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Theatre History MRS. BROWN’S CLASS Bell-ringers What are some events the prehistoric people may have pantomimed in their early storytelling? Imagine sitting around a prehistoric campfire listening to a story. What are some of the sounds and lights which may have naturally added to the drama of the story? How can this image be used to enhance drama today? The first performances Before the written word, stories were told and enacted around campfires. Topics probably included great hunts, the harvest, feats of heroism and bravery, and perhaps even some love stories. Eventually, music and dancing may have been added. The first record of a theatrical performance was found on a stone tablet in Egypt dating back to about 2000 BC. It describes a lengthy three-day performance arranged by and starring I-Kher-Wofret of Abydos. Proving that violence is not a new theatrical device, this performance used realistic battles and high ceremony to reenact the murder, dismemberment, and resurrection of the god Osiris. Ancient Greek Theatre The chorus played an important role in narrating Greek theatre. However, in 534 BC, a man name Thespis broke away from the chorus and held dialog with them on stage. This action made him history’s first actor. Today’s actors are called thespians in his honor. Ancient Greek Theatre The development of the stage was one of the greatest contributions of the Greeks. Originally held with semicircular hillside seating, the addition of wood and stone seats added a sense of sophistication. By the time women were allowed to attend theatre, around 400BC, the theatre could seat over 15,000 people. It was large enough that those seated at the back had a hard time hearing and seeing, so the actors wore large masks to be seen. Ancient Greek Theatre These large masks added size to the characters, making them easy to see. There were about thirty different types of masks worn by Greek actors. They were light-weight and served many purposes. Because the plays had few actors (on early on and three later), the masks allowed one actor to play several roles. Also, because women did not act, these devices allowed men to play women’s roles. Unfortunately the masks hid facial expressions, so the actor had to rely solely on his voice. Ancient Greek Theatre The area where the chorus danced was called the orchestra. Behind the acting area was a small hutlike building called a skene. This served as the actors’ dressing rooms. The roof was used as an acting area for the gods. If the gods need to fly, a crane-like device called a machina would hoist them into the air. The term deus ex machina refers to the plot device originating in the Greek theatre in which a problem was resolved quite unexpectedly when a god would appear from nowhere and save the day. Greek Playwrights Despite their age, many Greek plays still remain popular because of their timeless and universal themes. There were many playwriting competitions held in Ancient Greece in which playwrights competed for prizes and favor. The playwright not only wrote the play, but he composed the music, choreographed the dances, directed, and often held the lead role. The entries were divided into two categories: tragedies and comedies. A tragicomedy or satyr-play was the third type of play. Aeschylus Aeschylus is the earliest know author of plays. Born in about 525 BC, he is believed to have written about ninety plays. Of those, only seven survive in their entirety. He is also credited with having the only surviving trilogy—the Orestia. Because of his long career, we can see the evolution of the theatre in his writings. His early works had a chorus of fifty with only one actor, but his later works have a smaller chorus and several actors. His most famous plays are Agamemnon, the Libation Bearers, and the Euminides. He is often referred to as the “Father of Tragedy.” He wrote about the choices men make and the consequences that follow. Sophocles He began his career during Aeschylus’s lifetime. He wrote between 90 and 110 plays, but only 7 survive today. He is said to have won the playwriting prize eighteen times. He compared the power of the gods to the importance of humanity, believing that humans possess god-like qualities that make them want to change fate. His most famous plays are Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Electra, Antigone. He was born in 497BC and died in 406BC He is often compared to Shakespeare as the greatest playwright of all time. Euripides Considered the last great writer of Greek tragedy. Was born in 484BC and died in 406BC. He wrote about ninety plays, eighteen of which survive. It wasn’t until after death that his plays were truly appreciated. His most famous plays are the Trojan Women, Medea, Hippolytus. His Cyclops is the only complete satyr-play known to exist. He originated the use of the prologue to summarize the play to the audience before the action. Aristophanes Pronounced “Air-uh-stah-fuh-nees” Born in 448 BC, Died in 380 BC Only writer of ancient Greece whose works still exist in whole today. However, it is believed that like his tragic counterparts, ¾ of his works are missing or incomplete Most famous plays are Birds, Clouds, and Frogs. Plays made fun of the leaders of Athens, the gods, and even his playwright