American Realism

September 18, 2013

Announcements
The Raisin in the Sun quiz will become available at 11 am tomorrow, and must be completed by 11 am Friday. Journeys End performances today Sunday @ 8:00

Free, ticket distribution begins at 7:00 each evening Audience Experience Essay Due September 30

Major Questions and Themes

How are the concerns of Early Realism and American Realism similar, and how are they different? What issues seemed to concern the American Realists in the middle of the twentieth century?

American Realist Acting

Many different schools:

Earlier writings of Stanislavski, as interpreted by several individuals The method

Emphasizes empathy with character, understanding of character as a full person. Continues as main approach even with non-realistic scripts Contrast with British actor training

Script Analysis for an American Realist Actor

What does the script say about my character? Make specific choices about characters history, feelings, etc. What does the character want in each scene? Key terms (vary between systems):

Objective/motivation/action what the character wants from the other character(s) Tactic How the character tries to accomplish this goal Beat A unit of text in which the objective remains the same. A beat change happens when a new objective is introduced. (Some systems treat changes in tactics or other developments as beat changes)

A Realist Actor Prepares

In rehearsal
Emphasis on being in the moment, not planning too rigidly Exploration

Before Performance
Warm up Getting into character

American Realist Playwrighting

Emphasis on psychological experiences of characters and their relationships with each other. Tend to focus on working or middle class families Design may be realistic or poetic (frequently draws from Expressionism) Major playwrights:

Eugene ONeill Tennessee Williams Arthur Miller

Eugene ONeill (1888-1953)

First major American Realist playwright. Plays deal with unhappy, dysfunctional families (autobiographical) Long Days Journey Into Night (1942; first performed 1956)

Tennessee Williams (1911-1983)

Plays deal with outsiders, those who dont fit in Poetic language and imagery Streetcar Named Desire (1947)

Arthur Miller (1915-2005)

Plays deal with breakdown of American dream and its effects on families. Death of a Salesman (1949)