1. 20 th Century Theatre An Overview – The Rise of the Director

2. Where are we now? Doug Hughes – Tony Award winning Director: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MslA UPmTkbI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MslA UPmTkbI

3. Pre-late 19 th Century: Who needs a director? Master of the play/Supervisor Co-ordinate the scenario, choose jokes Overall, lacked overall conceptual elements to create mis-en-scene Role of director fulfilled by profession’s knowledge of and respect for theatrical tradition To be “right” the play must be as close to the original production as possible

4. Pre-late 19 th Century: Who needs a director? Actors copied performances of their predecessors Set rules dependent on character’s moral and social wealth Conventional scenery/set pieces Costumes weren’t deemed important and were selected by the actor No rehearsals, everyone knew the rules -Director was unnecessary

5. Change is in the air – Mid 18 th Century-19 th Century Technical and scenic innovation Developments in dramatic writing Changes in acting style Social, political and scientific issues affect theatrical representation

6. David Garrick (1717-1779) An actor Coached his actors “Directed” a play in which he didn’t perform Employed a French designer – directional lighting, 3D sets Actors no longer limited to the apron Changed acting conventions Inside a construction as opposed to in front of a static picture Acting style based on observation of others Heralded the rise of the actor-manager

7. Technical Developments Gas light, limelight and electric light – directional lighting, atmospheric lighting 19 th century craze for the pictorial, people would pay to see dioramas An outside eye is needed to view stage from audiences’ perspective and “direct” actors into most appropriate/meaningful positions

8. Actor-Manager Valuable in the rise of the director Actor responsible for every aspect of production:-theatre building -leading roles -backstage -FOH -actors -finance  Interpretation of the text based entirely on their own interpretation of the leading role

9. TW Robertson Created his own works on social issues Topics relevant to middle class (theatre- going) audience Reflect as opposed to reform Innovative in that realism of play placed new demands on actors & set Actors behave “naturally” Set must be practical and useable Extensive stage directions, rehearsal New mode of mis-en-scene

10. George Bernard Shaw “Directed” own plays Published works on directing Emphasised the importance of casting Thorough preparation prior to rehearsals

11. Henry Granville-Barker Paralleled Stanislavski Believed the script was sacrosanct Wished to represent the inner truth of character Build up character bio - like Stan Focus on Tempo/Rhythm Director’s role “to suggest, to criticise, to co-ordinate”

12. Theatre Movements 20 th C Looked at how the role of director came to being Can recognise the modern day director Look at how the role has changed over 20 th century

13. Romanticism Actors stood centre stage - near prompt, good light Less important characters on either side Address audience directly Gesturing occasionally Aesthetics most important

14. Emile Zola French novelist credited with bringing naturalism to the theatre The true subject of art is mankind in everyday life Not the grand, beautiful but in the ordinary The job of the dramatist is to record, not moralise.

15. Naturalism Naturalism is the more extreme form of realism Seeks to replicate an everyday reality It almost obliterated the distinction between life and art In theatre – a perfect illusion of reality - detailed sets, un-poetic literary styles and an acting style that tries to recreate reality. See the real suffering of mankind on stage

16. Realism Realism was the theory of naturalism put into practice. ‘Slice of life’ reproduced on stage – truthful but heightened. Emphasis on subtext (what is under the text Realism: the selection and distillation of the detailed observation of everyday life, not the life itself. Majority of theatre today works on the principle of realism.

17. Andre Antoine - Theatre Libre Represent life as accurately as possible Detailed plans for the whole stage Costumes to fit, not glamorise Ensemble acting - company to represent mankind in the social context of the time

18. Symbolism Emphasis on internal life of dreams and fantasies Reaction against realism and naturalism Maeterlinck - Belgian playwright symbolist who influenced Stan

19. Expressionism Modernist movement developed principally in Germany Often dramatise the spiritual awakening and sufferings of protagonists Explore the struggle against bourgeois values and established authority Speech is heightened

20. Surrealism -Theatre of Cruelty “resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality” Developed out of Dada (WWI) -anti-war movement believed “reason” and “logic” of Capitalist society led to war Methods to liberate imagination Theatre of Cruelty - emotions, feelings and the metaphysical expressed not through language but physically creating a vision closely related to world of dreams Primal sense of reality “Impossible theatre” - vague and not practical

21. Epic Theatre “Theatre should be political and force people to think” - opposed theatre as escapism Incorporates mode of acting called “gestus” Audience should be aware they are watching a play Fourth wall often broken by actors both in and out of character Alienation - audience feel estranged, seperate so as to remain objective and learn Episodic - short episodes broken up by narrator, song, dance, visual images/signs

22. Experimental Theatre – Theatre of the Oppressed Theatre to promote social and political change Dialogue and interaction between audience and performer Audience becomes active: spect- actors Explore, show, analyse and transform the reality they are living Framework for the development and evolution of stronger ideas

23. Experimental Theatre -Poor Theatre Experimental theatre Co-create the event of theatre with spectators Actor is at the core of the theatre art Explore and utilise basic dramatic elements Shortage of money not an excuse for poor performance Multi-skilled actor Style imitated by variety troupes

24. Task Outline the effect each 20 th Century practitioner has had on the development of theatre Identify which movement(s) they belong to Highlight any influences between practitioners