Here's the prompt:
Looking Forward to our 2013 – 2014 IB Theatre Curriculum – Please research the following topics, and then write a 500 – 750 word response PLUS include the links that you used to research the following topics: - DUE IN CLASS, August 26th, 2013 - (50 points) a. The American Musical b. Critique / Reviews of Plays c. Japanese Theatre d. Contemporary Greek Theatre e. Playwriting
And here is my response:
The American Musical is a classic form
of theatre well-known to most Americans, especially with its presence on
Broadway. Musicals involve singing and dancing that are incorporated into the dialogue
that would constitute a play. The American Musical originated in the 19th
century with its base in opera, which spread to comedy in the early twentieth
century. These early productions mainly featured simple plots, whereas contemporary
musicals now have more varied subject matter. Although most people associate
Broadway with the American musical, it also features musicals from other
countries, such as Phantom of the Opera
and Les Miserables.
To
really understand and think critically about theatre, it's necessary to have
knowledge and the ability to write critiques and reviews of plays. To write a
good review, it's important to remember not to summarize the plot itself,
rather one must critique the methods used in the production. Although the word "critique" closely
resembles "criticize," not everything about a play review needs to be
negative; acknowledge both the positive and negative aspects of the [production.
Also, a play review should be focused, which means it can't cover every single
aspect of the performance; rather, it is important to focus on a few parts of
the performance so as to create a more assertive review.
Japanese
theatre has three major types: Kabuki, Noh, and Bunraku. Kabuki is a very
elaborate form of theatre, with ostentatious costumes and make-up, as well as
exaggerated movements/actions by the actors because the old Japanese is more
difficult to understand. Kabuki is made unique by the platform that goes from
the stage through the audience and the fact that the play usually encompasses
only the more integral part of a whole story. Noh theatre is geared toward song
and dance with slow movements, and poetic language. All Noh performers are
male, so they heavily utilize masks to portray different characters. Bunraku is
Japanese puppet theatre. While this may not seem to pertain to our theatre
class, Bunraku is important to Japanese theatre culture. Three performers
operate the puppets and are dressed in black to symbolize their invisibility.
There is also a single narrator who must change his voice to portray different
characters.
One
country who is really suffering in today's economy is Greece, the country which
gave us the theatre we appreciate to this day. I'm interested to see how their
economic crisis affects theatre and the arts. I read one interesting article
about The European program, World Crisis
Theatre, which organizes performances that depict the impact of the European
economic crisis. This is especially interesting because there is less money at
the moment to give to the development of theatre. The aim of this cooperation
is promoting tools for forming a European identity through art.
Playwriting is a very difficult, yet rewarding
form of writing. I have had one experience with playwriting, but I think it's
important to have more knowledge about it before writing another. When writing
a play, it is first necessary to work out details in your head, such as the
general plot, length, performance space, and inclusion of musical or dance
numbers. When writing the play it is important to assure you have a cohesive
story that makes sense. Although it may sound silly, it's also important to
format your play correctly. We worked with that when writing Hansel and Gretel in the Big City. The
character's name who is speaking is centered above their dialogue, which is
left-justified. Stage directions are right-justified. Playwriting is a
comprehensive process, so it's important to follow all of the necessary
procedures.
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