counterparts. Overview of Ancient Greek Theatre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSRLK7SogvE Roman Theatre Plays rarely had plots that dealt with challenging issues. Featured: Obscene mimes, drunken horseplay, and dancers in meager bikinis. Had a great impact on the architecture of it theatre, brought it closer to stages today. Theatres were built in a flat area instead of hillside. Because the chorus was no longer being used, the stage was the central focus. Three great writers of this age were Plautus, Terence, and Seneca. Plautus Plays painted an accurate picture of how life was in his time. Despite having an audience that was mostly indifferent to political issues, his plays still gained popularity and longevity. Like Terence and Seneca, he borrowed plots from the Greeks but gave them his own twist to make them uniquely his. Only twenty of his plays are still in existence. His most famous plays are the Menaechmi and Amphitryo. Terence Born an African slave Showed excellence at an early age which won him uncommon education and subsequent freedom Lost popularity for using applicable plots and universal dialog rather than buffoonery and vulgarity, which was craved by the Romans Having written all six of his plays by the age of twentyfive, he left Rome under suspicion of plagiarism, never to return. His most famous plays were the Eunech and The Adrian Sold the Eunech for 8000 sesterces, which was the greatest sum ever paid for a comedy at the time. Seneca Seneca was born with fragile health. As a result of this and the fact that his father was a great speaker, he devoted himself to the spoken word and to the study of philosophy. Banished in 41 AD by Claudius Recalled by Empress Agrippina to be her son Nero’s tutor. Seneca sided with Nero and defended him in his mother’s murder. After falling out of favor with the new ruler, Seneca was forced to commit suicide rather than being subjected to a more shameful death. Most famous plays were Octavia, The Phoenician Women, and Hercules. Plays were generally considered closet dramas, which are plays that are meant to be read rather than acted. Overview of Roman Theatre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NTbGawBvc4 Medieval Theatre The period from about 500 to 1500 AD is known as Medieval Period in theatre history. The popularity of theatre in Rome declined, and people no longer respected actors, so theatre went through a difficult time. It’s hard to find any full length plays from this time period. Like the Greeks who used plays to worship their gods, Christians would introduce theatrical performance to the church and its mostly illiterate congregation as a means of worship and teaching the gospel. Medieval Theatre Originally, the plays were done in Latin, so the actors were priests, nuns, and choir boys, but soon they were translated to English, so commoners participated as well. Some groups not associated with the church began performing Miracle and Mystery plays, but they drew criticism from those with church ties, and it was not long before their performances were repressed. However,, these pioneers to represent the first acting companies and were later recognized and patronized by nobles. Medieval Theatre: Terms Miracle and Mystery plays—Plays based on the saints’ lives and Bible stories. Passion play—A play based on the last week in the life of Christ. Mansion—A series of acting stations in a line, including Heave, Pilate’s House, Jerusalem, and Hell’s mouth. Guilds—groups of tradesmen (bakers, goldsmiths, etc.) whose common trade was jointly responsible for part of a story from the Bible which, when combined, made a cycle. Each guild competed with the others to see who could produce the most elaborate story. Medieval Theatre: Terms Cycle—the combined stories produced by the guilds Morality play—similar in theme to Miracle and Mystery plays, yet more concerned with the principles taught by Christianity rather than stories from the Bible. Masque—a spectacular play glorifying the nobility. Pageant cart—a two-storied cart that doubled as a stage (with the underside being a dressing room). During a cycle, the carts would move from place to place, each producing the same story over and over again. The audience would remain stationary and enjoy each performance it moved through. Medieval Theatre Despite the seriousness of the message, Medieval plays still had a lot of horseplay. Other aspects of the Medieval stage that helped to draw in large audiences were the complicated technical devices and special effects such as trap doors, cranes, and the Hell’s Mouth. Medieval Plays The Second Shepherd’s Play-A secular play about a clever scoundrel named Mak who steals a sheep, hides it in a crib, and passes it off as his son. Everyman-An allegorical (a play with strong symbolism) Morality play in which Everyman is summoned to meet Death, appear before God, and seek salvation. Other character include, Five Wits, Fellowship, Kindred, Discretion, Beauty, Strength, Knowledge, and Good Deeds. Medeival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxdDoUoFQh M Renaissance Theatre The busiest period in theatre history was the Renaissance or “rebirth,” which began early in the fourteenth century. After being forbidden for all but the clergy for so long, the theatre finally sought new life during this