Assignment Nov
Mohammed115
06Unit6RegietheaterDeconstructionistTheatre.docxUNIT-6
Recent trends in staging: traditional vs non-traditional:
Regietheater. Deconstructionist theatre. Minimalist staging. Baz Luhrmann
Regietheater (German for director's theater) is the modern practice of allowing a director freedom in devising the way a given opera or play is staged so that the creator's original, specific intentions or stage directions (where supplied) can be changed, together with major elements of geographical location, chronological situation, casting and plot. Typically such changes may be made to point a particular political point or modern parallels which may be remote from traditional interpretations.
Examples found in Regietheater productions may include some or all of the following:
· Relocating the story from the original location to a more modern period (including setting in a totalitarian regime)
· Modifications to the story from the original script
· Interpretative elements stressing the role of race/gender/class-based oppression are emphasised. In his 1976 staging of the Ring Cycle at the Bayreuth Festival, Patrice Chéreau used an updated 19th century setting that followed the interpretation of George Bernard Shaw who saw the Ring as a social commentary on the exploitation of the working class by wealthy 19th century capitalists.
· Abstraction in the set design
· An emphasis on sexuality
· Costumes that frequently mix eras and locales. Examples include the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis's 2010 production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and its 2011 Don Giovanni which portray some characters in 18th century attire and others in mid-20th century clothing.
What is Deconstruction?
Deconstruction is an approach to understanding the relationship between text and meaning. It was originated by the philosopher Jacques Derrida (1930–2004). Deconstruction involves the close reading of texts in order to demonstrate that any given text has irreconcilably contradictory meanings, rather than being a unified, logical whole. Deconstruction is not a dismantling of the structure of a text, but a demonstration that it has already dismantled itself. Its apparently solid ground is no rock but thin air.
Deconstruction was both created and has been profoundly influenced by the French philosopher Jacques Derrida. Derrida, who coined the term deconstruction, argues that in Western culture, people tend to think and express their thoughts in terms of binary oppositions (white / black, masculine / feminine, cause /effect, conscious /unconscious, presence / absence, speech writing). Derrida suggests these oppositions are hierarchies in miniature, containing one term that Western culture views as positive or superior and another considered negative or inferior, even if only slightly so. Through deconstruction, Derrida aims to erase the boundary between binary oppositions—and to do so in such a way that the hierarchy implied by the oppositions is thrown into question.
Although its ultimate aim may be to criticize Western logic, deconstruction arose as a response to structuralism and formalism. Structuralists believed that all elements of human culture, including literature, may be understood as parts of a system of signs. Derrida did not believe that structuralists could explain the laws governing human signification and thus provide the key to understanding the form and meaning of everything from an African village to Greek myth to a literary text. He also rejected the structuralist belief that texts have identifiable “centres” of meaning–a belief structuralists shared with formalists.
What is Deconstructionist Theater?
Deconstructionist theater is a term covering a wide variety of theatrical styles, determined to examine situations from a different or unusual point of view. Based on the theories of French philosopher Jacques Derrida, among others, deconstructionist theater is complicated and difficult to define as any one thing. The goal of the concept is to challenge established assumptions about a subject, but the method for doing so is a wide open field.
The theory of deconstruction as it is today was formed in the 20th century, partially as a reaction to authoritarian censorship and realism. Instead of agreeing that there is one set definition or interpretation of a concept, deconstructionist theory argues that there are no set definitions. Instead, interpretation is reached on an individual basis, as each person comes to a viewpoint from a unique background of their own experience. Because of this, not only are all interpretations equally right, they are also often entirely contradictory. Basically, any theatrical production that challenges an established concept in some way can be classed as partially deconstructive. The philosophy shows the contradictions that are inherent and accepted in deconstructionist theater, and emphasizes the importance of multiplicity of interpretation.
Deconstructionist theater is notorious for being a slippery concept. It is impossible to get a consensus from experts on what it means and what it is supposed to look like, because definitions are the very heart of what it fights against. According to some theater critics, it is the search for connection between individuals by fully realizing personal interpretation, rather than cementing down a falsely universal view by parroting it over and over.
What does minimalist mean in drama?
Minimalism is defined as a movement of the 1960s that focused on simplest form and design, particularly in the arts. An example of minimalism is a stage set with only a chair for a theatrical performance.
What is a minimalist set in Theatre?
Minimalist sets use pieces of stage furniture or props to indicate a setting or location. For example, a table and two chairs could indicate a kitchen, dining room, or even a café. The specific identity of the space is determined by the way in which the actors behave. This process is called minimal signification.
What is a minimalist style?
Minimalist fashion is defined by one major principle: keep it simple! Streamlined shapes, a small selection of colors and even a bare minimum amount of clothing in your closet. Simplicity is the key to pinpointing this style.
The great crisis of set design is that an audience usually only notices it if they dislike it. For centuries, theatre has been opulent; big settings and even larger audiences. You can't think of the West End without productions featuring hundreds of performers and rotating stages coming to mind. With professional shows costing in the millions (Broadway's Spider Man (2011) cost $17m, the most expensive production to date), it's easy to see how important costume and set design are in theatre. However, is it all necessary to draw in the crowds?
