The Methuen Drama Book of Naturalist Plays is a collection of landmark dramatic works from the modern period that will prove invaluable to students and general readers alike.
Emerging in the late nineteenth century, Naturalism in the theatre sought to strip away artifice and hold a mirror up to the world. This compendium offers six of the most commonly studied and performed Naturalist plays from the European repertoire, dating from 1879-1909. It includes:
-Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House which in its depiction of Nora Helmer exploded contemporary gender conventions;
-Miss Julie, August Strindberg's classic exploration of class mobility and sexual desire played out as a Darwinist struggle;
-The Weavers, Gerhart Hauptmann's quintessential Marxist drama documenting a Silesian weavers' revolt;
-Bernard Shaw's Mrs Warren's Profession which in addressing capitalism's exploitation of women was so ahead of its time that it did not receive a public production for over a quarter of a century;
-Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, often regarded as the writer's greatest play and one that commanded a new mode of acting, and
-John Galsworthy's Strife which appraises class conflict amid an economic dispute.
The six plays perfectly illustrate the formal diversity and the major philosophical, political and theatrical preoccupations of the movement. An introduction by Dr Chris Megson traces Naturalism's roots, explores its aims and methods, provides an analysis of the selected plays and considers Naturalism's legacy and resonance today.
The study of Naturalist theatre remains a staple and often foundational part of the curriculum at all levels of drama education. This anthology of six of the most commonly studied and revived Naturalist plays from the European repertoire offers a unique compendium that will serve as required reading for drama courses and is ideal for theatre practitioners and fans.
The selected plays perfectly reflect the formal and geographical diversity of Naturalist theatre as well as its major philosophical, political, and theatrical preoccupations. The volume includes Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House (1879), August Strindberg’s Miss Julie (1888), Gerhart Hauptmann’s The Weavers (1892), Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession (1893), Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters (1901), and John Galsworthy’s Strife (1909). A critical introduction by Dr. Chris Megson contextualizes the emergence of Naturalist theatre in the late nineteenth century, identifying its principal aims and methods; provides an analysis of the selected plays, mapping their key preoccupations; and ends by considering Naturalism’s enduring legacy and resonance today.
The study of Naturalist theatre remains a staple and often foundational part of the curriculum at all levels of drama education. This anthology of six of the most commonly studied and revived Naturalist plays from the European repertoire offers a unique compendium that will serve as required reading for drama courses and is ideal for theatre practitioners and fans.
