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HISTORY OF THEATRE Prehistory to 600 BC The Origins of Theatre Certain Actions = Positive Circumstances Have a Dance on Tuesday “If we dance the night before a battle, we will win” Win a Battle on Wednesday The Origins of Theatre Pre-Action Performances – Rehearsing a hunt – Societal traditions Post-Action Plays – Describing a Battle – Telling stories of Ancestors Sympathetic Magic – Imitation (voodoo) Ritual Develops from Repetition Formal Theatre Develops when Society – Formalizes Rituals – Develops Aesthetics – Performs apart from ritual concerns Present Day Examples: – Weddings – Criminal Trials – Church Services SHAMANISM Prehistory Common to all traditional cultures Shaman: a priestly figure who communicates directly with the gods through ritual for the benefit of the community Uses dialogue, music, song, dance, illusion, clowning, hypnotism Linked to the origin of Western theatre through its connection with the worship of the Greek god Dionysus Modern Shaman Cleansing Ritual DANCE Expresses the rhythms of life Common to all humanity Animal imitation, pantomime, gymnastics and rhythmic movement Entertained all early humans Addition of masks, costumes and sound heightened impact YouTube - Zulu Dance RITUAL Perhaps as early as 2500 BC Repeated, unvarying and symbolic actions Early humans sought to achieve success in battle and hunting; ensure adequate rain and sun; express their duty to the community and the gods Art and artifacts of preliterate people around the world support this universal human habit of ritual Appears to have been the original theatre Ritual in dramatic form was performed annually in Egypt The Origins of Theatre in Egypt •The Ikhernofret Stone •Ancient Egyptian limestone stela •Notable for its description of how the mysteries of Osiris were carried out The Abydos Passion Play Performed annually from 2500 to 550 B.C. and full of spectacle, this passion play is the first of its kind ever recorded and is the first example of theatre. •Represents the Pharaoh (King) •The God of Resurrection •The Judge of the Dead •Represented by a Mummy (Eternal Life) •Product of a Virgin Birth •YouTube OSIRIS Osiris Set •Viewed as a god of evil •The God of Storms •Kills and dismembers Osiris in an effort to claim his throne Horus •Son of Osiris •Nemesis of Set •God of light, sun, young men, living pharaohs, etc. •Avenges his father’s death by doing battle with Set. Their battle is commemorated in the Abydos Passion Play STORYTELLING Prehistory Closely related to ritual Entertainment and education Because of the human tendency to imitate and elaborate, tales such as India’s “Ramayana” and Homer’s “Odyssey” provided a great storehouse of plots for later dramatists YouTube - Native American Storyteller - Tales of Wonder GREEK THEATRE 600 BC (ish) Aristotle: dithyramb (a hymn sung and danced to honor the god Dionysus at annual festivals, relating episodes from the god’s life) Evolved from earlier ecstatic dances by female celebrants of shamanism GOLDEN AGE OF GREECE 500-400 BC Greeks of Athens invented Western drama Athenian playwrights used myths and heroic legends drawn from Homer and other sources, but shaped them to reflect contemporary issues Theatre was a civic responsibility: writer and actor helped the people confront current political or religious problems