Download Realism and Naturalism Theatre Conventions

RealismandNaturalismTheatreConventions
The two schools of thought and subsequent movements in the theatre were distinct and
separate,thoughblurredwithhistoricaltimelinesandsimilaritiesinstyle.Asaresult,the
movetowardsamoreauthenticformofdramaonthestageinthemid-late19thcenturyis
oftenconsideredoneperiod.Ifrealismandnaturalisminthetheatreweretwomovements,
whichonecamefirst?Well,thatdependsonwhoyouread.Onethingisforsurethough;the
over-the-topmelodramasfullofspectacleinearlytomid-19thcenturyweretobenomore.
Intermsofstyle,thewordsrealismandnaturalismarefrustratinglyusedinterchangeably
tomeanthesame,yettheyarenot.Theyaresimilar,yes,buthavemanydifferences.
Realism
Realismistheartisticattempttorecreatelifeasitisinthecontextofanartisticmedium.
Realismbeganasanartisticmovementinthe18thCenturyinEuropeandAmericaanda
late19thCenturymovementfordramaandthestage.Dramawastoinvolvethedirect
observationofhumanbehaviour;thereforetherewastheneedtousecontemporary
settingsandtimeperiods,anditwastodealwithatemporarylifeandproblemshas
subjects.Also,thecommonmanandcommonsituationsweresubjectsfordrama,notjust
theupperclasses,kings,andqueens.Focuson:psychologicalreality,peopletrappedin
socialsituations,hopeinhopelesssituations.
• Charactersarebelievable,everydaytypes
• Costumesareauthentic
• Therealistmovementinthetheatreandsubsequentperformancestylehavegreatly
influenced20thcenturytheatreandcinemaanditseffectsarestillbeingfelttoday
• TriggeredbyStanislavski’ssystemofrealisticactingattheturnofthe20thcentury,
America grabbed hold of its own brand of this performance style (American
realism)andacting(methodacting)inthe1930s,40sand50s(TheGroupTheatre,
TheActorsStudio)
• Stagesettings(locations)andpropsareoftenindoorsandbelievable
• The‘boxset’isnormallyusedforrealisticdramasonstage,consistingofthreewalls
andaninvisible‘fourthwall’facingtheaudience
• Settingsforrealisticplaysareoftenbland(deliberatelyordinary)
• Dialogueisnotheightenedforeffect,butthatofeverydayspeech(vernacular)
• The drama is typically psychologically driven, where the plot is secondary and
primary focus is placed on the interior lives of characters, their motives, the
reactionsofothersetc.
• Realisticplaysoftenseetheprotagonist(maincharacter)riseupagainsttheoddsto
assert him/herself against an injustice of some kind (e.g. Nora in Ibsen’s A Doll’s
House)
• Realistic dramas quickly gained popularity because the everyday person in the
audiencecouldidentifywiththesituationsandcharactersonstage
• Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler) is considered
thefatherofmodernrealisminthetheatre
Naturalism
Thetrendduringthe19thcenturytopresentrealityinasconvincingandnaturalawayas
possible,sothattheexternaldetailsofscenesettingandofcharacterportrayalwere
emphasised.Muchimportancewasgiventocostumes,propsandmake-up-gettingitto
lookjustright.Butbyseekingtoportraytheworld'naturally',however,mainstream
naturalismoftengottiedupinthedetails,andlosttrackofthecontent.Structureand
storylinewereveryimportant,withafocusoncharacterallowingtheaudiencetobecome
emotionallyinvolvedratherthandetached.
• Intermsofstyle,naturalismisanextremeorheightenedformofrealism
• Asatheatricalmovementandperformancestyle,naturalismwasshort-lived
• Stagetimeequalsrealtime–e.g.threehoursinthetheatreequalsthreehoursfor
thecharactersintheworldoftheplay
• Costumes,setsandpropsarehistoricallyaccurateandverydetailed,attemptingto
offeraphotographicreproductionofreality(‘sliceoflife’)
• Aswithrealism,settingsfornaturalisticdramasareoftenblandandordinary
• Naturalistic dramas normally follow rules set out by the Greek philosopher
Aristotle,knownas‘thethreeunities’(oftime,placeandaction)
• Theactionoftheplaytakesplaceinasinglelocationoverthetimeframeofasingle
day-jumpsintimeand/orplacebetweenactsorscenesisnotallowed
• Playwrights were influenced by naturalist manifestos written by French novelist
andplaywrightEmileZolaintheprefacetoThereseRaquin(1867novel,1873play)
andSwedishplaywrightAugustStrindbergintheprefacetoMissJulie(1888)
• Naturalismexplorestheconceptofscientificdeterminism(spawningfromCharles
Darwin’s theory of evolution) – characters in the play are shaped by their
circumstances and controlled by external forces such as hereditary or their social
andeconomicenvironment
• Often characters in naturalistic plays are considered victims of their own
circumstanceandthisiswhytheybehaveincertainways(theyareseenashelpless
productsoftheirenvironment)
• Characters are often working class/lower class (as opposed to the mostly middle
classcharactersofrealisticdramas)
• Naturalistic plays regularly explore sordid subject matter previously considered
tabooonthestageinanyseriousmanner(e.g.suicide,poverty,prostitution)
Sources:
http://www.learn.co.uk
http://www.newberry.edu/theatre
http://www.thedramateacher.com/realism-and-naturalism-theatreconventions/#sthash.Wjdz5lXi.dpuf