The plays of Emily Mann: An example of the relationship of documentary theatre to journalism.
Item
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Title
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The plays of Emily Mann: An example of the relationship of documentary theatre to journalism.
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Identifier
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AAI3047254
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identifier
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3047254
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Creator
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Pope, Deborah Judith.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Daniel Gerould
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Date
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2002
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Theater | Literature, American | Mass Communications | Journalism
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Abstract
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Emily Mann is one of the major creators of contemporary documentary theatre in the United States. Because her work exemplifies the dynamic interactions between documentary playwriting and documentary journalism, particularly televised journalism, her plays can serve as case studies for an exploration of the current status of the genre: its assumptions, problems, and possibilities.;My primary focus is the impact of the news media on documentary playwriting. I examine how television has affected the way in which history is written and perceived; how the influences of television differ from other influences to which theatre has responded over the ages; and whether the television audience is cued to question the way material is conveyed or to accept the broadcast as a representation of reality. In addition, I examine how televised presentational technique has affected the dramatic structure of stage documentary; how a documentary play, employing television techniques, affects the theatre audience; and what the influence of television may be on the future of documentary playwriting.;As a playwright Mann has identified her goal: to entertain, educate, and inspire her audiences. She aims to bring to the audience representations of contemporary historical events that will allow them to re-examine society and their place in it. In her plays, Emily Mann has provided her audiences with critical perspectives on the age itself, its politics, and its media. My task has been to discover how she has imparted to the documentary stage such a level of rigorous inquiry employing the very techniques provided by the media age in which we live.;The factors that have influenced Mann in her choice of subject and presentation technique for each of her plays can be seen as fusing political movement, artistic trend, and "being at the right place at the right time." The volatile political climate (of civil rights and antiwar demonstrations as portrayed on television) inspired greater interest in the rights and experiences of the individual. The oral-history movement and the growing fascination with the power of facts also provided the subjects and formats most compelling to be presented onstage as documentary, historical and fictionalized drama. The focus on the individual and how history affects the life of that one person is a common theme in Mann's work.;In each chapter of this dissertation I have examined one of Mann's five produced documentary plays. The plays are placed chronologically in the order written, and through each is explored a different aspect of Mann's work as a documentary playwright in a world saturated with sound-bite information. These discussions include reference to the way in which Mann has chosen the subjects of her plays, how she has chosen the style and structure for her work, how she has served her work as a director, how her position as artistic director has influenced her choices as a playwright, and finally how critical response has affected the life of her work.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
