Determining Musical Genre

Determining Musical Genre
Determining musical genres is one of the most highly debated topics in the music world. To some,
there are strict walls that separate classical from baroque music and jazz from the blues, but to
others, the many overlapping qualities between opera and operettas make the line between their
labels very thin and blurry. The music community may struggle with this conversation for many
years to come and it is possible that distinct guidelines used to determine a composition's musical
genre will never be agreed upon. Nonetheless, in order to come closer to a commonly accepted
definition of specific musical genres, it is worthy to examine the historical background and social
context that surround the creation and evolution of genres themselves. The ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Musicals can be described as any musical performance that includes dialogue, sometimes with
music beneath that dialogue. At first glance, the definitions between operetta and Broadway musical
appear to be quite similar, however the structure of the musical composition, the subject matter of
these two types of performances, and the reasons for production are drastically different. For
example, many Broadway musicals have an open–ended run because producers want to garner the
highest profits possible. A narrower definition of a Broadway musical is "any performance that
incorporates music and dance in one of thirty–eight professional theatres that each seat 500 or more
people in the Time Square district of the borough of Manhattan, New York City." Although this
description is very specific geographically, this region is the reason Broadway musicals have their
current reputation and recognizable name.
The Broadway musical is the product of opera's evolution in America. Although these two musical
genres have key differences between plot and structure, they have many similarities such as voice
type and production structure. While it would be uncommon for Broadway stars of 2016 to sing
classical music at their solo concerts, this was widely accepted and encouraged of singers in the first
half of the 20th century in
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Essay on Three Penny Opera
"It is clear that the dramatists desire to elicit a particular response from their audience has governed
the way in which they have shaped the structure of the play" (Derek Chaverley)
With reference to your text identify what response your play write is aiming to elicit and how you as
a director would realise this in performance.
As a director we would identify what response The ThreePenny Opera is aiming to elicit and how
we would realise this in the performance.
The ThreePenny Opera is one of Bertolt Brecht most successful plays with the major social issue of
class, power and who controls wealth. A conflict between Mr. Peachum– a man who owns all of
London's beggars and Macheath– who is in charge of all of London's thieves. Polly ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
This well know theory includes such actions as direct address to the audience, for example Scene 1
act 1 Peachum directly complains to the audience about how his "business is too hard" how you
always have to offer something new in order to keep their effect on other people.
"A large sign saying it is more blessed to give then to receive is lowers from the grid. ‘What good
are the most beautiful, the most poignant sayings painted on the most enticing little signs. When
they get expended so easily'" pg 6
This alienates the play by helping the audience realise that it is representational theatre.
Speaking stage direction is often used also reminding the audience that it is just a play, exaggeration
and stylised movements and stage lines. The use of songs is all throughout the play. These are
important because they represent a new style of theatre. The songs within the play are juxtapositions
(having two opposites together). Each song has an up beat sound creating a happy mood but the
lyric are completely opposite to the mood and very contradicting.
"You ramshackle Christian awake!
Get on with your sinful employment
Show what a good crook you could make
The lord will cut short your enjoyment"
Also the use of tableaux is a great way to show alienation as well as a great tool for representational
theatre. Tableaux's can be used when an actor is not speaking, so the actor is

The ' Open The Program With An Early Insight Of The...
Selections from Frauenliebe und –Leben open the program with an early insight of the perception of
women. This song cycle follows a woman's life through the view of her relationship with a man,
while highlighting her lack of individuality and independence without this man. "Seit ich ihn
gesehen" (tr. "Since I Saw Him") claims that the man is the only thing upon which the speaker can
focus. The falling motives present throughout this movement highlight her complete infatuation
with her love to the near dreamlike–state that she describes in the first strophe ("Wie im
wachen...mir vor"). Her self worth relies on a man's perception, as further depicted in "Ich kann's
nicht fassen, nicht glauben". She sees herself as unimportant and unfortunate (Arme); the form
exemplifies this as this A section ("Ich kann's.. beglückt?") returns despite the brief interruptions to
contrasting sections, which demonstrates the consistent shock she feels that a man would love her. It
is during this Lied that the relationship turns to physical, as she describes a "most blessed death",
following in the lasting tradition of alluding to sexual release in this manner. She is captivated by
and defined be her relationship. This view of women revered only by the men who love them
restricts the role of the independent woman and thus begins the program begging the question: is
society still reflecting this ideal?
The narrative of the first act continues into the man's pursuit of the object of his affection:

Three Penny Opera Essay
The production of Three Penny Opera here at the University of Minnesota was an interesting work
of art. Many artistic choices, which turned out to be very successful, can be seen in this production.
The amount of work that went into this play is shown through every aspect of theatre. From the
acting to the set design to lighting, everything fit nicely together to create a wonderful piece. This
production was artistically beautiful and impactful to the audience. The set design looked absolutely
amazing and it fit with the storyline. The rustic and broken down vibe it gave set the audience up for
the production. There was great detail in how the set moved and looked. Broken windows, rust, and
fade colors really helped to show a run down city. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The actors started setting up the world before the play officially started. A couple minutes prior to
7:30 pm, the cast started appearing from the entrances and walking around embodying their
characters. They were all committed to their parts and interacted with each other and sometimes the
audience members as well. There were beggars asking for money, whores complaining about
beggars, and fights breaking out in the isles. It was an interesting concept to have them interact with
us and it was definitely a Brechtian technique. The actors continued using the idea of Brechtian
theatre within the rest of the production as well. Several times, an actor would talk to the audience
and acknowledge their presence as if they were also part of the world. Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum
even asked the audience to clap and waited for them to do so. The production became interactive
and invited the audience to be its own character. The commitment from all of the characters to really
go for it and not hold back was another pleasing feature of the production. An example of this, is
when Polly Peachum is lying on the floor in her wedding dress and is violent moving her body and
arms. It was strange to see, but also an interesting technique to convey

