Download Question: What 3 things are needed by any and all theater

Space & Place:
Theatre In The Theater
 By: JC Gafford, MA
 Class: TA100 –
Intro. To Theater
Including material from Ch. 9 in the book:
Theater The Lively Art
(6th Edition)
By Edwin Wilson
& Alvin Goldfarb
McGraw Hill Publishers
Student Learning Objectives (SLO)
Learners will:
 Recognize and understand Ancient Theaters.
 Be introduced to what was performed on
ancient stages and why.
 Know the characteristics of a Greek theater.
 Be able to identify the characteristics of, as well
as the aesthetic differences between, the six
types of theatrical performance spaces.
 Understand the concept of “raked.”
 Understand stage directions and the “fourth
wall” convention.
But, before we begin, I must
resolve a huge pet peeve of
mine.
Please understand:
The difference between theatER and theatRE.
Here’s the ticket:
GOT IT??
Whew, what a
!!!
Alrighty then, a question for ya:
What 3 things are
needed by any and
all performance
events?
Answer:
1. Actor/Performer(s)
2. Audience
3. ?
Answer:
(cont’d)
3. Space:
A place where audience gathers to
view a performance event.
WHERE IT ALL HAPPENS!
The Oldest??
Many people believe the oldest theater is the Theater of
Dionysus in Athens, Greece. The Theater of Dionysus is
dated at 338-326 BC.
The Theater of Dionysus in Athens
with Acropolis in Background - Roman
Period Restoration.
The Theater of Dionysus as seen from
the Acropolis.
Other images from the Theater of Dionysus
The Oldest!!
Actually, the oldest theater is the Theater of Thoricus. This theater is
dated at between 480-425 BC and 350-300 BC. Some say it’s as old
as 500 BC or more.
Greek
Theaters
Skene: The skene (literally, "tent") was the building directly behind the stage. During the 5th century, the
stage of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was probably raised only two or three steps above the level of
the orchestra, and was perhaps 25 feet wide and 10 feet deep. The skene was directly in back of the stage,
and was usually decorated as a palace, temple, or other building, depending on the needs of the play. It
had at least one set of doors, and actors could make entrances and exits through them. There was also
access to the roof of the skene from behind, so that actors playing gods and other characters (such as the
Watchman at the beginning of Aeschylus' Agamemnon) could appear on the roof, if needed.
Parodos: The parodoi (literally, "passageways") are the paths by which the chorus and some actors (such
as those representing messengers or people returning from abroad) made their entrances and exits. The
audience also used them to enter and exit the theater before and after the performance.
Greek
Theaters
Orchestra: The orchestra (literally, "dancing space") was normally circular. It was a level space where the
chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage near the skene. The earliest
orchestras were simply made of hard earth, but in the Classical period some orchestras began to be paved
with marble and other materials. In the center of the orchestra there was often a thymele, or altar. The
orchestra of the theater of Dionysus in Athens was about 60 feet in diameter.
Theatron: The theatron (literally, "viewing-place") is where the spectators sat. The theatron was usually
part of hillside overlooking the orchestra, and often wrapped around a large portion of the orchestra (see
the diagram above). Spectators in the fifth century BC probably sat on cushions or boards, but by the fourth
century the theatron of many Greek theaters had marble seats.
Parts of a Greek Theater
1. Skene - the building directly behind the stage.
2. Parados - paths by which chorus and some actors
made their entrances and exits.
3. Orchestra - a level space where the chorus would
dance, sing, and interact with the actors.
4. Theatron - where the spectators sat.
5. Thymele - an altar located in the middle of the
orchestra.
What did they perform?
The question is...why!
The Dionysian Festivals
The Dionysian festivals were held throughout the Grecian year in honor of Dionysus the god of wine, revelry,
drama, sap, and sperm (fertility). The ancient Greeks believed the actors and singers were publicly acting out their
worship of Dionysus. They also felt the god attended and actually watched the productions.
The Dionysia was actually composed of an entire series of festivals – in two parts. The first part included:
•the Oschophoria held in the Fall, when grapes were ripe for picking. Included a relay for younger
contestants.
•the rural or rustic Dionysia held in December and January, the first tasting of the wine.
The second part of the Dionysia included:
•the Lenaea , held during the Grecian winter (January & February), it included citizens acting like silly fools.
•the Anthesteria , also held during Grecian Winter, this celebrated the maturing of the wine stored at the
previous vintage.
•the Great or City Dionysia , held in March and April for 6 days and featured tragedies, comedies, and
satiric dramas. The Great Dionysias were basically a time to rejoice and celebrate the arrival of spring.
This was such a joyous occasion that even prisoners were released to participate in the gala event.
What did they perform?
The question is...why!
