Difficulties in studying theatre history o Extant lack of existence o Language barrier outdated terms o Broad generalizations versus in depth o Focusing on Western Theatre o Large generalizations about time and geographies o Ephemeral form and limited extant material Sources of info Greek Theatre o Extant texts famous vase commentaries visual art archeological remains Globe Theatre o deWitt drawing of Swan Theatre Washington Crossing the Delaware renderings Origins of Western Theatre o Invented by Greeks ritual theories o Gerald Else s Great Man Actor thespis enacted role of God Playwright Aeschylus dithyramb introduced second actor Greek World o Political structure democracy city state o Athens artistic Sparta military Delphi magic o Religion polytheistic Gods interacted with humans o Cultural values competition wisdom reason rhetoric oratory o Dionysus god of wine fertility revelry o Occasional and competitive Tragedy means goat song Festival dedicated to theatre After 3 festivals year 3 tragedies plus 1 satyr play tetralogy Audience whole polis Theatre as Civic Duty o Choregos house feed train chorus actors o Theoric Fund free tickets for poor Athenians Three types of plays o Tragedy satyr comedy o Tragedy gods Oedipus thinks he can change the prophecy kill father and save mother outsmart Tragic hero fatal flaw gods are heroes part of trilogy based on historical mythical stories feature kings queens gods Teaches audience lesson and allow them to release emotions Aristotle s Poetics Pity and fear o Comedy Crazy happy idea Lystrata women decide to not have sex with husbands to make them stop the war Humor comes from sex jokes satires of famous people scatological potty jokes o Satyr Play Feature goat man written to accompany tragedies parodied mythical stories only one extant satyr play Cyclops o Thousands of plays written but only 32 tragedies 12 comedies survive from 4 playwrights Thespis playwrights Characters in play townspeople in Oedipus source of discussion w protagonist o Aeschyus introduced 2nd actor o Sophocles most successful introduced 3rd actor o Euripides least popular o Aristophanies ancient comedies w extant plays Theatre Practice o Actors all men max of 3 exempt from military o Chorus between 50 14 men spoke in unison Physical Theatre provide spectacle o Theatron seeing place where audience sits o Orchestra dancing place o Skene building at back of stage fa ade stage backdrop for stage o Parados entryways o Thymde altar o Mechane crane standing behind scene fly in gods o Ekkyklema revolving rolling platform behind skene doors Special effects Music flute or harp Costumes o Tragedy robes and accessories to show character o Comedy satyr padded body suit males wore phallis Rome to the Renaissance o Greek Roman Medieval Renaissance Roman Theatre o Roman built up from ground level higher than greek greek built into hillside o Scenae frons closed theatre ornamented front of building of stage audience always lookin o Vitruvius roman architect wrote on Architecture o Comic Playwright platutus influential Terrence 6 plays used greek material everyday language o Tragedian Seneca all adapted by greek originals may not have been publically presented famous for rhetoric and aphorism violent and sensational o Spectacle entertainment chariot racing horse racing and o Fall of Rome Military over extended mercenaries revolted administration broke down raiding barbarians attacked infrastructure church was left to pick up the pieces o Decline of empire rise of Christian Initially illegal to be Christian in Rome Were among persecuted groups Constantine made it legal to be Christian Emperor deposed pope Gregory to pick up the pieces Medieval Theatre o Trends in Anti theatricalism o Plato s republic theatre is lying and distracts us from what is true o Terullian theatre is a mob enjoying violent spectacle o Renaissance critics theatre is the body on display for sale o English and American theatre is a waste of time and money o Church theatre Medieval opposed not possible Eventually starts to use performance Morality play virtue and how to love allegorical everyman mankind main Mystery stories from Bible or lives of saints part of festivals passion plays character Renaissance rebirth o Take vitreous add perspective sciences o Scenic design invented by renaissance artists and trick of the eye designs tragic comic o Begins in Italy and spreads throughout Europe o Greek and Roman ideas are rediscovered o Printing press and travel spread ideas o Rediscovering theatrical lit and relearning Greek o Plays discovered archeology libraries ottoman and Arab worlds Neoclassical unities o People wanted of follow Aristotle s rules Unity of Action unity of place unity of time Renaissance Academies o From lit to practice Perspective scenery pastoral Who pays for theatre o Greek and roman civically funded o Medieval church or charity funded o Renaissance wealthy men Professional theatre o Comedia del arte theatre of the professional o Arte skill craft technique professional o Commedia erudite theatre of academies Commedia del Arte o First modern professional theatre and first professional actress o Dominant theatre form in Europe for 200 years o From London to Moscow o Translation tours and royal court visits Lady Believed Dead Shakespeare o Scaramuccia physical style slap stick masks o Born 1564 in Stratford father was glover and alderman King Edwards IV School o Marries Anne Hathaway o Theatre in London Develops from religious plays and commedia del arte Theatres outside city limits o Queen Elizabeth then King James becomes The Theatre o Lord Chamberlain s Men become the Kings Men Originally housed at the Theatre then built the Globe o Theatre architecture All outdoor theatres Mysterious Ways we know drawings diary archaeology Multi sided 3 tiers of seating tiring house for change of clothes and scenery area Shakespeare Plays for audience to stand o 600 English Ren Plays extant he wrote 38 o published in quartos and folios o What he wrote comedies chaos to order tragedies order to chaos and histories problem plays romances o Iamb unstressed syllable followed by stressed iambic pentameter Private speeches to Audience o Aside to others onstage o Soliloquy alone onstage Othello o Iago upset because he was passed up by Othello for Cassio and thought Cassio slept with o Stories and events are somewhat relatable Transition to Romanticism and Realism o England Charles I beheaded by Puritans who
View Full Document
Unlocking...