A University of Calgary seminar in dramatic criticism, intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, connects dramatic criticism with actual performance. In the first of a flexible series of units, students explore the meaning of criticism and learn where criticism is found. The second unit focuses on dramatic criticism as a…

The distinguishable black theatre in America, mirroring a distinguishable black experience, is an artistic product which demands audience involvement. Both the Afro-American oral tradition and the art of gesture are integral aspects of black theatre. In addition, the tragedy found black theatre is not tragedy in the classic sense, as blacks feel…

In spite of the fact that there has been an interest in children's theatre since after World War I and practically everyone--from the Junior League to the educationist--recognizes the need for and the value of good drama, there is a dearth of good drama of literary worth for children. It is true that children have been exposed to drama of some…

The author pays tribute to Mordecai Gorelik, a noted critic and scholar of the theatre, by reflecting on the man's critical and dramatic writing. Turning first to his critical writing, the author makes special mention of Gorelik's essays in newspapers and notable journals, his book and production reviews, his articles on theatre appearing in both…

This paper traces the historical development of melodrama in the theatre and discusses its influence on twentieth century drama. Melodrama is a responsible literary mode based on romance and allegory, and its deliberate exaggeration of external actions represents figuratively the interior or psychological dimensions of imagination. Good melodrama…

Because it focuses on questions of communication, the experimental theatre of the 1970s, particularly that created by Robert Wilson and Richard Foreman, can be analyzed according to two distinct theories regarding the communication process. The first theory defines communication as a process in which the communicator selects and transmits messages…

A review of the history of criticism applied to the arts, literature, and drama is provided in this paper and related to the need for feminist criticism. The differences of critical opinion as to whether art should reproduce life or stand on its own are discussed. The paper notes that the role and nature of art and artists have been continuously…

The precision and poetic logic of the language used by Anton Chekhov in his plays, particularly "The Sea Gull," can be explored through an analysis of his use of dialogue, characterization, and imagery. Measuring the nature of a relationship, rather than providing a direct literal interchange, the dialogue is both social, when individual…

The interpretation semiotic system that governs interpretation performance pertains to a distinct code of stylized conventions and includes all of the visual and auditory aspects that are generally salient to the characteristics of a performance. The selection of a particular convention for the interpretation of a specific text involves an act of…

Six months of observation--at two universities, at a drama festival, and with several independent theatre companies--form the basis for this evaluation of theatre in Kenya, Africa. While Kenyan dramas deal with a variety of themes, the majority are topical rather than universal in their treatment of issues. In many, the emphasis is on the…