Intro to Intro to Theatre

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Intro to Introto Theatre

• Professor Melanie Blood
• TAs Maggie, Dan, Jason, Abby, Stephanie

Section 1 MWF 1130 Dramatic Conflicts and War
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Syllabus

• Play texts
• Performances
• Online readings and lecture notes
• 2 multiple choice tests, 25 each
• Short reading quizzes, 20
• Participation in breakout sections, 15
• Small group projects due at sections, 15
• Extra credit opportunities, 10 pts max

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Origins of Drama

• Cave paintings
• Combined purpose ritual and entertainment
• Narrative structure
• Conflict
• Mimesis
• Song and dance

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Cave Paintings

• Mesolithic
• Uzbekistan

• Neolithic
• India

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Why drama?

• Create narratives
• Enacting makes real
• Humans learn through drama, as children and
  adults
• Scopophilia
• Mirror identification
• Conflicts must be substantial, or not worthwhile

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Dramatic conflict and war

• Dramatic conflicts need substance
• War makes consequences of choices life and death
• Justification for war
• Construction of enemy
• Arguments against war
• Ethics of wartime actions
• Responsibilities of leaders and individuals
• Adjustment to peace, PTSD

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Artist, Medium and Process, Audience paradigm

• Compare to other art forms
• Individual artist vs. group
• Primary and interpretive artists
• Actors medium is self
• Dialogue, representing action
• Other media almost infinite
• Process of group creation affects product
• Audience is live and collective

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Drama effective art form for social problems

• Representation of action
• Conflict required for narrative
• Multiple actors with live presence
• Live, collective audience

• Marshall McLuhan (1960s) The Medium is the
  Message

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Real vs. Unreal in Theatre

• Real People
• Real actions (ok some faking)
• Real emotions (usually)
• Some real objects
• Live presence
• Story, characters, situations and dialogue
  fictional, rehearsed
• Special effects, lights, some scenery fake
• Ritual repetition every night

More is real vs. most art forms
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Art and Reality

• Platos Cave
• Book VII Republic
• Prisoners chained in a cave see only shadows on a
  wall of objects passing between them and a fire.
  This is real to them and they play a game to
  name them quickly.
• One is released. Sees the objects casting the
  shadow, then exits cave.

• Jean Baudrillards Simulacrum
• Simulacra and Simulations
• Copies do not approach the original name game
  not about real but we accept if for real.
• Eventually we cant tell what is real and what a
  copy all are simulations.

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Is there a clear Reality?

• Plato had to tell a story to explain his view of
  reality. He used allegory. Its not true. Can we
  understand reality without art?
• Our senses are flawed. Our experiences are
  different. We all understand the world through
  narratives and images -- see any religion.
• Art can tell new stories. Or old stories in new
  ways. Or help us identify with someone different.
  Although framed as NOT real, it partakes of same
  slippage of simulations Baudrillard discussed.

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Live Theatre in US Today

• Professional, for Profit Broadway, some tours of
  Broadway shows
• Professional, Not-for-Profit Off-Broadway,
  Regional Theatres, many tours, some
  Off-off-Broadway
• Semi-Professional, NFP Off-off-Broadway, smaller
  regional theatres, most ethnic, identity-based
  and childrens theatre
• Educational theatre
• Community theatre
• Performance

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For more on range of theatre in New York City,
see www.playbill.com

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