Introduction to Theatre Online Course Dr. Eric W. Trumbull, Professor, Theatre/Speech

Last revision date: August 31, 2006

 

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Types of Drama / Plays: Mixed

Resource: Wilson/Goldfarb, Chapter 7

Other Serious forms:

Heroic Drama

Retains parts of tragedy --

but differs from tragedy because:

Comes from "Music drama"
Good and evil are most clearly defined.
Evil is overcome by good.

Entanglement of the protagonist in a series of circumstances threatening him or her; eventually rescued or escapes. Most tv series.

Many movies:

Wronged innocence is vindicated and evil chastised.

Like tragedy -- serious action.
Like comedy -- happy ending.

 

More complex than melodrama.

Ends happily, but raises complex issues of love, friendship, cowardice, courage, and death; societal norms, morality concealed identities, misinformation, and coincidence, last-minute revelations.

Many modern plays called tragi-comedy.

Able to send conflicting messages: laugh, but situation and ending can still be disquieting (MASH, Bonnie and Clyde)

 

D. Mixed Forms: Mingling of forms (some of these are not specifically mentioned in your textbook)

Expressionism

Theatre of the Absurd -- Ionesco -- tragic farce, anti-play.

Ghelderode -- burlesque mystery, tragedy for the music hall.

Pinter -- has been called comedy of menace --associated with Theatre of the Absurd

Theatre of Cruelty -- Artaud

The Epic Theatre of Bertolt Brecht

Biomechanics / constructivist of Meyerhold

Futurism, Dada, Surrealism

 

Two playwrights that W/G mention as having roots in alternative theatre, David Mamet and Sam Shepard, have often been called "super-realism," "extra-realism," "magic realism."

This is indicative of modern times --
Uncertainty about nature of things and beliefs

Perhaps clearer labels could come, so that we can discuss more clearly, will become evident in the future.

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