Introduction

• Introducing Expressionism

  Expressionism was a theatrical movement which developed in Europe in the first decades of the 20th Century.
• Rebellion

  • The Expressionism movement was a rebellion against Realism (or Naturalism), aiming to explore:
  • The psychology of its central characters.
  • The effects of social and political systems on its characters.
• Methods

  • In reacting against Realism, Expressionist theatre used new and innovative methods:
  • Abstract, often ‘empty’ stage designs.
  • Intense lighting (often from unusual angles, creating stark contrasts between light and shadow).
  • Experimental music.
• Expressionist cinema

  • The style of Expressionist theatre of this period can probably best be appreciated by watching examples of Expressionist cinema of the period such as Nosferatu (1922) and Metropolis (1927).