1. THEATER Abby Lyons Danielle Gold Melissa Buckley Art of New York City Fall 2010

2. what is art ?

4. Danielle Before I started this particular class, I believed that art is any form of self-expression, demonstrated through lasting sounds and visuals. Art to me was images (ex. paintings and photography) and music. I see art now, much as I did then, although I am much less fixated on the concept of permanence. I understand that performance art pieces like those of Marina Abramovicand Vito Acconsiand temporary installations like that those of Christo and Jeanne-Claude are still art.

5. Abby My view on art has changed in a very different way than I would have expected it to after taking The Arts of New York City Seminar. I have always viewed art as an expression of an emotion or feeling. I considered it the artists’ job to stir up interesting feelings of the past, present, or future for the viewer. After taking this course I realized art was not all about emotions and what some people might call wishy-washy concepts, but could also be viewed and analyzed in a very critical, almost mathematical or scientific manner. Through our discussions, I realized students did not get away with say they “just liked” a piece, but rather had to discuss what the artist was trying to express and whether or not it was valid and successful. This really helped me understand how the art world works, and can be so successful. Now I view art from many different angles, for after all there is a whole world of art. I see it as a process with tons of behind the scene work, which stimulates the mind and emotions of everyone involved. I see art as the opportunity to explore our world as a whole, not just in numbers and letters. Art is the meeting ground for many genres of work, and in away encompasses everything. I also feel art is a great form of communication and relation between humans.

6. Tolstoy says it best; In order to correctly define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man. ~ Leo Tolstoy

7. Melissa Art is expression- the means of communicating an opinion through the manipulation of aesthetics I have always been interested in art, but I was always more focused on the visual arts because they are the form I have had the most exposure to and experience with. This class helped me realize that other forms, such as art, dance, and theater, can possess the same beauty and artistry. Aesthetics defined as a sense of beauty, the concern for emotion and the experience of the beautiful.

8. “Art is what you can get away with.” -Andy Warhol “Art is the highest task and proper metaphysical activity of this life.” -Nietzsche “Art doesn’t transform. I just plain forms.” -Roy Lichtenstein “Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” -Twyla Tharp “All in all, the creative act is not performed by the artist alone.. the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.” -Marcel Duchamp

9. What is art? {outside opinions} Art is the expression of one’s self through the explosion of different mediums onto a canvas of sorts such as the injected ink into the canvas that is our bodies, or more commonly known as tattoos. Art just inspiration, creativity, color and hard work. Anything that someone might consider their masterpiece is art. Art, to me, is something created, from which further creativity can be instilled. Art is how beauty is perceived. I’m a hairdresser. To me, hair is art. Art is like a way to express yourself. Art to me is something that pleases us. Something that can stimulate and pleasure us whether in simple terms, like a painting, or a film or book, which causes us to think critically 1 2 3 4 5

10. what is theater? Theater, as an art form, encompasses components of almost all art types. Although theatre is a live performance art, there are both literary and visual arts that are used in almost all theatre presentations. The most prominent elements of theatre, upon viewing, is the acting, singing, and dancing, the more subordinate element tends to be the background upon which the others take place. The story or message of the piece often is not as foremost while viewing but may indeed stay with the audience for longer. The word theatre comes from the Greek word, theaomai, which means to see. However, theatre is an art that is both seen and heard.

11. Aristotle’s Six Elements of Drama Developed by one of the most prominent philosophers of Ancient Greece, used as a guideline numerous masters of the theater Plot Theme Character Diction/Language/Dialogue Music/Rhythm Spectacle

12. Most theater can be broken down into six main elements 1.) Thought/ Theme/ Ideas This is what the play means as opposed to the plot or action of the play. It is more about the feeling or message the audience should walk away with.

13. 2.) Action/Plot This is the events and story of the play. It often helps to convey the theme and general follows the same guild lines of a short story: rising action, climax, falling climax to resolution.

14. 3.) Characters The characters carry out the plot and have their own personality and distinguishable characteristics.

15. 4.)Language Language of theater is a combination between the word choice of the playwright and the enunciation of the actors. This can help to place the play in a time or period and also to create distinct characters.

16. 5.) Music Music is not a part of every play, but is often used to help strengthen the emotions of the actors or the mood trying to be expressed. Composers and lyricists often work together to create the music for a play. However, theatrical music can take many different forms and can sometimes simply being rhythms and beats.

17. 6.) Spectacle Spectacle is the visual of the play. It is the atmosphere created for the audiences’ eye. This often includes scenery, costumes and special effects.

