History TD II Exam 2
What did the poet W.B. Yeats say after seeing the premiere of Ubu Roi in 1896?
"After us, the savage God."
In the Preface, how does Strindberg say he writes the dialogue for his characters?
"Strindberg championed the illogicality and seeming randomness of a real conversation as against the 'symmetrical, mathematically constructed dialogue' regarded as normal stage speech until then"
Miss Julie: In the Preface, what does Strindberg say he dislikes about the theatre of his day?
misogyny and degrading of women
What was special about the way Chekhov wrote his characters?
He reveals action and character not through what is said, but through what is NOT said. Characters don't always say what they mean.
Why was it important for Naturalists to have a realistically detailed set? Simply for its look?
recreate the appearance of the everyday life
Detonation, Feet, Hands, and FidelityWhat makes these plays "Futurist"?
scenes that are only a few sentences long, an emphasis on nonsensical humour, and attempts to examine and subvert traditions of theatre via parody and other techniques.
How did the Symbolists feel about the imitation of everyday life onstage?
surface appearance does not equal reality.
The Avant-Garde What was the first major artistic movement to reject Realism?
symbolism
Where does the "jet of blood" come from? What makes Jet of Blood "Surrealistic"?
the "jet"of blood" comes from when the wh*re bites Gods wrists and then blood shoots out;Play follows structure of dreams; the events don't make sense
How did the Symbolists believe "truth" could be expressed on stage?
through symbols and sounds (human voice, chanting, vibrating)
In the Preface, Strindberg says that he looks forward to a day when audiences will be able to watch the death of the "weak" (like Miss Julie) in what way?
He says that we as people have grown strong enough and should feel happy and relieved to see an "invalid" die because she stands in the way of others who are entitled to grow without her
Who was the "father of Realism"? What plays did he write?
Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian playwright. Wrote: A Dolls House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, Hedda Gabler
Major characters, events, and circumstances of Machinal: What makes Machinal "Expressionistic"?
Husband (George H Jones), Young Woman (Helen Jones); for all of her life, Young Woman was told how she should live her life and was forced into a life she never wanted; this made her feel like she had no freedom in her life until the eventual murder of her husband, imprisoning her, which then led to her death I the electric chair
What are some of the typical visual elements of theatrical Expressionism?
Violence, sexuality, abstract, episodic
How did the approach to costumes change in the late 19th century?
costumes became more unified
Major characters, circumstances, and events of the Miss Julie
Miss Julie, Jean, Christine, the count; Miss Julie is the daughter of the count and they have a very poor relationship (her mother is dead and doesn't get along with her father), she wants to marry Jean, even though he is engaged to Christine; he thinks low of her and plays a lot of games with her, she is somewhat desperate for his love; they decide to run away together to run a hotel; they lose courage in the plan and stay, Julie has nothing and kills herself
Which theatre produced the premieres of Chekhov's major plays?
Moscow Art Theatre
When (approximately), and for what reason, did the position of director develop in the theatre?
created in the 1800s, create unity within the ensemble
What changes in lighting technology influenced Realism in the late 19th century?
electric lighting
For Naturalists, what are the two main forces that shape human behavior?
hereditary and environment
Who was Émile Zola?
French novelist, critic, and political activist who was the most prominent French novelist of the late 19th century. His theory in literature emphasized scientific observation of life without idealism or avoidance of the ugly.
Who started Futurism by writing The Futurist Manifesto in 1909 (he was also the author of Feet)?
Futurism was launched by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. On 20 February he published his Manifesto of Futurism on the front page of the Paris newspaper Le Figaro.
How was the control of lighting crucial to Realism in the late 19th century?
-Electric lighting - can put the audience in the dark; audience is looking in on someones life
Who wrote Ubu Roi?
Alfred Jerry
What is the definition of Realism?
Artistic Reality, Recreates the appearance of everyday life through details of dialogue, behavior, set, & costume.
What is "Fourth Wall staging"?
Audience is not acknowledged, like taking one wall off a house and looking in.
