the art of drama dramatic structure production of a play american drama twentieth-century realism...
TRANSCRIPT
The Art of Drama
Dramatic Structure
Production of a Play
American Drama
Twentieth-Century Realism
Expressionist Drama
Contemporary Drama
Practice
Feature Menu
American Drama
Drama is a unique literary form that comes to life on stage.Short Story or Novel Drama
meant to be read meant to be performed
static: takes its final form on paper
dynamic: can change from one production to the next
story is told through words alone
voice, movement, and gesture are essential
scenes are created in reader’s imagination
scenes are created with lighting and set design
can be read in more than one sitting
length is limited by attention span of audience
The Art of Drama
A successful play is a team effort of
audiences
director actors designers and
technicians
playwright producer
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The Art of Drama
which may be
Exposition
Like a story, a drama involves a protagonist, or main character, who faces a problem or conflict.
gives background information about Conflict
Protagonist main character who faces a
External: protagonist struggles against another person or a situation
Internal: protagonist is torn between conflicting feelings or wishes
Dramatic Structure
Quick CheckWho is the protagonist?
In The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne and her family are hiding in an Amsterdam attic during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Along with the other occupants of the Secret Annex, Anne struggles with the harsh conditions and restrictions of their hiding place as they try to avoid detection by the Nazis. She also struggles with conflicting feelings about the people with whom she is forced to live in close quarters.
What external and internal conflicts does the protagonist face?
Dramatic Structure
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submits play to
After writing a play, the playwright then tries to get it performed—preferably on Broadway!
• Because production of a play is costly, it usually depends on the financial backing of producers.
Agent
Author
Producers
discuss script changes with
sends play to
The Role of the Producer
Production of a Play
The next step is to find the right director and actors.
• The director decides how best to bring the playwright’s words to life on the stage.
• The actors follow the director’s instructions and bring their own creative talents to the play.
Then, long days of rehearsals begin in preparation for opening night.
The Role of the Director
Production of a Play
If the play is a hit on Broadway, it may then
• be performed around the world
• find its way into the anthologies you study in school
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Production of a Play
1800s contemporary
American drama has gone through several stages of development from the nineteenth century to the present.
theatrical, sentimental shows
influence of European realism
new levels of realism and psychological complexity
revolt against realism: expressionist drama
American Drama
European Influences
The “slice-of-life” realism of three late-nineteenth-century European playwrights had a profound influence on American drama.
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Norwegian Henrik Ibsen
depicted unsettling subjects such as guilt, sexuality, and mental illness
Swedish August Strindberg
brought unprecedented level of psychological complexity to his characterizations
Russian Anton Chekhov
along with Ibsen and Strindberg, shifted the subject matter of drama to inner actions and emotions and the concerns of everyday life
American Drama
Realistic drama is based on the illusion that at a play we are watching life through a “fourth wall” that has been removed so we can see the action.
Twentieth-Century Realism
Key Figures of American Realism
Eugene O’Neill(1888–1953)
dominated American drama in his generation
Arthur Miller(1915–2005)
master of realism; explored social as well as psychological truths in his plays
Tennessee Williams(1911–1983)
blended realism with imagination; focused on personal rather than social themes
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Twentieth-Century Realism
Expressionist drama began as a revolt against realism.
Rejecting the orderly format of realistic drama, expressionist drama
• focused on revealing characters’ interior consciousness
• reflected a sense that life is formless and uncertain
• emphasized stage effects and imaginative settings
Expressionist Drama
Many writers who used expressionist techniques came to be called playwrights of the Theater of the Absurd.
• Aburdist plays are not meant to tell a story.
• Instead, much like poetry, they use a pattern of images to express an idea or a feeling.
Expressionist Drama
Founders of the Theater of the Absurd
The most significant absurdist in the United States has been Edward Albee (1928– ).
Edward Albee: American Absurdist
• Albee is not a pure absurdist; he experiments with many forms.
The Zoo Story (1959): Albee’s debut
The American Dream (1961): an Absurdist play
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962): the play that made Albee famous
Expressionist Drama
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Today, playwrights are free to experiment with many different dramatic forms and structures—as long as their approach speaks compellingly to an audience.
Contemporary Drama
Quick Check
Match each definition with the correct term.
drama based on the illusion of watching characters’ lives through an invisible “fourth wall”; themes usually center on contemporary society
Realism
drama that focuses on revealing characters’ stream of consciousness; replaces logical plot with pattern of poetic images
Expressionism
Contemporary Drama
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Make some predictions about what will happen to American drama in the next ten years. Consider
• subject matter
• theatrical sets (simpler or more elaborate? use of special effects?)
• popularity relative to movies, television, and Internet-based entertainment
Practice
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The End