Chapter 1 - The Lively Art - Introduction to Theatre PDF

4 THEATRE IS EVERYWHERE 1 As you begin your introductory theatre course, some of you may be asking: Why should I study theatre? For those of you who are theatre majors, you could be asking: Why am I studying...

4 THEATRE IS EVERYWHERE 1 As you begin your introductory theatre course, some of you may be asking: Why should I study theatre? For those of you who are theatre majors, you could be asking: Why am I studying theatre? I just want to learn how to be an actor, director, play- wright, designer, or to work in production. The answer is knowledge of the basics of theatre is essential to anyone who wishes to pursue a theatre career. For those of you who are not majoring in the subject, this is perhaps an elective for your general education. For you, it should be pointed out that having a general understanding of theatre and its history is important to anyone who has never before gone to live theatre as well as someone who already enjoys attending the theatre and wishes to enhance that experience, an experience that will be with you the rest of your life. In our textbook we will explain the elements that make up live theatre—­acting, directing, design, playwriting, as well as briefly survey its history—but before we turn to specifics we should be aware of two significant facts. One is the longevity and endurance of theatre, and the other is its widespread popularity, the fact that despite the pervasive competition of electronic, digital, and other forms of dramatic entertain- ment, there is today in the United States more widespread engagement in live theatre than perhaps at any time in its history. To begin with let us explain what we mean by the term “live theatre,” and then turn to how various competing media and popular entertainments have borrowed from it and challenged it in the last 100 years. THEATRE TODAY Prior to the modern period, for more than 2,000 years in the West and 1,500 years in Asia, the only way audiences could see theatre of any kind was to attend a live performance. Spectators left their homes and went to a space where a theatrical THE PERVASIVENESS OF THEATRE Symbolic of the far reach of theatre today is the performance of this production of Fous de Bassin, created by the French company Ilotopie, on the water canals around the Puerto Madero neighborhood as part of the opening of the IX Buenos Aires’ International Festival in Argentina in 2013. (©Natacha Pisarenko/AP Images) 5  event was taking place where they joined others to watch a production. If people wanted to see a tragedy, with kings and queens, heroes and villains, or a comedy making fun of human foibles, they would have to become audience members to watch a live performance. Then, after all those centuries, at the beginning of the twentieth century, everything began to change. In rapid succession a series of technological inno- vations offered alternative ways to hear and observe drama. First, there was radio, and then silent film, and after that, movies with sound. Black-and-white film soon gave way to movies in color and not much later, film was joined by television, first in black and white and after that in color. Film and television now also use 3D technology as well as computerization to create amazingly realistic effects. Today, the computer and a series of hand-held electronic devices, including smartphones and tablets, allow viewers to watch films, ­television shows, and digitized performances anywhere. With all of these inven- tions, arriving in quick succession, viewing drama has become much more accessible and much less expensive. With the development first of radio and silent film, there were predictions that such inventions would sound the death knell of live theatre. Surely, it was argued, with the advent of sound film and television, especially when color came in, live theatre was doomed. Consider what had happened to both film and televi- sion: talking pictures eliminated silent film, just as later, color television obliter- ated black-and-white TV. It seemed likely, therefore, that drama on film and television, and even more, on computers and other digital devices, might well eradicate live theatre. The term for live theatre that is not observed through an electronic medium Nonmediated or live is nonmediated theatre. Contrary to the predictions, nonmediated theatre, or live theatre Theatre that is theatre, has not only survived but has thrived. In fact, today it is more vibrant, not observed through an more widespread, and more accessible than at almost any time in history. electronic medium. The Unique Quality of Theatre In the face of the formidable competition that has arisen from all forms of elec- tronic media, why do we continue to go to the theatre? There are a number of reasons, but the most important single reason can be found in the title of this book. We call theatre the lively art not only because it is exciting, suspenseful, and amus- ing, but also because it is alive in a way that makes it different from every other form of dramatic presentation. It is this live quality of theatre that makes it so durable and so indispensable. The special nature of theatre becomes more apparent when we contrast the experience of seeing a drama in a theatre with seeing a drama on film or televi- sion. In many ways the dramas presented are alike. Both offer a story told in dramatic form—an enactment of scenes by performers who speak and act as if they are the people they represent—and film and television can give us many of the same feelings and experiences that we have when watching a theatre perfor- mance. We can learn a great deal about theatre from watching a play on film or television, and the accessibility of film and television means that they have a crucial role in our overall exposure to the depiction of dramatic events and ­dramatic characters. Nevertheless, there is a fundamental difference between the two experiences, and we become aware of that difference when we contrast theatre with movies. This contrast does not have to do with technical matters, such as the way films 6 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World can show outdoor shots made from helicopters, cut instantaneously from one scene to another, or create interplanetary wars or cataclysmic events by using