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Primitive Man
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Rhythmic movements evolved into pantomimes that told, showed or mimicked.
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Initiation dances (boys reaching manhood), war dances, story dances, religious dances.
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Ritual evolved out of religious dances.
Egyptian Theatre
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As far as we know, the first people to establish a definite drama (3000 BC)
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Primarily concerned with life after death.
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Five types of Egyptian plays---all serious and all performed in tombs or temples:
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Pyramid plays were written on pyramid walls and included stage directions. These religious
dramas showed the ascent of the soul and the resurrection of the body.
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Coronation Festival (crowning a new pharaoh)
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Heb Sed or Coronation Jubilee (performed on the pharaoh’s 13th year of reign)
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Medicinal play (magical healing---Isis’s child is bitten by a scorpion and Isis heals the child using
artificial respiration and magic.
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Abydos Passion play (resurrection theme---Set, the god of evil, becomes jealous of his brother
Osiris. He tricks Osiris into a coffin, nails it shut, and throws it into the Nile. Isis (wife of Osiris)
finds the coffin and buries it, but Set digs him up, dismembers the body and scatters the pieces.
Isis collects the pieces and buries them again. Osiris is then resurrected and becomes King of
the Dead.
Hebrew Theatre
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Although dance and ritual are mentioned, there is no reference to a definite theatre. However,
two books of the Bible are read as dramatic literature. The Song of Solomon contains poetic
dialogue and was probably read or performed at a wedding. The Book of Job is written like a 5act drama. However, there is no record of it having been performed.
Greek Theatre
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Drama so outstanding it has never been surpassed.
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The Golden Age of Greece (500-400 BC) brought the greatest tragedies of all time.
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Had its beginnings in the Dionysian rites (the god of wine and fertility).
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Tragedy developed out of Dionysian rites. Tragedy literally means goat song. No one knows
why, but some speculate that either a goat was sacrificed at the end, or the performers wore
goat skins.
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The Dionysian rites grew into a festival of plays where the best tragedy received a prize. This
festival lasted 5 or 6 days. The first day, people observed religious rites, drank wine, sang, and
partied. That first night, people attended the theatre by candlelight.
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The next days were for dythrambic contests, performed by choral groups. The final days were
for the play contests. Each day a different dramatist was featured who would offer fou plays: a
trilogy (3 plays around a central theme) and a satyr (farce) that provided comic relief. At the
end of the festival a winner was announced who would be allowed to wear the coveted ivy
garland.
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Comedies (komos---band of revelers) were performed in the afternoon. Most comedies were
performed at the Lenaea festival (in February).
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Plays were performed out of doors. Most plays were performed with benches carved into a hill
that looked down into a circle of hard packed earth---something like our amphitheatres today.
They seated 20,000.
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The acting area was called the orchestra, the actors changed costumes in a skene (a small
building) from which we get the word scene. A proskenion (we get proscenium) was placed in
front of the skene for the actors.
The actors were all men who, to make themselves taller by wearing thick soled shoes and a high
head piece (called onkus); he also wore masks which not only denoted character, but helped
project his voice (like a megaphone).
Costumes were very colorful and elaborately embroidered.
Staging was simple. The deus-ex-machina was the mechanical device used for lowering and
raising gods, or getting a hero out of harm’s way. This term is used today to describe when a
hero gets out of an impossible situation in an unlikely way.
Most plays revolved around ancient myths that were familiar to the audience. Plays also used a
choragus (chorus) to explain the exposition.
Tragedies had rules (according to Aristotle)---not all playwrights followed them:
Must have a catharsis or spiritual purge and inspire the audience to lead better lives.
Hero must be in a high social position and posses a tragic flaw.
Must have a change of fortune or reversal.
Must be written in poetry.
Must have a series of closely related events, take place within a 24-hour period, and take place
in one locale.
The first winner of the prize was Thespis (we get the word thespian)
Famous playwrights: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Aristotle.
Roman Theatre
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Theatre was frowned upon by aristocrats---audience comprised of lower class whose tastes ran
to spectacle and vulgarity.
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Greek theatre degenerated and comedies became vulgar slapstick.
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Roman playhouses were portable wooden platforms.
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60 BC Pompey built a huge auditorium around a small statue of Venus in order to make the
auditorium legal. The “steps” of the “temple” became the seats.
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Caesar became jealous, so he built a playhouse in the shape of two wooden theatres that could
revolve to face one another---After a play, the seats were swung around to create ampitheatres
for chariot races and gladiatorial contests.
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Plays were overshadowed by colosseum events (gladiatorial contests, feeding individuals to
lions, and special arenas called naumachiaes, which were filled with water, and slaves fought on
ships until all were killed.)
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Roman theatre became so base that when Rome fell in 476 A. D. and the Christian church took
over, all theatrical activity was banned.
Hindu Theatre
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According to mythology, Brahma invented theatre.
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Performed for the upper class, usually in gardens.
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The only scenery was a decorated wall, behind which the actors changed.
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Plays always ended happily.
Chinese Theatre
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Started as interpretive dancing at ancestor worship but evolved into plays.
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Used a thrust stage.
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No curtain or scenery. Chorus suggests scene changes. Musicians required.
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Originally, men played all parts. Acting was artificial, and symbolic (each movement meant
something----i.e. a sleeve over the eye meant weeping).
Properties and colors also had symbolic meaning. I. E. white paper falling from a red umbrella
meant snow; a man with a whip meant he was on horseback; a actor carrying a flag represented
an army; a flag with a wavy line represented a river.
The prop man was “invisible” because he wore black.
Elaborate, colorful costumes were worn. Thick make up signified character. (Red stood for
faithfulness; blue for cruelty; white for evil, etc.)
Japanese Theatre
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Similar to Chinese theatre.
Noh plays were written in formal, classical style for aristocrats.
Scenery consisted of a tapestry hung on the back wall.
Wooden masks were worn.
Properties were multi-functional and were used for suggestion. I. E. a fan could become a
dagger, a tray, a letter, or a fan.
Common man’s theatre was called Kabuki. It evolved in 1600 when O-Kuni (a woman) began
singing and dancing in the street. Kabuki incorporates song and dance, and is more
melodramatic and sensational than the Noh plays. Kabuki is known for lavish color, elaborate
costumes, and thick stylized make up.
Acting is most important. Men must be able to realistically play women (even today).
Medieval Theatre
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Called the Dark Ages because little or no cultural activity.
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Began with the Fall of Rome and continued till the 12th Century in Europe.
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The church that buried drama, revived it in order to “teach” the Christian story to the
uneducated.
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Performed on traveling wagons Cycles---people would travel from one wagon to the next to see
a complete story. Were also performed at “stations” in cathedrals.
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Three types of plays (The 3 “M’s”) Mystery (Bible stories), Miracle (saints), and Morality (taught
right from wrong)