ENGL 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Luc Sante, Musical Theatre, African-American Culture
28 Apr 2018
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Department
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Professor
Luc Sante- “The Lights”
● Tank dramas- water tank with ship in it, actors/actresses on it
○ Very elaborate spectacle
● Mose the Fireman- turned into a legend, gang member “muscle”, traditionally in red,
ready to put out fire, sidelocks of Orthodox Jews
○ Kinda like Manheim- tries to do good, saves ppl from being beat up, protects
people, saves widows
○ Support, protection- punishes ppl physically
○ Dual figure- punisher/violent but works for good
● Blood and thunder= death & gore means popular play
○ Melodrama, cheesy sound effects,
● Black crooks- musical and a ballet (chorus, singing)
○ Started tradition of musical theater
○ Entertainment in 19th c is mismatch of high class art and racey/lower class stuff
● Barnum- puts odd people on display, creates museum
○ Eventually turns to circus
○ Think of art by people who are education professionals, high class, elite- sante
says that most was actually from low life, criminal, low moral people
● Opera geared towards lower class- thats why some plots are outrageous
○ Walt whitman- opera ruined when fancier people started to go
● Entertainment all comes from street
● Variety
● Vaudeville
● Museums- Amateur nights: people competing, everyday people
● Musical theater
● Minstrel- parody of African American culture, cultural appropriation
○ Not on defensive cultural appropriation sense- Sante says that African Americans
participated in minstrel shows (took it back)
○ Less accusatory, more hopeful
● Ultimately leads to cinema (totalizing art form)
Making it Revision
● Recall professional associations
● Everyday interactions- how they can relate to everyday life
○ GO and wanting to help
● Why we do what we do?
○ Usually based on someone else (role model)
○ Change the universe (no)
GO community- want to help others
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Tank dramas- water tank with ship in it, actors/actresses on it. Mose the fireman- turned into a legend, gang member muscle , traditionally in red, ready to put out fire, sidelocks of orthodox jews. Kinda like manheim- tries to do good, saves ppl from being beat up, protects people, saves widows. Dual figure- punisher/violent but works for good. Blood and thunder= death & gore means popular play. Black crooks- musical and a ballet (chorus, singing) Entertainment in 19th c is mismatch of high class art and racey/lower class stuff. Barnum- puts odd people on display, creates museum. Think of art by people who are education professionals, high class, elite- sante says that most was actually from low life, criminal, low moral people. Opera geared towards lower class- thats why some plots are outrageous. Walt whitman- opera ruined when fancier people started to go. Museums- amateur nights: people competing, everyday people. Minstrel- parody of african american culture, cultural appropriation.
