Drama quiz 2
Symbols in "A Doll's House"
1. Christmas tree - happiness and birth 2. Macaroons - small rebellion, foreshadowing a larger one 3. Mending/knitting - mending/fixing lives 4. Black crosses - death, human liberation 5. Tarantella - reflects the agitated state of mind 6. Title - characters are more like dolls or puppets than individuals
Themes in "A Doll's House"
1. the restraints imposed on individual development and self-fulfillment by society's conventions 2. the effects on individual development of our pasts (including the influence of parents, upbringing, and genetic inheritance)
Restoration
1660; Charles II take the throne back and the monarchy is restored; theaters reopen
Heinrich Ibsen
1828-1906; Norwegian playwright; "A Doll House", "An Enemy of the People", "Hedda Gabler"
Strindbergh
1849-1912; Swedish plawright; Miss Julie
Oscar Wilde
1854-1900; English writer; The Importance of Being Earnest (drawing room comedy); art for art's sake
George Bernard haw
1856-1950; Irish playwright; Pygmalion, Major Barbara
Anton Chekhov
1860-1904; Russian writer; The Cherry Orchard
Luigi Pirandello
1864-1936; Italian dramatist and novelist; won Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934; said "After Shakespeare, without hesitation, I put Ibsen first"
William Butler Yeats
1865-1939; Irish writer of poetry and drama
Britain 1642
Civil War in England results in the King being ousted and the Puritans taking control and shutting down all theaters
interregnum
the time period when one monarch is ousted and before the next monarch takes charge
Plot of Cherry Orchard
the wealthy class had trouble keeping up big estates and this tells of one former serf, now a part of the social and economic climb; times are changing as we see class mobility up and down and the losses and acquisitions that accompany it
Restoration Drama
theaters reopening after the puritans had control; Charles II loved drama and it was a good time for the theater
A Doll House vs. A Doll's House
title consideration; the metaphor vs. the idea of possession
Plot of Importance of Being Earnest
two men are in love with two women who both love the name Ernest; the men endure their families or find ways to avoid them (Bunbury) and both men pretend to be Ernest; both men pair off with their women and, as real identities are uncovered, silly truth and lightweight love rule the day
Naturalism and Aristotle
typically follows the Greek philosopher's rules of "the three unities" (time, place, and action); action takes place in a single location over the time frame of a single day
19th Amendment
1920; gave women right to vote; women were/were not able to sit on juries depending on their state; states were allowed to exclude women from jury selection based on an 1879 SCOTUS decision; Wyoming allowed it as early as 1873, while Mississippi did not allow it until 1968; PA came in 1921, right after the 19th Amendment was passed
"A Doll's House" films
2 most famous were released in 1972; one was directed by Joseph Losey, starring Jane Fonda, David Warner, and Trevor Howard; other one directed by Patrick Garland, starring Claire Bloom, Anthony Hopkins, and Ralph Richardson
Victorian Era
British lit during Queen Victoria's reign in England; 1837-1901
Naturalism
Emile Zola; "slice of life" drama; shows a darker side of humanity in which each person is a product of his/her environment/heredity beyond his/her control; ex: Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman"
Characters in Trifles
George Henderson, Henry Peters, Mrs. Peters, Lewis Hale, Mrs. Hale, John Wright, Minnie Foster Wright
Faust
Goethe; German playwright; 1749-1832
Ibsen and Writing plays
Ibsen made at least three major drafts of his plays; first-said he knew characters like people on a railway journey; second-he knew them as one knows someone after four weeks at the same spa; third-knew as intimate friends
Commedia Del Arte
Italy; 16th-18th centuries; a kind of theater that flourished for 2 centuries; included comedy with actors specializing in a certain type of role--called a mask--and then bringing it out when the stock situation called for it, using improvisation in stock situations--and sometimes mime; as centuries passed, the stock routines and physical comedy became stale, and the form essentially died out
Moliere
Jean Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673); well educated and connected; was destined to inherit a place in the French court from his father, but he decided to go into the theater instead; had some successes and failures; wrote and acted his plays; most famous are Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, and The Miser
Plot of Miss Julie
