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Expressionism
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- 2. Expressionism was amodernist 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?
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- 4. Initially a rebellionagainst 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 andsurreal (early stages of the period) • Nightmarish, eerie • Appeal to the audience’s emotions • Closely linked to play’s theme/message ATMOSPHERE
- 6. • Expressionist scenicdesign 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 weredeliberately 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 concernedwith 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 (unifiedby 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 ofstill 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 assymbols • 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, breathlessspeech • Poetic and lyrical • Mix of prose and verse • Speech consisting of a small number of words and/or phrases DIALOGUE (CONTINUED)
- 15. • Dialogue disconnectedwith 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 ofover-acting • ‘Ecstatic’ style of acting • Intense ACTING STYLE
- 19. • Violent • Expressingtormented emotions • Mixture of presentational and representational ACTING STYLE (CONTINUED)
- 20. The Cabinet ofDr. Caliagri (1920) directed by Robert Weine EXAMPLES OF EXPRESSIONIST PLAYS
- 21. Metropolis (1927) directedby Fritz Lang EXAMPLES OF EXPRESSIONIST PLAYS
- 22. Nosferatu (1922) directedby F. W. Murnau EXAMPLES OF EXPRESSIONIST PLAYS
- 23. The Golem (1920)directed by Carl Boese EXAMPLES OF EXPRESSIONIST PLAYS