1. History of Western Theatre

2. How did theatre, as we know it, come to be?

3. Greek Theatre
Rooted in Dionysian hymns -in honor of DIONYSUS, god of wine and fertility.
Play festivals were so popular entire towns would shut down for days! Local houses would sponsor plays for competition.
Began with only a chorus speaking. Then first person actors.

4. Thespis (534 B. C.) Defined Theatre art of acting a part on stage
dramatic impersonation of a character other than yourself
He may have been a playwright, an actor, and / or a priest
The term “Thespian” comes from his name. It is another word for “actor”.

5. Description of Greek Theater
Took place in large hillside amphitheaters. Some held up to , 000 people!!
Lines were chanted.
Chorus performed in an “orchestra”, not on a raised platform.
Only Men performed.

8. MANY OF THE STAGE TERMS WE USE TODAY CAN BE TRACED BACK TO GREEK THEATRE
ORCHESTRA – flat performance space in front of hillside
SKENE – structure to wall off portion of stage
PROSKENION – façade on the first floor of the skene
MACHINA – crane-like hoist
CHORUS – explained, commented and engaged
TRAGOIDIA – origin of the word TRAGEDY.

9. GREEK MASKS
Every character has specific mask

10. The Rise of Tragedy: NOTABLE PLAYWRIGHTS
AESCHYLUS
Sometimes called father of tragedy. Author of ORESTEIA. Introduced concept of second actor.
SOPHOCLES
Introduces third actor and tragic flaw. Author of ANTIGONE and OEDIPUS REX. Characters questioned the will of the gods.
EURIPIDES
Inner conflict – man vs. conscience. Master of expressing PATHOS, the mix of human sorrow and compassion. MEDEA is his most famous work.

11. Comedy Origin not certain
Groups (komos) joining Dionysian processions and exchanging barbs?
NOTABLE PLAYWRIGHTS:
ARISTOPHANES – Old Comedy
MENANDER – New Comedy

12. ROMAN DRAMA

13. ROMAN DRAMA Mostly adaptations from Greek.
Romans viewed theatre as entertainment and did not associate it with the worship of the gods.
Actors often considered slaves by the acting company managers.
Actors wore leather masks with wigs. Movement was broad and exaggerated.
First permanent Theatre was built in Pompeii.

14. ROMAN DRAMA: Notable playwrights
PLAUTUS (Comedy)
TERRENCE (Comedy)
SENECA (Tragedy)
ASIDE - Some of Shakespeares plays are based on plots and characters found in the works of Plautus and Seneca.

15. Medieval theatre

16. Medieval Theatre
The fall of the Roman Empire and the growth of the Christian Church led to little in the way of theatrical entertainment for hundreds of years. Indeed, the Church was strongly opposed to Theatre and spoke out against it.
Ironically, the Church began to turn liturgical passages and sermons into dialogues – using the very ideals of Theatre to communicate church messages to uneducated populations.

18. Medieval Theatre
After a time, local laymen began to assume responsibility for staging the plays. They also began to speak the dialogue in local language, not Latin.
Performances were moved outside of the church building and onto PAGEANT WAGONS and in town squares.
Spectacle became very important. Plays featured mechanical cranes, flying demons and a great deal of violence.

20. Medieval Theatre: SOME VOCAB
TROPE – short dramatized scene from the Bible.
LITURGICAL SONG – Question and answer song performed by Monks.
SAINT PLAYS – based on legends of Saints
MYSTERY PLAYS – stories based on biblical history.
PASSION PLAY – based on the last week of Christ’s life.
MORALITY PLAY – dealt with moral instruction and man’s attempt to save his soul.

21. MEDIEVAL THEATRE: NOTABLE PLAYS
“EVERYMAN”

22. Medieval Theatre
Of course, the rise of liturgical dramas dealing with man’s enlightenment conversely led to the development of Secular plays dealing with man’s depravity – the origins of FARCE.

23. renaissance theatre

24. RENAISSANCE (1400 A.D.)
The works of Roman playwrights were translated and adapted.
Rigid rules were formulated for the writing of Drama.
All plays had to be written in Five Acts
Tragedies had to teach a moral lesson.
Events depicted had to be reflective of real life.
Tragedy = nobility, comedy = lower classes
Had to adhere to an unity of time and place.
One Day / One Setting / One Plot

25. COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE (RENAISSANCE)
Comic troupes that Improvised scenarios using humorous stage business using stock characters.
Lovers
Professionals
Servants
Performers adapted material and performance to specific places and current events.

