c hapter 8. Decentralization and Subsidization New Directions the essential theater

—World war II disrupted theatrical activity in many countries around the world,and almost everywhere it motivated reassessment of values and theatrical practices. —Both in American and in Europe this decentralization gave rise to new voice being heard and new artistic directions being explored.

Decentralization and Subsidization

Interest in decentralizing theatre = having companies scattered geographically rather than concentrated in one large city Decentralization required money, much of which came from subsidies Subsidization is as old as the theatre

Decentralization and Subsidization France At the end of WWII, all of France’s state theaters were in Paris France reinvested in the nation’s creativity by establishing dramatic centers throughout the country 40 national drama centers 250 theatre state contracted theatre companies 600 subsidized theaters

Decentralization and Subsidization Germany and Scandinavia Consider funding for the arts a cultural responsibility Some theatres are state owned Subsidize up to 80% of operating costs = low ticket prices Theatre workers are state employees with benefits

Decentralization and Subsidization England Never before had awarded government subsidies Theatre is a business and should be self-supporting After WWII created an Arts Council to decide who should receive funds Local authorities devote a percentage of tax revenues

Decentralization and Subsidization England The Stratford Festival became the most influential of the subsidized theatres Origins traced to 1879 Renamed the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Peter Brook staged some of their most influential productions

Decentralization and Subsidization England National Theater formed in 1949 Inaugurated in 1963 under Sir Laurence Olivier Has the most elaborate performance facilities in England —3 performance spaces with modern technology English Stage Company Made its mark by assisting new playwrights John Osborne, Edward Bond

Decentralization and Subsidization American Regional Theatres The conviction that theatre must be entirely self-supporting persisted longer in the U.S. than elsewhere After the end of the Federal Theatre Project, no assistance was given until the mid-1960s Theatre 47 in Dallas became the prototype for American regional theatres Championed the work of new playwrights Devoted to creating theatre independent of Broadway Arena theatre configuration

Decentralization and Subsidization American Regional Theatres Ford Foundation made large grants starting in 1959 Private rather than government support Guthrie Theatre opened in Minneapolis in 1963 Local funds used for new building Publicity from this project aroused interest in other cities Led to a boom in construction of new arts centers

Decentralization and Subsidization Today, in the U.S. government at all levels supports the arts Few theatres could exist without it Every government attracts in private and corporate donors There is no guarantee or continuing grant support Theatres devote a lot of time to grant writing

Decentralization and Subsidization American Regional Theatres Most offer a season of plays that intermingle revivals of classics with new or recent works —Take greater chances than Broadway does Playwright Steven Dietz is an example of success beyond Broadway Written over 30 full-length plays over the last 25 years —A common feature is use of suspense to engage and maintain interest

Decentralization and Subsidization American Regional Theatres Most offer a season of plays that intermingle revivals of classics with new or recent works —Take greater chances than Broadway does Playwright Steven Dietz is an example of success beyond Broadway Written over 30 full-length plays over the last 25 years —A common feature is use of suspense to engage and maintain interest

Becky’s New car by Steven Dietz

Becky’s New Car Commissioned by a realtor as a birthday gift for his wife Dietz uses theatrical conventions that make the audience part of the story and heighten the sense of crisis Becky addresses and interacts with the audience 4 locations are on stage at the same time Urgency is created through transitions between them

Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway

Off-Broadway Developed in NYC in 1950s Response to belief that financial conditions forced Broadway producers to cater almost exclusively to mass audiences Theatrical groups found alternative performance spaces to produce non-Broadway fare Working in spaces not intended for theatrical performance, groups were forced to experiment with spatial arrangements and with the relationship between performers and audience Size of spaces and safety provisions meant that theatres served small audiences

Off-Off-Broadway Popularity of Off-Broadway: 50 groups performed Off- Broadway during the 1950s Increased popularity resulted in intervention by theatrical unions;production costs climbed

Off-Off-Broadway Since most of the advantages of Off-Broadway disappeared with the intervention of theatrical unions, Off-Off-Broadway developed Like Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway used out-of-the- way spaces and tried to keep production costs down Continues as the most flexible and diverse venue for productions in NYC

