[2] O’Neill had grown up surrounded by what he saw as frivolous and charming theatre, but he wanted to delve into the meatier issues of life. [3] Musicals were considered “commercial theatre” for a reason—with all the flashy lights, costumes, songs, and often scandalous stage behavior, many musicals were considered trivial and superficial, simply for entertainment and money making purposes. Tiptoes revolves around two couples in wealthy Florida. One of Jazz’s key contributions to the world was its help in diversifying the music industry. Influenced by foreign playwrights like Strindberg and Ibsen, he wrote plays that he felt captured the essence of America in those days. A defining aspect of the performing arts within the 1920s was the development of jazz. In the 1940s) came around. [1] And it was credited with being the “first distinctively American art form to disseminate US culture, style, and modernity across the globe. Gershwin did not use jazz just to make a profit, as other composers may or may not have done, he wrote jazz music for the stage and other arenas because jazz was “the soul of America,” and he did it well. 1 April 2015 Born a Jewish-American, Gershwin became the most well known composer from the United States. Jack Cole, Katherine Dunham, and Agnes de Mille were leading artists in the 1930s and 40s and initiated new dance styles and hybrids. Hollywood stars were seen as glamorous, however, despite the floating ideals of whiteness in America, many Hispanic men and women shared in this iconic era of beauty. During prohibition, “jazz cabarets and nightclubs would often stage elaborate floor shows that patrons could watch and participate in” and would even hire performers like comedians and actors in order to bring an “adaption of Vaudeville comedy to the nightclub”. In fact, many of the first talking films were just filmed adaptations of previously existing stage plays. Both plays dealt with writers and artists from the early 20th century, so it’s especially nice getting to continue that theme in The Jazz Age . Productions like this led to Gershwin's quality being seen as partially Carnegie and legitimate level while also mixing with Vaudeville-esque and cabaret qualities. At the end of World War I, an excited America was poised for a cultural renaissance; patriotism was on the rise, the strong concept of Manifest Destiny had passed its peak of influence, and, most importantly, there had not been a clear shift in culture for decades. [2] But in the '20s, theatre is categorized into two main divisions: first, the “legitimate” theatre, or classical theatre, were those who wanted America's theatre to be taken seriously. The Nineteenth Amendment. [10] Because of this, American silent films were often able to be shown universally and the same story would be communicated to most audiences, despite their language. The plays that the Provincetown Players and other little theatres produced utilized realism and promulgated more complex characters that gave the American an opportunity to see a relatable figure on stage, rather than the stereotypical stock character they had traditionally seen. “The most popular theatrical entertainments of the period, vaudeville and musical comedy, quickly accommodated themselves to and literally cashed in on the new musical craze by using jazz as scoring or underscoring for songs, dances, and scenes. With the rise of this new musical form came a common thread that runs throughout the 1920s: innovation and energy. Performers in Vaudeville specialized in one skill and repeated these skills at performances. Beauty was highly appreciated in this era of film, and the stars of the industry reflected that. The Jazz Age in America The Jazz Age of the Roaring Twenties put the spotlight on a new sound standing firmly on center-stage. . Old music and new music, forgotten melodies and the craze of the moment, bits of opera, Russian folk songs, Spanish ballads, chanson's [sic], rag-time ditties, combined in a mighty chorus in my inner ear. The various institutions propagating the legitimization of American theatre included the Theatre Guild, The Civic Repertory Theatre, and various “little theatres." [13] However, even though they were successful in the film industry, most Hispanic actors were relegated to three main stereotypes on screen (although some were able to take on “white” roles): the greaser, the Latin Lover, or the dark seductress (for women). failing school and having frequent run-ins with the police. This piece starts with a coal striker going to jail and killing a guard in order to escape. One such couple, Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, starred together in 12 films and were dubbed “America’s Sweethearts.”[9]. To remedy this, many studios started practicing the “frozen camera” technique, where cameras were placed in a soundproof room and recorded through the glass, with a wide shot so it would not have to pan or move. In addition to live performance, Hollywood movies were also a key aspect of the 1920s theatrical experience. She was "[1] Many musical comedies were of low-quality, and were more on the “purely commercial music” spectrum, but when composers/writers like Irving Berlin, Richard Rogers, Jerome Kern, and George Gershwin started making shows, that stereotype changed. The reemergence of the KKK. George Gershwin (and his brother Ira who did mostly lyrics) were particularly influential. For example, when Roman Novarro starred in MGM's production of Ben Hur: Tale of the Christ in 1925, the company was saved from bankruptcy due to his popularity and skill. Also, there was still served the globe also applied to spreading American... 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