The Story of Pre-Modern Drama

Theatre’s original root from Greece greatly expanded throughout the world by 1650 and was a mean of entertainment. In the year 1665, America experiences it first form of theatrical activity in Boston, Massachusetts and other heavy population centers. The performance art median experiences growth and change throughout its timeline. Playwrights shift from using the old methodical styled layout of neoclassicism to employ newer forms such as romanticism, melodrama, musical, specialty, naturalism, and surrealism. Theatre also adapts to reflect the numerous challenges, political, social and world events of specific time periods. Playwrights voiced the issues that were being left unsolved or avoided by their political and world leaders. This, oftentimes, left them titled as “rebellious”, “enemies of the state”, or “bombastic”. Writers such as Ibsen, Shaw, Chekov, Synge, O’Neill, Kern and Hammerstein and Rogers, Hellman, Wilder as well as Williams were all successful writers in capturing the essence of both the theatre and the culture of their times within their plays.

During the 19th century, the American Theatre developed and flourished through the use of showboats, touring, stars, vehicles as well as American specialties. It was a commercial business that traveled to audience via waterway circuits because the earth roads still remained tedious and dangerous to travel. Showboats, also known as floating palaces, could seat about 1,000 audience members. Performers grew to star status by developing and showcasing their particular talents to the public. American specialty acts consisted of minstrel shows, mazeppa shows, American commedia, the variety show, Vaudeville and burlesque. A new form of show was developing and spreading in popula...

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...famous The Children’s Hour on a real Scottish court case involving two headmistresses being accused of perverse relations. Hellman insisted her play was meant to focus on the power of a lie to target McCarthyism’s flaws in accusations.

Politics and social conventions continued to be challenged through the expansion of theatre. The National Theatre Movement brought professional, regional theatre throughout the States. Broadway grew to include Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway. Furthermore, the generation of the 50s, 60s, and 70s grew to resent conservative values and would use pop media such as Rock-n-Roll music to rebel, questioning the idea of “what was right for you, may not be right for me”. Theatre continues to be a place not only where one can seek a means of entertainment, but also a means to fully understand the great human experience in a nonsensical world.