Theatre Histories 17-19Th Century Final Exam

Front 1

Characteristics of a Melodrama

Back 1

1. Virtuous hero/heroine rescued at end
2. Episodic story unfolding rapidly
3. Local color
4. 3-Act structure instead of 5
5. Song and Dance, connected to plot
6. Spectacle is very important
7. Characteristic plot devices like overheard convos, fortunate sit., results due to natural disaster, feats of physical courage, poetic justice, external villians.

Front 2

Who is Pixerecourt?

Back 2

Inventor of melodrama, lost all property in revolution, wrote 120 plays, very successful, thought theatre should be used to teach the masses. Wrote "Coelina, or the Child of Mystery"

Front 3

Major tenets of Romantic movement (France)

Back 3

1. Find truth in nature
2. Against external restraint, supports expression of true self through emotion
3. Artists ability to capture unobservable truth makes them supreme geniuses
4. Contrasting beauty and simplicity with the grotesque

Front 4

Who is Mme de Stael?

Back 4

Wife of Swedish Ambassador, went to Germany during revolution, wrote book "Of Germany" in 1810 reporting German Romanticism to the French.
Saw Romanticism as opposite of Neoclassicism.

Front 5

Who is Victor Hugo?

Back 5

Playwright, novelist, considered part of counter culture movement against neoclassicism and for romanticism,
Writer of Cromwell and Hernani.

Front 6

The play "Cromwell" did what?

Back 6

1. Abandoned unities
2. No distinction between genres
3. Place plot in specific historical milieu
4. Blend sublime with grotesque to show man as he really is

Front 7

What were the three firsts of Colonial Theatre?

Back 7

1. First recorded performance in British-held territories: Ye Bear and Ye Cub
2. First theatre built in Williamsburg, VA
3. First theatre company in Philadelphia, 1749

Front 8

Hallam Troupe

Back 8

Created by William Hallam, moved to America after Licensing Act in England closed his theatre down. Unsuccessful due to lack of patrons so moved to Jamaica. Did colonial circuits and performed British canon.

Front 9

Theatrical Circuits

Back 9

Similar to touring companies, English British national theatre troups would train native born citizens. Major theatres in Charleston, Philadelphia

Front 10

Thomas Wignell

Back 10

Low comedian of Hallam troupe, founded Chestnut Theatre with Reinagle in 1791.

Front 11

Chestnut Theatre

Back 11

Designed by Reinagle and Wignell, sat 2000 people, deep stage, proscenium, superior acting company, high standards. Lit by gas in 1816 and used English Actors

Front 12

William Henry Brown

Back 12

Founder and playwright of African Grove Theatre Company, retired ship steward, Wrote The Drama of King Shotaway, the first African American play

Front 13

African Grove Theatre

Back 13

In lower Manhattan, one of 1st independently owned businesses, mostly Shakespeare and Katzobue plays, open non-segregated theatre, closed down twice.

Front 14

Ira Aldridge

Back 14

Best African American actor of his time (1800s), moved to England b/c of racism. Performed lots of Shakespeare and was hugely successful.

Front 15

Royall Tyler

Back 15

Went to Harvard Law and did amateur theatricals, wrote "The Contrast" based on "School for Scandal" creating the Yankee role.

Front 16

Johnathan, the Yankee

Back 16

Character from Tyler's "the Contrast", American, lacked graces, lacked decorum, truthful, has lots of freedoms, connected to the land

Front 17

Source material for Kathakali

Back 17

Episodes from Indian epics or Krishna stories, Revolve around passions and furies of Gods and demons or loves and hates of supernatural characters

Front 18

What is a "Divine play"?

Back 18

Idea that vishnu wants to interact with people just for fun/curiosity without a motive,

Front 19

What does Kathakali mean?

Back 19

Story and dance/play

Front 20

Who were patrons of Kathakali?

Back 20

Upper class created theatre companies from lower castes, know Kathakali really well, "kathakali-mad"

Front 21

Rasika is...

Back 21

Ability to recognize the 'flavors' or 'tastes' of the performance.

Front 22

What is rasa?

Back 22

Taste or flavor of an emotion as seen through facial expressions

Front 23

What are navarasas?

