Download or read book Drama Politics and Evolution written by Bruce McConachie and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-10-25 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book outlines the evolution of our political nature over two million years and explores many of the rituals, plays, films, and other performances that gave voice and legitimacy to various political regimes in our species’ history. Our genetic and cultural evolution during the Pleistocene Epoch bestowed a wide range of predispositions on our species that continue to shape the politics we support and the performances we enjoy. The book’s case studies range from an initiation ritual in the Mbendjela tribe in the Congo to a 1947 drama by Bertolt Brecht and include a popular puppet play in Tokugawa Japan. A final section examines the gradual disintegration of social cohesion underlying the rise of polarized politics in the USA after 1965, as such films as The Godfather, Independence Day, The Dark Knight Rises, and Joker accelerated the nation’s slide toward authoritarian Trumpism.
Download or read book African Theatre and Politics The evolution of theatre in Ethiopia Tanzania and Zimbabwe written by Jane Plastow and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2023-01-30 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study, the first book-length treatment of its subject, draws on a large base of elusive material and on extensive field research. It is the result of the author's wide experience of teaching and producing theatre in Africa, and of her fascination with the ways in which traditional performance forms have interacted with, or have resisted, non-indigenous modes of dramatic representation in the process of evolving into the vital theatres of the present day. A comparative historical study is offered of the three national cultures of Ethiopia, Tanganyika/Tanzania, and Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Not only (scripted) drama is treated, but also theatre in the sense of the broader range of performance arts such as dance and song. The development of theatre and drama is seen against the background of centuries of cultural evolution and interaction, from pre-colonial times, through phases of African and European imperialism, to the liberation struggles and newly-won independence of the present. The seminal relationship between theatre, society and politics is thus a central focus. Topics covered include: the function in theatre of vernacular and colonial languages; performance forms under feudal, communalist and socialist régimes; cultural militancy and political critique; the relationship of theatre to social élites and to the peasant class; state control (funding and censorship); racism and separate development in the performing arts; contemporary performance structures (amateur, professional, community and university theatre). Due attention is paid to prominent dramatists, theatre groups and theatre directors, and the author offers new insight into African perceptions of the role of the artist in the theatre, as well as dealing with the important subject of gender roles (in drama, in performance ritual, and in theatre practice). The book is illustrated with contemporary photographs.
Download or read book African Theatre and Politics written by Jane Plastow and published by Brill Rodopi. This book was released on 1996 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comparative historical study of the three national cultures of Ethiopia, Tanganyika/Tanzania, and Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. The development of theatre is seen against the background of centuries of cultural evolution and interaction, from pre-colonial times, through phases of African and European imperialism, to the liberation struggles and newly-won independence.
Download or read book Reason and Revolution written by Mary Seaneen Fulton. and published by . This book was released on 1981 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study is to analyze four of Denis Johnston's plays, The Old Lady Says 'No !', The Moon in the Yellow River, The Scythe and the Sunset and The Golden Cuckoo, from the perspective of the revolutionary theme. The first chapter argues that Johnston's political dramas are discussion or problem plays debating the validity of insurrectionary action as a means of achieving political change. What emerges from the process of debate in the plays is a dialectical structure which is exemplified in characterisation, theme, motif and form. This is defined as the "revolutionary dialectic." The revolutionary dialectic functions in the plays from three perspectives: the ideological as it is concerned with political action, the psychological, as concerned with character, and the metaphysical as it relates to the paradoxes of the human condition and the problem of good and evil. While Johnston is suspicious of violent revolution, he, nevertheless, asserts the necessity to react against the conventional mores and values of society. Thus, although politically conservative, he is an iconoclast, and as such, a metaphysical rebel. Consistently, there is a movement in the plays from the political to the metaphysical, on which level the revolutionary dialectic is resolved, or at least transcended by a ritualistic act, an epiphany. The latter part of Chapter I examines The Old Lady Says 'No !' as an embryonic statement of Johnston's views on revolution, and moreover, briefly discusses Johnston's expressionism 5 which is a major influence on the form of his later political dramas, in particular The Moon in the Yellow River and The Scythe and the Sunset. The second and third chapters deal with The Moon in the Yellow River and The Scythe and the Sunset, respectively, from the point of view of the revolutionary dialectic. In The Moon in the Yellow River the romantic hero, the idealist, is juxtaposed to the man of action and the political realist. The resolution of the dialectical opposites within the play is ritualistic. The Scythe and the Sunset more completely engages the political theme of revolution, and juxtaposes the motivations and actions of the rebel hero and Johnston's raissoneur. The psychological treatment of character is more exhaustive from the perspective of the revolutionary theme in the later play, and once again conflict is resolved in a ritualistic catharsis. Chapter IV concludes the discussion of The Moon in the Yellow River and The Scythe and the Sunset with a short summation of Johnston's view of death. Chapter IV is also a brief examination of the most recent version of The Golden Cuckoo from the vantage of the revolutionary dialectic, as it is exemplified particularly in form and in the character of Dotheright, perhaps Johnston's most clearly defined metaphysical rebel. Attention is paid to the various revisions to The Golden Cuckoo: the revisions to that work show Johnston's continual concern with experimentation in form. Throughout, the study is concerned with recurrent patterns in Johnston's political thought and metaphysical vision. In theme as well as in form these preoccupations are shown to be central to Johnston's dramatic achievement.
