🎭Dramaturgy Unit 7 – 19th Century Theatre – Realism and Naturalism

Historical Context

• Emerged in the mid-19th century as a response to the exaggerated and idealized styles of Romanticism
• Influenced by the Industrial Revolution, which led to rapid urbanization, social changes, and a growing middle class
• Reflected the scientific and philosophical advancements of the time, such as Darwin's theory of evolution and Marx's critique of capitalism
• Coincided with the rise of the novel as a dominant literary form, which emphasized detailed and accurate depictions of everyday life
• Sought to represent the world as it was, focusing on ordinary people and their struggles
  • Depicted the harsh realities of poverty, social inequality, and the human condition
  • Aimed to expose the hypocrisies and injustices of society

Key Playwrights and Works

• Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), Norwegian playwright known as the "Father of Realism"
  • "A Doll's House" (1879): Explores the role of women in society and the consequences of living a lie
  • "Ghosts" (1881): Deals with taboo subjects such as venereal disease and the sins of the father visited upon the children
  • "An Enemy of the People" (1882): Addresses the conflict between individual conscience and the majority opinion
• Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), Russian playwright and short story writer
  • "The Seagull" (1896): Portrays the romantic and artistic conflicts of four characters
  • "Uncle Vanya" (1899): Examines the wasted lives and unfulfilled dreams of the Russian intelligentsia
  • "The Cherry Orchard" (1904): Depicts the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of the middle class in Russia
• August Strindberg (1849-1912), Swedish playwright and novelist
  • "Miss Julie" (1888): Explores class, gender, and power dynamics between a young aristocrat and her father's valet
  • "The Father" (1887): Deals with the battle of the sexes and the question of paternity
• George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Irish playwright and social critic
  • "Mrs. Warren's Profession" (1893): Addresses the limited opportunities for women and the hypocrisy surrounding prostitution
  • "Pygmalion" (1913): Critiques class distinctions and the superficiality of social norms

Characteristics of Realism

• Focused on depicting everyday life and ordinary people, often from the middle or lower classes
• Used vernacular language and dialects to create authentic dialogue
• Incorporated detailed and accurate stage settings to reflect the characters' social and economic conditions
• Employed a fourth wall convention, treating the stage as a separate reality from the audience
• Developed complex and psychologically nuanced characters with individual motivations and desires
• Explored social, political, and moral issues of the time, often challenging the status quo
• Relied on cause-and-effect relationships and logical plot developments
• Avoided soliloquies, asides, and other artificial devices in favor of more natural forms of exposition

Naturalism vs. Realism

• Naturalism is an extension of Realism that emphasizes the role of heredity and environment in shaping human behavior
  • Influenced by the deterministic philosophies of Hippolyte Taine and the experimental novels of Émile Zola
  • Portrayed characters as products of their biological and social conditions, with little free will or agency
• Realism focuses on depicting the world as it appears, while Naturalism delves into the underlying causes of human behavior
• Naturalistic works often depict the harsh and sordid aspects of life, such as poverty, violence, and addiction
  • Aimed to expose the "beast within" and the primitive instincts that drive human actions
• Naturalistic staging techniques included more extreme attention to detail, such as real food and running water on stage
• Key Naturalistic playwrights include Émile Zola, Gerhart Hauptmann, and Eugene O'Neill

Staging and Performance Techniques

• Box set: A three-walled, realistic interior setting that created a sense of intimacy and authenticity
• Fourth wall convention: The imaginary wall separating the stage from the audience, allowing the characters to act as if they were unobserved
• Detailed and accurate props, costumes, and lighting to reflect the specific time, place, and social milieu of the play
• Ensemble acting: A more naturalistic acting style that emphasized teamwork and the creation of a cohesive world on stage
  • Actors were expected to listen and react to each other, rather than simply waiting for their cues
• Stanislavski's system: A method of actor training that emphasized emotional truth, sense memory, and the "magic if"
  • Aimed to create a more authentic and believable performance by encouraging actors to draw upon their own experiences and emotions
• Antoine's Théâtre Libre: A Parisian theater that pioneered realistic staging techniques and promoted new, socially conscious plays

Themes and Social Commentary

• The role of women in society: Many Realist plays explored the limited opportunities and double standards faced by women
  • "A Doll's House" and "Mrs. Warren's Profession" challenged traditional gender roles and the institution of marriage
• Class conflicts and social inequality: Realist works often depicted the struggles of the working class and the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy
  • "The Cherry Orchard" and "Miss Julie" examined the changing social order and the tensions between different classes
• The individual vs. society: Realist protagonists often found themselves in conflict with societal norms and expectations
  • "An Enemy of the People" and "Pygmalion" explored the consequences of challenging the status quo and the price of personal integrity
• The illusion of free will: Naturalistic plays often portrayed characters as products of their heredity and environment, with little control over their fates
  • "Ghosts" and "The Father" dealt with the inescapable influence of the past and the deterministic nature of human behavior
• The human condition: Realist and Naturalist works sought to capture the essential truths of human existence, including suffering, loneliness, and the search for meaning
  • Chekhov's plays, in particular, explored the bittersweet nature of life and the unfulfilled dreams of his characters

Impact on Modern Theatre

• Realism and Naturalism laid the foundation for much of modern drama, influencing playwrights throughout the 20th century
  • Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and August Wilson drew upon Realist and Naturalist techniques to create socially conscious and psychologically complex plays
• The emphasis on social commentary and the exploration of taboo subjects paved the way for later movements such as Epic Theatre and Theatre of the Absurd
• Stanislavski's system continues to be one of the most influential acting methods, shaping the approach of actors and directors worldwide
• The box set and fourth wall convention remain standard features of many contemporary productions
• Realism and Naturalism's focus on ordinary people and everyday life helped to democratize the theater and make it more accessible to a wider audience
  • This shift away from the aristocratic and elite audiences of earlier eras helped to establish theater as a vital forum for public discourse and social change

Critical Analysis and Interpretation

• Feminist readings of Realist plays often focus on the portrayal of women's struggles and the critique of patriarchal society
  • "A Doll's House" and "Mrs. Warren's Profession" are frequently analyzed through a feminist lens, examining the ways in which the protagonists challenge and subvert traditional gender roles
• Marxist interpretations emphasize the class conflicts and the critique of capitalist society in Realist and Naturalist works
  • "The Cherry Orchard" and "Miss Julie" are often seen as commentaries on the exploitation of the working class and the decline of the aristocracy
• Psychoanalytic approaches explore the unconscious motivations and desires of the characters, as well as the symbolic and archetypal elements of the plays
  • Ibsen's plays, in particular, are rich in psychological subtext and have been subject to Freudian and Jungian analyses
• Postcolonial and race theory readings examine the representation of marginalized groups and the critique of imperial and racist ideologies
  • Shaw's "Pygmalion" has been interpreted as a commentary on British colonialism and the suppression of Irish identity
• Performance studies and reception theory analyze the ways in which Realist and Naturalist plays have been staged and received by audiences over time
  • The initial controversy surrounding many of these works, such as the riots that greeted Strindberg's "Miss Julie," provides insight into the social and cultural tensions of the era
• Comparative studies explore the influence of Realism and Naturalism on other artistic movements and genres, such as the novel, painting, and film
  • The works of Zola, Flaubert, and Courbet in literature and art, and the films of Sergei Eisenstein and Vittorio De Sica, demonstrate the far-reaching impact of these movements across different media