period. The renaissance in theatre had its first sparks of life in Italy with a rediscovery of the classics. The pageant carts which had previously been the standard were not suited for the more modern plays, so new playhouses were constructed. Renaissance Theatre Ancient Roman theaters were the models for the Renaissance stage. Progress, however, had its influence on the structures and a proscenium arch was added. The Italians also began using painted scenery that reflected the development of the visual artistry flourishing in southern Europe at that time. Despite the new designs, the revived classics were suited more to an educated audience and therefore lacked mass appeal. Renaissance Theatre The most famous contribution of the Italian Renaissance was the commedia dell’arte. Although it has its roots in the classical styles of the Greek and Roman lays and even in the burlesque style of the Medieval period, this new development was unique unto itself. Aside from a basic plot and subplot and stock characters, the entire performance was improvised employing lazzi (brief comic scenes) and burle (longer scenes often including practical jokes). The actors experiences a freedom—or a responsibilitypreviously unheard of. Singing, acrobatics, mime, juggling, and quick wit were required for actors at this time. Renaissance Theatre The plays were performed by traveling companies, so portable stages became a necessity. The characters were often stock characters, meaning they were the same in every play, and each company had actors who played the same character (or mask) throughout their lifetime. Stock characters were identified by their masks and elaborate costumes. Unless there was a major change in appearance due to age, actors did not cross from one group to another. Improv groups are still popular today. Renaissance theatre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpqBxjdaD0c Characters of Commedia Dell’arte Each character was based on a stock personality, a lot like modern-day typecasting. Many of these characters are actually still in use today. During Italian Renaissance, the actors who played each of these roles were specialized and would play the same character in one play to the next. Young Lovers generally provided the main plot, usually wanting to marry and the heroine’s father forbids it. The heroine (inamorata) and her lover (inamorato) were attractive, beautifully dressed, and did not wear masks. Characters of Commedia Dell’arte Heroine’s maidservant (fontesca) was flirtatious and giggly. She and the various comic menservants and nagging housekeepers (zanni) were responsible for keeping the action dynamic yet always returning to the plot. They were often paired where one was bright and mischievous and the other a fumbling fool. Heroine’s father/guardian was a worldly lover, overbearing, and a bit sneaky as he often struggles against a rebellious child. Il Capitano was a braggart soldier who acted brave but was really a coward. Characters of Commedia Dell’arte Drama developed everywhere in Europe as group travelled from place to place. With the support of the government, theatre in France flourished. Some famous plays include Corneilles’ The Cid and Racine’s Phaedra. Today, audiences still enjoy performances of The Miser, The Misanthrope, The Imaginary Invalid by Moliere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_0TAXWt8hY Elizabethan Theatre Began in England during the Renaissance period. Named after Queen Elizabeth I, who was the ruler throughout most of the period and who was a patron of the arts. At this time in history, performers sought the patronage of wealthy noblemen. Those with noble endorsement were considered “legitimate,” while those without support were considered “rogues.” The most famous playwrights from this period are William Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, and Christopher Marlowe. Elizabethan Theatre Women were not permitted to act because the stage was considered unladylike. Young boys played the women’s parts. The plays of Shakespeare, Marlow and Jonson drew crowds seeking out bawdy entertainment, but in the early 1600s, theatre started to take a new direction and court plays were created. Court plays were geared to a more intellectual audience—royalty and nobility. Unlike the raucous plays of Shakespeare and Jonson, the works of Beaumont and Fletcher were subtle and sophisticated. Elizabethan Theatre Civil war erupted in 1642, and the theatre again went into hibernation. Banned by the Puritans, most of the stages were destroyed. England would not see a new theatre until 1660. The Elizabethan Stage Playhouses were round or octagonal with three levels of seating (galleries). The galleries were reserved for the wealthier classes, who could afford to sit. The poorer theatre-goers stood in the pit, the bare dirt floor in front of the stage, thus, they were called groundlings. Those willing to pay the greatest fee could sit on the stage. There were trapdoors on the stage, but because the stage was in the open, very little scenery was used. The Elizabethan Stage There were no stage lights, so plays were performed during daylight. The stage did have a partial roof, and it was elaborately decorated to resemble the nighttime sky, thus its name—the Heavens. Christopher Marlowe 1564-1593 Marlowe is