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200 Cards in this Set
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1850's-1900's |
Minstrelsy and the Minstrel Show |
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The Minstrel Show |
-1st theatrical form on entertainment in USA -consisted of comic skills, variety acts, dancing, music, and stock characters -performed by whites and blacks in blackface -audiences = ethnically diverse -created stereotypes that blacks were RACIST |
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Minstrel Show outlet |
-provided an outlet to the mainstream public on the issue of slavery -offered blacks an outlet into an all white world, providing paid entertainment, work, and pride for black actors |
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Black Face |
-involved use of burnt cork to color the skin to display qualities of blackness -1st doc use of black face: 1441 Portugal -Seen on the Elizabethian stage in 1604 w Shakespeare's Othello -In 1828 in NY Thomas Darmouth "Daddy" RIce brought to life American minstrel characters |
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Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice |
-Father of American minstrelsy -created a persona of Jim Crow in 1828 based on a folk trickster chara among black slaves -used black vernacular speech and a song (Jump Jim Crow) and a dance to the chara -Boston posted stated that Jim and Queen Victoria were the 2 most pop charas in world |
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Minstrel Show Characters |
-Jim Crow/ Gumbo Chaffs -Zip Coon -Mr. Tambo -Mr. Bones -Interlocutor -Uncle Tom -Mammy -Yeller Gal or Jesebel -Black Soldier |
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Jim Crow/ Gumbo Chaffs |
"silly" slave who wore tattered clothes and told tall tales |
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Zip Coon |
a dandy dressed in high style who made fun of free blacks, was arrogant and spoke in puns |
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Mr. Tambo |
"happily naive" slave who played the tambourine and sang |
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Mr. Bones |
"ignorant" slave who played the castanets or bones and sang |
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Interlocutor |
the "straight man master of ceremonies" who spoke in aristocratic English |
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Uncle Tom |
"good and gentle", religious and sober man; character of Uncle Ben's Rice Fame |
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Mammy |
"wise, lovable and independent" mother figure; character of Aunt Jemima Syrup fame |
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Yeller Gal or Jezebel |
a beautiful mulatto woman of light skin that was sexually provocative and seen as a temptress or promiscuous; wore high fashion and often tried to pass for white but was soon figured out |
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Black Soldier |
In Civil War clothes and known for retreating from battle |
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Minstrel Show Structure |
-Parade -Act 1 -Act 2 -Act 3 |
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Minstrel Parade |
crowd gathered parading to theatre |
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Minstrel Act 1 |
the troupe danced, sang songs and told jokes, all under the instruction of the Interlocutor; it ended with a competitive walk around dance |
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Minstrel Act 2 |
-Called olio -Was a variety show with dance, music, acrobatics -Tambo/Bones would give a stump speech about politics or society with the intention of eloquence but full of puns and jokes |
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Minstrel Act 3 |
-called the after piece -was a comedic southern plantation skit w song and dance, often introducing new characters -there are pies to the face, an inflated bladder joke, and fireworks on stage |
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Stephen Foster (1862-1864) |
-father of american music -wrote minstrel show music and songs became mainstream -wrote "oh! Susanna"; "camptown races" and "swanee river" |
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1910-1930s: Black vaudeville |
TOBA -Theatre owners booking association AKA= tough on black artists (asses) |
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TOBA |
-Vaudeville circuit for African American performers established to represent them, book them for gigs, and provide them w business org -mostly white owners, at its peak there were 100 theatres w the most prest in Harlem, DC, Philly -Performers of renown include Louis Armstrong, Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, and Bessie Smith |
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Black vaudeville |
-a typical BV performance was made up of a serious of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill -acts included pop musicians, singers, dancers, comedians etc -composed of only back performers (M & F) - one such theatre was the strand |
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Gospel shows |
-has a moral message -includes gospel music |
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Tyler perry |
-actor, filmmaker, playwright, author, songwriter -Forbes named him the highest paid man in entertainment and the most successful playwright in the U.S. |
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Tyler perry criticism |
Director spike lee says he is perpetuating stereotypes |
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Nickelodeons |
Pay a nickel and get to watch a film |
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Bert Williams (1874-1922) |
-one of the greatest and most respected Vaudeville actors -1st Af Amer w leading role on Broadway -a hit recording artist -paved the way for future AA artists -performed in black face |
