THEA 216: Study Guide for Exam 2

THE 106: Study Guide for Exam 2

ESSAY QUESTION: Build a case for theatre as a reflection of society based upon what was happening in the world of theatre before, during and after World War I. Use at least three of the plays read and discussed in class as supporting material for your essay (this can include the play covered in the film Theatre of War. Be sure to write an essay.

Long Days Journey Into Night Miss Julie The Cherry Orchard Ubu the King Mother Courage and her Children

1. What were the similarities and differences between realism and naturalism? Each are a microscope on society Realism: Emulated realism but never went for the extreme Realistic stories Naturalism: Highly detailed Extreme form of realism Slice of life Realistic presentation on stage Fairly negative Social commentary Look at lower classes

2. What are the characteristics of the well-made play formula? Social, topical situations Simple plots and themes Suspense and surprises Secret (dramatic irony) Exposition Obligatory Scene w/ a confrontation between the Protagonist and Antagonist Denouement Middle Class

3. Who were the four major playwrights of realism, their countries of origin and two major plays that each wrote? Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian, Father of Modern Drama, A Dolls House, Peer Gynt (Romantic Verse Drama) , Ghosts, Hedda Gabler, Master Builder(Nonrealistic/Symbolic), When We Dead Awaken (Nonrealistic/Symbolic) August Strindberg (1849-1912) Swedish, The Father, Miss Julie, Ghost Senata (Experimental/ Chamber Play), The Dream Play (Experimental/Chamber Play) famous for his intimate theater George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Born in Dublin, Ireland Lived in England, Arm and the Man, Pygmalion, Mrs. Warrens Profession Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) Russia, The Seagull, Uncle Vayna, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard

4. Who was Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and why is he important to theatre history? Germany/ Austria Ran the most famous theater company in the world from 1874 -1890 Ludwig Chronegk, regisseur Ellen Franz Ensemble acting Elevated role of design Historical accuracy Lengthy rehearsal period

5. What was significant about Wagners Festpielhaus theatre? It was a classless theater A temple for the art Pit was under the stage referred to as the mystic chasm

6. Who were Adolph Appia and Edward Gordon Craig? What characterizes their New Stagecraft? Adolphe Appia (1862-1928) the father of modern lighting designWanted to get rid of footlightsBelieved in simple 3-D design Edward Gordon Craig (1872-1966) much more successful New Stagecraft Anti-commercialism Anti-realism Simplicity, suggestion, symbolism space settings Unity of stage elements Stressful the importance of stage movement

7. What were the acting techniques developed by Stanislavski? Relaxation Concentration Given Circumstances Sensory & emotional recall Magic If Superobjectibe/Spine/Through-line InternalExternal

8. Be able to identify the country and title of one play for all playwrights mentioned in the powerpoint/lectures. Eugene Scribe (1791-1861) Thesis Plays, France, A Glass of Water Alexandre Duma, fils (1823-1895) - Camille Sardon (1831-1908) Thesis Plays, France, A Scrap of Paper Labiche (1815-1888) Thesis Plays, France The Italian Strawhat Luigi Pirandella (1867-1836) Italy, Truth is personal and subjective, Right You Are If You Think You Are, Six Characters in Search of an Author Frederico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936) Spain, Blood Wedding, The Blood Wedding of Bernarda Alba Yevgency Voktangov (1833-1922) Michael Chekov (1891-1955) William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) plays about Irish Myths & Legends Lady Gregary (1852-1932) John Millington Synge (1871-1909) Ireland, Riders to the Sea, Playboy of the Western World Sean OCasey (1880-1964) Ireland, Juno and the Paycock W. Somerset Maughn (1874-1965) England, Comedy of Manners J.B. Priestly (1894-1984) England Noel Coward (1899-1973) England, Blithe Spirits, Private Lives T.S. Elliot (1888-1965) Alfred Jarry Ubu the King Bertolt Brecht Germany - The Threepenny Opera, Mother Courage and her Children, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Resistable Arturo Ui Thorton Wilder America Our Town, The Matchmaker, The Skin of Our Teeth Eugene ONeill America Long Days Journey Into Night, Ah, Wilderness, The Hairy Ape, Dynam, Desire Under the Elms Lilliam Hellman America The Childrens Hour, Little Foxes Jean Anouilh France adaption of Antigone Elmer Rice (1892-1967) America The Adding Machine George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart America You Cant Take It With You & Once In a Lifetime Clifford Odets (1906-1963) Waiting for Lefty, Awake and Sing!

9. Be able to identify the key differences between each of the following non-realistic theatre styles. Also know names of the people responsible for creating the style:

Symbolism- Guillaume Appollinaire concept productions Emerged in France in 1880s through poetry

Epic Theatre- mixed narration with dramatic techniques & kept the theatrical things (like lighting) visible to the audience (Brecht) Audiences play an active role Concept of alienation Songs and narrative passages between episodes Actors to think of their role in third person

Surrealism- Super realism Rejected everyday life & logic Combination of all theatrical elements to create a new form of expression. Andre Breton the subconscious mind in a dream-like state represented the basis of the artistic truth.

Futurism- Launched in Italy by Marinetti in 1909 Glorified the mechanical age Picture poems Synthetic drama Brutisimy music based on everyday sound Futurism glorified man as the supreme example of technology

Expressionism emphasized experience and internal vision as opposed to object in experience and external vision. Attempted to project and reveal inner feelings and experiences of characters to an audience. Developed in Germany and Austria. Journey of a soul Georg Kaiser (1878-1945) From Morn to Midnight (1916)

Dadaism- replaced logic and reason with calculated madness. Tristan Tzara (1896-1963): Germany, 1916

Theatre of Cruelty- Forced audience to confront themselves in order to break down their defenses. The theater has been created to drain abcesses collectively. Antonin Artuad - Theater of Cruelty

Constructivism Russian Vsevelod Meyerhold Biomechanics Thought of theater as a piece of machinery Built a set that created a theatrical machine for actors to play on

10. What was the Independent Theatre Movement and what key role did it play in the world of theatre? Small private and intimate theaters Avoided criticism Birthplace of controversial plays The equivalent to what Off-Off Broadway is to us today Highly experimental Theatre Libre (1887-1896) Andre Antoine (1858-1943) Freie Buhne (1889) Germany Otto Brahm Independent Theater (1891-1897) : England Le Theatre dArt (1891) : France Lugne-Poe Abbey Theater (1904) : Ireland

11. Describe American Theatres commercialism: Theatrical Syndicate came first. Theater mafia. Gave the audience only box office smashes. Owned a ton of theaters across the country. David Belasco (1854-1931) Fantastic and naturalistic plays Audiences loved them wanted more of them! Belasco wouldnt give these plays to the Syndicate First person to put a chink in the power of the Syndicate The Shuberts Started building other theaters across the country

12. What was the Federal Theatre Project? Orson Welles, John Harsinas They would dramatize newspapers & documentary in feel living newspapers Created by FDR for WPA Started bashing the government and there for the government cut off funding from them