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Transcript
8-22-06 Thursday: 18-27 in Enjoyment of theater 8-24-06 Keyword: Ephemeral lasting for a short period of time existing for only one day, as with some plants and insects “Metaphor makes us human”-Augusto Boal Pictures in cave What is art? Monet-Woman with Parasol Urinal: Duchap-Fountain, 1917 Art is about context What is theatre: Event-art-space-idea-system Need: Actor Audience Space Time “Three boards, two actors, and a passion” Theatre vs. Life Theatre is a heightened and compressed version of life It’s moment by moment Involves problems with life There’s life after theater, but no coffee after life Optional ingredients: Story, words, writer, director, designer, costumes, lights, sets, sound Other arts in theatre: Music, dance, visual art Music artists: They’re creating a character for themselves Performing Arts: Theatre, Dance, Music, Opera -Ephemeral -Ephemeral=fleeting (here once moment, gone the next, never the same twice) -occupy time and space -need an audience Performer vs. Actor Why go to theatre History of humanity Live -like life -real people, not images More than words Local “to hold, as ‘twere, the mirror up to nature” Summary: No definitive definition 8-29-06 Seeing and Reading Plays keywords Audience Casual (Linear) Plot Episodic Plot Protagonist Antagonist Foil Raisoneur Confidante Idea Language Genre Quiz on Thursday over A Doll’s House How to Watch a Play Before the play: First thing you see: Stage Audience Set Program -director’s notes -cast Scenic Design: More doors, funnier the show’s supposed to be Today’s Audiences: upper middle class Spare time, money Ticket prices are a lot Avg. B’way theatergoer: $100,000+ income Alternative- smaller theatres! Cheap! Audience Behavior Elizabethan: much more involved, react more, diverse audience, groundlings broke 4th wall. Actors addressed audience directly Cradle Will Rock Negative behaviors: Audience size Preparation Willingness Waiting for Lefty (cast member calls for a strike, audience rioted) Different from reading a book Use Imagination Title Characters Stage Directions Other notes Place, time, season, historical, era Aristotle: Plot, Character, Idea, Language, Music, Spectacle Plot- arrangement of the incidents; casual (linear, a-b-c), episodic Causal: Exposition-inciting incident-rising action, point of no return, climax, resolution Episodic Plot Multiple plots centered around an idea Character: Functions: Protagonist: main character Antagonist: bad guy Foil: shows off the facets of the protagonist Confidante: protagonist confides in Raissoneur: voice of the author Idea: Meaning Central theme Language: Style, modern, old-fashioned, reflections on world of play Genre: Type of play Things that affect audience: Size, willingness, preparation, demographic 8-31-06 A Doll’s House Plot: Linear plot Multi-linear (other characters taking their own journey) Climax- when she yells at him and leaves Character: Protagonist: Nora Antagonist: Torvald Confidante: Kristine Foil: Kristine, Dr. Rank, Krogstag Child Doll Stubborn Frightened singing-bird Fool Bewildered Helpless Happy Fritter bird How has she changed in the end? More confidant. Independence, no blind trust, selfish and bold, wants to be her own person, not the doll in the dollhouse Macaroons hint that Nora will develop independent frame of mind, conversation with Kristine, she swears, when she talks about how she made her money What’s Nora’s overall goal or SUPEROBJECTIVE Beginning- money, end-freedom Torvald-banker-hates debt Language of Kristine compared to Nora: Older, more mature, more independent, life experience Rank has syphilis Ibsen: Father of modern drama Realism Norwegian folklore Doll’s House based on true story “problem play” retrospective plot -like greek tragedy -most major events before play starts Europe, mid-1800s Doll’s House-revolutionary for the time Theatres refused to produce it Actresses refused to play Nora -Germany-another ending -Nora stays for her children’s sakes “The slam heard ‘round the world” Norway: Winter, 3-4 hours of sun per day. Seasonal Depression Isben says it’s not about women’s rights It’s about transformation Everyone changes 9-5-06 Show Business Broadway Regional LORT: League