Chronology of Naturalism
What is naturalism?
-realism pushed to the extremes
-studying humanity scientifically
-looks at low level of society
Who was Eugene Brieux?
- french dramatist who employed naturalist technique as inspired by Antoine
-"Blanchette"
-"La Robe rouge"
-"Les Avaries" (Damaged Goods)
started at writing comedies
-became interested in social issues
-most prolific and socially conscious of the naturalist writers
-produced work and wrote plays
Who was Count Lev Nikolaivick Tolstoy?
-Russian
-Novelist and author of non-fiction
-Yasnaaya Polyana= family estate south of Moscow
-wrote 3 important plays
-crazy as a youth
-built a school and church for peasants on estate
-married Sofia/Sonia Behrs and had 13 children! She would re-copy his manuscripts
-1869 "War and Peace"; 1877 "Anna Karenina" (his famous novels)
-1886 "The Power of Darkness" one of his best plays
-Ran away from home and then died at Astapovo station
What was the Second Empire?
-Louis Napoleon (Emperor Napoleon III) and Eugenia
-plays centered around Financial Speculation (1852-1870)
What are cabarets?
-entertainment houses; singers and dancers
-examples were Chat Noir; Le Mirliton, and Le Moulin Rouge
Examples of drama and theatre that was within naturalism
-1873 "The Rise of Raquin" a dramatizaiton by Emile Zola of his earlier novel
-1881 "Naturalism in the theatre" by Zola; "Un lambeau d'existence" (Zola) = a gragment of existence
-"Une trance de la vie" (Jean Jullien)= a hunk of life
-Rosserie= crudeness (naturalist definition)
-"J'accusse....!" by Emile Zola in L'Aurore (Jan. 13th 1898)
-"Miss Julie" Strindberg
-"The Power of Darkness" Tolstoy
-"The Weavers" Hauptmann
Who was Gerhart Hauptmann?
-leader of German-language naturalism
-influenced by Ibsen and Zola
-wrote 46 plays
-had secret affair with Austrian ascress
-several plays set in Silesia
-"Before Sunrise"
-"The Weavers"
-"The Beaver Coat" =naturalist comedy
Who was August Strindberg
-born in Stockholm, Sweden
-journalist, critic, painter, librarian
-scrict schooling
-117 paintings
-70 plays
-feared insanity
-1870 "The Free Thinker" =first produced play
-"The Father"
-"Miss Julie" =famous naturalist play
-"To Damascus I-III"
-"A Dream Play"
-Turned from naturalism to symbolism
-interested in religion and transcendence
-"The Ghost Sonata"
-wrote proto-expressionist plays
-Influenced by Nietzsche, Swedenberg (Emamanuel)-christian mysticysm
What was the third republic?
-1870-1940
-1890's =Gay nineties (boulevard comedies and bedroom farce)
-Belle Epoque (1900-1914) living beautifully, glamorously
Who was Georges Feydeau?
-Master of french bedroom farce
-famously lazy
-collected perfume
-30 full length and 9 one-act plays
-married for money and later divorced
-"Amour et piano" 1st produced play
-"Monsieur Chasse" The Happy Hunter= had over 1,000 performances
-" The Girl from Maxim's" masterpiece
-"Paradise Hotel"
-"A Flea in her Ear"
Who was Emile Zola?
-French
-novelist and social critic
-wrote 5 plays and 20 novels
-depicted lower class families
-admired Balzac's novels
-"Le Naturalisme au theatre" was an important essay that influenced theatre--> theory of theatre
-"J'accuse....." in L'Aurore
Who was Maxim Gorky?
Russian-soviet writer
wrote "The Lower Depths"
What was the Paris Opera
-primary opera and ballet opera house in France
-designed by Charles Garnier
-built 1861-1874
-1875= grand opening
-Mark Chagall re-painted ceiling after WW2
-Grand Staircase was biggest feature
-electric lighting
-gas foyer
Who was Andre Antoine?
-André Antoine was a French actor, theatre manager, film director, author, and critic who is considered the father of modern mise en scène in France.
-employee of the Paris Gas company
-organized a play reading group
-1887--> Le Theatre Libre was built to present new plays in form that rebelled against the shallow artifice of boulevard (commercial) theatre; featured original work and poetry
-1896 bought own theatre and named it theatre antoine
-1906 director of state-subsidized theatre Odeon
-Innovations: audience subscription , premieres of edgy playwrights (Zola, Ibsen, Strindberg....), motivated lighting, natural acting and staging
What is les grandes horizontales?
-evolution of les demi-mondaines
-1890's
-women were more flamboyant and able to be seen in public
What theatres were founded in imitation of Antoines theatre libre?
-1889 Freie Buh, Berlin (free stage/liberated stage)
-1898 Moscow Art theatre (inspired also by the 2nd tour of The meininger)
What were the face concerts- cafe conc'?
-singing and eating
-entertainment
-pleasure palace