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Director Alan Schneider, 2005.
This paper discusses the life and work of director Alan Schneider, American genius of the stage.
3,435 words (approx. 13.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 58.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Alan Schneider, who was an award winning director, innovator, teacher and mentor, was a major influence in academic commercial, local, regional and amateur theater. The author points out Schneider joined the Arena Stage in Washington D. C. during its formative years in the late 1940s, directed such works as "The Glass Menagerie" in 1951, which propelled the playwright Tennessee Williams into international prominence; the two men became close life-long friends. The paper states that the greatest insight into how Alan Schneider's style of directing can be found in the University of California, San Diego, collection of his papers entitled "Series 3, Production Materials"; the paper lists briefly some of its contents, which give an indication into his directing style for plays fro 1941 to 1979.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Biographical and Background Information
The Balancing of a Career
Correspondence Series of Insights
Alan Schneider Style of Directing and Teaching
From Directing to Teaching - An Easy Transition
Conclusions
From the Paper
"In 1963 Alan Schneider received the Antoinette Perry (Better known as the "Tony") Award for his excellence of direction of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Likewise he's won the Village Voice Off-Broadway (OBIE) Award for his direction of "The Dumbwaiter" and "The Collection." Plus in Washington D. C., the Board of Trade Award "for outstanding contribution to professional Community Theater in the nation's capital and production director of Arena Stage." However Alan Schneider, always a restless and busy person, was never one to rest much, or even dwell long on his laurels. His delight came in helping others attain their goals and aspirations particularly the youth of not only the United States but throughout Europe and England."
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?Raisin in the Sun?, 2005.
This paper examines the cultural context of Lorraine Hansberry's play "Raisin in the Sun".
1,360 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, on the surface, the plot of the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry is merely about an African-American family's struggle to get out of the ghetto on Chicago's Southside; however, a deeper examination of the work demonstrates the author's utilization of numerous themes and complex characters, which require multiple levels of analysis: African-American identity, social status and racial challenges within the intricacies of universal human nature. The author points out that hints of Hansberry's childhood surface throughout the play and have clearly influenced her thoughts and beliefs: Father waged a legal battle for the right to purchase a home in a previously all-white neighborhood that reached the Supreme Court, "Hansberry vs. Lee", which they won, but the family was subjected to vicious physical attacks. The paper relates that the title of the play refers to the protagonist Mama's longing to escape the ghetto so that her children can be raised in the sunlight of a better neighborhood and thus better education.
From the Paper
"Another way that Hansberry illustrated her world through her work was in her definition of universality. Indeed, prior to the publishing of the play, universality was monadic in its conception and application. It had been developed and applied to mean whiteness rather than including the diversity of modern-day society. Moreover, black art separated itself from the mainstream by isolating discussions of social problems from racial issues. However, Hansberry conversely sought to concurrently consider "social significance and racial consciousness." Her attention to details opened the door for white audiences into an understanding of black experiences that made those experiences understandable and relevant. The inclusion of the black experience within the framework of the human experience forced a redefinition that opened the term universality to include the minority voice. Author James Baldwin articulates this milestone, saying "never before in American theater history has so much of the truth of black people's lives been seen on stage.""
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Love and Death in Works by Shakespeare, 2005.
Examines the connection between love and death in "Othello" and "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare.
916 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 19.95
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Abstract
In literature, love is often the source of the greatest tragic sacrifices. Yet what is the cause of this unfortunate relationship between the majesty of love and the misery of death? This paper shows how William Shakespeare gives this theme ample treatment in "Othello" and "Hamlet". The former slays his beloved wife Desdemona, and the latter's obsessive revenge causes the downfall of the cherished Ophelia. The paper shows how Shakespeare conveys the idea that love, being great, is also greatly flawed, and that it is an individual's subservience to society which causes this vital imperfection.
From the Paper
"However, Othello still resists any open communication on the matter with Desdemona and instead deals with the matter inwardly. He questions her disloyalty, but his lamenting quickly turns to doubt. He wails about her delicate qualities - she is "so high and plenteous wit and invention." But Iago convinces him that all of these qualities actually confirm her deception, because she's trying to make Othello believe she is virtuous. Iago tells Othello: "she's the worse for all this," and Othello agrees."
