Early Humans to Restoration Theater

Drama: Originates in the human impulse to imitate. Early Humans: Imitated or Acted out significant events through dance, chant, and pantomime. They also used masks to portray animals or gods.  What would these significant events be?

 “Drama” is a Greek word meaning “to do” or “to act”  Two ingredients are needed to make situations in drama interesting:  Conflict: A struggle between two opposing forces  Empathy: A relationship that builds between actor and audience. (“feeling with” NOT “feeling for”)

 Western drama started in Greece in 6 th Century B.C. (500’s B.C.)  Worshiped the Greek God Dionysus.  God of theater, wine and fertility  Commemorated his death by sacrificing a goat on an altar.  The Chorus: A group of chanters who danced and sang around the altar during the sacrifice.

 Greek depiction of Dionysus

 Modern Dionysus

 Tragedy: Comes from the Greek word “tragos” meaning “goat singers”  Chorus:  Explain the situation  Bring audience up-to-date  Make commentary on action  Talk to actors

 Developed dramatic contests  Lasted 5-6 days, all day!  Thespis won the first competition: where we get the word “Thespian”  Thespis was the first actor to step out of the chorus and speak alone.  On the last 3 days of contest one playwright a day would present 4 plays.  1 st 3 were tragedies, last play was a satyr.

 Greek Tragedy:  Considered classics of western literature  Clash between human efforts and FATE (the will of the gods)  Deus Ex Machina: “God from the Machine”  An artificial plot device used to resolve difficulties.  Literally was an actor lowered down on the stage from above with a giant crane.  Crane was big enough to hold multiple horses.  Famous Greek Playwrights:  Euripides: Medea  Aeschylus: Agamemnon  Sophocles: Oedipus Rex

EURIPIDESAESCHYLUS

SOPHOCLES

 1 st Century B.C.  Roman Drama: Largely imitated Greek Drama  Theaters expanded into amphitheaters.  Large circular arenas that were surrounded by tiers of seats.

 Seneca is a Roman writer of bombastic tragedies

 Romans are also known for creating the closet drama.  A play meant to be read rather than performed.

 Roman drama added real violence to their productions. This violence eventually grew into “Gladiators”

 Vocabulary:  Seneca: Writer of bombastic tragedies.  Closet Dramas: Plays intended to be read rather than performed.

 12 th -15 th centuries  The main theme for most plays of this time was Religion.  Saint plays: based on legends of saints  Mystery plays: based on biblical history  Passion plays: addresses the last week of Christ’s life

 Medieval drama plays were performed in the churches on platforms called mansions.  Represented biblical settings:  Heaven  Hell  Sea

 Performances began to travel.  Plays could be presented on pageant wagons.  Stages on wheels  Divided into two levels:  Upper Level: platform stage  Lower Level: dressing room

Pageant Wagon

 Secular dramas were also developing. They were called Folk Dramas.  Example: Robin Hood (1300 AD)

 Morality plays: teaching the difference between right and wrong within the story.  Came from the popularity of drama and wanting something more than just religious holiday plays.

Renaissance means: “Rebirth” Two locations for Renaissance:  England  Italy

 Began around the 16 th century  There were many successful playwrights, but it few are still popular still today.  Three famous playwrights:  Christopher Marlowe  Ben Jonson  William Shakespeare

 Christopher Marlowe  First important use of blank (unrhymed) verse.

 Ben Jonson  Master of English Comedy  Concentrated largely on personality traits

 William Shakespeare  Perhaps the greatest dramatist of all time.  “..was not a man of an age but for all time.” Ben Jonson.

 Shakespeare – THE BARD  born in STRATFORD UPON AVON  April, 1564

 Tragedies  Hamlet  Romeo and Juliet  King Lear  Othello  Macbeth DO YOU KNOW ANY MODERN DAY VERSIONS OF THESE???  Comedies  A Midsummer Night’s Dream  All’s Well That Ends Well  Much Ado About Nothing  The Taming of the Shrew

 Soliloquy: A speech delivered by an actor alone on stage that reveals the character’s innermost thoughts.  Typically breaks the fourth wall.  Shakespeare is mostly famous because his plays and characters are timeless.  He wrote plays and sonnets (short poetic pieces of writing)

 Most commonly credited with the development of the Opera.  The entire production is sung.  Developed in Italy therefore the international language for Opera is Italian.

 Another development: Commedia dell’arte  “Comedy of the profession”  Performed by professional troupes specializing in Improvisation.  New cool thing between 16 th and 18 th centuries.

 Commedia dell’arte continued…  The Characters played out comic scenarios: plot outlines posted backstage before each performance.  Lazzi: Special humorous bits of stage business, usually set apart from the main action.  Example: Comic actor trying unsuccessfully to catch a fly.

 Used stock characters: Actors portrayed the same characters in different scenarios.  Represented two social classes:  Upper  Servant  Identified by their costumes and masks.  The characters’ objectives were identified through an actor’s leading center

 Innamorati : Girl  Young lovers who speak in a refined language  Innamoratae : Boy  Upper class

 Pantalone : Upper class  Middle aged or elderly  Father who competes with son for women  Husband deceived by wife  Overly protective father

 CAPITANO  - Military Captain  -Bragger of wars he has never fought and women he hasn’t known.  -Coward  -Shows off his sword

 Dottore : Upper class  Elderly Gentleman  Sometimes friend  Sometimes rival of Pantalone  Medical man lacking in common sense  Absent-Minded professor  Double-talk and jargon

 Pulcinella : Male Servant  Hump-backed, doltish character

 Fontesca : Female servant  Also known as “Columbina”  Clever  High Spirited  Flirt

 Harlequin : Male Servant  Also goes by Arlecchino  Clever persuader  Schemer  Ad-libber  Acrobatic  Prankster  Agile in mind and body

 Masks:  Defined their character  Helped show the emotion  Created comedic element  Exaggerated physical features

 Begins in 1660 when Charles II returned as King.  Between England had a civil war and banned all theater.

 Many developments: 1. All women parts played by women for the first time. 2. Plays and acting should be considered “not only harmless delights but useful and instructive representations of human life” 3. Audience on level floor 4. Stage raked: Sloped upward away from the viewers. 5. Elaborate scenery and mechanical equipment being used

1. What mobile stage did actors perform their plays on during medieval drama? 2. In what era were women now allowed to perform? 3. Name the young lovers from Commedia dell’arte. Spelling counts. 4. In Commedia dell’arte, what was posted backstage before the actors performed? 5. In what era did William Shakespeare write and perform? 6. A. What is a play called that is intended to be read rather than performed? B. What era was it popular? 7. What God did the Greeks worship during their theater festivals? 8. What does the word “tragos” literally mean? 9. Name the two countries where the Renaissance was most evident. 10. What era was Robin Hood first written? 11. Put all the eras in chronological order. Hint: There are 6 eras.

 1. Name the eras in order:  1  2  3  4  5  6  In which era was William Shakespeare alive? WORD BANK – use 1 for each question (1 will be used again for short answer) Medieval Early Human RenaissanceRoman RestorationGreek