of Resident Theatres -Goodman theater-Chicago -Guthrie theatre- Minneapolis -Indiana Repertory Theatre- Indianapolis -Cincinnati Playhouse- Cincinnati goal of commercial theatre: make a profit goal of nonprofit theatre art, break even Broadway-commercial, professional Regional- nonprofit, professional Academic- nonprofit, amateur Community- nonprofit, amateur Who’s in charge: Nonprofit: artistic director: -ticket sales, grants -Picks seasons (with help) -Hires personnel (directors, designers) -Oversees quality of productions Commercial Theatre: Producer: -picks show -finds investors -hires personnel -coordinates publicity -negotiates for use of performance space Finding People: Producer/artistic director---casting director---talent agent---actors Trade Papers: Back Stage- NYC Back Stage West- LA PerformINK-Chicago Actors read notices, call theatre for appt. to audition Unions: Actor’s Equity Association (1913) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actor%27s_Equity_Association Pros: Salary standards Housing Transportation Insurance Cons: Hard to get into union Must pay dues, even when not working Can only work at union theatres AEA: Actor’s Equity Association Actors and Stage Managers 40,000+ members in USA Negotiates wages, working conditions, contracts, etc Recent Controversy: Protest by Equity members National tour of The Music Man: -starring Purdue grad Gerritt VanderMeer -non-equity -“Broadway show”-Susan Stroman’s choreography and direction -salaries below Equity minimum, no benefits Other Unions: USA-United Scenic Artists SSD&C-Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers Creating a show: Rehearsals: -stage manager duties Scenery Costumes Lights, Sound Publicity: Advertising 100k for full page color ad in NY Times Nonprofit theatre-what would you do? Sponsors, flyers Publicist-press kit David Merrick-publicity stunts Moon over Broadway About Moon Over Buffalo Carol Burnett, Philip Brosco Directed by Tom Moore, Purdue grad Critics: Press Night: -press kit -reviews Critics at big papers can make or break a show What it is: Selfish, dependent, shallow, childish, stubborn, What it isn’t: Childish: obnoxious, annoying, ignorant, way too happy, baby, easily stressed out Stubborn: thickheaded, won’t listen, ignorant, not a very hard life, Shallow-ignorant Don’t possess a lot of knowledge or experience. Simple minded. Emotional about little things. Selfish-obnoxious: Self-centered Controlling Phrases: Ignorance is bliss. 9-7-06 Playwright: Dionysus: ancient Greece, god of wine and orgies and theatre Dythoram: homage to Dionysus, 50 men singing and dancing around statue Aeschylus: First playwright, 500 bc. Added a second character, 80-90plays. 7 still exist Thespus is first actor. Ben Johnson (1573-1637) Read best authors Observe best speakers Exercise own style Write what you know O’Neill was the first to put working class on stage, sad plays on Broadway, complex black characters Formatting is important Full length play=90 manuscript plays Formatted plays are easier for actors to read Helps get a literary agent Literary manager Optioning: Standard agreement=10% of the purchase price of the script and option it for x years, usually renewable Samuel French: Established playwrights Licensed rights to publish acting editions of plays (used to only get your lines) By late 1800s, represented most major playwrights Biggest two publishing houses: Samuel French Dramatists New Playwright: Small stipends ($50-$100) Royalties for small theatres, world premiere play, 5-10% of total ticket sales Theatre companies take % of future royalties if they present world premiere Dramatists Guild: Professional association for playwrights, composers, lyricists Membership is open Helps with contracts Copyright Work is protected moment hits the paper Safe side: certificate from US copyright office: $20 Getting your work seen: Theatres and contests Dramatists Sourcebook What to send: Cover letter Resume Synopsis Script S.A.S.E Produce it Yourself How? Volunteer, find a director and space, set up your own development process 9-12-06 The Director Newest facets in terms of theatre mid-late 1800s, director comes Stanislovsky’s directing of Chekov’s Seagul A guide A midwife Love what you are directing Read