Describe the characteristics of the time period/genre (prevalent themes, forms) Who were the particular audiences?

Leading performers? Play wrights? Describe the theaters. Describe the circumstances in that society which gave rise to the theater. How did the theater in turn influence society? How did the ancient theater evolve and influence contemporary theater?

REALLY GOOD WEBSITES TO LOOK AT FOR THE 70S, 80S, AND 90S: http://history.salempress.com/doi/full/10.3331/1960_4030049322?prevSearch=theater%2B1970&searchHistor yKey=&queryHash=6ed379378076fb8351109cf80bedae8d (70s) http://history.salempress.com/doi/full/10.3331/1980_686?prevSearch=theater%2B1980&searchHistoryKey=&q ueryHash=9b527ffd2a0da4e9b723c3ee8d2a0218 (80s) http://history.salempress.com/doi/full/10.3331/1990_1560?prevSearch=theater%2B1990&searchHistoryKey=& queryHash=ec94f54839516ec497beffa9f71995ea (90s) REMOTE ACCESS PASSWORD: mbblazers

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE 1970s During the 1970s, most plays and musicals transcended social boundaries as nudity appeared on Broadway stages and and counterculture invaded. Physical boundaries were also eliminated as theaters no longer needed a stage. New technology enabled mixed-media productions. Eastern European works began showing up in cities like New York and San Francisco. The 1970s was generally a time where theater returned to its traditional roots. Musical theatre was very popular, particularly rock musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar and The Rocky Horror Show. Concept albums, which were studio albums where all musical or lyrical ideas contributed to a single overall theme or unified story were often used with dramatic and emotionally themed musicals. Shows like Dreamgirls and the Wiz brought African American influences to Broadway. More varied musical genres and styles were incorporated in these shows. Broadway audiences welcomed musicals that varied from the usual style and substance. But at the same time, old-fashioned values were still popular, as shown in Annie and My One and Only. Runaways The runaways is an an off broadway musical written by Elizabeth Swados. It tells the stories of inner-city kids struggling with their home lives who at some point contemplate running away. The Runaways represented the edginess and grunge which so many teenagers at the time felt and wanted. During the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s artists strived to be different from the rest, always trying to shock the crowd more than the last artist. THE 1980S

The 1980s was a major turning point in the history of theatre in the late 1900s. It demonstrated the maturation of trends in American theater that had been continuously developing for about 20 years. There was a significant rise in feminism, Asian American and African American theatrical artists and an introduction to gays and lesbians. Along with this, American theater evolved into professional theater, more than just Broadway theater. Until the early 1960s, theater in the U.S. had meant theater on Broadway. However, in Off-Broadway houses such as the Roundabout Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club of New York, new and experimental works were being performed. These playhouses were often smaller in capacity and seating. Many of these OffBroadway houses were the center of new experimental comedy and performance art. At the end of the decade, over 200 of these Off-Broadway theaters existed, and many of the playwrights who would become notable leaders would begin their career in these houses. Iconic plays of the time periods sweeny Todd and Grease are iconic musicals of the 1970s which are still well known today. the two won Tony awards in the 1980s. The 1980s included broadway plays like True west and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, which is a 8.5 hour adaption of charles dickensons novel. Six degrees of Separation was the booming movie of the 90s and during the 2000s it was Boy meets girl.

THE 1990S Throughout the 1990s, theatrical activity had greatly increased in Off-Broadway and Off-OffBroadway venues. theater had emerged from the confines of New York City and grown across the United States. issues such as gay rights and the African American experience, which had been confined to specialized venues, were now being presented in major American theater houses on Broadway and across the country. Alternative New York theaters such as Womens One World (WOW) were offering intensely specialized productions. with