Contemporary American Theatre & The Crucible

1. Contemporary American Theatre &The Crucible Historical and Political Background

2. American Theatre • Contemporary Theatre (20th century-now) • Focuses on social issues and lives of ORDINARY ppl • Provides in depth exploration of inner lives of characters • Shifts from total realism in 1st half of century to more experimental forms

3. Brief History of 20th cent. American Theatre • Prior to 20th cent., American Theatre was primarily melodrama and farce • Influence of European realists at end of 19th cent. changed • Wrote plays about life as it is really lived—”Slice of Life” Theatre • Important Playwrights • Drama • Eugene O’Neill--early part of 20th cent. • Tennessee Williams—combined realism and something more imaginative; playwright of “our souls”—middle of 20th cent. • Arthur Miller—most significant playwright of the second half of 20th century; plays of social conscience

4. Elements of Plot—Plays • Exposition • Inciting incident: one event that begins the conflict of the play (sometimes happens before the play begins, otherwise happens early in first act/scene) • Rising Action: events that add to the conflict and complicate the plot • Turning point: an event/moment/decision in which one character could change the outcome of the conflict • Climax • Denouement/Resolution

5. Historical Background • Salem 1692: Massachusetts Bay Colony • Factors that contributed to the hysteria • Royal Charter Revoked—fear of losing land to new settlers • Theocratic form of government • Massachusetts Body of Liberties—no law can be created that is in conflict with anything in the Bible • Strong Puritan belief in the Devil/punishing God • Small Pox Epidemic of 1691—believed God was punishing settlement for secret sins • Increased Indian Raids—savages/devils lived in the forest • Wild behavior of teenagers—dancing, growing hair long—viewed as the cause of the Small Pox Epidemic & Indian Raids

6. Arthur Miller (b. 1915) • Began playwriting career in college • 1st success: All My Sons (1947) • 1st great American Tragedy: Death of a Salesman (1949) • Wrote The Crucible as a response to Red Scare of 1940s and 50s • Specifically targeted ppl who were in the arts and show business

7. Red Scare • House UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC) • Formed in 1938, gained steam after WWII • Focused on left wing Americans who might be communist sympathizers • 1947: began to focus on Hollywood—directly affected Arthur Miller

8. Factors that Contributed to Red Scare • Alger Hiss Trial/Rosenbergs Trial • Truman Doctrine • Truman Loyalty Program • There was a climate of fear in America after WWII as a result of the rise of communism in Eastern Europe. As the Soviet Block extended its influence, Americans became wary of a communist takeover.

9. Red Scare • Joseph McCarthy: senator from Wisconsin • 1950: Claimed to have names of 205 communists working in the State Department • Targets democrats associated with New Deal Policies • Targets Hollywood—writers and actors—believed to be producing films with subversive communist messages • McCarthyism: anti-communist hysteria or the policy of Gov’t rooting out communism

10. Joseph McCarthy (con’t) • People called before HUAC were encouraged to confess and name others involved • Result of not confess or naming names • Blacklisted—could not find work in their previous line of business • Many left US, others committed suicide • Arthur Miller: refused to name names… • As a result, he was fined for contempt of court