Magical Realism: The Ever-Present, Unspoken Theatrical Genre
Alternative Title
Abstract
This a brief discussion of the elements of magical realism in theatre followed by a staged reading of an original play. Magical realism is an artist genre that has been defined in literature and physical art but not in a theatrical sense. My goal was to take the definitions of magical realism from other forms of art and then apply it accurately to theatre. In other words, what I was trying to find was what made magical realism the genre it is and translate it to theatre. Through this research, I isolated several elements of magical realism. Primarily, magical realism is defined by a play that does not strictly adhere to the law of reality to tell a realistic story. However, the
impossibilities of the play do not shock the characters; they accept it as true and as normal. The overarching effect then is for the magic to enhance the message of the real. The plot follows Arthur, a young man who has found himself in every writer’s nightmare; he’s got writer’s block on the final book of his series and a deadline fast approaching. As the stress mounts, Arthur gets visited by the villain of his books, Nem Koriab. As the battle between fiction and nonfiction rages, Arthur is faced with the truth of what he’s made. This play discusses the inherent dangers and truths of the little voices in the back of our head. The presented scenes will highlight not only major points of the plot but also major elements of magical realism.