...A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. In recent years, the 10-minute play known as "flash drama" has emerged as a popular sub-genre of the one-act play, especially in writing competitions. The origin of the one-act play may be traced to the very beginning of drama: in ancient Greece, Cyclops, a satyr play byEuripides, is an early example. The One-Act Play, very popular in the 20th century, is regarded by many as a modern product. But this is far from the truth. One-Act Plays were written and staged throughout the 18th and the 19th centuries, as “The Curtain Raisers” or “The After Pieces”. They were chiefly farcial and served to amuse the audience before the commencement of the actual drama or were staged for their amusement, just after it had come to an end. The famous One-Act Play “Monkey’s Paw” was first staged as a “Curtain Raiser” and it proved to be more entertaining than the main drama. It may be said to mark the beginning of the modern One-Act Play. It was great Norwegian dramatist Ibsen that gave to the One-Act Play its modern touch. It was he, who, for the first time, introduced the minute stage-directions into the One-Act Play. Before him one act plays were written in poetry, but he made prose the medium of his one act plays. In short he made the drama, simple and real, and brought it nearer to everyday life. He made the modern One-Act Play what it is and...
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...Trifles: A Moral Justification for Murder The one act play “Trifles” depicts the views and passions of both men and women during the late-nineteenth century regarding the role of a woman. The characters in the play are the County Attorney, the Sheriff, and Mr. Hale, who are accompanied by Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters into the Wright’s home to investigate the murder of Mr. Wright. The men feel that the women are only concerning themselves with little things and make several condescending comments throughout the play displaying their views. While the men search for clues upstairs and in the outside barn yard, it is the women who cleverly piece together several clues leading to Mrs. Wright’s guilt in the murder mystery. But, because of the shocking evidence found by the women, they become sympathetic towards Mrs. Wright and decide to conceal their findings from the authorities. The women feel that the mental and emotional abuse Mrs. Wright received from her husband was justification for the crime in which she committed. Although murder is usually looked upon as an indefensible crime of selfishness, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters actions were morally validated because of Mr. Wright’s own selfish and tyrannical actions; which left Mrs. Wright with no other alternative but to murder him in order to reclaim her liberty. From the beginning of the play, when Mr. Hale explains to the other men that he was visiting the Wright’s home in hopes of convincing John Wright to pitch in on a party line...
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...Keely Jane Melton 12 March, 2015 SFUAD Questions Personal Statement My main interests in this discipline are simple: to become a better and greater actress. I’ve harbored the passion for acting ever since I was a young girl, so when the opportunity arose for me to further my abilities and better myself became apparent, I was over the moon. I want to become as well-rounded of an actress as I can be; in musicals, in straight plays, and in film. While I admired acting as a young child, it wasn’t until middle school when I got involved. With a stroke of bravery, I decided to audition for the middle school one act play. To my surprise, I made it, and I was bitten by the acting bug. Ever since then, with my first show being The Imaginary Invalid by Moliére and my latest show being Don Nigro’s Maelstrom between a five year period, I’ve devoted my entire high school career, and summers, to the shows in my little town. As for one acts, I’ve done A Midsummer Nights Dream, Alice In Wonderland, The Imaginary Invalid, and Maelstrom. Outside of one act I’ve done CATS, Southern Hospitality, and Shrek. Outside of high school, I’ve done musicals with our local Shining Star Productions studio, headed by Amanda Brandenburg. These include Peter Pan, Steel Magnolias, Aladdin, White Christmas and The Wizard of Oz. For college, I’m hoping to take the skills taught to me by my directors and expound upon them— like I said previously, to become a better, well rounded actress. This profession is...
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...12 ‘night, Mother, Interpretation of mise en scene Joseph Liardi HUMN428 - De Vry University April 14, 2012 Joe, your analysis is very thorough with good attention to detail, and your focus on the psychology at play adds depth and insight. Clearly, you put a lot of time and attention into your study of this play. Terrific job! 200 points 12 ‘night, Mother, Interpretation of mise en scene Joseph Liardi HUMN428 - De Vry University April 14, 2012 Joe, your analysis is very thorough with good attention to detail, and your focus on the psychology at play adds depth and insight. Clearly, you put a lot of time and attention into your study of this play. Terrific job! 200 points ‘night, Mother, Interpretation of mise en scene Marsha Norman was born in Kentucky in 1947. A child who was isolated from the world by her family’s religious norms found comfort in playing the piano, reading books and playing with her imaginary friend called Bettering. Isolation and loneliness of life is something that is familiar to this play wright and is found in her many works such as “The Secret Garden” and “Getting Out”. Marsha Norman’s imaginary friend Bettering can be seen as a metaphor that compares her own relationships with her family, particularly her mother, and the feelings of alienation she felt as a child and her desire to be in control and better her life. (Yes, fascinating name she chose for her imaginary friend! Children can be so wise) Her own childhood...
