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Wigs are OUT; Natural hair is in

Hats were not such a big deal.

Lace & trims VERY popular; Ostrich feathers #1

Bodices cut low front high back (Blame the French)

"empire" waisted dresses all the rage

Long, trailing skirts

Crinoline & Bustles

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wrote The Inspector General [aka The Government Inspector] in 1835; published 1 year later (1836)

- revised in 1842 [new addition]

- 5 act comedy of errors that
focused on 3 focal points; 1.
human greed 2. stupidity 3.
political corruption of Imperial
Russia

March 31st, 1809 - March 4th, 1852 (age 42)

Ukrainian-born Russian author & dramatist

- deemed by many as the
Father of Russia's "Golden
Age of Realism"
* influenced the direction of
Russian literature
* Dead Souls (1842 novel) &
Shine! (1842 short story) are
considered the foundations
of the great 19th century
tradition of Russian realism

younger brother, Ivan, died when Gogol was only 10

- significantly affected his
character & was always in
search of his next BFF

Failed attempts...

- 1828; traveled to Saint
Petersburg (Russia), in hopes
of entering the civil service
* discovered it'd be too hard
without $ & connections; he
would have to fight hard for
a living
- toyed with the idea of
becoming an actor; had an
unsuccessful audition & was
turned off from the idea of it
- remembered a mediocre
poem he wrote in high school;
was so desperate that he
published the poem at his
own expense
* failed so bad that he burned
every copy & planned on
leaving Russia

Plan to escape Russia & hideous life...

- planned on going to the U.S.
* embezzled $ sent by his
mother for mortgage on her
farm to take a boat to a
German port
* didn't even sail; briefly
toured Germany, ran out of
$, & returned to Saint
Petersburg where he got an
ill-paid government post

lived out the government post, taught as an assistant professor of medieval history @ Saint Petersburg University, & didn't give up writing

- eventually did become
famous for his writing & it
happened almost overnight
* wrote about childhood
memories in Ukraine
* wrote about devils, witches,
& other demonic/fantastic
agents that excited Ukraine
culture

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Anna Cora Mowatt - Theatre & Nationalism

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Anna Cora Mowatt - Theatre & Nationalism

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1819-1870

most noted for popular play Fashion but had other active/distinguished careers

- writer
- actress

participated in family's amateur theatricals as a child

married an older, wealthy attorney @ age 15 [James Mowatt] but continued her study of literature & history

turned her writing into a career in 1841, when her husband lost his fortune & showed a decline in health/eyesight

- contributed articles to
women's magazines
- published novels
- gave public recitations of
poetry

Fashion

- produced March 24th, 1845
- astonishing success
- premiered @ an upscale
theater in NY [Park Theatre]
- let people know that
Americans could do theater &
they could do it well

made her acting debut on June 13th, 1845, which was warmly received

- praised for natural style by
Edgar Allan Poe

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one of the most renowned theatrical families in 19th century England

Edmund Kean

1789-1833

rebellious youth; on his own by age 15

spent 10 years performing on provincial tours & in minor London theatres

married actress Mary Chambers; they had 2 sons but 1 died at an early age

made a sensational debut @ Drury Lane, playing Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice when he was 27

created his own acting technique; constructed his roles to highlight emotional transitions, which was a different type of character development

lifestyle/alcoholism diminished both his skill & popularity as Shylock in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice

Charles Kean

1811-1868

lacked in talent compared to the rest of the family but was forced to "give it a go" when Edmund's career began to decline

made his debut @ Drury Lane in 1827 & had first success with Hamlet

1850-1859; managed the Princess Theatre, which became the most fashionable theatre in London; retired in 1859Charles & his wife as Macbeth & Lady Macbeth (1858)

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2 generations of the Kemble family dominated English theatre

- began in the late 18th century,
when John Philip Kemble &
his sister [Sarah] became
major stars
* "classical style" influenced
English acting for decades

John Philip Kemble [eldest brother of 12]

1757-1823

originally trained for priesthood but left to become an actor

made his London debut in 1738, playing Hamlet

Sarah Siddons [eldest sister of 12]

