Independent Theatre and Realism in England

1. Independent Theatre and Realism in England

2. Ibsen’s Influence • Ibsen was very influential on realist theatre in England • All of his plays were available in English by 1890 • Early productions reminded the English how far behind they were compared to Europe

3. Andre Antoine (1858 – 1943)and the Theatre Libre • Antoine was an insignificant actor and a clerk with a gas company • Antoine wanted to produce new plays including work by Zola • He started his own theatre, Theatre Libre • His first program gained Zola’s endorsement • The second season brought in major critics • 1887, quit job with gas company to produce plays until 1914

4. Theatre Libre • Operated on a subscription basis • Private club • Required membership • Allowed to present plays that were banned or would be banned if presented to the censors • Most plays presented were naturalistic • Comedies rosses – plays were the moral principles are reversed, black humor • Produced foreign works • Ibsen and Strindberg

5. Antoine’s approach • Antoine was an autocrat • Antoine sought to reproduce every detail in the play, very realistic approach • Arranged the rooms to be like in real life and only after the play had been rehearsed did he decide which wall to remove for the “fourth wall” • Actors to behave as if there was no audience • Each play required its own setting • Used amateur actors • Coached them • Highly disciplined • Natural behavior • Ensemble Acting • Saxe-Meiningen’s influence

6. Antoine’s Difficulties Victim of his own success • Actors and playwrights that were successful were picked up by major companies • High production standards put Antoine into debt • Limited runs – Three shows • Limited opportunity to recoup costs • Left amateur theatre in 1894 to start Theatre Antoine, a professional company, in 1897. Later director of Odeon

7. Freie Buhne • Means Free Stage • Organised in Berlin in 1889 • Worked as a democracy with officers and governing council • Gave performances on Sunday afternoons • Presented banned plays • Inspired other stage societies in Germany including the socialist theatre groups • Freie Volksbuhne, later the Neue Freie Volksbuhne

8. Independent Theatre • Founded by J.T. Grein, a Dutch born critic • I.T. worked on a subscription basis • Showed plays on Sundays • Allowed cooperation of theatre managers and actors • Opened with Ibsen’s Ghosts followed by Zola’s Therese Raquin • Focused more on the plays than production • Grein hoped to produced new English plays • Felt producers were conservative and they were the reason for the low state of English drama • The lack of English plays provoked Shaw to complete Widower’s Houses

9. George Bernard Shaw • Irish • Interested in • Fabian Society • Socialism • Perfectibility of people • Persuasion • Characters and stories illustrate a point of view • Humans have freedom of choice • Comedy of ideas • Not immediately successful • Unconventional ideas and paradoxical situations puzzled audiences • Theatre organizations were persistent in presenting his work and lead him to be accepted and popular with audiences

10. Royal Court Theatre 1904 • Managed by Harley Granville Barker and John Vedrenne • One play was offered each evening for several weeks while another little known or seldom performed work was performed at matinees • If the matinees were successful or created enough enthusiasm, the play was put on in the evening. • Short runs of just a few weeks • Shaw was one of the main playwrights produced • Ensemble acting, no stars • Director’s interpretation, Barker sought to find the style suited for each play • Simplicity and suggestion • Moved to the Savoy and later the Duke of York in 1910

11. Stanislavski and the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT)

12. Inspired by Saxe Meiningen Players

13. Georg II, Duke of Saxe-MeiningenThe first modern director • 1874-1890- most admired company in the West • Very methodical in his approach • Play specific design. Designer becomes important • Historical accuracy • Ensemble – NO STARS!!! • Long rehearsals • Unified Production Concept • One person responsible for ensuring unity • Director became the authority • Director creates a production concept from research of play’s themes • Built around an image, metaphor or other concepts. • May place the play in another time to help highlight a theme

14. Stanislavski 1863-1938 • Co-founded MAT in 1898 • He was an actor, director and teacher. • Not a natural actor. • Wanted to find a systematic way to become a great actor

15. Questions – Key for Inspiration • Relationship – What to I think of the other character? What do (I think) they think of me? • Objective – What do I want? • Purpose – What will make me happy? Why do I want to achieve my objective? • Obstacle – What is in the way? • Text – What do I say? • Subtext – What do I mean when I say… • Evaluations – What do I think of doing but don’t do?

16. Other questions • What are my given circumstances? • Magic IF • Super Objective – What do I want most in life? • Through Line – What is the connection between all of my behaviors/actions in the play?

17. Dividing up the play • Acts • Scenes • Units or Episodes • Beats • Came from when Russian teachers came to America to teach the system. They were saying “bits” but the actors understood “beats” so beats became the common term • Basic Actions and Basic Events

18. Qualities of an objective • Want • Change • Obtainable • Comes with obstacles • Comes with action • If I do nothing to achieve it, it’s a dream • Happiness • Enjoyable to act • Pictures and Impressions • Uses an infinitive verb • I want to be remembered • I want to be the winner

19. Obstacles • Physical – e.g. the letter is locked in the mailbox • Social – e.g. gender roles • Self - Mental/Psychological/Emotional– e.g. guilt • Can be other objectives - sometimes characters and people want two things that are contradictory.

20. Objectives have qualities • Short term objectives • Very clear, visible and short term. • Cutting cucumbers • Medium term objectives • Fairly clear pictures or impressions • Longer time duration • Making a salad • Long term objectives • not very clear pictures, sometimes more of an impression. • My blind date

21. Action • What do I do to achieve my objective? • Main actions and Basic Actions • Verbs not nouns • I attack, I flirt, I submit, I plead, etc • Micro action – I enjoy or I regret • Basic Biological actions • I attack, I shrink/run away, I rest • Super Objective – I want to survive

22. Super Objectives • Overriding desire in a play • What do I want