computer-generated special effects. The most significant difference between films and theatre is the relationship between the performer and the audience. The expe- rience of being in the presence of the performer is more important to theatre than anything else. No matter how closely a film follows the story of a play, no matter how involved we are with the people on the screen, we are always in the presence of an image, never a living person. We all know the difference between an image of someone and the flesh- and-blood reality. How often do we rehearse a speech we plan to make to someone we love, or fear: We run through the scene in our mind, picturing ourselves talking to the other person—declaring our love, asking for help, asking the boss for a raise. Sometimes we communicate with them via text messages, imagining them in our mind. But when we meet the person face-to- face, it is not the same. We freeze and find ourselves unable to speak; or perhaps our words gush forth incoherently. Seldom does the encounter take place as we planned. Like films, television seems very close to theatre; sometimes it seems even closer than film. Television programs sometimes begin with words such as “This program comes to you live from Burbank, California.” Recent televised musicals have had titles such as Hairspray Live! But the word live must be qualified. Before television, live in the entertainment world meant “in person”: not only was the event taking place at that moment; it was taking place in the physical presence of the spectators. Usually, the term live television still means that an event is taking place at this moment, but “live” television does not take place in the presence of all of the viewers. In fact, even if there is a live studio audi- ence, it is generally far removed from the vast majority of the viewing audience, possibly half a world away. In television, like film, we see an image—in the case of TV, on a screen—and we are free to look or not to look, or even to leave the room. Our fascination with being in the presence of a person is difficult to explain but not difficult to verify, as the popularity of rock stars attests. No matter how often we as fans have seen a favorite star in the movies or heard a rock singer on a CD, computer, tablet, smartphone, or other digital device, we will go to any lengths to see the star in person. In the same way, at one time or another, each of us has braved bad weather and shoving crowds to see celebrities at a parade or a political rally. The same pull of personal contact draws us to the theatre. At the heart of the theatre experience, therefore, is the performer–audience relationship—the immediate, personal exchange whose chemistry and magic give theatre its special quality. During a stage performance the actresses and actors can hear laughter, can sense silence, and can feel tension. In short, the audience itself can affect, and in subtle ways change, the performance. At the same time, as members of the audience we watch the performers closely, ­consciously or unconsciously asking ourselves questions: Are the performers convincing in their roles? Have they learned their parts well? Are they tal- ented? Will they do something surprising? Will they make a mistake? At each moment, in every stage performance, we are looking for answers to questions like these. The performers are alive—and so is the very air itself—with the electricity of expectation. It is for this reason that we speak of theatre as the lively art. It is for this reason, as well as a number of others, that we study theatre as an art form. Chapter 1 Theatre is Everywhere 7  THE AUDIENCE APPLAUDS The audience is an integral, indispensable part of any theatre performance. Here, the audience watches a performance of a classical theatre piece in the outdoor theatre of Regents Park in London, England. (©Eric Nathan/VisitBritain/Getty Images) 8 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World  In the next chapter, we will examine in detail the dynamic of the actor–­ audience relationship. Before we do so, however, other qualities of live theatre are worth exploring. One, as we’ve suggested, is the astonishing popularity of live theatre in the face of the competition it faces. Another is the amazing way in which theatre permeates every aspect of our lives, in ways of which we are often not even aware. The Range and Accessibility of Theatre One measure of the amazing health of live theatre today is the astounding range of opportunities we have of attending theatre, with locations, not only in the United Sates but throughout the world, presenting a greater variety of theatre offerings perhaps than ever before. For a long time Broadway in New York City was the fountainhead of live theatre in the United States. Though it is still thriv- ing, and Broadway shows, particularly popular musicals, regularly tour to major and mid-size cities throughout America, theatre that originates on Broadway is not as predominant as it once was. Performing arts complexes in all parts of the country that continue to present productions of Broadway shows, in addition, often have other spaces which feature different types of live theatre. These might include 1,000-seat, 500-seat, or 200-seat theatres that offer new plays, revivals, intimate musicals, and other kinds of dramatic entertainment. As we shall see, in New York, as in other cities throughout the United States and the world, there are also smaller spaces and companies that focus on more cutting edge dramas or experimental works. In addition, we shall also discuss the many theatre companies that focus on underrepresented groups. At the same time, during the last half-century there has been a burgeoning of what are known as regional theatres: permanent, professional, nonprofit the- Regional theatres atres that offer a season of first-class productions to their audiences each year. Permanent, professional, Their association, the League of Resident Theatres, lists a total of 74 such theatres nonprofit theatres offering scattered across the country. Added to the above are approximately 120 Shake- first-class productions to speare theatres found in virtually every state in the United States that feature, their audiences. especially in the summer months, high-quality productions of Shakespeare and the