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American Drama

American Drama. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Benefits of Plays/Drama. Story brought to life through theater Dependent on nonverbal elements (movement/gesture/facial expressions) for meaning Public experience for viewer. Trials of Drama.

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American Drama

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  1. American Drama Arthur Miller’s The Crucible

  2. Benefits of Plays/Drama • Story brought to life through theater • Dependent on nonverbal elements (movement/gesture/facial expressions) for meaning • Public experience for viewer

  3. Trials of Drama • Construct a story to catch, hold, and reward attention of audience • Construct characters the audience can become emotional about • Give characters something vital at stake

  4. Dramatic Terms • Conflict • External conflict: person vs. outside force • Internal conflict: person vs. self • Protagonist: major character who wants something and drives plot forward • Usually (not always) the “good guy” • Exposition • Background information about setting and characters given at the beginning of a play • Audience participation = brings play to life (not a term, but something you need to know.)

  5. American Realist Drama • Early 1900s • Removed the “fourth wall” for audiences to get a realistic look at characters’ lives • Fourth wall = metaphorical wall that would otherwise separate the audience from the stage, keeping us from seeing the story • Revolt against commercial theater, traditional storylines • Characters dealt with realistic issues

  6. Theater Today: A Revolt Against Realism • More theatrical, fewer constraints • complex sets, special effects, complex scripts, etc. • Playwrights have more freedom to express themselves

  7. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible • Miller = “Playwright of our social conscience” • Emphasized moral issues • Married to Marilyn Monroe (fun fact!) • “Crucible” Definitions • a container made of a substance that can resist great heat • the hollow at the bottom of an ore furnace where the molten metal collects • A severe test or trial

  8. Storyline • Surface level: Salem Witch Trials • Group of young girls in 1692 began to behave strangely • Doctors determined they were bewitched and the girls named townspeople of Salem, MA as witches • 8 months: 150 imprisoned • 27 convicted, 19 hanged, 1 pressed to death, 50 confessed, over 100 imprisoned and awaiting trial

  9. “Real” Meaning • Allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare of the 1950s. • Joseph McCarthy (WI Senator 1946-1957) accused gov. officials, members of the media, celebrities, etc. of having Communist ties and sympathies • Artists and professionals (actors, playwrights, authors, journalists, politicians, etc.) were often blacklisted following accusations • Red Scare often referred to as a “witch hunt” • McCarthy influence declined after accusing the secretary of the Navy, led to questioning of McCarthy’s tactics and motives

  10. Themes • Personal vs. public lives • Conflict between self and community • Mass hysteria/mob mentality (real thing) • Power of terror, unknown drives people to extreme behavior/actions

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