KY+Assignment4


 * Assignment 4 - Realism **

Realistic plays explore social and economic problems, psychological issues, and the personal struggles of ordinary people. Realistic productions attempt to give the audience the sense that they are watching real life rather than a theatrical event.

In “The Cherry Orchard,” realism is displayed greatly through the dialogue of the two women. One of the women talks of the hardships that their mother had to go through, how little money their mother has, while still ordering the most expensive foods. When prompted, the other woman talks about the horrible state of affairs at home as well. When asked whether the interest on the mortgage has been paid off, the woman replies that there is no money to pay the mortgage off with, and the estate must be sold. The set is designed to have many rooms that the characters can travel in and out of, to create the idea of a real house. The furniture is bare, reflecting the poor financial state of the characters.

“Hedda Gabler” follows the affairs of two newly weds, an old aunt, and the maid. In the beginning, the maid confides in the aunt Juliana, saying she is afraid that she will not be able to please the new mistress because she is so particular. When George comes down the stairs, Juliana and he discuss the state of their relative, who “may never be all right again.” Juliana then informs George that living in the manor will be quite expensive, but George replies that he was able to secure very favorable terms. Juliana then tells George that she has given security for all the carpets and curtains, even though the money is all that she has to live on. Realism pervades through the dialogue by discussing the economic problems and the struggles of the characters. In addition, the set is so incredibly intricate; the audience has a hard time believing that the set they are seeing is not a real house in real life.

“Miss Julie” opens with the discussion between a man and presumably his housekeeper. They discuss personal affairs, as he states “Miss Julie has gone mad!” and the two discuss her broken engagement. He is incredibly fussy about his appearance, demanding that his hair not be pulled. He also regards the beer on Midsummers Eve with disdain, opting for wine in a fancy wine glass instead. The play introduces realism through their social problems, the desire to appear wealthy and in good social standing. The set is also incredibly detailed. The food is all real and is eaten by the characters, the wine is real and is poured from the bottle into the glass and drunk, and the details of the house are well thought out.

Hickey’s monologue from //__Iceman Cometh__// describes his childhood and the personal struggles that he went through. He laments that home was like a jail, as was school. The only places he liked were the poolrooms. The scene describes his internal struggles, as he described the only person who he loved and loved him back was Evelyn. He is depicted as a normal person, and his monologue gives the audience the back-story to his life and his pipe dreams. The scene is set in a restaurant or bar, where many people sit around looking bored and exasperated with Hickey’s story.

In __Long Day’s Journey Into Night,__ Edmund describes his time on the sea, and his failures as a man. He states that it would have been better for him to be born a seagull or a fish. He makes reference to realism in his speech as he talks about his future, and that he will not amount to anything important. He says he doesn’t even have the makings of a poet, only the habit. The two address only each other – the audience is not incorporated into the scene, and the set is designed carefully to give a realistic impression.

The scene from __The Glass Menagerie__ showcases an argument between a mother and her son. The son is yelling about being trapped and not being able to do as he likes. He accuses his mother of taking away his books, which she owns up to and states that she wouldn’t have such rubbish in her house. The argument then transitions to the matter of who pays for the rent and who really owns the house. Realism is displayed through the argument of the two characters. Tom carries on about how he gives up everything, everything he has ever dreamed of, to go work and earn a measly $65 a month. The social and economic struggles that the characters go through are an obvious cry to realism.

In __Oleanna,__ two characters are portrayed on a stage: a professor and a student. The stage is bare, except for a single chair and a desk. The stage is dark, minus a large spotlight aimed at the two characters on stage. At no point of the scene is the audience addressed. The conflict between the two characters is played out, demonstrating the struggles that the student has with the class and the professor. The clothing worn by the characters is typical of the types of people the two actors are trying to portray. The scene presented does not seem like something out of the ordinary – in fact, everything about the scene is ordinary, minus the relationship that is presented between professor and student.

In the scene from __Glengarry Glen Ross,__ the dialogue of the two men has been edited and re-looped to create a back and forth rhetoric between the characters. Neither man is saying anything of true importance, but they are implying things from each other’s responses. The realism lies in the familiar setting – which is a bar – and the issues presented between the two men.

In __True West,__ two characters are presented. One is impeccably dressed in a teal polo, while the other sits in a filthy white tshirt with jeans, smoking a cigarette and drinking beer. It is easy to see the social discrepancy between the two men. The grungy looking man talks about the other man’s Ivy League status and prestigious company with sarcasm and disdain. It presents the realistic ideas of social issues and the stereotypes associated with them. While the house that the two are in is not as intricately decorated as perhaps some of the other houses depicting different time periods, the setting that they are in is indicative of their time period and is realistic in that aspect.

__Fences__ tackles social and economic problems. The scene begins with the son asking his father, “Why don’t you like me?” Instead of consoling the boy, his father asks him sternly “Is there a law that says I got to like you?” In an almost callous, heartless manner, the father begins to lecture his son on affection. He says that he puts food in his son’s belly and puts a roof over his son’s head because it is his responsibility to do so as family, not because he likes his son. He then tells his son that he better not go through life worrying if they like him or not – only if they are doing right by him. Realism is displayed in the issues that are brought up by the father and son.