'Isms
One of the five strands of theater in the modern era, it conveys everything onstage to resemble observable, everyday life to promote a strong sense of audience recognition and identification.
Realism
Movement in Germany at about the time of World War I, characterized by an attempt to dramatize subjective states through distortion; striking, often grotesque images; and lyric, unrealistic dialogue.
Expressionism
Post–World War I scene-design movement in which sets—frequently composed of ramps, platforms, and levels—were non-realistic and were intended to provide greater opportunities for physical action.
Constructivism
Term coined by Jerzy Grotowski to describe his theater, which was stripped to the bare essentials of actor and audience.
Poor Theater
Nonliterary or unscripted theatrical event using a scenario that allows for chance occurrences.
Happening
To overcome perceived limitations of realistic theater, this strand of modern theater departs from realism via non-realistic or anti-realistic presentations. It often uses symbolism, nonlinear narrative, dream imagery, and other ways to avoid realistic representation.
Departures from Realism
Art movement, begun in Italy about 1909, which idealized mechanization and machinery.
Futurism
Term applied to plays illustrating a philosophy whose modern advocate was Jean-Paul Sartre and which holds that there are no longer any fixed standards or values.
Existentialism
Form of drama associated with Bertolt Brecht and aimed at the intellect rather than the emotions in order to effect social change.
Epic Theater
Use of electronic or digital media, such as projections, films, video, or computer animation in live theatrical presentations.
Multimedia
Special form of realism developed in Europe in the late nineteenth century; it was not carefully plotted or constructed but was meant to present a “slice of life.”
Naturalism
Departure from realism that attempted to present dramatically the working of the subconscious.
Surrealism
This strand of modern theater combines various theatrical trends or works across the boundaries of different trends.
Eclecticism
Term applied to the works of certain playwrights of the 1950's and 1960's who expressed a similar point of view regarding the absurdity of the human condition and believed that this should be reflected in the dramatic action.
Theater of the Absurd
A current form that frequently combines theater, dance, and media.
Performance Art
Movement of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century that sought to express inner truth rather than represent life realistically.
Symbolism
Exposing the elements of theater to make the audience members aware that they are watching theater.
Theatricalism
A strand of modern theater that involves the mutual influences of theater from around the world.
Globalization
Antonin Artaud’s visionary concept of a theater based on magic and ritual, which would liberate deep, violent, and erotic impulses.
Theater of Cruelty
Meyerhold’s theory that a performer’s body should be machine-like and that emotion could be represented externally.
Biomechanics