Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Essay Example
INTRODUCTION: A Brief History of the Doll Summer of the Seventeenth Doll premiered on 28th November 1955 at the
Russell Street Theatre in Melbourne Before the 1950s, very little Australian work was produced on Australian stages and often a whole year would go by without a single work by an Australian reaching the commercial stage. The Doll was a success in part because it gave its audiences unmistakably Australian characters in a familiar setting, speaking with their own accents, and telling their own stories. After a successful season in Melbourne, and with backing from the Australian Elizabethan Theatre
Trust, the play opened in Sydney, and then toured around Australia, playing in Brisbane, Adelaide,
Perth, Hobart and Launceston, as well as throughout country areas. Demand for the play was so strong, that in 1956, several additional companies of actors were formed, who toured the play concurrently. Style
Naturalism and Realism
We see what happens as close as possible to real life
Note use of slang and language by the characters - the Aussie slang labels it as being distinctly Australian.
Note the use of costume and set - note change of costume for Pearl as she feels more comfortable with the situation - from her 'good black' to her more casual clothing. Also note the set description including the encroaching greenery - perhaps symbolic of the reality that is also intruding on their illusion. The butterflies and birds and other decorations all contribute to the illusion, and are part of what destroys the ideal of the lay-off season for Olive.
Naturalism --> slang, language, set, costume approximates real life, natural language rhythms etc.
Realism --> looks at real situations and relations; explores the poetic dimension including the symbolism of the play.
Use of Symbolism
Olive's metaphors of eagles and kings the sing-along called off; the sing-along would have been a typical thing for
Russell Street Theatre in Melbourne Before the 1950s, very little Australian work was produced on Australian stages and often a whole year would go by without a single work by an Australian reaching the commercial stage. The Doll was a success in part because it gave its audiences unmistakably Australian characters in a familiar setting, speaking with their own accents, and telling their own stories. After a successful season in Melbourne, and with backing from the Australian Elizabethan Theatre
Trust, the play opened in Sydney, and then toured around Australia, playing in Brisbane, Adelaide,
Perth, Hobart and Launceston, as well as throughout country areas. Demand for the play was so strong, that in 1956, several additional companies of actors were formed, who toured the play concurrently. Style
Naturalism and Realism
We see what happens as close as possible to real life
Note use of slang and language by the characters - the Aussie slang labels it as being distinctly Australian.
Note the use of costume and set - note change of costume for Pearl as she feels more comfortable with the situation - from her 'good black' to her more casual clothing. Also note the set description including the encroaching greenery - perhaps symbolic of the reality that is also intruding on their illusion. The butterflies and birds and other decorations all contribute to the illusion, and are part of what destroys the ideal of the lay-off season for Olive.
Naturalism --> slang, language, set, costume approximates real life, natural language rhythms etc.
Realism --> looks at real situations and relations; explores the poetic dimension including the symbolism of the play.
Use of Symbolism
Olive's metaphors of eagles and kings the sing-along called off; the sing-along would have been a typical thing for