Literary Contributions Of Brecht
Brecht was born in 1898 in Germany, Ausburg. He had gone to Munich then Berlin, in search of a
theatrical career, however it soon came to an abrupt halt as Nazis came into power in Germany.
Brecht had fled to the USA to seek a better, safer future. Brecht was influenced by a wide range of
writers and events, such as Chinese theatre and Karl Marx. The fact that Brecht had been through so
much when his homeland got wrecked, gave him a political view to express reality. Epic theatre is
where the spectator shouldn't get emotionally attached with the characters but instead should try and
think of what the message being spread on the stage is really about. Brecht made Epic theatre his
main focus as he wanted to portray messages through his work; events he had been through are
highlighted in his plays written including themes of death, greed, misery etc. To make sure the
audience were left critical of the theatre piece; Brecht would alienate the audience which in return
made the audience distance themselves from the performers. Alienation could be by reading stage
directions out loud, or having a juxtaposing song where the lyrics may be harsh but are accompanied
by a sweet medley like we used in our devised piece. Brecht used juxtaposition as it alienated the
audience so they didn't get connected to the performance on an emotional level. In our performance,
we also included juxtaposition for our riot scene, using the sweet melody of 'ring ring roses'
contrasted with aggressive

John Peter Brief Biography
John Peter (1900–1950) began his career in the early 1920's, after a musical childhood and several
years of study in US. By the time his first opera, The Protagonist (Peter Georg), was performed in
April 1926, he was an established young German composer. But he had already decided to devote
himself to the musical theater, and his works with Bertolt Brecht soon made him famous all over
Europe. He fled the new Nazi leadership in March 1933 and continued his indefatigable efforts, first
in Paris (1933–35), then in the U.S. until his death. Certain common threads tie together his career: a
concern for social justice, an aggressive pursuit of highly–regarded playwrights and lyricists as
collaborators, and the ability to adapt to audience tastes no matter where he found himself. His most
important works: the Violin Concerto (1925), The Threepenny Opera (Bertolt Brecht, 1928), Rise
and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Brecht, 1930), The Pledge (Caspar Neher, 1932), The Seven
Deadly Sins (Brecht, 1933), Lady in the Dark (Moss Hart and Ira Gershwin, 1941), Street Scene
(Elmer Rice and Langston Hughes, 1947), Lost in the Stars (Maxwell Anderson, 1949). He died of
heart failure in 1950, shortly after he and Anderson began work on a musical adaptation of
Huckleberry Finn, leaving behind a large catalogue of works and a reputation that continues to grow
as more of his music is performed. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He married actress Lotte Lenya in 1926; they maintained a close relationship throughout his life
despite their divorce in 1933 (they remarried in

Theatre Fraud Essay
More akin to the avant–garde than traditional musical theatre, Experimental Music Theatre was
created by the assimilation of the musical and theatrical revolts of the early 20th century and the
incorporation of the technological advancements of stagecraft, set design, machinery, lighting,
audio, and video. Its development was aided by a variety of composers, writers, artists, and
designers associated with art forms such as films, traditional theatre, Futurism, Dadaism, atonality,
and many more.
The futurist movement that sprang up around 1910 rejected musical traditions, embraced
experimental sounds derived from machinery, and was responsible for the first performances
devoted to sound and percussion. Futurists, like todays' contemporary experimental ... Show more
"Brecht wanted to stimulate a reaction rather than encourage the kind of passive acquiescence found
in the old bourgeois theatre." By alienating spectators from the emotional content of a play he
believed they were free to focus on dramatic action instead. To prevent emotional investment,
Brecht's characters would step outside their roles and break the fourth wall, and he would often cut
scenes short, never allowing them to reach an emotional peak. His use of the blank screen over the
traditional painted backdrop was representative of a universal setting, and any conventional
theatrical elements were used ironically.
Brecht's works, such as The Threepenny Opera (1928), are characterized by social issues, surreal
theatrical forms, and are often raw in style and execution. The musical treatment is usually crude,
bitter, and vulgar. His portrayals of good and evil are usually askew, and concepts such as goodness
and heroism are usually seen as tragic

Jewish Composers: The Rise Of The Nazi Party In Germany
In this essay, I will be discussing the music of Jewish composers who were unable to showcase their
pieces, due to the massive animosity towards their race, despite having composed several
outstanding pieces of music. Although they were persecuted severely during the Nazi era, they too
contributed to the international music community. For many of the Jewish composers, the rise of the
Nazi Party in Germany and Austria was an increasing danger to their safety in the country. They had
to make difficult choices to survive –To stay in Germany and remain oppressed in their very own
country, or to leave, and be detached from their own cultural roots forever.
There were a large number of composers that took off for the United States, seeking employment

Pirate Jenny: Song Analysis
The Threepenny opera has been around for eighty–eight years and still grabbing the attention of
musicians and listeners in general. "Pirate Jenny" is a haunting number that sends chills down your
spine, but is this due to the lyrics or the way in which it is sung and produced. This opera is based on
a prostitute that has to make difficult decisions; it could be a losing game for her in the end. There
are many renditions of this song from other artists such as "Nina Simone" "Steelye Span" and "Ute
Lemper" these artists have gained a lot of status. These three versions all contain very individual
characteristics creating a difficult job for me in choosing which version is my favourite. Nina
Simone's 1964 live performance of "Pirate Jenny" instantly catches the attention of her listeners,
through the jazz like feel of free rhythm and sultry narrative. While she rarely sings in this peice,
you do hear the expression she portrays through the rising and falling of tone causing the song to be
dramatic. The piano accompaniment which is played by Nina Simone is subtle but plays a huge part
in the expression of the piece it helps to give it the eerie and dramatic affect she was going for. Nina
Simone used both harsh and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Although, this version is quite similar to the original, it does contain its own individuality. This
version is sung by a female soprano alongside the band. There is a constant change in tempo, from
fast to slow and vice versa causing the piece to be dramatic and engaging to its listeners. Steelye
Span's accompaniment is clever and they use it to their advantage, it's not just used as an
accompaniment factor as there are number of musical intervals, unlike Nino Simone's version. This
version was easy on the ear but not as memorable as Nino

