Theatres from the Restoration through Romanticism (chap 14)(1) Flashcards
What was the restoration period?
In the mid-17th century, England experienced a civil war that ended with the removal and execution of Charles I, leading to the Commonwealth era under Oliver Cromwell’s rule.
After Cromwell’s death, Charles II was invited to return and become the king of England, leading to the Restoration period from 1660 to 1700.
During the Commonwealth period, English nobles in exile in France brought back French theatrical practices.
How was theatre impacted by the restoration period?
The theatres that reopened in England represented a fusion of Elizabethan, Italian, and French stage conventions.
This gave a unique flavor to every aspect of Restoration theatre: texts, theatre buildings etc.
Define comedy of manners.
Comedies of manners: They poked fun
at the social conventions of the upper class of the time and satirized the preoccupation of English aristocrats with reputation: Emphasizing witty dialogue and filling it with sexual intrigue and innuendo.
Define bourgeois.
Bourgeois (middle-class) tragedy Serious dramas written in the 18th century that focused on middle-class characters and were sentimental and melodramatic.
Define sentimental comedy.
Sentimental comedy of 18th-century England, like Restoration comedy, was a comedy of manners, except that it reaffirmed middle-class morality.
Define domestic tragedy.
Domestic tragedy: Serious dramas written in the eighteenth century that focused on family life issues
Explain romanticism.
Romanticism was a revolutionary literary trend.
The Romantics rejected all artistic rules, believing that genius creates its own rules.
-adopted Shakespeare’s structural techniques, their plays were episodic & epic
-interested in creating dramatic mood and atmosphere than in developing believable plots or depth of character
Describe the romantic hero.
The Romantic hero was frequently a social outcast—a bandit, for example—who sought justice, knowledge, and truth.
What is melodrama?
Melodrama literally “music drama”—a reference to the background music that accompanied these plays.
-the audiences sympathized with the good characters and despised the bad ones
-heroes and heroines stood in sharp contrast to villains
Since melodrama is primarily an ______, visual spectacle and special effects were important.
Since melodrama is primarily an escapist form, visual spectacle and special effects were important.
Define burlesque.
Burlesque was a ludicrous imitation of other forms of drama or of an individual play.
In the US, burlesque came to describe a type of variety show featuring low comedy skits and attractive women.
Who is David Garrik?
An English actor who rebelled against the bombastic, conventionalized style of acting.
-Garrick rejected formal declamation, stereotyped patterns of stage movement, and singsong delivery of verse.
Describe David Garrik as part of Stage management.
-wanted a more natural style of acting and argued for careful development of characters’ traits, as well as for thorough preparation and research.
-required his performers to be on time, know their lines, and act—not simply recite—during rehearsals
-no longer allowed audience members to sit on the stage
Who was Aphra Behn?
-first female playwrights in the English theatre
-One of the most successful writers of the comedy of intrigue.
Who is the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen?
-close to our modern idea of the director
- he rehearsed for extensive periods, refusing to open a show until he believed it was ready
- opposed to the star system and employed mostly young performers
