History of Theatre in the Americas – Flashcards

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Rabinal Achi
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Guatemalan play, as HISTORY: history of translation's release, actor preparation, Mayan and European influence, community and memory; as TEXT: ritual and drama, outside/inside dichotomy of European and Central America, role of sacrifice, circular plot structure
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Who translated Rabinal Achi? Why?
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A priest- to make it more Christian
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What were some traits of the actors performing in Rabinal Achi?
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abstinence for 30 days before and after, actors make own costumes, masks, 7 year contract, learn to dance
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Origins of medieval drama and allegorical drama?
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Born out of dramatized liturgies done Easter week, 15th century, "Whom do you seek?" plays in church
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miracle, mystery, morality plays
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miracle- lives of saints mystery- Bible scenes morality- allegorical dramas
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allegorical definition and why?
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stand-ins for something else, "miracle play takes as its basis the historical books of the Bible and the legends of the Church, but these don't answer 'What must I do to be saved?'"
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What is the urgency of Final Judgment?
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repent before it's too late, fear, panic, end of times, pity, woe, emphasize on Lucia's sin and don't wait like she did; an easy cardinal sin is so severe and consequential
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What kind of medieval play style are Divine Narcissus and Final Judgment?
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allegorical
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Who are the two couples in Loa of Divine Narcissus?
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Indigenous: Occident and America European: Zeal and Religion
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How does Loa of Divine Narcissus justify the colonial mission?
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humanize the "savages" and promise them a way out
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Are Occident and America originally willing to convert?
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No; they'd rather die
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Which character in Loa of Divine Narcissus stands in for the playwright?
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Religion
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Dates for Rabinal Achi, Final Judgment, and Loa of the Divine Narcissus
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RA- 15th century FJ- 1531 Loa- 1687
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Romanticism
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ideas and theatre ideas; beyond earthly existence there is a higher truth; the closer to nature, the more truthful; humans never grasp truth in its entirety; art provides truthful insight; centrality of the artist-genius in leading the way for others; reach for more than our petty concerns; art provides the greatest amount of truth; connection to nationalism and the national myths; historical accuracy- adapt the style/costume, employ earlier theatrical methods; reject neoclassic rules, not purity of genres
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Romanticism has connection to what two eras?
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Gothic and Medieval
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In Romanticism, what do people frequently stare at?
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Their natural surroundings
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Melodrama
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focus on emotional appeal, musical underscoring of emotion, vocal and physical underscoring of emotion, virtue under siege, lets audience know what to feel, strict poetic justice (good guy wins, bad guy loses) fast-paced and episodic, sensational action, suspense
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Miss Lucy Long
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song, banjo, violin, party feel, folk, simple feel- like the songs in Glance at New York
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Who's the dumbshit hick in Glance at New York?
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Good ol' George
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Is melodrama geared to the lower class or higher class?
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Lower class; they laugh at the upper class
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Why is melodrama appealing?
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Escapism, practical, entertaining satire, comic relief,
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Why is the action in melodrama so big?
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Scarce lighting, huge theatres, people doing distracting shit in the crowd
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What does it mean that melodrama has typical plot devices?
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Predictable plots, good guy wins, you go to a GAP show and know what you're going to see
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Who's the ideal New Yorker and the hero of A Glance at New York?
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Mose
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What makes A Glance at New York "American?"
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Show northern US audiences about parts of the world they'll never see, everyone was like George at one point, pride and identification of the audience, hazing initiation of George, real locations provided, country bumpkins picked on, Harry's first speech praising New York girls, people cheer saying "I've been there!" to these places
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How is Mose "what all New Yorkers want to be?"
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Hardcore, brawler, manly firemen, has the slang down (Foo foos), masculine, lover, fighter, saves the girl, sensitive side with baby
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What two journeys does George embark on that constitute "the immigrant narrative?"
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Greenhorn-native stupid-smart
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How is class fluidity demonstrated in A Glance at New York?
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someone like Harry (high class) can be friends with someone like Mose (low-class)
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What are some main points about the A Glance at New York production presentation?
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in the Marroney for diff. locations, shades of black and white film ideas, traditional multi-layered costumes for males, keep it set in 1848, George dresses for practicality, simple outfit for men to dress as women, Barclay street combined with front street for practicality, Loafer's Paradise is shabby and older-looking, "5 minute walk from extreme wealth to extreme poverty"
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Where does A Glance at New York end? Why?
