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Theatre Arts for Advanced Secondary Schools

Exercise 1.2

1. Tushikamane theatre group invited you to attend one of their rehearsal
sessions. Their leader has requested you to prepare a presentation on how
you can incorporate principles of naturalism during play production.
FOR ONLINE READING ONLY
Prepare a ten-minute presentation in response to the request.

2. Your creative writing teacher has requested you to talk to a group of
students who have never watched the naturalistic play. He would like
you to explain to them on how the naturalistic plays are staged. Focus
on any two naturalistic features in your explanations.

3. Briefly explain the concept of naturalism in theatre. Focus on slice of life
and detailed portrayals of everyday life.

4. Naturalism is said to invest more in human experience. What are your
views on how naturalism movement informs the portrayal of human
experience in theatre?

Differences between realism and naturalism
Realism and naturalism are two closely related theatre movements that emerged
in the 19 century. Although they share some similarities, they are distinct in
th
terms of characteristics.

(a) Realism involves the objective portrayal of reality as it is. It aims to depict
life as it is, without idealisation or romanticisation. Hence, realist writers
focus on the everyday experiences of ordinary people, portraying their
lives, struggles and interactions with a high level of accuracy. Naturalism
lies in its determinism feature. It emphasizes the role of external forces
such as heredity, environment and social conditions, in shaping human
behaviour. Naturalist writers often portray characters as being controlled
or influenced by these forces, leading to a sense of determinism or
inevitability in their actions.

(b) Realism focuses on the society. It frequently includes social commentary
addressing issues such as class inequality, poverty, humiliation, oppression
and the effects of industrialisation on society. While realist theatre seeks
to depict life accurately, naturalist performance takes this a step further
by often portraying the more brutal and disgusting aspects of existence
including violence, poverty and social injustice in details.

7 Form Five

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