Download Anna Rea S. Pritchard AP Language 1 December 2011 Theatrically

Anna Rea
S. Pritchard
AP Language
1 December 2011
Theatrically Inclined; The Good, The Bad and the Drastic
Theatre is a part of every person’s life, whether they know it or not. While many
supporters are just patrons of the art, there are some who prefer to be the art. The life of
a stage performer is not often thought of as a legitimate career, but it can be very
rewarding to the persons involved. Theatre is thought of in two completely different
ways. Some people think it is a waste of time, while others enjoy it and use it to pass
the time. There are some very rough sides of theatre that are more obscure to the
public, but theatre also has many good traits. In recent times, theatre has diminished in
popularity. Television and movies have begun to replace it. Younger people would
rather go and see a movie or sit on their couch at home than go out and sit in an
auditorium for a few hours. There is still a significant amount of people who choose to
go into a stage career though. These people are the people who keep theatre alive.
Ever since the beginning of theatre there have been people who were trying to get rid of
it. At one point in time theatre was even thought to be the work of the devil.
The beginning origins of theatre are primitive tribal dances and religious rituals from
around 8500 B.C. The first recorded play, which was also a type of religious ritual, is
dated to about 2000 B.C. The earliest plays were religious, and performed in churches.
As Roman theatre began to develop, pantomime and mimicry were introduced. Most
actors were slaves or people of lower class in society. In 197, Christians were forbidden
to attend theatre and all actors were excommunicated from the church. Christian
churches associated Roman theatre with low-end comedy and Pagan ritual. In 692 the
church official opposed theatre. They passed a resolution forbidding all theatrical
performances. Often, this event is referred to as the end of classical theatre in the west.
However, traveling theatrical troops continue to keep the art alive. Also, Chinese dance
and theatre are still very popular in Asian countries. In the 1200s storytelling became
very popular in Ireland, thanks to professional bards, or storytellers. Also around this
time, German drama began to rise up. In the 1300s ordinary people began to take part
in performances and the first English plays were recorded. In 1402, the European
Acting company was given permission by King Charles VI to occupy a permanent
playhouse. After this professional actors began to appear again. Also in the late 1400s,
Spanish theatre began to develop. Italian improvisational comedy was incredibly
popularand the renaissance began to emerge around the 1500s. In the mid-1500s,
Elizabeth I took the throne, and as an effort to quell the religious dissent, she banned
the writing of religious drama. However, this had the opposite effect and there was a
rapid development of secular drama. Around this time, the first permanent London
theatre was opened and William Shakespeare was born. William Shakespeare is
considered to be one of the greatest playwrights of all time. He excelled in both comedy
and tragedy and his writings are still studied by English students today. In the mid1600s, there was a civil war in England, and as a result of this and the Puritan
Revolution, King Charles was beheaded and Oliver Cromwell closed theatres in
England. He rose to power and spread the Puritan belief that theatres are places of sin.
Twenty years later, the theatres were reopened and women began to play the female
roles onstage. In the early 1700s the majority of theatergoers were middle-class people.
This new audience encouraged two new genres, sentimental comedy and domestic
tragedy. In 1716 the first American theatre was built in Williamsburg, Virginia. In the
1730s, the first recorded play in New York was performed and Great Britain passed a
licensing act which submitted all plays to censorship. In 1759 the first New York
playhouse opens. In the 1770s, a British playwright introduced more humorous and
realistic comedies as opposed to the sentimental comedies. Also, after the American
Revolution, the U.S. banned theatre performances until around 1790, when Americal
productions were being written. Around this time theatre in other places was becoming
more realistic through the scenery and costumes. In the 1850s, realism and melodrama
became popular and in 1875 the Paris opera opened. Five years later, the theatrical
movement Naturalism was developed. This proposed a natural way of speaking and
acting that would make the play as real as possible. At the same time, the first theatre to
be lighted by electricity was powered and the Metropolitan Opera was founded in New
York. In 1914, the first theatrical degree program in the United States was established.
In the 1920s, the television was invented and the Harlem Renaissance came around.
During the Harlem Renaissance, African-American theatre advanced with productions
like Shuffle Along, The Chip Woman’s Fortune and George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and
Bess. Also the Colored Player’s Guild was formed (Bigsby). In 1929 the first Academy
Awards were presented, which sparked years of tradition. In 1935 the U.S. government,
as a part of Roosevelt’s New Deal, created the Federal Theatre Project (FTP). The FTP
made performing arts more accessible to regular Americans. The first Tony awards
were presented in 1947 and the first Emmy Awards were in 1949. Around this time
television is also posing more of a threat to theatrical companies. In 1965 the National
Endowment for the Arts was established and the JFK Center for the Performing Arts
was opened in 1971. By 1990, more than 200 non-profit theatres were present in the
United States. Also, Broadway ticket prices are increasing due to escalating production
costs. Many shows are opening and being successful on Broadway, from the 90s until
today. Theatre through the years has had some rocky moments, and times when not
many people supported it. However, it still remained prevalent and regained it’s
popularity. In today’s society, there are both people who like it and people who don’t,
that will probably never change, but as long as people do enjoy theatre and continue to
support it, it will remain.