the script without stopping the first time 7 is considered the perfect number casting is 80% of your work-William Ball 1. tablework 2. on our feet reading 3. Blocking a. Pictureization b. Composition 4. Workthroughs 5. Walkthrough 6. Runthrough 7. Tech (director is not as important after this) 8. Dress rehersals 9. Previews Lecture: Before director: Choregs: financed plau Didaskalos: “teacher” of the chrorus Medieval Theatre: Master of Secrets Actor-Managers: Head of acting company Leading actor David Garrick: 1717-1779, no audience on stage (first star) Ibsen hired as a manager, organized sets, costumes entrances and exits What changed? 1859-Origin of Species from Darwin 1900-Interp of Dreams from Freud 1879-A Doll’s house, 11 rehersals 1883-An Enemy of the People, 32 rehersals Duke of Saxemeiningen; Georg II, 1826-1914 First true director Peter Brook’s white box production of Midsummer Night’s Dream Director does: Select play (maybe) Interprets a play Casts, rehearses Guides designers Liaison Coordinates into finished performance Auteur Director: Author, idea comes from director, not playwright Txt serves director Good director: knows purpose of script, knows spine, develops concept, communicates well 9-14-06 I start at Elliott, in lobby What to look for: Color Intense or washed out? Why did the designer choose them? What do they signify? Line: Jagged? Smooth? Short? Long? What does that signify? Size Genre Period Julie Taymor Director/Designer The Lion King: How does she use costume and set design 9-21-06 Tuesday: Exam 1, study guide on WebCT Multiple choice Ch 8: The Actors Stanislavsky: Russian actor, director, theorist Father of modern acting Founded Moscow Art Theatre Strasberg, Adler, Meisner Stan says being truthful on stage and “live the part” Stan’s System Given Circumstances: who, what, where, when why, who is the other person “Magic If” put yourself in the role Objective: character’s goal Obstacle Character Analysis Actor’s Training Voice: pitch, volume, dialects, etc Body: use to characterize Mind: access emotion External vs. Internal Acting: External Acting- physical life (how we walk, etc) Internal Acting: inner life (thoughts, feelings, opinions, points of view) Auditioning: Job interview for actors, show talent and versatility 99% of the time you won’t get cast Types of Auditions: Regional (big theatres who aren’t in NYC or LA) or national (broadway or touring) Theatre Companies, audition to become a member of the company Open Auditions Cattle Calls: American Idol Headshots Resumes: don’t list weight on resume, or age Prepared Monologues/songs Where to fine auditions: Regional papers, trade papers, agents, internet Who Watches: Director, casting director, producer, artistic director, playwright After Audition: Waiting, callbacks, cold reading, What’re they looking for: Hold an audience, professionalism, taking big risks, handling direction, how you look Hints: they’re not the enemy, be prepared, do your best, be professional 9-28-06 Ancient Greece: Sex, Wine, and Theatre Philosophy: Socrates, Plato Math: Pythagoras Medicine: Hippocrates Architecture: the Parthenon Art: statue from 450 bc Democracy Today: Advertising Entertainment: Athens Population: 140,000 Democracy: demos (people) + (kratein) (rule) Attica: 10 tribes The Beginning-Dionysus Cult Alcohol, orgies, sacrifices Wild dancing-ecstatis Creativity Satyrs-half men half goat Dithyramb: Ode to Dionysus 50 men, dressed as satyrs evolved to story/drama Thespis (first actor according to legend) Important Date to Know: 534 BC: Festival changed to include drama Athens City Dionysia: Religious festival Choragus-producer appointed 1 year before festival, paid for everything Tragedies Satyr Play All male actors who wear masks Shoes-kothornos Chiton- costume Center of theatre: orchestra Skene, or scene house Parodos, or entrance Deus ex Machina: god from the machine, fly in a god to say stop fighting Ekkyklema: platform on wheel to bring characters out of a building Why Tragedy? Gods, Humans, Fate Pathos (Pitiful people), Hubris (excessive pride) Format of Tragedy: Tragos (goat) and ODE (song) Prologue-parados (chorus enters)-five scenes (each followed by chorus)-exodus (big finish) Aeschylus: First playwright Added 2nd actor Reduced