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at a theatre where all classes can intermingle, the ultimate democratic group
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How does popular culture target a "lower-class" audience?
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baser instincts, prejudices, instant pleasure through corny jokes, current events
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What happens when a play/character like A Glance at New York/Mose get popular, quotable, and mimicible? Why?
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The actor and playwright lose control, because people are using the behavior in ways it was never intended to be used.
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What's an example besides A Glance at New York of a writer losing control of the play in ways it was never intended?
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Harriet Breacher Stowe and Uncle Tom's Cabin (stage adaptation when she hated theatre)
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What does stereotype mean?
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A general image reproduced over and over
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How is stereotype used in culture?
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Quickly explain origins, behavior, future quickly; predictability
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Function of the minstrel shows
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entertainment form of racism, not meant to inspire (can be uncomfortable certainly)
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Elements of minstrel shows
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characters, jokes, songs, makeup, 3 part structure (walkaround, olio, skit {situational comedy})
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What were the first minstrel shows like?
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Virginia 1920-1942, semicircle, 2 main characters Tamba and Bones (after instruments) use dialects
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What was the audience at minstrel shows like?
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White, male, urban, surprisingly northern
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Jim Crowe and Zip Coon
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Jim Crowe- shabby and carefree, less than human, rural, free, open, uninhibited dance, blacks behave one way, whites another, for sake of dance cross lines Zip Coon- northern dressed, dignified, inability to act northern white, he tries too much, more dignified than Jim Crowe, funny in his laughter
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Mammy and Miss Lucy Long
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Mammy- white man in drag to be black woman, motherly, sexist, overweight, nurturing, close to Aunt Jemima Miss Lucy Long- man in drag, milato figure, intermingled child with lighter skin, sexually active and available, phallic jokes
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Jokes and Skits in Minstrel shows
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bad puns, mush mouth malapropisms, "take my wife, please" jokes, written/performed by dialects: ubiquitous, dialects important
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Why did minstrel shows use black-face?
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exaggerate physical characteristics, child-like, animalistic, stupid look, hands, feet, penis exaggerated
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Minstrel was the most popular form of American entertainment for how many years?
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100
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How does all satire have a political edge?
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different social definitions, symbols, music/culture, slang, stereotypes
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The Jealous Officer is what kind of play style?
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Farce; Brazilian play
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What can you tell me about Martence-Pena, the author of The Jealous Officer?
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Brazilian, government clerk who left job to write plays, theatre as a business but you lose control when it goes into world
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What can you tell me about the direct line between culture and popular entertainment?
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Get the morals of a culture through its entertainment, what did people think/talk/love/hate about?
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Elements of Farce
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fast-paced, stock characters, sexually-charged confusion, not real/plausible/logical, doors with people running in and out, furniture and screens to hide behind, letters cause confusion, misdelivery, disguise/mistaken identity
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How is farce aggressive in the case of The Jealous Officer?
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the jealousy and hormones of the Officer drive everything, aggressive clumsiness of Paulino, racist "treachery" against the daughter, cane punishment, repeated lines "oh, I killed her," intensity, rough, fast-paced aggressive
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How is farce theatrical in the case of The Jealous Officer?
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over-the-top, accessible, aside comments, slapstick, blackface, breaking the fourth wall, refers to "Othello" metatheatrically, done in real time
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Why does Wilson talk about Ira Aldridge, Edwin Booth, and Laura Keene specifically for actors in the nineteenth century American theatre?
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racial and sexual prejudice, they were managers, dealt with tragedy, speak to political and artistic changes at this time, alterations to texts to make them more Western, dealing with censorship
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African Grove Theatre
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1820, William Alexander Brown, 38 Thomas Street, some of the first plays written and performed by African Americans and Africans, indoors, ambitious, not light, Shakespeare and other popular products written by white men performed by black men
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William Alexander Brown faced censorship; what kinds did he face?
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print- papers belittled him parody- people parodied his plays arrest- company arrested and told not to perform Shakespeare anymore riot- 1822- white men premeditated a riot, went to theatre, dimmed lights and ripped place apart
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What did the censorship of Brown's plays represent?
