Chapter 21 American Drama
Overview
1916 Started in the year 1916 when Eugene O’Neil’s first play
1920s Many writers worked hard in the 19th century to build the foundation of the the renaissance of drama in 1920s.
In 1920s, there were a Renaissance of Drama.
1930s In 1930s, drama also paid much attention to social concern.
1945 In 1945, The Glass Menagerie of Tennessee Williams appeared
Marked the American drama entered the age of maturity
1950s In 1950s, came a temporary decline
1960s In 1960s, Broadway became a new drama center. Later appeared the Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway drama.
American theatre entered a new Era and the main feature is diversity.
3. Eugene O’Neil (1888 ~ 1953)
尤金·奥尼尔
The American Shakespeare
The greatest American Playwright
He marked the coming of American Theatre modernization
He won the Pulitzer Price and the Noel Prize
Artistic Characteristics
- an experimentalist in drama
Liberated drama from the traditional shackles of the 19th centuryand made it deeply rooted in real life
- the first one to introduce realism or even naturalism into the American theatre
-His writing style is known for its diversity and proficiency
- he borrowed from the best traditions of European drama,
He also borrowed techniques from the modernist literary trend to better reveal the emotional and psychological complexities of modern people.
-He paid much attention to the use of settings and stage property.
Major Works
Bound East for Cardiff 《东航卡迪夫》
Beyond the Horizon 《天边外》
The Emperor Jones 《琼斯皇帝》
Anna Christie 《安娜克里斯蒂》
The Hairy Ape 《毛猿》
Desire under the Elms 《榆树下的欲望》
All God’s Chillun God Wings
《上帝的儿女都有翅膀》
The Great God Brown 《大神布朗》
Lazarus Laughed 《拉萨路笑了》
Strange Interlude 《奇异的插曲》
Marco Millions 《马可百万》
Dynamo 《发电机》
Morning Becomes Electra 《悲悼》
Ah, Wilderness 《啊，荒野》
Days without End 《日子没有尽头》
The Iceman cometh 《送冰的人来了》
Long Day’s Journey into Night
《进入黑夜的漫长旅途》
A Moon For the Misbegotten
《月照不幸人》
A Touch of the Poet
《诗人的气质》
4. Elmer Rice (1892 ~ 1967)
埃尔默·赖斯
The Adding Calculator 《计算器》
On Trail 《审判》
Street Scene 《街景》
Left Bank 《左岸》
Judgment Day 《审判日》
Dream Girl 《梦幻女孩》
The Grand Tour 《周游》
The Winner 《获胜者》
A Voyage Purilia 《小溪之旅》
5. Susan Glaspell (1882 ~ 1948)
苏珊·格拉斯伯尔
The Verge 《边缘》
Alison’s House 《爱丽森之家》
Fidelity 《忠贞不贰》
The Morning is Near Us
《清晨在靠近我们》
Trifles 《琐事》
6. Clifford Odets (1906 ~ 1963)
克利福德·奥德茨
Waiting For Lefty 《等待老左》
Till the Day I Die 《到我死亡之时》
Paradise Lost 《失乐园》
Awake and Sing! 《觉醒而唱歌》
I Can’t Sleep 《我睡不着》
Golden Boy 《金孩子》
Rocket to the Moon 《飞往月球》
Night Music 《夜里的音乐》
Clash by Night 《夜冲突》
The Big Knife 《大刀》
7. Tennessee Williams (1911 ~ 1983)
田纳西·威廉斯
One of the greatest American playwrights
His The Glass Menagerie won him international recognition
He is also a novelist and poet
He wrote a novel, two volumes of poetry, and six volumes of prose, including three collections of short story
Major Works
American Blues 《美国布鲁斯》
Battle of Angels 《天使之战》
A Streetcar Named Desire
《欲望号街车》
Summer and Smoke 《夏日烟云》
The Rose Tattoo 《玫瑰纹身》
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 《铁皮屋顶上的猫》
Suddenly Last Summer 《夏天的突变》
Sweet Bird of Youth 《可爱的青春小鸟》
Period of Adjustment 《调整时期》
Night of the Iguana 《鬣蜥之夜》
The Milk Train Does Not Stop Here Anymore
《牛奶车不再在此停留》
Red Battery Sign 《红色的炮台信号》
Vieux Carre 《维厄·卡雷》
The Glass Menagerie 《玻璃动物园》
8. Arthur Miller (1915 ~ 2005) 阿瑟·米勒
A great playwright in the 1940s
An Ibsenian Playwright
A genius playwright
Won the Tony Prize and the Pulitzer Prize
A friend of a Chinese people
Theme
- the plight of modern people in family and work
- the protagonist often find himself under a pressure from his society and moral norms.
-In his works, his protagonists always struggled hard but found anything futile, only suicide, either mentally or physically, can save himself.
-Either he submits to the impossible demands of society, or he rejects them, He dies in either case.
- However, he was not that pessimistic. Hope still can be find in his work.
Major Works
The Man Who Had All the Luck
《鸿运高照的人》
All My Sons
《全是我的儿子》
Death of a Salesmen
《推销员之死》
The Crucible
《炼狱》
A View from the Bridge
《桥头眺望》
Collected Plays
《戏剧集》
After the Fall
《堕落之后》
Incident at Vicky
《维西事件》
The Price
《代价》
The Creation of the World and Other Business
《创世纪及其他》
The Archbishop’s Ceiling
《大主教的天花板》
The Last Yankee
《最后一个美国佬》
Broken Glasses
《破碎的镜子》
9. Edward Albee (1928 ~) 爱德华·阿尔比
The Theatre of the Absurd (1950s ~ 1960s) 荒诞派戏剧
- the theatre of absurd refers to those plays focusing on the theme such as the meaninglessness of life with its pain and sufferings that looks ridiculous
- Samuel Becket’s Waiting for Godot & Endgame
- Author of these work tries to force the audience to face up the human condition as it is, instead of making false depictions in order to satisfy the needs of the public.
Literary Feature
- His work seems to only focus on the one problem only, namely, the absurdity of human life based on a fragile illusion and spiritual emptiness.
Major Works
The Zoo Story
《动物园的故事》
The Death of Bessie Smith
《贝西史密斯之死》
The Sandbox
《沙盒》
The American Dream
《美国梦》
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
《谁害怕弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫？》
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
《伤心咖啡馆之歌》
A Delicate Balance
《脆弱的平衡》
Box and Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung
《匣子和毛主席语录》
All Over
《一切皆已过去》
Seascape
《海景》
The Lady from Dubuque
《杜步科的女人》
The Man Who Had 3 Arms
《三臂人》
Three Tall Woman
《三个高个子女人》
10. Sam Shepard (1943 ~) 塞姆·谢泼德
One of the eminent playwrights that have impacted contemporary American theatre
Major Works
Buried Child 《被埋葬的孩子》
Fool for Love 《爱情傻瓜》
A Lie of the Mind 《心之谎》
Paris, Texas 《德州巴黎》
11. David Mamet (1947 ~) 大卫·马麦特
One of the eminent playwrights that have impacted contemporary American theatre
Major Works
House of Games
《娱乐之家》
Sexual Perversity in Chicago
《芝加哥的性变态》
American Buffalo
《美国水牛》
Glengarry Glen Ross
《拜金一族》
The Woods
《树林》
The Shawl
《披肩》
Speed the Plow
《快耕》