Stage realism is the use of ordinary people, in ordinary settings, using commonplace dialect. The stage props represent a camera photograph. Realistic plays show aspects of real people playing out conflicts and intrigues which refelect the ordinary experiences of American middle class life. Recognizable heroes and villains were replaced with ordinary characters showing ordinary strengths and weaknesses. The relacement of gas light by electricity helped in the creation of realistic ambience.
Naturalistic situations are generally pessimistic and deterministic.
In expressionistic plays, the playwright's subjective sense of reality finds expression. The characters and the milieu may be realistic, but their presentation on stage is controlled by the writer's personal biases and inclinations. More like a dream, expressionistic writing has no recognizable plot, conflicts, and character developments. Study Questions 1. Only dramatists, among contemporary writers, appear to perceive the possibility for genuine tragedy in American character and American life.