1755-1831

early career was spent touring provincial theatres

achieved fame on the stage of Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

married an undistinguished actor @ 18 [William Siddons], whom she had 5 children & was also unhappy with

"queen of tragedy"

Charles Kemble

1775-1854

effective Shakespearean actor admired for "gentlemanly" portrayals of Romeo, Hamlet, & Benedick

managed the Covent Garden from 1817-1832

Frances Anne [Charles Kemble's oldest daughter]

1809-1893

poet, dramatist, diarist, an actress

made her debut as Juliet in 1829 @ Covent Garden

immediate popularity saved the theatre from financial ruin

fame followed her to the U.S. when she toured NY & Philadelphia with her father (1832-1833)

married an American plantation owner & retired but her marriage became rocky over the issue of slavery

- fierce abolitionist
- left her husband in 1845, who
soon divorced her

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William Charles Macready - Acting Styles

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William Charles Macready - Acting Styles

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1793-1873

actor & director in the 19th century

- career has been closely
examined by scholars, due to
his innovations in production

grew up with theater but entered Rugby School to prepare for a career in law

- went onstage once to
support the family after his
father had passed (1810) but
he stuck with it
* made his London debut @
Covent Garden for The
Disturbed Mother
* then played villains in
melodramas & began to
excel in tragic roles

introduced the "Macready pause"

- would pause momentarily
during the delivery of his lines
to give the impression that he
was thinking

directed companies @ Covent Garden & Drury Lane from 1837-1843

- one of the 1st directors to
impose blocking
- made his actors act during
rehearsals rather than go
through motions lifelessly

also one of the first to begin restoring Shakespearean texts to something closer to the original versions

retired from the stage in 1851; work paved the way for realistic acting & staging of the late 19th century as Macbeth

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1806-1867

became a touring star in Europe because he couldn't gain acceptance in the U.S., since he was African American

one of the leading Shakespearean actors of the 19th century

performed [mostly in Europe] for 40 years

began acting at the African Grove Theatre in NYC @ age 16

invited to appear in Stockholm by the king of Sweden as Mungo in The Padlock

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Sarah Bernhardt & Eleonora Duse - Rise of the International Star

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Sarah Bernhardt & Eleonora Duse - Rise of the International Star

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Sarah Bernhardt [aka "Madame Sarah"]

1845-1923

famous for her eccentricities & temperament

demanded her salary in gold & supposedly slept in a coffin

made her debut @ Comedie Francaise in 1862; stayed with the company until 1882

master of stage technique but her chief asset was her voice, which was often compared to a golden bell

managed theatres in Paris twice

toured the U.S. many times

Eleonora Duse

1858-1924

quiet & reclusive

parents were both actors & she made her own stage debut @ age 4

playing Juliet by age 14

struggled for many years after the death of her parents, until appearing in Naples [1879] as the title character in Emile Zola's production, Therese Raquin

formed her own company after touring

didn't wear make-up; used her expressive face, eyes, & gestures to convey the thoughts of a character

retired in 1909 because of ill health but financial problems forced her back onstage after WWI

- died while on tour in
Pittsburgh

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Madame Vestris: Lucia Elizabetta Bartolozzi & Laura Keene - Actor-managers & Playwright-managers 

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Madame Vestris: Lucia Elizabetta Bartolozzi & Laura Keene - Actor-managers & Playwright-managers 

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Madame Vestris: Lucia Elizabetta Bartolozzi

1797-1856

despite difficulty in theatre-life for women, Madame Vestris was able to both make major innovations in staging while making a profit as proprietor of the Olympic Theatre

had 15 years of experience prior to opening her theatre

married Auguste Armand Vestris [dancer & 1 member of a famous family of ballet performers] when she was 16

- husband left her in 1820

continued to act, playing in Paris for many years & then @ the Drury Lane and Covent Garden theatres

had an excellent singing voice & might have made a career in opera but instead played in different theatre shows

breeches roles [woman playing the part of a young man & thus having the opportunity to show off her legs] were 1 of her specialties

opened her Olympic Theatre with Olympic Revels

- presented only light
entertainment

credited with introducing the box set to England around 1832

maintained strict control over her acting company to achieve everything she wanted onstage

re-married to Charles Matthews in 1838

- light comedian in her
company
- managed the Covent Garden
together for 3 years after an
American tour

