Essays and Research Papers on Theater

A 9 page paper which examines the speech/scene in Hamlet where he has the opportunity to kill King Claudius yet hesitates. The paper offers various approaches, concerning stage, setting, speech, that would offer an alternative rendition of this famous scene. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page report discusses Giuseppe Verdi’s (1813-1901) “La Traviata,” created in 1853. In the nearly 150 years since that time, it has become one of the best-known and most frequently performed operas in the Western world. The story of the opera revolves around the courtesan Violetta Valery and the man she loves, Alfredo. Misunderstandings and confusions separate the two who ...

A 5 page paper which discusses the production "Miss Julie" by August Strindberg utilizing space, primarily additional space. The paper examines how one could present a production of Strindberg's play with additional space, creating a unique setting that would serve to heighten the production by focusing on naturalism and subtlety. Bibliography lists 2 additional source.

This 5 page paper provides a brief overview of the Lloyd Webber musical, discusses sets, costumes, and offers opening day reviews, as well as a short synopsis and notes on original development from novel to musical. Bibliography lists 3 MLA sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the two productions "Madame Butterfly" and "True West" and illustrates how the two are very similar in terms of presenting dual nature as it relates to humans, no matter their culture. Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

A 5 page research paper that examines the critical reception that Edward Albee's play Tiny Alice received in 1964. The writer argues that the negative reception that this play received was influenced by the fact that it was not like Albee's previous hit, Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and also because of its controversial content. ...

5 pages in length. Caryl Churchill's Top Girls set a precedent unlike any other feminist theatre production had heretofore accomplished; as such, this unparalleled approach created a combination of difficulties as well as unusual opportunities for the playwright while preparing the original production. With the critical acclaim inherent to this type of theatrical ...

A 5 page research paper that analyzes August Wilson's play Fences, which is a multigenerational look at an African American family and is, principally, the story of Troy Maxson and the psychological fences that isolate him from his friends and family. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the roles of children, and the treatment of children, in seven different dramatic plays. The plays are "Oedipus," "Hamlet," "Antigone," "Madame Butterfly," "Death of a Salesman," "The Glass Menagerie," and "A Doll's House." No additional sources cited.

This 6 page paper compares and contrasts the Ibsen work with the Tennessee Williams play which were each written in different time periods. Characterization is discussed, particularly as it pertains to the ways in which Nora is like Blanche and Stella. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

What makes something a 'classic' or something that appeals to audiences of all ages and in all eras? The answer: it speaks to different people, their experiences and reactions. This 5 page paper explores the ways that Sophicles' play, Antigone, appeals to modern audiences as well as to audiences of the past and the future. Bibliography lists ...

This 5 page paper looks at the play and examines who Godot is and why the protagonists are waiting. Godot is compared to God. No additional sources cited.

This paper examines Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, and attempts to determine if Willy Loman fits the profile of the tragic hero. The paper also discusses the play as a good example of a tragedy, as defined by Greek philosopher Aristotle.

A 5 page paper which examines the focus on gender, sexual, national, and cultural identity as it is presented in David Henry Hwang's "M. Butterfly." No additional sources cited.

A 12 page paper which examines chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Susan Harris Smith's book "Masks in Modern Drama." No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which considers how the female protagonists in these plays respond in unexpected and unacceptable ways to the social and legal expectations of women in their respective societies, noting the similarities and differences of each. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This tutorial paper gives suggestions to students studying George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion on how they can describe and discuss the changes undergone by Eliza Doolittle, and how those changes impacted her mentor, Henry Higgins. Bibliography lists 1 source, the play itself.

A 5 page paper which discusses the roles of women in Sartre's "Les Mains Sales" and Camus'' "Les Justes." Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

A 10 page paper which examines how violence and madness within the family shapes these classic Greek tragedies. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the importance of the last scene of Valle-Inclan's play "Las luces de Bohemia." Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

Almost anyone who is familiar with "A Streetcar Named Desire" has one or two scenes they know, even if they haven't seen the play; namely, the rape scene and the poker scene. This paper examines these and other scenes from the play from a "feminist" perspective, while also focusing on the female characters and the ...

This paper examines the characters of Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman and Ruth Younger in Raisin in the Sun and compares how the two behave with dignity and love to try to hold their families together.

An 8 page paper which discusses whether or not the twentieth-century play should be regarded as a tragedy, according to Aristotle’s definition. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines J.B. Priestley's play "An Inspector Calls" as it relates to the Edwardian Era. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 5 page research paper/essay that analyzes Arthur Miller's The Crucible as a work of dramatic art. The writer focuses on how Miller constructs and heightens dramatic tension at key points in the play. Bibliography lists 3 sources.