THEATER 2040 1nd Edition Lecture 11 Outline of Last Lecture I Hamlet Plot a Bloodthirsty revenge plot II Location of play III Characters a Hamlet b Gertrude c Ophelia d Laertes e Rosencrantz and Guildenstern f The Ghost g Polonius h King Claudius i Horatio IV Highlight Scenes a Hamlet s To Be Soliloquy b The play within a play c Hamlet and Gertrude s scene in the bedroom d Final scene V Other Questions Outline of Current Lecture I Asian Theatre a Elements of Asian Theatre II Ancient India a Natya Shastra b Rasa c Sanskrit drama III Ancient China a Xiqu b Pear Garden c Peking Beijing Opera d Painted face roles IV Ancient Japan a Noh b Kabuki These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute i Hanamichi c Bunraku Current Lecture I Asian Theatre a Elements of eastern theater i Strong emphasis on storytelling and myths ii Never just spoken a fusion of dancing chanting miming singing acting music iii Sounds are just as important as meaning iv Highly stylized rather than showing realism v Somebody is on a journey they learn a lesson on the way vi Hindu and Buddhist culture vii Focus on the performer II III Ancient India a India has some of the oldest threatre traditions 8 th century i Natya Shastra 1 An encyclopedia of classical Indian dramatic theory and practice written 200 B C E 200 C E by Bharata a Teaches actors dancing and stage performing costume design etc actors manuel ii Rasa 1 Talks of theory and philosophy emotional response 2 Job of performer to inspire certain Rasa in the audience 3 If successful there s a spiritual bond between actor and performer iii Sanskrit Drama 1 One of the earliest forms of theatre in India performed in Sanskrit by professional touring companies on special occasions 2 Based on myths hindu texts 3 Aim is to educate and entertain 4 Women have always been allowed to perform in Indian theatre 5 Always has a happy ending Ancient China a Xigu i All traditional Chinese theatre 1 Tuneful theatre 2 More sun than spoken 3 More than 360 variations of Xiqu today b Pear Garden i Actors date drama 714 C E ii When Emperor created school of drama The Pear Garden c Peking Beijing Opera i A synthesis of singing dance dialogue music acrobatics and martial arts IV ii First performed in 1700s iii Subject Chinese history folklore iv No formal theatre architecture no scenery d Painted face roles i Supernatural beings and other stock characters whose makeup symbolized character traits ii Always male iii Powerful iv Heroic or villainous emperors generals priests v Wore platform platform shoes vi Costume colors mean something Ancient Japan a Noh 1300s i A form of traditional drama combing poetry acting singing and dancing ii Elements 1 18 ft squared platform 2 Hushigahari bridge runway 3 Painting of pine tree 4 4 man opera 5 6 10 singers b Kabuki i Popular form of theater in japan invented by Izumo Okuni around 1600 ii Orginally all women cast iii 3 categories history political domestic and dance dramas world of spirits and animals 1 Name comes from the characters for a Ka singing bu dancing ki acting b Hanamichi extra stage section c Bunraku i Japanese puppet theatre with large wooden puppets with many moveable parts onstage puppeteers dressed in black and a narrator who chants the script