Start Unit 2 Irish Cultural Revival Friday 2 21 14 Unit 2 Political Theatre What do we mean by political theatre Working definition Theatre that EXPLICITLY works to make non artistic change in the world or EXPLICITLY links itself with a movement that does so Theatre can take on political issues have political underpinnings without fitting this definition Ex Modernism could be pro or anti war but wasn t actively working to start or stop wars Cultural Nationalism Imagined community Benedict Anderson Nations exist because everybody agrees they exist imagining themselves as a community that have some sort of responsibility to each other How can people who have never met and probably will never meet can consider themselves part of the same group and feel kinship Becomes increasingly important with the rise of democracy decline in monarchy Emphasizes similarities with those from the nation differences from those outside the nation us and them Language culture history food religion shared traditions etc Cultural nationalism builds on these shared characteristics what defines a nation Doesn t have to be on the national level Think about how this works with the Aggie identity Is somebody an Aggie just because they went to A M The experience is not just about going to the school but taking part in traditions and sharing in similar experiences British presence in Ireland Plantation 16th century Government sent a lot of farmers to Ireland and native Irishmen have their land taken away United Irishman rising 1798 Failed rising hoping to get help from France Most of the leaders are executed but they become very important icons martyrs to the Irish willing to die for this cause Act of Union 1800 Armed rebellions in 1803 1848 1867 Irish Cultural Revival Movement beginning in mid 19th century Purpose Create establish culture separate from Britain Justify independence Where do we find Irishness Irish Gaelic Traditional language of Ireland Peasants Noble in touch with the earth good Western Ireland Often see the West as a place to go to get in touch with Ireland Pre British myths British came in and interrupted their long beautiful traditions Irish Theatre before the Revival Minimal theatre being written and made in Ireland Irish playwrights writing in and about England George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest Stage Irishman Irresponsible quick tempered lazy often drunk Often a trickster figure frequently likeable Dion Boucicault playwright Irish playwright writing primarily for English audiences almost making fun of the Irish he is seen as a traitor to his own people Irish National Theatre Society Abbey Theatre Founded in 1899 by William Butler Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory Abbey Theatre opens 1904 Closely connected to leaders in the National movement Activists and politicians sit on its board Goals Create plays that support the Irish independence movement Create a strong literary tradition within Ireland Cathleen Ni Houlihan 1902 Irishman leaves his upcoming marriage to fight with the French for this Revolution Old Woman House and land were taken away Larger than life not a real person someone who stands in for an idea the idea of Ireland First play produced in the Abbey Theatre building in 1904 Symbolist play Set at the beginning of 1798 rising Woman as Ireland Both old and young She personalizes the sufferings of Ireland Talks about there being too many strangers in the house which is a reference to the British being there Call to arms for young men Things are going well for this family at the beginning of the play Michael is going to get married into a financially stable family yet he leaves to fight for his country John Millington Synge 1871 1909 Arguably the best Irish playwright from this period Plays still speak to audiences now plays are still produced Plays often short and symbolic Not writing plays that are directly political Many plays based on time he spent on Ireland s west coast Riders to the Sea 1903 Set on the Aran Islands off Irish west coast Difficult life on the islands danger of the sea Tensions with the Abbey Conflict in goals What to do if a play with a good political message is artistically bad What to do if a play that is artistically good has a bad political message Split between managers Yeats and Gregory and those more directly tied to independence movement Padraic Callum s The Saxon Shillin 1902 Irish man joins British army ordered to evict his family from their home He refuses is shot Deemed too melodramatic not artistically strong enough by Abbey Theatre managers Others on board object because of its strong political message Straightforward anti British army play Playboy of the Western World 1907 Written by John Millington Synge About a young man who claims to have killed his overbearing father and is treated as a hero by the town to which he escapes When his father is not actually dead and shows up everyone turns on the young man and sees him as a coward and pathetic Allegory for the relationship between Britain father and Ireland young man Riots at Abbey Theatre when it premieres in 1907 Many working for Irish independence criticize it as harmful to the cause They saw it as a play to undermine the movement Arthur Griffith founder of important nationalist newspaper and political party The play is a vile and inhuman story told in the foulest language we have ever listened to from a public platform Highlights and exacerbates the divisions that already existed within Abbey Reading quiz on Tuesday on The Good Woman of Setzuan There will be some shuffling around of lectures readings before and after Spring Break Bertolt Brecht s Epic Theatre Wednesday 2 26 24 Betrolt Brecht 1898 1956 Playwright director theorist Theatre particularly rooted in communism Theories have MAJOR impact on many perhaps even most theatre artists regardless of their politics Born in Germany leaves for US and other places to flee Nazis Leaves US during McCarthyism to return to East Berlin His questions What should be the goal of political theatre How can we make theatre that achieves this goal The Good Woman of Setzuan Shen Te Is very manipulative She is very kind and is willing to help many people in doing this people find it easier to take advantage of her She is very generous even with her own money and she kind of digs herself into a hole giving the money away to her lover when she needed it for her shop Shui Ta He is a rigid businessman The two characters