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Drama and Literature in The 1960s - America
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Drama & Literature - 1960s
Presented by Siddhartha For Drama Company 12
Turbulence & Creativity
Intro
The 1960s was a time of major change and revolution, with the underlying negativity from the difficulties of the 1950s peaking and manifesting in forms of significant events encompassing phenomena from the Civil Rights Movement to the Antiwar protests. One of the other most notable manifestations being the drama and literature of the time era. The cultural movement of the literature was heavily influenced by these notable events - the incredibly famous civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches being a prime example.
Literature
As previously touched on, the flow of the literature within 1960s time era reflected the turbulence and change that was prevalent after the stress build-up from the 1950s. Non-fiction novels like "The Feminine Mystique" (1963) by Betty Friedan which dealt with problems concerning feminism, and "The Armies of the Night" (1968) by Norman Mailer detailing the incident of a 1967 antiwar march are only a couple of the many instances of this occurring.
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To kill a mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird
An instant success when it was published in 1960, the fiction novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is based on the serious topic of racial injustice, but also is
renowned for its ability to effectively implement warmth and humor keeping in mind the sensitivity of a child's awakening to prejudice and racism without inadvertently being offensive in spite of this. It eventually won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. It is a classic of modern american literature.
In Cold Blood
The stunning non-fiction novel "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote, published in 1966, is about the macabre mass murder of 4 members from the Herberte Clutter family within a farming community of Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Another example of the 1950s pervading through 1960s literature.
New Journalism
New Journalism was an american literary movement in the 1960s and 70s that utilized a combination of journalistic nonfiction research and fiction writing techniques in order to bring more of a sense of importance to the news being reported. It also was guilty of reshaping facts in certain ways to add more drama, increasing the chance of catching people's interest.
Film
Drama
The early 60s had a tough time garnering an audience for films with its all-powerful competitor, Television, picking up steam. Eventually Filmmakers found the solution of creating big-budget productions that Television Producers just couldn't offer, like the film "Cleopatra" (1963). Filmmakers also had the idea to incorporate elements of unconventional behavior in entertainment such as violence and sex, which was judged to be too mature to air on television, such as "Kiss Me, Stupid" (1964) and "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967). This roused controversy from groups like the Catholic Legion of Decency who though that this was unacceptable. As a result, in 1968 the Motion Picture Association of America started a rating system still in use to this day: G (general audiences), M (mature; later changed to GP, then PG), R (restricted), and X (no one under 18 admitted). The rating of PG-13 was added in 1984.
Long Day's Jounrey Into Night - Theatre
Long Day's Journey Into Night
A play published in 1956, "Long Day's Journey Into Night" by Eugene O'Neill is considered to be one of the finest plays of the 20th century. Portraying a family of a mother dealing with a morphine addiction, a father's miserliness, the older brother's licentiousness, the younger brother's illness, and the whole family's addiction to whiskey.
A Raisin in the Sun
"A Raisin in the Sun" (1959) by Lorraine Hansberry was definitely another piece of literature influenced by the injustice and change taking place during the 60s. Named the best play of 1959 by the New York Drama Critics' Circle, it tells of a poor black family dealing with a forthcoming insurance payment which could mean their ruin or salvation.
Hair
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"Hair" (1967), a Broadway Rock Musical by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, its music by Galt MacDermot, famous for its songs contributing to the anti-Vietnam war peace movement in the 1960s. It is a production rooting from hippie counterculture, and evidently was influenced by the revolutionary state that the 60s encompassed.
Sources
Fakazis, Liz. “New Journalism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 Mar. 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/New-Journalism.
Film, "1960s: and Theater.". “1960s: Film and Theater.” The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed, Encyclopedia.com, 2018, www.encyclopedia.com/history/culture-magazines/1960s-film-and-theater.
Foca, Anna. “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Feb. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/To-Kill-a-Mockingbird.
“In Cold Blood.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Cold_Blood.
“Long Day's Journey into Night.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Day's_Journey_into_Night.
“The Armies of the Night.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Armies_of_the_Night.
“The Turbulent but Creative 1960s.” Andrew Carnegie Wealth June 1889 < 1876-1900 < Documents < American History From Revolution To Reconstruction and Beyond, www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/literature-1991/american-prose-since-1945-realism-and-experimentation/the-turbulent-but-creative-1960s.php.
Moore, John. “The 10 Most Important American Plays.” The Denver Post, The Denver Post, 6 May 2016, www.denverpost.com/2010/02/11/the-10-most-important-american-plays/.
“A Raisin in the Sun.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Raisin_in_the_Sun.
“Hair (Musical).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_(musical).