classics as well as modern plays. Another important component of today’s theatre landscape is the many college and university theatres found in every one of the fifty states, as well as Canada and elsewhere. Many colleges have not one but perhaps two or three theatre spaces in which students and guest artists perform. There might be, for instance, a 500- or 600-seat theatre, a smaller 200-seat theatre with a different configuration, and a 100-seat “black box” for more experimental or intimate productions. Finally, in every corner of the United States, there are an astonishing 7,000 so-called community theatres. These are semiprofessional and experienced ama- Community theatres teur groups who present a series of plays each year that appeal to their audiences. Semiprofessional and It might surprise many of us to learn that these several thousand theatres present experienced amateur roughly 46,000 productions each year to audiences that number in the millions. groups that present plays Obviously, taken together, the total number of theatre events presented each year that appeal to their specific audiences. in the United States is a staggering, almost unbelievable figure. It is not, however, just the vast range and number of annual productions that is surprising, it is the diversity of offerings. First, there is the rich mixture of traditional theatre from the past with the latest theatre offerings of today. Theatre from the past begins with the Greek theatre, the foundation of all Western theatre, and moves through Shakespeare in the Elizabethan era, the Spanish playwright Chapter 1 Theatre is Everywhere 9  PLAYING YOUR PART: EXPERIENCING THEATRE 1. Locate as many theatre venues in your area as you can—professional, amateur, college theatres. Also, locate theatres that may be in nearby cities or towns. (The Internet can be helpful in this search.) 2. Find out the size and shape of the theatres you have identified in your area and surrounding area. 3. Learn what kinds of productions each of the theatres presents: musicals, comedies, classics, new plays, and so forth. 4. Make plans to attend a production at one or more of the nearby theatres. (This could be incorporated into a class assignment.) Lope de Vega from the same era, through the French playwright Molière in the seventeenth century, the great playwrights at the beginning of the modern era— Ibsen, Strindberg and Chekhov—through the outstanding American playwrights of the twentieth century—such as Eugene O’Neill, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Wil- liams, and August Wilson. The works of these playwrights, along with many others, are being offered year in and year out by professional nonprofit, commu- nity, and university theatres. Alongside these plays from the past there is a constant stream of new plays from young playwrights, both in traditional and experimental forms. The latter includes experimental and avant-garde theatre of all kinds. Two such approaches Site specific theatre are site-specific theatre and performance art. Site-specific theatre offers presenta- Theatre presented in a tions in nontraditional theatre settings, such as warehouses, churches, firehouses, nontraditional setting so street corners and public parks. The idea is that the unusual locale together with that the chosen a fresh approach in the material will make audiences conscious in a different way environment helps of what they are seeing and experiencing. Performance art is usually highly illuminate the text. individual and presented by only one person but never by more than a small Performance art Most number. The content is usually quite personal, and may be combined with art, often refers to a solo dance, film or music. We will discuss both of these forms later in our review of performance created by the contemporary theatre. performer but also can be a work that mixes visual arts, dance, film, and/or music. Global and Multicultural Theatre Two additional types of theatre should be mentioned when we speak of the wide diversity of theatre available to today’s audiences. One is global theatre, which means theatre not just in the Western tradition, but theatre from around the world. As in the West, there is a rich tradition of theatre in Asia. In India theatre began more than 2,000 years ago, and Chinese theatre, a few centuries after that, while Japanese theatre was established by 800 c. e. In other parts of the world, in Africa, in pre-Columbian Latin America, and in the Native American cultures of North America, there are rich traditions of rituals and ceremonies that have recognizable elements of theatre: costumes; song and dance; and impersonation of people, animals, and divinities. The various ways in which we see theatrical traditions from different nations and cultures influence one another today were relatively rare prior to 1900. Today we live in a world where such cross-cultural relationships are extremely easy, owing to modern transportation and communication. Thomas Friedman, in his acclaimed book The World Is Flat, analyzes how globalization has affected business and 10 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World DIVERSE OFFERINGS Today’s theatre offers a wide choice in the places where we see theatre and in the types of theatre we can enjoy. One important aspect involves the many diverse and multicultural theatre experiences that are available. An example would be the scene above from the Bale Folclorico Da Bahia in a performance of Sacred Heritage at the Sunset Center in Carmel. (©Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images) Chapter 1 Theatre is Everywhere 11  industry in contemporary society. One can no longer tell whether a product is made by a company in a specific country since most major corporations are multinational. The automobile industry clearly reflects the trend toward industrial globalization, as does the technology industry. A car created today by a Japanese, Korean, or German manufacturer may be fully or partially assembled in the United States. A PC, cell phone, or tablet may be manufactured in China and sold in the United States, but the 24-hour help desk may be located in India. The same is true in today’s theatre. Theatre artists cross national boundaries to stage their works with artists of other countries. Popular works tour the