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A culturally-wide censorship
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Road to realism
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set design, space, theatre, technology, architecture affects how play is written and performed
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Development of realism as a style
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Stanislavski's work, Chekov, Freud's 1900 Interp. of Dreams
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realism sets appearing in 1820s
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incredibly detailed, what do these places really look like?, lots of people for crowd scenes
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box set
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use actual walls, tables where you sit, cut a wall away and look inside at the world they live in, popularized by Edwin Booth
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What was an option for literally moving the audience at realism plays?
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Dress them as citizens and make them watch while onstage
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What form of theatre was 1859's Octoroon meant for?
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Melodrama, pure entertainment
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Who was in real life threatened because of Octoroon? Why?
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The lead actress playing Zoey the Octoroon, accused of demonizing the south supposedly, possibly "too abolitionist" (this is less than two years before the Civil War)
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Why is melodrama an effective style for Octoroon?
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The point is to get empathy for Zoe, something melodrama excels at
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How is race presented in Octoroon?
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The black and red face for the slaves like Pete and the indian, white actress for Zoe (can a white person be treated poorly too?) Race is constructed by blood, lineage, appearance
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How is the law a stumbling block in Octoroon?
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Zoe is kept a slave, prevents her from being with George
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What are four "types" of characters in Octoroon?
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The Yankee- Scudder The Slave- Pete The Indian- Wahnotee The Octoroon- Zoe
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Scudder the Yankee
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Problem solver, industrious, smart, handyman Northerner, virtuous, sympathetic to slaves, fights for them at auction, wants to raise money for George, doesn't want to see Zoe sold, uneducated (where does a northerner get education?), against institution of slavery, Scudder wears outdoors clothes because he's a supervisor
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Pete the Slave
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contented slave, comic relief, loyalty to family, builds on minstrel tropes- comedic and loyal- what a slave should be
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Wahnotee the Indian
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loyal to his culture, blind favoritism, "a dog" qualities, language/dialect is thick, drinks a lot
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Zoe the Octoroon
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sings, sweet, whistful, lover, damsel in distress, romantic, doesn't blame others (her mom), selfless, empowering, strong, desirable (forbidden fruit)
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How does Octoroon make an American portrait?
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a melting pot, barbaric tendencies, addresses problems, common theme of loyalty, What is the law? What is the voice of the people?
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What can you tell me about the Octoroon production presentation?
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Marroney, original time and place for historical accuracy, minimalistic set, heat lighting for outdoors, formal coats for men, wool linen for women, fiddle and banjo for sound, romantic banjo for George and Zoe, sad banjo when she dies, contrasting lighting since it's melodrama
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What physically happens to Zoe when she drinks the poison (besides the obvious fact she dies?)
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She becomes "white"
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Why does Zoe "have" to die?
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A biracial wedding at the end would royally upset the audience if done in that time
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Three main development stages of this class so far:
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Colonial theatre, 19th century theatre, realism
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Realism women artists
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Stella Adler- Group Theatre Anita Bush- African American, Harlem, Lafeyette Players Hallie Flanigan- federal theatre project in Depression Martha Molton- first female professional playwright of this; The Movers; 19th century. 35 plays
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Taboo issues in realism plays
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gender treatment, social problems in plays, politically left (Adler and Flanigan accused of communism)
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Lafeyette Players
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Shakespeare and realism dramas, African American groups, "we can perform these serious plays," arguments of the realist plays cared about, there wasn't a large amount of AA plays to choose from, low image of blacks in comedies, needed them in these realist plays, early 1900's
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Era of realism
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late 19th century-present
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Realism qualities
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social problems, realistic sets and acting, verisimilitude (appearance of true or real), against bombast of romanticism and melodrama, abolishing artificial stagecraft, social darwinism (more naturalism), interiority and psychology (Freud), character created by history/background and environment, lessened idea of fate (evolution and Freud weaken God)
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How is race depicted in the Showboats scene?
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dressed down AA woman watching white sing, borrowing the song and criticizing the white woman singing it (an AA song), white woman defensive
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What can you tell me about the production presentation on Trifles?
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subtle and short, stage at Maricopa Hall on 2nd U of A, follow into rooms like Sleep No More in NYC, run of show short because of location, contemporary feminist, immersion effect on audience, dimly lit, relatability
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Trifles as realism
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moral ambiguity unlike melodrama, environment as a background (pushes Mrs. Wright into doing it because she feels so helpless and trapped that she's pushed into it), females vs. men (the law), do they tell the men or hide the evidence, happens in real time
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What is Machinal based on and what other play is it like?
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A real murder case, Trifles
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What was expressionism a response to?
