Introduction to the Theatre

THE 101 / University of Idaho

Realism in Drama

Historical Background:

Influences:

	Industrial Revolution
	Factory System / Cottage Industries
	Private Enterprise / Exploitation
	Poor Working Conditions / Labor Laws
	Cholera Epidemic, John Snow
	Socialism, Karl Marx, (Das Kapital)
	Positivism, August Compte Social Studies as Science

Concept of Environmental Cause and Effect

Objective Reality

Evolution, Charles Darwin (Origin of the Species)

2 premise

All forms of life evolved from a Common Ancestry

Process of Natural Selection

Strong Emphasis on Heredity and Environment

Theatrical Reactions:

	Truth from the Five Senses
	Drama as a mirror on Real Life
	Heredity, Environment, Cause, and Effect
	Attacked Social Evils
	Dwelled in Psychological Analysis

Theatrical Movements:

Realism

	Henrik Ibsen
	A Dolls House = Divorce
	Ghosts = Syphilis
	Enemy of the People = Majority is not always Right
	Anton Chekov
	Dumas Fils
	G.B. Shaw

Naturalism

	Heightened Realism, Scientific, Life as Viewed Through a Microscope
	Emile Zola merged scientific method and theatre, "for the betterment of the control"
	Maxim Gorky, Lower Depths
	Henri Becque, The Vultures
	Gerhardt Hauptman, The Weavers

Independent Theatre Movement

	Realism not profitable
	Used subscriber audiences
	Expanded non-traditional theatre.
	Theatre Libre, Andre Antoine, Paris
	Intiman Theatre, August Strinberg, Stockholm
	Die Freie Buhne, Otto Brahm, Berlin
	The Independent Theatre, Mmde. St.Green, London
	Moscow Art Theatre, Constantine Stanislavsky, Moscow

Conventions:

Acting:

	Stanislavsky's Method Acting
	Memory Recall / Emotion Based
	Group Theatre evolved into Actors Studio
	Marlon Brando, James Dean, Henry Fonda

Management:

	Duke of Saxe Meinengen
	Ensemble of Actors
	Unified Vision and Elements under Director
	Institution of Stagemanager

Scenery:

	Exact Photographic Reproduction (Belasco)
	Box Sets (Fourth Wall)
	Need for Historical Research (Kahn 1853)
	Real Effects: Running Water, Rain, Wind