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The Nicholas brothers |
Fab dancers that were never trained, learned their skills by watching Vaud as a kid. Trained Michael Jackson |
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1920-1930s |
All black musicals Shuffle along (1921) |
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Shuffle along |
-ran on Broadway for 504 performances -launched careers of Josephine Baker and paul robeson -featured hit song "I'm just wild about Harry" = Trumans campaign song -produced, written, performed all by African Americans |
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1950s, 60s, 70s |
Black playwrights Black theater companies- negro ensemble companies 1967 |
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Negro ensemble theatre |
- established to focus on themes of black life and the negro experience -a competitive professional theatre and offered an actor training program -alumni include- bill Cosby, Denzel Washington, Samuel L jackson |
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1980s to today |
-the urban circuit -gospel shows |
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Urban circuit- Shelly Garret's beauty shop and barber shop |
- mix of melodrama, farce, and R&B -caters to the audience -has an inspirational message -often criticized for its quality and use of stereotypes |
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Broadway Off Broadway Off Off Broadway |
more than 499 seats between 99-499 seats less than 99 seats |
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1920s pansy craze |
-era of prohibition- saloons closed down- speakeasies popped up -all classes of society mixed together -underground entertainment w floor shows that showcased cross dressers -drag balls |
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drag balls |
modeled after debutante/cotillions/coming out balls in which young women "come out" into society; for men a public declaration of their homosexuality by dressing in clothes |
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Julian Eltinge |
-most fame female impersonator in vaudeville -tried to maintain a manly lifestyle outside of per -big reveal at end of show = taking off wig -career went downhill w the creation of speakeasies -performed in parodies of fame musicals/plays -toured w a minstrel group- in black face -1st big musical = The Fascinating Widow -master self promotor, moved to LA for movies |
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Jean Malin |
-born in 1908 brooklyn -first openly gay performer in speakeasies -worked as a chorus boy in sev broadway shows and in drag clubs -didnt dress in drag- his act was to behave in an effeminate manner while wearing a tux (gay impersonating straight impersonating gay) |
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Persecution |
-military made efforts to exclude gays, but after Pearl Harbor they took anyone -enlistment med professionals, supposed to spot homos but many got through -men beaten for engaging in homo behavior, but drag shows still a pop form of entertainment for soldiers |
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Gay persecution |
-some gay/lez soldiers discharged- blue discharge (being gay = psych disorder- denied benefits and put in military psych wards) -war ended, discharged gay military men.. but they stayed in San Fran in groups bc they were too afraid/embarrassed to return home |
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The Lavender Scare |
-1953 Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450 dictating the fire of all gay/lez gov workers -Sen. Joseph McCarthy said homos were as bad as commies bc they might give up secrets to protect their sexuality -1,000 fed agents given task of finding homos -legal firing of homos continued until Bill Clinton revoked act in 1995!!! |
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Gay/Lesbian theatre |
-theatre that is by, for,& about uncloseted gays -1927 NYC padlock bill -Hayes code 1934 -Playwrights Tennessee Williams, Robert Anderson& Lillian Hellman wrote about closeted gays |
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Padlock Bill |
prohibited plays from depicting or dealing with homosexuals.. no gay/lez characters and couldnt mention them |
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Hayes Code |
banned homosexual images in Hollywood film |
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What is credited as the beginning of gay/lez theatre? |
-1964 w 2 one act plays performed off off broadway at Cafe Cino, revolutionizing how gay characters were rep on stage bc they were all closeted -Madness of Lady Bright- Lanford Wilson -Haunted Host- Robert Patrick |
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Haunted House by Robert Patrick |
-power reversal between gay man (jay) and straight man (frank) -strong use of queered language |
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queered language |
using witicism and quick turns over meaning to divert power from the character who seems to have the upper hand, completely reversing the power dynamic |
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The Boys in the Band by Mart Crowley |
-opened 1968 in Theatre Four (off B) in NY and ran 1,001 shows -sparked the rev of gay culture in theatre, rep gay people as fully fleshed out humans who span a wide array of types -presented an honest and realistic insight into gay life |
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What playwrights did the Boys in the Band inspire |
-Tony Kushner (Angels in America) -Larry Kramer (The Normal Heart) -Doug Wright (I am my own wife) |
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Stonewall riots |
-June 1969 police raided a gay club in NYC called Stonewall inn- targeted bc owned by Italian mob and was illegally selling liqqq w/o a license -turned violent when crowd thrw bottles at popo -riot spread and popo had to hide out in club waiting for backup -protests& demonstrations were held for the next 4 days- 1st major protest in gay rigths move |
