8.4- Post Modern Theatre

[audio:postmoderntheatreoverview.mp3]

More outstanding Playwrights

Traditional theatre in the Postmodern world still has stellar playwrights
Here are some famous playwrights you should become familiar with

Tom Stoppard (British) b. 1937
Popular work: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Optional video:

Neil Simon (American) b. 1927
Popular work: The Last of the Red Hot Lovers
Optional video:

Sam Shepard (American) b. 1943
Popular Work: Fool for Love
Optional video:

David Mamet (American) b. 1947
Popular Work: Glengarry Glen Ross
Optional video:

John Guare (American) b.1938
Popular Work: Six Degrees of Separation
Optional video:

Performance Art

It’s not theatre — or is it?
The best I can do for this unique art form is to describe to you my first experience with performance art.

[audio:performanceart.mp3]

Optional Video:

Laurie Anderson (American) b. 1947 American
Popular Work — O Superman
Optional Video:

Karen Finley (American) b. 1956
Popular Work — Shut Up and Love Me
Optional video:

The Theatre Spectacle

[audio:theatrespectacular.mp3]

In order to compete with television, film and video theatrical performances turned to the spectacular.

Grand multimedia extravaganzas that could only truly be experienced live with extravagant ticket prices ranging from $50 to hundreds of dollars.

Phantom of the Opera
The Majestic Theatre in New York was partly rebuilt in order to accommodate 96 trap doors, tons of props and a crashing chandelier to create a live theatre spectacle

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

  • Cutting edge technology
  • Fantastic sets and costumes
  • Imaginative visual effects like those found in television and video
  • And it’s all live.
  • Island on Second Life

Cirque du Soleil

  • Fantastic sets, costumes, makeup and lighting effects
  • Circus apparatus, acrobatics, drama contortions
  • Combined with live music, dance and acting

Blue Man Group

  • Originally an off broadway performance
  • A worldwide phenomena
  • Music, comedy and a multimedia theatrical performance

Stomp
Percussive musical performances on found sound instruments
Combined with dance, costumes and a theatrical set

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Posted on April 24th, 2009 at 5:54 pm and is filed under 8.0 Post Modern. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “8.4- Post Modern Theatre”

  1. Chet writes:
    No. 1 — April 18th, 2011 at 5:39 pm

    As far as playwrights, Neil Simon–anything he’s done, period, end of story. I have never been so entertained and thoroughly enjoy his work.

    Likewise, I have been delighted by Cirque du Soleil after experiencing a performance (walked into the tent standing right next to Rick Springfield — he’s TALL). Also, I cannot wait to see the Blue Man Group live in Vegas someday — and guarantee that I will not fall asleep during that performance.

  2. Chet writes:
    No. 2 — April 18th, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    By the way, I thought Blue Man Group was born as a marketing gimmick of IBM, that evolved into the off-Broadway act they developed?