BF+realism


 * There are important differences between And the Soul Shall Dance and the video illustrations linked to the schedule page demonstrating "realism" in the European, English and American theatre. Briefly discuss a few of them that you consider the most important.**

There are many similarities between //And the Soul Shall Dance// and the video illustrations on the wiki, particularly the realistic aspects. All strive to portray events that could actually happen in real life and explore social and psychological issues and the personal struggles of ordinary people1. However, film is a much better medium for realism than theater (there are several reasons for this: the audience cannot interrupt the performance and break the illusion of reality; the performance is static, so actors cannot faulter; films are able to create detailed sets or film on location; scenes can be edited after filming2). Theater like //And the Soul Shall Dance// cannot achieve this level of naturalism.

Wakako Yamauchi’s //And the Soul Shall Dance// begins with a fire3. It would be impractical and dangerous to actually start a fire onstage, so it is conveyed to the audience mainly through the dialogue. Films are better suited to show destruction--for example, the video from Tennessee Williams’ //Glass Menagerie// has a scene where a figurine falls and shatters against the floor4. A live production could not easily do this because it would be dangerous to have bits of glass all over the stage for the rest of the show and difficult and expensive to obtain new figurines for every performance, but films can clean between shots for the actors’ safety and often have more accommodating budgets.

Because realism is so perfectible in film, most theater production do not go to such great lengths to attain realism and embrace theatricalism2. This is the greatest difference between Yamauchi’s play and the videos.

WORD COUNT: 264

1--Arnold. //Creative Spirit//, p. 197 2--Arnold. //Creative Spirit//, p. 199 3--Arnold. //Creative Spirit.// Yamauchi. //And the Soul Shall Dance//, p. 220 4--Williams. //The Glass Menagerie//, http://2100h.wikispaces.com/realism+1