chorus from 50 to 12 Great trilogies -Orestia Sophocles: Great plot construction Added 3rd actor Oedipus Rex, Antigone (sister/daughter of Oedipus) Euripedes Fewer gods, more regular people Deus Ex Machina Made fun of in other plays, satires The Trojan Women Comedy: Two types: -old comedy-mocks social, political, and cultural -new comedy-comedy for the sake of comedy, led to Roman comedy only one of each remains Decline: 404BC: Athens defeated by Sparta, annexed into Roman Empire in 146 BC City Dionysia theatre 10-3-06 adinkra symbols Lloyd Wilson-director, “acting is falling into darkness backwards” Richard III not due until 12th No ticket stubs for 7 guitars 10-5-06 Richard III quiz due 10/17 Roman Theatre 55BC Roman Theatre: Borrowed from Greece 1st play-translation from freek Livius Andronicus (Greek: Andronikos) Ludi Romani (oart of games) All actors were men dressed in greek costumes, comedies called Fabula Palliata Masks Comic Actor: Slave? Low professions, “Infami” w/o honor Costumes very important, masks, phallus, pallium Minerva-Roman Goddess of Crafts Plautus (254-184 BC) Palliatae Copied Greeks Farce Stock Characters (Miles Gloriosus-“The Boastful Soldier”, The Menaechmi TwinsShakespeare stole it-Comedy of Errors) Terence (185-159 bc) 6 plays, more refined born a slave wooden stages Audience: Everyone could go, VIPs in orchestra Plautus’ The Little Cathiginian Theatres and Stages: Gree influence, some with roof (Odeon) 55 BC- first stone theatre, 17,000 seats Pompey the Great, dedicated to Venus Roman architecture more elaborate, theatres freestanding, Greek theatres built into hills Seneca (4 bc-65 ad) Only survving tragedies, closet drama Based on Greek tragedies Philosopher Nero’s tutor Influenced Shakespeare Atellan Farce From Atella, Stock Characters (fool, babbler, grandfather, glutton, or doctor) Masks, improvised Pantomimus: Dance, Poetic text-chorus, popuar Decline Fall of Rome 476 AD Christianity Constantinople-eastern Roman capital, founded by Constantine Saint Genesius 10-17-06 Italian Renaissance Verasmilitude: life like Perspective Gutenberg’s press, Galileo proves sun is center of universe Humanism: focus on humanities, individual dignity, reason/logic Neoclassical Ideals: Verisimilitude: life like Unities (from Aristotle): Time-24 hours Place-One Locale Action-One central story Tragedy and Comedy rules: no violence, chorum, supernatural characters, solilquies Purpose: teach moral lessons Teatro Olimpico: theatre (looks just like an ancient Roman theatre-painted sky on ceiling) Teatro Farnese: procenium stage, greater realism Pole and Chariot System: Giacomo Torelli (1608-1678): Ropes and pullies to put things on stage Wing and Groove: scenery on flat board in groove, drag on and off Sabbattini: invented way to dig lights Periactoi: big overhead triangle stages Commedia dell’ Arte: form of improv comedy Lazzi-little bits of action Known for scenic designs and special effects Renaissance England: Elizabeth I: 1558-1603, colonization of New World Shakespeare: Stratford-upon-Avon Lord Chamberlain’s Men (his company) Christopher Marlowe Dr. Faustus Iambic pentameter Stabbed in eye in bar fight at 29 (1593) Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford 1550-1604 minor artists, Queen paid him 1000 pounds a year, dunno why William Shakespeare: 10 plays written after 1604, too much conspiracy, many writer knew Shakespeare, his company published works, crediting him Major Players: Queen Elizabeth, Lord Chamberlin’s Men James Burbage-opens Red Lion, firs theatre in London Globe Theatre Jacobean Period: James 1, son of Mary Queen of Scots Melodramatic plays, violence, spectacle\ Masques Ben Jonson: Known for fighting, killed an actor, thumb branded Wrote court masques Inigo Jones: Designer, architect (Covent garden), Court Masques, costumes Decline: Civial War, Charles 1 deposed, beheaded William Cromwell takes over 1642-Puritans outlaw all heater 10-19-06 Exam 10-31 All Shakespeare’s plays had 5 acts (like greeks) Romantcism & Realism Romanticism: 1750-1859 Revolution: American (1776) French (1789) Industrialization, cities Beauty, art, truth Social revolutions (abolitionism, suffrage) Melodrama: The Girl of the Golden West David Belasco Good v Evil Stock characters (hero, villain, young lovers) Clear moral world Stereotypes Stage directions, music, special effects Language Moral reason Charles Darwin: Origin of Species-1859 Marx-Das Kapital-1867 Edison-lamp-1879 Frued-Interpretation of Dreams-1900 Einstein-Theory of Relativity-1905 Ibsen (1828-1906) Realistic and non-realistic Ordinary people Deep psychological portrait of characters August Strindberg (1849-1912) Individual v himself or v each other Hated “Emancipatied Women” Naturalism: Lower classes, sordid aspects of life, social problems, reform Emile Zola (1840-1902) Novelist, theorist, playwright David Belasco (1853-1931) Extreme naturalist Girl of the Golden West: 20 minute sunrise-1905 Richard Wagner Beyreuth Theatre-1876 Continental seating Scene design Limitations of Realism: Confining, excludes: music, dance, symbolism, poetry, fantasy, supernatural Reaction/decline (WW1, depression, mass production, industrialization) 10-24-06 Exam 2-10/31 Avant garde: ahead of their times, on the front lines Early 20th century: Freud-“Thoughts for the Times on War and Death” Oliver Messiaen-Quartet for the end of time-german prison camp Inspired by book of revelation Timeline-pg 359 Non-mainstream movements Adolphe Appia 1862-1928 very simple, living space, focus on action 3d space spotlights lighting plot Bayreuth theatre Expressionism Metropolis- Fritz Lang Dadaism: most abstract, non-literal, deliberately irrational, “Art is shit”, no form, meaning? Dadaist Manifesto-Tristan Tzara (Gas Heart, “nothing is more enjoyable than baffling people.”) Absurdism: Post ww2, existentialist, God is Dead, world w/o meaning, Familiar/Strange, circular plot, Samuel Beckett (Happy Days, Waiting for Godot) 10-26-06 American Theatre Melodrama: Kid actors amazingly popular 19th century: museums, music halls, circuses (PT Barnum-1810-1891) American Museum Feejee mermaid Tom thumb Booth family big Wild West Shows: Huge shows, native Americans, cowboys (Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull) Buffalo Bill was a women’s rights advocate Vaudeville Minstrel Shows Eugene O’Neil: first serious American playwright Long Day’s Journey into Night Federal Theatre Project: Part of WPA, 1935-1939 Purpose: create work! Controversial Clifford Odets-playwright from group theatre Waiting for lefty Show Boat-first true Broadway show Outdoor Drama Review Be familiar with the parts of an ancient Greek theatre. Orchestra (playing area), parodoi (entrances), skene (scene house), What is an eccyclema? What is a mechane? What were they used for? Platform/crane used to bring actors on and off stage, usually dead In class, Andrew and Lisa performed a scene from Lysistrata, an ancient Greek comedy. What was the scene about? Women withholding sex from their soldier husbands What is a dithyramb? Ode to Dionysus 50 men, dressed as satyrs evolved to story/drama What is a satyr play? A short, rustic, and often obscene play included in the Dionysian festivals of Greece at the conclusion of tragedies Who were Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides? Writers, Aes introduced second actor, trilogies. Soph introduced 3rd actor, Euri was mocked in life, examined human relationships Be familiar with the traits of Greek theatre described in the textbook. Polytheism, special occasions, competitive, In what year was drama added to the festivals in ancient Greece? What actor, by legend the first actor in ancient Greece, is said to have won the competition that year? 534 bc, Thespis Be familiar with the parts of an ancient Roman theatre. Outside, semi-circle, on a street, roofed stage, architecurlal connection, What year was the first stone theatre built in ancient Rome? 55 bc In class we watched a video of Plautus’ The Braggart Warrior. What was it about? Slaves getting freedom through tricking the boastful, but cowardly master To what deity was ancient Roman theatre dedicated? Minerva What were ancient Roman theatre audiences like? Theatre for all, vips in orchestra, commoners, slaves Scenic designer Russ Jones said that the ring above the stage in Seven Guitars had symbols inspired by what culture? African, adrinka symbols from Ghana Be familiar with the scenic design and costume design of Seven Guitars and of The Importance of Being