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film dominating realism, theatre needed something, against objective world in favor of subjective approach
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characteristics of expressionism
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what's underneath the surface details, how does this world look different for this person than anyone else?, seek truth in spiritual qualities, subjective, exaggerated shapes, lights, mechanical movement and telegraphic speech, external reality brought in line with spiritual nature, shadows to show something hidden under surface , over the top
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U.S. expressionists
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Susan Glaspel- Machinal Eugene O'Neil- Hairy Ape Elmer Rice- The Adding Machine they all transitioned from realism
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Why doesn't Machinal list names?
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universality
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How does an Expressionist play like Machinal disjoint scene rhythm?
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episodes instead of acts, random jumps in time
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Why does the young woman marry Mr. Jones?
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Financial stability and an ID (just kidding)
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Machinal plot, character, dialogue, structure, setting
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plot- young woman struggling to be free character- universality namelessness dialogue- repetitive, disjointed, not specific, no subtext, idea of a machine (first episode and last) setting- multiple
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What can you tell me about Machinal's production presentation?
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would mix things up from the realist and traditionalist you normally see at ART, Tornabene for immersion, audience is part of the machine, themes of mental health and feminism still applicable today, outside scenes on balcony, isolation light (expressionism), metallic underscoring for sound, only realistic part is costuming, gears/machines for scenery
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Explain the ending of Machinal
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she escapes the machine through death (that sucks), things end on the machine's terms, the gears keep turning
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Why does expressionism alienate?
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To get the political message across
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What kind of hero usually stars in romanticism?
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A social outcast
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Uncle Tom's Cabin onstage is what kind of theatre?
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Melodrama
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What's an influence on the development of stock characters in genres like melodrama?
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commedia dell'arte characters
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popular melodrama musical today
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Sweeney Todd
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Melodrama influenced visual spectacle films; any examples?
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Avatar; Lord of the Rings; Star Wars; Guardians of the Galaxy
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Who was the greatest dancer of the minstrel era? What color was he?
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William Henry Lane, surprisingly black
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variety and vaudeville shows contain:
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songs, dance, acrobatics, animal acts
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a popular entertainment that traveled starting in nineteenth century using spectacle for mass audiences
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circus
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theatre audiences in the 19th century characteristics
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loved big stars, mass audiences, more playhouses and travel to the shows (rails)
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Theatre Riots in 19th century
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1822 African Grove Theatre, 1830 Paris over V. Hugo's Hernani (neoclassics vs. romantics), 1809 Old Price Riots in London
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Anna Mowatt and "Fashion"
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actress, playwright, 1819-1870, "Fashion" comedy play, American drama finally esteemed (Europeans dominated drama until that point)
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Ira Aldridge
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1806-1867, black actor left America to go to Europe, became a huge star, Shakespeare, toured, King Lear, Othello, Merchant of Venice
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Decline of repertory companies (actors hired for set number of plays)
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nineteenth century, runs made longer so no need to hire repertory, one cast performs entire run, actor training facilities open,
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Laura Keene
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1826-1873, theatre management, was a leading lady before accepting job to manage theatre (first lady to do so), performed at Ford's Theatre when Lincoln died
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19th century stage architecture
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enlarged playhouses until 1860s (shift away), proscenium, arch, pit, became more like continental theatres, improved ventilation, box sets
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Booth's Theatre
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first modern theatre in US, balconies, flown in scenery, modern proscenium arch
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Edwin Booth
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Dominated American stages , greatest stage actor to date, Shakespearean actor, realism, suffered tragedy, heavy set pieces, historically accurate settings
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Wagner's Festspielhaus
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continental seating (enter and exit rows on the sides)
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18th-19th century experiments with scenery, costumes, lighting
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historical accuracy in sets and costumes, the box sets (4th wall), moving panorama (cloth spun to look like movement and changing places), elevator stages (raise or lower sections of the floor), revolving stages, gas lighting, lamps
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What led to the decline of minstrel shows?
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Rising prices, rise of films, worn out jokes, using women
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Black vaudeville acts
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song and dance, skits, blues, stunts
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Commercial theatre in the US
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popular realism, musicals in twentieth century, Gershwin, Rodgers, Hammerstein composers, Oklahoma!
