Attention Must Be Paid: a Critical Study of the Non-Traditional Leading Man in Twentieth Century Drama
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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2013 Attention Must Be Paid: A Critical Study Of The Non-traditional Leading Man In Twentieth Century Drama Trevin Cooper University of Central Florida Part of the Acting 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 Cooper, Trevin, "Attention Must Be Paid: A Critical Study Of The Non-traditional Leading Man In Twentieth Century Drama" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 2522. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/2522 ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE NON-TRADITIONAL LEADING MAN IN TWENTIETH CENTURY DRAMA by TREVIN S. COOPER B.A. Rollins College, 2003 M.A. University of Oklahoma, 2006 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 Spring Term 2013 © 2013 Trevin Cooper ii ABSTRACT The role of the non-traditional leading man has painted a strong image which mirrors the cultural development of our identities; we turn to these men/characters to understand who, or why, we are. Their contributions require acknowledgement. This thesis is a study of the vital role the non-traditional leading man has played in the evolution of twentieth-century theatre. It will examine, through the use of ten plays, one from every decade of the twentieth century, and twelve male roles, the theory that some of the greatest leading male characters in modern theatre are not epitomized by the qualities identified with the stereotypical, romantic leading man, but instead by characters who serve as a representative of the evolution of man, and his ever- changing role in history. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To write an acknowledgment of my academic achievements that truly does justice to all the people I should thank, would require a document much longer than the thesis itself. However, several key people must be mentioned for their unyielding contribution to my academic success. To my committee members, Dr. Julia Listengarten and Professor Allen McCoy thank you for your wonderful contributions to my thesis, your friendship and for being remarkable people. Kate and Tad Ingram, you have been not only teachers, but dear friends. I must thank Professors Lani Harris, Christopher Niess, and Dr. Don Seay for their belief and dedication to my graduate education. To my classmates, Jason Nettle and Alex Hluch, we share a bond no words can express. Kate Gordon and Carly Skubick, for everything you have been in my life. To my kinsmen, Veronica Carroll, Jimmy LeDuc and Heather Knight who have seen me through every step of my life and my education. A very special thank-you to the chair of my committee and the man who has been the guiding light of my three years at The University of Central Florida, Dr. Steven Chicurel; you have been my closest friend, and mentor. I can never express my gratitude for the many roles you have, and continue to play in my life. Finally, thank you to the two people who make everything in my life possible, my parents, Jenean Cooper and Phyllis Roller. Your love, devotion and belief in me have made me everything I am. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................................3 Statement of Purpose ...............................................................................................................3 Methodology ...........................................................................................................................5 Limitations ..............................................................................................................................5 Significance ............................................................................................................................6 Organization............................................................................................................................8 CHAPTER 2 1900s-1920s ........................................................................................................ 10 Cyrano de Bergerac ............................................................................................................... 10 Pygmalion ............................................................................................................................. 14 They Knew What They Wanted ............................................................................................ 18 CHAPTER 3 1930s-1950s ....................................................................................................... 22 The Man Who Came to Dinner .............................................................................................. 22 Death of a Salesman .............................................................................................................. 27 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ........................................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER 4 1960s-1980s ........................................................................................................ 34 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? .......................................................................................... 34 Equus .................................................................................................................................... 38 M. Butterfly .......................................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER 5 1990s AND CONCLUSION ................................................................................ 46 v Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes ...................................................... 46 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 51 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 53 vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION According to the 11th edition of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term “Leading Man” was first coined in 1827 and is described as, “an actor who plays the leading male role” (Webster 707). If one types the words, “Leading Man definition,” into the internet search engine Google, 5,450,000 results will be displayed. Is there an absolute definition of this term? In the theatre, there has been a succession of debonair, handsome, robust, alluring men, at least 6’ in height, vying for that title. Since the rise of the star-system in the mid-eighteenth century, actors from Thomas Betterton to Edwin Booth (nineteenth century), John Barrymore (twentieth century), and Hugh Jackman (twenty-first century) could all be considered leading men. At the age of forty-two, actor/singer Hugh Jackman’s one man musical Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, earned $1,520,929 for the week ending December 4, 2011, and filled The Broadhurst Theatre to 102% capacity (livebroadway.com Screen 2). Statistics such as these seem to prove that leading men can be a driving force of theatre, but are they the only driving force? Jackman draws large crowds and substantial remuneration when he appears on stage. However, one must examine the material which brings Jackman to the stage. He has portrayed a gay night club singer in a musical based on the life of Australian performer Peter Allen, entitled, The Boy from Oz. He has appeared as a guilt ridden police officer alongside another leading man, Daniel Craig, in the play A Steady Rain--a two character melodrama, that Ben Brantley of The New York Times called, “a small, wobbly pedestal on 1 which two gods… may stand in order to be worshiped” (Brantley screen 2). Brantley’s use of the word “gods” seems the perfect description of the archetypical leading man. It is obvious these attractive, mega celebrities personify the American ideal of good looks, talent and wealth; they are not mere mortals. To watch them on stage is to dream, to hope, to be blessed by the presence of perfection. Isn’t that what every audience member wants from a play? Perhaps some people, but certainly not all, and certainly not all actors can fulfill these epic expectations. When people hear “Leading Man,” the stereotypes of the aforementioned actors quickly come to mind, but what about the men and characters that don’t fit into that somewhat restrictive box? And, which plays have launched careers of actors without those above mentioned qualities? In the following pages, this thesis will examine and analyze ten plays and their leading men, all of whom break the stereotypical molds. Each play will represent one decade of the twentieth century. The plays and characters examined for this thesis are as follows: Play Character Decade Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano 1900s Pygmalion Henry Higgins 1910s They Knew What They Wanted Tony 1920s The Man Who Came to Dinner Sheridan Whiteside 1930s Death of Salesman Willie