 Background: England in the Seventeenth Century  The Restoration: from 1660 to 1700  Charles II assumed the throne at the invitation of the Parliament  Exiled English nobility returned from France, bringing with them French theatrical practices 2 Actress Nell Gwynn with Charles II © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Restoration Drama:  Theatres represented a fusion of Elizabethan, Italian, and French stage conventions  Gave a unique flavor to every aspect: texts, theatre buildings, and set designs 3© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Restoration Drama: Comedies of Manners ▪Comedies of manners – form of comic drama that became popular in 17 th century France and English Restoration that poked fun at the social conventions of the upper class. They emphasized a sophisticated atmosphere ▪Most of the upper-class characters were disreputable ▪Emphasized witty dialogue ▪Audiences: primarily the nobility and the upper class 4© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Restoration Drama: ▪Dramatic structure combined features of Elizabethan theater and the theater of Italy and France ▪William Wycherley’s The Country Wife –  More unified in action than Shakespeare and less scene changes but does have subplots  Stock characters with names that describe their traits 5 © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Restoration Drama: ▪Comedies of Humors ▪In tradition of Ben Jonson with one trait overshadowing all others ▪Comedies of Intrigue ▪daring exploits of romance and adventure with complicated plots ▪Aphra Behn – most successful writer of this genre – a woman ▪Female playwrights emerged during the English Restoration ▪ – London saw productions by 7 female playwrights ▪Three women very active during this time: Mary Pix, Delariviere Manley and Catherine Trotter 6 © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Theatre Production in the Restoration  Performers and Acting Companies ▪Biggest difference between English Renaissance and Restoration was women appeared in plays ▪Performers were hired for a specific period of time at a set salary 7© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Theatre Production in the Restoration continued  All Restoration Theaters: ▪were indoor ▪divided audience into pit, boxes and galleries ▪could seat about 650 8© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Background: A More Complex World  The 18th century was a time of transition  Western Europe prospered more than ever before  Called the Age of Enlightenment 9© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Eighteenth-Century Drama: New Dramatic Forms 10

 Eighteenth-Century Drama: New Dramatic Forms continued  Drame – 18 th century French term usually denoting a serious drama that dealt with middle-class characters ▪A new French form of drama ▪The virtuous were rewarded and the wicked punished ▪By the end of the century, was being written in France, Germany, and England © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.11

 Eighteenth-Century Drama: New Dramatic Forms continued  Satirical ballad opera –18 th century English dramatic form that burlesqued (satirized) opera  Sentimental comedy – focused on morality rather than laughter 12© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Theatre Production in the Eighteenth Century  Government and Theatre ▪Government attempted to regulate theatre ▪England: the Licensing Act ▪France: restricted what types of plays could be produced, and granted monopolies to certain theatres 13© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Theatre Production in the Eighteenth Century continued  Eighteenth-Century Theatre Architecture ▪Theatres became larger to accommodate the new middle-class audiences ▪Egg-shaped interiors improved sight lines ▪Theatre building proliferated throughout Europe 14© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Theatre Production in the Eighteenth Century continued  Scenery, Lighting, and Costumes ▪Italy produced many scenic innovations ▪Bibiena family—for nearly 100 years, the most influential Italian designers and theatre architects ▪Designs were extravagant 15© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

16 THE THEATRE AT DROTTNINGHOLM, SWEDEN This theatre still has the sets and stage machinery that were used when it was built as a court playhouse in the 18 th century. It is an excellent example of an Italian proscenium theatre with the pole and chariot system for changing scenery. © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

17 Multi-point scenic perspective by By Giuseppe Galli Bibiena ( ) © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Theatre Production in the Eighteenth Century continued  Additional elements sometimes seen in scenic design: ▪Ground rows (cut-outs along stage floor) ▪Large scenic cut-outs (like painted trees) ▪Rolled back drops ▪Act drops (curtains at the front of the stage) 18© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Theatre Production in the Eighteenth Century continued  18 th century Italian designers are also said to have introduced the box set – interior setting using flats to form the back and side walls and often the ceilings of a room 19© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Theatre Production in the Eighteenth Century continued  The Emergence of the Director ▪Playwrights and leading performers doubled as directors ▪Forerunners of the modern stage director ▪English actor David Garrick ▪German playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 20© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.