world and cross-pollinate other theatrical ventures. International theatre festivals bring artists of various nationali- ties to interact with those in the host community. In addition, traditional theatrical techniques from differing countries may be fused together to create a unique con- temporary work. People throughout the world are becoming aware of the multiracial and mul- ticultural aspects of our society, as are Americans themselves. In the late nine- teenth and the early twentieth centuries, the United States was known as a “melting pot,” a term implying that the aim of many foreign-born people who came here was to become assimilated and integrated into the prevailing white, European culture (and we might add, male, as women during this era still had to fight for basic rights, such as the right to vote). In recent decades, however, it has come to be seen that such a homogeneous culture has many biases; as a result, we find a trend to recognize, maintain, and celebrate our differences. This con- sciousness of diversity has been reflected in theatre. Many organizations have emerged that present productions by and for groups with specific interests includ- ing feminism; gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered points of view; and many others relating to diversity in politics, race, gender, ethnic background, and sexual orientation. Again, we will discuss global and multicultural theatre more fully when we survey our contemporary theatrical landscape. THEATRE, TELEVISION, AND FILM Theatre is the fountainhead of all drama in whatever form it appears: film, televi- sion, computer, tablet, or theme park. The ancient Greeks, 2,500 years ago, estab- lished the categories of tragedy and comedy that are still used today. They also developed dramatic structure, acting, and theatre architecture. Roman domestic comedies are the prototype of every situation comedy we see in the movies or on television. In other words, though we may not be aware of it, each time we see a performance we are taking part in theatre history. Wherever theatre or other media arts occur, their foundation, their roots, are always found in historical fore- runners and antecedents. When audiences watch a performance of a Shakespearean play in an outdoor theatre—for example, at the Shakespeare festival in Ashland, Oregon, or at the Old Globe in San Diego, California—they are not only watching a play by a dramatist who lived 400 years ago but are also sharing in an environment, a configuration of audience and stage space, that goes back much farther to the ancient Greeks. In the same way, when an audience sees a drama by the French playwright Molière, they are partaking not only of a theatrical tradition that traces its roots to seventeenth-century France, but also of a tradition that goes back to Italian commedia dell’arte, which came to prominence a century earlier. And the theatre space in which it is performed goes back to the proscenium stage, which originated during the Italian Renaissance in the early seventeenth century. Similarly, at a 12 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World college production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan, the audience members are not only seeing a play by one of the most innovative playwrights of the twentieth century; they are seeing a play that was strongly influenced by tech- niques of ancient Asian theatre. And, as we noted, whenever we watch films or television shows, on whatever electronic device we choose, we are seeing popular works clearly influenced by these traditions, practices, and forms of theatre. Theatre and Television The characters of film and television—the heroes, the villains, the victims, the comic figures—all come straight from predecessors in theatre. The way stories are structured—the early scenes, the succession of crises, the withholding and revealing of information—were there first, hundreds of years ago, in the theatre. In other words, the structure, the dynamics, the subject matter of both television and film can be traced directly to antecedents in theatre. On television, we can see a wide range of dramatic offerings that have a clear counterpart in theatrical prototypes. Daytime soap operas present a variety of domestic crises in family and other relationships. These dramas use many theatri- cal devices to ensure our continued viewing. A suspenseful moment concludes each segment; heightened music and emotions capture our attention. Recognizable character types—young lovers, difficult parents, doctors, lawyers, and criminals— inhabit the world of the all daytime soap operas. Nighttime hospital and police shows, as well as earlier popular westerns, present the thrills and suspense of traditional melodrama. The stereotypical char- acters, including the heroes and villains; the focus on the spectacular and the grotesque; and the neat and happy resolutions are all related, as we shall see, to nineteenth-century melodrama. The popularity of CSI, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones is related to their use of traditional characteristics of the suspenseful melodramas staged in the theatres of earlier eras. Situation comedies depict young as well as middle-age characters in farcical and humorous encounters. These comic television shows have, throughout the his- tory of the medium, focused on domestic situations, language filled with sexual double meaning, physical humor, exaggerated characters, and recognizable situa- tions. Classic situation comedies, such as I Love Lucy, Will & Grace, Seinfeld, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, Transparent, and Black-ish, all reflect comic traditions, techniques, characters, and structures developed earlier in theatre. Popular television variety shows throughout the medium’s history have all been influenced by earlier popular theatrical forms that we will discuss later, such as minstrelsy, burlesque, and vaudeville. The long-running format of Saturday Night Live, which combines take-offs of serious films or literature, satire of polit- ical figures, exaggerated fictional characters, and popular musical acts, is a close replica of vaudeville, a popular theatre form of the early twentieth century. The NBC network has also televised live stage musicals annually, frequently casting major