Off-Off-Broadway Other influential organizations: Manhattan Theatre Club Playwrights Horizon New York Shakespeare Festival The Public Theatre

Alternative Theater Groups

The Living Theatre (1960s) Epitomized rebellion against established authority Included nudity, obscene language, provocation of audience Blurred the boundaries between fiction and reality Tested limits of permissibility

The Bread and Puppet Theatre (1961) Used both actors and giant puppets to enact parables denouncing war and materialism

The Bread and Puppet Theatre (1961)

The San Francisco Mime Theatre (1966) Performed satirical pieces promoting civil rights and other causes

Open Theatre (1963) Founded by Joseph Chaikin Concerned with the performer’s “transformation”

Poor and Enviromental Theaters

“Poor” Theatres Jerzy Grotowski, director of the Polish Lab Theatre —Eliminated all theatrical elements considered unessential —Hoped such elimination would lead to the rediscovery of theatre —Concluded that only 2 elements are essential: actor and audience —Known for methods of actor training —Experimented with spatial relationships between actors and audience —Theatre = Modern Tribal Ceremony

Environmental Theatre Richard Schechner Defined Environmental Theatre: —Should take place in a transformed or found space —The use of space is flexible —Performance takes precedence over text —Focus is flexible and variable —Blends categories long treated as distinct: Acting space and non-acting space Performer and spectator Text and performance Sequence and simultaneity of focus and actionMultimedia, Happening

Multimedia,Happenings,and Performance Art

Some theatre chose to emphasize the very things poor theatres were trying to eliminate - technology

Multimedia—Joseph Svoboda Czech designer Best-known multimedia experimenter Polyekran = “multiple screen” Laterna Magika = use of motion pictures in combination with actors

Multimedia—Joseph Svoboda Multimedia experimentation popularized: Projected still images on multiple screens as scenic background Interjecting filmed sequences into dramatic action Manipulating volume, direction, quality of stereophonic sound Use of closed-circuit television

Happenings—Allan Kaprow Painter who pioneered happenings Argued that in addition to the art objects on display, the space and those who attend must be considered essential parts of the total artistic experience

Characteristics of Happenings: 1. Multimedia events that broke down the barriers between the arts and mingled elements 2. Shifted emphasis away from creating a product and onto participating in a process 3. Sought to provide an experience rather than present a message or a single meaning 4. Shifted emphasis from artist ‟ s intention to participant’s awareness 5. Often made each participant a partial creator of the event

Performance Art May intermingle borrowings from any or all of the visual arts, dance, music, video, and theatre May be scripted or improvised May or may not use costumes and props Frequently solo performance May be highly personal or confrontational Often explores issues of sexuality, violence, power

Performance Art Performance Artists originally came from the visual arts, dance, and music Appeal of Performance Art: disregards boundaries among the arts, thereby expanding means of expression The essence of performance art is that there are no rules about what is allowed.

Broadway and Musicals after Subsidization

Prior to decentralization and subsidization, Broadway was the primary producer of new plays in America Shift from new works to works that had been successful in regional, Off-Broadway, Off-Off- Broadway, and British venues Musicals remained Broadway ‟ s favorite fare, both revivals and new musicals

Broadway and Musicals after Subsidization In 1968, musicals underwent a significant changes: —Rock Music Hair (1968) Godspell (1970) —Presentational Style A Chorus Line (1976) —Experimentation with various approaches Stephen Sondheim

A New Generation of American Playwrights

Key writers Edward Albee—Uses biting dialogue and experimental forms Lanford Wilson—Masterful treatment of character relationships David Mamet—Themes: materialism, distrust, political corruption Sam Shepard—Characters caught between dreams and an insubstantial reality Christopher Durang— Writes about serious subjects in a ridiculous manner

Making Connections Between WWII and the 1970s, theatre underwent many changes: Decentralization Subsidization As a means of social and political change Expanding the artistic landscape of what it can be Questioning values and social convention

Zuo Zhenzhen Thank You