Back 23

Nine basic facial expressions used in Kathakali theatre

Front 24

Theatre Regulation Act of 1843

Back 24

Abolishes monopolies and privileges granted to patent companies, allows patented companies to do loophole genres, maintained censorship but lessened it, allowed minor theatres to do classics

Front 25

Burletta

Back 25

3 act play, five songs per act, "ballet of action", used by minor theatres to perform cannon classics and avoid censorship by state

Front 26

Melodrama as a loophole genre in Early english 19th century

Back 26

Musical/orchestral score playing beneath all of the show, accompaniment to depict emotion
Not necessarily set score
Katzebue and Piexrecourt dramas are good examples of melodrama
Included nautical drama, true crime drama, and equestrian drama.
Also disrupted the repertory system b/c single shows would have extended runs

Front 27

Edmund Kean

Back 27

1. Romantic school of acting, dynamic expressions of emotions
2. Specialized in villainous roles like Shylock (saved Drury Lane)
3. Raging alcoholic, burned out young
4. Loved exotic character
5. Demonic passions/evil characters were his favorite
6. Died young

Front 28

William Charles Macready

Back 28

British actor, went to law school but had to go into theatre to save the family business.
1. realistic school of acting with domestic touches (long pauses, lint picking)
2. Manager of Covent Garden and Drury Lane but abolished lazy actor habits
3. Called first 'modern director' of England
4. Insisted on Realistic settings and historically accurate costumes
5. Performed primarily classic cannons
6. Toured in U.S.

Front 29

Madame Vestris

Back 29

Also known as Lucia Bardalozi
1. English actress, singer, stage manager
2. Began playing breeches roles, learned Parisian style of acting
3. Managed Olympic Theatre, did pretty well but ultimately failed
4. Realistic reforms: introduced box set to England, authentic costuming, domestic set elements, concerned with unified vision of costumes and sets

Front 30

Antiquinarianism

Back 30

Reflection of the past, a movement that began due to increase in archeology, gave theatre more historically accurate costumes, beautifully designed sets trying to capture spirit from past. Not realistic.

Front 31

James Robinson Planche

Back 31

Major antiquariansim advocate
Designer/artistic advisor
Writer of "History of British Costume" giving detailed description of British style through history

Front 32

American School of Acting

Back 32

1. Very physically and vocally robust, laborious
2. Uninhibited, vigorous, passionate

Front 33

Edwin Forrest

Back 33

1. American actor, no subtlety, very physical,
2. Toured with U.S. troops at young age
3. Became icon of working class, very connected to common man and Nativist ideals
4. Infused his roles with Nativism
5. Sponsored playwrighting contests, particularly about Nativism

Front 34

Charlotte Cushman

Back 34

Female equivalent of Edwin Forrest
Very physcial but more subtle than Forrest
Strong, powerful, tall body
Played lots of heroic roles

Front 35

Dion Boucicault

Back 35

Irish playwright, wrote two successful plays in U.S.
Hugely influenced by Piexerecourt melodramas and Romantic French movement
Wrote "The Poor of New York" and "Octoroon" which were materialist melodramas

Front 36

Boucicault's style

Back 36

1. visually spectacular elements that affected the plot
2. Deep sentimentality
3. Evokes local color

Front 37

Burlesque extravaganzas

Back 37

Made fun of something with broad comedy and spectacle
1. Satires of popular plays and genres (esp. savage plays)
2. Travesties were satires that dismantled something sacred like Shakspeare

Front 38

Anna Cora Mowatt

Back 38

playwright, also an acress b/c she need the money for her family. Wrote the Social play "Fashion" and was adored by Edgar Allen Poe.

Front 39

William Wells Brown

Back 39

African American slave who escaped and wrote "The Escape" inspired by his experiences. It was never produced but was given staged readings.

Front 40

The Noble Savage

Back 40

Native American, male, warrior, sad and retrospective, strong and prone to violence when family is threatened, sometimes poetical

Front 41

Mose, the Bowery b'hoy

Back 41

Character who is a fire fighter and a butcher.
Very popular, loves to get into fist fights, loves the ladies and is a strong protector of their virtues, deep down he's a softy.
Wore bright red waistcoat, pipe, boots, suspenders.