Essay about Toward a Definition of Modernism
Toward a Definition of Modernism
Lawrence B. Gamache's article "Toward a Definition of Modernism" encapsulates in its title the
challenges critics meet in their attempts to formulate a coherent theoretical modernist model, though
the quintessential modernist works –even at the time of this 1987 article – are over sixty years old.
Indeed, the sheer number of scholarly books and articles that discuss or contribute to the debate
surrounding the definition of modernism indicates the extent to which modernism is a term whose
only non–contentious consensus is that it its meaning is fraught with ambiguity. Susan Stanford
Friedman's contribution to the debate summarizes the theoretical crises thus:
As terms in an evolving scholarly ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
But the latter two dramatists are as often classified post–modernists as they are classified modernists
(Faulkner 22, Abrams 168). Faulkner remarks, "It is in poetry and the novel that Modernism can
first be most clearly discerned [...] developments in drama followed a different course" (21). Opera,
or music in general, for that matter, is rarely commented upon in terms of modernism outside of
musicology, saving the usual passing references to Stravinsky and Schoenberg, who have seemingly
become the genre's representative modernists (Abrams 168). But it is my contention that early
twentieth–century composers and their librettists could not have been immune to the great surge of
creative energy that erupted when the modernists burst on to the scene. Therefore, against a
hypothesis that insists that for a work to be considered modernist, it must find traditional forms
incapable of expressing "new" or particularly twentieth–century sentiments, and thereby must self–
consciously experiment with new forms, I will examine three seminal twentieth–century operas:
Strauss/Wilde's

Brecht 's Theory Of Epic Theatre
Bertolt Brecht was a director and playwright, born on February 10th 1898 in Augsburg Germany.
Throughout his life he disagreed strongly with his father's bourgeois lifestyle, this may have
changed his writing technique and powered his political views portrayed in his work. Brecht studied
medicine in 1918 at Munich University where he was then appointed a medical orderly during the
First World War. Influenced by the monstrosities war brought to his attention, Brecht wrote many
poems reflecting his experiences as well as producing his first play titled "Baal" in 1919. Escaping
the grip of war, Brecht followed his passion into Bohemian theatre and literature beginning in
Munich where he then travelled to Berlin after. Working alongside Erwin Piscator, they cemented
the epic theatre theory. Epic Theatre, is a theory that Brecht believed in encouraging the idea that
theatre should conform to the reasoning behind it, instead of focussing on the audience's feelings
towards it. Bertolt Brecht's work conformed to his theory of epic theatre. He wanted his work to be a
platform for change and stated how people should "hang up their brains with their hats in the
cloakroom". Naturalistic theatre focused on entertainment to captivate the audience to the extent of
forgetting themselves and being involved with the characters they are watching. Emotions felt and
released during theatre such as crying, is recognised as catharsis. Brecht was completely against
cathartic theatre and believed

The Threepenny Opera Essays
What keeps mankind alive? Answer the question with reference to the actions of characters in The
Threepenny Opera. In The Threepenny Opera, Bertolt Brecht, through the writing of the song
"Second Threepenny Finale What Keeps Mankind Alive" in Scene Six, gives us the idea that
"mankind is kept alive by bestial acts (page 55, line number 18). In my opinion, although the idea to
associate human beings with beasts, or more specifically, human behaviour with "bestial acts" looks
peculiar, some characters, in their pursuit of desires and wants, do reflect an inhuman nature, which
makes them 'beast–like'. In the play, we can see the constant, uncontrollable longing of "food" (page
55 number 9) of some characters. In my opinion, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In my view, Mac is really, as what Polly and Lucy comment, a man who is not "worth" "[so] [many]
commitments" (page 68). Besides sexual urges, money is another piece of 'juicy meat' that attracts
the most number of characters and leads them to inhuman deeds. An obvious example is Jenny.
Upon the bribe of Mrs. Peachum, she decides to betray Mac in spite of the companionship between
them. Worse, she is not impressed by Mac's belief that a woman with name beginning with a 'P'
(instead of a 'J' as suggested by Jenny) will betray her, and goes on turning him in to Constable
Smith. Finally, when Mr. Peachum refuses to give her the reward for turning Mac in, Jenny gets
furious, blames the Peachums for "black[ing] [Mac's] boots" (page 58) and tells them how bad she
feels for having "[sold] the last sportsman left in London" (page 58). In my view, Jenny is such a
hypocrite and money–fanatic that the example about her is itself, the best manifestation of what is
suggested in the song as "however much you twist, whatever lies you tell.... Morals follow on"
(page 55, lines 8 ~ 9). As money represents one's living, it does not surprise readers greatly by
telling them that government officers such as Tiger Brown and Constable Smith have committed
bribery. In fact, what is really surprising to us is Brown's yielding to the

Linda Bove's Role In Sesame Street
You probably remember watching Sesame Street when you were a kid. You probably can recall
characters like Grover, Bert, Mr. Hooper, and Linda the Librarian. Linda the Librarian was a deaf
character, portrayed by Linda Bove, who is actually deaf in real life. Although she is mostly known
for her role on Sesame Street, she has also appeared in many other TV shows, movies, and plays
such as: Search for Tomorrow, Happy Days, Children of a Lesser God, Sign Me a Story, Somebody
to Love, and Weeds.
Linda was born deaf on November 30, 1945, to deaf parents. She was born in Garfield, New Jersey.
As a child, she attended schools in both Bronx, New York and Trenton, New Jersey, so she could get
the best deaf education. She went to St. Joseph School for the Deaf, Marie Katzenbach School for
the Deaf, which she graduated from in 1963. After high school, she attended Gallaudet University
for college, where she studied library science. While in college, she got into theatre, where she was
in multiple theatrical productions, such as, "The Threepenny Opera" and poetic characterizations of
the "Spoon River Anthology". After becoming more ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the 1970s, Linda, as well as some of her colleagues, began a company called Little Theatre of the
Deaf, to attract more deaf people and children. It was dedicated to deaf communication between
deaf people and the importance to teach deaf children to sign. Overall, the company gained a lot of
recognition. Linda later became involved with the Deaf West Theater Company, which was
dedicated to deaf actors and actresses. The plays the company put on were performed using both
sign language and speech in order to help connect the deaf and hearing worlds. Through most of her
acting roles, she works to spread awareness of the deaf community, and spread the message that
being deaf is not something to be ashamed