When a person chooses a performing arts career, they need to consider all the
requirements of having this job. For a stage actor, the “career ladder” might be being an
aspiring actor/actress, then having a job as an actor/actress and then being a
successful actor/actress in a Broadway production. That is the process an aspiring actor
or actress might follow on their way to fame, or whatever they were aiming for. To be a
professional actor/actress a formal education is not required, however many people will
attend performing arts high schools and colleges in hopes of perfecting their art.
Different schools will teach a person different methods, making their acting abilities
more varied. Also, as the school years pass, a person can attend theatrical workshops
to further their abilities. These workshops would probably be very useful to a person
considering theatre arts as a career. The special skills a person might need for a stage
career are excellent acting skills, the ability to deal with rejection, good memory,
articulate speech, poise, good stage presence and dependability. Acting skills,
articulateness, good memory, poise and stage presence all tie into a person’s
performance onstage. Dependability is something a director looks for when they cast,
because they don’t want to cast a person who won’t be there for rehearsals or
performances. The ability to handle rejection is also very important because an
actor/actress will audition for many shows and be rejected many times. Also, depending
on the type of theatre you are interested in, the person auditioning should be able to
sing and dance, too. Normally people involved in theatre will live in cities where there
are theatrically active people and places. Payment and employment prospects are
difficult depending on the where you are employed and what part you have been cast as
(Field). Because so many of the variables are hard to determine, many people think of
theatre as a bad choice for a career. Also, some requirements involve looking or
sounding a certain way, depending on the role, and many people would say this is
unfair. For example, a Caucasian woman would not be cast as one of the lead roles on
the musical Dream Girls. Dream Girls is a show about three African-American women
who sing together. Outsiders would say this is unfair, but others know that it is important
for the play to be as realistic as possible and to cast a white woman as an AfricanAmerican part would make the play not believable.
Unfortunately, casting fairness has become a very controversial issue in
theatrical companies. In 2009 there was an article posted on clydefitchreport.com about
a play called My Name is Rachel Corrie, which was adapted from the 1940 book The
Heart is a Lonely Hunter. A central character of this book and play is John Singer, who
is deaf and mute, but when Rebecca Gilman adapted the novel to the stage, she
opened and ended the play with speeches by Singer. By giving the character Singer a
speaking part, she made it very difficult, if not impossible, for deaf or mute actors to play
the part. A deaf actress, Linda Bove, who is also a board member of Alliance for
Inclusion in the Arts, said “A hearing actor playing a deaf character is tantamount to
putting a white actor in blackface. While Ms. Gilman was only thinking in the best
interest of her production, she outraged many actors and actresses (Jacobs). Another
controversial matter in theatre is the subject matter of specific shows. Many shows that
come out are pushing the boundaries of their time periods, but this also means that
many of the more conservative people of that time will be disgusted, appalled or
enraged at the show. Shows become controversial or offensive based on their subject
matter most of the time (Larsen). Touchy subject matters have always been sex, drugs,
racism and other things that have fallen in and out of pop culture. One very well-known
play that faced a lot of criticisms is the musical Hair. It opened in 1968, a considerably
more muted time period, and in a review by a New York Times theatre critic the critic
said “Since I have had a number of letters from people who have seen previews asking
me to warn readers, and, in the urbanely quaint words of one correspondent, ‘Spell out
what is happening on stage,’ this I had better do. Well, almost, for spell it out I cannot,
for this remains a family newspaper.” The critic continues to explain that many fourletter words a used very freely, and there is a nude scene, as long as many approving
references towards drugs and homosexuality (Barnes). These things seemed
completely out of place to many audience-members. In fact, a good deal of people did
not attend the show because it seemed so disrespectful to everything they believed in.
However, the people who did see the show, including the New York Times critic, really
enjoyed it. The critic calls the show “likable”. And the show must have been likable,
because it was brought back to with a Broadway revival in 1977 and 2009, not to
mention other venues in London and West End and multiple places worldwide. Other
controversial shows due to subject matter are Avenue Q, Rocky Horror Picture Show,
Rent, Spring Awakening and Equus (“The Most Controversial Broadway Shows”).
Another controversial matter with theatre is the fact that some people associate it with
sin and the devil. This goes way back in history. More conservative people think that
actors and actresses will willingly give in to all their temptations, because of scandalous
rumors of backstage happenings. Some people have always been put off by that fact
that a performer is willing to travel and work at night rather than stay home and settle
down. In the distant past people tied theatre to Pagan rituals, because originally it was a
form of ritualistic worship, however, since then it has evolved into the form of
entertainment it is today.
