Date of Award
2023
Type
Thesis
Major
Theatre Education
Degree Type
Master of Education
Department
Theatre Department
First Advisor
Dr. Larry Dooley
Second Advisor
Brenda May Ito
Third Advisor
Valerie Accetta
Abstract
In 1991, William Strauss and Neil Howe published generational theory in Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584-2069. Though critiqued, Strauss and Howe’s generational theory suggests that American history occurs in cycles characterized by four distinct generational turnings or moods that occur approximately every eighty years, roughly the span of a human life. Though the theory has been applied to American history, usually through a political and economic lens, this thesis will focus on the most recent Millennial Cycle and apply the theory to the development of Broadway musical theatre history. Innovative musicals such as Oklahoma! (1943), Hair (1968), Rent (1996), and Hamilton (2015) and their place in musical theatre history support Strauss and Howe’s generational theory. The theory narrates a sociocultural perspective on the evolution of the Broadway musical, a distinctively American art form. The theory could forecast future trends and serve as a helpful framework for teaching musical theatre history.
Recommended Citation
Lundy, Ben J., "Generational Theory as a Lens for Approaching Musical Theatre History, 1943-2023, or a Strange Loop" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 491.
https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/491
Included in
Education Commons, Film and Media Studies Commons, Performance Studies Commons, Theatre History Commons