film, theatre, TV, pop music, and stage stars. To reflect the desire to emulate an actual musical theatre experience, the shows all have Live attached at the end of their traditional titles. Those staged for TV productions include: The Sound of Music (2013), Peter Pan (2014), Hairspray (2016), and Bye, Bye, Birdie (2017), featuring Jennifer Lopez. On television, even news documentaries are framed in dramatic terms: a car crash in which a prom queen dies; a spy caught because of an e-mail message; a Chapter 1 Theatre is Everywhere 13  high government official or corporate officer accused of sexual harassment. Extremely popular reality shows are also staged like theatrical events. Many of the shows focus on highly dramatic situations and turn the real-life individuals into theatrical characters. And we all know that the reality shows are theatri- cally manipulated to create a sense of dramatic ten- sion, ongoing suspense, and heightened conflict among the participants. Theatre and Film Film has been influenced by theatre even more clearly than television has. Movies provide dramatic material of many kinds: science fiction; romantic and domestic comedies; action-packed stories of intrigue; historical epics; and even film versions of classical plays, such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet. And we should note that there is a combina- tion of film and video when we watch movies at home on a DVD, a Blu-ray, or streamed through our smart 4K Ultra HDTV, Blu-ray player, game console, tablet, smartphone, or other device. Various types and cate- gories of theatrical offerings have been appropriated by film. Successful film musicals, such as Into the Woods (2014), are movie versions of hugely success- FILM AND THEATRE ful stage musicals. As mentioned earlier, classical and From the beginning theatre has had a profound effect on contemporary plays are frequently adapted into mov- film, as well as on other media. Stories, characters, even ies, such as the Pulitzer Prize winning Fences. dialogue are lifted straight from theatre and put on film. In addition, most film genres borrow from past The scene above is from a popular film of 2016, Fences, theatrical traditions. For example, popular cinematic which is based on a play written by August Wilson in melodramas, such as the films based on comic book which Denzel Washington, seen above, also appeared heroes, reflect the characteristics of the theatrical previously on Broadway. Playing his wife in the film, as she did in the Broadway production, is Viola Davis. genre and earlier theatrical innovations. We shall see (©Joan Marcus) that the intense interest in creating awe-inspiring spe- cial effects was as prevalent in nineteenth-century theatre as it is in twenty-first-century film. At the same time, since the inception of commercial film, there has been a great deal of crossover by theatre and film artists. As we shall see, many film stars began their careers in theatre. For that matter, Hollywood frequently raided the New York theatre for actors, directors, and writers during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Many current film and television stars began their careers in theatre and return to it on occasion; one example is Denzel Washington, who won a Tony Award for a Broadway revival of Fences in 2010, which he made into a critically acclaimed film in 2016. And many playwrights, from the earliest days of film and television, write for these media. Sam Shepard, David Mamet, Tony Kushner, Neil LaBute, Theresa Rebecki, Sarah Treem, and Beau Willimon are examples of suc- cessful theatre, screenplay, and teleplay authors. In recent years, many movie and television stars, whose entire careers have been in these media, have performed onstage as an artistic challenge. For example, Daniel Radcliffe, from the Harry Potter movies, starred in London and Broadway 14 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World productions, including the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2011), The Cripple of Inishmann (2014), Privacy (2016), and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (2017). In 2013, the film stars Daniel Craig, a recent James Bond, and his wife Rachel Weisz, also a film star, appeared on Broadway in Harold Pinter’s Betrayal; Craig, along with stage and movie actor David Oyelowo, also starred in Othello (2016) off-Broadway. Among other well-known film actors to star in Broadway productions are Tom Hanks, James Franco, and Scarlett Johansson. What attracted audiences to these, and many other examples, were the production’s media stars. And just as film stars are admired for their wealth and status, while at the same time their personal lives are viewed suspiciously—for example, consider the constant attention on their romantic breakups—so, too, were theatrical stars from the earliest times on. This obsession with the lives of stars is reflected today in the popularity of such tabloids and magazines as Star, National Enquirer, and People as well as Hollywood gossip television shows, including TMZ; and in just the same way, there were earlier theatrical publications that reported about the lives of stage personalities. THEATRE IS EVERYWHERE The connection between theatre and both television and film probably does not come as a surprise to most people. On the other hand, most of us would no doubt be surprised at the great extent to which theatre permeates and informs so many other aspects of our lives. Think of how often we use theatre as a metaphor to describe an activity in daily life. We say that someone is melodramatic or highly theatrical or acts like a “prima donna.” When we don’t believe children, we say that they are play-acting. We refer to the battleground on which a war is fought as a “theatre.” Clearly, theatre is an activity that we use to describe how we live. Religious and civic ceremonies and rituals also have theatrical qualities. (We shall see in the chapters “Early Theatres: Greek, Roman, and Medieval” and “Early Theatre: Asian” how the origins of theatre may be connected to religious rituals and ceremonies.) Weddings, funerals, other religious ceremonies as well as family and society celebrations have strong elements of theatre in them. Costumes, a set script, various roles to be played: all of these are similar to counterparts in theatre. In