(Start Unit 2) Irish Cultural RevivalFriday 2/21/14Unit 2: Political TheatreWhat 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 AndersonNations exist because everybody agrees they exist, imagining themselves as a community that have some sort of responsibility to each otherHow 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 monarchyEmphasizes 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 IrelandPlantation (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, martyrsto the Irish willing to die for this cause.Act of Union (1800)Armed rebellions in 1803, 1848, 1867Irish Cultural RevivalMovement beginning in mid-19th centuryPurpose:Create/establish culture separate from BritainJustify independenceWhere do we find “Irishness”?Irish GaelicTraditional language of IrelandPeasantsNoble, in touch with the earth, goodWestern IrelandOften see the West as a place to go to get in touch with IrelandPre-British mythsBritish came in and interrupted their long beautiful traditionsIrish Theatre before the RevivalMinimal theatre being written and made in IrelandIrish playwrights writing in and about EnglandGeorge Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion)Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest)Stage IrishmanIrresponsible, quick tempered, lazy, often drunk.Often a “trickster” figure, frequently likeableDion Boucicault, playwrightIrish playwright, writing primarily for English audiences almost making fun of the Irish, he is seen as a traitor to his own peopleIrish National Theatre Society/ Abbey TheatreFounded in 1899 by William Butler Yeats and Lady Augusta GregoryAbbey Theatre opens 1904Closely connected to leaders in the National movementActivists and politicians sit on its boardGoals:Create plays that support the Irish independence movementCreate a strong literary tradition within IrelandCathleen Ni Houlihan (1902)Irishman leaves his upcoming marriage to fight with the French for this Revolution.Old Woman:House and land were taken awayLarger than life, not a real person, someone who stands in for an idea, the idea of IrelandFirst play produced in the Abbey Theatre building in 1904Symbolist playSet at the beginning of 1798 risingWoman as IrelandBoth old and youngShe personalizes the sufferings of IrelandTalks about there being “too many strangers in the house” which is a reference to the British being thereCall to arms for young menThings 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 periodPlays still speak to audiences now, plays are still producedPlays often short and symbolicNot writing plays that are directly politicalMany plays based on time he spent on Ireland’s west coast“Riders to the Sea” (1903)Set on the Aran Islands off Irish west coastDifficult life on the islands, danger of the seaTensions with the AbbeyConflict 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 itsstrong political message.Straightforward anti-British army play.Playboy of the Western World (1907) Written by John Millington SyngeAbout a young man who claims to have killed his overbearing father and is treated as a hero by the town to which he escapes. Whenhis 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 inthe 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 SetzuanThere will be some shuffling around of lectures/readings before and after Spring Break.Bertolt Brecht’s Epic TheatreWednesday: 2/26/24Betrolt Brecht (1898-1956)Playwright, director, theoristTheatre particularly rooted in communismTheories have MAJOR impact on many (perhaps even most) theatre artists, regardless of their politicsBorn 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 SetzuanShen 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