Athenian Drama Competitions
In 534 BC, the ruler of Athens, Pisistratus, changed the Dionysian
Festivals and instituted drama competitions. Thespis is said to have
won the first competition in 534 BC. In the ensuing 50 years, the
competitions became popular annual events. A government authority
called the archon would choose the competitors and the choregos,
wealthy patrons who financed the productions. Even in ancient Greece,
the funding of the arts was a way of tax avoidance. In return for funding
a production, the choregos would pay no taxes that year.
Here’s what they performed:
 Dithyrambs: were performed by two choruses, one composed of 50 men and one of
50 boys, who sung and danced in honor of Dionysus. Each of the 10 tribes of Athens
put on a dithyramb; each set of choruses was trained and financed by a choregos, a
wealthy citizen who did this as part of his civic duty (a “liturgy”). The prize went to the
choregos and the tribe he represented.
 Comedies: Initially 3 and eventually 5 comic playwrights, each presenting one
comedy, competed for the comic prize. Comedies were set in the contemporary era and
often caricatured living as well as fictional Athenians.
 Tragedies and Satyr Plays: Three tragic playwrights, each presenting 3
tragedies and a single satyr play on a separate day, competed for the prize in tragedy.
Like tragedies, satyr plays were set in the mythological past and featured gods and
heroes, but the chorus of the this type of drama was always composed of satyrs,
boisterous, half-animal companions of Dionysus whose comical predicaments
contrasted with the serious tone of the preceding tragedies.
▼ The Pronomos Vase
▲This illustration from the Pronomos
vase shows some satyr chorusmen
mingling with actors playing
mythological roles, capturing the odd
mixture of seriousness and sport in the
satyr play.
Another
question:
Were the Grecians and Romans the only
ones who built theaters in Ancient times??
Ancient Theaters to 200 AD
http://www.whitman.edu/theatre/theatretour/home.htm
There are six (6) basic kinds of
theatrical performance spaces:
 The first of the six is the:
PROSCENIUM
(prō-seen-ē-um)
or
PROSCENIUM ARCH
or
PICTURE-FRAME STAGE
PROSCENIUM ARCH STAGE




Gained popularity in the 17th – 20th Century.
Was actually an arch at first. (Hollywood Bowl ▲)
Audience directly in front of the stage.
3 “walls” (both sides and back).
 “Fourth Wall” Convention. ► ► ► ► ►
Proscenium Theaters
Raked House & Raked Stage
◄ Raked House. The audience
seating starts at the stage level
then ascends so that audience
members in the seats farthest
from the stage can clearly see
the performers.
Raked Stage. The audience seating is on
one level. The stage begins at the audience
level, then ascends as it moves away from the
audience. ►
 The second of the six is the:
THRUST STAGE
 Developed by Greeks.
 Oldest type of theatrical space.
 Audience on 3 sides.
Thrust Theaters
 The third of the six is the:
SEMI-THRUST STAGE
Webb Theatre , St. Norbert College • 100 Grant Street • De Pere, WI
SEMI-THRUST STAGE
 Similar to Thrust Stage.
 Audience on 3 sides.
--- difference: -- Has wing space.
 The fourth of the six is the:
ARENA STAGE
 Audience on all 4 sides or all the way around.
 Also called “circle theater” or “theater-in-theround.”
Arena Stages
 The fifth of the six is the:
AMPHITHEATER
Beth Guvrin , in what is now Israel, eventually became
Eleutheropolis (“City of the Free”) in the Late Roman period
(200 A.D.) when Emperor Septimus Severus turned it into a
major administrative center. The amphitheater dates to this
period and was used for animal and gladiator fights.
 Oval or round building.
 Composed of an arena surrounded by rising tiers.
 Very large in size – often open air.
Amphitheaters
What is the last of the six
basic performance spaces?
 Here’s a clue:
 In mathematics, "infinity" is often treated as if it
were a number (i.e., it counts or measures
things: "an infinite
number of terms."
Source: Wikipedia
So….what is the last one?
 An “infinite number” of terms……………
 The sixth of the six basic types of
theatrical performance spaces is the:
Found Space
The Six Basic Performance Spaces
1. Proscenium Stage
2. Thrust Stage
3. Semi-Thrust Stage
4. Arena Stage
5. Amphitheater
6. Found Space
Ok then, questions for you:
 Which type of performance space do
YOU think is the most effective for
presenting a theatre event?
 And of course, why?
Hmmmmm……..??
Now then, imagine….
 You’re a director sitting in the audience
watching a rehearsal. How would you
communicate to your actors up on stage
where to move or what to do?
The answer is:
Stage Directions
 True to any type of stage environment.
 Universal within the industry.
Blocking
Notation
Blocking notation is the act
of documenting actors’
movements on stage. A
system of symbols should
be used for speed.
This is important to
consistently reproduce
stage movement.
Everyone has their own
way of doing it. This is my
system and I’ve found it to
be the best. With time, it
allows you record actors’
movements accurately and
in virtually real time!
Also in the book:
 Multi-focus environments.
 All-Purpose & Experimental spaces.
 Black Box space.
 Wagon & Platform Stages.
Any questions?