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Eva La Gallienne
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supporter of noncommercial theatre, Civic Repertory Theatre, 1899-1991, Chekov plays, Peter Pan, made serious drama available for audiences
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Eugene O'Neil
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realism, went to expressionism, The Hairy Ape, paved the way for realism, Ah Wilderness!, wrote from his own tragedy experiences
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Little Theatre Movement
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noncommercial little theatres, Provincetown Playhouse (first to produce O'Neil's plays), Susan Glaspell Trifles, new stagecraft designers for selective realism,
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Group Theatre
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early 1900s, Meisner, Strasberg, Adler, Adler works with Stan, Actor's Studio, Meisner, how to train realistic actors
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Federal Theatre Project
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noncommerical theatre during Depression, living newspaper- act out recent events, good opportunity for AAs
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Ethel Waters
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Saint Louis Blues rendition, movie star, religious revivals, "blue material," 20th century
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Paul Robeson
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African American concert singer whose passport was revoked and was blacklisted from the stage, screen, radio and television under the McCarran Act of the red scare of the 1950s due to his public criticism of American racist tendencies. Shakespeare actor
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The Well-Made Play
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19th century development of style emphasizing cause and effect relationships. It revolves around secret known to audience but not characters, and there's a climatic moment built to in every act. It has an "obligatory scene" with a showdown, and the play is resolved with no loose ends.
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Burlesque
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19th century style of popular entertainments, usually parodies of serious plays like Shakespeare and melodramas. Included woman dancers in late 19th century, and by 20th century included strippers and comedians.
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Astor Place Riot
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NYC 1849, fight over English actor and American actor rivalry, Macready vs Forrest. Macready the Englishman comes to perform at Astor House, working class fans of Forrest prevent the show. When Macready tries again, thousands of people riot.
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The Acting Profession- Touring
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Developed in 19th century because of expanding urban populations. Helped Ira Aldridge get successful in Europe. Combination companies (complete productions with supporting players, stars, scenery, costumes) eventually went on tour.
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moving panorama
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painted settings on a long cloth to create illusion of movement, 19th century. Recreated natural environments typically (probably an influence of Romanticism)
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elevator stage
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allows sections of floor or entire floor of stage to raise. 19th century development. Realism.
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Gas lighting
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19th century breakthrough in stage lighting. With new lighting possibilities and intensities, you can change the architecture of the theatre if you like.
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David Belasco
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20th century playwright, Madame Butterfly. Identified with literal realism, had food from restaurant being portrayed actually onstage, overhead spotlights instead of more unnatural footlights.
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Bert Williams and George Walker
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cakewalkers 19th-20th century (strutting dancers); joined composers and writers to make musicals that put black performers on Broadway. Bert Williams is credited as the influence behind Amos Hart in Chicago.
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Theatre Owners Booking Association
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Handled bookings for black vaudeville performers in 1920s-1930s. Handled by blacks to keep black vaudeville performers booked. Blacks reportedly thanks to this owned and operated 17 theatres.
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Shubert Brothers
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20th century brothers owned at one point 75% of theatre buildings in America, commercially oriented. Still controls 50% of Broadway.
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The Theatre Guild
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20th century organization, introduced many experimental Euro and American playwrights like O'Neil and new production techniques. Tried to create permanent acting company but destroyed by Depression.
