage Designers

• Adolphe Appia (Three-dimensional structures: steps, platforms, ramps)
• Edward Gordon Craig (Abstract structures: line, mass, mood)

Max Reinhardt: Staging

• All movements and periods
• Transforming the stage
• Example: Cathedral for medieval play

Absurdism

Key Playwrights

• Eugene Ionesco
• Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot)
• Harold Pinter

Key Aspects of Absurdism

• Questioning "truth"
• Chaos and lack of order, logic, or certainty
• Dramatic visions: no cause and effect, illogical patterns, chance