Laura Keene

1826-1873

successful woman in the business of theatre management during the 19th century

born in England but very little is known of her early life; the year of her birth & her real name are uncertain

married @ a young age to a man who was supposedly exiled to Australia as a convict

opened Laura Keene's Varieties in December of 1855

- became the first woman to
run a large, first-class NY
theatre
* of course, not welcomed in
the competitive world of
commercial theatre thanks
to established male
managers

produced one of the biggest hits of the 19th century, Tom Taylor's Our American Cousin

unfortunately known for...

- onstage performing in Our
American Cousin @ Ford's
Theatre in Washington the
night Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated there

forced into retirement by ill health; died in 1873 but her work encouraged many other women to enter the field before passing

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Richard Wagner & Georg II, Duke of Saxe Meiningen - 2 early directors 

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Richard Wagner & Georg II, Duke of Saxe Meiningen - 2 early directors 

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possibly the most important directorial innovators @ the close of this period

neither one performed in their company, moving us closer to the modern concept of directors

Richard Wagner

1813-1883

best-known as an opera composer

important as a stage & directing theorist

- 1 of his theories was that a
production, whether opera or
theatre, should be a
"masterwork" in which all
elements - music, words,
action, scenery, lighting - are
integrated as "total theatre"
- also argued that 1 person
should serve as writer,
composer, & director

acquainted with opera & theatre from his earliest years; neglected all of his studies besides music as a child

age 17; had an overture performed in the Leipzig Theatre

spent a short but wild time @ the University of Leipzig, then spent the next several years working as the conductor of orchestras

forced to flee in 1849; needed to avoid arrest for taking part in the revolution of 1848

- during his time in exile, he had
time to develop theories &
begin composing the works
that form his great operatic
cycle

interested in Germanic myths, believed in supremacy of Germans, & anti-Semitism beliefs led him to be Hitler's favorite composer

- took place long after his
death but still makes him
controversial to this day

held important innovations for increasing stage illusion

- musicians were forbidden to
tune instruments in the
orchestra pit
- audience members weren't
allowed to applaud during the
course of a presentation
- often credited with being the
1st director to extinguish the
house lights in order to focus
the audience's attention on
the stage

Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

1826-1914

originally hoped to pursue a military career in Berlin but was ordered to return to Saxe-Meiningen by his father once the revolution of 1848 broke out in Germany

- once home, he became
involved in theatre

married Princess Charlotte of Prussia, with whom he had 3 children, in 1850

- she died 3 years later, leaving
him to turn to art & music for
consolation
* traveled to Italy for a year of
study
- remarried to a German
princess in 1858 but she also
passed in 1872

supervised the court theatre in the evenings, planning/directing productions & providing sketches for scenery & costumes

insisted on historical accuracy & spent lavish sums on rich fabrics/authentic decor for stunning visuals

Meiningen company astounded the world with its acting ensemble & historically accurate productions

the years before Georg's death [1914] were tranquil & his 3rd marriage was a happy one

considered 1 of the first modern directors [as the director of many Shakespearean & romantic dramas]

- revolutionized stage
production
- rehearsed his actors with
scenery & costumes for
extensive periods of time,
until he believed that all
elements were unified
- used company actors rather
than amateurs/paid extras
* mostly employed young
actors
- admired for historically
accurate/practical
settings, costumes that
helped establish character,
lighting effects, & sound
effects

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1833-1893

upheld "America's finest actor" reputation for over 100 years; linked with his role as Hamlet, which was also his greatest role

anticipated modern scenic developments

son of famous actor, Junius Brutus Booth (1796-1852)

- began accompanying his
father on tours @ age 13

made his own dramatic debut in 1849, then continued on to play small parts in his father's company

NY debut in 1857 established him as the most promising young actor in the U.S.