Julie is an upper-class woman who gets messily entangled with a lower-class man, Jean; their messy affair lead Jean to convince Julie to kill herself, after Jean kills her canary
Big topic of Restoration
Marriage; marriages of convenience were common, so married couples in plays (and IRL, presumably) often had dalliances with others
Theater history in England
New theaters were built with artificial light, painted backdrops, and a closer connection to the audience in terms of the stage apron
Doll House characters to know
Nora Torvald Helmer Dr. Rank Kristine Linde Krogstad Anne-Marie Nora's father the children
Henrik Ibsen, in regards to Realism
Norwegian playwright; considered the father of modern realism in the theatre
Characters to know in Tartuffe
Orgon, wife Elmire Tartuffe Madame Pernelle, Orgon's mother Mariane (Orgon's daughter) and her bf Valere Damis, Orgon's son Dorine, Mariane's wily servant
Trifles
Susan Glaspell; 1916
Satire
a play meant to both make people laugh but also seriously undercut its subject mater in the pursuit of some sort of social change; ex: Tartuffe
Sentimental comedies
appear late in the 17th century and stuck around in the 18th century, too, bringing recognizable emotion to the stage; by the 18th century, it began to play on, even manipulate, the emotions of the audience
Trifles Setting
an American farmhouse, probably sometime in the first two decades of the 20th century (in keeping with the publication date and evidence from the text)
Realism
art to reproduce life; ordinary people in ordinary situations; gives idea of the "4th wall"; underscores that intimate feeling with the audience, as if we are eavesdropping on the private business of characters
Realism characters
believable, everyday types; have authentic costumes
Henrik Ibsen
born in Skein, Norway in 1828; family business failed when he was 6; father became depressed an alcoholic, and his mother eventually left his father; worked as an apprentice to an apothecary as a teenager ad considered studying medicine, instead decided to devote himself to writing and working in the theater; by early 20s, he earned a living by writing and directing plays in various Norwegian cities and became director of the Norwegian Theatre in Bergen, Norway
Comedies of manners
bright, witty comedies the revealed the foibles of society
When do female actors take the stage in Britain?
by the 18th century
Doll House Social issues
marriage, women, individuality, independence, law
19th Century Drama technological advancements in theatre
changes in lighting, scenery, costuming
Issues brought up in Miss Julie
class and gender
Naturalism in the theatre
costumes, sets, and props are historically accurate and very detailed; attempt to offer a photographic reproduction of reality; settings are often bland and ordinary; jumps in time and/or place between acts or scenes is unallowed
thematically-related nouns and issues
equality, identity, self-possession, illness, gender roles, death, the self, family/children, marriage, the law
Neoclassicism
established in France; an approach to theater that valued harmony, symmetry, and balance, with a focus on moral themes; valued thought over feeling; focused on honor and moral integrity with the focus being less on the individual and more on the greater good
Why realism was popular
everyday person in the audience could identify with situations and characters on stage
Claptraps
exaggerated reactions shown by actors onstage to help indicate emotion
Naturalism
extreme or heightened form of realism; short lived; stage time=real time
David Garrick
famous actor and theater manager of the time
"A Doll's House" premieres
first one-December 21, 1879 in Copenhagen, Denmark first time in London-1889 after a ban against it was lifted first time in US-New York, 1894
Thematically-related nouns and issues in Trifles
gender roles and expectations, marriage, identity, respect, violence, crime, morality, understanding, irony
Realism Effects on Theatre
greatly influenced 20th century theatre and cinema; effects are still felt today
structure of English Restoration Theatre
had a gallery and upper gallery, which were balcony seats risen in the air, usually having a better view; upper stage was scenic, almost looking like a wing and drop scenery; proscenium stage had two doors on each side that the cast could walk through
melodrama/melodramatic play
importance of music to reflect/enhance emotion, overwrought emotional scenes
Middle of Henrik Ibsen's life
in 1858, he became the creative director at the National Theater in Christiana (Oslo) and then married a year later; understanding the the severe northern Norwegian landscape helped to understand Ibsen, making many think him cold and aloof; left in 1864 for a 27 year exile
