Restoration and the 18th century began in 1660 and lasted until 1798. Though this period is short compared to most eras, it has had a huge impact on present day America. However, before the Restoration Period the theatres were closed in 1642. Playwrights such as John Gay began executing the use of satire as well as actor David Garrick changing the way actors performed. Restoration was a giant leap in the right direction for drama; it challenged the traditional views and poured the foundation for 21st century theater.
John Gay was perhaps one of the most popular ballad opera writers of his time. He believed in “recycling” songs; he reworked already written plays and gave them a satirical edge. His most known work, The Beggars Wife, was …show more content…
Garrick modernized acting; he pushed actors away from their flamboyancy and kept them from constantly addressing the audience. He began performing more “easily”. Along with his tremendous impact on acting, Garrick made changes to an array of existing plays making them more with-the-time. One of his favorite playwrights to edit was Shakespeare; he rewrote the end of famous play Romeo and Juliet lessening the tear-worthy end. People of this time were all about comedy.
Typically, the playwrights made works based on how they felt about certain events going on in their life. The characters in the plays were considered to be clever and ingenious. There was a level of sophistication added to the works, that made them different than in past poetry. For instance, John Dryden’s play Aurangzeb 's prologue talks about Dryden growing tired and bored of his long-loved mistress, Rhyme. Dryden’s plays lacked the genuine passion, and they were distorted by human life and characters. Even with the changes that happened, there were more changes to …show more content…
In London the lower class, known as “plain” people, continued to prefer the plays of Shakespeare while the Plebeian folk of Madrid still loved the plays of Lope de vegu and Calderon. Many places preferred different types and styles of drama. Some even liked Restoration Comedy, which could have been seen in the plays of Oliver Goldsmith.
Oliver Goldsmith was born on November 10th, 1730. Throughout his life he became known as many things including an essayist, poet, novelist, eccentric, and of course a dramatist. Many of his works were well known, but the one work that made him famous was his play She Stoops to Conquer which was performed in 1773, a year before his death in April of 1774. This play has outlived most of the English-language comedies from the early 18th century because of its horseplay and comical
John Gay was perhaps one of the most popular ballad opera writers of his time. He believed in “recycling” songs; he reworked already written plays and gave them a satirical edge. His most known work, The Beggars Wife, was …show more content…
Garrick modernized acting; he pushed actors away from their flamboyancy and kept them from constantly addressing the audience. He began performing more “easily”. Along with his tremendous impact on acting, Garrick made changes to an array of existing plays making them more with-the-time. One of his favorite playwrights to edit was Shakespeare; he rewrote the end of famous play Romeo and Juliet lessening the tear-worthy end. People of this time were all about comedy.
Typically, the playwrights made works based on how they felt about certain events going on in their life. The characters in the plays were considered to be clever and ingenious. There was a level of sophistication added to the works, that made them different than in past poetry. For instance, John Dryden’s play Aurangzeb 's prologue talks about Dryden growing tired and bored of his long-loved mistress, Rhyme. Dryden’s plays lacked the genuine passion, and they were distorted by human life and characters. Even with the changes that happened, there were more changes to …show more content…
In London the lower class, known as “plain” people, continued to prefer the plays of Shakespeare while the Plebeian folk of Madrid still loved the plays of Lope de vegu and Calderon. Many places preferred different types and styles of drama. Some even liked Restoration Comedy, which could have been seen in the plays of Oliver Goldsmith.
Oliver Goldsmith was born on November 10th, 1730. Throughout his life he became known as many things including an essayist, poet, novelist, eccentric, and of course a dramatist. Many of his works were well known, but the one work that made him famous was his play She Stoops to Conquer which was performed in 1773, a year before his death in April of 1774. This play has outlived most of the English-language comedies from the early 18th century because of its horseplay and comical