- had the "it" factor; his acting
was well-respected because
his depth of character, grace,
& freedom from mannerisms

played Hamlet for 100 consecutive nights in NY [record that wasn't surpassed until 1923]

built his own theatre in 1869

- presented a series of
Shakespearean productions
for 5 years
- abandoned the wing-and-
groove method of scene
shifting & the ranked stage
- used heavy set pieces &
freestanding scenery to create
historically accurate settings
- introduced an elevator stage
for raising & lowering entire
sets
- installed flying equipment to
raise scenery out of sight
above the proscenium
opening
- poor financial management
forced Booth's theatre into
bankruptcy in 1874

lived the rest of his life as a touring star & was one of the first American actors to achieve international fame

personal life = quiet & melancholy

experienced 3 tragedies: 1. first wife died after 2.5 years of marriage 2. second wife went mad after the loss of their infant son 3. brother, John Wilkes Booth, assassinated Abraham LincolnEdwin + his daughter, Edwina (1864)

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Catherine the Great & Chekhov - Theatres in Russia Reflects 19th Century Trends 

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Catherine the Great & Chekhov - Theatres in Russia Reflects 19th Century Trends 

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Empress Catherine II, aka Catherine the Great

1729-1796

began her reign in 1762; lasted until 1796

theatrical activity began to increase under her reign

- ordered the Bolshoi
Theatre to be built in Saint
Petersburg (1771)
- established the Imperial
Theatre School to train
Russian actors, dancers, &
singers

Anton Chekhov

1860-1904

Russian playwright & master of the modern short story

- originally only wrote short
stories for financial gain but
that changed as his artistic
ambition grew
- made formal innovations that
influenced the evolution of
the modern short story &
didn't care about the
difficulties this posed to the
reader
* insisted that an artist's job
was to ask questions; not
answer them

produced 4 classics

- The Seagull (1896)
- Uncle Vanya (1898)
- Three Sisters (1900)
- The Cherry Orchard (1903)

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Building started May 22 1872, Wagner's Bday! (what a present!)

Opened August 13, 1876

Opera house Located in Bayreuth, Germany

Built to stage works of German Composer Richard Wagner

Largest freestanding timber structure ever built

Bayreuth Festival (Lots of Greek inspiration)

Built based off an unfinished project by Gottfried Semper (without permission)

Designed with sound in mind

hidden orchestra organize for optimal sound travel

Continental seating to allow everyone ample view of the stage (see pic below)

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Bayreuth Festspielhaus - behind the scenes

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not to be confused with Booth Theatre

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Built by actor Edwin Booth

Built in 1869

Booth's Dream theatre

Cost of it led him to file for bankruptcy

1869-1873 Shakespeare main focus (Booth was a fan)

Closed 1883 & Demolished 1965

5 stories:

1st floor - Shops

2nd-4th - Artist studios & apartments

5th - Booth's private apartment

forced air heating & cooling

hydraulic ramps for moving scenery

sprinkler system

electric spark-ignite system that allowed auditorium and stage lights to go out (first in US)

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Usually done in proscenium

Set that involves 3 walls, where the 4th is the proscenium

Illusion of interior

Introduced to English theatre by Elizabeth Vestris (Actress, Opera singer; notable theatre manager & producer)

Popularized by Marie Wilton (Actress, theatre manager)

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Theatre was becoming more globalized so did costuming

More focus on Historical Accuracy

The Meiningers - German Traveling troupe known for their painstakingly historically accurate costuming

Influenced costuming in Paris, Russia, and the US

Costuming as a profession came to light (especially in the US)

Sewing Machines introduced in the 1830s and was a real game changer.

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adopted 1810s and 1820s

but there was no way to control them

BUT WAIT

Limelight (1830s, London)

oxyhydrogen flame directed at a cylinder of quicklime (calcium oxide)

hit with a mix of hydrogen & oxygen (see video)

Electric Carbon Arc Lamp (1840s, Paris)

Both could be focused with an attached lens.

Light could be focused on specific actors for the first time

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Due to the industrial revolution, urbanization and the expansion of the middle class, theaters were built in cities.

Thus audiences were heavily middle class.