Download or read book The Evolution of Theatre and Drama in the Middle East and North Africa written by Ali Kiani and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2024-08-06 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cultural expressions of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have a rich tradition, communal narratives, and spiritual connectivity. This tapestry, distinct from the secular drama prevalent in Western cultures, is a unique blend of indigenous traditions and Western influences. This book introduces the rich and diverse theatrical practices developed and matured in the region from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries. The introduction of Western-style theatre in the nineteenth century marked a shift from traditional entertainment forms. In the twentieth century, subjects of colonialism, nationalism, independence, and Islamic ideology have often dominated the theatrical discourse, reflecting the region’s socio-political realities. The book’s final section looks at theatre from a twenty-first global perspective, including the crucial role of the diaspora. This book shows how colonialism, Islamic ideology, politics, war, refugee crisis, and nationalism have permeated MENA’s theatre in the past and have continued to shape it in the present.
Download or read book Politics and Drama written by Onder Cakirtas and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2019-01-03 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By comparing the literary works of two of the greatest playwrights of our time, Önder Cakirtas reveals the similarities and contrasts between their political views and the political backdrop of their respective nations. In Britain, George Bernard Shaw, the leading British dramatist for the first half of the twentieth century, wrote his plays to explicitly reflect his socialist political and economic views, and highlight the need for equal rights for women. In Turkey, decades later, Orhan Asena confronted similar issues with plays that challenged the dominant political powers of his time - a stance which ultimately led to his political exile from Turkey.
Download or read book The Drama of Love and Death written by Edward Carpenter and published by . This book was released on 1912 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Drama of Love and Death written by Edward Carpenter and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-12-22 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Love and Death are two major facets of the whole of human existence and in The Drama of Love and Death, Carpenter attempts to analyse the interplay of love and death in everyday life. Originally published in 1912, this study focuses on how love and death are perceived and treated in the history of humankind and how these views evolved up until the early twentieth century. This title will be of interest to students of Sociology and Anthropology.
Download or read book The evolution of English drama up to Shakespeare with a history of the first Blackfriars theatre Die Entwicklung des englischen Dramas bis Shakespeare mit einer Geschichte des ersten Blackfriars Theaters written by Charles William Wallace and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-07-12 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfectionssuch as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed worksworldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ The Evolution Of The English Drama Up To Shakespeare: With A History Of The First Blackfriars Theatre; A Survey Based Upon Original Records Now For The First Time Collected And Published; Volume 4 Of Schriften Der Deutschen Shakespeare-Gesellschaft Charles William Wallace G. Reimer, 1912 English drama; Theater
Download or read book Tragedy and Social Evolution written by Eva Figes and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Theatre and Evolution from Ibsen to Beckett written by Kirsten E. Shepherd-Barr and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2015-03-03 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evolutionary theory made its stage debut as early as the 1840s, reflecting a scientific advancement that was fast changing the world. Tracing this development in dozens of mainstream European and American plays, as well as in circus, vaudeville, pantomime, and "missing link" performances, Theatre and Evolution from Ibsen to Beckett reveals the deep, transformative entanglement among science, art, and culture in modern times. The stage proved to be no mere handmaiden to evolutionary science, though, often resisting and altering the ideas at its core. Many dramatists cast suspicion on the arguments of evolutionary theory and rejected its claims, even as they entertained its thrilling possibilities. Engaging directly with the relation of science and culture, this book considers the influence of not only Darwin but also Lamarck, Chambers, Spencer, Wallace, Haeckel, de Vries, and other evolutionists on 150 years of theater. It shares significant new insights into the work of Ibsen, Shaw, Wilder, and Beckett, and writes female playwrights, such as Susan Glaspell and Elizabeth Baker, into the theatrical record, unpacking their dramatic explorations of biological determinism, gender essentialism, the maternal instinct, and the "cult of motherhood." It is likely that more people encountered evolution at the theater than through any other art form in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Considering the liveliness and immediacy of the theater and its reliance on a diverse community of spectators and the power that entails, this book is a key text for grasping the extent of the public's adaptation to the new theory and the legacy of its representation on the perceived legitimacy (or illegitimacy) of scientific work.