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...is a one act play, with two leads (one male one female) and two smaller roles (both male). The play depicts a fictional meeting between a young Napoleon and a mysterious lady, where the evenly matched intellects take part in a savage battle of wits with liberty, honour and reputation at stake. It's Shaw on War, Patriotism, Loyalty and Class: clever, funny and incisive. Characters: Napoleon – the esteemed general when on the cusp of his greatest victory, 26-year-old Napoleon is clever, ruthless, unassailable, and vulnerable… The Lady – never named, the (possibly) slightly older lady who verbally duels with the revered commander is wily, smart, attractive, devious, well bred, and loyal. Giuseppe Grandi – the owner of the tavern where Napoleon is resting between battles is ‘a swarthy, shrewdly cheerful, grinning little man of 40’ The Lieutenant - a young man of 24, a man without fear, without reverence, without imagination, without sense, hopelessly insusceptible to the Napoleonic or any other idea, stupendously egotistical, eminently qualified to rush in where angels fear to tread, yet of a vigorous babbling vitality which bustles him into the thick of things. Auditions will take place on the 24th and 26th April, with recalls on 29th April. The auditions will in part take the form of prepared speeches and reading from sections of the text (which will be made available beforehand). The show runs in conjunction with Sink the Belgrano (you can only be in one of the plays) from...
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...Summary... One act play: Riders to the sea By John Millington The play begins with Maurya, who has fallen into a fitful sleep. She is certain that her son, Michael, has drowned, even though she has no proof, and has been constantly grieving for nine days. Cathleen, her daughter, is doing household chores when Nora, another daughter arrives. She quietly slips into the kitchen with a bundle that had been given to her by a young priest. In the bundle are clothes taken from the body of a man who drowned in the far north. They were sent to Maurya's home, hoping that she would be able to identify the body. Maurya begins to look as if she is going to wake up soon, so the daughters hide the bundle until a time when they are alone. Maurya awakes, and her fear for losing her only remaining son Bartley intensifies her grieving for Michael. Keep in mind, she has already lost five sons and a husband to the sea. The priest claims that that "insatiable tyrant" will not take her sixth. However, Bartley proclaims that he is going to venture over to the mainland that same day, in order to sell a horse at the fair, despite knowing of the high winds and seas. Maurya begs Bartley not to go, yet he insists despite her pleas. In a flustered state of irritation, Maurya bids him gone without her blessing. Upon seeing these events unfold, the sisters tell Maurya, that she should go out and search for Bartley in order to give him the lunch that they he had forgotten to bring, and while at it, give...
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...(/academy/lesson/closet-drama-de啨喤nition-examples-quiz.html#transcriptHeader) Quiz Lesson (/academy/practice/quizworksheetcloset drama.html) Course Instructor: Debbie Notari The Closet Drama is a play that was meant to be read, but not performed. This art form is most associated with the Romantic period in literature, though Closet Dramas are still written today. In this lesson, we will look at the history of Closet Dramas and see a few examples. De㸷㐰nition Closet dramas are plays that have been written to be read, but not performed. Their value is in the play itself, not in the performance of the play. This art form was popularized in the Romantic era by such writers as Robert Browning and Goethe. Plays are written, generally, to be performed, and the playwright depends on the actors and actresses to bring his script to a higher level. With closet dramas, the playwright intends just the opposite. There will be no performance, and the play itself carries its own strength and value. In a nutshell, a closet drama is meant to be read, but not performed. History http://study.com/academy/lesson/closetdramadefinitionexamplesquiz.html 1/4 10/10/2015 Closet Drama: Definition & Examples | Study.com During the early 1800s, most plays that were performed were 'melodramas' or 'burlesque.' Serious writers such as Browning and Byron sought to elevate the art form by removing it from the stage altogether by creating closet dramas. It was a natural ...
