CH 10

LCT's production of WITNESS.

Global Theatre Today

"Theatre is a business, as well as an art..."

OPEN theatre- Theatre audiences and practitioners have opted for an "open" theatre- open for a wide range of cultures and individuals than any other time in history. This open theatre hopes to "mirror"  the hopes and concerns of all human nature- women, as well as men, gays and straights, Asian, African Americans, Native Americans, etc..

A Diverse Theatre-

Women, who have been traditionally underrepresented throughout history, now comprise a major force in the Theatre. Since the 1980s, seven female playwrights have won the Pulitzer and 4 have been honored with MacArthur "Genius" awards. Women directors, once a rarity, now represent at least 1/3 of the nations total field, and a number are Artistic Directors of Theatres as well.

Racial diversity shows similar development. Since the 1960s, many Black writers have broken through the Theatre's color barrier (beginning with Lorraine Hansberry's famous " A Raisin in the Sun") , and that exploded in the 1980s with the emergence of August Wilson's plays (and his ten play cycle) and other writers, directors and actors have followed.
We've also seen the emergence of Latino theatre (often distinguished by it's language and ethnic roots) , as well as Asian American theatre (it's big leap forward was David Henry Hwang's "M. Butterfly", which received a Tony and a Pulitzer) and Native Amercian theatre is also flourishing, particularly in the Western US.

"A Theatre of Difference"
Sexual preference has emerged as a defining issue in today's theatre as well. As recently as the late 1950s, the representation of homosexuality was illegal in England, and widely suppressed in America, but dramatic changes occurred in the 1960s (spurred on by Matt Crowley's comedy "The Boys in the Band") to where gay themed plays have now clearly entered the mainstream (not only in theatre, but film and TV as well).


Nontraditional Casting-

Colorblind casting (casting someone in a role regardless of their ethnicity) and gender bending (casting males/females in different gender roles) was once thought of as a daring practice, but is now somewhat commonplace. Though some directors still bristle at the idea of casting someone outside of their "traditional" role, many realize that audiences today are savvy enough to be able to suspend their disbelief beyond such things.

WHERE IT'S HAPPENING (in America)

Different types of theatre include-
BROADWAY- the top of the heap (located in a few blocks of Times Square, in NYC)  for commercial theatre in America, though not ALWAYS the best. Example-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL4aFn1DxGE
Many times that is reserved for...
REGIONAL THEATRES- professional theatres that are NOT based in New York City, but located in many large cities and smaller towns throughout the US. Every state in the union has at least ONE professional, regional theatre. This is often where the most artistic, daring theatre takes place.
Example- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np3rZ5Uv__8
OUTDOOR DRAMA/ HISTORICAL DRAMA- Primarily seasonal theatres that (mainly) use outdoor stages and tell a tale of some historical significance to their region (example- the Stephen Foster Story in Western, KY and "Techumsah!" in central Ohio.) These theatres are usually great training grounds for young actors, as they generally are very intense, short rehearsal processes followed by a 14-16 week run. Alas, they are somewhat going the way of the dinosaur... Example- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M249oOza4Dg
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVALS- Also (generally) seasonal theatres, some of which are indoor-some outdoors. These theatres focus PREDOMINANTLY on the work of the Bard, but mix in other materials occasionally (such as musicals, or a swashbuckling adventure like "3 Musketeers"). 48 of the 50 states in the US have at least one official Shakes Fest. Example- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQcB8sV0ADI
COMMUNITY THEATRE- In many ways the backbone of American theatre. Predominantly volunteer organizations that create for the love of the art and (for many) give future theatre professionals their first taste of what a life in the theatre is like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q39KtgAntHU     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q39KtgAntHU
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY THEATRE- Nearly every major, mid-sized or small college/university has SOME type of theatre training program. This is the primary training arm for theatre professionals in the US. Example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDIpG4Tovjs


QUESTION- Have you been to any of the above types of theatres in the US (*With the exception of college/ University) ? If so, describe the experience - if NOT, which one would you LIKE to see and why? TWO PARAGRAPHS PLEASE!!!

CH 11

The Critic-
A play does not end its life onstage- in many ways this is just the beginning. It's final resting place is in the minds and memories of the audience.

The formalization of post-play thinking and conversation, whether in a published article or a school assignment, is called dramatic criticism. The book defines this as an "informed, articulate and communicative response to what is seen in the Theatre".

What makes a play successful and gives a production significance and impact? These five perspectives can be helpful in focusing a response to any theatrical event.

1- A Play's Relation to Society: Does the play address public issues, and does it bring the audience in touch with their own thoughts and feelings ON those issues.

2- A Play's Relation to the Individual: Do we see a reflection of our self in the material? Does it confront our own personal hopes, dreams, concerns, etc? Can it lead us to a discovery of ourselves?

3- A Play's Relation to Art: The Theatrical response is a composite of many individual reactions. It is subjective and personal. Yet all good Theatre stimulates this desire to develop aesthetic notions of "what the form should be".

4- A Play's Relation to Theatre: Each production, in some way, should make us reconsider the values and possibilities of Theatre itself. In what ways did the play accept, or reject, traditional Theatrical convention? Did it use the theatrical format to its’ best advantage?

5- A Play as Entertainment: Great theatre is "never less than pleasing". It is the immediacy of the art form that allows us to experience such strong emotions, and ultimately to share a communal experience with the other members of the audience (most of whom will be strangers to us).


A word on student criticism:


"One does not expect of beginning Theatre students a thoroughly comprehensive background in the subject". Yet, as we have discussed in class, everyone has an opinion and that opinion is valid. YOU know what you like, what appeals to you aesthetically and what doesn't. Explore that and articulate it clearly. That is all that can be asked of any critic.

 

DISCUSSION-  Discuss one element in all of your live theatre viewings from this semester that stood out to you (in either a positive or negative way!)  Example- a really strong performance, a really bad scenic or lighting design, an unruly crowd, etc…