Download or read book Pre colonial and Post colonial Drama and Theatre in Africa written by Lokangaka Losambe and published by New Africa Books. This book was released on 2001 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this collection of essays written from different critical perspectives, African playwrights demonstrate through their art that they are not only witnesses, but also consciences, of their societies.
Download or read book Drama and Politics in the English Civil War written by Susan Wiseman and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998-04-09 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1642 an ordinance closed the theatres of England. Critics and historians have assumed that the edict was to be firm and inviolate. Susan Wiseman challenges this assumption and argues that the period 1640 to 1660 was not a gap in the production and performance of drama nor a blank space between 'Renaissance drama' and the 'Restoration stage'. Rather, throughout the period, writers focused instead on a range of dramas with political perspectives, from republican to royalist. This group included the short pamphlet dramas of the 1640s and the texts produced by the writers of the 1650s, such as William Davenant, Margaret Cavendish and James Shirley. In analysing the diverse forms of dramatic production of the 1640s and 1650s, Wiseman reveals the political and generic diversity produced by the changes in dramatic production, and offers insights into the theatre of the Civil War.
Download or read book Evolution written by Jonathan Marc Sherman and published by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.. This book was released on 2003 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE STORY: As Henry struggles to inject life into his thesis on Charles Darwin, a simple question becomes most perplexing: What do you want? Using elements of Brechtian Epic Theatre infused with razor-sharp social commentary, EVOLUTION follows Henr
Download or read book Brecht and Company written by John Fuegi and published by Grove Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 804 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The result of twenty-five years of research on three continents, Brecht and Company is a revolutionary portrait of one of the world's greatest theater artists -- and the people upon whom he built his reputation. A noted Brecht scholar, John Fuegi traces the evolution of Brecht's parasitic relationships and aggressive ambition through close analysis of diaries, letters, and drafts of the literary works, revealing a man who was personally dazzling, a genius at assembling and directing the plays created in his workshop, but ultimately lacking in literary stamina, for which he depended on his lovers. A landmark study about the life and times of one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century theater, Brecht and Co. will forever change our understanding of Brecht and his oeuvre. "[An] enormous, fascinating biography." -- The New Yorker "One of the most important critical studies of the century." -- New York Magazine
Download or read book Middle Eastern Television Drama written by Christa Salamandra and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-06-21 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This monograph explores and investigates key issues facing Middle Eastern societies, including religion and sectarianism, history and collective memory, urban space and socioeconomic difference, policing and securitization, and gender relations. In the Middle East, television drama creators serve as public intellectuals who, with uncanny prescience, tell the world something. As this volume demonstrates, fictional television provides a crucial space for social and political debate in much of the region. Writing from a range disciplines—anthropology, communication, folklore, gender studies, history, and law— contributors include seasoned academics who have dedicated their careers to researching Middle Eastern media and emerging scholars who build on earlier work and introduce fresh perspectives. Together, they provide an invaluable overview of Middle Eastern serial television and their political impact, drawing examples from Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. Bringing together a diverse range of academic perspectives, this book will be of key interest to students and scholars in media and communication studies, Middle Eastern Studies, and popular culture studies.
Download or read book Politics and Theatre in Twentieth Century Europe written by M. Morgan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-12-18 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the connection between politics and theatre by looking at the works and lives of Shaw, Brecht, Sartre, and Ionesco, providing a cultural history detailing the changing role of political theatre in twentieth-century Europe.
