Festival Theatre Greek, Roman, and Medieval Theatrical Experiences COM 103NCSU JOHN T. HALL, JD

THEATRE ORIGINS RITUAL –A collective ceremony performed by members of a society, normally for religious or cultural reasons –Also celebrates important life events –Baptism, Bar Mitzvah, Weddings, Funerals –Robed judges, changing of the guard, lower ball New Year’s Eve –“Uh-huh” vs “I do”

ORIGINS STORYTELLING –Human speech to recount daily events of selves and others – more personal than collective rituals –Ritual may attract an audience, but storytelling requires an audience – hearer-spectators –Generates elements of character impersonation – voices, gestures, emotions, entertainment

Until the 16 th century, Western Theatre: Performed primarily at festivals Financed by community Performed by community Occurred for brief periods each year Presented as offering to a god Presented for enjoyment of general public Flourished in Greece, Rome, medieval Europe Festival Theatre Greek, Roman, and Medieval Theatrical Experiences

Theatre of Ancient Greece Origins of Western Theatre traced to Ancient Greece Ancient Greek Beliefs: Humans can make significant decisions Democracy Not all people are equal: Greeks kept slaves and denied women any public role in society Happiness depends upon harmony between human and supernatural forces Numerous gods: conceived of as immortal human beings with flaws

Theatre of Ancient Greece Greek Drama: Emphasizes attempts of humans to control own destinies Tragedies often focus on results of attempting to escape fate Presented exclusively at festivals honoring the god Dionysus Dionysus = god of wine and fertility Festivals: By 5 th century, Athens held 4 festivals per year in honor of Dionysus 3 of 4 festivals including theatrical performances Major Festival = City Dionysia

City Dionysia Religious and Civic celebration 534 B.C. = first recorded contest for Best Tragedy Winner = Thespis Competition = 3 dramatists compete Each presents 3 tragedies and 1 satyr play satyr play = short, comic play poking fun at a Greek myth using a chorus of satyrs (half-man/half-goat characters) 5 days of performances; started at dawn and probably lasted all day Plays open to everyone, but primary audience = men and boys

City Dionysia 3 tragedies x 3 playwrights = 9 tragedies per City Dionysia 9 tragedies x 100 years = 900 tragedies during 5 th century B.C. 32 plays have survived All 32 plays written by 3 dramatists: Aeschylus ( B.C.) Sophocles ( B.C.) Euripides ( B.C.) Sophocles’ Oedipus often considered the best

Theatre of Dionysus Location: slope of hill beneath Athenian Acropolis Theatron = “seeing place” Stadium-like stone seats Capacity = 14,000-17,000 Orchestra = “dancing place” Main performance space Circular 65 ft. in diameter

THEATRE DIONYSIS

Theatre of Dionysus Thymele = alter to Dionysus Originally located at center of orchestra Scholars believe it was later moved to behind the skene Skene = hut or tent Located on side of orchestra, opposite the audience May have been used for costume changes Gradually developed into large structure ft. long - Possibly 2 stories high Possibly had 3 doors

Thymele

THEATRE DIONYSIS: Orchestra, Skene

HIGH PRIEST’S SEAT [DIONYSIS]

Theatre of Dionysus Paradoi = spaces between skene and auditorium Used for choral entrances and exits Eccyclema = wheeled platform Used primarily since acts of violence could not be shown onstage Rolled or pushed into the performance space to show consequences of violent acts (such as slain characters) Machina = crane-like device Used to “fly” god characters into the performance space Visible to audience

Performers Four Categories of Performers: 1.Actors 2.Chorus 3.Supernumeraries 4.Musicians

Performers: ACTORS Actors: All performers were male By 430 B.C., only 3 speaking actors allowed in competition Actors played multiple roles Each playwright was assigned a Principal Actor Principal Actor eligible to win “Best Tragic Actor”

Performers: CHORUS Chorus: Composed of 15 men Playwright was assigned a choregus choregus = wealthy citizen who paid for training and costuming; high civic honor; wealthy citizens required to take turns serving as choregus Chorus assigned approximately 11 months prior to festival Trained like athletes

Performers: CHORUS Choral Conventions: Chorus as one of the distinctive features of Greek Theatre Usually performed in unison Sometimes broke into 2 subgroups that responded to each other Chorus leader sometimes had solo lines Chorus entered after Prologue Chorus performed Choral Odes

Performers: CHORUS Functions of the Chorus: Treated as a group “character” that expressed opinions, gave advice Seemed to express the playwright’s point of view Served as ideal spectator, reacting as the playwright wanted the audience to react Added color, movement and spectacle through singing and dancing

