THAR 281 1at Edition Exam 1 Study Guide Lectures 2 7 Lecture 2 August 29 What is Theatre What are types of playing spaces What are the origins of Theatre Why study theatre Theatre is a form of fine art that uses live performers to demonstrate an experience of an imagined or real event before a live audience Playing Space Proscenium arena thrust The origins of Theatre o Myth and Ritual Through myth ceremony and ritual were created this in turn creates theatre o Ceremony a formal religious or social occasion that was usually led by a designated authority figure Example a wedding church service or a funeral o Ritual the acting out of an established prescribed procedure Example Aggie ring dunk midnight yell or Thanksgiving Non Theatrical Elements o Efficacious do something in order to get a response for example a prayer o Methexis group sharing encourages participation in performances So why study Theatre It is part of understanding our past and people Theatre is a mirror of people at the time of the performance s creation If you look back you can understand where humanity has come from Theatre is a reflection of society and can tell us about the societies past Lecture 3 September 3 What is the dithyramb Describe Greek Drama Give examples of Medieval Drama What is Comedia dell Arte List the Neoclassical Ideals Dithyramb A unison hymn sung in worship Greek Drama Composed of a Chorus the narrators of the story and actors no women it was a Tragedy Comedy or Satyr o Comedy performers wore ugly masks ratty costumes o Tragedy performers wore bold bright ornate costumes Comedy and tragedy never mixed The play was either tragic or funny not both o Satyr mythical half goat half man very rude and offensive Medieval Drama o Theatre from religion o Liturgical Drama Liturgy drama based on bible stories and saints Performed in church o Pageant Wagon expanded performances out of the church Became a commercial industry Wagons moved around and traveled to different crowds performing mainly bible stories o Mystery Plays series of plays about the life of Christ o Morality Plays Not specifically religious based but about having good morals o Long stage a stage built in a line with houses Comedia Dell Arte play of professional artists o Traveling troupes o 10 performers usually seven men and three women o Staged comedies highly physical used stereotypes improve o Thrived from 1550 1750 o Improvisation scenarios short scripts without formal written dialogue o Played stock characters stereotypes o Stock costumes and masks everyone wore except the main character o Slapstick comedy comes from Harlequin and his slapstick Capitano soldier always brags but is to scared to do anything Harlequin Servant clown character known for slapstick comedy o Zanni term for servant characters o Innamorato male lover o Innamorata female lover o Lazzi repeated bits of physical comic business often bawdy and crude o Slapstick wooden sword used for comedic fights Neoclassical Ideals o Decorum Appropriate social behavior Age profession sex and social status o Verisimilitude Drama must be true to life not realistic they got this idea from studying Greeks Time o Action of play can t exceed a 24 hour time period some neoclassicists argued no more than 12 hours o The most extreme said that the time in the play should match the time of the presentation Place o The play should take place only in one locale argued meaning of exact meaning of one locale Action o One central story o Featured a small group of characters Lecture 4 September 10 What was early French Theatre like Explain Confrerie de la Passion and it s significance What two people were important Italian influences on France Know the playwrights of this time Early French Theatre o Early 17th Century o French theatre has little in common with Italian theatre Medieval theatre practices religious narratives No scenic effects or proscenium arch Confrerie de la Passion o Confraternity of the Passion religious group that presented religious plays over a century o 1548 Hotel de Bourgogne the first permanent indoor theater in Paris o 1548 religious plays in Paris banned before the French could use the theatre These are really important things that paved the way for France into the present Italian Influence in France o Catherine de Medici married Henry II of France she brought expectations of pageants and festivals Toured France and helped bring theatrical festivity to France o Cardinal Richelieu He realized France was behind brought over Italian architect s and created the French academy a group of writers who critiqued theatre using neoclassical rules academy exists today Playwrights Peire Cornielle o Playwright known because he worked very hard to adhere to the neoclassical rules time place and action three unities o most known for El Cid 1636 1637 Le Cid Many were unhappy since it didn t follow neoclassicism Tragedy should end tragically not happy Goes against decorum the French academy debated play for several years finally concluding that the play had good stuff going for you but as far as the rules go it s not a good play Jean Racine Jean Racine wrote tragedies rhyming couplets adhered to Neoclassical form famous for Phaedra 1677 Phaedra Moliere wrote Tartuffe He was a French dramatist and actor Wrote farce a comedy to the extreme The majority of his comedy poked fun at aristocrats He wrote in couplets and broke some neoclassical rules Founded Theatre Illustre 1643 French Acting Companies had women actors Pensionnaires contracted out for small amount of time for certain shows Societaires people who held share within the company owning part of company and stock always employed by company Reparatory theatres had a lot of plays over time period not just one Lecture 5 September 12 Why was Restoration called restoration List the types of Drama during Restoration Restoration was called restoration because the monarch was restored when Oliver Cromwell died in 1658 Type of Drama during Restoration o Heroic Tragedy tragedy with an unlucky hero o Restoration Tragedy written with rules of neoclassicism many playwrights took Shakespeare s plays and re wrote it to fit into tragedy o Opera began in Florence Italy then comes to England o Comedy of Intrigue comedy with adventure and exploration o Comedy of Manners Restoration is namely known for this comedy It poked fun at aristocracy usually through by portraying secrets and affairs among nobles Restoration Audience o When commonwealth