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summary of Rabinal Achi translation by Lineaweaver
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a Queche warrior invades Rabinal, is captured by the king's son, treated well until he will be killed, repetitive dancing and fighting (cosmic order and balance of life), plotline is circular, repetition of dialogue, Rabbinal Warrior dances in circle with people at very beginning, Queche calls for heaven and earth to hear him in defiance (different from Lucia), dance is renewed, word stalwart is repeated, circle becomes more rapid in each revolution, music stops when lasso catches Queche; written by Mayans; 2 political groups in region fight (in front of fortress the entire time), myths of origin
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Final Judgment by Andres de Olmos
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far more linear, European notion of progression instead of circular, more characters than Rabinal Achi, music like in Rabinal Achi, but the trumpets are more of a summons for judgment than a dance between people at beginning (both are allegorical plays), European play, repent, 2 moral groups at odds for Lucia's soul, characters like Penitence, Time, Holy Church (see Loa's Religion and Zeal, represent what they are), one location (Judgment Day), story of ending, not origin, religious agenda, Lucia's character is a European
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Plot-lines of Final Judgment vs. Rabinal Achi
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RA- circular, origin, masks, indigenous, political in regions FJ- linear, ending, Europeans (Lucia), religious warfare
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Opposition in Final Judgment vs. Rabinal Achi
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FJ- good and evil waging for soul, Christ vs. Antichrist, chaft from wheat, sheep from goats, priest unwilling to help her when he hears RA- different warriors, quickly subdued vs dragged out judgment,
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Characters in Rabinal Achi vs. Final Judgment
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RA- two characters named, others are dancers; indigenous; lengthy speeches; repeated dialogue; circular FJ- Lucia wants to avoid going forward; Lucia is named; Christ and Anti-Christ; most others are allegorical or unnamed Living or Dead Persons; Lucia is left alone to mourn and lament her fate;
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The issue of the Law in Final Judgment, Loa of the Divine Narcissus, The Octoroon, Trifles, and Aftermath
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Final Judgment- the law is sovereign, unbreakable, just, and terrible if you break it, it does not forgive or forget Loa- the religious law can save you, it is in fact the god of seeds you want to worship; this can save lives, the law is nurturing and saving after Zeal tears a new one Octoroon- the law is a stumbling block preventing justice from being done to McClosky and prevents Zoe from being with George, keeping her a slave Trifles- as part of realism, the law is your environment that forced you to do this; forces you under a harsh husband that killed your bird and kept you trapped; the law failed you and now through the men it wants to punish you Aftermath- John has ironically protected the law during the war only to have it kill his own father over the price of cotton (another thing the law has failed), and now John is forced to take action against the law and take it into his own hands, another realism play that forced you to do it
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compare the symbolism of Aftermath to Trifles
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Aftermath- the Bible on the mantel switched with the pistols, new secular ideas replacing the religion dying in the war, horror of war defeats religion, John is switching Gods, loss of compassion Trifles- bird dies in the cage, jars crack when it gets real cold (the mental stability breaking); environments have broken both people, social problems of entrapment and breaking points; spiritual vs. mental/emotional, perhaps both in a sense are emotional
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Melodrama comparisons of Octoroon and Glance at New York
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stock characters, empathy, big emotional feel, use of music, episodic and fast paced, strict poetic justice O- Scudder the Yankee, Wahnotee the Indian, Zoe the Octoroon, Pete the Slave, McClosky bad guy, empathy for Zoe, episodic from auction, emotional heartbreak when virtuous, wonderful Zoe dies, suspense, good guy does not win depending on ending New York- the native Mose, the con Jake, the hick George, the upperclass Harry, empathy for New York and Mose through slang, pride feelings, episodic across places, happy ending, more music and songs than Octoroon
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Compare the fast-paced-ness of The Jealous Officer and Octoroon
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JO- hormones and jealousy of Officer, repeated dialogue (also Rabinal Achi), aggressive cowardliness of Paulino, racist hide by Paulino, attempted murder of daughter Octoroon- McClosky on the run, slave's murder intensity of getting back in time to save Zoe (they fail), the auction tension building, farce- over the top, satire, Brazilian in this case, stock characters, constant running back and forth, disguise of Paulino, letters (messengers too), not plausible; a parody of Othello melodrama- over the top, satire and accused of too much in Octoroon's case, American antebellum, stock characters, more plausible, bit more of a real message
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Compare the non-realism of Machinal and A Solid Home
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M- earth, subjective, one person's eyes, follows a life instead of death and crucial choices, relationship with a machine of life, subjective and not realistic, not much humor included here, ASH- afterlife, heaven, family, she doesn't choose to leave, morbid sense of humor, internal logic What does a person do?- Kill husband, decide where to rest, everyone's coming back, Lydia makes the choice to be a solid stone and get her wish, more power and choice than Mrs. Jones, person's own sense of logic (tweak realistic instead of making own logic like surrealism) surrealism dreamworld vs. expressionism subjective world, expressionism twists aspects of theatre to arrive at spiritual truth underneath what's going on, how does this world look different for this person
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Compare the allegorical characters in Final Judgment and Loa
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allegory- named after what they represent, universality of message, what must I do to be saved, didactic, imagery, symbols, locations phenomenons, ideas, polar opposites FJ- Time, Church, Confession, live persons, dead, aspects of repentance or the Church or Time of Judgment, Angel, opposition of Good and Evil, European, all surrounding Lucia Loa- the couples Occident and America with Zeal and Religion; America and Occident, the west, the indigenous, the Mayans interrupted, Religion is separate from them, Zeal is the army, nurturing vs. force, methods of the Europeans, more united front of the indigenous couple
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feminism of Trifles and Machinal expressed through the production presentations
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realism vs. expressionism, subjective vs. objective, environment forcing you vs. how you see your environment, spiritual underlying truth vs. what's really there, express. twists the aspects of theatre Trifles- immersion of Sleep No More in the Maricopa Hall, dim lighting, as realistic as possible, audience free to move about, directing and acting includes the feminist importance, social problems, what is the law Machinal- Tornabene, immersion of machine, mechanized movements, balcony scenes (are they escaping,) realistic costumes, feminism shown in lighting, machine scenery dishumanizing, audience looks like they're part of the machine
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How does the Marroney lend itself to A Glance at New York and Octoroon?