Earnest. (If you have seen the show you will be able to answer any questions on the exam) What are the Unities observed in Italian Renaissance theatre? Where did the unities originate? Unities (from Aristotle): Time-24 hours Place-One Locale Action-One central story What is verisimilitude? truth seeming, no gods What does the Teatro Olimpico look like? Roman but inside, sky on ceiling, midgets for perspective What innovation is the Teatro Farnese known for? Proscenium stage, designed sets (not all on street) What was Italian Renaissance scenic design like? Perspective, overdone, not real What is the pole-and-chariot system used for? Bringindg sets and props on stage What are periaktoi? Three-sided triangles with scenes on them What was Commedia dell’Arte like? Imrpov, professional playing Who was Christopher Marlowe? In what type of meter (rhythm) did he write his plays? Playwright, stabbed in eye, Iambic pentameter, queen gave him cash Who was Edward de Vere? Earl of Oxford, thought to be shakespeare What were Court Masques, and what were they like? What did designer Inigo Jones have to do with Court Masques? Big royal parties, Indigo Jones, designer/architect of huge sets, Covent Garden, Italian stages to English audiences What were Elizabethan English theatres like? Outdoor public, loud, interaction, rich people in boxes What are groundlings? Poor people in front of the stage, on ground What does Hamlet’s “advice to the players” tell us about acting in Shakespeare’s time? Good acting is natural, don’t over do it Who is David Belasco? How did he once create a scenic design for a boarding room? Extreme naturalist, found a real boarding room and took it apart What is melodrama? Overdone drama, sometimes with swelling music Why were the seats in Richard Wagner’s Beyreuth Theatre revolutionary? What else about his theatre was revolutionary? Got rid of boxes, continental seating (everyone was equal), orchestra in the pit What were the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen’s theatre company and productions like? Accuracy of costumes/sets, first true director, influenced realists What is the “Fourth Wall?” Magic wall between audience and actors What genre of theatre is Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House?” Realism What form of theatre and art says “art is shit, but we want to shit in different colors?” dada In Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days, what is unusual about the main character, Winnie? She’s buried What artistic and theatrical movement is characterized by a nightmarish, distorted world view? expressionism What caused artists to react against realism? Wwi, depression, mass production, industrialization What major world events are surrounded by anti-realistic artistic and theatrical movements? Who was Adolphe Appia? What type of design element did he feel was best able to fuse all other theatrical elements into an artistic whole? Scenic designer, did first lighting plot and used sptotlights What type of acts could be seen in Vaudeville? How was Vaudeville different from Burlesque? Variety, family vs strip shows What was PT Barnum famous for? Freaks, American Museum What types of melodramas did PT Barnum show in his American Museum? Circuses and temperance shows What were Wild West Shows like? Huge, live, animals Who were Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, and Sitting Bull? Members of the buffalo bill wild west show What, according to a video shown in class, is considered to be the first real American musical? (Hint: written by Kern and Hammerstein, it dealt with racism, miscegenation, domestic violence, and show business) showboat What was the Federal Theatre Project? Part of the WPA, paid actors to perform during the great depressions In what show written by Clifford Odets did actors sit in the audience and yell “strike” until the audience rioted? Waiting for Lefty What was a Living Newspaper? style of theatre, documentaries 11-2-06 Black Theatre in America Bert Williams-popular minstrel performer Minstrel show: white performers in black face…then black performers in black face TD Rice The Escape (1858) first black play, written by Brown In Da Homey, Abyssina (operettas) Rachel (first black play performed, 1916, popoganda