Overview Flashcards
The Provincetown Playhouse
Location of first production of Trifles
Glaspell was a cofounder
Eugene O’Neill (first work produced), John Reed, and Edna St. Vincent Millay all helped start it
National theatre dedicated to artistically innovative and political drama reflecting the explosive arrival of modernism in the US
Due to financial, practical, and philosophical reasons, the plays performed were one act (like trifles)
One act plays were modeled after the Irish Players and the Abbey Theatre. Cook (husband) pushed for this in the playhouse
George Henderson (County Attorney)
Antagonist
Young
sexist
Henry Peters (Sheriff)
Middle aged
Doesn’t really do much to advance the story
Lewis Hale
neighboring farmer
Middle aged
Does little to advance story
Mrs. Peters
Mrs. Hale’s partner in crime
Thin woman with a nervous look
Never really knew Mrs. Wright, and barely knew Mrs. Hale
Mrs. Hale
Protagonist
Larger and more comfortable looking
Knew Mrs. Wright before she got married
Mrs.Wright (Minnie Foster)
The wife who killed Mr. Wright. Never seen.
Trifles setting
Early 1900s in the kitchen of the Wright’s abandoned farmhouse
Messy abandoned farmhouse.
The men comment that she must have been a poor wife to keep such a dirty home. Home is a metaphor for their relationship.
Very cold in the house— maybe like the coldness in the relationship
Trifles: Important Visual Images
Bird Cage
Found in cupboard
Broken, door ripped off (most likely by Mr. Wright to kill bird)
Symbolizes the bad marriage and low chance escaping
Dead Bird
Found in sewing box
Dead, its neck was wrung (Mr. Wright)
Mrs. Wright used to sing a lot before she was married, bird sings
Sweet and pretty like Mrs. Wright used to be
Husband’s neglect silenced the bird just like the wife
Quilt
Men make fun of the women for observing it (quilting or knotting)
Unfinished by Mrs. Wright
At the end, Mrs. Hale says she was knotting it to the attorney, symbolism towards noose
Fruit Preserves
Men think the spoiled messy preserves were a nice mess
Women feel bad because of how much work she put into them
“Trifles” in title comes from Mr. Hale saying the mess was a trifle and bothered only women
Important Quotes
“Come to think of it, she was kind of a bird herself” -Mrs. Hale
Euripides
Medea, 431 BCE
Rivals to Aeschylus and Sophocles
As playwrights, all three were also responsible for composing the music, choreographing the dance and staging their plays. Historically, the playwrights were also actors, though Sophocles ended that tradition.
He made tragedies more realistic
He depicted gods and heroes to be more human
The earliest surviving musical document on papyrus is this excerpt from Euripides’ Orestes
The Apostle Paul quotes a line from Euripides in his “First Epistle to the Corinthians” in the Christian Bible.
He was not a fan off war, skeptical of religion, didn’t like fame
Context of Medea, 431 BCE
Location of production: Theatre of Dionysus built into side of The Acropolis
Performed during the Dionysia
5 day festival to celebrate the god Dionysus
Procession (parade) and revels (drinking and dancing)
3 Days Performances with a competition between 3 tragic playwrights with three plays and a satyr play.
Assembly
Publicly subsidized
Medea has been whitewashed by western civilization, at the time she would have been pictured as black/dark skinned. She was granddaughter of Helios (god of sun), and blacks were referred to as children of the sun
Characters
Medea
Medea
Protagonist
From Colchis, an island in the black sea (outsider in Corinth)
Used to be married to Jason, she has two kids with him
Jason
Antagonist
Engaged to Glauce, left Medea and the children for her
Creon King of Corinth, father of Glauce Exiles Medea but allows her to stay 1 extra day to prepare Glauce Daughter of Creon, engaged to Jason
Aegeus
King of Athens
Makes oath to house Medea after exile w/out knowing she will kill
Nurse
Caretaker of the house and Medea’s confidant
Tutor
Just watches the children and brings them from place to place
Messenger
Warns Medea to leave after the deaths of the king and princess
Chorus
Women of Corinth, basically narrators of the story, sympathize with Medea
Children
Children of Medea and Jason
2 of them, oblivious about what’s going on
Medea
Staging Elements
Amphitheatre
Theatron -Seeing place (the stands where they would watch)
Orchestra- Central to the performance where actors would perform in center circle
Parodos - Entrance and exit on either side of orchestra for actors and chorus members
Skene-A tent like structure. Behind the orchestra it would provide a backdrop to the actors housing the Mechane
Mechane- Machine structure used at the end to resolve plot by lowing a statue of a god onto the stage. The god would resolve the plot. Latin name is Deus Ex Machina (God from Machine).
