Tripmaster Monkey
Wittman uses theatre throughout the book 'Tripmaster Monkey'; to get back to his cultural roots and Asian culture. He is trying to find himself through theatre and to open up a new avenue for his people. There are numerous examples of this throughout the book as he is writing his play and incorporating the old (legends and myths) with the new (contemporary times).
The first significant reference to legend occurs when Wittman is putting his entire night's worth of writing into the incinerator (42). As he does so, he reflects on the arrival of Monkey, Tripitaka and friends at the Western Paradise. They secure the sacred scriptures, and are on their way home to china when curious Monkey takes a peek at the books, only to find that the pages are blank. They return to Paradise to complain, and because their spiritual incapacity makes hem unable to absorb the truths of a blank text, are given pages with writing on them. But it turns out that the Heart Sutra's wisdom concerns the emptiness of inherent existence, and the blank text was the right way to express that truth after all. Kingston is illustrating the frustration Wittman feels at having to put into words the truths that are obvious to him.
At another point in the book, Wittman recalls when the Monkey learns his position in Heaven (61). Monkey is ecstatic to have a place in Heaven, an important role to play, but once...
In Dialogue: Theatre of America, Harold Clurman said, “we make theatre out of life” (27), and it was precisely this view that motivated him to help create a uniquely American theatre. Clurman, considered one of the most influential directors of the modern American theatre, had a unique vision of what the American theatre could become. One of the founders of the quintessentially American troupe, the Group Theatre, Clurman was a contemporary of Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg, and even married to Stella Adler for twenty years. At a ceremony honoring Clurman, Elia Kazan stated that Clurman’s “greatest achievement [was] himself” (Harold Clurman: A Life of Theatre). An important figure in our theatrical past, Clurman’s theories on theatre and directing require close attention. In this paper, I will first provide a brief biography of Clurman, second, examine his theories of theatre and directing, and lastly, I will explore his criticisms of the then-contemporary theatre, and draw conclusions to the current state of the Broadway theatre.
The first destination on this journey is learning the formula of Earthly Conclusions. In page 25, after misinterpreting the information of the Patriarch regarding on how to become an immortal he learns of the Three Calamities that will surely disprove his immortality. The Three Calamities are three natural disasters: lighting, fire, and wind. While these may sound like one can prepare for them, the Three Calamities cannot be overcome by simply using mortal safety procedures. To account for this, the Patriarch gives in to teaching Monkey seventy-two transformations (the Earthly Conclusions) that allows him to perform various tasks and assume any transformation. Learning these transformations are essential since later in the folk novel it serves as a beneficial aid in his intellectual journey. Also, Monkey acquires another aid that helps him on his other journal, his beloved cudgel. In Chapter 3, Monkey considers obtaining a weapon that will help him with his ruling similar to the weapons that previous kings used. He travels to the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea and is taken to the magic iron that pounded the Milky Way flat that weighed thirteen thousand five hundred pounds. Monkey was easily able to pick it up and eventually he used his magic to make it become as small as an embroidery needle that he wore safely and
The first person to see a chimpanzee use a tool was Jane Goodall in 1960. She saw David Greybeard a chimpanzee she named and saw him get a piece grass and used it for fishing termites. The chimpanzee inserted the piece of grass into the hole it made on a termite mound. David Greybeard did the process a couple of times until he got full then Jane Goodall went to the mount to figure out what the chimpanzee was doing. Over a couple of days, David and other chimpanzees were observed using a piece of a twig to get termites out of the mount. The chimpanzees removed the leaf and straighten the twig before inserted it into the mount. When chimpanzees find a hard dirt mound, they use their foot to penetrate the piece of wood, so they can reach the bottom of the mount. The use of rock as a tool among chimps is unique feature among primates. Scientists have discovered chimpanzees use rocks as tools. Chimpanzees sharpen rocks by hitting them to a tree or another rock, so it got strong, enough and durable. The sharpen rocks is for breaking food apart into little proportions, so the babies can eat the food easier. When the monkeys hit the rocks on another rock, little chips come off and it becomes sharp. Scientist studied chimpanzees in the Nimbia Mountains of Guinea, Africa the chimps were seeing using the rocks and wooden cleavers to break hard nuts into smaller proportions eat. There have been many instances where a scientists have seen chimps use sharp rocks to kill other animals when they’re on the hunt. The rocks are used as defense weapons when they’re under attack and the chimpanzees use male dominance to show who’s responsible. Chimpanzees in the captive have to find new ways to use the tools that are made. Chimpanzees in captivity ...
Russell Brown, J. 1995. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Theatres and How We Had Fun." Little, Brown, and Company. (Boston, Toronto, London); 1991. P. 139, 144.
The difference between appearances and reality is also explored through the play-within-a-play, to particularly comic effect. The "rude mechanicals" completely fail to understand the magic of the theatre,
The Visit is an epic theatre play because it makes you think about what is going on at all times. There isn’t a time in the play when you just get attached and try making personal connections. There are times where you are close to it, but Dürrenmatt adds something to the plot and you loose that feeling. He generally makes the townspeople act unrealistic or breaks up the story line with the four men who act as nature.
Willett, John, trans. and ed. Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic. New York: Hill and Wang, 1986.
...n, Elaine. & Savona, George. Theatre as a Sign-System: A Semiotics of Text and Performance (London: Routledge 1999)
Wilson, E., & Goldfarb, A. (2008). Theater: the lively art (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.
Bertolt Brecht and Constantin Stanislavski are regarded as two of the most influential practitioners of the twentieth century, both with strong opinions and ideas about the function of the theatre and the actors within it. Both theories are considered useful and are used throughout the world as a means to achieve a good piece of theatre. The fact that both are so well respected is probably the only obvious similarity as their work is almost of complete opposites.
The survival of theatre lies in the very nature of humankind: its inner voyeuristic drive. The desire to watch other people dealing with their conflicts and fates challenges as well as reinforces values and the morality of society. The theatre provides an exciting opportunity to watch stories and situations as if they were real life, showing us the truth of our nature.
Of the latter concept, poor theatre, Fugard’s use of the form transcends simple aesthetics, as is the original concern of Grotowski’s “poor theatre”. That is, whilst Grotowski conceived the term “poor theatre” to conceptualize theatre that rid itself of its excesses (e.g. unnecessary props, set pieces, etc.) and centers more on the skill of the actor and employs only a handful of props. This poor theatre is “poor”, lacking in peripheral elements of theatre, because it chooses to be. The Island, however, employs poor theatre in its own production and in the production of the play within itself, Antigone, because it serves as a reinforcement in the portrayal of the environment and reality John and Winston must live through. John and Winston do not have access to “rich theatre” (be it as prisoners or as free black people in South Africa – there were no theatres in the townships) and, as such, their production of Antigone is not an aesthetic choice but is the child of necessity. Their insistence to put on a production of Antigone despite the fact that the “appropriate” (or, desirable) means had been denied to them, and their reliance on poor theatre as a form in doing so, as Worthen
In this paper, I will be focusing briefly on my knowledge and understanding of the concept of Applied theatre and one of its theatre form, which is Theatre in Education. The term Applied Theatre is a broad range of dramatic activity carried out by a crowd of diverse bodies and groups.
Traditional South African theatre is derived from the original version of “theatre” in South Africa which refers to the performances of our ancestors (mostly black people). For example the Zulus had dancing, singing and stories they would tell around the fire. The villagers would watch and it was their form of entertainment and culture. The elements of this type of theatre, such as the style of dance and music are still used in modern South African theatre. The facets of traditional theatre still play a large role in the evolution of South African theatre.