Abstract

Drama
Helburn, Theresa | March 8, 1919 issue

add to cart   close window

Burlesque is a comic exaggeration of an art form. It is the writer talking shop, or rather laughing shop and giving us a peep behind the scenes. It is half sister to satire and first cousin to caricature but it is neither. Satire and caricature deal with the original material, burlesque with the reproduction. Burlesque in the movies is a particularly dangerous experiment. Director James Montgomery Flagg has tried it, and, prematurely. For the appreciation of burlesque implies a degree of sophistication lacking in all but the most cosmopolitan movie audiences. The best known exponent of burlesque writing for the stage is writer George M. Cohan. Cohan, born and bred in the shadow of the theatre, is so much of it, he cannot resist introducing a little shop talk into all his work.

See Also:

BURLESQUE (Literature); SATIRE; CARICATURE; FLAGG, James Montgomery; COHAN, George M. (George Michael), 1878-1942; PERFORMING arts
ARCHIVE HOME
Pricing
Articles are sold in 'packs,' which are priced as follows:

1 for 2.95
4 for 9.95
10 for 19.95
50 for 34.95
300 for 149.95
Refund Policy
Sales of archive individual articles, full issues or article packs are final and no refunds will be issued.
Access for libraries
help
Search
Browse
Sample Article

In Your Cart

Your cart is empty.

My Articles

You must be logged in to view your articles.

User name

Password

I don't have a login.

I forgot my user name/password.
Advertisement
Advertisement

Blogs

» The Beat

Alan Grayson's Right: Enact Reform AND a Public Option | The Florida congressman who "gets it" proposes the next step on the road to real reform.
John Nichols
11 Comments
Posted at 8:38 PM ET

» The Dreyfuss Report

Pentagon vs. Israel? | Israeli hardliners are making enemies in places where they can hardly afford to do so.
Robert Dreyfuss
39 Comments

» The Notion

Credit Where Due, Geithner | What Tim Geithner should be getting credit for, it seems to me, is that Lehman Brothers report -- well, not the report, but the cover-up.
Laura Flanders
22 Comments

» Act Now!

One Voice for Choice | Implore your pro-choice reps to fight!
Peter Rothberg
89 Comments

» Editor's Cut

Supreme Power | Chief Justice Roberts's disapproval of Obama's criticism of the Citizen's United ruling recalls FDR's Supreme Court conflict, recounted in Jeff Shesol's new Supreme Power.
Katrina vanden Heuvel
53 Comments

» Altercation

Slacker Friday | On Evan Thomas, birthers, and the health care bill "stepping-stone" argument.
Eric Alterman

» And Another Thing

Nazia Quazi Update | Watch the video; write a letter; get involved!
Katha Pollitt
41 Comments