bwscRealism-now-and-then

Early realism revolves around the questions of how people are defined and exist in the environmental and societal constraints placed upon them. This interest manifested itself in the importance that was placed upon historical accuracy (in set design and presentation--including lighting and sound--costume design, and speech patterns) as well as psychological depth. Playwrights sought to display the depth of their characters within the context of accurate environments. These writers attempted to instill within their characters traits that were complementary to the issues within the time periods they inhabited, especially issues of social correctness and morality (See Strindberg & Ibsen). Playwrights like Chekhov attempted to display characters more objectively, with faults and positive traits potentially residing in anyone. These written forms of realism were taken to the stage by the director Stanislavsky, whose directing style took advantage of the intricacy and psychological depth of characters. A more modern approach came about with the contemporary American realism movements, which stress the display of characters beliefs and fantasies (See Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams). The clips posted online generally fall into two categories, older realism and contemporary. Each have some differences but over all there were far more similarities. Older Realism: The older clips seem much more similar to each other than the new clips seem within themselves. The older clips all seem to feature very ornate sets. The most complicated and detailed were from Ibsen's __Hedda Gabler__ and Strindberg's __Miss Julie__. __Hedda Gabler__'s set featured a stairway with a carved banister, clocks, wallpaper covered walls, many wall decorations, mantles with mantle decorations and statuettes, rugs, windows (with thick and thin curtains), a fireplace within a chest, many decorative plants, and a view outside of trees. __Miss Julie__ 's set was similarly exhaustive, although in a kitchen setting featuring plates on the wall, a working stove, a prepared table and anything else one might find in a kitchen. Chekhov's Cherry Orchard features a reel of background noise, dogs barking, and people talking that forms the ambiance of the scene. The acting styles are similarly detailed. In the Cherry Orchard the girls exclaim and giggle in a very old fashioned way, but their effervescent speech patterns give way later to very concerned dialogue between them revealing their hopes and fears. Hedda Gabler is the perfect example of the troubled character; she is unhappy with her life but forced by society to fill a certain role. Her underlying character breaks through in frustration at moments to reveal this. Hickey in The Iceman Cometh has a traumatic monologue revealing his life story with many emotional sidetracks and changes that reveal just how complex the subject is to him, much different from the highly composed and heroic or tragic Shakespearean monologues. The young man in the glass menagerie shows similar emotional strife and depth. Costume was also accurate. In Miss Julie the man who comes home exchanges his street shoes for a pair of inside shoes, wears many layers and a special neck tie and vest. The man in Hedda Gabler wears a period smoking jacket and spectacles and the aunt in that same piece wears many layers and petticoats while Hedda wears a long period nightgown and shawl. In the Glass Menagerie the two characters fight in their bathrooms, an inclusion that demonstrates that not every dramatic interaction will take place in your finest suite and composure. The inclusion of special lights and background noises in Edmund and the Sea was especially interesting. A light would pass by the window and a foghorn sound to simulate a lighthouse outside and enhance the speakers visions of nautical adventure. The lighting in Miss Julie was warm and sought to simulate gas light and firelight in the home. Modern Realism: True West had a highly detailed set in the same tradition as its predecessors. Indoor lighting, shelves, displays, windows to outside (and even a car in the drive), a plethora of plants and many other details make up this intricate set. The sound of dogs barking, birds singing, and children playing make up the suburban backdrop in the style of the effects from Edmund and the Sea. The characters dress to represent their social status (accurately), and they speak and act in similar styles to the same effect. When Malkovich's character leaves he does not just walk off set, he gets in the car and drives off. This in itself is almost over the top, but incredibly accurate. The accents used (just as in the earlier works) also attempt to establish accuracy for their socioeconomic condition. In the Glengary Glen Ross scene a conversation takes place in a dark and smokey bar with dim fluorescent and neon light in an attempt to be accurate to an urban dive. The conversation is clearly in a northern accent, and takes place rapidly just as people from the north are known to talk. The phrases are short, cut, and repetitive, not superfluous or flowery or theatrical. Just real. The James Earl Jones piece of Fences abandons the realistic set, but plays extraordinarily well the realism between complicated characters whose struggle becomes externalized and visible in an incredibly convincing show of truth. Their dialect is similarly accurate to both the time and people and place which they seek to represent. Oleana has a limited approach to the realism in set design. The desk and chair and tile floor are detailed and accurate, and the lighting used certainly seems like that of a commercially built monstrosity, but everything outside this fades to black. The characters here also dress accurately for their roles as student and teacher, and speak to each other as a youth and overly correct professor might.

Overall both old and new forms of realism seek to display dramatic truth through veracity in a combination of acting styles and script writing and set construction.