Chapter 11: Many Types of Theatre

Chapter 11Chapter 11

Many Types of TheatreMany Types of Theatre

Comedy and TragedyComedy and Tragedy

High comedyHigh comedy includes any play that depends on includes any play that depends on sophisticated humor, wit, political satire, or social sophisticated humor, wit, political satire, or social commentary. commentary.

Low comedyLow comedy depends on gags, clowning, puns, depends on gags, clowning, puns, and slapstick. and slapstick.

FarceFarce traps the characters in a fast-paced traps the characters in a fast-paced situation with wild complications, mistaken situation with wild complications, mistaken identities, and incredible coincidences. identities, and incredible coincidences.

Comedy and TragedyComedy and Tragedy

Domestic comedies Domestic comedies take an entertaining look at take an entertaining look at the problems and complications of common the problems and complications of common everyday people. everyday people.

Comedy of manners Comedy of manners plays are set during the plays are set during the age of aristocrats and kings and poke fun at the age of aristocrats and kings and poke fun at the bedroom escapades, marital infidelities, and bedroom escapades, marital infidelities, and hypocrisies of the upper classes.hypocrisies of the upper classes.

Comedy of ideasComedy of ideas are cerebral, socially relevant are cerebral, socially relevant plays that force audiences to reassess their plays that force audiences to reassess their culture, community, and values. culture, community, and values.

Comedy and TragedyComedy and Tragedy

A tragic play is one that takes a serious look at A tragic play is one that takes a serious look at the meaning of life and human suffering. the meaning of life and human suffering.

The purpose of these plays is not to make the The purpose of these plays is not to make the audience feel depressed but rather to enable audience feel depressed but rather to enable them to experience an intense, twofold feeling of them to experience an intense, twofold feeling of pity and fear known as pity and fear known as catharsiscatharsis. Catharsis can . Catharsis can occur when one truly encounters life and occur when one truly encounters life and confronts its many riddles.confronts its many riddles.

Comedy and TragedyComedy and Tragedy

Anton Chekhov, the Anton Chekhov, the great Russian great Russian playwright, called playwright, called many of his plays many of his plays comedies even comedies even though they covered though they covered such depressing such depressing subjects as debt, subjects as debt, lost love and missed lost love and missed opportunities.opportunities.

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Comedy and TragedyComedy and Tragedy

A A tragic tragic hero has a hero has a character flawcharacter flaw, a , a personal failing that personal failing that leads to his or her leads to his or her downfall. downfall.

The ancient Greeks The ancient Greeks called this flaw the called this flaw the hamartiahamartia. A common . A common hamartia is hamartia is hubrishubris——overbearing pride or overbearing pride or arrogance. arrogance.

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The Advent of RealismThe Advent of Realism InventionsInventions

PhotographyPhotography Light bulbLight bulb Internal combustion engineInternal combustion engine AutomobileAutomobile

IdeasIdeas Charles DarwinCharles Darwin Karl MarxKarl Marx Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud

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NaturalismNaturalism

An extreme form of An extreme form of Realism, an accurate Realism, an accurate “slice of life” look at “slice of life” look at existence.existence.

The Russian The Russian playwright Maxim playwright Maxim Gorky (1868–1936), Gorky (1868–1936), whose play whose play The Lower The Lower Depths Depths (1902) took a (1902) took a stark look at people stark look at people living in the cellar of a living in the cellar of a Moscow flophouse.Moscow flophouse.

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Romanticism and MelodramaRomanticism and Melodrama

Melodramas have formulaic Melodramas have formulaic plots filled with plots filled with oversimplified moral oversimplified moral dilemmas and support the dilemmas and support the values of love, marriage, values of love, marriage, God, and country.God, and country.

Romanticism was a Romanticism was a reaction to the reaction to the Enlightenment (1650–Enlightenment (1650–1800), a period of great 1800), a period of great philosophical, scientific, philosophical, scientific, technological, political, and technological, political, and religious revolutions that religious revolutions that changed human thought changed human thought forever.forever.

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Understanding ShakespeareUnderstanding Shakespeare

Almost 400 years after his Almost 400 years after his death, Shakespeare is one death, Shakespeare is one of the most produced of the most produced playwrights in the world. playwrights in the world.

He coined the phrases “to He coined the phrases “to catch a cold,” “foregone catch a cold,” “foregone conclusion,” “as luck conclusion,” “as luck would have it,” “too would have it,” “too much of a good thing,” much of a good thing,” “in one fell swoop,” “in one fell swoop,” “good riddance,” “vanish “good riddance,” “vanish into thin air,” and “in the into thin air,” and “in the twinkling of an eye.”twinkling of an eye.”Lo

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ExpressionismExpressionism

Expressionism was created in response to Expressionism was created in response to Realism and Naturalism, which film was Realism and Naturalism, which film was better at depicting.better at depicting.

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Epic TheatreEpic Theatre

Bertolt Brecht (1898 – 1956) was a German Bertolt Brecht (1898 – 1956) was a German playwright/director who responded to the devastation playwright/director who responded to the devastation of World War I and its causes with a political theatre of World War I and its causes with a political theatre that expected its audience to take action. that expected its audience to take action.

