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Chapter 9 Postmodern British/American theater
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1960 The Birth
The birth of postmodernism which had melded categories together, by ignoring and purposely violating differentiation and breaching the boundaries between the arts such as performance art and multimedia. Due to this, the breaking down of barriers occurred between spectator and performance space. -
1970 Caryl Churchill
Caryl Churchill, rose to prominence in this decade with his plays "Vinegar Tom (1976)," and "Cloud Nine (1979)." These plays used Brechtian staging techniques as well as cross-gender casting to explore the way social expectations impact gender roles. -
1970 Birth of Martin McDonagh
Martin McDonagh, he is the most successful of the new generation of playwrights. Born in London to Irish parents. His plays are more often than not a mixture of black humor, violence, and brutality. His play, "The Pillow man (2003)," is about how a writer of horror stories is interrogated after several local children have been murder in such ways that seem to have been inspired by his gruesome and imaginative stories. -
1984 Robert Wilson
"CIVIL warS," in this play and many of his other plays, Robert Wilson borrowed from several media, cultures, and historical periods. Even though some of his pieces have had spoken portions, many did not. They were essentially meant for the eye, and enhanced by music and sound. -
1987 The Comedy of Errors
Production of "The Comedy of Errors." Was a play that included a comic juggling team that were known as the Flying Karamazov Brothers, they did not only play key roles but also incorporated juggling, and acrobatics into Shakespeare’s play. -
1993 Killer Joe
Tracy Letts, his play "Killer Joe (1993)" is a violent black comedy about a young man who hires an assassin to Kill his mother, and is then faced with unexpected violence from the assassin he had hired. -
1998 David Hare
David Hare, had moved into mainstream theater due to his works such as "Judas Kiss (1998)," and "Stuff Happens (2004)." Hares major plays often focus on many diversity issues. Such as desire to gain, maintain power, wealth, undermine, destroy personal integrity, shared values, and concern for the common good. -
2001 Foretelling 9/11
Tony Kushner, began writing his play "Homebody/Kabul" in 1997. This play tells the story of a lonely, and overmedicated British house-wife whose obsession with Afghan culture leads her to travel to Kabul. Only to find out that it takes much more than just reading an old guidebook to comprehend the Afghan culture. Kushner had finished the play but a few months prior to 9/11. His play had seemed to prophesied 9/11 and sparked a particular response from New York city. -
2002 Topdog/Underdog
In 2002 Lori Parks, became the first female African American to win the publisher prize for drama with her play "Topdog/Underdog." Solidifying her status as a writer. -
2008 Ruined
Lynn Nottage, wrote the play "Ruined (2008)." This play focuses on the horrors of war inflicted upon women, and the various ways they are "ruined" by human brutality.
