AQA A-Level Drama Play Guide: The Glass Menagerie 14 20th-century UK and US history Task Below is a timeline showing some key 20th-century events. Highlight anything that might affect your understanding of and concept for The Glass Menagerie. 1901 Queen Victoria dies, end of the Victorian era 1914–1918 First World War 1926 John Logie Baird demonstrates the rst television 1929 Wall Street crash, Great Depression in USA 1936–1952 Reign of King George VI 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War 1939–1945 Second World War 1947 Indian independence after 200 years of British rule 1948 Start of the Windrush large-scale immigration from the Caribbean 1952 Reign of Elizabeth II begins 1955–1975 Vietnam War 1950s–1960s US civil rights movement 1960s–1970s Women’s rights movement 1979 Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s rst female prime minister 1989 Tim Berners-Lee invents the worldwide web Key figures Constantin Stanislavski: 1863–1938, Russian theatre practitioner best known for creating exercises that encourage believable and naturalistic performances. Anton Chekhov: 1860–1904, Russian playwright known for naturalistic plays such as The Seagull and Uncle Vanya. Bertolt Brecht: 1898–1956, German theatre maker known for epic political plays like The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Mother Courage. Antonin Artaud: 1896–1948, French writer and theatre maker known for surreal, challenging, experimental work. Key terms Method acting: A technique that involves an actor deeply identifying with the character they are playing; using exercises to draw out a believable performance. Episodic: With a series of loosely connected scenes. Theatrical movements in the 20th and 21st centuries Realism From the late 19th century through to the 21st century, realism and naturalism have been popular forms in theatre. In uenced by Constantin Stanislavski, notable for his work in creating believable productions of the plays of Anton Chekhov and others, realism was found in kitchen sink dramas and the socially aware work of 20th-century playwrights like Arthur Miller. Method acting became popular in the 1950s, where actors might put themselves in extreme physical or emotional situations to identify with a character. Expressionism This drama uses exaggerated theatrical elements to create heightened feelings and ideas. It began in Germany in the early 20th century and in uenced theatre internationally, particularly US playwrights such as Eugene O’Neill. Expressionistic dramas are often episodic and use lighting and sound in a striking way. Sets may be unrealistic and have distorted or exaggerated features. The goal is often to reveal a truth that realistic representations may disguise. Epic theatre This political theatre uses a variety of techniques to engage an audience’s interest. These include the ‘alienation’ effect, which highlights the arti ciality of the theatre; multi-roling; breaking the fourth wall; and changing scenery in front of Copyright: Sample material
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