Why melodrama was popular

When did melodrama become popular? When was melodrama first popular with audiences? In which decade was melodrama most popular? Why was melodrama popular in the Victorian times? Is Romeo and Juliet a melodrama? What was the first melodrama? What are the five types of melodrama?

What is the difference between melodrama and tragedy? What is the message or theme of melodrama? What is common in melodrama and tragicomedy?

Is melodrama a debased form of tragedy? What is an example of a melodrama? What is an example of a modern melodrama? What makes a good melodrama? How do you end a melodrama? Illinois:Dramatic Publishing Company. The name comes from the French 'melodrame' - a combination of music and drama. In terms of further defining melodrama, I rather like a dated but still relevant quote from Rahill who writes:.

MELODRAMA Melodrama is still one of the most exciting and challenging theatre genres and indeed, the elements of melodrama can be identified in almost every theatrical period from Euripides in ancient Athens to the plays of William Shakespeare. In terms of further defining melodrama, I rather like a dated but still relevant quote from Rahill who writes: Melodrama is a form of dramatic composition in prose partaking of the nature of tragedy, comedy, pantomime and spectacle and intended for a popular audience.

We need to look at the social and cultural conditions of Europe in the nineteenth century to found our answer. The Industrial Revolution meant that many uneducated country people worked long and difficult hours at noisy machinery in conditions that were hot and cramped. They slept in dormitory style accommodation on factory floors and many of them were illiterate. For these people, the only form of escape or entertainment was the pub, the circus, the brothel, the Church or the theatre.

And so to the theatre they came. It was not used consistently until the end of the 19 th century. This "realism" also led to the leveling of the stage floor, stagehands moving scenery manually though grooves or chariot-and-pole systems were still used , revolving stages, elevators, rolling platforms, groundrows cutaway flats , closed front curtain, acting upstage of the proscenium line rather than on the apron , and the 4 th wall convention was accepted more fully. With the use of electric lighting, which illuminated much better, there was an increased need for greater scenic realism.

But the plays themselves were still romantic and melodramatic. The movement of Realism would shake things up a bit. You can take short study quizzes based on textbook materials by going to the Student Online Learning Center page for our textbook Introduction to Theatre Online Course Dr.

Unit III-Page 1. Next Section. Back to the Course Schedule. Objectives for this lesson:. Students will examine:. Comes from "music drama" — music was used to increase emotions or to signify characters signature music. A simplified moral universe; good and evil are embodied in stock characters. Episodic form: the villain poses a threat, the hero or heroine escapes, etc. Almost never five acts — usually five acts reserved for "serious" drama.

Many special effects: fires, explosions, drownings, earthquakes. Animals used along with the Romantic concept of nature :. Equestrian dramas: horses, often on treadmills — forerunners of the modern Western. In the U. In companies. In 12 still doing it. Revivals of Shakespeare — usually Bowdlerized " Bowdlerizing " [or click here ] a play -- refers to deleting or changing parts of a script, removing socially "unacceptable" or sexually "offensive" parts of the script From Thomas Bowdler, who published the "Family Shakespeare," with sexual innuendo and reference left out, and turning sad endings into happy ones.

With touring, came changes: New York became the theatrical center —actors went there to get hired, local managers would book events. The Theatrical Syndicate was formed in In effect, it was a monopoly, dominating American theatrical production from to , placing commercial over artistic motives. Other trends Theatres grew in size — this encouraged spectacle.

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