credited with the introduction of blank verse. He was hailed as the greatest English dramatist until Shakespeare began to make his mark, leading to a fierce rivalry between the two. He died young, after being stabbed to death in a tavern brawl. His most famous plays are Tamburlaine the Great, The Jew of Malta, Edward the Second, and The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. Ben Jonson 1573-1637 This rebel is considered the first real English comic. He was educated at Westminster School by the great classical scholar William Camden, but he was deprived of a university education by his stepfather. He eventually served in the army before returning to England and marrying Anne Lewis. Painfully aware of his lack of higher learning, Jonson became bitter and often found himself in trouble. His most famous plays are Volpone, The Alchemist, and Every Man in his Humour. William Shakespeare 1564-1616 He wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. His most famous plays are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Tempest. Mrs. Brown’s favorites are Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It. None of his plays were published until after his death, consequently, many dispute the purity of the plays arguing that they were altered by the playhouses that kept them over the years. The English Restoration and Later Theatre For 18 years, theatre stayed in hibernation under the rule of the Puritan leaders. When Charles II was restored to the throne (thus the term “restoration”), theatre was again made legal, and with it came many important innovations. The theatres had been destroyed and the old plays didn’t work for the times. Two men were assigned to supervise this Restoration in England: Thomas Killigrew and William Davenant. They were both playwrights and Davenant was rumored to be the illegitimate son of Shakespeare. He is even attributed with creating the first English Opera. The English Restoration and Later Theatre What really helped restore theatre was The English Royal Patent of 1662, which mandated that women perform female roles and endorsed the theatre as useful and instructive. Drury Lane and Covent Garden were the only two theatres to receive official sanction, so they were the only ones considered “legitimate,” thus the term legitimate theatre was coined. The architecture of the playhouse made many important changes. The roofs were closed in, scenery and stage mechanics became more elaborate, the orchestra moved to the front of the stage, the back wall was replaced with shutters that rolled back and forth in grooves in the stage for multiple scene changes, and the stage was slanted slightly. The English Restoration and Later Theatre Some of the most famous writers from the period include William Wycherly (1640-1716). He wrote The Country Wife and is known for being a comic trendsetter. William Congreve (1670-1729) is considered a master of comedy after writing Love for Love and The Way of the World. George Farquhar (1678-1707) wrote The Beaux’s Stratagem. The English Restoration and Later Theatre The greatest actor of the Restoration was David Garrick. Garrick was equally good at both comedy and drama, and his natural movement and line delivery set him apart from the previously stiff style He also wrote plays and made important innovations to stage lighting when he blocked the lighting instruments from the audience’s view. The most famous actress of the period was Peg Woffington. She was Garrick’s mistress, and she rebelled against the gender-biased Elizabethans by effectively portraying men’s roles. The English Restoration and Later Theatre Within five months of each other in 1808 and 1809, both the Drury Lane and the Covent Garden burned to the ground. This symbolized the end of an era, and as new buildings were built to replace them, a new period of theatre emerged. Teetering between the Restoration and the period to follow were Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Oliver Goldsmith. Sheridan (1751-1816) wrote The School for Scandal and The Rivals. Goldsmith (1728-1774) was a “one hit wonder” with his play She Stoops to Conquer. Gilbert and Sullivan produced their famous operas, which included The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, and H.M.S. Pinafore, all of which are still extremely popular today. Oscar Wilde gave us The Importance of Being Earnest. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) dominated the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many rank him next to Shakespeare as one of England’s greatest playwrights. Shaw used his writings as vehicles to voice his theories on humanity and intellect. His most famous plays are Arms and the Man, Saint Joan, and Pygmalion (from which the musical My Fair Lady was fashioned). American Theatre Under the strict rule of the Puritans, theatrical performances were outlawed because viewing dramatic or comic plays were thought to maliciously influence the behavior of the young. When actors persisted to perform despite the laws against it, the audience was targeted with fines for viewing the “devilish acts.” There is little physical evidence of such performances at this time due to the legal issues. American Theatre In the early to mid 1700s, ideas began to change when stories of the glamour of the English stage