Introduction to Theatre -- Realism

Description

Introduction to Theatre

Online Course

R ealism

Objectives for this lesson:

B ackground

Realism in the last half of the 19 -century began as an experiment to make theater more useful to society. The mainstream theatre from 1859 to 1900 was still bound up in melodramas, spectacle plays (disasters, etc.), comic operas, and vaudevilles.

But political events—including attempts to reform some political systems—led to some different ways of thinking. Revolutions in Europe in 1848 showed that there was a desire for political, social, and economic reform. The many governments were frightened into promising change, but most didn’t implement changes after the violence ended.

Technological advances were also encouraged by industry and trade, leading to an increased belief that science could solve human problems. But the working classes still had to fight for every increase in rights: unionization and strikes became the principal weapons workers would use after the 1860s—but success came only from costly work stoppages and violence. In other words there seems to be rejection of Romantic idealism; pragmatism reigned instead. The common man seemed to feel that he needed to be recognized, and people asserted themselves through action.

T he E mergence of R ealism

3 major developments helped lead to the emergence of realism:

August Comte (1798-1857) , often considered to be the "father of Sociology," developed a theory known as Positivism. Among the Comte’s ideas was an encouragement for understanding the cause and effect of nature through precise observation.

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) published The Origin of Species in 1859, and creators a worldwide stir which exists to this day. Darwin’s essential series suggested that life developed gradually from common ancestry and that life favored "survival of the fittest." The implications of Darwin's Theories were threefold:

people were controlled by heredity and environment

behaviors were beyond our control

humanity is a natural object, rather than being ...

Original URL

http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/realism.htm

http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/realism.htm