Rebecca ShnitkinTHET110Final Review SheetOctober 15, 2012What are the difficulties in studying theater history?- We are focusing on Western Theater- We make large generalizations about time and geographies- Theater is ephemeral- There is limited extant (in existence) materialSources of information about Greek Theater- Extant texts- Archeological remains- Visual art – in Greece primarily statues and vase paintings- Commentaries – such as AristotleShakespeare’s The Globe Theater- De witt/Van Buchell drawing of The Swan Theater 1596Origins of Western Theater- Ritual Theorieso Origins of Tragedy – Dithyrambo Choral odes to honor – Dionysuso Origin of comedy – Phallic processions- Gerald Else’s Great Man Theoryo Actor Thespis – stepped out of dithyramb chorus to enact role of god (thespians) o Playwright Aeschylus – introduced second actorAncient Greece- Political structureo Democratico City-states (Polis) Example: Athens – artistic center Sparta – military center Delphi – magic center- Religiono Polytheistico Gods interacted with humans- Cultural Valueso Competitiono Wisdom and reasonDionysus and Theater- God wine, fertility, revelryTheater Practice in Ancient Greece- Occasional and competitiveo Tragedy means “goat song”- Festivalso 534 BC – first festival specifically devoted to theatero After – each year three major festivals - Largest festival was City Dionysiao Five dayso Day 1- processionalo Days 2-4 – playwrights presented a “package” – 3 tragedies and 1 satyr playo Day 5 – comedy- Audience – whole polis (unsure about women/slaves)Theater as a Civic Duty- Choreguso Houses, feeds, and trains chorus actors- Theoric fundo Free tickets for poor AtheniansThree Types of Plays- Tragedy- Comedy- Satyr play- There were thousands of plays written but only 32 tragedies and 12 comedies survive from 4 playwrightsBased on Oedipus, what are the qualities of tragedy?- Part of a trilogy- Based on historical or mythic stories- Feature kings, queen, gods- Hero has a flaw (hamartia) that leads to his/her downfall- Teaches the audience a lesson and allows them to release their emotions (catharsis)Comedy- Everyday people- The main character faces a difficult situation and has “happy idea”- Humor comes from sex jokes, scatological (potty) jokes, and satires of famous peopleSatyr Play- Features the satyr (part man, part goat)- Parodies mythical stories- Only 1 extant satyr play – CyclopsThespis – First “actor”- Aeschylus – earliest play existing, introduced 2nd actor - Sophocles – introduces 3 actors, never have more than 3 on the stage- Euripides – wrote 90 plays, medea, 1st prize five timesOctober 17, 2012Greek Theater PracticeActors- All men- Maximum of 3 actors- Exempt from militaryThe Chorus- What was the role of the chorus?o Between 14-50 meno Characterso Source of discussion with protagonisto Ideal spectatoro Spectacleo Dancing-strophe and antistropheCharacteristics of the Physical Theater- Theatron – seeing place- Up to 15,000 seats- Orchestra – “dancing place”- Skene – building at the back- Façade stageSpecial Effects – The Ekkyklema- Revolving or rolling platform hidden behind skene doorsCostumes- Tragedyo Robes and accessories to show character- Comedy/Satyro Padded body suitso Phallus- Choruso All costumed alikeo May be human or mythical animalMasks and Shoes- Maskso Actors could play multiple characters o Had emblems to communicate gender, race, jobo Later developed built in megaphoneTheater in Rome- Adapted from Greek drama- Actors all male and masks- Comedy more popular than tragedyo Different style of comedy than in Greece – more like a sitcom- Performed at festivals called Ludi with other entertainmentParatheatricals at the Ludi- “Bread and Circuses”- 200 BC – 11 days of performance- 27 BC – 43 days of festival- By the end of Roman Empire there were 100 days of Ludi Mimes- Men and women (unmasked)Gladiator combats- Slaves were trained to fight to the deathBestirarii- Beast fightsNaumachia- Naval battles – they would flood the coliseumThe Medieval Period- Roman Emperor Constantine moved the Roman Capital to Constantinople- Fall of Rome- Approximately 500 years without theaterMiddle Ages or Medieval Period- Power of church- After 10 ADOctober 22, 2012The Medieval PeriodQuem QuaeritisMedieval Theater- Hell’s mouth – they would make hell appear really bad - Make heaven appear really good- Primarily church ideals- Pageant wagonHroswitha of Gandersheim- German Nun- Modeled plays on Roman comedy- Christian themes – especially the virtue of chastityThe Renaissance of Rebirth 14c-17c- Rebirth from middle ages- Return to classics of Greece and Rome - Humanism – free will- Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation and Henry VIII and Anglican Church- Trade and exploration - Gutenberg and Printing Presso Bibles printed in vernacularElizabethan England 1558-1603- 1588 – English defeated the Spanish Armada- Religious stability – she secured Anglican power- Patron of the artsElizabeth Staging Practice- Public theaters- Private theaters – indoors, more expensiveLocations of the Theaters- In London, in the theater district, across the Thames RiverCharacteristics of the Theater- Polygon – many sided- Partial roof- Many level auditorium (held approximately 2,500)- Yard (groundings) – standing lower classCharacteristics of the Stage- Raised thrust stage- Traps system – comes up from the floor- Backed by a tiring house (façade stage) – similar to the skene house- Heavens - Discovery space- Bare stage- During the dayScenery- Elsinore – platform before the castleFor Profit Theater- Sharing companies- Commercial theaterActing- All male casts- Declamatory style- Limited rehearsal time- Sides- Contemporary costumesWilliam Shakespeare- Born in Stratford on the Avon- Son of merchant- Wrote 38 plays- History plays – to praise house of reigning monarch- Tragedieso Hamleto Othelloo King Leon- Comedieso Midsummero Much To Do About NothingOther Playwrights- Christopher Marlowe- Ben JohnsonThe Cult of Shakespeare- Over 350 Shakespeare films exist of his works- Around 75 (20%) are of HamletTransition to Romanticism and Realism- Englando 1642: Charles I beheaded by Puritans who establish commonwealth They shut down theatero 1669: The Restoration – Charles II returns to England from France and brings with him: women on stageo Neoclassicism – In France, “New Classics”, return of
View Full Document
Unlocking...