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Harvey Fierstein |
-one of Americas first openly gay celebs -1st maj triumph for gay theatre on Broad- Torch Song Trilogy -made up of sevral one acts that he worked throughout the 70s to form a full production |
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Torch Song Trilogy |
A musical about gay drag queen and his relationship with his fam, friends, and lovers |
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Safe sex |
-Fierstein presented an evening of 3 one act plays called safe sex in 1987, addressing AIDS epidemic -the spread of AIDS through gay community changed gay theatre, making homos more viable than ever before |
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Angels in America |
-by Tony Kushner -writes characters who have been made powerless by their circumstances -covers very political issues |
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The Childrens Hour |
-by Lillian Hellman -played on Broadway 1934- instant hit -two women who run a school for girls- one of the school kids spreads a lie bout one of the teachers which the teacher realizes is true at end and kills herself -Hellman writes plays centered around social and political injustice |
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Lesbian Theatre |
-had a SUPER hard time w equality bc lez and female-theatre very patriarchal -started supa small w intimate groups of women putting together vaudeville style shows w mult acts -Jane Chambers told NYtimes bout goin2 college -Split Britches -hard to find actresses to play gay parts bc of the rep it might give them |
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Split Britches company |
-founded 1980
-produced shows that directly addressed the audience- characters open w their sexuality |
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Lisa Kron |
-playwright who performs in her own plays -solo artist, uses her own life as material for her plays -member of the 5 lesbian brother, which started in 1989 and produces lez theatre |
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Fun House |
-by Lisa Kron -bases on memoir by Alison Bechdel -3 actresses play Bechdel (young girl, teen, middle aged) focuses on relationship w closeted father |
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Concert Saloon (1850-1920s) |
-featured pop songs, comedy & specialty acts -American version British Music Hall -alc was served -gambling allowed -"water girls" served drinks, danced, were prostitues |
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Famous people to get their start at the Concert Saloon |
-Jules Leotard- leotard named after him; "Daring young man on the flying trapeze" -Magician Harry Houdini |
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Spectacle & Extravaganza (1866- ) |
-dance, music & song w elaborate set, costume, scenery and stage machinery -extravaganza added melodrama and fantasy -lots of visual spectacle, effects & is expensive -called "whimsical treatment of poetical subject" -the Black crook in 1866 which took in $1 mill |
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The black crook |
first piece of musical theatre |
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Burlesque (1860-1920s) |
-begins as a caricaturing or parody of a serious subject -combined w leg art or dance showing the legs as a main component -officially becomes a strip tease by 1920s |
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Lydia Thompson |
-toured burlesque troupe called Lydia Thompson and the British Blondes -components- comedy, parody, satire, improv, cross dressing, risqué jokes, saucy costumes, etc |
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Vaudeville |
also known as "variety" and descended from British Music Hall or the american concert saloon |
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Features of vaudeville |
-series of unrelated acts -ran 10am-10pm -working class entertainment (racy to fame fare) -ethnic impersonations -segregation as a defining feature -declined bc of changing tastes/movies |
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African americans in vaudeville |
-they had to sit in the balconies -usually only one black act per show |
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Revue (1890-1930s) |
-extravaganza& musical vignettes and acts by beautiful girls -focused on a theme, not a plot -same show errry night -classier than vaude, more ornate -Ziegfeld Follies (Florenz Ziegfeld)- theme glorifying the American girl -had tableaux vivants or "still bodies" arranged in attractive formations (nude) |
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On the edge of the american musical 1920s |
-spectacle, extravaganza, burlesque, vaudeville, revue, and the musical comedy, along w light opera called Operetta bring us to the Book Musical -musicals have composers, lyricists, librettits, and choreographers |
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composer |
writes the music |
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lyricist |
writer of the lyrics |
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librettist |
writer of the "book" or dialogue |
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musical comedies 1920-1930s |
-frivolous plots, main focus = comedy, dance (tap) and song (jazz) -fame composers/lyricists= Gershwin bros George/Ira; richard rodgers/lorenz hart; irving berlin; cole porter -stars from the era include Ethel Merman, ginger rogers, fred astaire |
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show boat (1927) |
-born from musical comedy era-1st book musical -serious/focuses on plot/ integrates song into plot -1st musical to have both black and white actors on stage together and the 1st to srsly depict interracial marriage -known for hit songs: "Ol' Man River" and "Cant help lovin dat man" |
