MODERN THEATER

a.1. REALISM
• DEFINITION
o Realism is an artistic movement that depicts real life experiences in an artistic
way.
o Realism, as an artistic movement, began in the 18 th century in Europe and
America.
o Realistic dramas are favored by the audience because they can connect with the
characters, and they can/have already experienced certain events that happened
on the stage.
o Social conditions encouraged realism, with plays addressing problems
experienced by the vast majority; example: violent social unrest during the French
revolution.
• CHARACTERISTICS
o The characters in realistic plays are believable and authentic; middle class
characters are often portrayed.
o The actors wear costumes that are worn by ordinary people every day. ‘Method
acting’ was a technique used by many American actors in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.
o The plot is focused on the interior lives of the characters, the struggles they
experience, their motives, their reactions to other people, etc.
o The settings for realistic plays are often indoors, using typically bland set-ups and
props to depict the ordinary person’s ordinary life.
o The dialogue in realistic plays is simple and uncomplicated; it uses the everyday
vernacular of the characters to represent the society they were written in or for.
o The common themes seen in realistic plays are social injustices and contemporary
social norms.
• TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS
o The Box Set is used as a location for realistic plays. It consists of three walls with
three-dimensional moldings such as door and windows, a roof, and an invisible
fourth wall facing the audience.
▪ The Madame Vestris theater production of “The Conquering Game” by
William Bayle Bernard in 1832 was the first theater that used the box set.
• KEY FIGURES
 o Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian playwright, is considered the ‘Father of Modern
Realism’ in theater; his notable plays are “A Doll’s House (1879)” and “Hedda
Gabler (1891).”
o Anton Chekhov is a Russian playwright and the master of the modern short story;
one of his most notable plays is “The Seagull (1896).”

a.2. NATURALISM
• DEFINITION
o Naturalism is the extreme form of realism that aims to represent reality in the most
convincing and naturalistic way possible.
o It began as a trend in the 19th century, but it was only short-lived.
• CHARACTERISTICS
o The realist and naturalist plays both share the same characteristics, the elements
being predominantly bland and ordinary that depict the everyday life of a human
and uses prose over poetry.
o The characters in naturalistic plays are heavily connected to their social and
economic status; these statuses are the root of their certain actions and outlook in
life. The working class or the lower class are often portrayed in these plays.
o The themes often presented in naturalist plays are those that are considered taboo
in society such as suicide, poverty, and prostitution.
o Stage time equals real time: three hours in the theater is equals to three hours for
the characters inside the play.
o ‘The three unities’ of Aristotle (time, place, action): jumps in time and location
between scenes are not allowed.
• KEY FIGURES
o Constantin Stanislavski is a Russian actor, director, and producer. He founded the
‘Stanislavski method,’ an acting method that allows the actors to utilize their
memories to perfectly portray a role and produce a believable acting.
▪ This is the acting method that inspired the ‘method acting’ of the
Americans.
▪ Stanislavski’s first independent theater production is “The Fruits of
Enlightenment” by Leo Tolstoy in 1891.
b. EXPERIMENTAL THEATER: AVANT-GARDE THEATER
• DEFINITION
o The avant-garde theater movement seeks to transform traditional storytelling
conventions into a more creative, more innovative, and more experimental one,
showing never-before-seen elements.
o It can be traced back to the late 19th century and early 20th century in Europe.
o The term ‘avant-garde’ is derived from a French term that translates to ‘advance
guard,’ the part of the army that goes ahead of the rest.
o Ensemble work, puppetry, and solo performance can be considered avant-garde
performances.
o Theatre of The Oppressed
▪ A form of activist theater created by Augusto Boal.
▪ Three forms of theater: Image, Invisible, and Forum Theater.
▪ All of these theatrical forms encourage the engagement of the audience
with the play, rather than just being a passive observer.
• CHARACTERISTICS
o It explores new storytelling techniques, materials, ideas, and artistic expression.
o It rejects the traditional conventions and seeks a rather groundbreaking way of
presenting unique ideas that can challenge the status quo.
o It aims to critically analyze society and culture.
o It gives importance to the movement and physicality of the performers as their
actions convey messages and ideas.
o It challenges conventional logic and rationality by incorporating surrealism and
absurdity.
o It breaks the barriers between the audience and the performers and acknowledges
the audience as a vital part of the play.
• KEY FIGURES
o Samuel Beckett uses a minimalist approach in his plays, creating a sense of
ambiguity. His notable plays are "Waiting for Godot" and "Endgame."
o Robert Wilson is a theater director known for his highly stylized, multi-dimensional
theatrical productions that incorporate music, dance, and visual arts. His notable
plays are “Deafman Glance (1970)” and “The Life and Times of Joseph Stalin
(1973).”