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Naturalism (theatre) facts for kids

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MissJulie1906
Photograph of the first play Miss Julie in Stockholm, 1906. It was written by August Strindberg.

Naturalism was a special way of creating drama and theatre in Europe. It became popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This style of theatre tried to make everything look and feel as real as possible. It was like watching everyday life happen on stage.

French writers were very interested in naturalism. One of the best examples is the play Miss Julie by August Strindberg. He wrote it to fit his own ideas about naturalism, and also the ideas of a French writer named Émile Zola.

Zola called his ideas for naturalism la nouvelle formule, which means "the new formula." He had three main rules for naturalistic plays:

  • Make it real: The play should show life as it truly is. Characters should feel like real people with real feelings. Their actions should make sense based on their family background and where they grew up. The stage and acting should also look very real, not fancy or over-the-top. For example, the play Miss Julie takes place only in a kitchen.
  • Make it important: The problems in the play should be big, life-changing issues. They shouldn't be small or silly arguments.
  • Make it simple: The play should be easy to follow. It shouldn't have too many confusing side stories or long, boring explanations.

Naturalistic plays were also influenced by Charles Darwin's ideas about evolution. They often showed how a person's surroundings and family history shaped who they became and why they acted a certain way. Naturalism used everyday language and avoided anything magical or supernatural. The stories were about modern times and real places, not fantasy worlds or ancient myths. They also showed all kinds of people, not just kings and queens, but also middle-class and working-class characters. The acting style tried to make everything seem truly real.

Émile Zola first wrote about naturalism in his 1880 essay called Naturalism on the Stage.

What Influenced Naturalism?

Writers who used naturalism were greatly influenced by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. They believed that a person's heredity (what they get from their parents) and their social environment (where they live and grow up) decided their personality.

Realism in theatre simply tries to show things as they are. But naturalism went further. It tried to "scientifically" figure out the hidden reasons (like environment or family history) behind people's actions.

Naturalistic plays were very different from romanticism. Romantic plays often showed things in a very symbolic, perfect, or even magical way. Naturalism, however, showed the tough, dark parts of life. This included things like poverty, unfairness, sickness, and dirty living conditions. Because of this, naturalistic writers were often criticized for being too direct and honest.

Famous Naturalistic Plays

Here are some well-known plays that show the ideas of naturalism:

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Naturalismo (teatro) para niños

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