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The Influential works of Andre Antoine

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The dramatic arts, that originated from the Greeks, has changed drastically into the theatre that is known today. Many people contributed to this metamorphosis and aided in bringing the technical, emotional, and physical art form to life. Theatre should depict a real part of life for the audience. This is the goal that Andre Antoine had set for himself. His view on a realistic theatre brought modern naturalism to life and continues to be seen in the work of modern day directors. Antoine was alive from 1858 to 1943 in France. France was drawn to street performers and plays with a moral lesson and political context. The plays of the time would deliver a message to the audience, but the actors would never move around or show any real emotion. This however also went in the other direction and displayed productions of melodrama. Antoine was all about getting a story across even if it was political, but seeing actors stand stiff and deliver lines or overact was something he thought was unprofessional. Antoine firmly believed in making theatre as realistic as possible in every way.
Antoine knew that he needed to bring his ideas to life and to the stage. He tried to get the director of a previous theatre group he had worked for at the time, to direct a novel by Emile Zola, but he was repeatedly turned away. This only fueled him into going further with his ideas. As a result, in 1887 he founded Theatre-Libre. His theatre was a showcase for naturalistic playwrights such as:

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