Cultural Characteristics Of Musical Theater
Richard Kihm
10/16/17
MUTH 130
Professor Kolb
What is Musical Theater?
It is not Shakespeare, nor is it Opera. It has been called Minstrel Show, Burlesque, Vaudeville,
Extravaganza, Operetta, Musical Comedy, Musical Revue, Musical Theatre and it has been
described in a variety of terms including "Low Brow" and "Middle Brow" but never "High Brow." It
had also been praised and condemned for its broad cultural connections and appeal. Although
Musical Theatre is not a Shakespearean or Operatic subcategory. It was highly inspired by many
Operas and theatrical iambic pentameter and phrases of the great Shakespeare himself. For example,
Rent was inspired by La Boheme and Miss Saigon was inspired by Madame Butterfly. As a result,
They sparked the beginning of the amazing cultural phenomenon of Musical Theater. Vaudeville is a
type of show and entertainment that was very popular within the United states during the early 20th
century, that had a mixture of special acts such as burlesque comedy and song and dance. Burlesque
is a comical work that is usually something highly embellished, or a pastiche of some kind. It is
often found that many Burlesque works usually had a striptease of some sort. In the beginning–
showing legs was considered profane and highly scandalous yet was highly entertaining for many
people. Minstrel shows were a shameful form of entertainment that had begun to rise in the 1840's.
With this came the creation of "Black Face." Black face is when white men would

Brecht 's Influence On The Audience
All theatre practitioners seek to affect the audience in some way. Show how, through his own
dramatic theories, Brecht hoped to achieve this aim
Here are 5 facts about Bertolt Brecht:
● He was born on 10 February 1898 in Augsburg, Germany
● His full birth name was Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht
● He was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director
● A prolific director he one of the most influential theatre practitioners of the
20th century
● He died on 14 August 1956 in Mitte, East Berlin, German Democratic Republic
Along with Stanislavski, Brecht was one of the two most influential figures of 20th century theatre
and the most significant practitioner since World War II. Brecht's theories for the stage, including his
well‐known epic ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Brecht believed that theatre should make the audience think, and to do this, he used a range of
devices to remind them that they were watching theatre and not real life; it acts a presentation of
life, not real life itself.
"Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it." – Bertolt Brecht
Brechtian theatre and plays use many techniques to create this 'separation' and differentiation
between other styles and 'epic theatre'. For example, song/music is sometimes make you feel
different emotions to the mood of the song. Brechtian styled plays may use upbeat, lively music,
however, the lyrics within that song may be negative and may be on serious subjects and/or events.
This consequently makes the audience think more about what they are witnessing and the situation
of the character(s) and additionally reminds the audience that what they are watching is only a
representation of life and not full reality. This idea of the separation between theatre and reality is
further emphasised as epic theatre often incorporates freeze frames/tableaux, which are evidently
unnatural and therefore makes the audience think about the frozen moment; this is again to further
stress that it is not real life despite the realism of the piece or the performance of actors. Brechtian
plays also often performed with the house lights on so the audience remained aware of each other
and that they were

Love Song Of J Alfred Prufrock And The Love Place Turnterm...
TAKEHOME MIDTERM EXAM
During the 20th century, the world would see unprecedented and innovative changes that would
entirely revolutionize everyday life. Wars caused people to lose faith in the stability of cultural and
social foundations which extended to instilling a nihilistic view throughout the art community.
Technology would profoundly change western culture by promoting an underlying theme of
breaking away from established history and practices. Searching to create a clear disconnect from
19th century Victorianism "museum–like" quality of art, authors such as T.S. Elliot, Bertolt Brecht,
and Jorge Borges estrange audiences by fragmenting the structure and perspective of their works. A
common theme among 20th–century writers, and artists in general is to create an overall
disorienting and self–reflecting experience through the development and application of a variety of
innovative techniques throughout their works. By alienating their audiences, artists at the dawn of
the 20th century were able to distance themselves from the notion that art was bound to a general
public purpose. Despite the diversity, early 20th century writers tend to focus and develop methods
of exploring the theme of the individual in society.
T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" reflects the feelings of emasculation experienced
by many men as they returned home from World War I to find women empowered by their new role
as breadwinners. In the same way that Eliot explores the theme

The Life and Works of Bertolt Brecht Essay
The Life and Works of Bertolt Brecht
In this essay I will consider the life and works of Bertolt Brecht, the famous theatre practitioner who
has had such a dramatic impact on our understanding of the theatre and acting. First of all I will give
a biography of Brecht because it is important to know the background of his life in order to
understand the motives he had for writing and producing plays in the way he did. We will see a
direct correlation between events in his life and the plays and techniques that he propagated. I will
then move to explore the methods and techniques that Brecht developed, looking at how they came
about and who influenced his work. I will look at Brecht's theory of Epic theatre, tracing the
beginnings ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He was studying medicine but his real interests were in drama and the theatre. During the war he
was posted as a nurse in an army hospital near his home thereby escaping the horrors of the front
line. He was dealing with severely wounded soldiers and this shocked him to the realities of death
and made him see the futility of war, something that rallied him to fight for peace through his
political plays. After the war Brecht went to Munich to find work in the theatre and then on to
Berlin, where he stayed. He quickly got to know the main actors and directors of the time and soon
became involved in directing and performing. He gathered a group of friends who worked with him
and on his behalf, thus began his habit of collaborating with others.
In the 1920's Brecht married Helene Weigel who remained his wife for the rest of his life. He also
wrote these three plays: Drums in the
Night, In The Jungle of the Cities and Baal. Each of these plays was directed by leading directors at
the time and they attracted al lot of scandal because of the provoking content and new style. He also
undertook his first collaboration with the composer Kurt Weill in
Mahogonny and then The Threepenny Opera, which was immensely popular and firmly established
him as a leading playwright and theatre practitioner. He started to develop his