Members of the middle class found they had a lot of time on their hands and there became a bigger demand for entertainment.  Attending the theater became a fashionable pastime.

By the end of the 1800's theater was in heavy demand (comparable to the demand for film and the commonality of it in our time.)

The heavy demand of theater led to the building of lager playhouses to accommodate the growing audience sizes.

Because of the construction of railroads and more advanced transportation theater was able to be brought to audiences living far away from the bustling city life.

This more efficient transportation allowed acting companies to tour their shows and even brought popular productions from Europe to be presented in America.

Today theater no longer holds the attention of mass audiences as it did in the 19th century. The massive audiences that theater attracted in the 1800's has not been equaled in modern times.

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The Industrial Revolution led to massive theatre changes

o  Technologically with the invention of gas lighting new play houses used that in replace of candles

o  Sewing machines led way to faster production of costumes

o  Steam engines gave way to Touring and performing on steam boats.

o  Urbanization gave rise to a middle class and with farmers and migrants swarming cities entertainment demand sky rocketed.

o 1843 Theatre Act (Theatre Regulation Act)

o Fun Fact! Burlesque performances are a thing now

as well as other plays from outside the three main types...

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IMPERIALISM, COLONIALISM, NATIONALISM OH MY!

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IMPERIALISM, COLONIALISM, NATIONALISM OH MY!

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Following many of the revolutions from the 18th century the 1800's had the residual after effects.

TLDR: Countries like France, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Russia were expanding and conquering the Americas and Europe which lead to many wars and conflicts

· THE UNITED STATES IS A THING

o  As a reference point 1801 President Jefferson takes office (3rd President)
o America is basically at war through out the entirety of the 19th century but here's the important bits..

o Louisiana purchase 1803

o   Napoleonic wars 1803–1815

o War of 1812! (-1815)
-The White House was set on fire 1814

o The Alamo 1836

o  Manifest Destiny 1840
- Westward Migration

o  Florida 1845

o The California Gold Rush 1848–1855

o American Civil War 1861–1865
-Emancipation Declaration 1863

o Austria-Hungary split 1867

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Agricultural Revolution

-  In Great Britain between the 17-19th Century

-HUGE agricultural boom lead too..

Larger populations
Better economic

Led way to the….

Industrial Revolution!

o   Machines, manufacturing, iron production, the use of steam power, the development of machine tools and the rise of the factories! Technological advances!

o  Steam Engine (power)

-   Transportation
1804 Steam Locomotive (Train)
1807 Steam Boat

-Lead to better canal and water way transportations

o Chemicals

o Cement

- Road development
- Gas Lighting
(Electricity discovered 1752)
(The electric light 1879)

- Glass Making

- Paper Machines
First Automobile car! 1865!

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The Industrial Revolution (18-19th Century)

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Melodrama, Romanticism & The Well-Made Play

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Melodrama, Romanticism & The Well-Made Play

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Let's take a look at the types of plays being produced in the 19th century.  The three main types of theater audiences encountered in the 19th Century were Romantic theater, Melodrama and The Well-Made Play.

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*Sobs passionately over a rock*

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Romantics in the 19th Century were all about rejecting the rules.  Specifically the rules of Neoclassical drama.  The romantics had this idea that

"Genius Creates its own rules" ~some guy defending his art to his parents.

The romantics adapted episodic structural techniques and those of Shakespeare with more of an emphasis on creating a mood and atmosphere.  They were concerned with developing believable plots and depth of character.
Romantic dramatists considered all material suitable for the stage, whether the subject matter was grotesque or a walk in the park it was good to go. There were often supernatural elements and the "HERO" was usually a social outcast.

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Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog

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While Romanticism was applicable to Art, Literature, Theater, Music and whatever else you can think of Melodrama is a device that is really only used in theater.