Front 42

Humbugging

Back 42

Tricking an entire group to believe something only to later reveal it was a hoax.

Front 43

Lecture room theatre

Back 43

Attached to the Barnum Museum, seen as 'moral' and 'respectable'. Occasionally used for lectures but mostly performed melodramas. Middle class loved it.

Front 44

Jean-Baptiste Landet

Back 44

French founder of Russian ballet, incorporated French and Italian styles and operatic spectacle

Front 45

Alexander Sumarokov

Back 45

took neoclassical ideals but based them on Russian themes.
Beginning of Russian classical theatre
Beloved by Elizabeth, the Russian queen

Front 46

Fyodor Volkov

Back 46

Founded Russian professional theatre
Merchant's son, decided to create his own troupe from family and friends performed in a barn, eventually recognized by the Empress Elizabeth

Front 47

Serf Theatre

Back 47

Landowners manipulated barn theatre and used serfs as actors/company.
Became popular at encouragement form Catherine II Aristocracy

Front 48

Alexander Pushkin

Back 48

Russian Romantic playwright
Credited with Bringing romanticism to Russian playwrighting
Founder of Russian literature
Known for using vernacular and mixing genres
Mouthpiece of social reform
Wrote "Boris Godunov" on political theme

Front 49

Nikolai Gogol

Back 49

Playwright and novelist of realistic drama
Mentored by Pushkin, became cynical after Pushkin's death
Had relationship with clergy and gave up his writing
Wrote "The Inspector General"

Front 50

Alexander Ostrovsky

Back 50

1st Russian to confine himself to drama
Made all his $ from writing plays
Credited with writing Russian drama free from Western Influence
Wrote for the middle class
Introduced copyright ideas
Wrote "the thunderstorm"

Front 51

Mikhail Shchepkin

Back 51

1st great Russian actor
Was a serf, began in serf theatres and joined a professional theatre company but didn't receive his freedom in 1821
Painstaking technician strove for naturalism on stage
Brought ensemble acting to Russia
Thought every part was imp.
Read plays before casting shows
Served as acting coach
Emphasized naturalness in acting

Front 52

August Comte

Back 52

Sociologist who theorized positivism

Front 53

Positivism

Back 53

Truth in life we can find through scientific observation, the only true knowledge, your senses can be trusted to learn about the world
If you can't see/touch it, you can't use it as proof

Front 54

Savoy Theatre

Back 54

Built for Gilbert and Sullivan in 1881, first theatre to be lit entirely with electricity

Front 55

The Well made play

Back 55

1. Careful exposition
2. Cause and effect arrangement of incidents
3. Building scenes to a climax
4. Skillful manipulation of withheld info
5. Startling reversals and suspense
6. 3-act plays

Front 56

Eugene Scribe

Back 56

Creator of the Well-made-play, writer of "A Glass of Water", small details were hugely significant in his plays

Front 57

Thesis play/problem play

Back 57

Point of departure in the play is some kind of (social) problem. Tries to make some point about the world and offer a solution

Front 58

Alexander Dumas fils

Back 58

Writer of "The lady of Camellias", a problem play

Front 59

Cup-and-Saucer play

Back 59

1. Tremendous attention to detail, settings and costumes
2. Use of small talk, what isn't said is equally important
3. Confronts similar themes as problem plays

Front 60

Thomas William Robertson

Back 60

Writer of "caste", a cup-and-saucer play

Front 61

Adolpho Montigny

Back 61

Precursor to modern director, cares about making actors connect with e/o
1. French director of the Gymnase
2. Disrupts actor semi-circle
3. Motivates actor movement
4. Very successful

Front 62

Marie Wilton Bancroft

Back 62

1. English actress and theatre manager
2. Buys the "Dust Hole" and turns into "The Prince of Wales"
3. Intended to produce burlesque but ended up doing Robertson's cup and saucer plays
4. Worked as ensemble theatre
5. Made use of Domestic Realism
6. Loved extended runs
7. Paid actors well and got rid of benefit performances