Used for chariot in Medea, Euripides was famous for using it in unconventional ways
Ekkyklēma- Would have depicted the deaths off stage and would have been wheeled on as tableau
Medea Structure/Genre
Drama, Tragedy
Differs though from regular tragedies because Medea doesn’t get a Hamartia
Hamartia- A tragic flaw, or a mistake in judgement
This usually causes the downfall of the character
Euripides makes it seem like she has one, but in the end of the story she is the only one that is fine after the 4 deaths
The hamartia does not cause Medea’s downfall
Medea Setting
Corinth, Greece
In front of Jason and Medea’s home
Important Visual Images
Medea
The delicate robe and garland worked in gold
The poisoned presents given to Glauce
The Argo
Ship that Jason and his crew take to get the golden fleece
Fences
August Wilson
Born in Pittsburg 1945
1978 moves to Minneapolis becomes associated with playwrights center
Context
(Arthur Miller Crucible Death of a salesman) Tragedy of the Common Man, Tragedy is now about the every man instead of a god or hero, this makes it more relatable as in Death of a Salesman. (Democratized Tragedy)
Lorraine Hansberry wrote A raisin in the sun, went to wisconsin.
Both of these influenced fences. In home drama and democratization of Tragedy.
Examined the african american community by decade
Great Migration
6 Million African Americans migrate from the U.S. South between 1915-1970
Context
(Arthur Miller Crucible Death of a salesman) Tragedy of the Common Man, Tragedy is now about the every man instead of a god or hero, this makes it more relatable as in Death of a Salesman. (Democratized Tragedy)
Lorraine Hansberry wrote A raisin in the sun, went to wisconsin.
Both of these influenced fences. In home drama and democratization of Tragedy.
Examined the african american community by decade
Great Migration
6 Million African Americans migrate from the U.S. South between 1915-1970
Jim Bono
best friend of Troy
Looks up to troy and drinks with him every Friday (payday)
Troy and Bono work together on the sanitation truck
Bono leaves troy when he jeopardizes his marriage. His wife and Rose are friends. Also because Troy got a different position (driver)
Troy Maxson
Garbage Man
Wants to be promoted to drive garbage truck. He and Bono are garbage men
He is promoted but he and bono grow apart because of it.
Doesn’t want Cory pursuing football he could never play baseball because of his race.
Cheats on his wife with Alberta, she dies in childbirth
Signs Gabe into the hospital and takes the money
Rose Maxson
Troy’s Wife
Gabriel Maxson
Troy’s brother.
Damaged by the second world war, has a plate in his head
Adamantly believes he is the angel gabriel
Receives Disability benefits.
Troy puts him in an institution and takes half of his check
Often shook down by police for his wealth and abused by kids on the street.
Alberta
Troy’s mistress
Has Troy’s kid
Dies in childbirth
Lyons
Troy’s son
34 years old
Musician
Fences
Structure/Genre
Drama
Modern Tragedy
Structure/Genre
Drama
Modern Tragedy
Fences Setting
Story begins in 1950’s but ends in the year 1965
In Pittsburg like all of the plays in the series with the exception of one.
Maxon’s dirt yard/porch, infers that they are poor
Actions and Motivations of Central Characters
Troys hamartia
Troy dedicates himself to a course of action that he thinks is right, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Troy misses the mark by doing the wrong thing for what he thinks are the right reasons
Important Visual Images/ Symbols
Fences
The fence
Rose- build it to keep people in (loved ones)
Troy- builds it to keep things out
Death
Cory (after their fight)
Blue
Troy’s dog when he was young
In a buncha songs
Baseball
Serves as a symbol for the exclusion of blacks from the country’s social and cultural institutions
Troy played and was excluded from major leagues due to color
Gabe’s old trumpet
Carries around, plays at end and no sound comes out so he dances opens up heaven’s gate
Raynell’s Garden Nothing grew in the garden yet Symbol towards Troy’s shadow? After death, Raynell is seed, she will grow Baseball Bat
Cory uses to attack Troy
Struggle over it, Troy takes it away, Cory moves out
Atsumori,
Zeami
Son of famous playwright Kanami
He took noh in a poetic direction
Yugen- sad, elegant, mysterious beauty
Use of ghosts
Infuses haiku
Actor, head of his dad’s old acting troupe, and playwright
Became buddhist monk towards the end of his life
Banished to remote island of Sado by shogun
Atsumori Context
Noh was performed at Shinto festivals
Intertextually related to tale of the Genji (Rensho) vs Heike (Atsumori)
Atsumori Characters
Shite: Atsumori/Grasscutter Act 1 grasscutter unmasked, Act 2 Atsumori masked One who asks Protagonist Waki: Kumagai/Rensho One who watches Counterpart or foil of the Shite Killed Atsumori in battle Kyogen: A local man Kyogen preformed interludes Companions Two or three other maskless grass cutters Chorus 8-10 members Seated stage left Musicians A flute and two hand drums Seated back of the stage Attendants Seated back of the stage, stage right
Atsumori Plot/Subplot
Act One: The story is inferred, referenced.
