Deck 13: Global Theatre Today

Question 1

The existence of wars, terrorism, natural disasters, and other intangibles are overwhelming issues in our contemporary world and therefore

A) theatre and the arts are predominantly entertainment and not very important in a societal context.
B) it is important that large groups of people are brought together to escape these concerns through the spectacle of musical theatre.
C) the need for theatre and arts emphasizing human interaction are more important to our society.
D) film and television offer the best escape from those personal and humanitarian issues.

Answer 1

the need for theatre and arts emphasizing human interaction are more important to our society.

Question 2

Theatre of all types exists at every level, from amateur community theatre to university training programs to professional, and at any time audiences might attend

A) productions of Shakespeare's classics.
B) visceral and unique avant-garde productions like Fuerza Bruta.
C) twentieth-century works by playwrights like Arthur Miller, August Wilson, Edward Albee, and Neil Simon.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Answer 2

All of these answers are correct.

Question 3

Contemporary Asian theatre has evolved dramatically, and yet traditional theatrical forms from India, China, and Japan continue in popularity, including

A) Peking ballet, traditional Japanese hand puppetry, and Indian Sanskrit opera styles.
B) Japanese no, bunraku, and kabuki; Beijing opera, and Indian kathakali theatre styles.
C) Indian Natyasatra, Japanese Shaanxi theatre, and Chinese kabuki theatre styles.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Answer 3

Japanese no, bunraku, and kabuki; Beijing opera, and Indian kathakali theatre styles.

Question 4

The Al-Kasaba Theatre, founded in 1970, is the most important theatre group in

A) Israel.
B) India.
C) Palestine.
D) Bethlehem.

Question 5

Joshua Sobol is the Israeli dramatist who wrote an important play about the Nazi occupation of Lithuania, called

A) No Place to be Somebody.
B) Ghetto.
C) We are the Children of the Camp.
D) Alive from Palestine: Stories behind the Headlines.

Question 6

The Donmar Warehouse, noted for active fringe theatre productions, is located in

A) Israel.
B) Paris.
C) Germany.
D) London.

Question 7

The Beauty Queen of the Leenane, The Pillowman, and The Cripple of Inishmaan, all by the playwright ________, have been brought to Broadway in the past ten years.

A) Conor McPherson
B) Martin McDonagh
C) Caryl Churchill
D) Tom Stoppard

Question 8

A classic play from which country includes a mythical Aboriginal character?

A) Canada
B) Poland
C) Australia
D) Germany

Question 9

One of the most famous Shakespeare festivals in the world, named for Shakespeare's birthplace, is located in

A) Canada.
B) Ireland.
C) England.
D) Australia.

Question 10

Contemporary film actors Geoffrey Rush and Cate Blanchett have appeared with this theatre company in Australia.

A) Sydney Opera House
B) Perth National Theatre
C) Melbourne La Mama Theatre
D) Australia's National Theatre

Question 11

A further development in contemporary theatre relates to the sheer diversity of multinational theatre, gender specific theatre, and political theatre.

Question 12

Even in today's world, replete with global communications and exchanges of ideas and commerce, there is a surprising lack of theatrical exchange around the world.

Question 13

Shingeki, or "new theatre,"
evolved throughout the twentieth century in Japan and eventually allowed female playwrights to actively take part, something that had previously been virtually nonexistent in Japan.

Question 14

There is a very active theatre culture in Israel, which also includes numerous fringe theatre groups as found in Europe and the U.S., but most of the recent theatrical works explore the complexities of Middle Eastern politics and Israel's relationship with Palestine.

Question 15

________ is a South African playwright whose plays often attacked apartheid.

Question 16

________ was a Brazilian playwright and theorist noted for his theoretical work Theatre of the Oppressed.

Question 17

________ is a Japanese director whose theatre emphasized physical movement, ensemble playing, and the combination of the new and the old, the traditional and the experimental.

Question 18

________ is an English avant-garde director who reinterpreted traditional texts with a focus on sociopolitical issues including feminism and gender.

Question 19

________ is a Nigerian playwright who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986 and whose plays include Death and the King's Horsemen.

Question 20

________ is the author of Master Harold...and the Boys.

Question 21

In 1973, ________ adapted Euripides's The Bacchae for the National Theatre in England.

Question 22

Many of the artists discussed in this chapter write and direct plays that are very political in nature. What role does theatre have in addressing the political issues of the day? How might theatre address issues differently than other media, such as newspapers and television? Wouldn't such topics be better left to other media?

Question 23

Many countries have "national theatres"
that are handsomely subsidized by the federal government. While the United States has the National Endowment for the Arts, which provides funding to arts organizations around the country, there is no theatre designated as a "national theatre."
Do you think there ought to be? Why do you think there isn't? Why might having such a theatre be a good thing? Why a bad thing?

Question 24

Trevor Nunn was criticized for producing highly commercial productions, such as Les Misérables, at the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the Royal National Theatre, both of which are subsidized by the government. What assumptions might underlie such criticism? Do you feel as if nonprofit theatres should not use public money to produce work that could be successfully produced in the commercial theatre?

Question 25

Very few plays by contemporary playwrights who write in another language are produced in America, even in translation. However, other art forms, such as pop music, are very much affected by international influence. What might the American theatre be missing? How might it be changed by international contact?

Question 26

Many countries ban theatre or allow only heavily censored productions. Why might a country repress an art form such as the theatre? What dangers does theatre pose? Why does theatre receive so little political attention in America? Does such repression indicate a higher level of respect for theatre?

Question 27

How many different types of theatre have you seen in your lifetime? If there has not been much variety in what you have seen, why do you think that is? How might you get the opportunity to see more varied and challenging works of theatre? How do you know whether it will be interesting for you if you have not yet seen it?

Question 28

Is it appropriate for a government to censor theatrical content when the theatre is supported by government funds? Discuss ways in which you think this would be a bad thing. Discuss ways in which you think it might be appropriate.