arrived with each docking ship. Settlers began to realize what they were missing, and they rebelled against the Puritan’s fear of self-expression just as rebelled against the mother country. Many plays were then produced in courtrooms or coffee houses. Sometimes, fights would occur due to lack of space, so new laws were created to keep stage plays out. However, people won their freedom and American theatre was born. American Theatre There were few American-written plays at that time because they used the plays written by British writers. The first American theatre was built in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1716, but its existence was a short one. The mortgage was foreclosed in 1723. It was later used to produce amateur college performances. In the mid 1700s, theatrical families began appearing in the colonies. It was easier and less expensive to travel and produce plays as a family. One of the most prevalent of these families was the Hallams. Young Lewis Hallam made his debut at the age of 12 with a single line, but he had such stage fright that he ran from the stage in tears before he could utter a single word. Once he conquered his stage fright, he reigned on the American stage for 50 years until his death in 1808. American Theatre Another American theatrical family, the Barrymores, bridged the gap between early American theatre and modern film. Irish actor John Drew came to the states in 1846. His great-great-great-granddaughter is Drew Barrymore. American Theatre Since most theatre companies capitalized on European plays until the early 20th century when writers like O’Neil, Williams and Wilder emerged, American theatre lacked its own identity. Also, the emergence of Hollywood as the center of the film industry for the world sometimes overshadowed the life on the stage. American Playwrights Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) The Iceman Cometh, Mourning Becomes Electra, A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Anna Christie Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) Our town, The Matchmaker (from which Hello Dolly was derived) Lillian Hellman (1905-1984) The Little Foxes, Watch on the Rhine, The Searching Wind William Saroyan (1908-1981) The Time of Your Life, After the Fall Arthur Miller (1915-) Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, All My Sons Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Night of the Iguana, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire Neil Simon (1927-) The Odd Couple, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Barefoot in the Park, Star-Spangled Girl Lorrain Hansberry (1930-1965) A Raisin in the Sun, Les Blancs Beth Henley (1952-) Crimes of the Heart, The Miss Firecracker Contest Eastern Theatre One of the immediately visible appeals of any form of theatre is the lure of the sound and the color. Easter theatre seems to have perfected this with largerthan-life costumes, the expressive masks, life-like puppets, and the contagious, rhythmic beat. Eastern Theatre The oldest form of Eastern theatre, the Noh, is deeply rooted in religion and ceremony. It is a combination of dance, acting, and music, rhythmically entwined in a strict form that has been passed to each new generation in a rigid training, which starts in an actor’s childhood. The short plots generally deal with myths and legends, and the characters, are stock roles symbolized on-stage by masks. Each Noh also has a Kyogen or comic interlude. The performance combines actors’ gliding movements, chanting, and stomping in unison with a flute and drum accompaniment. Eastern Theatre The Bunraku is a form of Japanese theatre which uses intricately hinged wooden puppets. Each elaborately costumed puppet stands four feet tall, and with moving fingers and facial expressions, it is no surprise that it takes three puppeteers for each figure. This form of theatre originated in Korea but migrated to Japan in the sixth century AD. Eastern Theatre The most influential of the Asian theatre is the Kabuki, which employs singing, dancing, and acting, just as its name would imply (ka=singing, bu=dancing, ki=acting). Originally produced by women, the newest of the Eastern forms was an imitation of the Noh and the Bunraku. The plots are based on historical tales or stories about everyday life. Kabuki actors wore dramatic face paint rather than masks. Today, only men act in the plays and they train from childhood. Eastern Theatre The Kabuki stage is a raised wooden platform, but because rhythmic stomping is such a prevalent part of the style, amplifying wooden sections are often laid on top of the stage. They also use drums, a flute, and a stringed instrument called a samisen. Eastern Theatre The kimono, the traditional, floor-length robe with draping sleeves, is worn by both male and female characters, each distinguished by a variance in color, fabric, or accessories. Kabuki is fantasy storytelling. Eastern Theatre China boasts the Peking Opera, a harmonious blend of song, dance, dialog, and acrobatics. Unfortunately, after the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949, new plays were saturated with military propaganda. Some new playwrights occasionally surface, and when they do, the entire world has reason to celebrate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67-bgSFJiKc