Tony Kushner 's ' Angels '
In Angels in America, Tony Kushner's characters suffer through loss of health, life, and love.
Colossal suffering and grief eventually lead to discovery and growth. The main quartet of characters
– Louis Ironson, Prior Walter, Joe and Harper Pitt– have many differences, but, aside from their
grief, a common characteristic allows for their conjoined relevancy. Each is a member of a group
that is somehow marginalized in their society, whether it stems from their sexuality, illness, or
personal identity. Kushner's subtitle (A Gay Fantasia on National Themes) of the two–part play can
be interpreted as speaking to its fantastic elements, like the presence of Prior's angels and spirits
from the past. However, "fantasia" can also be defined ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I refer to Louis, Prior, Joe, and Harper as the quartet characters because of the intertwining and
simultaneous similarities and dissimilarities of their stories. These elements create a melodic rhythm
in the plays narrative and dialogue, which resembles the "improvisatory style", that is necessary of
musical fantasias. Written in conversational language, none of the dialogue sounds rehearsed, but
rather like the characters are real people whose conversations were recorded by an eavesdropper.
The pages of the play read like an imitation of life, much like fantasias are imitations of melodies.
Each character has a different rhythm and style when they speak that creates quick–paced
communication, much like the harmonies in a musical piece. If "music appears to mimic some of the
features of language and to convey some of the same emotions that vocal communication does,"
then, transitively, language mimics features of music. Louis is the rambler of the symphony. Using
high–level vocabulary, he is often discussing profound ideas that other characters are not interested
in hearing. For example, after leaving Prior in the hospital room, Louis and Belize sit conversing in
a coffee shop. Louis tackles issues of race and democracy in America and England, until Belize
finally admits that he was

Summary Of Sophie Treadwell's 'Machinal'
'Machinal' is a piece of expressionistic theatre (Reesman, 1997) that was written by American
journalist Sophie Treadwell, in 1928. 'Machinal' is based on the life of convicted murderer Ruth
Snyder who was executed in January 1928 for the murder of her husband, which is similar to what
happens to the character of 'Young Woman' as the piece progresses. 'Machinal' follows a young
woman who lives with her mother who marries her boss. The young woman has a baby with her
husband, and then she has an affair with another man. The young woman then murders her husband
and is executed after she is convicted of the murder. 'Machinal' was first performed on Broadway in
1928 at the Plymouth Theatre with the cast including Clark Gable and Zita Johann. The production
was a success and it ran for 91 performances. However, in 1931 the production ran in London and it
received mixed reviews. The different opinions were formed due to the violent and sexual themes
that featured within the piece. The greatest success came from Russia at Moscow's Kamerny
Theatre. Treadwell worked as a court reporter first for the San Francisco Bulletin and the New York
Herald Tribune. (Reesman, 1997. p176) Treadwell, however, did not report on Snyder's case but she
took an interest in the case.
Whilst reading 'Machinal' by Sophie Treadwell, I came across the idea that it is not a usual
performance text. 'Machinal' is very episodic in terms of scenes. Each scene is a self contained
storyline that

Bertolt Brecht En Sy Epiese Teater
Bertolt Brecht en sy Epiese Teater Die mens se sienning oor die lewe word beïnvloed deur die
tydperk waarin hy grootword asook sy omgewing. Wêreld oorloë samevatting: Bertolt Brecht. Die
Duitse dramaturg, regisseur en digter wat erken word as een van die mees belangrikste en
invloedryke figure van drama in die 20ste eeu. Brecht se unieke behandeling van sosiale temas en
revolutionêre eksperimente met teater elemente het ‘n geweldige groot invloed op moderne drama,
toneelspel en teaterontwikkelings. Bertolt Brecht was gebore op 10 Februarie 1898 in Augsburg,
Bavaria (Duitsland). Gedurende die Eerste Wêreld Oorlog het Brecht op sestienjarige ouderdom as
‘n mediese ordonnans gedien. Reeds in 1914 het Brecht gesien watter vernietigende ... Show more
In baie gevalle het Brecht gebruik gemaak van ‘n filmdoek wat gewoonlik agter op die verhoog
geplaas word. Op die filmdoek sal dan kort film snitte van byvoorbeeld die Wêreld Oorloë gespeel
word. Hierdie vorm nie net deel van die verfremdungstegniek nie, maar dit skep ook ‘n duidelike
beeld aan die gehoor van wat eintelik in die oorlog plaasvind Brecht was ‘n aanhanger van
Marxisme en dus was sy werke dikwels krities, satiries en gefokus op die sosiale onheil van
kapitalisme. Brecht het dus in opstand gekom teen industralisasie waar die arm mense armer word
en die ryk mense meer rykdom ontvang. Brecht het teater gebruik as ‘n medium tot propaganda
teen die leerstellings van die Duitse leier, Adolf Hitler en Nasionale Sosialisme (ook bekend as
Nazisme). In 1932 was Brecht geplaas op die Nazi Party se lys van agteruitgaande skrywers. Die
drama wat waarskynlik die hoofoorsaak hiervan was was The Threepenny Opera (1928) ‘n skerp
satiere gefokus op kapitalisme. Die jaar daarop (1933) toe Hitler aanbewind kom, word Brecht en sy
vrou verban uit Duitsland. Eers het hulle gevlug na Denemarke. Na ‘n paar jaar van hull ewe daar
het hulle hulself gevestig in die VSA, California in 1941. Gedurende hierdie ontwrigte periode en
verbanning het Brecht die meerderheid van sy roemryke werke van vandag geskryf. In 1941,
(Tweede Wêreld Oorlog) het Brecht die satirise toneel "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" vrygestel
wat Hitler as ‘n gangster

The Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare
Shakespeare's Sonnets
William Shakespeare
The Sonnet Form
A sonnet is a fourteen–line lyric poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter–that is, in lines ten
syllables long, with accents falling on every second syllable, as in: "Shall I compare thee to a
summer's day?" The sonnet form first became popular during the Italian Renaissance, when the poet
Petrarch published a sequence of love sonnets addressed to an idealized woman named Laura.
Taking firm hold among Italian poets, the sonnet spread throughout Europe to England, where, after
its initial Renaissance, "Petrarchan" incarnation faded, the form enjoyed a number of revivals and
periods of renewed interest. In Elizabethan England–the era during which Shakespeare's sonnets
were ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Past cure am I, now reason is past care,
And frantic mad with evermore unrest,
My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are,
At random from the truth vainly expressed; For I have sworn thee fair and thought thee bright, Who
art as black as hell, as dark as night.
In many ways, Shakespeare's use of the sonnet form is richer and more complex than this relatively
simple division into parts might imply. Not only is his sequence largely occupied with subverting
the traditional themes of love sonnets–the traditional love poems in praise of beauty and worth, for
instance, are written to a man, while the love poems to a woman are almost all as bitter and negative
as Sonnet 147–he also combines formal patterns with daring and innovation. Many of his sonnets in
the sequence, for instance, impose the thematic pattern of a Petrarchan sonnet onto the formal
pattern of a Shakespearean sonnet, so that while there are still three quatrains and a couplet, the first
two quatrains might ask a single question, which the third quatrain and the couplet will answer. As
you read through Shakespeare's sequence, think about the ways Shakespeare's themes are affected
by and tailored to the sonnet form. Be especially alert to complexities such as the juxtaposition of
Petrarchan and Shakespearean patterns. How might such a juxtaposition combination deepen and
enrich Shakespeare's

Empathy in Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan and...
Little Empathy in Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan and Mother Courage and Her Children
Brecht is very successful in creating a form of drama where empathy plays little part. In The Good
Person of Szechwan it would seem that every action and word is an attempt to alienate us and halt
any identification one may chance to make. The indiscernible use of names for characters
exaggerating the oriental sound of them is immediately noticeable i.e. 'Wang', 'Shin' 'Sun', 'Shen Te',
'Shu Ta', etc. There is also the use of language and intonation in relation to others revealing
personality and social position, which comes in the form of oriental 'bows'. Many of these gestures
are already to be found in Asian theatre. Brecht calls it the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
I think the 'prologue' is one of many alienating devices Brecht uses to distance one from any
empathy. Within minutes of the play beginning one is alerted by Wang's (the water seller's) narration
to the current state of Szechwan in which 'utter poverty is the rule'. By telling a story Brecht
introduces Epic Theatre. Undoubtedly this is going to appeal to one's intellect rather than one's
emotions. Wang's survival is dependent upon the weather. Whether he can eat or not is dependant on
drought and the discomforts of others. In his opening speech one becomes aware of a society based
largely upon buying and selling; in Shen Te's case the selling of her body. We the audience or
'spectators' as Brecht would like to think of us are not surprisingly going to question a society where
this is the norm. I think this is where another dimension to the play is brought in as Wang tells us
'only the gods can help' (which after seeing the play it is dependent on one's viewpoint what this
dimension is.) It could be one of many things. It could be divinity or spirituality. On the other hand
it could be humanity or perhaps naiveté of the worst sort. So in questioning these actions one is
doing precisely what Brecht hopes for.
Given the average audience (especially at the time when Brecht wrote this; it was not such a multi–
cultural/religious society as we have today) one would probably have some kind of Christian

A Summary of Robert Jackall's Moral Mazes
A summary of Robert Jackall's Moral Mazes
The theme of this work is that managers constantly adapt to the social environments of their
organisations in order to succeed. In such contexts, they have no use for abstract ethical principles,
but conform to the requirements of bureaucratic functionality. What implications follow for the
ethical leader in business?
Jackall found that managers assess their decisions against contextual criteria.
Essentially, managers try to gauge whether they feel "comfortable" with proposed resolutions to
specific problems, a task that always involves an assessment of others' organisational morality and a
reckoning of the practical organisational and market exigencies at hand. The notion of comfort has
many ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"the systematic application of functional rationality to the self to attain certain individual ends".
Such a manager "dispassionately takes stock of himself, treating himself as an object, as a
commodity. He analyses his strengths and weaknesses and decides what he needs to change in order
to survive and flourish in his organization. And then he systematically undertakes a program to
reconstruct his image ..." (p.59) "The continuous uncertainty and ambiguity of managerial
hierarchies, exacerbated over time by masked conflict, causes managers to turn towards each other
for cues for behaviour. They try to learn from each other and to master the shared assumptions, the
complex rules, the normative codes, the underlying institutional logic that governs their world. ...
Normally, of course, one learns to master the managerial code in the course of repeated, long–term
social interaction with other managers" (p.37–8) "... one makes oneself alert to expediency by
projecting outward the objectifying habit of mind learned in the course of self–rationalization. That
is, the manager alert to expediency learns to appraise all situations and all other people as he comes
to see himself – as an object, a commodity, something to be scrutinized, rearranged, tinkered with,
packaged, advertised, promoted, and sold." (p.119)
Managers project themselves as "men and

Theatre Chapter Summary
The first paragraph of chapter one describes to us readers what theatre is. The word originates from
Greece, and means "seeing place." The author then describes the difference between the "hardware"
definition and the "software" definition. Hardware describes the building where the play is taking
place, where films are shown, and where wars and surgeries happen. The software definition
describes the cast, owners, managers, and technicians. The author gives the example of the Guthrie
Theatre saying "we are referring not merely to a building in Minneapolis, but also to the stage artists
and administrators who work that building and to the body of plays produced there" (page 7).
The chapter then goes on the describe theatre as being a lifetime devotion. As an example, Tyrone
Guthrie had a play written on his life. The play ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Just rehearsals before opening night can last at a minimum of 4–6 weeks. Work can be divided into
9 crafts; producing, directing, acting, designing, building, crewing, stage managing, house
managing, and playwriting/composing. Of course more than one person can take on many different
crafts such as, William Shakespeare, Berlot Brecht, and Mel Brooks. However, as we may call this
work a "play" it is to be known that it's different from child's play, sport games, or adult games. The
book defines theatre play as "... the art of making play into work..." (page 13).
The word performance means, an action or series of actions taken for the ultimate benefit of
someone else, the audience. There are two types of performance, presentational or direct, and
representational or indirect. Presentational includes stand–up comedy or nightclub mode. This type
of performance is always including the audience. An example of presentational performance is the
play The Producers. Representational consists of a more dramatic tone. The audience only watches
and is not included. An example of representational performance is Threepenny

