19th Century Theatre
Prior to Zola introducing naturalism to the literary and theatre communities, realism dominated the French stage. Realism emerged in the aftermath of the Revolution of 1848, which overthrew the monarchy in order to establish a democratic society. French playwrights Dumas fils and Augier first gave rise to the realist theatrical form. Their plays focused on middle/lower class protagonists and their everyday lives, and they followed the “well-made play” formula created decades prior by French playwright Eugène Scribe. Well before his time, Scribe claimed that plays should have a tight plot with exposition and the sequencing of scenes to a climax ("The Beginnings of Modern Realism" 355). This differed from the frantic nature of melodramas - the overly-dramatic theatre form that gained popularity in the 19th century prior to the introduction of realism. Realism, and
"Machines de Théâtre", Wikimedia Commons, 19th century.
later naturalism, were both genres created to counter the surface-level theatre that Melodrama produced. Melodrama continued to exist after realism became a hit, but it slowly died out as realistic staging practices, as well as abstractionism gained popularity in the 20th century.
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The theatre practices themselves reflected the rise of realism in the design of their sets, creation of costumes, and acting techniques. Sets became three-dimensional to create a more realistic setting, in comparison to the flat, painted backdrops previously utilized. Costumes reflected the time period in which a play was taking place, rather than contemporary clothing. Actors also engaged in stage business, such as knitting or smoking, to enhance their quotidian character. All of these factors came together with realistic speech and plotlines to create realistic plays.
Throughout the late 19th century, Paris became a large cultural center for the theatre. Every Parisian theatre staged plays in one of five genres: melodrama, comedy, vaudeville, spectacle drama, or operetta ("The Beginnings of Modern Realism" 354). The many opportunities for theatre allowed room for exploration of genres, such as Zola’s development of naturalism. On the other hand, this genre exploration also meant that there was a constant conflict at this time between art being realistic or creative – as can be seen with the realist genre and, later on, expressionism.
Works Cited:
“An Unstable Era (1815-1870): Monarchies, Republic, and Empire.” The History of France, by W. Scott. Haine, Greenwood
Press, 2000.
“The Beginnings of Modern Realism.” History of the Theatre, by Oscar G. Brockett and Franklin J. Hilda, Pearson, 2014, pp.
369–389.
Wilson, Angus. Émile Zola. Morrow, 1961.