addition, as we will note in a later chapter, acting is part of our everyday lives. We describe the role-playing we do in our professional and personal spheres as if we were performers on the stage of life. Children and adults imitate behav- iors that they admire in the same way that actors and actresses mimic behavior. As we go through our college careers, we play many roles, such as student, friend, romantic partner, organization member, and student government leader. As adults we also play a number of roles: doctor, lawyer, engineer, nurse, parent, teacher, spouse, political figure. Theatre is incorporated in our lives in other ways. Taken in its broadest sense, it is everywhere around us. A Thanksgiving Day parade, a trial in a courtroom— all of these have recognizable theatrical elements: costumes or uniforms, a formal structure, performers, and spectators. The same is true of such activities as a presidential nominating convention, a Senate hearing, or a White House press conference. Even seemingly spontaneous, unrehearsed events, such as a high- speed automobile chase or a gunman holding hostages in a suburban home, have been imbued with theatrical qualities by the time they are broadcast on television. The person holding the television camera has framed the “shots” showing the Chapter 1 Theatre is Everywhere 15 THEATRICAL ELEMENTS IN RITUALS AND CEREMONIES Weddings, funerals, other religious ceremonies as well as family and society rituals have strong elements of theatre in them. Costumes, a set script, various roles to be played: all of these are similar to counterparts in theatre. Shown here is a wedding ceremony with the bride and groom in appropriate attire, and a presiding official. Often the one officiating is a priest, minister, or rabbi. (©Stewart Cohen/Getty Images RF) event; and for the evening news, the people who edit and report a segment on a real-life tragedy have taken great care to present the story as a brief drama, with an attention-grabbing opening followed by a suspenseful or shocking revelation and then a closing quotation, perhaps from a relative or neighbor. We even encounter drama in seemingly real-life reports on television: not only the evening news but documentaries and so-called “reality” shows. Among our popular activities and institutions, rock concerts, amusement parks, museums, sporting events, and digital media all display and rely on strong theatrical components. Theatre and Rock Music When we turn from electronic and digital media to live performance, we see that theatre has pervaded and influenced a popular music form with which we are all familiar: rock. Throughout its history, rock has appropriated theatrical elements. The singer and dancer Lady Gaga is a perfect example. Her extravagant outfits and 16 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World over-the-top visual effects are directly derived from theatrical antecedents, as are her lighting and special effects. The purpose, of course, is to draw attention to the performer. “One of my greatest art works,” she has said, “is the art of fame.” Her “Monster Ball (2009–2011)” and “ArtRave: The Artpop Ball (2014)” tours were highly staged theatrical events. For that matter, a New York Times article describing her Monster Ball performance at Radio City Music Hall was entitled, “For Lady Gaga, Every Concert Is a Drama.” The same is true of the highly theatrical per- formances of many other contemporary pop stars. Numerous other rock stars have created theatrical characters for their perfor- mances. Beginning with Little Richard and Elvis Presley in the 1950s, and con- tinuing with the Beatles in the 1960s, through punk rock, glam rock, rap, hip-hop, and other forms, popular musical performers have used exaggerated characteriza- tions, gender-bending personas, costumes, props, and makeup to create theatrical characterizations. The actual performers were often less recognizable than their stage personae. The connection between rock performance and theatre is also illustrated by the many rock stars who have acted in films, television, and stage. For example, the hip-hop and rap star Mos Def has appeared on Broadway and in numerous movies. The popularity of music videos also reflects the integration of theatrical elements into rock and roll. These videos turn many songs into visual, dramatic narratives. As noted earlier, current rock concerts are also highly theatrical events, using live performers, lights, sound, projections, and properties in ways that are like multi-media presentations. For example, Beyonce’s 2016 Formation tour incorpo- rated all of these elements almost blurring the distinction between rock concert and theatrical spectacle. Other pop stars such as Justin Timberlake and Christina THEATRICALITY IN ROCK MUSIC PERFORMANCES Good examples of the crossover of theatrical elements between the popular arts and traditional theatre are the elaborate, outsize presentations of individual performers and music groups in their live stage presentations. Extravagant costumes, spectacular lighting, sound and scenic effects are the hallmark of these performances. A good example was Lady Gaga’s performance at the Super Bowl in 2017. (©Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images) Chapter 1 Theatre is Everywhere 17  Aguilera have staged their concerts like theatre performances, with spectacular lighting effects and gymnastic-like dance routines. Even classic rock groups have added highly visual theatrical elements to their touring shows to appeal to more contemporary fans. Each year, the Grammy Awards becomes a more theatrical event, showcasing incredibly spectacular lighting, costuming, multimedia, and special effects to enhance the show. Acoustic and less spectacular tours by some well-known rock stars are a reac- tion against these intensely theatrical concerts and reflect a desire to return the focus to the live performer, stripping away much of the stage effects. We shall see that some contemporary theatrical theorists and experimental artists also argue for diminishing spectacular scenery and using fewer special effects, to reestablish the primacy of live performance. In the past few years, there has also been a new phenomenon in musical theatre: the use of previously recorded rock and pop music as the score for musi- cals. The