for NAACP) Lafayette Players 1919 (Harlem, Anita Bush) Harlem Renaissance, 1920-1930 African Americans being regular African Americans, not playing a part Alain Locke, integrationist Famous writers: Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes All Black Musicals Shuffle Along (music: Eubie Blake, 1921) Porgy & Bess (Gershwins, 1935) Richard Wright (1930-60) FTP Negro Theatre Unit Wright’s Essay, “The blueprint for negro writing” (1936) Native Son Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (1959) Black Theatre movement: 1960s The Negro Ensemble Co (Sam Jackson, Denzel) National Black Theatre LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka Duthman movie Modern Playwrights/Plays Ntozake Shange (For Colored Girls) choreopoem August Wilson (The Piano Lesson) (90s) Anna Deveare Smith (Twilight Los Angeles: 1992) Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog) 11-7-06 Blackface Minstrel shows: 19th century, mostly white in blackface, popular well into 20th century fundraisers/community entertainment Minstrel Line: 1. Semi-circle Mr. interlocutor (center) Bruder Tambo (tambourine) Bruder Bones (castanets) Birth of the rimshot 2. Olio songs and skits, evolved into Vaudeville 3. One-act musical (spoof of novel or play) Jim Crow (ignorant country bumpkin) Zip Coon (city slicker) Most hits of the 1800s are from Minstrel Shows Abolitionism: Minstrel shows coincide with N awareness of slavery Portraits of Blacks as childlike, happy-go-lucky, always singing=safe, non-threatening 20th century: NAACP founded in 1909 WW1 galvanized African-American community (soldiers return, protest racial injustice) Migrations from rural S to N cities Harlem Renaissance c. 1920-1930s (after WW1) explosion of artistic activity “new Negro movement” “two-ness”-WEB DuBois Langston Hughes Aaron Douglas: Into Bondage (1936) Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake (write Shuffle Along-1941) “I’m just Wild about Harry” Ziegfeld hired dancers from this show to teach his Follies Lorraine Hansberry: Raisin in the Sun Directed by Lloyd Richards: First black b’way director Mentor to August Wilson Head of Yale School of Drama 7 Guitars: 7 men with 7 guitars, anthology play, 10-minute scenes, men argue on which will play on what corner Future play planned, never completed: Seven Guitars Too Inspired by decades of listening, blues 11-9-06 Latin-American Theatre Medieval Theatre (ca 1350-1550) Mystery Plays (biblical events) Miracle Plays (lives of saints) Morality Plays (religious themes, moral lesson) Spanish Golden Age: 1550-1650: leading world power (exploration/conquest of New World) Devoutly Catholic nation (Norther Europe: Protestant Reformation, Inquisition) Theatre Thrives Lope de Vega (1562-1653) (b 2 years before S’peare) Priest, loved ladies More than 2200 plays, 1800 comedies, 400 autos sacramentales “…three boards, two actors, and one passion” Spanish Conquest of Mexico Cortez landed in 1519 25 million Aztecs die (war/disease) spain imposes gov’t and religion Origins of Theatre in Mexico: Native Mexican/Aztec rituals, Spanish drama combine Mascaradas: Dramatic religious allegories Developed into posadas of today The Last Judgement First play written in New World Friar Olmos, 1533 Carpas: Mexico and border states Traveling tent shows, 1800s-1900s Family-run Influenced by Euro circuses, Aztec acrobatics, vaudeville La Carpa Garcia: 1920s-1940s Garcia family Traveled through SW US and Mexico Pilar Garcia Carpas: vaudeville and burlesque Dances: traditional Mexican, Japan, Germany, Holland, Modern (Charleston, Jitterbug) Luis Valdez: El Teatro Campesino (founder) Zoot Suit: first latin-american play produced on Broadway Influenced by Commedia dell’Arte, Mexican Folklore, modern social issues Theatre founded during farm worker’s strike in 1965 John Leguizamo…the king of one-man shows Explores Stereotypes Dozens of characters Spic-O-Rama Mamba Mouth Freak Sexaholix 11-14-06 Lisa Loomer: Other plays: Expecting Isabel, The Waiting Room, wrote Girl, Interupted Mother who has employed nannies, nanny characters based on interviews 11-16-06 Hroswitha von Gandersheim 10th century germany, first recorded female playwright in Europe, Imitated Terence Puritans: 1642, England Parliament, Puritan