10.

The birth of drama Eugene ONeill, Thornton Wilder, Arthur Miller, Tennesse Williams, Edward Albee 18th c.: theaters are banned in many colonies/states. 19th c.: Shakespeare, melodrama, and other adoptations of British writers. Modern American rama was born in the 20th c. !nfl"ence of !bsen, or #hekho$%. Small e&perimental theaters are established in the 1910s, 1920s. The !ro"incetown !la#ers 191', in (assach"setts%, e&perimental theaters, )ashin*ton S+"are ,layers 191'%, -heatre ."ild 1918%, .ro"p -heatre 19/1% oppose commercial Broadway prod"ctions. $usan %las&ell 1801 2 1938% -rifles 1911%: her best4known play of 1 scene. !t5s considered to be a feminist play. (innie 6oster )ri*ht m"rders her h"sband, we don5t know why. -here is a dead canary in the sewin* basket. -he two women in the play disco$er what the moti$ation for the crime was, from the si*ns in the kitchen men re*ard these as trifles%. -hey decide to hide the e$idences from their h"sbands to sa$e (rs.)ri*ht. )omen show solidarity with the m"rderess. -here are some similarities to ,oe and detecti$e stories. Eugene ONeill 1888 2 19'/% 7e is the 1. ma8or playwri*ht. 7e is a second4*eneration !rish49merican dramatist. 7is plays are often $iolent. :on* ;ay5s <o"rney !nto =i*ht 1930%: !t is abo"t the tra*edy of -yrone family who are typically !rish. !t5s a psycholo*ical play: who5s to blame for the tra*edy of the family> !t5s a $icio"s circle ? k@rbenfor*A okoskodBs%. -he past, present and f"t"re are connected. !t5s re*arded as semi4a"tobio*raphical. -he main concerns are alcoholism, dr"*s, lo$e and hate, and keepin* to*ether and destroyin* the family. ;esire Cnder the Dlms 1923%: it5s abo"t the passion, and infanticide ?*yermek*yilkossB*% in the 18005s Dn*land. -he Dmperor <ones 1920% (o"rnin* Becomes Dlectra 19/2% -he !ceman #ometh 19/9% 2 it5s abo"t alcoholism and 5pipe5 dreams Both writers5 plays were performed by -he ,ro$incetown ,layersE Thornton Wilder 1890 2 190'% 2 a no$elist, playwri*ht. 7e introd"ced many inno$ations on the sta*e. 7e said there is e$en no need for props. 7e often contrasted the theater5s "ni$ersality to the no$el5s indi$id"ality. F"r -own 19/8%: the f"nction of the Sta*e (ana*er is notable. -here are / acts: abo"t Birth, :o$e and (arria*e, and ;eath. 7e *i$es the history of town .ro$er5s #orner, =ew Dn*.% "ntil )) !. -he :on* #hristmas ;inner: the history of the Bayard family. 90 years5 history in 30 min"tes on sta*eE !t5s a #hristmas dinner. -here are two portals: births and deaths. )) !. chan*ed e$erythin*. Arthur Miller 191' 2 200'% 7e was mainly concerned with the relationship btw the indi$id"al and society and the responsibility of both. 6or e&. 9ll (y Sons, 1930% 7is characters often s"ffer from identity4 problems. -he ill"sion of 9merican ;ream no lon*er e&ists, it5s indicated by the ner$o"s breakdowns of his anti4%heroes, which two can be paralleled.

;eath of a Salesman 1939%:

)illie :oman $s. Bliff Biff calls his father a fake% )illie is r"ined by the ;epression> )illie lies to himself Society forces the 9merican ;ream "pon indi$id"als, e$en after the ;epression. !t leads to tra*edy when an indi$id"al doesn5t knw himself and cannot face reality )illie isn5t c"t o"t for his 8ob%. !t raises the +"estion: )ho are we> -he #r"cible 19'/% Tennessee Williams 1911 2 198/% 2 he wrote many plays and was $ery s"ccessf"l 9s a dramatist, he was more interested in 5the h"man heart5 than in social +"estions. (ost of his characters are sensiti$e and $"lnerable. 9 Streetcar =amed ;esire 1930%: #onflict btw Stanley Gowalski and Blanche ;"Bois an Dn*lish teacher, financially r"ined% Blanche has to marry somebody, b"t (itch acc"ses her of lyin* to him Blanche: moral de*eneration, promisc"ity, ner$o"s breakdown, ill"sions to mask reality, represents the past, the So"th Stanley: has an immi*rant back*ro"nd, is a macho, has ambition, so represents the f"t"re, the =orth #at on a 7ot -hin Hoof 19''% Sweet Bird of Io"th 19'9% Edward Albee 1928 4 % most of his plays are labelled as 5abs"rd5, and they are abo"t dispellin* ?sJKtosJlat% ill"sions. 7e is a representati$e of 5theatre of the obser$e5. -he Loo Story 19'8% )ho5s 9fraid of Mir*inia )oolf 1912%: .eor*e and (artha in$ent *ames a*ainst reality. 9ct !: f"n and *amesN 9ct !!: )alp"r*is =achtN 9ct !!!: D&orcism ?@rd@*OJKs%. .eor*e 5kills5 their 5son5. 9t the end of the play they are ready to face reality to*ether.