7/28/2019 Drama in the Twentieth Century Conflicting Trends
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DRAMA IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURYCONFLICTING TRENDS
The word that defines the modern stage is eclectic No other era
offers such a complex set of confusing trends. =, . During the
Elizabethan period and the Restoration and other periods there
was
no doubt considerable diversity in influences from without and
in the flow ofnative theatrical currents.
The drama of the years 1900 and 1962 they must indeed appear
simple andorderly. This means that while it is enterely proper to
look at the drama of these60 years as a unit.A clear line can be
drawm from the plays which were beingproducedduring the reign of
Edward Vil on to those now being performedduring the reign of
Elizabeth II. Wee must be alert t observe the series ofdramatic
waves which within the six decades constantly disturbes and at
times
redirected the main currents.
In order to appreciate fully the growth of the theatre from 1900
onwards thereare tems to be considered.
Fundamental is the fact that the twentieth century witnessed the
finalculmination of the stage commercialism and , as an anwer to
thatcommercialization, the rise of repertory playhouses,all
ultimtely taking theirinspiration from the devoted work of Annie
Horniman at the Abbey Theatre inDublin (1903) and at the Gaeity of
the theatre in Manchester (1907)
Appart from the theatrical activity there were several
associated movements:TheMusic hall soared into prominence and much
of the music hall turns were notconcerned with drama as such, the
fairly regular performances of the shortsketches incorporated into
their mltiple bilis contributed to the popularity of theone-act
play
There was also the extensin of the dramatic companies Amateurs
of course have been active on the stage from medieval times. Yet
only
in the 20th c they have come to take their work seriously and
aided in theencouragement of young playwrights.Partly this was due
to amateur companies
intent not merely upon amusing themselves but also upon
presenting dramaswhich for one reason and another had hardly any
chanceiven professional publicperformances. These companies were
adjunct to the theatre clubs which from thetime of the stage
society onwards, put on new plays and od for the matine tothe
repertory movement as a whole.
In 1919 Nugget Monk thus establish the Norwich Players and
created anElizabethan Type stage in Madder Market Theatre, shortly
before in 1911, ThePeople 's Theatre at New Castle was founded; out
of an originally amateurtouring group called pilgrim players
