Midterm Part II Study Guide
Group 1:
● Discuss the major changes that took place in theatre during the 19th century. How did
these changes transform the artform?
Three Major Forces
● Industrial Revolution
○ Shift from manual labor to machinery
○ People stacked on top of each other to work in big cities
● Technological Advances
○ Printing Press, Rail System, Electricity, Telephone, etc.
○ Start of the Celebrity Craze and Popularity (Influencer Culture)
● Rise of Nationalism
○ Feelings of pride in country
○ BUT ALSO feeling superiority of one’s own county over all others
Impact on Theatre
● More people attending
○ From all classes and societies
○ Theatrical architecture
○ Better and “safer” theaters
● Travel
○ Practitioners going abroad and sharing their skills
● Content
○ Political or social theater OR escapism…
● Describe the characteristics of Romanticism in theatre. Identify some plays and
playwrights that are considered part of this movement.
- Mood and atmosphere >>> believability, rejects Neoclassical ideas, touched on all
subject matter, hero/heroine often a social outcast, highlighted the independent
human spirit, non-linear plots, epic in scope and often contain supernatural
elements, themes included the divide between spiritual hopes/desires and physical
limitations
- Victor Hugo (Hernani), Heinrich von Kleist (The Prince of Hamburg), Goethe
(Faust), Georg Büchner (Danton’s Death, Woyzeck)
Group 2:
● Name two playwrights who are associated with the Romantic movement. Explain how
their work reflects the style.
Victor Hugo was one of the first Romantics. His play Hernani was one of the first
to carry the Romantic movement. Goethe and his play Faust are also reflections of
the Romantic movement. Both of their works reject Neoclassicism and are epic in
scope.
● Define melodrama in theatre. Provide examples of plays or playwrights that fit into this
genre.
Melodramatic theatre, or song drama or music drama, employs creative elements
that give audiences a thrilling and straightforward storytelling experience, like
very clear character types and suspenseful music and plot. Something that wasn’t
too complicated to comprehend at all. A significant example is “Uncle Tom’s
Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Group 3:
● Discuss the different styles of acting that were popular during the 19th century. Identify at
least one actor who is associated with each style.
○ Classical: John Phillip Kemble; Romantic: Edmund Kean; Melodramatic: Edwin
Forrest; Realism: Minnie Maddern Fiske
○
● Analyze the Astor Place Riot and explain how it reflected the cultural tensions of
mid-19th century America.
○ The Astor Place Riot was a rivalry between English Actor William Charles
Macready and American actor Edwin Forest. Forest was a melodramatic actor,
while Macready was slowly making his way into realism. On May 8th, Macready
was prevented from performing by Forrest supporters. As a result of this, a mob
of 15,000 Forrest supporters attacked the theatre and killed 22 people. At this
time, the concept of celebrities or stars was still very new and
Group 4:
● Compare and contrast the approach of Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready to
playing Shakespearean roles.
McCready is an England actor that restored the modified and changed endings to what it was
supposed to be and was known for the "maccready pause" Forrest was an American actor and
beloved by Americans. They were both rivals against each other and caused a riot, called the
forrest/maccready riot. Both actors were pinned up for the same parts, which is what caused the
rivalry.
● Describe the importance of the reading in Module 7 titled “The Role of ‘La Chica
Moderna’ in Three Post-Revolutionary Mexican Plays”
During the post mexican revolution 3 mexican dramaturgists challenged the social environment
in Mexico in favor of women getting more rights. They wrote their female characters with high
regards in career paths such as doctors, instead of more traditional jobs of being a housewife or
housekeeper. This sparked controversy about the traditional gender roles in both theater and
the working environment, as they believed beginning to become "feminized." Many playwrights
such macías, produced plays such as machismo(extreme male dominance) which was a
statement play that showcased men still being dominant over women and viewed them as less
than. However even with the production of plays trying to stigmatize women trying to fight for
their rights, women still showed that they were still fighting for their rights.