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The Book Musical (1930- ) |
-aka "musical play"- displaced musical comedy, revue, extravaganza -focuses on a forward moving narrative- serious tone w comic element and clear beg, mid, end -featured realistic and relatable characters -songs contributed to forward moving plot -most prevalent genre today |
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Choreographer- Bob Fosse |
-known for small groups of dancers; sexually suggestive style -son of a vaudevillian -@ 15 he had his own dance act at nightclubs -danced in chorus on broadway -given a chance2 choreograph- the PJ Game '54 -chicago, cabaret, all that jazz |
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Choreographer- Jerome Robbins |
-most successful B choreo of all time -began as Broad dancer, 1940 went SOLOOOO -ballet, fancy free, estab rep as a choreographer -notable productions- peter pan, west side story, fiddler on the roof |
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Jerome Robbins with HUAC |
appeared before HUAC in 1950s bc accused of being a commie- when treated w public exposure of his homosexuality, he gave the names of those on Broadway & in Hollywood who he believed were commies |
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Choreographer- Agnes de Mille |
-known for blending ballet and folk form -toured as a dancer in NY & Europe 20s-30s -ballet choreographer -outstanding choreographer achievement- Rodeo (1942 considered authentic Amer ballet) -choreograoher for Oklahoma! revolutionizing musical comedy |
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Composer- Steven Sondheim |
-most sig composer in Amer Musical Theat hist -exhibited a wide array of styles and types of dramatic& musical expression -creates complex characters, revolving around how ppl do/dont communicate w each other -8 Tony's and lifetime achievement award -big musicals: west side story, sweeney todd, and into the woods |
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Patriarchy |
-A male dominated power structure, both in organized society and in individual relationships -male privilege leads to oppression and domination |
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Feminism |
advocacy of womens rights, spanning politics, society & economic practices and individual relationships, with the goal of gaining equality w men |
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first wave feminism |
suffrage, property rights, racial equality |
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second wave of feminism |
legal, sexual, workplace and reproductive rights |
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third wave feminism |
redefining sexuality and beauty, stressing personal choice, fighting for public safety, parental rights, ending slut/rape shaming |
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Greek theatre in regards to women |
-women played and written by men -condoned rape, sacrificed virgins, and punished transgressors (agamemnon) -portrayed women as illogical, vengeful or innocent/virginal (Medea) |
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Feminist Theory in Theatre |
-examine the absence of women from the stage -look for the lost texts from female writers which had been excluded |
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Aphra Behn (1640-1689) |
-British playwright, poet, novelist -wrote plays for the Duke's men- was one of England's most famous playwrights -opponents for being too bawdy -known for her comedies- strength for creating flawed women (prostitutes, widows, older ladies) w a sense of humanity |
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Elizabeth Barry |
one of England's most famous actresses- created over 100 rolls |
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Harold Weber's view of women in restoration plays |
the freedom women gained to play themselves on stage was to a large extent the freedom to play the whore |
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Anne Bracegirdle |
English actress who had a reputation for living a strict, moral life (went against the "whore" troupe) |
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"she-tragedy" |
a play which showed the sufferings of an innocent and virtuous woman (it is not what she does, but what is done to her, that is the focus) |
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Breeches roles |
-showed off woman's body while allowing opportunity for comedy (feeling up the "man" and discovering her to be a woman)
-1660-1700 = 1/4 of plays had breeches roles |
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women in restoration plays |
-women allowed on Eng stage after Charles II returned from France -assumed to be prostitutes -pay not equal to male counterparts - some actresses can buy shares in company & hold their own benefit perf to make more money -erotic language -rape is a common theme -women gained a sexual voice |
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couch scenes |
women on stage provoked playwrights to write sexually charged scenes (rape/assault) which got more violent and explicit as audiences came to expect them |
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The Male Gaze |
-Laura Mulvey, feminist film theorist -projects its fantasy on to the female form which is styled accordingly -male is active/female is passive |
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Tragedy |
-A story whose plot is centered around characters' suffering, and which produces catharsis amongst the audience |
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Catharsis |
a strong emotional sense of pity or fear which provides a kind of purification |
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comedy |
-a story of the rise in the fortune of a sympathetic character, or one with a happy ending -doesnt have to be funny |