Interlude: The Kyōgen tells the story
Act Two: The story is relived by Atsumori and Kumagae.
Staging Elements
Atsumori
Mirror room hidden where actors would prepare and change costume
Bridge to main open stage
Backdrop of tree on stage
Drums and Flute in back and Chorus to the side of the stage
Audience sits stage right and in front
Stage is roofed
Backstage left– small door where actors/chorus exits
Structure/Genre
Atsumori
Kyogen is a comedic interruption Noh drama performed as an interlude
Setting
Atsumori
Ichinotani- place where Atsumori is killed
Suma Bay
Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare
Context
Theater had been deemed anti christian. Tertullian Human enjoyment is an offense to god, Catharsis is dangerous Theater goes underground.
Theater sinks into christian ritual by 800 and theater is resurrected through the church.
They perform a number of miracle plays which became particularly gore intense
Morality plays came about with allegorical plots Psychomachia pure medieval and christian allegory focusing on struggle between good and evil. Mankind is pushed and pulled by virtues.
Performed before the death of Elizabeth predicted the rise and revenge of protestantism on the theater.
Setting
Twelfth night
Illyria- A fictional setting meant to be heavenly. Shakespeare could safely criticize the nobility.
Olivia
Wealthy Illyria Nobel being courted by Orsino
Falls for Cesario or Viola disguised
Orsino
A powerful Nobel in love with Olivia
Hires Viola as Cesario as his page
Viola
Stuck in Illyria she disguises herself as Cesario a young man.
She quickly gains favor of Orsino and becomes his page.
She loves Orsino
Malvolio
Steward to Olivia
He is lead to believe Olivia is in love with him
Dresses up fooled by maria and sir toby in yellow stockings and makes a fool of himself
Confined to dark room at end
A puritan used to mock protestantism in lower classes
Sir Toby
Olivia’s uncle who along with Maria lives with Olivia
Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Friend of Sir Toby asked to Court Olivia
Doesn’t stand a chance
Feste
The fool who is often abused by the upset characters
He seems to be the wisest
Sebastian
Viola’s lost twin brother.
Olivia Marries him upon his arrival thinking him Cesario
The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895
Oscar Wilde
Influenced by Walter Pater
Controversial Oxford professor who was a renowned essayist, novelist, and an art and literary critic
Wilde fell under his influence at Oxford
Aestheticism that subverts the status quo and ideas of human progress.
The movement begins in France and is, again, associated with Gautier, as well as Baudelaire. Poetry, art and books alone can create new worlds. This is reflected in Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, where the young protagonist has been “poisoned” by a book.
Salomé
First serious play
Stopped by British Lord Chamberlain
First premiered in Paris when Wilde was in jail
Context
The Importance of being Earnest
Stage Revolution: Electric Lighting
Candle to oil
Oil to gas light
Gas to electricity
The Development of Restoration Drama, of which the Comedy is the most significant
Epigram- a rhetorical device that produces a succinct, intriguing, and surprising satirical statement.
Characters
The Importance of being Earnest
John Worthing (Earnest/Jack ) Algernon Moncrieff Gwendolen Fairfax Cecily Cardew Jack’s 18 year old hot ward Lady Bracknell Algernon’s Aunt, Gwen’s mother Miss Prism Looks after Cecily with Jack Finds out she lost Jack as a baby Relationship with Rev. Chasuble Thomas Cardew Takes in orphan Jack
The Importance of being Earnest
Plot/Subplot Epigram
Comic Conflicts: Mistaken identity Marriage Conflict between generations Comic Business: Feasting (appetite) Instant plot development Inversion/sendup of societal norms
The Importance of being Earnest
Staging Elements
Structure/Genre
Setting
Staging Elements Electric lighting Structure/Genre Drama Comedy Satire Setting London (Act I) Hertfordshire, England a rural county not far from London (Acts II and III) 19th century, Victorian Era
Important Visual Images
The Importance of being Earnest
Ernest and Bunbury
Both fake people
Symbolizes the deciet of the Victorian Era (only thing that matters is class wealth and style)
“Earnest” was possibly a Victorian code word for homosexual. The Norton seems insistent, but this remains debatable. John Gambril Nicholson’s “Earnest” poem would have been known by Wilde.
Bunburying” was later adopted as a code term, but it is difficult to know how Wilde decided on it. But certainly it connotes disguise and deceit: two well-known survival mechanisms.
The handbag in the cloakroom at Victoria Station, the Brighton Line
The handbag has a recognizable scuff
Jack was left there by Mrs. Prism as a baby, found by Thomas Cardew
Food
Always source of conflict
Cucumber sandwiches
Bread and butter
Muffins
Cake
Cecily’s Diary and Miss Prisms 3 Volume Novel
Prism lost baby Jack trying to publish Novel
Jack’s Army list
Father’s name is Ernest
