Download Theatre in History

Theatre: Its Origins
and Its History
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(© Charles & Josette Lenars/Corbis)
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Common Theories on
Theatre’s Origin
• Little evidence so must rely on theory
– Evolved from theatre and performance in life
– Ritual Theory
– Aristotle’s Theory
– Great Man Theory
– Dance Theory
– Story Telling Theory
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Performance
• Performative elements, both dramatic and
theatrical are present in all societies
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Performance in everyday life
• Often with theatrical elements
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Performance Qualities
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Time
Place
Participants
Structure
Clothing
Movement
Function/Purpose
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Ceremonies
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Rituals
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Sports
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Music and Dance
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Political Performance
• Political decision based on performance
• Often theatrical
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Child’s Play- creative and
imitative
• Imitative and Creative
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The link to theatre
• Although there are elements of theatre
and performance in life, it does not
indicated a link to a formal art form that we
call theatre.
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Ritual Theory
• Ceremonies and Rituals are closely related to
theatre
– Theatrical Aspects of Ceremonies and Rituals
– The Abydos Ritual in Ancient Egypt
– Indigenous Ritual in Latin America
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Ritual Theory
• Society becomes aware of forces that
control food supply or well being
• Attributes occurrences to supernatural or
magical forces
• Look for ways to win favor or influence
these forces
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Ritual Theory
• Draws a connection between certain
actions performed by the group or shaman
and a desired result
• Efficaciousness
• Group repeats, refines and formalizes these
actions into fixed rituals
• Myths or stories grow around the ritual
– Myths performed
– Costumes and mask
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Ritual Theory
• At some point, the society changes and its
relationship with the ritual changes.
• Move away from ritual but preserve the
myths as part of oral tradition
• Continue the performance aspect without
the ritualistic concerns
• Performed activity is refined according to
aesthetics and entertainment values
• Theatre is created
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Problems with ritual theory
• Cultural Darwinism - Assumes all societies
evolve in the same way, from simple to
complex
• Assumed superiority/Eurocentric
• Ritual and theatre may have been
coexisting modes to develop conventions
– Ex. Wedding rituals define new relationships
and conventional associated behavior
– Ex. Theatre can show this and enforce
conventions
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Aristotle’s Theory
• Aristotle – Memesis
• Child’s imitative play
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Aristotle’s Theory
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Poetics 355 BCE
Theatre evolved from dithyrambs
Tragedy – “goat song”
Tragedy from the authors of the
dithyrambs, comedy from the authors of
phallic songs. Comodos
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Great Man Theory
• Theatre was created by a revolutionary
intervention of a gifted human being.
• Someone purposely organized available
elements into a new form
– Dance, music, singing, storytelling, rituals
• No records or accounts of the person
responsible
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Thespis
• First Actor
• First Tragic playwright
• First touring company
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Storytelling Theory
• Storytellers impersonated the various
characters using voice and movement,
perhaps costume
• People were added to play other
characters
• Does not explain the evolution of the
chorus
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Dance Theory
• Through dance, performers imitated
animals or humans
• Sound and words were eventually added.
• Orchestra=the dancing place
• Does not explain the chorus
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Which theory
• Anthropologist generally favor the ritual
theory
• Artists prefer the great man theory
• Actors or those who believe drama started
with the actor, favor the storytelling or
dance theory.
• To explain the chorus, either the dance
theory or Aristotle’s theory
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Theatre in different cultures
– Not all cultures have theatre (they
have performance)
– Not all cultures allow theatre
– Theatre in the West
• Mimesis
(© Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis)
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Prohibition of Theatre
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Methexis and mimesis
– Theatre in Africa/others
• Methexis: Group Sharing,
• “audience participation”
– Western Theatre=separation Of audience and
performer
• European tradition-mimesis, presented to
spectators
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Theatre and methexis
– “Participatory”
Theatre
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How Historians Reconstruct the
Elements of Theatre
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A Playing Space
The Audience
The Performers
Visual Elements
Texts
Coordination of the
Elements
• Social Requirements
© 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
(© Jack Kurtz/The Image Works)
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The Study of Theatre History
• Traditional Chronological
Narratives
• Recent Historical
Approaches
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Revisionist Historians
Feminist Historians
Deconstructionists
Multicultural Historians
Gay and Lesbian Theatre
Historians
© 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
(© Geraint Lewis)
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The Study of Theatre History
(continued)
– Semioticians and Iconographic Historians
– Marxist and Class-Oriented Historians
– Performance Studies and Theatre History
© 2012, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Revisionist Historians
• History is retold from the point of view of
the elite
• Orwell Article
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History is written by the
winners
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Deconstructionists
• Aka postmodernists.
• Question the traditional manner in which
history is reconstructed.
• The past cannot be retold in an objective
and completely true manner
• People in power decide what is historic,
who is empowered by a version of history
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Feminist Historians
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Gay and Lesbian Historians
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Studying Theatre
• Why Study Theatre History?
– If theatre is a reflection of its society, then
theatre history gives us insights to societies fo
the past; how they saw themselves, wished to
have been seen at the time or how they were
directed to see depending if their theatre was
art or entertainment.
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How Do Scholars Study Theatre History?
– Difficulty of research
• Live Art
– Primary and Secondary Sources
– Practice as research
Theatre in History: Points to
Remember
• Focus is on the high points
– There were other great writers and theatre
activity that we do not focus on.
• This class covers only a small portion of
what actually happened in history
• Scope of course
• Too much is unknown
• Who determines what is “outstanding”
theatre?
• Anthology selection
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Points to remember
• Outstanding actors – we rely on people
who were there, but by today’s standards
they many not be considered great due to
changing tastes.
• Intended Audience –
– Historical, social, cultural and political context
– For the classes or the masses?
• In different periods and cultures, different
aspects of theatre are appreciated
• Today?
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What’s next?
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Complete any required work on Etudes
Finish reading Ch1
Start reading Ch 2
Read Norton section on Greek theatre
Watch or read Oedipus