CHORUS - MODERN

Performers: MASKS Masks: Performers [except musicians] wore masks Masks covered entire head and included hair/headdress Function of Masks: Facilitated rapid change of roles - Enabled male performers to embody female characters more easily Helped actors to assume different types of roles Assisted communication by capturing and emphasizing essential character qualities Megaphone mouthpiece

OEDIPUS MASKS

CREON, OEDIPUS FAREWELL TO DAUGHTERS

OEDIPUS, JOCASTA, DAUGHTERS

Performers: COSTUMES Costumes: Variety of clothing used – everyday wear Costume likely determined by appropriateness to role Use of chiton = ankle-length or knee-length garment that served as usual dress in Greece Soft, flexible, high-topped boots - Often with raised platform soles

CONVENTIONS OF GREEK DRAMA “CLASSICAL” UNITIES OBSERVED? –TIME = 24 HOURS –PLACE = ONE LOCATION –PLOT = ONE STORY TOLD That’s what the French thought

OEDIPUS’ FAMILY TREE

Oedipus the King in Performance Characterization & Acting: Concerned primarily with Psychological and Ethical aspects of character All speaking roles performed by three actors Chorus of 15 – 35 total performers Actor #1 Oedipus Actor #2 Creon 1 st Messenger Actor #3 Priest Tiresias Jocasta Herdsman 2 nd Messenger Probable distribution of roles:

OEDIPUS IN PERFORMANCE All speaking roles performed by three actors ACTOR# 1:OEDIPUS ACTOR# 2:CREON; 1st MESSENGER ACTOR# 3: PRIEST; TIRESIAS; JOCASTS; HERDSMAN; 2 nd MESSENGER

UNIT SET FOR “OEDIPUS”

Ludi = “games” - religious festivals that included theatrical performances - honored several gods Theatrical performances considered diversions, like sports Borrowed from Greek drama, but adapted it to Roman tastes Romans preferred variety entertainments: short comic plays - dancing, singing - juggling, acrobatics - gladiatorial contests Roman Theatre Experience

Roman Comedy Plays: 26 Surviving comedies All surviving plays by Plautus and Terence Deal with everyday domestic affairs Plots turn on misunderstandings Most famous character = “clever slave” [Think: “Servant of Two Masters”] Include music; some characters sing

Revival of Drama in Middle Ages Middle Ages: Early = A.D High = A.D Late = A.D Early HighLate liturgical dramavernacular drama

Drama in Middle Ages Liturgical Drama: Performed in churches or monasteries Earliest example = A.D. 970 Dramatizes Biblical episodes sung in Latin Financed by church Religious plays performed OUTSIDE of church = A.D Vernacular Drama: Religious drama independent of church = A.D Written in vernacular language - Text spoken Financed by community

Trade Guilds - Corpus Christi Festival Outdoor religious dramas in England Connected to Trade Guilds Church created new feast day in 1311: Corpus Christi All Biblical events could be connected with this festival Plays dramatizing the Bible from creation to doomsday = Cycle Plays

Conventions of Medieval Theatre STAGE: Depicts heaven at one end and hell at the other end Could be fixed or mobile = platform or wagons Scenic structures to indicate place = mansion Open, unspecified space = platea COSTUMES: Distinguish between inhabitants of Earth, Hell - Earthly characters = contemporary clothes Heavenly characters = church garments SPECIAL EFFECTS: Gruesome hell mouth - Realistic miracles [Water changed into “wine”]

The Wakefield Cycle Manuscript contains cycle of 32 plays: Creation through Last Judgment Playwrights: multiple, anonymous Production as community effort, involving: town council, church, trade guilds Processional staging, using pageant wagons that each carried one or more mansions All actors were male Guilds were assigned plays related loosely to their professions

Other Medieval Drama MORALITY PLAYS: Allegories of moral temptations Most famous play = Everyman Served as transition between medieval religious drama and secular drama of Shakespeare’s time INTERLUDES: Nonreligious, serious or comic; performed between parts of celebration

CONNECTIONS: COMPARE & CONTRAST Similarities: 1.Occasional 2.Ceremonial 3.Financed by state, by organizations, or by wealthy citizens 4.Open to all audiences 5.All male performers 6.Use of musical accompaniment 7.Large audience spaces 8.Formalized scenic backgrounds 9.Masks

CONNECTIONS: COMPARE & CONTRAST, continued: Differences: 1.Music: Greek: chorus sang and danced - Roman: music throughout play, associated with actors - Medieval: music followed no fixed plan 2.Theatre Structures: Architecture and scenic components varied 3.Function: Greek: moral values and significant issues - Roman: popular entertainment - Medieval: Christian teaching