HISTORY OF THEATRE ARTS:

PART 1

Theatre 101

Drama

Greek word meaning “to do” or “to act” Born out of the dance ceremonies of

primitive people before Greek civilization

Egyptian Theatre

Ritualistic rites = our idea of a play 3000 B.C. Egyptian people were concerned about

life after death, which was illustrated in their dramas

Plays were written for important events (coronation of a new pharaoh)

Hebrew Theatre

No substantial evidence of definite theatre in Judea.

Biblical literature has theatrical elements:Job= 5 act play with prologue and epilogueSong of Solomon= chanting/ poetic dialogue

Greek Theatre

Unsurpassed legacy of theatre The Classic (Golden Age) of Greece

brought the greatest tragedies of all time500-400 B.C.

Religious homage to Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility

Ritual dancing and singing developed tragedy (tragos- “goat song”)

Greek Festivals lasted for days

Greek Theatre Comedies komos meaning “a band of revelers”

and tragedies took place during festival Plays were performed outdoors Sloping hill – amphitheatre

Held up to 20,000 people Far away from audience:

RhetoricalPlatform shoesMasks Megaphones

Greek Theatre

Costumes Mantels

Simple staging – scenery painted on boards

Greek tragedies were based on ancient myths (well known to audience)

Modeled many elements of Aristotle Playwriting contests

Greek Playwrights

First tragedian to win prize: ThespisFirst to add a leader to the “chorus”Leader became first Greek actorThespian- another word for actor

Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.)Father of TragedyGreatest tragic poet of all timeInvented the trilogy and added a second

actor to the playsCharacter : Prometheus

Greek Playwrights

Sophocles (496-406 B.C.)○ Great writer of tragedies○ Handsome, well-educated, multi-talented

Wrote more than 100 scripts and won 18 festivals

Electra, Oedipus Rex, and Antigone

Greek Playwrights

Euripides (480-406 B.C.)○ Boxing and painting○ Retired to a cave overlooking the sea

Unorthodox thinker who questioned religious ideas

First to humanize drama by appealing to the emotions

Medea

Greek Comedies

Aristophanes (448-380 B.C.)The finest comic writer of ancient GreeceSatireWrote about public lifeThe Birds, the Frogs, and the Clouds

Menander (342-291 B.C.)Wrote about domestic or private lifeIn 1957 his complete work The

Curmudgeon was discovered.

Greek to Roman

Caesar’s armies marched over the land Greek drama begin to deteriorate.

Romans established their theatre from the seeds of Greek drama.

Roman Theatre

Began with crude, native drama… Replaced with adaptations and

translations of Greek plays. Aristocracy frowned upon theatre

Audiences were lower classScoffed intellectuals and artists; demanded

spectacle and vulgarity○ Greek theatre became decadent & hollow

Roman Theatre Playhouses were portable wooden

platforms 61B.C.: Pompey built auditorium Caesar ordered playhouse to be built The Romans were first to use a front curtain 2 Roman playwrights to note:

Seneca (4BC-65AD): gory dramatist who wrote closet drama

Plautus (254-184 BC): plays influenced Shakespeare and others

Roman Theatre

Production of plays were soon overshadowed by spectacles:Gladiatorial contestsKilling of Christians and slaves

When Rome fell, the Christian church banned all theatrical activity

Chinese Theatre

2000 BCInterpretative dance

○ Dance that tells a storyReligious rituals

Eventually a school for actors was founded- Ming Huang

Drama was highly formalAncestor worship, military glory, and

faithfulness to a husband

Chinese Theatre

When Mongols invaded drama changedDemanded action, acrobatic stunts, songs

and dancesThese dramas came to be known as

“traditional theatre” Most acting is done by men Acting is regarded as a life study Graceful movements Symbolic props

Japanese Theatre- Noh

Based on ritualistic dance of Shinto religion

Noh plays appeared in the 14th century Written in a formal, classical language

Meant for aristocrats Short, serious, philosophical studies

combined with poetry, dance and music Scenery in Noh consists of one tapestry

hung on back wall

Japanese Theatre- Bunraku 17th century Doll Theatre

Wooden marionettesElaborately costumed

Japanese Theatre- Kabuki Japanese drama of the common man Incorporates song and dance

More melodramatic and sensational than Noh drama

Actors enter from flowerwayRamp that extends through audience

Colorful, extravagant Acting skill is all-important

Hindu Theatre 1500 B.C. Dialogue was used in religious hymns Brahma invented theatre Plays were composed in high class

language Scenery was a decorated wall with doors

leading to the greenroom Hindu theatre is very intimate, delicate and

retrained First to permit women to act on stage