most popular example of such musicals is Mamma Mia! (1999), which used the songs of a group from the 1980s, ABBA. Other examples include All Shook Up (2005), which used Elvis Presley’s hits; Jersey Boys (2004), which traced the career of a pop group of the 1960s, the Four Seasons; Rock of Ages (2006), which used 1980s rock music; American Idiot (2009), adapted from Green Day’s concept album; Motown (2013), which used the 1960s pop music by ­African American performers from Detroit; and Beautiful (2014), based on the early life and music of Carole King. Some rock composers have also composed scores for musicals, including Elton John for Aida (1998) and Billy Elliott (2005), David Bryan, keyboardist for Bon Jovi, for Memphis (2009), Bono and Edge of U2 for Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark (2011), Cindy Lauper for Kinky Boots (2012), and Sarah Bareilles for Waitress (2016). We will discuss the influence of rock on the American musical more fully later when we survey the history of this popular theatrical form. Theatricality in Amusement Parks, Museums, Las Vegas, and Sporting Events Rock illustrates that we have come to expect theatrical elements as part of our popular entertainments and that theatre is around us in many unexpected venues. Amusement parks like Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios incorporate theatrical material; most, for example, present staged productions based on films, which attract huge audiences. The rides at these amusement parks also incorporate theatricality by placing the participant in a theatrical environment and a dramatic situation. Rides based on the Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter films, among many others, allow us, as riders, to be actors in a dramatic plotline, in a space that functions as a kind of stage setting. Disney World has announced plans to build an “immersive” hotel that will allow guests to become part of a Star Wars story. We can also see theatre around us in many other everyday activities. Many restaurants, such as the Rainforest Cafes, have theatrical environments. Shopping centers and specialty stores, such as Niketown and American Girl, contain spaces for performances that highlight specific holiday seasons or product lines. Museums have recently adopted some of these theatrical techniques to attract visitors. For example, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, includes stage presentations, with live actors and high tech special effects, about this famous president as well as about how historians and archivists work. The museum also contains many exhibits that function like stage 18 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World LAS VEGAS AS THEATRICAL ENVIRONMENT Almost the entire central part of Las Vegas, Nevada, is a gigantic stage set. Everything from the pyramids to the Eiffel Tower and New York City is re-produced there. Seen here is a re-creation of a canal in Venice to house shops at the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas. (©Andreas Sterzing/VISUM/The Image Works) settings, including a reproduction of the log cabin in which Lincoln originally lived. Many museums now host performances, such as the Museum of Contem- porary Art in Chicago and the Walker Center in Minneapolis. In cities such as Orlando, Florida, dinner theatres present theatrical entertain- ments based on Roman gladiators, medieval knights, and gangsters of the 1930s. Medieval Nights is an extremely popular dinner theatre entertainment in Orlando, New Jersey, and Chicago. Las Vegas is a highly theatricalized environment. Its hotels—such as New York, New York; the Bellagio; Luxor; and Mandelay Bay— are constructed like huge theatrical sets. Lavish stage shows use all the elements of theatre to entertain audiences. Possibly the most spectacular is KA, a $165 million production of Cirque du Soleil, staged at the MGM Grand by the avant- garde Canadian director Robert LePage, and which gained notoriety for the death of a performer in 2013. In addition, many performance artists and Broadway musicals have set up companies in Las Vegas. These theatre productions are even modified to meet the time limitations of the traditional Las Vegas stage show. Contemporary sporting events also integrate significant theatrical elements. Sports arenas, as we will note later, function much like theatre spaces. The intro- duction of sports teams before the start of competitions is often highly staged, with spectacular sound, lighting, and visual effects. Halftime shows, particularly at championship games such as the Super Bowl, are often huge stage spectacles with musicians, dancers, and special effects. Lady Gaga’s 2017 Super Bowl perfor- mance, for example, included lighting effects, flying her in, and the use of drones. Chapter 1 Theatre is Everywhere 19 THEATRICALITY IN SPORTS EVENTS Sporting events are often highly theatrical—football, basketball, and baseball, as well as many other sports, have a definite theatrical component. One prime example is the half-time show at the annual Super Bowl. Shown here is the half time show at the Super Bowl in 2017 at which the performer Lady Gaga appeared and which featured stunning lighting and special effects. (©Cal Sport Media/Alamy Stock Photo) Theatre and Digital Media At the start of the twenty-first century, digital media are omnipresent, ranging from the computer to the Xbox to the iPad to the multitude of smartphones. One result is the immense popularity of video games and other interactive activities accessed through the Internet, on all of these devices, and which are clearly influ- enced by theatre. These digital entertainments usually present a theatrical plotline in which we engage. Many of these storylines are based on popular melodramatic premises taken from films, comic books, and other entertainments. Some are based on historical events, such as actual wars and battles; others are fictional tales. Their goal is to make us feel as if we are actors within the universe of the game. The desire to create realistic special effects graphics continues a tradition that began with nineteenth-century stage melodrama, continued into film and television, and now is an engaging element of these digital games. There are also interactive theatrical role-playing websites on the Internet. These sites all allow us to feel as if we are actors in a theatricalized fantasy world. Even websites that are supposedly realistic chat rooms allow us to play roles as if we are actors in a performance for an unseen audience. 