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characteristics of comedy |
-suspension of natural laws -upheaval of social order -emotional detachment from characters -points out human foolishness |
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common devices of comedy |
-word play (malapropisms- misusing words) -mistaken identities -quick plot turns -unlikely happenstances/coincidences |
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Henri Bergson's Theory of Language |
-laughter is a human characteristic -being able to laugh requires a detached attitude -laughter has a social function- acts as a corrective for poor behavior -comedy is culturally specific |
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Henri Bergson |
French philosopher who wrote a collection of 3 essays about laughter |
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Tragicomedy |
contains elements of both tragedy and comedy w 2 main categories: -a series of tragic circumstances resolved happily -the comedy has dark or bitter overtones |
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melodrama |
-started in france in the 18th century, stemmed from romantics wanting to express song emotions w language -from greek melos (song) + drama -musical accompaniment heightened drama, told audiences how to feel -always a battle between good vs evil- simple moral universe -ended bc too expensive |
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melodrama character types |
-hero -heroine -villain -villain's accomplice -faithful servant/sidekick -maidervant |
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melodrama- hero |
handsome and manly; 100% good |
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melodrama- heroine |
hot & innocent, usually needs to be saved |
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melodrama- villain |
100% evil, greedy, corrupt |
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melodrama- villain's accomplice |
usually a buffoon, serves as a comic relief |
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melodrama- faithful servant/sidekick |
helps the hero, also a comic relief |
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melodrama- maidservant |
flirty, fun, bawdy |
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Melodrama Plot |
1. provocation 2. pangs 3. penalty |
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Melodrama Plot- provocation |
the cause of putting the action in motion, usually ignited by the villain |
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Melodrama Plot- pangs |
suffering of the good characters |
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Melodrama Plot- penalty |
the downfall of the villain which leads to the happy ending of the good character |
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spectacle |
a huge component of melodrama- hoses and carriages on stage, fire, water, trains, etc
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comic opera/light opera |
-a work of drama that is mostly sung & has a happy ending -dialogue is usually spoken (as opposed to dramatic opera) -bombastic music, ridiculous circumstances, fast-paced lyrics -W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan |
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High Comedy |
-deals w upperclass characters -sophisticated, witty dialogue -shows follies of upperclass manners |
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Satire |
-uses contemporary events/personas, exaggerates them for social commentary (often political), usually invokes motion for change -orwell, swift, voltaire |
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parody |
uses other forms to art, usually in a mock representation, meant for mockery/mimicry, not for change |
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low comedy |
-employs lewd or crude language and behavior for laughs -contains slapstick |
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farce |
-comes from French "farce" meaning "stuffing"(started as short acts of buffoonery inserted or stuffed into religious plays for laughs) -implausible plots w random plot twists -exaggerated characters w sometimes ridiculous qualities -lots of physical comedy |
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Avante Garde Theatre |
-experimental -unusual -innovative -progressive -cutting edge -"at the front" -revolutionary |
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The -isms in avante garde |
-futurism -dadaism -expressionism -surrealism |
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futurism (1909-1920s) |
-artistic & social movement founded in Milan -developed as reaction to realism& rejected past -many futurists supported fascism (people ruled by a dictator under harsh control) -emphasized speed, tech, violence, youth, modernization & industry: the technological triumph of humanity over nature |
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Filippo Tommaso Marinetti |
Italian poet who created futurism with his futurist manifesto |
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Futurist literature focuses on: |
-intuition- anti intellectualism -analogy- everything relates to everything -irony -abolition of syntax- words not in proper form -metrical reform- free verse -onomatopoeia- words spelled like they sound -synthetic lyricism- conciseness |
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Dadaism (1916-1924) |
-movement was protest against the bourgeois nationalist & colonialist interests, which many dadaists believed were the root of the war -considered anti-art -"fck you" attitude- rejected reason and logic; opted for nonsense and irrationality - da da means yes yes in romanian -Marcel Duchamp's fountain |
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****Dadaism- The Gas Heart (1921) |