Political Themes In The Metamorphosis By Steven Berkoff
This year we have been studying 'The Metamorphosis' by playwright Steven Berkoff; an adaptation
of the novel by Franz Kafka. The play follows the story of Gregor, a working–class man who goes
to sleep one evening and wakes up having transformed into a cockroach–like insect. The scene from
the play that we have used as a stimulus was the scene in which Gregor actually transforms from a
respected and depended upon son to being an alienated insect who is a burden to his family. In
support of these themes, we have created a performance based on the 2008 recession , where
thousands of people were affected and economically stable and dependent first world countries fell
and transformed into countries where hundreds of thousands of people were ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Brecht's political theatre stems from his political views towards communism and the upper class
society. Theatre that comments on political issues within society. Brecht began to have a dislike for
the capitalist society he was brought up in and wanted more of an equal approach to the world and
the people around him. With epic theatre, Brecht wanted it to be both didactic (able to teach others)
and dialectic (able to create discussions and ideas). The audience at no time during an epic play can
be seen to be in a trance or take what they see on stage for granted. Our performance is reflective of
Brecht and his Epic and Political theatre as we address many political topics such as Marxism and
the divides between classes and the corruption of the government. We have props such as protest
signs and banners to communicate Brecht's political theatre to the audience. In the first episode,
Brown's Boys, there is a scene where MPs choke and die after ignoring the recession and protesters
emerge into the audience chanting that 'politics is dead' and 'they don't really care about us' while
holding banners saying, 'politics is dead' and 'Gordon Clown'. This was done as it represented
politics and the fact the seriousness of the situation was ignored; showing how quickly the issues
with the recession spiralled out of control and became something that even the higher up in society
were unable

Epic Theatre Essay
Acting unit
September–December 2016
Edmund Richmond price
Introduction
Within this final log I shall explain the two contrasting styles of theatre that were covered within the
lesson i.e. naturalism and physical theatre, include examples of exercises that were covered in the
lessons with examples of my notes and follow up with a conclusion and evaluation.
Attributes of Brechtian epic theatre
Firstly when watching a Brechtian piece the most apparent is that there is no offstage. When a
character no longer needs to be relevant the actor must instead simply blend into the background an
example of this in a production of the threepenny opera is that a beggar after talking to Mr Peacham
the beggar picks up a broom, the scene changes ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Most physical theatre is devised in origin (the script is formed during a rehearsal), makes use of
music, dance and visual artistry as well as theatre.
The main aim of physical theatre is to challenge the proscenium arch thus breaking the 4th wall and
encourage the audience to participate so as to include the audience in the action with the end goal of
catharsis i.e. the 2 way transferal of emotion between audience and actor/actress
Modern physical theatre has been influenced most of all by mime and contemporary dance.
Physical theatre was started when a student by the name of jean–louis barrault who rejected the
notion that mime should be silent, in doing so opening up many new possibilities and thus physical
theatre was born.
Simplistically physical theatre is a style of theatre that focuses more on movement than dialogue
that puts the human body at the centre of the process of storytelling e.g. if there is a building or
monument the actors will become that building or monument, physical theatre tends to also divide
into 2 subgenres, either minimalism in which the set is rather basic and is more heavily reliant on
the actors, or baroque in which there is much lighting, special effects and high intensity drama.
Exercise

The Role of Costume Design in Musical Theater
Courtney Cox 5–4–10 THEA 1334 Final Paper Costume Design THE ROLE OF COSTUME
DESIGN IN MUSICAL THEATER Imagine a classic Shakespearian play or Italian opera performed
in hip–hugging jeans or baggy t–shirts; or imagine the period musical 1776, produced by the
wonderful Stuart Ostrow, performed in the groovy attire of the 1970s. These performances would
seem completely out of place and confusing. One would not be able to grasp the completeness of the
story or have any understanding of the time period, geographical location, or the character's
lifestyles and/or social statuses. As a result, the audience would fail to see certain emotions or
feelings portrayed, character personalities, and would find it very difficult be connected to ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Defining each character separately allowing the audience the ability to follow a storyline with a
conceptualized look defined prior to a performance was, and is needed as part of preproduction
preparations. Early performers were generally male, therefore costuming was needed for gender
disguise so as to create the illusion of the opposite sex. In Asia, the men would dress up as women.
Young men also played women in the plays during the 1500s and 1600s. Many of these young
teenage boys were very sickly and often died at a very young age. This was a direct result of skin–
eating diseases caused by the white, led–based face paint they were forced to wear during
performances; a very sad and gruesome ending to such a short life. Costuming also helps create
other character building imagery such as age. The leading characters will always have more detail
and design to make them stand out and relate a sense of trust to the audience. Styles and technique
have changed significantly over the centuries but have maintained basic principles of clothing
design yet geared towards pushing the out the character's personality and traits in its appearance.
Many people simply show up to musicals and often take the costumes for granted and concentrate
only the performance of the actors. Many people don't realize the