British playwrights of Restoration
include Aphra Behn (the first female playwright), William Congreve, and John Dryden
American Realism
inspired by Stanislavski's system of realistic acting at the turn of the 20th century; brought about method acting in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s (The Group Theatre, The Actors Studio)
Problem Play
it is difficult to know if a main character is a good, heroic character, or not; hero? anti-hero? selfless, selfish, both?; great example; "A doll house"
Controversy of "A Doll's House"
it questioned the conventional roles of husband and wife in the sacred institution of marriage, arguing, and the liberation of women; many saw Nora's act of leaving her family as a selfish abandonment of her duties as wife and mother, where others argued that her embarkation on a journey of self-discovery would not only make her a more independent and stronger individual, but also a better mother; Ibsen was not arguing for women's rights, but for justice of all humanity
influences of Naturalism
naturalist manifestos written by French novelist and playwright Emile Zola in the preface to Therese Raquin (1867 novel, 1873 play) and Swedish playwright August Strindberg in the preface to Miss Julie (1888); Darwin's theory of evolution, scientific determinism
4th wall
one wall has been removed from a room to allow the audience to "peek in" on the happenings there
End of Ibsen's life
permanently returned to Norway in 1891, where he was celebrated as a national treasure, honored by theater-goers, scholars, and royalty; was the first Norwegian author to gain widespread acclaim outside his native country; health deteriorated after a series of strokes in 1900 and died in 1906
Plots in Realism
plot is secondary to the interior lives of characters, motive, reactions to others, etc.; typically psychologically driven; often see the protagonist rise up against odds to assert self against injustice (Nora in Doll's House)
Tartuffe/The Hypocrite
premiered in 1664 privately at Versailles for the King; King disapproved of aspects of the play for the general public; Moliere rewrote it several times; play criticizes society and the clergy, thus upsetting many
"A Doll's House" book
printed two weeks before the production and sold 8000 copies in 2 weeks
Naturalistic subject matter
regularly explore sordid subject matter considered taboo on the stage in any serious manner (ex: suicide, poverty, prostitution)
Realism on stage
settings and props are often indoors and believable; typically uses the "box set" with the three stage walls and invisible fourth wall where the audience sits; settings are often bland; dialogue is not heightened for effect, but more everyday vernacular
characters in Naturalism
shaped by circumstances and controlled by external factors (such as hereditary or social/economic environment); considered victims in own circumstance and this is why they behave the way they do (seen as helpless products of their environment); often working/lower class
Audiences during Restoration wanted
socially observant comedy and re-written plays from times past to give happier endings
Ibsen as an Individualist
staunch advocate for individual freedoms and rights; "I think that l of us have nothing other or better to do than in spirit and sincerity to realize ourselves. That to my mind, is the real liberalism"; believed the state "is the curse of the individual"
French tragedy
stuck to Aristotelian unities of time, place, and action; Racine was the primary French tragedian of the time
Anti-hero
unlike heroes (Oedipus or Hamlet), the Anti-hero is a man character who is not elevated morally or socially; in fact, he/she may be downtrodden; found in naturalistic or other more modern plays
French theater
used female actresses
Scribe's formula for a "Well Made Play"
used for dramatic action/19th century: exposition (background, getting us "up to speed", surprises) suspense and coincidences climax late in the play, secrets revealed denouement (all things worked out and brought to resolution)
"A Doll's House" alternate ending
was written for Germany's debut; had Nora look at her children before she is about to leave, collapses to the floor, and decides to remain; Ibsen called the ending a "barbaric outrage"
The Cherry Orchard
written by Anton Chekhov; Russia; 1903; called comedy by playwright, and tragedy by critics; set after serfdom was abolished (1861)
Miss Julie
written by August Strindbergh; Sweden; 1889
The Importance of Being Earnest
written by Oscar Wilde; Irish; 1895; social comedy, comedy of manners, satire of upper class superficiality