14 Contemporary Theatre in the United States © Liz Lauren/Courtesy of the Goodman Theatre Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Traditional and Avant-Garde Theatre Traditional –Follows the pattern of plays from the past in structure, theme, and approach Sam Shepard, David Mamet, Horton Foote Avant-garde and experimental –Challenges preconceived ideas about drama Happenings Multimedia Environmental theatre Poor theatre

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Postmodernism and Diversity Postmodernism –Anti-modern / rebellion against tradition –Deconstruction of classics, El Nogalar, –Mix of styles and traditions in single work Wooster Group / Julie Taymor How would you define postmodernism? How can diversity benefit from such work?

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved What is Diversity? Various movements of performance that address multicultural, multiethnic, or gender related issues Most of these developed in the 1960s and 1970s to express social and political concerns of marginalized groups The development of diversity in performance continues to grow and thrive in American culture Still a struggle with established theaters.

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. African American Theatre Two traditions of African American theatre: –Western theatre traditions –African and Caribbean performance traditions Early barriers for black performers: –Cultural stereotypes (servant roles) –Minstrel performance as “black” 14-5 © T Charles Erickson

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. African American Theatre Early African American theatre companies: –African Grove Theater (William Brown and James Hewlett) –Lafayette Players (Anita Bush) Early African American performers: –Charles Gilpin, Paul Robeson, Ethel Waters –Find achievement in serious drama, aside from “mammy” roles and comedic musicals 14-6

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved African American Theatre 1930s—Federal Theatre Project –Built the new generation of African American theatre performers and artists One of the key productions in advancing the recognition of African American playwrights and theatre artists: –Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun (1959) The current voices of African American theatre: –August Wilson – Fences, Joe Turner’s Come & Gone –George C. Wolfe – The Colored Museum –Suzan-Lori Parks, Lynn Nottage, Kia Corthron

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Asian American Theatre Rich heritage of performance traditions from three eastern cultures –India –China –Japan Background must be acknowledged as formative in developing the American version of Asian theatre What does your background contribute to your understanding of performance?

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved Contemporary Asian American Theatre Difficulty of challenging cultural stereotypes 1960s and 1970s, time of change in cultural awareness –East West Players / David Henry Hwang\ –Young Jean Lee Rajiv Joseph –Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced- –Most produced play © Sara Kulwich/The NY Times/Reflux

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Hispanic Theatre Types of contemporary Hispanic theatre: –Chicano theatre West and southwest of the U.S. (El Teatro Campesino—agitprop theatre and Luis Valdéz) –Cuban American theatre Nilo Cruz, Eduardo Machado and (Maria Irene Fornés) –Nuyorican theatre Puerto Rican culture centered in New York © T Charles Erickson

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Native American Theatre Ritual tradition and communal celebration as ground for theatre –Native American Theatre Ensemble –Spiderwoman Theatre, Native Voices at The Autry Still struggling for recognition and acceptance 14-11

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Feminist Theatre Evolves from the struggle for women’s rights in the 1960s and 1970s Early women playwrights: –Hrosvitha (tenth-century nun) –Aphra Behn’s The Rover (1600s) –Rachel Crothers, Susan Glaspell, Sophie Treadwell, and Lillian Hellman (early twentieth century) –Alternative American Classics 14-12

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Feminist Theatre Modern feminist playwrights: –Maria Irene Fornés (Fefu and Her Friends) –Beth Henley (Crimes of the Heart) –Marsha Norman (‘night Mother) –Wendy Wasserstein (The Heidi Chronicles) –Caryl Churchill (Top Girls and Cloud Nine) –Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive) –Lynn Nottage, Susan Lori-Parks 14-13

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Gay and Lesbian Theatre Distinct movement with historical threads Theatre tradition of cross-dressing in performance; veiled references to sexual preference – The Children’s Hour (Hellman) The Boys in the Band (1968)—connected to the beginning of the modern gay rights movement Kushner’s Angels in America Richard Greenberg’s Take me Out 14-14

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Gay and Lesbian Theatre Major playwrights: –Terrence McNally (Love! Valor! Compassion!) –Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy) –Larry Kramer (The Normal Heart) –Tony Kushner (Angels in America) Gender-bending theatre companies Social issues such as AIDS and gay rights 14-15

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Political Theatre Concerns itself with political ideas, causes, and individuals In U.S., increased during time of Vietnam War –Hair -1970s student struggle –Ariel Dorfman (Death and the Maiden) Other examples: –Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) – Heather Raffo (9 Parts of Desire) –Jessica Blank, Erik Jensen (Exonerated) 14-16

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Performance Art Common method for diversity theatre to manifest itself, but not tied to a particular diverse population Historical influences: –Avant-garde experiments of early twentieth century –Antonin Artaud and Jerzy Grotowski –Jackson Pollock –Happenings of the 50s and 60s 14-17

© 2015 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Performance Art Self-expression with a particular agenda, usually solo pieces tied to expressions of art, dance, theatre, “the body,” etc. Spalding Gray / Bill Irwin / Danny Hoch /Anna Deavere Smith / John Leguizamo / Eric Bogosian/Margaret Cho/ Sarah Jones/ Global, Eclectic and Diverse theatre today