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...Fine Arts & the Creative Process: Theatre Emphasis April 26, 2012 Cloud 9 Critical Response The play Cloud Nine examines questions of gender identity, sexuality and individual freedom, as they exist within two traditional, oppressive ideological models: colonial imperialism and masculine supremacy. By contrasting these worlds of political and sexual dominance, the play draws a parallel between the paralysis exacted by both frameworks upon the development and expression of unique, authentic personhood. The play dramatizes the argument in startling fashion by challenging the touchstones of theatrical convention. Specifically, it defies usual methods of depiction, for some of the main characters in Cloud 9 are portrayed by actors who do not, in any physical or obvious way, resemble those characters. Because the play distorts and uproots the standards of dramatic characterization in such a bold way, the staging of Cloud 9 can potentially border on the ludicrous. So thrown is the audience, that members might start to disengage from the activity of the play and dismiss its theatrical experimentation as too obvious to be regarded seriously, too overdone to be clever or provocative. However, if such an impression of Cloud 9 is registered, I believe this is a failing not of the play but of an audience conditioned to assign fixed attributes to characters in order to render them intelligible. Cloud 9 is not interested in offering satisfaction in this rather simple manner, or of treating...
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...protest is explored both through the content and through the structure of the play. At one level, protest is explored thematically through an absurd situation: a madman investigating ‘accidental death’ of an anarchist by questioning those officials who were involved in the interrogation. Whereas on the other hand, protest is structurally represented by employing multiple aspects of various theatrical traditions in the character of madman– as the protagonist who successfully convinces the audience to believe all that he exposes despite his repeated insistence that he is insane....
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...The play The Crucible written by American play-writer, Arthur Miller, is a play in the form of a tragedy written in 1953. It is a very dramatic scene of a small village Salem, Massachusetts and takestaking place in 1692. Written about the ever so fraudulent Salem witch trials, the characters are vibrant and very expressed in their own personalities. Probably one of the most important characters of the play, Abigail Williams displays numerous amounts of diverse personalities. She reveals herself as being truly evil, very manipulative, and overall a liar throughout the play. She values herself very highly being she made up thousands of lies to cover herself and her “white” name. And overall, this is all caused by the horrible affair between the strong John Proctor and Abigail. Meaning, she has very strong and overwhelming feeling of affection towards John. Abigail shows herself as being evil buy at the beginning of the play where Betty is “sick”. She tells the girls there “. . . Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. . .”. (I.463-468). This is perfect evidence for the assumption of her...
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...her palace of Whitchali ,just outside London. the play would suit such an occasion since it’s a delightful ,lighthearted comedy ,full of love and laughter ,and with only a cloud or two to pass across the happy sunshine. But what about the social background of the play? For many centuries Christian communities have celebrated the feast of Epiphany-the time when the infant Jesus was first presented to the Magi (wise men) twelve days after his birth on Christmas day .in Shakespeare’s time; this whole period from 25th December to 6th January was given over to ‘Yuletide revels’-a time of feasting and celebration which probably dates back to Roman Satumalin. During this extended partying, it was traditional to play tricks on people, and it was understood that, for a while the usual master-servant relationship were turned on their heads. Twelfth Night was a period of carnival in which typically: a. People might give away to bodily pleasures of all kinds (drinking too much, indulging in sex, over eating and many more). b. Language itself seemed to run riot (with jokes, nonsense and wit). c. The traditional hierarchies (the lord and lady ‘at the top’ and the servants in various ranks beneath them) were temporarily overthrown. Twelfth Night itself marked the end of these festivities and was therefore a signal that the ‘misrule’ was over and the traditional hierarchies would once again be in place. What about the construction of the play? There are two main plots. In the first, Orsino,...