-play takes the form of absurd dialogue between charcters named after human body parts: ear, mouth, eye, nose, neck, eyebrow -ear says "The eye tells the mouth: open your mouth for the candy of the eyes" -contains bewildering ballet dance routines mixed with metaphorical dialogue |
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Dadaism today |
borat and jackass |
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expressionism (1901-1920s) |
-stresses emotional experience- shows internal externally -distorts setting, charas, dialogue, action -shows struggle against bourgeois values/authority -dramatize the suffering of the protagonist - films include Nodferatu, the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Metropolis |
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plays that depict expressionism include: |
-Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape -Sophie Treadwell's Machinal -Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine |
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Surrealism (1917-1960s) |
-developed out of dadaism in WW1 -Andre Breton wrote the 1st surrealist manifesto -surrealists believed that realism & morality were the enemies -focus on unconscious & truth in subconscious of dreams -written work was freehand w no edits & visual juxtapositions |
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1st surrealist play |
The Breasts of Tiresias by Guillaume Apollinaire |
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2 famous surrealist works |
- the persistence of memory by salvador dali -son of man by rene magritte |
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surrealism- exquisite corpse |
-surrealist practice for writing -words and/or images collectively assembled -this can be done by use of a rule ("The A, N, Ad, V, the N) or by being allowed to see the end of what the previous person wrote |
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Theatre of the Abusurd (1940s-1970s) |
-plays had a particular world view w no meaning or rules -humans are trapped in the incomprehensible world w no logic -waiting for godot by samuel beckett |
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Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) |
-german actor, director, playwright, and created the Berliner Ensemble (1954) -believed Marxist & socialist philosophies -created a style of theatre called Epic Threatre |
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Epic Theatrer |
-play is in narrative form, w less focus on traditional plot & more on portraying a lesson -aud worked as active participants, being asked to question political & social issues (crit vs emot) -a device called A-effekt or Alienation Effect was used to defamiliarize the aud w what they know so as to see the work w fresh eyes -signs were used to announce scenes and scene and costume changes occurred in front of aud |
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performance art |
-presented to an aud within a fine art context, traditionally interdisiplinary -scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated w or w/o aud participation -can be live via media; performer can be present or absent -can happen anywhere in any venue or setting for any length of time; the actions of an individual of a group at a part place & in a part time constitue the work |
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4 basic elements of performance art |
-time -space -the performers body or presence in a medium -a relationship between performer and audience |
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famous performance artists |
-laurie anderson -karen findley -marina abramovic -eric bogosian -stelaric |
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jewish characters |
-in european theatre, jew characters (not played by jew actors) were usually villian/port comically -1940's england, stereotypical jewish characters finally ended on stage -many successful jewish A,D,M in Eur in 18-1900s -jewish audiences so influential that after Hitlers takeovr, theatres suffered -biblically based- told story of purim -shows were spectacles-battles, lions, miracles -yidd theatres sprung up all ova europe -mix of farce, melodrama, music, dancing |
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Charles Macklin |
in 1741 this Irish actor played Shakespeare's Shylock as a tragic character |
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Yiddish theatre in the middle ages |
not very prominent; women forbidden from singing in public, men forbidden from dressing up in womens clothes |
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Avrom Goldfadn |
-"father of Yiddish theatre" -founded first professional Yiddish theatre in Romania |
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Jewish immigrants |
-1881 Russia & Ukraine, anti-jewish groups lead pogroms (attacks) against Jewish communities -Legislation passed to bar Jewish citizens from jobs or schooling -1891-92 all Jews expelled from Moscow -Beginning of mass Jewish emigration to the USA |
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Boris Thomashefski |
-arrived in NYC at 12 from Ukraine -worked in a ciggrette sweatshop, heard other workers singing songs from Yiddish theatres back in Europe -started Yiddish theatre in NYC despite some push back from some Jewish New Yorkers, who felt Yiddish theatre wasnt dignified |
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Yiddish theatre |
-main focus was about generational and cultural problems experienced by immigrants -gave voice to struggles between parents from the old country and their american born kids -also adapted classics like hamlet and king lear |
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Hebrew Actors Union |
-formed in 1899- first union for actors in america -fought for fair wages and good working conditions |
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Features of yiddish theatre |
-plays w pop songs, opera tunes & synagogue chants -grandiose and flamboyant -celebrated jewish identity -gave sense of empowerment (jewish heroes) -declined by 1930's (assimiliation) |
