Contemporary American Theatre
American Theatre Today Funding is less available due to conservative politics. Attacks on subject matter. Less funding for new works and Non-profit theatres Competition with Technology
Development of Non-traditional theatre Avant-garde, experimental or post-modernist theatre Similar to the art movements Representational vs. Non-realistic
The performance is no longer begun with the work of a playwright but may be through improv, found objects, a one-person performance piece, an auteur director s vision, etc. To reflect the confused, chaotic, often irrational work in which we live.
Happenings: Unstructured events that occurred with a minimum of planning and organization Art should not be restricted to galleries and museums, etc, but should happen anywhere Multi-media: A joining of theatre with other arts-dance, film, and TV. Live performers interact with sequences on film etc. Incorporate new technology not compete with it. Performance Art
Environmental theatre Term was coined in 1960s by Richard Schechner Developed from the work of Meyerhold and Artaud Treat the entire space as a performance area, suggesting that any division between performers and viewers is artificial. Similar to Jerzy Grotowski Poor theatre Poor in scenery an special effects Off-off Broadway theatres - Café LaMama, The Living Theatre, The Open Theatre The Performance Group, Mabou Mines, and the Wooster Group Deal with images, impressions, fragments and segments.
Postmodernism A.O. Scott film critic a cool, ironic effect: the overt pastiche of work from the past; the insouciant mixture of high and low styles Rebel against traditional readings of texts, arguing that theatre productions may have a variety of authors including the director and even individual audience members. Deconstructing classical texts The Wooster Group highly theatricalized and physical versions of plays. Mix abstractions and realism so that their works cannot be easily classified. The Lion King Julie Taymor
Traditional American Theatre Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Lorraine Hansberry, and Edward Albee. Sam Shepard and David Mamet mix traditional theatre with original style. Blur the lines between realism and abstraction Horton Foote, John Guare, Lanford Wilson, Wendy Wasserstein
Theatre of Diversity African American Theatre black theatre African Grove theatre 1820-1821 closed 1827 after attacks by white audience members Minstrel shows 1930 s Federal theatre Project Created a new generation of theatre artists of the 1940 s and 1950 s Lorraine Hansbury, Langston Hughes, August Wilson, Adrienne Kennedy 1970, the Black Theatre Alliance listed 125 producing groups in the US Now Suzan-Lori Parks, Pearl Cleage, and Cheryl West female playwrights. Topdog/underdog Pulitzer Prize in 2002
Asian American Theatre 1850 s puppet shows, acrobatic acts, and traditional Chinese Opera. Mostly relegated to stereotyped characters 1965 East West players in Los Angeles Employed Asian performers, and produced dramas from the Asian cultural heritage and emphasized new plays written by and for Asian Americans. 1980 s David Henry Hwang playwright M. Butterfly
Hispanic Theatre Sometimes in Spanish sometimes in English Chicano Theatre During the Civil rights movement in 1960 s in the West and Southwest Might be Agitprop pieces Agitation Propaganda Zoot Suit play about racial violence in Los Angeles in 1943 Cuban American Developed chiefly in Florida Federal theatre project developed 14 Cuban American productions. Maria Irena Fornes, Manuel Martin, Mario Pena, Omar Torres, Nilo Cruz and Eduardo Machado
Puerto Rican or Nuyorican Mostly in New York Began to be produced in 1960 s and 1970 s Miguel Pinero, Yvette Ramirez, Candido, Tirado, Carmen Rivera
Native American Theatre Spiritual and Social Traditions that had theatrical elements Native American Theatre Ensemble Founded by Hanay Geiogamah Kiowa Delaware Tribe Premiere performance at La Mama in NYC 1972 Spiderwoman Theatre both Native American and Feminist theatre Longest running women s theatre in North America since 1975 as well as longest running Native American theatre 3 Founding members: Lisa Mayo, Gloria Miguel, and Muriel Miguel Draw on storytelling and other theatrical traditions to celebrate their identity as American Indian Women and to comment on stereotypes of women in general.
Native Voices at the Autry Present Native American Drama at the Illinois State University. In 2000, invited to bring project to Autry in Los Angeles to be full time producing organization. Native American theatre is not primarily historical or ceremonial, but incorporate tribal traditions with the problems and aspirations of today s Native Americans. William F. Yellow Robe, Jr., Diane Glance, E. Donald Two-Rivers, Bruce King.
Gay/Lesbian Theatre In the 19 th Century, men often appeared in drag 1934 Lillian Hellman s, The Children s Hour 1968 the Boys in the Band by Matt Crowley Terrance McNally Harvey Fierstein Torch Song Trilogy Emphasis on Gay rights and AIDS crisis
Political Theatre George Bernard Shaw or Bertolt Brecht Anti-Vietnam War, AIDs, Gay/Lesbian, Feminist theatre, Anti-Iraq War etc.
Performance Art Comes from Avant-garde, DaDa, surrealism - that attacked traditional values and forms And the Theories of Artaud and Jerzy Grotowski Early on related to Painting and Dance 1970 s emphasized the body as art might go through daily routines or self inflict pain in a gallery or theatre setting. Some focused on site specific or environmental pieces like subway or part Emphasis was on visual and not story telling
Now performance art is associated with individual artists who present autobiographical material. Often nudity or other controversial representations of sexuality confront audience. Anna Deavere Smith won acclaim for pieces dealing with racial unrest. (Rodney King)
Contemporary American theatre takes many forms and appeals to varied audiences.