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Melodrama, up on a stage, bigger than life not as effective with the non continental seating and surrounding crowds of Tornabene, not so much in your face, the music lends more opportunities to hide a band offstage in the Marroney, emotional bigger GNYC- more effective to show the different locations and the streets, the bar, end at a theatre, Harry is elevated more for the first opening speech, 5 minute walk better illustrated here O- higher elevation for auction, different locations, big action,
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Author of A Glance at New York
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Benjamin Baker
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Author of Rabinal Achi
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Translated by Lineaweaver
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Author of Octoroon
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Dion Boucicault
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Author of Machinal
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Sophie Treadwell
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Author of Trifles
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Susan Glaspell
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Author of Final Judgment
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Andres de Olmos
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Author of Loa of the Divine Narcissus
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Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
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Author of Aftermath
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Burrill
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Author of A Solid Home
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Garro
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Author of Jealous Officer
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Luis Carlos Martins Pena
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A Glance at New York production presentation
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multiple locations, nice looking Front Street with shabby Loafer's paradise, list the pier where George comes in, emphasize 5 minute walk from wealth to poverty, costumes and scenery and props (with exception of modern substitutes) remain near to 1848, pride identification and learning the ways of a new land relatable for new students at U of A, Marroney helps on pedestal for NYC, talk to the crowd, matches closer to the kind of theatre that would have gathered at the end of the play, melodrama, bigger, audiences purely in front and raised like a spectacle.
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Comparisons between the presentations of Machinal and New York?
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both interested in keeping plays in the original style, think the themes of arriving at new location and becoming initiated, feminism and psychology of environment, Marroney vs. Tornabene for relationship of the audience, the idea of escapism in Machinal, the imagery of the plays in scenery (the machine vs. the walk of poverty... or the walk to induction in NYC?), expressionism techniques vs. melodrama, the concept of empathy for the characters
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compare and contrast the settings in Octoroon and Aftermath
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the settings of blacks surrounded in war or near war eras (WWI and Civil War antebellum), the cabin vs. the plantation, control not reached in either location for the inhabitants, chaos of Zoe death and McClosky rampage and the unraveling of John's world, the law strangles everybody, the American idea of loyalty harsh realism, social issues, psychology, interior, what places really look like, historical accuracy vs HA exaggerated in melodrama, feelings in melodrama, exaggerations, underlying emotional and physical scoring, bigger and bolder perhaps in message, definitive ending of Octoroon vs. the loose ending of Aftermath
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realism, expressionism, surrealism
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realism- objective world, how things are, really look like, inner psychology, background, surroundings create person, less fate expressionism- subjective, through one person's eyes, spirit in touch with external reality, tech. changes to show how this person sees the world surrealism- its own interiror logic, dream world, logic of dreamer, doesn't twist reality like expressionism, morbid humor, zone outside reality
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folk drama of Aftermath by Burrill
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dialect, complicated relationship with religion, music, singing
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Why is there humor in A Solid Home?
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Mexican style, don't be so damn serious about death
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Which spacing of Machinal or Trifles better fits the feminist message?
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In pure terms of spacing, I'd say the Machinal idea because the audience is immersive in the machine Helen Jones sees, see the horrors demonstrated instead of objective realism in the Maricopa Hall; given that a Tucson audience is witnessing a play outside a theatre in such a strange and unorthodox environment for Maricopa, it may confuse them realism is objective, but perhaps the feminist message is best suited for expressionism because you see the horror demonstrated more, Machinal is a longer play expressionism plays more upon the technical elements to show the spiritual side reflected in the external reality of the piece, the imagery is powerful for the symbols in Trifles, but the wander anywhere you like might make you miss things
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Discuss the differing role of religion in Loa of the Divine Narcissus and Final Judgment?
