American Drama Farce, Melodrama, and other Trends

American Drama of the late 18 th Century ( ) During this time period, dramatists: struggled to find a dramatic form that would not be borrowed from overseas

American Drama of the late 18 th Century ( ) During this time period, dramatists: struggled to find a dramatic form that would not be borrowed from overseas showed their increasing concern about British rule (pre-Revolution) and their literary and political ties to Europe (post- Revolution)

American Drama of the late 18 th Century ( ) Just as Washington Irving tried to persuade his readers that his Sketchbook of Life in New York proved there was enough material for a native prose, playwrights like Royall Tyler tried to do the same thing for drama.Royall Tyler

American Drama of the late 18 th Century ( ) Generally considered the first comedy in America, Tyler’s The Contrast (1787) features the rivalry between Billy Dimple and Col. Manly for the hand of Maria Van Rough

American Drama of the late 18 th Century ( ) In this predictable plot, the humble and straightforward Col. Manly triumphs over the foppish and fashionable Billy Dimple. Manly = the prototypical American man Dimple= the man too tied to European heritage

American Drama of the late 18 th Century ( ) Likewise, Manly’s servant, Jonathan, triumphs over Dimple’s servant, Jessamy for the heart of Maria’s maid, Jenny. What is important here is that most literary critics see Jonathan as the “first typical Yankee,” the first truly American character in drama.

19 th Century American Drama

By the beginning of the 1800’s, technological advances in lighting and scenery ushered in a new era in stage design.

19 th Century American Drama Gas jets meant that light could fade in and out as needed—and the house could be completely darkened

19 th Century American Drama Gas jets meant that light could fade in and out as needed—and the house could be completely darkened Machinery could lift actors onto stage from below

19 th Century American Drama Gas jets meant that light could fade in and out as needed—and the house could be completely darkened Machinery could lift actors onto stage from below More mechanization meant that scenery could get more and more elaborate and realistic.

19 th Century American Drama

During this period, audiences could see several main genres of drama: The farce

19 th Century American Drama During this period, audiences could see several main genres of drama: The farce The melodrama

19 th Century American Drama During this period, audiences could see several main genres of drama: The farce The melodrama The well-made play

19 th Century American Drama In America, the farce hit its pinnacle with Anna Cora Mowatt’s Fashion (1850), which features disguises, false accents, and hiding behind screens. Arguably the first true farce composed by an American author, Fashion is considered by most critics to be the best American play before the civil war.

19 th Century American Drama The melodrama takes its name from the original use of the form, which included background music that varied according to the mood of the play. Melodrama=a drama performed against the backdrop of a melody

19 th Century American Drama 19 th century melodramas featured: Well-defined heroes, heroines, and villains Explicitly sentimental and very emotional plots, usually with clear-cut (although not necessarily happy) endings.

19 th Century American Drama Immediately before and following the civil war, the melodrama often addressed racial themes: Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1853, 1858) The Octoroon (1859)

19 th Century American Drama The well-made play emerges alongside the melodrama and the farce. Based on a formula by Eugene Scribe, a French dramatist, well-made plays were incredibly popular in Europe and somewhat in America.

Scribe’s formula Act I: Mainly expository and lighthearted, but by the end, we know what the conflict is and who it’s with. Acts II & III: The tension mounts, oscillating from good fortune to bad, etc. Act IV: The Act of the Ball. The stage is generally filled with people and there is an outburst of some kind. The climax is in this act. Act V: In the final scene, reconciliations take place, loose ends are tied up, usually reinforcing the morals of the day. Everyone leaves the theatre bien content.

American Drama moves on Our 20 th century American drama does not emulate the well-made play, but it is informed by it and often acts against it. Realism in general reacts against the idea that life can be that easily represented and all loose ends neatly tied. It is the inheritance of realism that marks both European and American drama as we move into the 20 th century, when other forms will emerge.