What did Surrealists consider the major creative force in the human being? In what country did Surrealism begin?
Deepest truths are revealed by the unconscious (dreams). Founded by the poet André Breton in Paris in 1924
What were the typical elements of Realistic set design in the late 19th century?
Detailed props, three dimensional sets, electric lighting, revolving stages
What is "expressed" in theatrical Expressionism? And how is it expressed? In other words, what is the definition of Expressionism in the theatre?
Expressionism shows how the artist is feeling rather than Impressionism which captures objects objectively. Expressionism is: -reaction against humanity of a machinelike world -truth lies behind appearances in subjective world of human -"Realism" is superficial, only describes appearances -Art must use distortion of form to communicate what is "real"
For Naturalist playwrights, how does theatre serve a scientific purpose?
It is opportunity for scientific observation of humans and the interaction of heredity and environment.
What was the first public reaction to Realist plays?
It was not a popular genre, most of the audience felt it was "too real"; wasn't the escape they were looking for when coming to the theatre.
What was Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen known for as a director?
Large choreographed crowd scenes and his production of Julius Caesar in 1874.
Before its theatrical premiere, what kind of show did Ubu Roi start out as?
Marionette show about a HS physics teacher
Which famous Symbolist playwright wrote The Blue Bird?
Maurice Maeterlinck
Major characters, circumstances, and events of An Enemy of the People:
Peter Stockmann is the town mayor, in the town there are municipal baths for tourists and the rest of the town; these are very successful. Dr. Thomas Stockmann is the medical advisor for these baths and one day runs tests that reveal the baths are a danger to public health. Most of the town rejoices in this discovery, including Hovstad (editor of the towns leftist newspaper The People's Herald) and Aslaksen (prints the papers, decides what gets printed). This was cut short by Peter issuing fear-mongering tactics on the public to help the baths still thrive to save their economy. everyone turns their back on dr. stockmann. he ends up standing alone with his family by the end of the play making a school of his own to educate his kids correctly.
How did Konstantin Stanislavski change actor training with his System?
Pioneered realistic acting technique; Inner truth and truthful physical action. Really listening and responding as if you were the character.
Major characters, circumstances, and events of Ubu Roi
Père Ubu, Mère Ubu, Captain Macnure; Ma Ubu convinces her husband to revolt and kill the King of Poland/royal family. The King's son and the Queen escape though she later dies. The ghost of the dead King returns to his son, calling for revenge. With Ubu having taken over the palace, his henchman is thrown into the jail. He then flees to Russia and leads a revolt of his own on Ubu. Before the attack, Ubu's wife quickly gathers all the expensive treasures to run away; she ends up finding her husband defeated by the Russians, abandoned by his fans, and attacked by a bear. The bear's body serves good as Ubu and his wife knock down the opposing team; together they flee to France and the play ends.
What is a box set?
Realistically detailed, three-walled, roofed setting that simulates a room with the 4th wall (the one closest to the audience) removed/implied.
What kind of subject matter became common in late 19th century Realism?
Reality without any editing, moralizing, or beautification
What is the definition of Naturalism?
Reality without editing, moraliizing, or beautification, a "slice of life", no attempt to adorn reality for artistic purposes.
What was André Antoine known for as a director?
The Theatre Libre in Paris, naturalistic sets, authentic props, rehearsed w/ 4 walls and then decided which to remove, Wild Duck (1891)
Artaud later proposed to develop a theatre of sound, gesture, and spectacle, without language, that assaulted the senses of the audience—what did he call this type of theatre? Where did Artaud want to place the audience in these types of performances?
Theatre of cruelty. Artaud wanted to put the audience in the middle of the 'spectacle' (his term for the play), so they would be 'engulfed and physically affected by it'.
What class of characters increasingly became the protagonists of Realistic plays?
Working-class characters
Dadaism What was the major world event that provoked the Dada movement?
World War 1
What happened at the premiere of Ubu Roi in 1896?
audience broke into a riot over the first word said "Merdre"