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Allegory plays, what must I do to be saved, imagery, stands in for something, themes, ideas often universally applied through characters' names, morality plays, directed to all people vs. Mayans in general religion is the savior, nurturing mother, Religion character in Loa reflects del a Cruz's ideas, she's his voice, contrast with manly Jesus, the Zeal comes in, but there's the idea they're separate, two characters vs. many characters, people instead of angels and demons, indigenous vs. European invaders, who is foreign? religion is more law than compassionate, religious figureheads of Jesus and the Devil are opposing, no question of other faiths, law is iron, Zeal and religion appear working simultaneous, whereas there's time provided to change in the upcoming show after Loa, Judgment gives no such time.
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Offstage violence in Trifles and Aftermath
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Trifles- we don't ever meet Mrs. Wright, symbols of birdcage, the dead bird, and the cracked jars from the climate, the women's opinion of her, agreeing not to tell, feminist message conducted through realism. Leaves open ending- do they ever find out through another way? Happens before the play Aftermath- you meet John, perhaps less objective (although still realism), different issues, symbols of Bible being replaced with pistols, passive of his friend, play ends with him storming off, violence implied, discussed during the war and how it killed his faith in God, trust, take the law into own hands realism- social problems, attempt at objectivity, background, environments create character, interior psychology- in these cases, expressed through symbolism, realistic, plausible, historical accuracy in settings, costumes, dialects in Aftermath,
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symbols in Trifles vs. Machinal
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expressionism vs realism, expressionism deals with twisting technologies for the spiritual mindset and viewpoint of one character, realism reflects psychology of Character (Freud), surroundings create character instead of reflect, props, social problems of realism bird in cage, woman feels trapped, bird killed by husband ties into her environment forcing her to do it, jars cracked due to climate, her psychology has been snapped by her environment, she does not have to be there, there's plenty of symbology and refuse left over to give insight, her woman peers can figure it out Machinal relies on expressionist symbols- the jar of rocks that kills the husband matching her lover's plight in Mexico, the typewriters and mechanical movements of the first scene, the inhumane contrast of the preacher and electric chair, the scenery usually presented in a given production to be machine-like
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concepts of every production presentation and location chosen
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A Glance at New York- Marroney, the idea of coming to a new place and becoming initiated (since it is the U of A), applicable, 5 minute walk from extreme wealth to extreme poverty, arrival by boat, stay true to original production, end in a theatre similar to the play Octoroon- Marroney, stay true to original performance in 1859, outdoor heat, banjo and violin for George and Zoe before and after she dies, costume pieces are historically true, can be uncomfortable, but must confront past to do justice, minimalistic scenes to establish (episodic? Melodrama needs multiple locations for the episodes, easier in Marroney), realistic props, melodramatic lighting for the good guys, bad guys Trifles- feminist argument still applicable today, done at Maricopa Hall, immersive effect, dim lighting, wander into other rooms like Sleep No More (the way I've been for the exam), keep it realistic, Machinal- Tornabene, isolationalist lighting, stay true to idea and concept of mental psychology and feminism, machine like immersion scenery, gears, coordinate movements to make audience feel part of the machine, costumes are only realistic aspect, sounds of typewriters and machine like sounds
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Contrast lighting of Octoroon and Machinal
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melodrama, clear good guy and bad guy, George, Zoe, McClosky, light and dark lighting, clear poetic justice, empathy for Zoe, disgust for McClosky, heat of locations/outdoors, spotlight during the auction, fade as she dies Machinal uses the isolation light, not realistic lighting, bizzare, cut Helen off from the world, a loose light in the machine, could contain her with lover in happiness scene, but she has to be separate so she can see the world around her, not a dream necessarily, but twist of reality expressionism cuts off technical elements of scenic, lighting, dialogue, acting, sound, to show spiritual viewpoint of a character (it's Helen's viewpoint), melodrama must help the poetic justice, contrast good and evil, empathy for Zoe in a good light, realistic in the case of this production's choice to address the history and past.
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1920's setting of Trifles
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production presentation, suffrage, helps with the woman's rights, adds to historical realism, just has the slight twist, social problems, immersion, older dorm, Maricopa is 1920s all women's dorm, perfect setting for immersion effect, history appeal and U of A appeal in location, winter break...... ugh let's get this crap over with
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