The SeagullThe concept of the directorConcept that got disposed of—Masha was a sorcerer, controlling all of the events that occurred (DIDN’T GET APPROVED)The swaying of the people—subtle theme/symbolismWhat are the difficulties in studying theatre history?We are focusing on Western Theatre (1600 years and the entire globe)Highlights of western theatre historyWe make large generalizations about time and geographiesTheatre is ephemeralThere is limited extant materialDeWitt-Van Buchell drawing of The Swan 1596Drawing of The Globe Theatre—Shakespeare’s theatreCopy of the sketchSources of Information about Greek TheatreExtant textsHave some existing textsCan ascertain some informationThousands of Greek plays-we have around 45 plays in existence (by 4 authors)Archeological remainsCommentaries (such as Aristotle)Visual art—in Greece, primarily statues and vase paintingOrigins of Western TheatreRitual TheoriesOrigin of Tragedy—Dithyramb—choral odes to honor gd DionysusGod of wine, fertility, revelry and then theatreOrigin of Comedy—Phallic processionalsGerald Else’s Great man TheoryActor Thespis—stepped out of dithyramb chorus to enact role of gd (Thespians)Playwright Aeschylus—introduced second actor (for Thespis to talk to)The Greek World (534 BC to 476 AD)Ancient GreecePolitical Structure --DemocraticCity states—polisAthens --artistic center, Sparta—military, Delphi—magicCitizen is defined by his city stateReligionPolytheisticGods interacted with humansCultural ValuesCompetitionOlympicsWisdom and reasonRhetoric and oratoryMale dominatedTheatre practice in ancient GreeceOccasional and competitiveTragedy means “goat song”Happened at very specific times; once a year etcPart of a competitionThe winner of the competition would win the goatFestivals534 BC first festival specifically devoted to theatre3 major festivals in Ancient Greece5 day festival—Athens; all citizens (MALE) expected to attendat the end of the 5 days—comedic playwrights compete“Package” of plays—present their plays; playwrights would write their trilogiesAudienceWhole polis (not sure about women and slaves)Theater was a civic duty; there were many lessons within the playsTypes of plays at these festivals:TragedyOedipus RexTragic flawBased on historical or mythical storiesFeature kings, queens and gdsHero has a flaw (hamartia) that leads to his/her downfall-end in a bad placeTeaches the audience a lesson and allows them to release their emotions (catharsis-emotional relase)ComedySexual referencesLow brow topicsEveryday peopleThe main character faces a difficult situation—“happy idea” in Lysistrata-sex strikeTeasing her husbandHumor comes from sex jokes, scatological (potty) jokes, and satires of famous peopleSatyr plays (satyr= half man/half goat)Short comic play that made fun of tragedies or politicsFeatures the satyr (part man, part goat)Written to accompany tragediesParodied mythical storiesOnly one extant satyr play—CyclopsThere were thousands of plays written but only 32 tragedies, 11 comedies, 1 satyr survive from four playwrightsTRAGEDIANSAeschylus (525-456BC)Earliest extant playsWrote 80 plays (7 extant)Big winner; popularIntroduced the 2nd actor and shrunk the chorusSophocles (496-406BC)Wrote 114+ plays (7 extant plus fragments)Won many timesFocused on HUBRISIntroduced the 3rd actorEuripides (485-406BC)Wrote 90 plays (18 extant)Plays featured more sensational, violent plotsLeast popular; “bad boy rebel”Comic PlaywrightsAristophanes (445-385 BC)Only examples of ancient comedyWrote 44 playsIncluded sex jokes, scatological humor and political jokesGreek Theatre Practice ActorsAll menMaximum of 3 actors on stageThe Chorus50 down to 14 mennarrators of the playCharactersSource of discussion with protagonistIdeal spectatorSpectacleDancing (strophe and antistrophe—dance moves)Theatre of Dionysus LocationJust below acropolisMade of stone, carved into mountainsSemi circle settingStadium likeAll outdoorsPHYSICAL THEATRETheatron—seeing place, up to 15,00 seatsOrchestra—dancing placeSkene—building at the back; façade stageParados—entry ways for the chorusTheymele—altarSpecial effects (no props or set)Ekkyklema (no violence on stage)Revolving or rolling platform hidden behind skene doorsMechaneCrane standing behind the skeneUsed for appearance of gds or for fantastical flights on birds—“dues ex machina” (gd from the machine)CostumesTragedyRobes and accessories to show characterComedy/SatyrPadded body suits (comic appearance)PhallusChorusAll costumed alikeMay be human or mythical animalMasks and ShoesMultiple charactersAmplify your voice—later developed built in megaphoneHad emblems to communicate gender, race, job, classAll red hair means prostitutes in ancient theaterLargeShoesPlatform solesRome 240 BC—276 ADTheatre in RomePerformed at festivals called Ludi with other entertainmentsPara Theatricals at LudiTheatre of Pompey and Gladiator Barracks“Bread and Circuses”—feed them and entertain them and then they won’t revolt200 BC (11 days of performance)27BC (43 days of festival)by the end of the empire there were 100 days of LudiLike a carnivalAdapted from Greek dramaActors all male and maskedDifferent style of comedy than in GreeceMore like a sit-comMimesMen and women (unmasked)Gladiator fightsBestiariiBeast fightsRoman zoosNaumachiaNaval battlesFlood the coliseum and reenact naval battlesAnti-theatrical prejudice in RomeTertullian’s De Spactaculis (composed between 196—212 AD)About not going to the theatre because Christ would not like itThe Medieval PeriodRoman emperor Constantine moved the Roman capital to Constantinople—330 ADFall of Rome—476 ADApprox 500 years without theatreMiddle Ages of Medieval PeriodPower of Church was dominant as wellSpiritual world was dominantAfter 10C AD church uses theatre for church teachingsQuem Quaeritis—925 ADMedieval TheatreWhale jawbone on stage—resembles hellChurch was NOT fans of theatrePageant WagonWritten plays written by anonymous—about the glorification of gdHighly religious playsHroswitha of GandersheimGerman NunModeled Plays on Roman Comedy-- Adapting roman comedyChristian Themes—esp the virtue of chastityFirst female playwrightThings to look out for…English culture of the periodThe globe theatreThe bard himselfPerformance practiceShakespeare’s languageOthello in ACTION!RenaissanceSpans approx 14th—17th centuryGradual shift from theology to science—architectonic
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