On the positive side, people involved in theatre know and feel that a successful
show is worth all the trouble that controversies will put them through. Most actors and
actresses will live for the day that they see their name on the marquis and they get to be
center stage, and a controversy over the subject matter of a play won’t take that from
them. Another positive part of theatre is the benefits of being a successful thespian and
being a part of a successful show. These benefits can be fame, fortune, friends or even
just the experience of a lifetime. Many times, a successful actor’s salary will be very
desirable. According to an paragraph in the book “Career Opportunities in Theatre and
the Performing Arts” by Shelly Field, in May of 2005, actors and actresses working in a
Broadway production earned a minimum of $1,381 per week (Field). Aside from the
money, many actors and actresses love knowing that people know their name. And
having a part in one show makes them more likely to have a part in another show, so
just by participating they are bettering their chances with experience before auditioning
for another production. Overall, the feeling a person gets when they are onstage is what
makes this career appealing to most actors and actresses. The money and the fame are
also pluses, but they don’t really compare to that thrill of being on stage and being able
to be anyone you want to be.
Personally, I can see both sides of the argument that theatre is not a worthwhile
career. It is true that perhaps it is not conducive to settling down and starting a family,
but I would rather be performing than give up something I have such a passion for. Also,
people argue that casting can be unfair to some people, but I argue in favor of the
directors. It makes the play more believable to have a specific type of person cast in a
role. They aren’t being biased they are trying to be truthful to the play and they are
trying to think in the best interest of the production. The director wants his show to be
successful, so he is going to do whatever he can to make his show successful. I think a
performing arts career can be just as legitimate as a medical career or an academic
career, and it can be just as competitive, if not more. It takes talent to further yourself in
an artistic field and I think that is something that should respected more by other people.
Instead of trying to tear theatre down I think young people should be encouraged to take
part in it. The experience is something you can’t get just anywhere.
Annotated Bibliography for Research Paper
Spill Guy, “The Most Controversial Broadway Shows”, http://www.bukisa.com. 2010.
Web.
6 November 2011.
The author of this article chose ten different shows that have been on
Broadway recently. He writes a paragraph about each, giving a short description
and explaining why he thinks it is one of the most controversial shows on
Broadway. These shows include modern shows like “Avenue Q” and old shows
that are being revived on the Broadway stage, such as “Hair”.
I plan to use this article by bringing up the controversial points of these
shows. I want to analyze what parts of theatrical productions make people in an
audience uncomfortable. I can use this list of shows as references and examples
withoutactually having to go see them on Broadway.
Larsen, Jen. “Theatre of Controversy”, http://www.welovedc.com. 2010. Web. 6
November
2011.
This article is very similar to the thesis of my research paper. It researches
and explains what about shows makes people uncomfortable. It uses examples
of parents involved in children’s theatre and the author talksto a few directors.
She concludes the paper by saying that theatre is meant to broaden the mind
anyway, so audience members should stay open to new things.
I plan to use this as support in my essay. I want to conclude my paper with
quotes from her about being open minded in the theatre. I would also like to use
her interviews with directors as reference in my paper.
Jacobs, Leonard. “On the NY Theatre Workshop-DeafActor Controversy: Where Do
You
Draw The Line?” http://www.clydefitchreport.com, 2009. Web. 6 November 2011.
This article is a response to a casting and writing decision in a Broadway
show. The character, who is a deaf person, was cast to be played by an actor
who was not deaf. The writer also wrote in a monologue for this character,
making the part difficult for deaf actors to play. This article explores the side of
the deaf people who were offended by these actions.
I want to use this article to explore another, less thought about
controversy. When people think about theatrical controversies, they don’t think
about fairness in casting a show. I want to research peoples’ reactions to being
told they could not audition for a part because they weren’t a certain race,
gender, age, etc.
Barnes, Clive. “Hair”. http://theatre.nytimes.com, 1968. Web. 6 November 2011.
This is a review of “Hair” when it first opened on Broadway. The reporter
uses a few paragraphs to reference the controversial parts of this show. He
summarizes the worst bits with a few sentences in the fifth paragraph. He talks
about how the show is very liberal for the times, but it is still a good show.
In my paper I plan to use this article to compare the controversies
now and the controversies in the sixties, when this show first opened. I want to
also weigh the differences in how the show was received then and how it is
received now. I want to point out the differences in acceptance that forty years
makes.
Field, Shelly. “Career Opportunities in Theatre and the Performing Arts”. New York:
Checkmark Books, 2006. Print.
This entry is an overview of the life of an actor in terms of career. It details
the duties, possible salary, employment prospects and prerequisites of a
theatrical actor’s career. After the statistics, there are paragraphs explaining what
it takes to have a possible career as an actor. It also gives details about the
statistics, risks and possibilities.
I want to use this to explore how controversial it would be to attempt a
career as a performing artist, theatrically. I want to give specific details about why
most people don’t think it is a very good idea, but also support my own opinion
with legitimate facts and statistics.
Bigsby, C.W.E. “A Critical Introduction to Twentieth-Century American Drama: Volume
Three, Beyond Broadway” Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
Print.
This book summarizes and gives an in depth view to the emergence of
theatre in the twentieth century. The chapters I am mainly interested in are
chapters 14, 15 and 16. (Black Theatre, Gay Theatre and Women’s Theatre)
These chapters explore the history of these three types of theatre.
I want to use examples from the chapters and learn more about these
types of theatre. They are the leading controversies of the last century and have
had a hard time in society. I want to explore the way people reacted to them and
treated them and how the supporters would respond to the people who disagreed
with them.