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Analysis: The Quality of Australian Live Theater

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Analysis: The Quality of Australian Live Theater
Written by Nikeisha Avio

Live Theatre Analysis
Year 12 Drama
Term 2

“The quality of live theatre in Brisbane is all but dead. The growth of urban cinema complexes, video rental and now cable, have left little room in the entertainment practices of most Brisbanites.”
It is a truth that in such a technologically savvy and dependant generation as today 's, venturing to the theatre is slowly becoming a rarity. This is due to the strong, extensive domination of film, television and new media, clearly eminent in the present entertainment industry. Live theatre in Brisbane is constantly competing with the comfort and affordability of staying in and enjoying a pre-recorded television show or watching a 3D movie in one 's own home. There is next to no motivation for people in today 's general public to attend a theatrical performance leading to the classification of live theatre as passé and dated. However this does not in any way signify that the quality of theatre has degraded. For those who enjoy the emotive and interactive experience of attending live theatre, Brisbane has an array of diverse shows that are perfect indicators of the level of high quality theatre that is available to the community. In fact through the thorough analysis of three different levels of productions: Wicked, Summer and Smoke and Lying Cheating Bastard this essay will attempt to prove that through the manipulation of the elements of tension and relationships within each of these plays, dramatic meaning is created and the quality of theatre is heightened.

The world-acknowledged, professional production of Wicked the Musical, is indeed a piece of quality theatre. With theatre goers attending the show expecting to be blown away with the glorious sets and costumes, it is not usually a play that is put under the analytical microscope. What theatre goers often miss from the whole show is the amount of deep dramatic meaning there is at it 's core. Wicked is essentially about the hard



Bibliography: -Haseman, Brad, and John O 'Toole. Dramawise: an Introduction to the Elements of Drama. Richmond, Vic.: Heinemann Educational Australia, 1988. Print. - (Background reading on Theatre) Burton, Bruce. Living Drama. South Melbourne: Pearson Education Australia, 2001. Print -"Lying Cheating Bastard REVIEW | Theatre Australia." Theatre Australia | Your Portal for Australian Theatre. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://www.theatre.asn.au/theatre_reviews/lying_cheating_bastard_review>. -"Review Of Wicked At The Lyric Theatre QPAC In Brisbane." Brisbane Times - Brisbane News, Queensland News & World News. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/wicked-20110211-1apgs.html>. -" 'Summer and Smoke ': Tennessee Williams Steamy Slice of America - Features, Theatre & Dance - The Independent." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/summer-and-smoke-tennessee-williams-steamy-slice-of-america-420461.html>. "Tracey Sanders." Academics ' Web Pages. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/trsanders/units/nature_of_drama/elements.html>.

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