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Roman Theatre “theatre," "drama," "tragedy," "cri4c," "program," "theory" and "comedy” – from Greek words "spectacle," "circus," "perform," "impersona4on” "actor” “sports personality” “nudity” “violence” and “stupid farce” -­‐ from Roman words Roman Theatre Romans liked their shows grandiose, something that appealed to both eye and ear—and heart and mind, if convenient Roman Theatre Two clear periods: 1.  The period of literary drama (240 BC -­‐ 100 BC), when the Romans primarily adapted classical and post-­‐classical Greek plays 2.  The renaissance of popular entertainment (100 BC -­‐ 476 AD), when tradi4onal Roman fare like circuses, spectacles and mime returned to the forefront of the entertainment scene. Roman Theatre Three primary influences: 1.  The Greeks 2.  The Etruscans brought the Romans horse racing and other spectacle type entertainments. 3.  The Oscans had a type of comedy called Atellan Farce. This was a type of improvised comedy played with stock characters (player types that repeated from play to play). Roman Theatre 240 BC Comedies of Livius Andronicus in Rome Roman Theatre Livius Andronicus-­‐ began as an educator in the service of a noble family at Rome by transla4ng Greek works into La4n, including Homer’s Odyssey. He was the first man of leYers to write in La4n. Roman Theatre 200-­‐160 BC Plautus and Terence write comedies Roman Theatre . Titus Maccius Plautus-­‐254 BC to 184 BC. His comedies are the earliest surviving intact works in La4n literature. He reworked the Greek texts to give them a flavor that would appeal to the local Roman audiences. Roman Theatre . Publius Teren4us Afer (195/185 BC–159 BC) Teren4us Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on, impressed by his abili4es, freed him. Terence apparently died young, probably in Greece or on his way back to Rome. All of the six plays Terence wrote have survived. Roman Theatre In re-­‐working the Greek . originals, the Roman comic drama4sts abolished the role of the chorus in dividing the drama into episodes and introduced musical accompaniment to its dialogue (between one-­‐third of the dialogue in the comedies of Plautus and two-­‐thirds in those of Terence). Roman Theatre The ac4on of all scenes . is set in the exterior loca4on of a street and its complica4ons oben follow from eavesdropping. Plautus, the more popular of the two, wrote between 205 and 184 BC and twenty of his comedies survive, of which his farces are best known; he was admired for the wit of his dialogue and his use of a variety of poe4c meters.[11] Roman Theatre All of the six comedies t. hat Terence wrote between 166 and 160 BC have survived; the complexity of his plots, in which he oben combined several Greek originals, was some4mes denounced, but his double-­‐plots enabled a sophis4cated presenta4on of contras4ng human behaviour.[11] Roman Theatre 179 BC Wooden theatre built in Rome. Roman Theatre The authori4es were concerned that the Roman people might be corrupted by Greek influences. As a compromise, drama con4nued to presented at various religious fes4vals, but the theaters were all temporary structures, put up just before the performances and taken down aberwards. Roman Theatre 80 BC First Roman amphitheatre-­‐Pompeii Roman Theatre 55 BC First permanent Roman Theatre-­‐Pompey Roman Theatre First permanent Roman Theatre-­‐Pompey Roman Theatre First permanent Roman Theatre-­‐Pompey Roman Theatre First permanent Roman Theatre-­‐Pompey Roman Theatre Lucius Anneaus Seneca 4BC-­‐65AD Roman tragedy writer Roman Theatre 80 AD Colosseum is built in Rome Roman Theatre 80 AD Most actors are slaves or low-­‐ranking. Roman Theatre 175 AD Theatre consists of mime, mimicry, and pantomime. Roman Theatre Mime 175 AD Spoken, Usually short, Some4mes elaborate casts and spectacle, Serious or comic (sa4ric), No masks, Had women, Scoffed at Chris4anity Roman Theatre Pantomime 175 AD solo dance, with music (lutes, pipes, cymbals) and a chorus. Used masks, story-­‐telling, mythology or historical stories, usually serious but some4mes comic Roman Theatre 197 AD Chris4ans forbidden to aYend theatre. The church excommunicates actors. Roman Theatre 300 AD Earliest recorded Chris4an plays and widespread Chris4an resistance to theatre.