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?The Glass Menagerie?, 2006.
A look at the theme of fantasy in Tennessee Williams' play "The Glass Menagerie".
3,503 words (approx. 14.0 pages), 0 sources, £ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Tennessee Williams manages to interweave the desire to escape the mundane life into his play "The Glass Menagerie". It looks at how he uses fantasy to escape the present reality and how all of the characters live, in varying degrees, in a fantasy world as an effort to distance themselves from the undesirable and confining present they simply exist in.
From the Paper
"As opposed to many literary works that portray a fantasy life, The Glass Menagerie is hardly a Cinderella story. Rather then ending "happily ever after" we are left to decide for ourselves whether the outcome will be a positive or negative influence for the characters portrayed. This again reflects reality, because we are never assured the choices we make will be the ones that result in a bettering of our reality. This is exactly what healthy fantasy is about. It is a test of our dreams and desires against a self-defined reality with no consequences in real life. However in The Glass Menagerie, the characters' fantasies become their reality as they carry out this test in the opposite manner."
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Sound in Ancient Greek Theater, 2005.
An examination of sound and audibility in the theaters of Ancient Greece.
2,038 words (approx. 8.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how the acoustics in Greek theater spaces have ultimately proven to play a vital role in spectatorship and performance. It looks at how theater spaces and design were a necessary construct at the time in compelling audiences to become absorbed into the fullest theatrical experience possible, while simultaneously obligating actors to deliver the finest deliverance of dialogue.
From the Paper
"Whether by accident or design, there exists some fundamental objections to the theatre spaces that are the foundation of the acoustics. For example, often noise from any section of the auditorium can be distinctly heard in the others. A rowdy audience therefore could ruin the performance. We may recall the tradition, dating from the early days of the theatre before the buildings had assumed permanent stone form, that audiences drummed their heels on the wooden benches to show their disapproval of a play. In a theatre with naturally good acoustics, this must have been devastating. It illuminates the necessity, both for tragedy and comedy, of embodying additional attention-holding devices, and the dangers of allowing a huge crowd to be distracted."
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Woody Allen, 2005.
This paper discusses the works of Woody Allen, film and stage actor, director, writer, producer and celebrity.
2,065 words (approx. 8.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that people think of Woody Allen's roles in his movies as a true extension of himself---a 5'6", 120 pound New York City "nebbish", a Jewish term that is softer than "loser" but refers to someone insignificant. It describes Woody Allen as a cult before his time. The author groups Allen's films into categories such as "City Stories" like "Manhattan" and "Annie Hall", the "Reaching for Effect" films (usually financial disappointments) like "Shadows and Fog" and "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy", the "Satires" like "Bananas"and "What's Up, Tiger Lily", the highly persona films like "Manhattan Murder Mystery" and "Stardust Ballroom" and the truly weird unclassifiable movies like "Purple Rose of Cairo" and especially "Zelig". The paper relates that, throughout his films, Allen's leitmotif are insecurity in the midst of plenty, unhappiness within joy, indecisiveness in a time of clear direction and estrangement without really undoing the knot that bind lovers, husbands and wives, or good friends together.
From the Paper
"The more introspective Allen becomes, whether in the few interviews he gives (often to foreign film buffs, rather than American sycophants), the more one sees that he is serious about comedy, and comedic about serious subjects. It seems easy for someone as both clever and creative (again, the two do not always mesh) to laugh at anything funny. But, Allen is one of those who differentiates between something comedic and something comic: the first is like falling on a banana peel, while the truly comic is seeing someone about to step on that peel. So, Allen is not a slapstick-oriented writer or director."
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Modern Broadway Musicals, 2006.
A paper looking at why the modern Broadway musical genre is not faring as well as older musicals and revivals of shows.
