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THEATRE HISTORY
Chinese and Hindu Theatre
THE BEGINNINGS OF CHINESE THEATRE
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The beginnings:
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2000 BC
Used interpretive dance
Dances told a story
Reverence for ancestors
Only the people of the Emperor's court saw the
dramas
Religion, philosophy had large
influence on Chinese theater:
Confucianism
Stresses responsibility of
individual to others
Taoism
Stresses simplicity,
patience and nature’s
harmony
Shamanism
Rituals combined
costumes, song, dance and
gesture
CHINESE DRAMA:8TH- 9TH CENTURY AD
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Emperor Ming Huang
founded a school for actors
 called the Children of the Pear Tree Garden
 considered the patron saint of theatre in China to
this day
Style:
 highly formalized
 themes- ancestor worship, military glory, faithfulness
to husband
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END OF MING HAUNG’S DRAMA
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Mongol invasion 1280 AD
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they wanted: (like later Romans)
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action
stunts
acrobatics
songs
dances
THE CHALK CIRCLE :Lawsuit-and-trial genre
Bertolt Brecht saw a version and wrote The Caucasian Chalk
Circle
THE LUTE SONG (plays from that time):Mixture of high art
and popular theatrical traditions
Compared to Elizabethan England and 5th century Greece
When the Communists took over in 1949 it ended this dramaused theatre for government policy
THE PEKING OPERA
Westerners
considered the
Chinese theatre opera because of
the singing
it had a very symbolic quality
most acting was done by men
STYLE OF PEKING OPERA
Used
highly stylized poses and
movements
Very graceful
Every gesture meant something
 a sleeve over the eyes=
weeping
 shoulders shaking= grief
PROPS AND COSTUMES
•
Props were also symbolic
 white paper falling= snow
 an actor with a flag= army
 flag with wavy lines- river
 colors= emotions
red= faithfulness
blue= cruelty
white= evil
Used thick makeup and dazzling
costumes
Theatre of
Indian
CHARACTERISTICS OF SANSKRIT DRAMA
 They
use stories drawn from the great
Indian epics
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The Mahabharata
The Ramayana
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stages were elaborately decorated
no representational scenery was used
 Movements
of every part of the body,
vocal delivery, and song followed strict
codes
HINDU THEATRE
Ancient- dates back to 1500 BC
 A religious form
 real theatre emerged around 5th Century BC
 Sanskrit- language the educated used
 Performed in courtyards and gardens of rulers
 Actors waited in a “greenroom” before going on
stage * we use this term today in drama
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Sanskrit Drama:
• Written in Sanskrit, the
language of the noble
classes
• performed in court circles
• The Natyasastra as
example of Indian theatre
• Set and scenery
• Costumes
• Dance and movement
HINDU THEATRE
Scenery was a decorated wall
 small audiences close to stage
 delicate restrained acting styles
 plays always ended happily
 women were on stage- ( this may have been the
first place to allow women)
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Next week: Medieval Theatre