18. israelhorovitz "Art has no answers, only solutions, and resolutions... Art has only vision and revision... Art has only hope and more hope... again and again, against circumstance and history... What we hope life might be, again and again, against what we see it has been. In hope, there is a reason to continue." Israel Horovitz

20. Playwright and screenwriter More than 50 produced plays, translated into over 30 languages Artistic director of Gloucester Stage Company and New York Playwright’s Lab, founder of both Most produced American playwright in French history Line- longest running off Broadway show

21. I think that he attempts to sort out the world through his plays/shows other people trying to sort out their worlds. In The Indian Wants the Bronx, and Beirut Rocks, he shows scenes that provoke a reaction, usually a very strong one (anger, disgust, fear, sadness). He plays on these strong emotions, and demands much of the actors in a short, self-inclusive scene. To him, there is artistry in emotion and an emotional connection to the audience

22. what is theater? “Numerous forms of spectacle, such as dramatic and non dramatic pageants, the circus, son et lumeire and gymnastic presentations are closely allied with theater, and indeed are considered by some classifications to be theatrical.” However, in this project, we will exclusively focus on dramatic pageants, or presentations having a story or narrative. Encyclopedia Britannica

23. Genres of Theater Plays genres are similar to genres of other artworks. They can apply to theatrical works regardless of length or styling. Dramatic pageants may fall somewhere between other genres. The term Comedy is used to describe a play that is designed to be humorous. Comedies were one of the two original play types of Ancient Greece. Farces are generally nonsensical and heavily overacted. Satires take a comic look at current events and famous people in an attempt to serve as social criticism

24. Genres of Theater Part II Tragedies convey many emotions but have the general intent to make the viewer feel sadness. Tragedy is one of the two original play types found in Ancient Greece. Historicals focus on historical events. They can be comedies and/or tragedies but are often none of these. The concept of a Historical play being presented as its own genre was popularized by Shakespeare.

25. “Straight Play” A “Straight Play” is a theatrical production that is driven completely by spoken dialogue and actions that are not choreographed to music.

26. Example of Straight Play Although it uses a song as a framing device, The Indian Wants the Bronx is a Straight Play, because the song’s content has only serves as symbolism and the plot is driven by spoken word. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgxAjx6uDsI&feature=related

27. Opera An Opera is an performance piece through which singers and musicians perform a dramatic piece combining text, called a libretto, with a musical score in the Western Classical Music tradition. An opera singer is primarily a singer and only secondarily an actor (and rarely needs to dance) Most operas are preformed in the language they were written in.

28. Example of a Opera Les Contesd’Hoffman uses classical music to tell its story, which is usually presented in French http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW_aZE5Ev-o&feature=related

29. Musical Musicals combine music, songs and dance to tell a story. Most also incorporate spoken dialogue to enhance the plot. Musicals tend to be translated to the language of the the speaker (ex. Les Miserables) and have greater focus on dance. A musical theater performer is usually an actor first and then a singer and dancer.

30. Example of a Musical American Idiot is much more contemporary than operatic works. As you can see from the clip, choreographed movement is crucial to the storytelling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGkclalr4fU

31. Theater by Length All types of theater must have a beginning, middle and end. Yet there is no maximum and minimum length to theater.

32. Does theater need a script? Improvational theater is a form of theater through which actors/improvisers use acting techniques to perform spontaneously. It is not limited by genre or theater form. Shortformimprov consists of short scenes usually constructed from a predetermined game, structure, or ideas. Such shows are often driven by an audience suggestion. Longformimprov performers create shows in which short scenes are often interrelated by story, characters, or themes.

33. experiencing theater in new york city Before researching this question we came up with some places we already knew that we could find theater and of course the first thing that came to mind was Broadway. Then we expanded this to the opera, Shakespeare in the park, and high school and college productions. However, all of these places one must go with the intention of seeing theater. I don’t think I have ever simple happened upon theater in New York City. On the other hand in Avalon, a city in France, there were often actors doing skits in the streets promoting their work. New York City theater is in a way monopolized by Broadway. If it’s not Broadway, then its off-Broadway, and if it’s not off-Broadway, it’s off-off-Broadway. Shakespeare in the park is the only other major theater scene in NYC. As far as chance run ins with theater, that people do not have to intentionally go to see, the closest my research brought me to this were free film festivals hosted in parks. I have attended some of these, but never thought of them as theater, although I do see how they could be considered theater, because the audience is so lively and in a way does interact with the film almost making the film seem live.

34. works cited Israel Horovitz, playwright and screenwriter. israelhorovitz.com Truth in Acting http://truthinacting.com/PressandReviews.aspx Encyclopedia Britannica 2010 “What is Art” (exerpts) by Leo Tolstoy http://www.csulb.edu/~jvancamp/361r14.html The Basic Elements of Theatre http://homepage.smc.edu/adair-lynch_terrin/ta%205/elements.htm Christo and Jeanne-Claude The Gates http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/tg.shtml http://www.kyshakes.org/Resources/Aristotle.html Concise Oxford English Dictionary http://www.kyshakes.org/Resources/Aristotle.html