What is meant by the term ''the well-made play'' ?

Question

What is it's philosophy behind the well-made play and how are these plays designed to be staged?

Answer 1

The "well made play" was a reaction against the Romantic/melodramatic theatre that dominated the stage, which often relied on a "deus ex machina" to resolve the plot. The WMP, however, introduces the ideas or things that will bring resolution earlier in its action so that -- no matter how tenuous -- there is a logical and causal relationship between the action of the play and the things that will bring it to conclusion.

In the work of Scribe, particularly, the WMP became highly structured and its "rules" become clear:

-- Logical cause and effect must operate in the world of the play, which involves a secret that is revealed to the audience, but not the characters it will have the most effect on, so it can be revealed in a climactic scene.
-- The plot of the play is typically the culmination of a long story, which requires that a lot of exposition has to be communicated to the audience, often in dialogue or monologues. Scribe often used "asides" to do this. Sometimes it's really clunky, in the form of what is called a "feather-duster scene" where members of a household staff will tell each other things they both already know as they clean.
--In Scribe's hands, particularly, a seemingly innocuous and small action (the spilling of a glass of water, for instance) grows in importance to take on great and often grave significance.
--The play then has rises and falls in action and fortune, building suspense through a series of contrived, but logically presented exits, entrances, letters, revelations, etc. The protagonist is usually pitted against another character which provides the emotional changes, coming to a point of the lowest fortune just before the "scene a faire" which is also called the "obligatory scene" where a secret is usually revealed.
-- In the resolution, everything in the action had to be accounted for, and had to be clearly laid out for the audience.

Ironically, even though it was intended to be "more real" than the plays it was created as a reaction against, the WMP is more self-consciously theatrical. They were likely intended to bring more realism to the theatre, but mostly spawned a more logical melodrama. It depends on a fairly self-conscious amount of theatrical convention in order to succeed.

Answer 2

I've been at the craft for a long time, and I'm sure Wiked peedia has an answer,,,smiles.

I suggest this however,,, an old Theater philosophy.

"DONE is better than GOOD",,, Often.

Well made is subjective to an extreme, and equates to audience attendance, reputation, length of a run, profit, or "value" individually or gloabally. It is ACTING after all,,, even if based on LIFE. I say this because LIFE isn't always "Well made" but maintains itself, in a design to Create it in the best way we can.

Some of the most "Well Made" I've ever been involved in were delivered by the least known in the craft, with the passion to express. Some of the most abstract pieces have come across as the most valid.

A philosophy, if that can even be equated to theater,,, is Sending a message, or having an impact, or exposure, or entertainment, or profit, or, or , or, etc.

Steven Wolf

Answer 3

Well Made Play Definition

Answer 4

A play that has most of the essential features of a real-life-drama, like a thrill, suspense, emotion, climax, tragedy/comedy, moral, a bit of realism etc...
Staging such plays is entirely situation dependent.. including the type of audience which is likely to be receptive enough to adequately appreciate it, as also the infrastructure being available to create a simulated realism.

Answer 5

The Well Made Play

Answer 6

This will give you ALL the answers you need:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well-Made_Play

Answer 7

You bored me with your mindless question.