Epic Theatre has existed for hundreds of years. Epic Theatre has existed for hundreds of years. Brecht saw it as the perfect way to confront the social Brecht saw it as the perfect way to confront the social and political problems of his day. But he rebelled and political problems of his day. But he rebelled against theatrical illusions such as suspense, rising against theatrical illusions such as suspense, rising action, climax, and other plot devices that lull the action, climax, and other plot devices that lull the audience into a trance-like state and emotional audience into a trance-like state and emotional catharsis.catharsis.

Alienation EffectAlienation Effect

The Threepenny The Threepenny Opera Opera incorporates incorporates many elements that many elements that foster the alienation foster the alienation effect. Political effect. Political slogans are projected slogans are projected onto the back wall of onto the back wall of the set, and songs the set, and songs serve to keep the serve to keep the audience from getting audience from getting too attached to the too attached to the characters.characters.

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Theatre of the AbsurdTheatre of the AbsurdThe FatalistThe Fatalist

Believe that we are trapped in an irrational Believe that we are trapped in an irrational universe where even basic communication is universe where even basic communication is impossibleimpossible

Samuel Beckett (1906-1989)Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) Waiting for GodotWaiting for Godot (1953) (1953) Endgame Endgame (1957)(1957) Knapp’s Last TapeKnapp’s Last Tape (1958) (1958) Happy DaysHappy Days (1961) (1961)

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Theatre of the AbsurdTheatre of the AbsurdThe ExistentialistsThe Existentialists

Maintain that “God is Dead,” and therefore, we Maintain that “God is Dead,” and therefore, we have a responsibility to live our lives have a responsibility to live our lives “authentically” each day “authentically” each day

Human beings must “take action” and create Human beings must “take action” and create their own sense of meaning in the worldtheir own sense of meaning in the world

Jean-Paul Sartre (1908-1980)Jean-Paul Sartre (1908-1980) French philosopher and playwright who wrote French philosopher and playwright who wrote

on Existentialism and its place in the worldon Existentialism and its place in the world Some of his most popular plays include:Some of his most popular plays include:

The FliesThe Flies (1943) (1943)No ExitNo Exit (1944) (1944)

Theatre of the AbsurdTheatre of the AbsurdThe HilariousThe Hilarious

Acknowledge that the only sane response to the Acknowledge that the only sane response to the absurdity of the human condition is to take a absurdity of the human condition is to take a comical point of view.comical point of view.

Eugene Ionesco (1912-1994)Eugene Ionesco (1912-1994)Romanian-born French playwright whose two most Romanian-born French playwright whose two most

produced play are:produced play are: RhinocerosRhinoceros (1959) and (1959) and The Bald SopranoThe Bald Soprano (1949) (1949)

Harold Pinter (1930-2008)Harold Pinter (1930-2008)English playwright who was awarded the Nobel Prize English playwright who was awarded the Nobel Prize

in 2005 who most famous plays include:in 2005 who most famous plays include: The DumbwaiterThe Dumbwaiter (1957), (1957), The Birthday PartyThe Birthday Party (1958), (1958),

and and Betrayal Betrayal (1978)(1978)

Precolonial African Theatre Precolonial African Theatre

Grew out of ritual and Grew out of ritual and employed acting, employed acting, music, storytelling, music, storytelling, costumes, and dance.costumes, and dance.

Often used masks.Often used masks. Audience participation Audience participation

required.required. Concerned with Concerned with

religion and religion and community.community.

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Sanskrit DramaSanskrit DramaSanskrit drama - uses Sanskrit, the oldest Sanskrit drama - uses Sanskrit, the oldest of Indian languages, and tells stories of Indian languages, and tells stories based on Indian myth.based on Indian myth.

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Peking OperaPeking Opera

AA synthesis of music, dance, synthesis of music, dance, acting, and acrobatics. acting, and acrobatics.

Because they originally Because they originally performed outdoors, Peking performed outdoors, Peking opera actors developed a opera actors developed a piercing style of singing piercing style of singing their lines over boisterous their lines over boisterous crowds. The orchestra is crowds. The orchestra is made up of gongs, cymbals, made up of gongs, cymbals, lutes, rattles, drums, lutes, rattles, drums, castanets, and a two-string castanets, and a two-string violin.violin. Lou Anne

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Japanese TheatreJapanese TheatreKabuki Theatre -- Ka (song), Bu (dance) and Ki (skill).Kabuki Theatre -- Ka (song), Bu (dance) and Ki (skill).

A popular theatre form that includes elaborate A popular theatre form that includes elaborate costumes, melodramatic acting, and special effects.costumes, melodramatic acting, and special effects.

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Islamic TheatreIslamic Theatre•Shadow TheatreShadow Theatre

In the ancient Muslim world, theatre was not an important part of its culture.

The Koran, Islam’s holy book, contains a warning about “graven images,” which applies to actors and puppets. Islamic performers skirted the rules by back lighting two-dimensional figures and casting their shadows on a screen.

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Curtain CallCurtain Call

In his famous In his famous introduction to introduction to The The Story of ArtStory of Art, E. H. , E. H. Gombrich says, “There Gombrich says, “There is no such thing as art. is no such thing as art. There are only artists.” There are only artists.” This is certainly true in This is certainly true in the theatre—how each the theatre—how each designer, director, designer, director, actor, or playwright actor, or playwright sees life affects the sees life affects the style of the plays they style of the plays they createcreate

William Missouri Downs