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Melodrama means "song drama" or "music drama" and presented the conflict between good and evil. Melodrama was popularized by the french at the end of the 18th century and continues to present itself in theater today. Melodramas were accompanied by background music and songs that attributed to the spectacle that melodrama strives for.  Emphasis was put on special effects, especially those that invoked fear, nostalgia, love and other strong emotions from the audience. Many Melodramatic plays were specifically written in order to evoke these emotions from their audiences. Characters in melodrama consisted of heroes and villains they were either totally good or totally evil. The audience sympathized with the good characters and despised the bad. Melodramas also presented other easily recognizable stock characters such as: the damsel in distress, a clumsy sidekick, and a fallen woman being punished for her past.

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The Well-Made Play is a dramatic structure that strives to build plots in a mechanic way towards its climactic moments.  The Well-Made Play emphasizes the cause and effect development of the action as the characters attempt to resolve the crisis at hand.  The audience is given exposition at the beginning of the play and can easily follow the plot as it progresses and point out the foreshadowed dramatic action that eventually presents itself.  There is typically a major scene sometimes called the "obligatory scene" where conflicting characters confront each other, then the play is resolved very neatly with no loose ends.  The Well-Made play demands that the characters make reasonable and logical decisions that reflected real life. This real life style also began to present itself in the acting styles of the time.

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Many actors in the 19th century specialized in specific character types. If the actor became popular enough they were hired to play the same type of roll over and over again with no hope of expanding their range.
Actors began to use stage movements, vocal patterns and characterizations that were based on everyday life. William Charles Macready was one of the main actors who worked in this real life style.

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William Charles Macready was an important 19th Century actor and director of English Theater. Macready thoroughly researched and rehearsed each of his roles and pioneered realism onstage. He came up with the "Macready pause," where he would pause during his lined to give the impression that he was thinking. Macready worked to apply his principals of acting to others and began directing. He directed the companies at Covent Garden and Drury Lane from 1837-1843. He was one of the first directors to impose blocking, planned stage movement, and acting during rehearsals. He played with scenic elements that presented unified images and themes. He was also one of the first to begin restoring Shakespeare to be closer to their original versions.

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Edmund Kean was an actor who rejected the sustained character development that typically plagued actors and constructed his roles to highlight emotions with explosive choices. He was a fiery person and brought expressive characters to surpass the flat ones that were usually presented onstage.

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Most acting between 1800 and 1875 was based on traditional physical gestures and vocal patterns. This was the work of Francois Delsarte, he was this era's major acting theorist and teacher. He believed that actors could convey emotions and inner thoughts through specific gestures and body movements. He coordinated these movements with vocal inflections. A movement to the forehead could convey horror, a hand to the mouth presented surprise. Delsarte began teaching his techniques in 1839. His theories were later rejected by realists because it assumed that all humans have the same physical reactions and did not allow for individual characterizations. Despite this criticism Delsarte's method required that the physicalizations be based on everyday life. This focus on studying human movement and emotion would later influence realistic actors and theorists.

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His Mustache has acting powers

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Urbanization allowed Acting companies to begin touring their shows. Popular performers also began touring and sharing their talents throughout the world. Early in the century these stars would travel to different cities and perform with the local repertory companies located there. As the industrial revolution improved transportation companies were able to begin touring entire productions rather than just the headline star. These touring productions were led by Combination Companies, who toured with supporting actors, scenery, and costumes.

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Most star actors toured around the world to make money but a few toured to avoid troubles.  George Frederick Cooke came and toured the U.S. because his alcoholism was ruining his reputation in England.  Ira Aldridge became a touring star in Europe because, as an African American actor he could not gain acceptance in the U.S.  (He was a Shakespearean actor who toured all over Europe)

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Before Directors and Stage Managers came into the picture the lead actor would run the very few rehearsals they had and would just make sure no one ran into each other, thus there was some need for change. The 19th century brought with it Actor-Managers and Playwright-managers. Their jobs were to help create unified stage pictures through increased rehearsal time and more attention to production details. They began to bring more historical accuracy to the scenery and costumes and some like William Charles Macready expected more realistic acting styles. Actor-Managers began choosing scripts, overseeing rehearsals, working with designers, dealing with the companies' finances and was often the star performer. These Actor-Managers took great care in creating productions. They began lengthening rehearsals. experimenting with blocking patterns, began moving the theater towards realism and took some important steps toward directing.