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Modern Theatre

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Influences on ModernTheatre: Society of the Late

1800s-Mid 1900s

Revolutions and rebellion

Changing economies

Against Victorian morality

Against industrialization

Against oppression

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Influences on ModernTheatre: Theories from the

Modern Era

Darwin: Theory of Evolution

Nietzsche: Existentialism

Marx: socialism

Einstein: theory of Relativity

Freud: Psychoanalysis

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Romanticism

Rebellion against the constraints of theearlier neoclassical era

Rejection of artistic rules

Protagonist is a social outcast wantingjustice, knowledge, and truth.

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Romanticism: Dantons Death

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Realism

Create the illusion of everyday lifeonstage

All subject matter should be onstage

Call attention to social problems in orderto instigate change

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Realism: A Dolls House

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Naturalism

Similar to Realism

Extreme attempt to dramatize human

reality

Present a picture of real life withoutmaking own presence felt

Slice of Life

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Naturalism: Miss Julie

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Symbolism

Anti-realistic movement (1880-1910)

Drama presents the mystery of being and the

cosmos Concern with mood and atmosphere rather

than a story

Demand abstraction Symbols best represent the state of mind

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Symbolism: The Intruder

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Expressionism

Representation of Reality is distorted tocommunicate inner feelings

Dramatic action is seen through theeyes of the protagonist, frequentlyseems distorted or dreamlike

Subjective

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Expressionism: Machinal

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Epic Theatre or Theatre of

Alienation Championed by Bertolt Brecht

Force the audience to remain

emotionally detached (alienated) fromdramatic action

Work is highly theatrical to prevent

emotional attachment Audience is aware they are in a theatre

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Epic Theatre: Mother Courage

and Her Children

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Theatre of the Absurd

(Absurdism) / Existentialism There is little meaning to existence

Humanity is alone in an irrational

universe

What happens in life cannot beexplained logically; it is ridiculous

Drama presents human existence asfutile or absurd

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Theatre of the Absurd:

Waiting for Godot