20 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World  PLAYING YOUR PART: THINKING ABOUT THEATRE 1. Attend a theatre performance. Note the following: (a) What it is like arriving at the theatre, entering the lobby, then entering the theatre itself. (b) As the performance begins, how you become aware of the type of theatre you will see: musical, historical play, modern domestic drama, comedy, or something other than these. 2. As the play gets under way take note of the following: a. The scenery: Is it life-like or fantasy? Is it complete or merely suggestive of time and place? Is it beautiful to look at or is it depicting something frightening or strange? Is the stage filled with scenery, or relatively bare? As the play progresses, does the scenery remain constant or are there frequent scene changes? b. The lighting: What kind of lighting is there? Is it the lighting of a rock concert or nightclub, or does it seem like the natural lighting of a home or an outdoor park or patio? What are the colors of the lighting? Are the colors appropriate to the situation? Does the lighting change frequently or only rarely? c. The acting: Are the performers supposed to be ordinary people, of the type you would recognize from friends, family, or everyday characters on TV? Or are the characters historical people or larger-than-life figures? Is there anything special about the way one or more actors perform? Are they believable and ordinary, or is there some- thing unusual or distinctive? The term cosplay is a contraction of costume and play. It describes a combina- Cosplay A contraction of tion of role-playing, costuming, and social interactions and became a worldwide costume and play that popular culture phenomenon because of the Internet. Cosplay, which began in combines role-playing, the 1990s, refers to people, known as cosplayers, dressing up as characters from costuming, and social interactions through the cartoons, video games, films, television series, and other entertainments. Internet or at conventions. Often those engaged in cosplay attend large fan conventions for popular tele- vision shows, comic book conventions, and cosplay competitions. The combina- tion of online social networks and dedicated websites allows cosplayers to interact virtually and at any time of day or night from across the globe. Another impact of digital technology is that audiences can attend live broadcast and digitally streamed productions from theatres across their nation and across the globe. The National Theatre, for example, established National Theatre Live, which broadcasts productions via satellite to film houses. Some theatres stream perfor- mances to audience members’ computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. Broad- way HD was established to allow individuals anywhere to stream Broadway quality shows to their digital devices. But like live television, these streamed events do not place audiences in the presence of the live performers as theatre does. Although there is an abundance of dramatic materials available in movie houses, on television, on Blu-ray or DVD, streamed digitally into our homes, in amusement parks, at sporting events, in video games, and on the Internet, theatre itself is also a highly diverse and eclectic art form that attracts a wide spectrum of audience members and artists and is, in stark contrast to these others, a truly live, nonmediated art form. THEATRE AND THE HUMAN CONDITION There is one additional, highly significant, but often overlooked reason for us to attend and study theatre. Throughout its history theatre has had a two-fold appeal. One attraction is the sheer excitement or amusement of a theatre event. The other Chapter 1 Theatre is Everywhere 21  is the unique ability of theatre to incorporate in dramatic material profound, pro- vocative, timeless observations about our human condition. Ideas, moral dilem- mas, probing insights—these have long found vivid expression in exceptional plays and exceptional performances. Moreover, in theatre these performances are live, not reproduced on a film, television screen, or digital device. In Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, and in the works of modern playwrights like Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Lorraine Hansberry, and August Wilson, we encounter questions and issues that strike at the very heart of our human existence. In the comedies of the French playwright Molière, we see personal foibles exposed as they have rarely been before or since. Finally, theatre also differs in significant ways from other types of live enter- tainment such as performances by rock stars. Rock musicians, for example, make no pretense of offering the same kind of experience as a production by a theatre company. A drama or a piece of performance art has a structure—a beginning, middle, and end—a purpose, a cast of characters, a unique completeness that a concert by a rock artist would never aspire to. In other words, theatre, which influences so much of the world around us, is an art form with its own characteristics: its own quality, coherence, and integrity. SUMMARY 1. During the past century live theatre has faced a number of daunting challenges from other dramatic media: films, television, electronic media, etc. 2. Live theatre has been able to meet these challenges not only because of its unique characteristics, but chiefly because it is only in live theatre that the audience is physically present at a performance by live actors. 3. Live theatre today is available in a wide variety of venues: commercial theatre, nonprofit professional theatre, college and university theatre, amateur theatre, chil- dren’s theatre. 4. There is also a wide range of the types of theatre available today: classic, traditional, experimental, avant-garde. 5. Theatrical elements are part of many other activities in which we engage: religious services, rock concerts, theme parks, sports events. Design elements: Playing Your Part box (theatre seats): ©McGraw-Hill Education; In Focus box (spotlight): ©d_gas/Getty Images 22 Part 1 Theatre in Today’s World