The Renaissance Theater (pg 283)

Drama as Teacher: The Forerunners Some scholars believe medieval drama evolved from church ceremonies The four cycles of the early plays were named for their towns of origin (York, Chester, Coventry, Wakefield) Deus ex machina- “God in the machine,” artificial device used to arbitrarily resolve a plot Why was early drama so important because it taught lessons and morals and combined the comedic and serious Before Renaissance drama, there were two main types of plays: Miracle & Mystery: Bible stories, lives of the saints Morality: How to live and die Plays in the early 1500s were often interludes: one-act farces where the playwright got credit

Old Traditions, New Theaters Although new theaters were being built, many performances were taking place in improvised spaces or the large house of royalty/nobility James Burbage took part in the creation of the first theater. It was named… the Theater

The Globe: “This Wooden O” The most famous of the theaters was the Globe because Shakespeare performed and authored plays that were performed there The three main parts to The Globe Theater were the building proper, tiring house, stage A trip to the theater cost one cent; one could watch from the yard (standing), from the upper balconies (sitting, which cost more), and from the stage itself It held up to 3000 people Theaters were often closed due to epidemics of the plague

Up Close and Personal Behind the Scenes Because they were so close to the audience, actors needed many skills, including singing, dancing, declaiming, wrestling, fencing, clowning, roaring, weeping, and whispering. The ceiling represented the “Heaven” and the floor represented the “Hell” Behind the Scenes The tiring house contained machinery and dressing rooms; it was the 2-story back wall for the stage The gallery held the audience or musicians, or it was part of the stage (balcony, tree, tower, etc.) To let the audience know if the production was taking place indoors or outdoors, the furniture was moved forward through a curtain (indoors) or backwards (outdoors); dialogue was also a big clue

Balconies The Tiring House Heaven Gallery Hell The Stage Groundlings

The Power of Make-Believe The audience knew time and place for a scene through props and dialogue Renaissance drama was “a drama of persons, not a drama of places because it focused on characters (no sets; dialogue gave the time/place) Pomp and Pageantry Although any scenery was basic, many things about the theater were ornate (very decorative): the theater was painted brightly with curtains and tapestries. The actors wore elaborate and expensive costumes and used elaborate props; they staged complicated processions.

Music Most Eloquent Varying the Venue Music (vocal and instrumental) was used in the plays to set tone, announce a play, show character or mood, or entertain between acts The songs in Shakespeare’s plays are the best because of good lyric and dramatic poetry; there was a variety of songs Varying the Venue Acting companies also performed in great halls of castles or manors, (bear pits), or private theaters (Blackfriars – a former monastery)

William Shakespeare Born in Stratford-on-Avon on April 23, 1564 Performed his plays for two monarchs of England: Elizabeth I, James I Shakespeare applied for a coat of arms and bought an estate in Stratford to become one of the “gentlefolk.” James I did much for Shakespeare and his company: he became their patron (“The King’s Men”), gave them patents to perform anywhere, gave them clothing for state occasions, increased their salaries, appointed chief members to be grooms of the royal chamber Shakespeare wrote three types of plays: Comedies, Tragedies, Histories