majority, outlaws theatre Charles I loses Civil War Charles II: Opened theatres, allowed women on stage, REALLY liked actresses Mary “Moll” Davis: mistress, actor, singer, dancer, comedienne, had one child Fanny Kemble (1809-1893) Born in London, toured US, married plantation owner, abolitionist, helped persuade Britain to support Union Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) Divine Sarah, greatest actress in the world, many us tours, managed theatres and owned one, “silver” voice, athletic acting style, silent film star, big celebrity Eva Le Gallienne (1899-1991) Actress, producer, director Translated Ibsen Most prominent and acclaimed actress in US Pioneered repertory theatre movement Lillian Hellman (1905-1984) The Children’s Hour House committee on Un-American Activities Margaret Edson: Kindergarten teacher First and only play Pulitzer Prize Theatre in high school John Donne (1572-1631) Catholic, charming, witty, Elizabeth’s court, eventually became Anglican chaplain Married woman in secret 11-21-06 Francis Gumm---Judy Garland Marx Bros 1964: Hello, Dolly! Based on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker Hair: 1967, book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni Ga;t McDermott, composer Public Theatre, Central park Spoke to 60s generation Jesus Christ Superstat-1971 ALW-composer Tim Rice-lyricist Video: First written as an album Linear plot: book musical Episodic plot: revue Godspell-1971, Stephen Schwartz Grease: 1972, directed by Tom Moore (PU alum) The Wiz, 1975, all African-American Little Shop of Horrors: 1982 Jonathan Larson: 1996, La Boheme, corporate backing, modern Oklahoma? 11-28-06 Post Modernism/Eclecticism: Theatre for a New Millennium 1960s-Present Broadway & non-profit theatre 1. What other movements influence the theatre of the present. What connections can you make? 2. What is the difference between performance art and theatre 3. Can theatre/art create change in society Eclectic: made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources; a reflection of our diverse society Postmodernism (changes since 1960) -loss of belief in objectivity and truth -loss of belief in meaning -deconstruction of societal constructs -questioning of language -differences in shades of meaning; not black and white opposites Broadway Theatre: -prices skyrocket -“safe” moneymakers -musicals/entertainment -corporate takeover (Disney-Lion King) Non-profit theatre: 1960s/70s: experimentation and improvisational ritualistic (street) theatre/confronting the audience Poor theatre movement: everything stripped down to it’s essence The Open Theatre-Van Itallie and The Serpent Performance art; making personal political statements; Karen Finley Experiments with visual images & times; fragmentation, juxtaposition and recombination Today’s eclectic theatre: Diversity of stiles, often intermingled to produce “departures from realism” Encompasses a variety of plot structures: linear, circular, other (M. Butterfly, Metamorphoses) May mix genre and media Diversity of voices: gender, ethnicity, age, religion, sexuality, etc World Theatre: globalization International festivals and conferences Cross-cultural performances Theatre of the Oppressed: political/community based theatre Cultural (PC) sensitivity Antonin Artaud Changing Stages Spurt of Blood Theatre of cruelty 11-30-06 Review session on Tuesday in class 12-12 is the alternate final war machine imagery set design: turn of the century forgery costume design: used color and silhouette key word for women is restriction bi-colored capes so they can switch lighting design: clear soft work lights pull all color from light on “now is the winter” use shadows to help contort Richard sketches in chalk on black paper lights above stage light up when someone dies sound: fun, rockin lord of the rings stuff some transitions were weird circus music no underscoring, don’t interfere with the dialogue actors: text is a challenge counting the pantameter using the language instead of acting against it family connections 1st pholio text “dropping in” method playing multiple characters no scripts on stage, fed lines spent 1 hour every rehearsal stripping away tension in your speech 12-5-06 Review: 2nd floor of PAO hall for alternate final