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Italian theatre |
-recalled the homeland (mama song) -Used NYC as a backdrop- helped orient green horn -presented melodrama, comedies, farces, comedia skits, opera, song and dance -shakespeare adapted -more polished w arrival of pro actors -decline: immigration restricted (1920s) & assimilation |
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Why is there no significant theatrical tradition in the Middle East? |
-The Qur'an had no prohibition of it -The Hadith record of traditions/sayings of the Prophet Muhammad: theatre prohibited; said "painters of pictures" , "such people as paint these pictures will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection" |
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Middle Eastern Theatre |
-art becomes decorative, not representational -puppet drama, storytelling, religious plays |
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Puppet Drama |
-Turkey; Karagoz & Haclvat = main characters -considered drama, not theatre -associated w the turkish Ramadan -no clear start date, legend says around 1512 when a common man visited Sultan Selim & expressed his complaints through the manipulation of puppets |
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characters of Karagoz and Haclvat in Puppet Drama |
-Karagoz represents the illiterate public -Hacivat embodies the educated class -Karagoz always outwits Hacivat |
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Storytelling- Hakawati |
-from lebanese "hekaya" meaning "one who tells stories" -narrative stroytelling for classical Arab literature -stories would be told by 1 narrator on the street, often accompanied by simple music -story teller acted out the dramas w exaggeration and always ended in cliff hangers |
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Religious plays- ta'ziyeh |
-"theatrical" reenactment for the purposes of mourning (so not considered real theatre) -reenacts the Battle of Karbala where Hussein (shiite/shia muslim), the grandsone of Muhammad was killed by Yazid(sunni) the caliph -men&women cry in the streets and often hit themselves w chains or whips |
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Japanese Theatre |
-Noh -Kabuki -Bunraku |
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Noh theatre (1300- ) |
-noh = skill/talent -developed by artist Kan'ami & his son Zeami -trad 5 plays would be perfomed w comedic acts called kyogen in between -involves masks, costumes, props & music -trad handed down master/apprenice usually father to son -stresses accuracy of movement since its encoded w meaning |
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characters of Noh theatre |
-shiite= protagonist who appears as human first and then as a ghost -waki= foil to the shiite and questions him -kyogen= performs the comic interludes -hayashi= the musicians |
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who is Noh theatre played for |
originally performed for the Tokugawa shogunate or samurai military class (the elite), but now is performed for the public |
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Kabuki theatre (1600- ) |
-means "the art of singing & dancing" -creatdd by Izumo no Okuni, a female dancer in 1603 |
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3 components of Kabuki theatre |
-a historical story -a domestic story (dramatization of personal storyline) -the dance pieces |
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role of makeup to identify characters in Kabuki theatre |
-red= passion or heroism -blue/black= villainy or jealousy -purple= nobility -green= supernatural beings |
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Bunraku theatre (1700s- ) |
-trad puppet theatre w chanters and musicians -main puppeteer controls right hand, 2nd puppeteer left hand, 3rd = legs -one would apprentice 10 yrs to become 3rd puppeteer and 30 to be main -Bunraku stories are similar to those of kabuki |
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Classic Arguments Against Theatre: |
-role playing is a form of lying (based on writings by Plato) -corrupts peoples’ morals and ethics by showing them examples of how to behave poorly -it is childish -stirs up emotions unnecessarily; -socially disruptive & dangerous to governments |
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Pro-Theatre Counter-Argument: |
-teaches moral behavior; -reveals important social issues; -emotionally therapeutic by allowing people to purge their emotions (based on writings by Aristotle); -builds and binds communities together |
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Protection of Theatre and Art under the First Amendment: |
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances |
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Robert Mapplethorpe and The Perfect Moment |
-1989, M's traveling solo exhibit brought national attention to public funding for the arts, as well as questions of censorship and the obscene. -The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. agreed to host museums for the tour. -show included photographs from his X Portfolio, which featured images of urine consumption, bondage and sadomasochism. |
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Controversy of Robert Mapplethorpe and The Perfect Moment: |
-The hierarchy of the Corcoran and U.S. Congress were upset when the works were revealed to them, due to homoerotic and sadomasochistic themes of some of the work. -conservative and religious organizations, such as the American Family Association, seized on this exhibition to vocally oppose government support for what they called "nothing more than the sensational presentation of potentially obscene material.” |
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Andres Serrano and Piss Christ: |
