The one act play practically made its entrance in the twentieth century and it concentrates both the denouement and climax within its short space. Herman Ould comments on one act play as, “It may be neat, compact and rigid: but it may also be wayward, expansive and flexible. So long as it does not conflict with the fundamental principles of drama, it may venture in to a hundred different directions and exploit almost as many themes as the ingenuity and inventiveness of the author can suggest.” In fact, the twentieth century brought about a transformation in the world of literature and drama. One of the notable innovations during this period was the rise of the one-act play. These shorter dramatic pieces became a hallmark of modernist and avant-garde movements in English literature. Here, we'll delve into the history and characteristics of one-act plays, focusing on their unique ability to pack the climax and denouement into a brief and intense narrative.
Although in 20th century there is the preponderance of one act play, its origin can be stressed back to the 15th century among the Morality, miracle and Mystery plays. In old Sanskrit text there is also the shadow of one act play. But among those plays there is only the outward from not the essence of the modern time.
One-act plays in modern design can be traced back to the late nineteenth century, but they gained prominence in the early twentieth century. The genre was influenced by various dramatic and literary movements, including realism, naturalism, and symbolism. Playwrights like Anton Chekhov, who wrote "The Proposal" and "The Bear," and George Bernard Shaw, with works like "Village Wooing," were early pioneers of the form.
As start story can’t be expanded in to novel, a one act play can’t dare to be a full fetched five act play. The functioning of the act play is quite deferent from the five act play. An one act play does not have the time for elaborate speeches or meditative versification of the selective incidents within a short span of time are in acted with the purpose of turning them into a dramatic climax. With the purpose of creating an impression and dramatic climax the incidents are drawn on a particular setting, involving a single character in it. A one act play goes through three phases Exposition, Growth and climax. Except all these machineries a one act play can be striking on its exposition, character, impression, setting or comicality.
One-act plays are characterized by their brevity and focus. They typically unfold in a single setting with a limited number of characters. Due to their concise nature, these plays often concentrate the climax and denouement within a short space. The climax, the highest point of tension and conflict, tends to occur relatively early in the play, creating an intense and immediate impact on the audience. The denouement, or resolution, obviously, swiftly follows the climax, providing closure to the story.
One-act plays explored a wide range of themes, from the mundane to the existential, making them versatile and reflective of the diverse concerns of the twentieth century.
They experimented with different styles, including absurdism (e.g., Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape"), expressionism (e.g., Eugene O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape"), and social commentary (e.g., August Strindberg's "The Stronger").
One-act plays had a profound impact on theater by challenging traditional narrative structures and conventions. They offered playwrights a platform to experiment with innovative storytelling techniques and character development. Additionally, the shorter duration made them more accessible to both playwrights and audiences.
Joe carrier’s "Hewers of Coal" has an expositional excellence. The play also sketches the character of oilman minutely. Norman McKinney’s "The Bishop’s Candlesticks" is a character based play. Here Bishop appears quite a bold character though his generosity, humanity, Patience and tolerance. Oliver Conway’s Becky sharp, Galsworthy’s "The Little man," David Scold Denial’s "The queen and Mr, Shakespeare," Housman’s "Under Fire," Maurice Barings’ "The Rehearsal "and Monthon Roy’s "Bidduitparna" are all character based plays. W.W. Jacob’s "The Monkey’s Paw" has a supernatural at morpheme whereas Gregory’s The Rising of the Moon is artistically superb. Milner’s "The Bay comes Home" is a social critique comically expressed. J.M. Synge’s "Riders to the Sea" is one of the best one act plays of the time and has all the requirements of such a play as brevity, compression, an overall atmosphere of doom, a deep human tragedy. Synge is also able to combine with it a local color presenting the real problems of the poor people of the Aram Islands. We can also mention one of the best one act plays in Bengali, "Subhayatra" by Probir Majumdaar. Here the story reveals the author’s sense of irony and deep insight. Beyond the aforementioned authors, other playwrights who made significant contributions to one-act plays include Susan Glaspell, Arthur Miller, and Tennessee Williams. Iconic one-act plays such as Glaspell's "Trifles," Miller's "The Last Yankee," and Williams's "27 Wagons Full of Cotton" continue to be celebrated for their storytelling economy.
The future of one act play is bright enough with the compulsion that the five-act play represents a full circle of life which demands more time And patience. But sorely to say modern man has none of these. A one-act play represents a gleam of life in portion and particles which suits the modern theatre goes. The ingenuity and inventiveness of one-act play wrights have also enthroned it and made it a piece of excellence.In conclusion, the rise of one-act plays in the twentieth century represented a shift in dramatic literature, offering a condensed yet impactful narrative format. Their ability to concentrate both the climax and denouement within a short space allowed playwrights to deliver powerful and thought-provoking stories, making them a distinctive and enduring element in the history of English literature and theater.
Review: A History of English Literature * Alexander Michael: A History of English Literature. (2002, July 1). Forum for Modern Language Studies, 38(3), 352–352. https://doi.org/10.1093/fmls/38.3.352
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