International Theatre

Question 1

Macaronic Theatre

Answer 1

• mixture of several languages in one show, as a means to connect different cultures and communities
• Theatre has an inherent global interest (example: Shakespeare setting his plays in foreign lands)
• example: Tony Kushner’s “Homebody/Kabul” (2001)

Question 2

Great Britain

Answer 2

• censorship ruled the theatrical world as late as 1968
• David Hare: extremely political
  
  1. “Plenty” (1978)- post-war disillusion
  2. “The Blue Room” (1998)- about STDs in society
• Tom Stoppard: hyper-intellectual playwright
  
  1. “The Real Thing” (1982)- nature of honesty
  2. “Rosencrantz/Guildenstern Are Dead” (1968)
  3. “Arcadia” (1994)- contemporary vs classical ideals
  4. “Coast of Utopia” (2002)- 9 hour Russian history play
  5. “Rock n’ Roll” (2006)- fall of communism w/rock n’ roll
• Caryl Churchill: feminist themes, non-naturalistic technique
  
  1. “Cloud Nine” (1979)- sexual politics farce; Victorian era
  2. “Top Girls” (1982)- women in the business world

Question 3

Ireland

Answer 3

• Martin McDonagh
  
  1. “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” (2001)
  2. “The Pillowman” (2005)
  3. “The Cripple of Inishmaan” (1998)

Question 4

Latin America

Answer 4

*Augosto Boal: politician and playwright; found the Theatre of the Oppressed for use in radical political movements, and even developed legislative theatre when he held office. He was exiled to Argentina after a coup in Brazil

Question 5

Czechoslovakia

Answer 5

*Vaclav Havel: Theatre of the Absurd; his plays were too politically insurgent and thus were banned from the country, and he was imprisoned, but then was elected president of the country from 1989 to 1992, then of the Czech Republic until 2003

Question 6

Japan

Answer 6

• highly traditional structure, parallels to culture
• “Singeki”- “new” theatre; leading form of modern theatre in Japan which incorporated Western realist techniques
• Tadashi Suzuki (director) brought an avant garde, experimental approach to theatre in Japan

Question 7

China

Answer 7

• Chinese “Peking” Opera: traditional Chinese theatre incorporating dance, music, voice, mime, and acrobatics. all elements are more symbolic, rather than realistic.
• Mei Langfang: one of the most famous Peking performers, known for his portrayal of female characters
• “The Peony Pavilion” (1998)- avant garde staging of a Ming dynasty opera, which was censored by the communist government and not allowed to tour

Question 8

Middle East

Answer 8

• Islamic Prohibition on theatre

* Afghanistan National Theatre (2001)- outlawed by the Taliban, then reinstated after the overthrow of the gov’t

Question 9

India

Answer 9

• Rabindranath Tagore: reshaped Bengali drama; helped fuse Eastern and Western elements in his work, which was poetic and fresh, incorporating absurdist elements and resisting classic structure or linguistic forms
  
  1. “The Post Office” (1911)- deals with death as spiritual freedom; changed society through his art

Question 10

Africa (like Lion King!)

Answer 10

*influenced by the West due to English imperialism in the 19th century
*ancient traditions of storytelling and ritualistic practices
*Wole Soyinka- Nigerian playwright/poet who explores the drama of existence; educated in England as a playwright; extremely active in politics and protests for equality. received Nobel Peace Prize in the 1980s for his work
1. “Death and the King’s Horseman” (1975)- based on a
real-life event of ritual suicide in modern society

Question 11

South Africa

Answer 11

• apartheid ruled over South Africa from 1940s-1990s; an unprecedented level of white oppression ruling over 19 million African peoples in the country due to extreme racism
• Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu (political leaders)
• Athol Fugard (1932- )- white playwright from South Africa, best known for writing plays opposing apartheid
  
  1. “Blood Knot” (1961)- black boy loves a white girl
  2. “Master Harold…and the Boys” (1982)
  3. “Road to Mecca” (1984)