Why did the avant-garde embrace variety entertainment forms in the early twentieth century? What ...

In the early twentieth century, the avant-garde groups rejected the art forms of the past as not reflecting the dynamism of the modern technological world. In particular, the Italian Futurists focused on variety show performance as a means of developing a new artistic sensibility. They wanted to destroy the illusionary realistic stage world and the convention of the fourth wall and foster an active interaction with the audience, and they saw variety entertainers, such as clowns, acrobats, and jugglers as the perfect performers to achieve this.