Chapter 9: Contemporary Theatre and Its Diversity

Post-1960s Theatre Shift

Challenged dominant white, middle-class cultural standards to include marginalized voices.

African American Theatre Impact

The marginalized group that has made the greatest impact on American theatre.

A Raisin in the Sun Themes

Integration vs. separation, racial injustices, and obstacles to achieving the American Dream.

Negro Ensemble Company (NEC)

Founded in NYC in 1968 by Douglas Turner Ward to produce black-centered plays.

Fences (Setting & Protagonist)

Set in 1957; features Troy Maxson, a family man wounded by his past.

Troy Maxson vs. Willy Loman

Both struggle with family dynamics, but Troy lives on the underside of the American Dream.

First Spanish-Language Play in U.S.

Staged by Spanish soldiers in El Paso in 1598.

El Teatro Campesino

Bilingual Chicano company founded by Luis Valdez in 1965 to support migrant workers.

Lydia by Octavio Solis

Play about a shattered family forced to confront secrets by an immigrant's arrival.

Frank Chin

First widely recognized Asian American playwright; wrote 'Chickencoop Chinaman'.

David Henry Hwang

Best-known Asian American playwright; wrote 'F.O.B.', 'M. Butterfly', and 'Yellow Face'.

Native American Theatre Ensemble

First all-Native American company, founded by Hanay Geiogamah in 1972.

Spiderwoman Theatre

First all-female Native American group in the U.S., founded by three sisters.

Naa Kahidi (Clan House)

Alaska-based theatre group that performs adaptations of Tlingit myths.

How I Learned to Drive Metaphor

Uses learning to drive an automobile as a metaphor for navigating life.

How I Learned to Drive Structure

Non-linear, memory-based plot utilizing minimal scenery.

The Boys in the Band (1968)

Written by Matt Crowley; first Broadway play specifically about gay men.

Angels in America Structure

A 7-hour epic play in two parts: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika.

Postmodernism in Theatre

Blurs boundaries between arts, ignores high/low culture lines, and removes spectator/performer barriers.

Modern vs. Postmodern Directing

Modern translates script literally; Postmodern allows the director to interpret text freely.

Tom Stoppard's Style

Combines verbal wit and imaginative action with complex ideas about reality.

Martin McDonagh's Style

Mixes dark humor with violence and brutality.