Theatrical Spectatorship in the United States and Soviet Union, 1921-1936: a Cognitive Approach to Comedy, Identity, and Nation
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Theatrical Spectatorship in the United States and Soviet Union, 1921-1936: A Cognitive Approach to Comedy, Identity, and Nation Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Pamela Decker, MA Graduate Program in Theatre The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Lesley Ferris, Advisor Jennifer Schlueter Frederick Luis Aldama Copyright by Pamela Decker 2013 Abstract Comedy is uniquely suited to reveal a specific culture’s values and identities; we understand who we are by what and whom we laugh at. This dissertation explores how comic spectatorship reflects modern national identity in four theatre productions from the twentieth century’s two rising superpowers: from the Soviet Union, Evgeny Vakhtangov’s production of Princess Turandot (1922) and Vsevolod Meyerhold’s production of The Bedbug (1929); from the United States, Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle’s Broadway production of Shuffle Along (1921) and Orson Welles’ Federal Theatre Project production of Horse Eats Hat (1936). I undertake a historical and cognitive analysis of each production, revealing that spectatorship plays a participatory role in the creation of live theatre, which in turn illuminates moments of emergent national identities. By investigating these productions for their impact on spectatorship rather than the literary merit of the dramatic text, I examine what the spectator’s role in theatre can reveal about the construction of national identity, and what cognitive studies can tell us about the spectator’s participation in live theatre performance. Theatre scholarship often marginalizes the contribution of the spectator; this dissertation privileges the body as the first filter of meaning and offers new insights into how spectators contribute and shape live theatre, as opposed to being passive observers of an ii already-completed production. Taking account of historical circumstances, I apply theories of empathy, social affect, and group identification to each production, questioning how spectators helped create and gave meaning to these shows, along with the attitudes and identities that might have arisen from them. In my analysis, I expect to uncover moments in each nation’s history where comic spectatorship reveals an emergent national identity—either collectively uniting in a moment of cultural or political promise, or splintering under social and economic distress. Furthermore, an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of theatre production—one grounded in cognitive science, culture, and politics—provides a new perspective on the study of spectatorship in theatre history. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank a number of people, who, without their assistance, advice, and support, this dissertation would not have been possible. First, I am tremendously grateful to Lesley Ferris for being a wonderful advisor and advocate. Thank you to Frederick Aldama, for his kind support and expertise on cognitive studies. I cannot thank Jen Schlueter enough for her guidance, helpful criticism, and sense of humor. I would also like to thank the OSU Department of Theatre for its generosity in travel assistance for conference participation and archival research. Furthermore, I am also grateful to Amy Cook, Bruce McConachie, and the participants of the ASTR Cognitive Studies working group. Their advice, guidance, and interest in my project have been invaluable. I must also express my appreciation to Matt Yde not only for his friendship, but for showing me just how one goes about writing a dissertation. Thank you to Francesca, for being a wonderful friend and roommate. And also, I must thank my friends from the first year of my Master’s degree at Wisconsin—Bethany, Erin, Annie, Lindsay, Liz, and Laura—I could not have asked for a more amazing group of women with which to start my graduate journey. Thank you to Manon van de Water for all her assistance and guidance along the way. Finally, I would never have been able to accomplish this without the help of my parents; their assistance, support, and love have made all the difference in iv the world. And, of course, a special thanks to Kaya, who has certainly made the whole journey just a little easier. v Vita May 2002…………………………………B.A. Theatre and English, Hanover College May 2008…………………………………M.A. Theatre, University of Wisconsin- Madison 2008 to present……………………………Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Theatre, The Ohio State University Publications “Review of Russian Culture and Theatrical Performance in America, 1891-1933.” Theatre Journal (March 2013). “Review of Hot Off the Presses: The Curtiss Show Print Collection.” Broadside: Newsletter of the Theatre Library Association 38.1. (Fall 2010). “Review of Nature Theatre of Oklahoma’s Romeo and Juliet.” Theatre Journal 62.4 (Dec. 2010). Fields of Study Major Field: Theatre vi Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………....ii Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………..iv Vita………………………………………………………………………………………..vi Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………….…...…………1 Chapter 2: Princess Turandot and Early Soviet Identity……………….………………..29 Chapter 3: Split Empathy in Soviet Spectatorship of The Bedbug………………...…….72 Chapter 4: Shuffle Along and 1920s Spectatorship…………………………………..…114 Chapter 5: The Divided Spectatorship of Horse Eats Hat…………………………..….162 Chapter 6: Conclusion…………………………………………………………………..203 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………214 vii Chapter 1 Introduction: Comic Spectatorship and Cultural Identity Comedy is uniquely suited to reveal a specific culture’s values and identities; we understand who we are by whom we laugh at. This dissertation explores emergent cultural and national identities through the comic spectatorship of four theatre productions from the Soviet Union and United States. From the Soviet Union, I examine Evgeny Vakhtangov’s production of Princess Turandot (1922) and Vsevolod Meyerhold’s production of The Bedbug (1929); from the United States, Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle’s Broadway production of Shuffle Along (1921) and Orson Welles’ Federal Theatre Project production of Horse Eats Hat (1936). In my analysis, I investigate moments in each nation’s history where comic spectatorship reveals an emergent national identity—either collectively uniting in a moment of cultural or political promise, or splintering under social and economic distress. Identifying these respective moments of unified and fractured cultural identity reveals an era in each nation's modern development when its cultural promise was at its brightest. In turn, these eras are looked back to as cultural markers to define national identity through a narrative of origin. Taking account of historical circumstances, I apply theories of empathy, social affect, and group identification to each production, questioning how spectators helped create and gave meaning to these shows, along with the attitudes and identities that might have arisen from them. This dissertation privileges the body as the first filter of meaning and offers 1 new insights into how spectators contribute and shape live theatre, as opposed to being passive observers of an already-completed production. Early in the twentieth century, the United States and Russia were positioned to become two of the most influential and powerful nations in the world. As their promise materialized after World War I, perhaps more so for the United States economically, but also for Soviet Russia as a cultural and political power, each nation exerted their identity, ideologies, and influence on the rest of the world throughout the twentieth century. While often appearing diametrically opposed to one another in culture, politics, and economics, their paths to modern nationhood followed a remarkably similar trajectory. The moments in each nation’s cultural development that I examine in this dissertation, during the years 1921-1936, reveal a critical time of modern nation-building for both the US and USSR, and illuminate the identities we have come to understand as “American,” or as “Russian,” or “Soviet.” How cultural identity was shaped and reflected during this time for both nations also foreshadows the paths that each nation was to take throughout the twentieth century. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the United States’ current decline in global status, it is worthwhile to look back to the moments where each nation's cultural promise was at its strongest, in order to explore the identities that have continued to shape and inform each nation's narrative, purpose, and direction. Spectatorship can illuminate cultural and national identity, and has up to this point been relatively unexamined in theatre scholarship. Theatre history has tended to marginalize the contribution and response of the spectator, relying instead on close readings of dramatic texts to explore their respective societies. Through a historical investigation and cognitive analysis of each production, I argue that spectatorship plays a 2 participatory and enduring role in the creation of live theatre, which in turn provides an understanding of how emerging national identities are revealed. By examining productions for their impact on spectatorship rather than the literary merit of the dramatic texts, what can the spectator’s role in the theatrical event reveal about the cultural identities of these two nations? What can cognitive studies tell us about the role of the spectator in the creation and understanding of live