Topic: Theatre art

This discussion question is based on pp. 135-158 of The Essential Theater, 10th ed., by Oscar G. Brockett and Robert J. Ball.

All information to answer this question must be taken from your textbook and cited in MLA format with page numbers. ( this is very important when you get the information from the book and when you are writing that information you must indicate the page number in the parentheses!)

Romanticism vs. Realism in Theater

In Chapter 6 of your textbook, the authors discuss the rise of Romanticism in Europe, the age of melodrama in America, and the emergence of realism in theater. The American melodrama Monte Cristo and Heinrick Ibsen’s A Doll’s House are given as examples of Romantic melodrama and realism, respectively.

Using only your textbook and class notes for reference, describe the differences between Romanticism and realism in theater. Explain the origins of these movements and how they emerged. Discuss their differences in philosophy. Then, using specific examples from plays covered in your textbook show how these ideological differences affect what the audiences see on stage from the content of the play, to the style of acting, to the stage sets, etc.

You must use only The Essential Theater, 10th ed., by Oscar G. Brockett and Robert J. Ball. this text book.