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...Hamlet is one of the greatest Shakespeare’s plays that have for a long time fascinated many readers all around the globe. The character of hamlet plays a central role in the Shakespeare’s tragic play which has the same name. When the play starts Hamlet is far from being a commanding figure. The play starts with Hamlet striking a defensive poster. He is very resentful of what had happened. The play paints an image of a man who is very thoughtful. It is maybe for this reason that he is the main protagonist in this tragic drama. Hamlet takes time to think about incidents in his life a trait that keeps the play moving. He takes time before acting which raises the question of to why he is the central figure in the play. The start of the play also paints an image of a depressed hamlet. All through the play Hamlet is a victim of his cruel fate. Although he is melancholic, Hamlet is a schemer and very secretive. After the ghost revealed to him who his father’s killer was, Hamlet does not jump into action but opts to think about the incident first. He also makes Horatio and Marcellus to vow to keep the ghost story a secret. Hamlet has been able to make this one of the best plays maybe due to his complicated character which is hard for the other characters to understand. He himself acknowledges at the start of the play that “Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother nor customary suits of solemn black” (I.ii.77-84). By this he acknowledges that he is a character with more than one facet. Even...
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...The Importance of Being Earnest, Act 2 In The Importance of Being Earnest, almost every character is in pursuit of another; Jack is in pursuit of Gwendolen’s love, whom is in pursuit of Jack, who she believes is Ernest. Meanwhile in the country, Dr Chausible is in pursuit of Miss Prism’s love, and Cecily of Algernon’s love; similarly to Gwendolen’s situation, Cecily is fooled into believing Algernon is called Ernest. Wilde has created this situation to mock the upper class of the time and also uses it in various ways to build comedy throughout act 2. Within act 2, the audience witness many entrances and exits, one of the most significant from the Merriman during the dispute between Gwendolen and Cecily. During the dispute, Gwendolen and Cecily are disrupted by the Merriman, ‘followed by the footman’, with ‘the presence of the servants [exercising] a restraining influence, under which both girls chafe’. This builds the comedy within this scene as the Merriman sets the table slowly, with ‘a long pause’, further infuriating Cecily and Gwendolen; this creates anticipation within the audience, as they would be anxiously wait for the dispute to continue. One could interpret the entrance and exit of the Merriman as Wilde placing more importance in the servants than the people they are serving, another way to mock the upper class of the time. Another important exit in the act is when Cecily and Gwendolen ‘retire into the house with scornful looks’, expecting the men to chase after...
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...caldron bubble” (Act 4 Scene 1). These famous words, said by the three witches, come from one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies- ‘Macbeth’ Completed in 1606, this play is set in Scotland, and dramatizes the corroding psychological and political effects produced when its protagonist, the Scottish lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. Shakespeare wrote this play when attitudes were completely different to the attitudes of society today, in particular, widespread belief in witchcraft. In the play of 'Macbeth' the witches have an important effect on Macbeth, the characters, the plot, the theme and the audience. They help construct the play and without them it would have been a totally different story line. The three witches effect characters’ lives, orientate the plot, they are related to most of the themes or motifs and appeal the audience's attention. The witches, or three sisters, have a strong effect on the characters of the play- especially Macbeth. When Macbeth meets the witches for the first time, they greet him as the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and does not know about Cawdor, he hasn’t heard that the Thane of Cawdor has died. “I know I am Thane of Glamis, But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives” (Act 1 Scene 3). When Macbeth learns that the thane of Cawdor has in fact died, it is almost as if a bit of evil has been put into Macbeth’s head that will soon grow to dominate his mind. In the play the witches, with...
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...What did Shakespeare know about the depths of a man and the battle inside to write a play that would captivate every generation to come from then on? As I analyze this play, I will carefully attend to details in which forms the structure of the play. Moreover I will attempt to show how in Act four of this play, Shakespeare proficiently brings together the main plot and sub-plots of the play, and moves rapidly towards the final resolution. Shakespeare decided to set corruption in Elsinor, a royal castle in medieval Denmark. Prior to the first act Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude is widowed to King Hamlet. When this tragedy starts, we are introduced to Marcellus, Bernardo, and Francisco who guard the castle at night. While on watch an apparition of King Hamlet appeared to them and they then knew something was wrong, the question was what should they do. Once hamlet learns of his father’s return, he at once insists that he go on watch to witness his father’s appearance. The following night Hamlet’s father does appear and commands Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet’s father tells him of the corruption that has taken place behind the walls of Elsinor. He informs Hamlet of his uncle’s rage and what it has lead him to do. He tells Hamlet of the serpent who stung him, and how he goes by the name of Claudius. Hamlets composure wit, and strength would know be tested to their limits. What could Hamlet do, what would he do? A clever wit and common sense are his only hope to avenge his father’s...
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