3,356 words (approx. 13.4 pages), 10 sources, MLA, £ 57.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at the changes that Broadway, as a physical place, as well as a genre, has undergone since its inception, in an attempt to understand why modern Broadway musicals are not doing as well as they had in earlier years. The paper concludes that the diminishing popularity of Broadway today is due to both financial reasons and audience-motivated reasons.
From the Paper
"Currently, according to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, at least one fourth of the 30 million visitors to New York each year still come to see a Broadway play (Kroll 64), making it one of the top reasons tourists travel to New York. However, while there indeed seems to be a resurgence of interest in Broadway, there is a great disparity in profits for older musicals and revivals of shows from earlier decades and the more current modern musicals."
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Fifty Years of "Death of a Salesman", 2006.
A summary and analysis of Arthur Miller's famous play, "Death of a Salesman".
1,341 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 27.95
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Abstract
This paper describes the plot and characters in "Death of a Salesman" and explains how the message of the play can be applied to the times we live in now. The paper also makes comparisons between real characters in the life of the author and the fictional characters in the play.
From the Paper
"Arthur Miller is considered by many to be the greatest living playwright. 1999 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Miller's Pulitzer Prize winning play, Death of a Salesman, perhaps his greatest work. The story of Willy Loman, who could no longer sell whatever was in those suitcases he carried on stage, became the symbol of Americana, false pride and self-deception. Broadway is honoring the anniversary with a return of Death of a Salesman. The play, and the book which has sold eleven million copies, do not differ very much. In fact, the play follows the book word for word. The differences are in the way the play is presented, but there are more similarities than differences. Early in Miller's and Biff's lives, family crisis set an irreversible force which determined the positive and negative consequences in their future. The play takes place in the post depression era, both Miller and Biff grew up in the depression and were effected by the harshness of the times."
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?Macbeth? and ?Madea?, 2006.
A comparative analysis of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and Euripides' "Medea".
2,645 words (approx. 10.6 pages), 0 sources, £ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and Euripides' "Medea" are both tragic plays in the classical sense. It looks at how both Medea and Macbeth lust for the unattainable and how that lust destroys them. It cannot be said which character is a truly tragic figure, because both fit the description. It contends that if either character deserves more sympathy it is Madea, the jilted wife, not Macbeth the King killer since Macbeth's lust for power and his willingness to please his wife leads to his downfall.
From the Paper
"Macbeth is by far one of the greatest of Shakespeare's tragedies. Its images and representations of ambition, guilt and the degradation of being make him a truly tragic character. Macbeth starts out as a pretty-cool guy - he's a Scottish general and a gentleman, but has always wished to be more. It is not until after Duncan's death, that Macbeth truly begins to deteriorate into a faithless and remorseless man. He tells one lie to cover up another, having to commit one murder to cover up the other, until he looks back, and cannot even remember the first little step he took over the line. Only MacDuff, a faithful servant and soldier of Duncan and Malcom, can bring him down, even though the witches have rightfully prophesied that "no man of woman born" could possibly bring down Macbeth's reign of terror."
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"Death of a Salesman", 2005.
Examines the tragedy of women in this play by Arthur Miller.
832 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 0 sources, MLA, £ 17.95
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Abstract
This paper shows that Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" is packed with masculine overtones. Willy's heroes, the father-son relationship, and the sibling rivalry, all focus on the dynamics among men. The paper shows that the women in the play become the victims of the self-centered fears and inadequacies of Willy, Biff and Happy. They are instruments, exploited by these men in their quest for the American Dream. In other words, they are essentially conquests for them to overcome in order to get what they want out of society and life, in general.
From the Paper
"Nevertheless, Willy habitually condescends, patronizes, and demeans her, particularly in front of Biff and Happy. While he does offer some praise, it usually involves what she does for him. For example, Willy tells her that she is his "foundation and support." He is often full of contradictions. One minute, he is yelling at her to stop interrupting him, and the next minute, he is lamenting to Ben over how much she has suffered."
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Tom Stoppard's "Travesties", 2006.
A look at the life and career of playwright and author, Tom Stoppard, and his critically acclaimed play, "Travesties".
