Reaching for the Avant-Garde in Theatre for Young Audiences
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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2009 Breaking Tradition: Reaching For The Avant-garde In Theatre For Young Audiences Meredith Hoppe University of Central Florida Part of the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Hoppe, Meredith, "Breaking Tradition: Reaching For The Avant-garde In Theatre For Young Audiences" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 4148. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4148 BREAKING TRADITION: REACHING FOR THE AVANT-GARDE IN THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES by MEREDITH A. HOPPE B.F.A. Shenandoah University, 2003 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in the Department of Theatre in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2009 © 2009 Meredith A. Hoppe ii ABSTRACT This thesis seeks to unearth the concept of breaking tradition in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) in the United States by applying the avant-garde theory of Arnold Aronson as a lens through which to investigate the current development of US TYA. After formulating an approach in which to negotiate the concept of the avant-garde, I draft five tenets that currently define tradition in the field of US TYA. Situating these five tenets against Aronson’s theoretical framework, I examine three contemporary US TYA plays from the past two centuries: Black Butterfly, Hush: An Interview with America, and Atypical Boy. Within these scripts, I probe for moments where these five tenets break to manifest possible tendencies toward the avant-garde. I then conclusively reflect and problematize these findings in order to raise questions about each script’s relationship to the avant-garde and significance to the development of the field, ultimately provoking further discourse surrounding the role of avant-garde methodology within US TYA’s current position and state of progression. iii To Mom, Dad, MacKenzie, and Wiley, for never ceasing to believe, support, and encourage me in my pursuit to follow my dreams. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their generous contributions of time, energy, and guidance during the course of my thesis project. First, indelible amounts of gratitude go to Dr. Julia Listengarten, my committee chair, mentor, and friend, for sparking my intrigue into the world of the avant-garde and challenging me to explore, experiment, and apply it to my work as a theatre artist and educator, as well as Dr. Megan Alrutz, for always challenging me to leap higher and farther than I could ever imagine possible. A lifetime of thanks, hugs, and owl hoots to my TYA 5: Alicia Lark Fuss, Karen Weberman, Nicholas Bazo, Kathryn Eckert, and Shelli C. Kinsley for their continual love and support as classmates, colleagues, and extended family; to Kim Peter Kovak, honorary Duckling Professor of Sass, for his continued guidance and generosity in connecting me with a multitude of artists, plays, and companies instrumental in my research for this project; to Jeff Church and Meghann Henry at the Coterie Theatre for their candid advice on script selection and for generously making the Coterie Theatre’s production archives available; to Vandy Wood for empowering me through theatrical design and helping me to find my place within it’s realm, in addition to serving on my committee; to Christopher Niess for his inspiring artistry as well as also serving on my committee. I would additionally like to acknowledge and sincerely thank my family: Scott and Jackie Hoppe, along with my sister MacKenzie Hoppe Ritchey, whose love and unending support make every endeavor I reach for in life attainable. Lastly, to my adorable baby nephew Wyatt, who just entered the world this summer: be forewarned, I will read this to you someday. v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 3 CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 7 Research Constraints................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND APPROACH .............................. 11 Aronson and the American Avant-garde .................................................................................. 11 Approaching the Avant-garde ................................................................................................... 18 Aronson’s Negotiation .............................................................................................................. 19 Characteristics or Markers of the Avant-garde ......................................................................... 20 A Context for Tradition............................................................................................................. 28 CHAPTER FOUR: FIVE TENETS OF TRADITION IN AMERICAN TYA ............................ 32 Tenet One: Adaptations of Literature and Fairytales................................................................ 33 Tenet Two: Educational and Social Objectives ........................................................................ 38 Tenet Three: Linear Narrative Structure ................................................................................... 43 Tenet Four: Script Driven Performance.................................................................................... 45 Tenet Five: The Role (or lack thereof) of the Child as Audience............................................. 48 CHAPTER FIVE: BREAKING TRADITION: THREE MOMENTS IN CONTEMPORARY DRAMATIC LITERATURE FOR YOUTH ................................................................................ 53 Black Butterfly by Luis Alfaro .................................................................................................. 54 Hush: An Interview with America by James Still ..................................................................... 62 Atypical Boy by Laurie Brooks ................................................................................................. 69 CHAPTER SIX: BEYOND THE BREAKING: CONCLUSIONS.............................................. 78 APPENDIX: END NOTES........................................................................................................... 91 vi LIST OF REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 94 vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Historically, movements of the avant-garde break boundaries; challenge the mainstream, ideals, and traditions. Throughout the centuries these movements help shape the development of performing and visual art across the world. In the United States, however, a fairly young and comparatively concentrated art form has yet to experience such a movement: Theatre for Young Audiences. As the field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) continues rapid development nationally and globally, the current mainstream in American TYA remains firmly grounded in tradition, devoid of a predominant movement to break against traditional boundaries. This thesis investigates the notion of “breaking tradition” when applied to contemporary TYA in the United States. I aim to examine US TYA and its possible connections to the avant-garde by applying scholar Arnold Aronson’s study of the development of avant-garde theatre in the United States as a theoretical model for examining these traditions in which the field roots itself, as well as employ three pieces of contemporary dramatic literature in US TYA as a means for investigating these moments that may constitute as a break in tradition. Within this study, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of what role the avant-garde may play within US TYA, as well as explore the possibilities of a future movement toward the avant-garde based on the field’s current development. In his book, American Avant-Garde Theatre: A History, Aronson presents the evolution of the American avant-garde theatre movement (a period of approximately thirty years, 1950-1980) as influenced not only by the historical avant-garde activity in Europe, but also a combination of precise historical context, cultural explosion, and political worldview that 1 positioned the United States as primed for an avant-garde movement, or “breaking” of tradition. (1). He further postulates that with these elements in place, a lengthy period of established tradition must present itself before even diminutive elements of an avant-garde can emerge. Using Aronson’s theory as a framework, I will investigate TYA in the United States, surveying its historical development, specifically focusing on the late twentieth and early twenty- first centuries in order to pinpoint five tenets that currently define tradition in the field. These tenets will provide the foundation for my exploration of precise moments