Download Introduction to Theatre Historical Breakdown – Elements

Theatre history: Historical Breakdown – M. Zurla
Introduction to Theatre
Instructor: Martin Zurla
Historical Breakdown – Elements and Events1
Element
Event
Name of period in theatre history
Greek (and Roman).
Note: Roman theatre was largely imitative of Greek Theatre.
Dates
5th Century BC (499 - 400)
4th Century BC
After 323, Hellenistic 2
Location
Athens.
After fifth century, spread throughout Mediterranean world.
Prior theatrical influences
None
Occasion for performance
Annual festival, part of worship of Dionysus
Who provided the financial support
necessary to produce plays?
Wealthy citizen, selected by the state, who funded production as a
form of taxation
Location of theatre structure
Outdoors, side of Acropolis in Athens.
On a hillside elsewhere for Greek theatres.
On flat area in the city for Roman theatres
Materials used in theatre construction
Wood. After fifth century, stone.
Approximate capacity of theatre
20,000
Lighting
Sun
What was the facade behind the playing
area?
Originally, nothing; after 456 B.C., a wooden building with at least
one central door
Did this background change from
performance to performance?
No
Use of painted scenery
None, or negligible
1
Original Information and layout obtained from Jerrold Phillips
http://www.atsweb.neu.edu/theatre.history/shared/Characteristics%20of%20pre-Italianate%20theatres.html
2
Hellenistic Greek was the dialect of Greek spoken between 300 B.C. and 600 A.D. In particular, it was the language
of the New
Testament.
Page 1 of 2
Theatre history: Historical Breakdown – M. Zurla
Use of theatrical effects
Crane to depict actors "flying," eccyclema (wagon that emerged
from central doors of skene). After fifth century, more elaborate
devices were developed
Features of staging
Action alternated between episodes, with no more than three
speaking actors, and choral stasimons3, in orchestra, with 12 - 15
dancing, singing chorus members; generally the location of the
action does not change, and the time period of the addition is
restricted to one day.
Spatial relationship of spectators to
performers
Orchestra penetrated spectator space, audience on three sides.
Sex of actors
Male.
Use of music
Considerable; chorus danced and sang, some of actor's lines were
sung.
Nature of audience
As far as can be known, generally representative of adult male
citizenry - whether women were in the Greek audience is still
argued.
Women were in the Roman audience.
Role of criticism in defining theatre forms
and objectives
None
Stated objectives of theatrical production
None
Major Playwrights
Tragedy:
Aeschylus
Sophocles
Euripides
Old Comedy:
Aristophanes
New Comedy:
Menander
Rome:
Plautus
Terence
3
Stasimon: any extended song of the chorus after the parodos. Parodos: entry of the chorus and the name of the
song they sing as they enter.
Page 2 of 2