My Mother Cabaret Analysis
Music is a beautiful piece of art work. It can send messages about politics, it can soothe a broken
heart, or it can bring a family closer together. Music is such an important aspect in a household
because it could very well be the only thing a family can connect on. The Father and Mother share
their taste of music with their kin just as their parents did for them and along with their parents. The
music being passed down receives a change along the way. My Father showed me Heavy Metal,
Hair Metal, and Rock 'n' Roll, whereas my Mother showed me 80s pop, some country, and other
various genres. Some of the music passed down from generation to generation may be derived from
where our ancestors lived. I have recently found out, through my Mother ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Weill was born in Germany (1900), became a U.S. Citizen (1943), and died in New York (1950).
Weill attended Hochschule für Musik (University of Music) in Berlin (1918–19) where Marlene
Dietrich was studying violin and piano. He composed with Humperdinck and he privately composed
with Busoni (1921–24). He had to stop his music career for a short time because of the reign of the
Nazi party. Kurt Weill composed his first opera, Der Protagonist (Dresden, 1926), and then quickly
made his famous adaptation of The Beggar's Opera, Die Dreigroschenoper (Berlin, 1928); or more
commonly known as The Threepenny Opera. Weill's opera contained a jazzy feel that went well
with the "satirical topical references to Ger. life at the time" (The Oxford Dictionary of Music). The
opera had become a rapid

The Brecht 's Influence On The World War I
Bertolt Brecht was born in a German town called Augsburg, on the 10th February 1898. Before
1924, he continued to live in Bavaria where he studied medicine in Munich from 1917–1921. In
1918, Brecht worked helping at an Army hospital during the First World War, and in doing so,
started creating his own plays. In this time, he wrote plays such as: 'Trommeln in der Nacht' (Drums
in the Night – 1922), 'Baal' (produced in 1923) and his primary professional production: 'Edward II'
(1924). After being so horrified by the effects of war he decided to travel to Munich (then following
on to Berlin), where he would begin his desired career in theatre. Within this period, Brecht
established a vicious hatred towards the middle–class which imitated the people (of that time) being
so let down by their generations civilization which had been crushed after the end of World War I.
Brecht was influenced by his friends with their Dadaist ideals; aiming to abolish any pieces of
bourgeois art that had been condemned as a dishonest standard, from iconoclastic satirical pieces
and mockery. Brecht was then educated on Marxist views by Karl Korsch in the late 20s. Korsch
was a Marxist theoretician and a communist in the Reichstag who, in 1926, had been excluded and
forbidden from the German Communist Party. From 1924 to 1933, Brecht worked for German
directors Erwin Piscator and Max Reinhardt in Berlin, alongside his own collection of companions.
In 1928, Brecht and the composer Kurt Weill wrote the

Bertolt Brecht : Epic Theatre
Epic theatre (German: episches Theater) is a theatrical movement arising in the early to mid–20th
century from the theories and practice of a number of theatre practitioners who responded to the
political climate of the time through the creation of a new political theatre. These practitioners
included Erwin Piscator, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold and, most famously, Bertolt
Brecht.The term "epic theatre" comes from Erwin Piscator who coined it during his first year as
director of Berlin's Volksbühne (1924–27). Piscator aimed to encourage playwrights to address
issues related to "contemporary existence." This new subject matter would then be staged by means
of documentary effects, audience interaction, and strategies to cultivate an objective response. The
epic form describes both a type of written drama and a methodological approach to the production
of plays: "Its qualities of clear description and reporting and its use of choruses and projections as a
means of commentary earned it the name 'epic'." Epic theatre incorporates a mode of acting that
utilizes what Brecht calls gestus. One of Brecht's most–important aesthetic innovations prioritized
function over the sterile opposition between form and content. Brecht discussed the priorities and
approach of epic theatre in his work "A Short Organum for the Theatre". Although many of the
concepts and practices involved in the Brechtian epic theatre had been around for years, even
centuries, Brecht unified them,

Threepenny Opera As A Mirror To Society
To me, one of the most important aspects of theatre is to be a mirror to society or to a person's
individual psychology. A play should be painting a picture of a pre–existing reality, not just making
up a new one for entertainment purposes. The best plays are just this, either a complex picture of
society as it is or a character study that the audience is meant to take into their own lives.
Threepenny Opera does follow this guideline, though it is most decidedly not a character study. The
characters of Threepenny Opera are cruel and shallow, meant to prove a point rather than serve as a
vessel for empathy. Three Penny Opera is a show that focuses more on society, a show that wants us
to question it and ourselves. Three Penny Opera is an important show for modern audiences to see
because the issues that it brings up are still relevant. It is important because of it's messages about
our treatment of the poor, and the call to action that it makes on the poor's behalf. The society
presented in the Threepenny Opera is one that is very divided by class. It is an England that is
separated by rich and poor where the richer and more influential receive better treatment and luck
than the beggars who have to spend their time attempting to engender enough pity to eat and live.
We spend most of the play observing these poor, but we do get glimpses at some of the more
privileged. Peachum is one of these described as more wealthy, as are the police and the reverend.
Throughout the

The Beggar's Opera Essay
The Beggars Opera by John Gay was written in 1728 as a response to the political state in London.
Gay moved to London with no expectation of writing a satirical musical. Coming from no money,
no title, and no useful contacts he tried to find his own destiny. He took a job as an apprentice to a
silk merchant in an attempt to build his status. After realizing that he did not want to pursue a career
in silk, he moved on to working in a theater. He was then offered a jobs working for different
nobilities in London, gaining substantial connections with various members of the arts community.
Through his time with the upper crust of London, he noticed a flaw in society. His view on the upper
class along with his connections, his love for music, and his ability to write poetry led to the writing
of The Beggar's Opera. By definition a musical has five essential elements: music and lyrics, a
book/libretto, choreography, staging, and a physical production. If this is the true standard of a
musical, then I believe The Beggar's Opera by John Gay is the first musical. First, various
composers wrote the music for The Beggar's Opera because it was really just a collection of songs
that have been previously written with new lyrics. The show contains sixty–nine songs, of those
songs forty–one of them ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Beggar's Opera broke many boundaries during its time including running for sixty–two
performances. This was a huge step for musical theater. Not only was the show a huge success but
also the show caused many spin offs such as, The Threepenny Opera. Not only was The Beggar's
Opera the first show written to satisfy all the categories of creating a musical, but it exceeded it's
requirements and went on to change theater all

Determining Musical Genre

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