Download Chapter 1: The Nature of Theatre

The Gainesville Community Playhouse's average ticket price is 16 dollars, which is over the price of a screening of
Avatar 3D, considered an expensive movie-going experience. The Hippodrome's price $30.00! You may say that
theater has its own special quality that makes it worth the price, and you would be right. But for people who haven't
been to a play, or maybe even a person who hasn't been in a long time, I think a money back promotion is a great
way to bring in an audience.
I do believe that a money back guarantee would be a good idea for plays. I feel that with the dwindling audience or
lack of support for local art, we should do whatever we can to bring to put people in the seats.
I work at a movie theatre and our policy is if you leave within the first 30 minutes you can get a refund or a comp
ticket. The theatre's money-back policy should be similar. If you let people sit through a whole play AND THEN get
their money back, you'll attract all those louts who try to get free stuff anyway they can.
If someone is offended by the content of a show because of race, religion, or excessive obscenities they should be
entitled to get their money back if theatre does not make it known to all of its patrons. That is why we have ratings
on show at movie theatres so that a Minister would know that the movie Bruno may not be the right movie for them.
However if theatres in a more upscale community did this it could be a good thing actually receiving honest opinions
from the public because the wealthy people would not lie to get their money back. This is a good concept to get more
people into the theatres but it would not prove effective everywhere.
I believe art is worth more than money. You can’t put a price on Pollack or Stravinski, however the world we live in
today requires money for these things to come to life and stay alive. Unfortunately, no matter how much you don’t
like it, this world we live in revolves around money, for the time being.
Artists deserve their pay, regardless of the petty thoughts of snide unsatisfied citizens. It shouldn't be applied to
other mediums of art for the same reason; a single opinion does not determine the value of a whole project as
expendable.
Federal funding for the arts is being cut more and more with every year and everyone's suffering. To take away the
little money they make on their own seems ignorant and rash. Oh, but I'm sure our tax money is being used for
something great in the meantime... like building more jails to house more non-violent non-criminals who were in
possession of a plant... or manicuring football fields for men to get
dirty and sweaty together... but I digress....
It should not be implemented as a national policy; if individual vendors want to have this policy it is their choice. All
theatre should not be free because there is a market for it. Free shows go against the capitalist government.
Chu on this…
We’ve learned from Greek Theatre that the community
provided the means for theatrical performances. The
theatre was supported financially and physically by the
people, thus requiring it to be controlled by the people:
How would you feel if our government took control
of the theatre? What benefits to society do you
foresee? What problems might arise?
The Roman Theatre Experience
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Ludi = “games”
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religious festivals that included theatrical performances
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Theatrical performances honored several gods
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Theatrical performances considered diversions, like sports
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Borrowed from Greek drama, but adapted it to Roman tastes
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Romans preferred variety entertainments
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short comic plays
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dancing, singing
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juggling, acrobatics
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gladiatorial contests
The Roman Theatrical Context
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Production Expenses: paid by state
• Performance Spaces:
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Tiered seating, capacity of several thousand
Semicircular orchestra, not used by performers
Long, narrow stage, 5 ft. high
Stage enclosed by scaenae frons = façade
• 3 doors on back wall; 1 door at either end
• Second story with windows
• Open seating, free admission
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Costumes: Greek costumes and masks; color symbolism
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Performers: all male
Roman Comedy
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Plays:
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Surviving comedies = 26
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All surviving plays by Plautus and Terence
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Deal with everyday domestic affairs
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Plots turn on misunderstandings
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Most famous character = “clever slave”
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Include music; some characters sing
The Menaechmi
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Written by Plautus
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Perhaps most popular surviving Roman Comedy
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Basis for Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors
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Characters as types rather than individuals
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10 roles, performed by 6 actors; doubling of roles as
common
Philia
Hysterium
Miles Gloriosus
Thomas Crapper
Other Roman Drama and Theatre
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Roman Tragedy:
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Surviving tragedies = 9
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All surviving plays by Seneca
Mime:
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Favorite form of entertainment
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First time women were permitted to perform
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No masks
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Dramatic action centered on sexual encounters
Blood Sports:
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Gladiatorial contests
The Revival of Drama in the Middle Ages
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Middle Ages:
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Early = A.D. 900-1050
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High = A.D. 1050-1300
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Late = A.D. 1300-1500
liturgical drama
Early
vernacular
drama
High
Late
1500
1400
1300
1200
1100
1050
1000
950
900
The Revival of Drama in the Middle Ages
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Liturgical Drama:
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Performed primarily in churches or monasteries
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Earliest example = A.D. 970
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Dramatizes Biblical episodes
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Text sung in Latin
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Financed by church
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Religious plays performed outside of church = A.D. 1200
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Vernacular Drama:
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Religious drama independent of church = A.D. 1375
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Written in vernacular language
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Text spoken
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Financed by community
Trade Guilds and the Corpus Christi Festival
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Outdoor religious dramas in England
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Connected to Trade Guilds
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Church created new feast day in 1311: Corpus Christi
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All Biblical events could be connected with this
festival
Trade Guilds and the Corpus Christi Festival
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Central feature = procession through town, like parade
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People of all ranks and professions involved
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Plays dramatizing the Bible from creation to doomsday
= Cycle Plays
Conventions of Medieval Theatre
Time:
• Contrast of eternal versus earthly time
Stage:
• Depicts heaven at one end and hell at the other end
• Could be fixed or mobile
• Scenic structures to indicate place = mansion
• Undifferentiated space = platea
Costumes:
• Distinguish inhabitants of Earth, Heaven, Hell
• Earthly characters = contemporary clothes
• Heavenly characters = church garments
Special Effects:
• Gruesome hell mouth
• Realistic miracles
The Wakefield Cycle
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Manuscript contains cycle of 32 plays: Creation through Last
Judgment
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Playwrights: multiple, anonymous
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Production as community effort, involving: town council,
church, trade guilds
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Processional staging, using pageant wagons that each carried one
or more mansions
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All actors were male
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Guilds were assigned plays related loosely to their professions
The Wakefield Cycle
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Performance started at 5:00 am
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Performance required all daylight hours for completion
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All work suspended on performance day
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Most spectators stood to watch performance
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Atmosphere as festive but reverent
Noah and His Sons
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3rd play in Wakefield Cycle
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Story of Noah and the Ark
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Action divided into 3 parts:
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Opening scene: exposition
Noah and wife bickering
Ship building and onboard
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9 roles: 3 major, 6 minor
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One mansion required: ship
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Simple costumes
Other Medieval Theatre and Drama
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Morality Plays:
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Allegories of moral temptations
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Most famous play = Everyman
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Served as transition between medieval religious drama and
secular drama of Shakespeare’s time
Farces:
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Secular comic drama: emerged 13th century
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Not encouraged officially
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Emphasized ridiculous aspects or human behavior
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Example: Pierre Patelin
Interludes:
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Nonreligious, serious or comic; performed between parts of
celebration