26. Commedia dell’arte

27. Elizabethan theatre

28. Elizabethan THeatre Began early afternoon; ended just before dusk
Women never on stage; parts played by boys
Attended by all classes of society
Refreshments sold during performances
Audience in a “holiday” mood

29. Elizabethan PLAYHOUSE
Inspired by INN YARDS.
Included:
PIT – area surrounding the stage.
GROUNDLINGS – playgoers who stood in the pit.
HEAVENS – roof with specialized celestial paintings.
TIRING HOUSE – actor’s dressing room.

30. Elizabethan dramatists
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE –

31. Elizabethan dramatists
CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE
the most popular playwright of the era.
first to use BLANK VERSE.
Most noted work is THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS.

32. Elizabethan dramatists
BEN JONSON–
specialized in ENGLISH COMEDY
made use of existing beliefs about the HUMORS.

33. 17th Century / 18th century theatre

34. ENGLAND Restoration drama
1642 – 1660 – government controlled by PURITANS and all theatre banned. Actors thrown in prison.
ENGLISH ROYAL PATENT OF Theatre organized under the state, women first appear as actors.
Actors considered to be of high society. Some even buried in Westminister Abbey.
Restoration Comedy (Comedy of Manners) satirized local customs of the time.

35. Restoration drama : Notable plays and playwrights
WILLIAM CONGREVE –
“Love for Love”, “The Way of the World”
GEORGE FARQUHAR - “The Beaux Strategem”
JOHN DRYDEN - “All for Love”, “The Wild Gallant”
OLIVER GOLDSMITH - “She Stoops to Conquer”
WILLIAM WYCHERLY – “The Country Wife”

36. FRANCE MOLIERE Jean Baptiste-Poquelin.
Trained Commedia actor used many of the traditions, plots and devices of that training.

37. MOLIERE (France) NOTABLE PLAYS: The Misanthrope Tartuffe
The Imaginary Invalid

38. 19th Century / 20th century theatre

39. REALISM
Oppressive political and economic upheaval in most of Western Society led to the rise of REALISM.
Playwrights attempted to promote social change and to reveal the injustices in their society.

40. REALISM
Norwegian playwright, HENRIK IBSEN, established realism as an integral part of Drama. His most noted play, A DOLL’S HOUSE, tackles issues such as women’s rights.

41. George Bernard shaw
Wrote intellectual comedies that preached social and political beliefs.
“life force” – belief that humanity will improve.
“thinking persons society” – wanted to convert more to “thinkers”.

42. George Bernard shaw
“Saint Joan”
“Man and Superman”
“Candida”

43. The importance of being eArnest BY OSCAR WILDE

44. Anton chekov
“The Cherry Orchard”
“Uncle Vanya”

45. Theatre comes stateside

46. THEATRE IN THE U.S.
Troupes from ENGLAND were first on the American stage.
Early notable actors:
IRA ALDRIDGE – an African-American
CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN – played male roles
The BARRYMORE family produced a number of noted American actors.
Lionel / Ethel / John / Drew

47. NOTABLE AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS
EUGENE O”NEILL – “The Iceman Cometh”, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”, “Strange Interlude”
ARTHUR MILLER - “The Crucible”, “Death of a Salesman”
LORRAINE HANSBERRY – “A Raisin in the Sun”
NEIL SIMON – “Barefoot in the Park”, “The Odd Couple”, “Rumors”, “Brighton Beach Memoirs”.

48. AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS
LILLIAN HELMAN – “The Children’s Hour”, “The Little Foxes”
ALICE CHILDRESS – “Wine in the Wilderness”
DAVID MAMET – “Glengary Glenn Ross”
SAM SHEPARD – “Buried Child”, “Fool for Love”
AUGUST WILSON – “Fences”, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
DAVID HENRY HWANG – “The Sound of a Voice”, “M Butterfly”

49. MUSICAL THEATRE
Vaudeville + Jazz =
First Hit Musical – “Showboat”

50. MUSICAL THEATRE
The addition of technical implements gave rise to the theatrical nature of musical theatre.