American Drama

The greatest American playwrights of the 20 century are Eugene O'Neill (Юджин О ' Ни л) (1888 - 1953), Tennessee Williams (Теннесси Уильяме) (1911 - 1983), Arthur Miller (Артур Миллер) (1915).

American Drama of the 19th c. was aimed at entertaining - vaudevilles & musicals were very popular. So, everything in drama was done for entertainment or melodrama (the situation in Europe was similar). But at the end of the 19^th c. & at the beginning of the 20^th c. new tendencies began to appear in the European theatre opposing the previous ideas that plays should be just "well - made". O. Wilde (1854 - 1900) gave some wit & fantasy to English drama in his comedy of manners "The Importance of Being Earnest" ("Как важно быть серьёзным. Легкомысленная комедия для взрослых людей") (1895), a comedy that is worthy to rank with Sheridan.

But the really great dramatic genius of the age was not to come from Britain but from Norway. Henric Ibsen's (1828 - 1906) work cannot be considered here but we must note the tremendous impact it made on the English theatre, and in the long run on the American theatre. Ibsen delved deep into the social & domestic problems of his age (problems common to both Scandinavia & England), and his presentation of a failed marriage in "A D о 11 ' s H о u s e", and the sins of the fathers being visited on their children in "G h о s t s", caused a sensation when William Archer translated these plays into English for production in London.

George Bernard Show (1856 - 1950) defended Ibsen against the attacks of the critics, and stated that this was the way the new drama should go - it should not be afraid to shock, it should concentrate on ideas, it should rely on its own inner life rather than on external "accidents" like spectacle & comic turns. Shaw put his own notions of drama into practice, and from "W idower's Houses" ("Дома вдовца") (1892) onward he dominated the European theatre & influenced American drama, too.

August Strindberg was another playwright who introduced some novelty into drama. He & Ibsen introduced elements of expressionism into European drama.

Like Shaw, Chekhov in Russia also introduced drama of ideas (remember his words -"Люди едят, пьют, спят, а в это время проходят человеческие жизни" - so, nothing may happen, there may be quite few actions in the play, but the dramatism will be found in the principle of stoicism - people should live whatever the circumstances are).

So American Drama had many examples to follow in the theatre developing, and had its own geniuses in this field. Drama in America focused on the evils of American society: its economic conditions & impossibility to achieve the American Dream. That is how the American Dream turns out to be the American Tragedy due to the impossibility to implement this dream!

At that time many small theatrical companies began to appear in the USA. One of the most influential among them was the one of "province town players" (near Boston). They were dissatisfied with the productions on Broadway. E. O'Neill got acquainted with them. They all wanted to introduce new American drama. (By the way, one of the members of this group was John Rid who wrote the famous book "The Ten Days That Shocked the World" - "Десять дней, которые потрясли мир". His wife fell in love with E. O'Neill but for him art was more important than love).

E. O'Neill found Broadway plays absolutely stupid. He read & was influenced by the works of Strindberg, Ibsen, Chekhov. In his works he managed to combine elements of expressionism with the traditional realism, mythology, classical tragedy (the Ancient Greek traditions) & usage of Biblical myths. In all his plays E. O'Neill touches upon the problem of dramatism of our human existence, nevertheless all his works differ from one another.

E. O'Neill was born at the theatre. His parents were actors. And he was always behind the scene. His play "Long Day's Journey Into Night" ("Долгий день уходит в ночь") (1956) is autobiographical. His will (завещание) was not to publish the play until 25 years after his death but his wife broke the will & published it shortly after his death.