A presentation I made for my A level Drama and Theatre studies group outlining expressionism in the theatre and its conventions.

1. In the theatre
EXPRESSIONISM

2. Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting,
which originated in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical
trait was to distort physical reality for emotional effect in order to evoke
moods or ideas. Expressionism was developed as an avant-garde style before
the First World War. It remained popular during the Weimar Republic,
particularly in Berlin. The Scream by Edvard Munch is perhaps one of the
best-known examples of expressionist art.
WHAT IS EXPRESSIONISM?

3. MORE EXAMPLES

4. Initially a rebellion against Realism and Naturalism in the theatre,
Expressionism’s impact was intense. Later influencing practitioners Bertolt
Brecht and Erwin Piscator, Expressionism made way for other, more
militant performance styles in Germany, such as Epic theatre. Expressionist
plays often dramatise the spiritual awakening and sufferings of their
protagonists and are referred to as ‘Stationendramen’ (station dramas). Early
expressionism in particular testified to the failure of social values.
The following slides will display the main conventions of expressionist
theatre:
EXPRESSIONIST THEATRE

5. • Dreamlike and surreal (early stages of the period)
• Nightmarish, eerie
• Appeal to the audience’s emotions
• Closely linked to play’s theme/message
ATMOSPHERE

6. • Expressionist scenic design became a major style of production in
the German theatre during the movement’s later years
• Lighting was often stark, illuminating key areas of the stage space
• Deliberate use of shadow
• Stages were bare with few props
• Only those settings essential to the play’s theme were used
STAGECRAFT

7. • Sets were deliberately distorted, shapes and lines were unusual, sharp
and angular
• Scenery did not define a location (abstract)
• Sets were often decorated with bright colours
• Props were normally symbolic
• Use of masks
STAGECRAFT (CONTINUED)

8. • Content concerned with industrialisation, war, dreams of the
subconscious
• Message at the centre of the plot (often involving a search for the truth)
• The message was often told from the viewpoint of the dreamer or hero
(protagonist)
• Taboo topics such as incest and patricide became the subject of several
expressionist plays
PLOT

9. • Episodic (unified by a central idea or argument)
• Self-contained, loosely connected scenes
• Disjointed
• Short, static scenes, not causally linked (as with realistic and
naturalistic plays)
STRUCTURE

10. • Use of still images
• Antithesis of the well-made play
• Shift away from realism
STRUCTURE (CONTINUED)

11. • Stereotypes
• Caricatures (often grotesque)
• Mostly lacked individuality e.g. The Woman, Nameless One, The
Worker
• Represented a social group
CHARACTERS

12. • Characters as symbols
• Impersonal
• Inner psychological reality of characters was revealed (often by
external means, such as through scenic design)
CHARACTERS (CONTINUED)

13. • Truncated (short)
• Clipped
• Fragmented
• Telegraphic speech patterns juxtaposed with long monologues
DIALOGUE

14. • Rapid, breathless speech
• Poetic and lyrical
• Mix of prose and verse
• Speech consisting of a small number of words and/or phrases
DIALOGUE (CONTINUED)

15. • Dialogue disconnected with the actor’s movement and structure
• Unusually long pauses and silence in dialogue
• Distinct lack of interpersonal communication between characters
DIALOGUE (CONTINUED)

16. • Stylised
• Rhythmical
• Mechanical
MOVEMENT

17. • Robotic
• Urgent
• Energetic
MOVEMENT (CONTINUED)

18. • Appearance of over-acting
• ‘Ecstatic’ style of acting
• Intense
ACTING STYLE

19. • Violent
• Expressing tormented emotions
• Mixture of presentational and representational
ACTING STYLE (CONTINUED)

20. The Cabinet of Dr. Caliagri (1920) directed by Robert Weine
EXAMPLES OF EXPRESSIONIST
PLAYS

21. Metropolis (1927) directed by Fritz Lang
EXAMPLES OF EXPRESSIONIST
PLAYS

22. Nosferatu (1922) directed by F. W. Murnau
EXAMPLES OF EXPRESSIONIST
PLAYS

23. The Golem (1920) directed by Carl Boese
EXAMPLES OF EXPRESSIONIST
PLAYS