2,229 words (approx. 8.9 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper begins with a brief biographical sketch of the life of Tom Stoppard, outlining his adolescent years in Japan, his university education and his career accomplishments. The paper also explains how Stoppard's early works led to the writing of his play "Travesties" and how Stoppard would mix humor with seriousness and moral concern when he wrote. Finally, the paper examines and analyzes "Travesties", explaining the central concept and theme running throughout the play.
Outline
Thesis Statement
Tom Stoppard: The Man
The Early Works as a Background for Travesties
The Close Up Look at Travesties
From the Paper
"Although there does not exist a book with the title of "Travesties," that was written by Tomas Straussler, now known as Tom Stoppard the worldwide acclaimed playwright and author, there is indeed his stage play with this title. The critically acclaimed play had its first performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company on June 10, 1974, at the Aldwych Theater in London and has played to packed houses throughout the world for several years following its debut and indeed is still performed by younger theater groups particularly in the United States on the university levels."
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The Ritual of Tonsuring, 2005.
This paper uses dramaturgy techniques to analyze the Roman Catholic ritual of tonsuring, the consecration of a monk, as a theatrical performance .
3,145 words (approx. 12.6 pages), 21 sources, MLA, £ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the Roman Catholic Church abolished the practice of tonsure to consecrate monks in 1972; however, the ritual tonsuring remains as part of the liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church, "The True Catholic Church" (splinter group originating in Holland) and Buddhism. The author points out that, although modern anthropologists have correlated ritual and performance, the end result of ritual is usually substantially different than the end result of modern secular theatrical performance. The paper concludes that, although the ritual of tonsure may have some minor theatrical aspects including its use of antiphons (a form of liturgical theatre in the 9th century), this ritual is not a theatrical performance but rather a semi-private ritual between postulant monks and their bishop with a few personal observers. Long quotations.
Table of Contents
Description of the Ritual of Tonsuring in the Roman Catholic Church
Dramaturges Definition of Theatrical Performance
Ritual of Tonsuring as Liturgical Theatrical Performance
Theatrical Critique and the Ritual of Tonsure
Ritual and Theatrical Performance
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The primary reason is how do we critique an ancient ritual? When we critique modern productions, we evaluate many things, the production itself, the actors and their portrayal of the characters in the play and the settings.. Only, if one were to have attended several rituals of tonsure in order to look at their individual production value. How good was the choir, how smooth was the ritual performed, how involved were the individual supplicants? Then, we might begin to apply such methods of critique. The fact is these rituals are rare and private, usually attended only by the supplicants, the bishop, the choir and the supplicant's families."
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Father-Daughter Relationships, 2005.
Examines the father/daughter relationships in plays by William Shakespeare's, focusing on "King Lear".
1,257 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 3 sources, £ 25.95
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Abstract
Most, if not all, of Shakespeare's plays carry a theme where the relationship of the main father and daughter has an important role in the climax and outcome of the stories. By examining the relationship between King Lear and Cordelia in Shakespeare's "King Lear", this paper presents the opinion that the play has the most significant father and daughter relationship out of all Shakespeare's works. The paper also examines "The Tempest" and "Othello".
From the Paper
"In King Lear, Cordelia, the youngest daughter of Lear, refused to go overboard in her statement of love towards her father. When asked for her testimony, she simply replied, "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love your Majesty according to my bond, no more no less." Lear became enraged and casted her off saying, "Here I disclaim all my paternal care, propinquity and property of blood, and as a stranger to my heart and me hold this from thee for ever." Some think that Cordelia was prideful, or even a fool in her response, but I believe she was simply being honest and true."
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"Romeo and Juliet", 2006.
Summarizes William Shakespeare's famous love story.
925 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 0 sources, £ 19.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the five acts in William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", a tragic love story which involves rival families, forbidden love and suicide. The paper shows why its message is still considered relevant in this day and age.
From the Paper
"However, the playing off of conflict and compassionate love presents some of the greatest works of the genius of Shakespeare's writing skills. The vast scene portrayals are numerous and should be devoured slowly and with deliberation to absorb their full beauty and to determine their importance as they lead to the climatic scenes of Act V and the ending of the poem."
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