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W. Abbotson  \nGREENWOOD PRESS  \nTHEMATIC GUIDE TO MODERN DRAMA  \nSusan C. W. Abbotson  \ng r e e n w o o d p r e s s  \nWestport, Connecticut • London  \nLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data  \nAbbotson, Susan C. W., 1961–  \nThematic guide to modern drama / Susan C. W. Abbotson.  \n[p. cm](p. cm).  \nIncludes bibliographical references and index.  \nISBN 0–313–31950–2 (alk. paper)  \n1. Drama—20th century—Themes, motives. 2. Drama—19th century—Themes, motives. I. Title.  \nPN1861.A235 2003  \n809.2􀀁04—dc21 2002035216  \nBritish Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright 􀀂 2003 by Susan C. W. Abbotson  \nAll rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher.  \nLibrary of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2002035216  \nISBN: 0–313–31950–2 First published in 2003  \nGreenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.  \n[www.greenwood.com](www.greenwood.com)  \nPrinted in the United States of America  \nThe paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984) .  \n10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1  \nFor a wonderful mother and friend Joan Mary Abbotson  \nFor all the help and encouragement received through the years“Haply I may remember”  \nContents  \nIntroduction vii Absurdity of Life 1  \nAfrican American Experience 9  \nAging 17  \nAmbition and Fame 25  \nAmerican Indian Experience 33  \nAsian American Experience 41  \nBetrayal and Guilt 49  \nCourtship 57  \nDeath 65  \nDecisions and Life Choices 73  \nGrowing Up 81  \nThe Heritage of Slavery 89  \nHistorical Heritage 97  \nThe Holocaust 107  \nIllness and Disability 117  \nInternational Cultural Communities 127  \nIssues of Sexuality 137  \nJewish American Experience 145  \nLatin American Experience 153  \nLaw and Justice 163  \nThe “Life-Lie” 173  \nMagic and the Supernatural 183  \nMarriage 191  \nParents and Children 199  \nReligion (Christianity) 207  \nA Sense of Community 215  \nSibling Relationships 223  \nSubstance Abuse 233  \nWar and Violence 241  \nWomen’s Issues—Current 251  \nWomen’s Issues—Past 259  \nWork 267  \nWorlds of the Deaf and Blind 275  \nIndex 283  \nIntroduction  \nIt is difficult to define modern drama beyond considering the period in which a play was written. Beginning toward the end of the nineteenth century with the work of dramatic pioneers Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, and George Bernard Shaw, there was a decided break from the moralistic, often sensational, melodramatic fare that dominated much of the nineteenth century. These playwrights introduced realism to the stage, and added to the concept of the “wellmade play” with its tidy denouement, the possibility of the more open-ended“discussion play” on which many later playwrights would build. Shaw’s book, The Quintessence of Ibsenism (1891), did much to facilitate the initial change, bring Ibsen to critical attention, and awaken theatergoers to the possibilities of socially conscious drama.  \nBoth Shaw and Ibsen felt that “well-made plays” with their meticulous plotting and pat denouements were artificial. Plays in which a discussion, often unresolved, superseded the plot, were preferable because they allowed audiences to judge events for themselves, thus making them an active part of the theatrical experience rather than merely passive viewers. From this change in the way plays were considered have grown increasingly more experimental theater forms and concepts of theatrical expression, often in reaction against the constraints of realism. Therefore, alongside realism, we find expressionism, absurdism, agit-prop, epic theatre, and the relative extremes of metatheatrical postmodern works. All fall under the general rubric of modern drama.  \nThe focus of this volume is to offer the reader a sense of the numerous themes that weave their way through modern drama, and t","cbCaiqO1jooNCvIf","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiqO1jooNCvIf","pdf",1187098,304,"English","# Introduction\n## Absurdity of Life\n## African American Experience\n## Aging\n## Ambition and Fame\n## American Indian Experience\n## Asian American Experience\n## Betrayal and Guilt\n## Courtship\n## Death\n## Decisions and Life Choices\n## Growing Up\n## The Heritage of Slavery\n## Historical Heritage\n## The Holocaust\n## Illness and Disability\n## International Cultural Communities\n## Issues of Sexuality\n## Jewish American Experience\n## Latin American Experience\n## Law and Justice\n## The “Life-Lie”\n## Magic and the Supernatural\n## Marriage\n## Parents and Children\n## Religion (Christianity)\n## A Sense of Community\n## Sibling Relationships\n## Substance Abuse\n## War and Violence\n## Women’s Issues—Current\n## Women’s Issues—Past\n## Work\n## Worlds of the Deaf and Blind\n# Index","[{\"question\":\"What is the book’s main focus within modern drama?\",\"answer\":\"The book focuses on the numerous themes that run through modern drama and on how different playwrights respond to them.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the book describe the development of modern drama?\",\"answer\":\"It explains modern drama as a break from nineteenth-century moralistic, sensational melodrama, moving toward realism and then toward more experimental forms such as expressionism, absurdism, and postmodern metatheatrical work.\"},{\"question\":\"How are the themes organized and how should readers use them?\",\"answer\":\"Thirty-three themes are arranged alphabetically and can be read sequentially, but each theme is presented independently.\"}]","Thematic Guide to Modern Drama | PDF",1789949489,468]