EMREALISM

The Cherry Orchard: The characters are dressed as though they just came in from being outside on a cold day. They are wearing many layers showing the thoroughness of the costume design. Also when the scene first starts there are many people talking in the background which is realistic because in real life there is a rarely a time where things are totally silent like they are usually portrayed in plays. The stage is not decorated in a stark way but is decorated to look like the house is more lived in and more like a normal home. Hedda Gabler: In this scene the characters as also dressed appropriately for the time. Abstract ideas are not used and all things done are realistic. The conversation is a little formal but that fits for the time. The period they are portraying is more a formal time so this is understandable. The set was decorated elaborately which fit the time period. Miss Julie: The food in the play is real and some of it is even eaten. The outside scenery looks to be very realistic and so does the way the house is set up. In this play the routine that the people go through seem very realistic as though the man is coming home from work and is coming to home to find a meal and a drink waiting for him. This fits with the idea of the time period. Iceman Cometh: In this play the man talks to the group, rather than to the audience. This factor makes the scene seem more realistic instead of like a monologue. He rambles and switches subjects like people do in normal conversation, making the speech seem less contrived and more every day. Plus the men look rather haggard and not dressed up. They are not overdone and look plain and realistic. Long Day’s Journey into Night: The man talks with doubt which is realistic. His speech is full of his feelings which represent realism. He talks about things that everyone can relate to such as self-doubt, so this familiarity is a characteristic of realism. He is a little dramatic but that is mentioned as the man tells him he has the “makings of a poet”. Death of a Salesman: This play is based around things that happen in everyday life. This realism is a major part of the play and a huge emphasis is placed on the normal. The play also focuses on problems that many Americans face. Things like money problems and family situations. Many of the things discussed in the play are things that people deal with on a regular basis. The Glass Menagerie: The mother and son are fighting as though a real family would fight. It is less formal than one would fight with a friend and they are dressed down as though someone dresses in the privacy of their own home. The fight is believable because many times people direct anger towards family when they are really angry about something else, such as his job. The older plays, although not overly dramatic, are more formal and ornate than the newer plays. The actors seem less free with their emotions with is just something that is commonly associated about older time periods. The sets are also very well designed and thorough, rarely is something abstract but rather everything is very realistic. Oleanna: Already the play is more abstract, as there are no walls. The actors stutter and struggle with speech as someone would do in real life. The desk has many papers on it and it looks like a normal office desk would look. The conversation is more passionate than would normally be expected for a normal teacher/ student conference, which takes away from some of the realism. Glengarry Glen Ross: The accents in the play make the conversation less formal which is realistic for a conversation in a bar. The cigarette and the clothing make the scene realistic. They are talking in a taunting way but they talk less formally than seen in any other play. They are speaking of something business related which is believable because they look like business men stopping at the bar on the way home from work. The problem seems to be about money which is also believable because for many this is the main motivation behind business men. True West: This play seems very realistic because of the set and the noises during the play. During the scene you can hear sounds that one relates to outside such as birds. Also the character uses real water to water his plants. The mannerisms of the guys seem like they are having a genuine conversation. Also the way the actors cut each other off in speech seems less formal than the earlier plays and more realistic. Fences: The relationships in the play seem very realistic. The arguments do not seem contrived and the emotions seem raw. The language is not perfect and many times contain errors in speech. The father seems upset whereas the son seems like he is scared of his father but also hurt at the same time. The more modern plays focus on realistic dialogue more than the older plays. Many times the set is not as decorated as the previous sets but rather only have a few props that are essential to the scene.