Essays and Research Papers on Theater

A 5 page paper. Miller's play is a commentary on the American way of life and on the preoccupation with wealth and influence. The story revolves around the conflict between Willy Loman, an older traveling salesman, and his oldest son, Biff, who was a exceptional football player in high school. Many critics have said that ...

The duality of life often takes unexpected turns in literature. The juxtaposition of good and evil, honest and dishonest and the real and the imaginary become the foundation for the building of a character, plot and the tension that brings an audience into the work. This 7 page paper argues that in A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, ...

This 6 page report discusses the idea of independent theater and the realization that “independent” theater evolved from the realization that a great deal of the art and impact of theater in terms of an expression of art was not necessarily what would be popular with the general public and thus, would not necessarily be a profitable venture, regardless of its ...

(5pp) This is the American dream, turned nightmare, the story of a simple, flawed man who spends an entire lifetime trying to become the man he sees reflected in his loved ones' eyes. Over fifty years fall away and Miller's work is as fresh as the day it was written, as challenging, as frightening, ...

This 15 page report discusses the history and impact of drag performances on the American theater. One of the reasons that drag performance, whether in a drag queen show or in the “legitimate” theater, titillates, amuses, and shocks people is that it plays with gender’s most honored and traditional beliefs and celebrates the confusion of social and sexual identities. Drag is ...

Drama has a long tradition, from its classical beginnings to the modern plays of today. This 5 page paper examines the plays: Medea by Euripides, Hamlet by Shakespeare and Wit by Margaret Edson in terms of the type of drama. No additional sources are listed.

This 6 page report discusses the comic actor Andy Kaufman (1949-1984). People who are aware of Andy Kaufman appear to have one of two attitudes about him -- they love him, thought him to be a comic genius, and are certain he was greatly under-estimated. The other attitude is that Kaufman was tiresome, a mediocre talent, and are certain he ...

A five page paper looking at this 1977 play by Michael Cristofer. The paper provides a brief synopsis, together with a discussion of the function of plot, theme, characterization, dialogue, setting, and ethics in the play. Bibliography lists one source.

This 5 page paper considers the role of Amanda in Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie. This paper outlines the basic components of Amanda's role and the importance for the play as a whole. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page paper compares Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman and Lorraine Hansbury's A Raison In The Sun in terms of the relationships between men and women. No additional sources are listed.

(5 pp). Ancient Greeks cared deeply about the pursuit of knowledge. Although the truth was often a terrifying concept, they still saw it as a critical virtue. The theater was one way in which the ideas of knowledge and truth were examined. How fate plays a role in this play ...

This 5 page paper examines the play, Short Eyes, by Miguel Pinero in terms of the concepts found in Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish: The Birth of The Prison. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

(5 pp). Death of a Salesman gives different insights and different meanings to the American dream of success and shows what can happen when the dream is false, distorted or unfulfilled. The American dream was in serious trouble for Willy Loman and his family because of his fervent pursuit of success, wealth and status. He ...

A 5 page paper which discusses the literal and symbolic meanings of the title 'Death of a Salesman,' the play by Arthur Miller. In the literal meaning we are truly presented with the death of one man, a salesman, Willy Loman. In the symbolic meaning we see the death of the salesman as representative of the death of the ...

A 5 page paper which compares Harper Lee's 1960 novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," with the film and play versions, considering two specific distinctions between how the visual adaptations reinterpret the written text. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 5 page paper provides a view of the two central couples in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. This paper compares and contrasts central elements of the two couples and the characterizations of George, Martha, Nick and Honey. No additional sources cited.

(5 pp) In the he late 1880s Strindberg began to experiment with free verse and created the great dramas The Father (1887), Miss Julie (1888), and Creditors (1888). The Father vividly expresses Strindberg's view of the war between the sexes, in which he saw man as victimized by woman. Miss Julie ...

This 10 page paper explores the female roles in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raison In The Sun and Alice Childress' Trouble In Mind from the perspective of how they confront stereotypes and sexist behaviors. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page paper provides an overview of Verdi's operas and the times in which he wrote them. Aida, La Traviata, and Don Carlo are compared and contrasted. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

6 pages in length. The writer discusses the aspects of time and attitude as they relate to the three plays. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

(8 pp) When an extramarital affair is discovered, often the couple will undergo a crisis. This may not sound surprising. However, this crisis can be the most difficult part of the issue. The 'injured' spouse may feel emotionally abandoned by the other spouse. She or he may feel a loss of her/his image of ...

5 pages in length. Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Oklahoma!," easily one of the world's most beloved musical productions, sports a theme of celebration in relation to the spirit of rebirth and renewal. That this particular production openly addresses in the overwhelmingly difficult aspect of social change is indicative of its ability to reach out ...

This 6 page paper explores the metaphorical representation of children's play in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which discusses the play "Noises Off." The paper discusses relevant details of the script and the production, what the script and the production are seeking to achieve, and what elements of the script and the production are successful, or otherwise, in achieving the goal of this theatrical event. bibliography lists 1 source.

This 6 page report discusses the American writer and dramatist, Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) and the ways in which his work and his life can be defined as postmodern. Part of the power of the modernist movement in 20th century literature was the force, or the will of the artist, which is presented in the writing and is imprinted on the reader. ...