unit 13 drama

Unit13AmericanDramaEugeneO’Neill,ArthurMiller,andTennesseeWilliamsWhatisdrama?•Whatisaplay?•Literarygenreinwhichastoryispresentedbyactorsimitatingcharactersbeforeanaudience•Whatisdrama?•Drama:“dran”–todoortoact;text/script;dramaticliterature•Theatre:“theatron”–seeingplace;performancespace;theartofstagingaplayElementsofDrama•Plot(structure)•Character•Theme•Language•Music•Spectacle•Types:tragedy,comedy,melodrama•Act:single,two,three,four,orfiveacts•Scene:actsmaybedividedintoscenes•Theparadigmoftraditionalplot:exposition,risingaction,climax,fallingaction,denouementRomeoandJuliet:frompagetostageAmericanDrama•Beganinthe18thcentury•ThefirstAmericancomedytobestagedwasTheContrastwrittenbyRoyallTyler(1757-1826),andfirstplayedinNewYorkCityin1787•ThemostsignificanttheatricaldevelopmentfromtheCivilWarto1900wasthemoveinthedirectionofrealismfromdomesticmelodramaAmericanDramainthe20thCentury•madeitstentativeattempttoplacerealisticplaysontheAmericanstage•Duringthe1920stheextravagantspendingandgenerallicenseoftheboomperiodencouragedtheuseofBroadwaytheatreasupperclassentertainment•themostfamousofthelittletheatreswastheWashingtonSquareplayersformedinNewYork’sGreenwichVillagein1914andtheProvincetownPlayerswhichwasformedinCapeCod,Massachusettsin1915Broadway:CatsBroadway:ThePhantomofOperaProvincetownPlayers:1915-1929WashingtonSquarePlayers:1914-GeorgeBernardShaw:Mrs.Warren’sProfessionIbsen:GhostsEugeneO’Neill(1888-1953)•IrishAmerican•amongthefirsttoincludespeechesinAmericanvernacularandinvolvecharactersonthefringesofsociety,wheretheystruggletomaintaintheirhopesandaspirations,butultimatelyslideintodisillusionmentanddespair.•1936,NobelPrizeforLiterature•4timesPulitzerPrizewinner(1920;1922;1928;1957)•InfluencedbysuchplaywrightsasHenrikIbsen,AntonChekov,AugustStrinberg•Majorworks:•TheHairyApe,1922•DesireUndertheElms,1924•TheIcemanCometh,1939•LongDay’sJourneyintoNight,1939-1941•Afour-actplay,widelyconsideredtobeamasterpiece.O’neillposthumouslyreceivedthe1957PulitzerPrizeforDramaforthiswork.•Theactioncoversafateful,heart-rendingdayfromaround8:30a.m.tomidnight,inAugust1912attheseasideConnecticuthomeoftheTyrones-thesemi-autobiographicalrepresentationsofO'Neillhimself,hisolderbrother,andtheirparentsattheirhome,MonteCristoCottage.Characters•JamesTyrone:ThehusbandofMaryandthefatherofJamieandEdmund,onceafamousactorwhotouredtheU.S.withhiswife.BecausehisIrishfatherabandonedhimatage10,hehasastrongworkethicandanappreciationformoneythatleadstostrongfinancialprudence,neartostinginess.•MaryTyrone:ThewifeofJamesandmotherofJamieandEdmund,shestrugglesforamorphineaddictionthathaslastedtwodecades.Sheisonmorphineineachsceneoftheplay.AlthoughshelovesTyrone,sheoftenregretsmarryinghimbecauseofthedreamsshehadtosacrificeofbecominganunoraconcertpianist.Characters•JamieTyrone:Theelderlyson,inhisearlythirties.Becausehesquandersmoneyonboozeandwomen,hehastorelyonhisparentsforsupport.Hedroppedoutofseveralcollegesandhasverylittleambition,muchtothedismayofhisparents.•EdmundTyrone:Theyoungerson,anintellectualandromanticdreamer,helearnsintheplaythatheisafflictedwithtuberculosis,whichmeanshewillhavetospenduptooneyearinasanitorium.Likehisfatherandbrother,heispartiallyalcoholic.Maryalwaysholdsouthopethathewillbecomeasuccessoneday.Excerpt:ActIII,endingpart•……•Mary•Vaguely.•Imustgoupstairs.Ihaven’ttakenenough.•Shepasses—thenlongingly.•Ihope,sometime,withoutmeaningit,Iwilltakeanoverdose.Inevercoulddoitdeliberately.TheBlessedVirginwouldneverforgiveme,then.•ShehearsTyronereturningandturnsashecomesin,throughthebackparlor,withabottleofwhiskeyhehasjustuncorked.Heisfuming.•Tyrone•Wrathfully.•Thepadlockisallscratched.Thatdrunkenloaferhastriedtopickthelockwithapieceofwire,thewayhe’sdonebefore.•Withsatisfaction,asifthiswasaperpetualbattleofwitswithhiselderlyson.•ButI’vefooledhimthistime.It’saspecialpadlockaprofessionalburglarcouldn’tpick.•HeputsthebottleonthetrayandsuddenlyisawareofEdmund’sabsence.•WhereisEdmund?•Mary•Withavaguefar-awayair.•Hewentout.Perhapshe’sgoinguptownagaintofindJamie.Hestillhassomemoneyleft,Isuppose,andit’sburningaholeinhispocket.Hesaidhedidn’twantanydinner.Hedoesn’tseemtohaveanyappetitethesedays.•Thenstubbornly.•Butit’sjustasummercold.•Tyronestaresatherandshakeshisheadhelplesslyandpourshimselfabigdrinkanddrinksit.Suddenlyitistoomuchforherandshebreaksoutandsobs.•Oh,James,I’msofrightened!•Shegetsupandthrowsherarmsaroundhimandhidesherfaceonhisshoulder—sobbingly.•Iknowhe’sgoingtodie!•Tyrone•Don’tsaythat!It’snottrue!Theypromisedmeinsixmonthshe’dbecured.•Mary•Youdon’tbelievethat!Icantellyouwhenyou’reacting!Anditwillbemyfault.Ishouldneverhavebornehim.Iwouldhavebeenbetterforhissake.Icouldneverhurthimthen.Hewouldn’thavehadtoknowhismotherwasadopefiend—andhateher!•Tyrone•Hisvoicequivering.•Hush,Mary,fortheloveofGod!Helovesyou.Heknowsitwasacurseputonyouwithoutyourknowingorwillingit.He’sproudyou’rehismother!•……•Tyrone•Sighs—thensummoninghisactor’sheartiness.•Comealong,dear.Let’shaveourdinner.I’mhungryasahunter.•Mary•Comestohim—herfaceiscomposedinplasteragainandhertoneisrem