-1987 photograph by photographer Andres Serrano -depicting a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass of the artist's urine. -winner of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art's "Awards in the Visual Arts" competition. |
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Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art's "Awards in the Visual Arts" competition |
sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a United States Government agency that offers support and funding for artistic projects, without controlling content. |
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criticism of Piss Christ |
criticism of the “billion-dollar Christ-for-Profit industry” and a “condemnation of those who abuse the teachings of Christ for their own ignoble ends.” It was argued by members of Congress and the Senate that taxpayer money was being used for “indignity in art.” |
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The "NEA Four” basis |
Karen Finley, Tim Miller, John Fleck, and Holly Hughes, were performance artists whose proposed grants from the United States government's National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). |
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The "NEA Four” grants |
-grants were vetoed on the basis of subject matter after the artists had successfully passed through a peer review process. -The artists won their case in court in 1993 and were awarded amounts equal to the grant money in question, though the case made it to the United States Supreme Court in National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley. -In response, the NEA, under pressure from Congress, stopped funding individual artists. |
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John Fleck |
vetoed for a performance comedy with a toilet prop |
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Hamartia |
the idea that every person has some kind of tragic flaw |
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legistlative theatre |
theatre that evokes change through legistlative laws |
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Augusto Boal |
-brazilian director and activist -invented the spect-actor -empowerment of audiences of suggest and create change, not just wait for it -forum theatre -inspired active part in social change -exiled-continued to work in Europe & Argentina |
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forum theatre |
actors began acting out everyday life, audience can intervene and make changes |
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Augusto Boal and nature |
-nature tends towards perfection but doesnt always achive it- arts and sciences move to correct nature where it "fails" -ex) architecture, medicine, clothing, corrective lensing, air conditioning |
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Augusto Boal and art |
-art & politics move to correct human nature (greed, violence, lust, racism) -art does not exist in isolation (interconnected) (art of war and education) -all fall under the sovereign art: politics -theatre has immediate contact w public -Art asks us if we are able to change? |
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ultimate goal of art (tragedy) |
to produce catharis and purge the hamartia (tragic flaw) |
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Stages of Aritstotle’s System of Tragedy |
-first = movement of reversal -second= character recogonizes error -third = suffer the consequences -catharsis |
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Bourgeois theatre |
-for the wealthy masses- materialistic and exemp middle/high class values -easily understood plot structures w reassuring stereotypical characters -made for audiences that are ready for it -everything is a commodity, the artist is elite and unique and there for can be sold for lots of $$ |
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Brechtian Theatre |
art is immanent to all men, not a select few- art is never to be sold, no more than our breathing, thinking, loving- art is not murchandise |
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theatre as prop |
all theatre is prop- it prsets partial info and takes a position- always have to ask "who is the play serving?" |
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Theatre of agitation prop (agitprop) |
-negation, standing in opp -used by marxists in soviet russia -theatre on wheels -living newspaper plays -short term shock effect |
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theatre on wheels- agitprop |
agitprop theatre on trains in russia, travel country and perform agitation plays |
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living newspapers in agitprop |
literacy low and newspapers scarce , actors read newspapers outloud to crowds |
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agitprop theatre in USA |
plays against the vietnam war, racism, sexism, excited audiences and brought about awareness |
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Theatre of integration prop |
-everything going well as it should be -follow rules and live within boundaries -maintain current social behavior & ideologies -"buy" product and come back for more -long term -higher production quality than agitprp |
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eight model plays - integration prop |
-1960s mao wanted a new kind of theatre which would glorify new regime -maos wife created it- only allowed in china -reworked old operas/ folktales to glorify workers, peasants and soldiers -made into movies, radio shows, posters, performed over china in a unified manner |
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theatre of the dialectical prop |
-uses info differently (ag & int theatre only portray partial truths in order to gain control of audiences) -suggests that reality is ultimately unknowable- doesnt present anything as an absolute truth -means to "demystify" history and provides self awarenesss to the audience |
