1. THEATRE ORIGIN THEORIES

2. Late 19th and early 20th centuries
Theatre thought to have emerged out of myth and ritual
Theory supported primarily by anthropologists
Belief that both desirable and undesirable forces of supernatural or magical origin influenced food supply and well being
Actions by the group (or its shamans) could influence the forces for good through fixed ceremonies or rituals.
Rituals contained elements that were also entertaining and gave pleasure thru repetition.

3. Stories (myths) that explain, disguise, or idealize, grew up around ritual.
Myths include representatives of those supernatural forces that the rites celebrate or hope to influence.
Performers may wear costumes and masks to represent the mythical characters or supernatural forces.
Over time the society may abandon or modify some rites. But the myths may continue as part of the oral tradition and may be acted out under conditions divorced from ritual concerns.
This is the first step toward theatre.

4. Post WWII All human transactions seen as basically performative
Supported by different anthroplogists
Enactments of relationships with specific purposes.
Elements found in both ritual and theatre
Ritual and theatre seen as different ways of organizing and using elements that are basic in almost all human activities.
Ritual and theatre are simply different ways of organizing and using elements basic to all human activities. Both coexisted but used for different functions within the same society.

5. Performative Elements and Functions
Time
Place
Participants (players/audience)
Scenario (agenda/goal/text/rules)
Clothing (uniform/costume/mask/makeup)
Sound (speech/music)
Movement (gesture/pantomime/dance)
Function or purpose
How each of these elements created and combined with others and for what ultimate purpose distinguishes one kind of transaction from another

6. Other Theories of Origin
Storytelling thru words or pantomime and impersonation
Imitations of animals or out of narrative forms of dance or song
Aristotle sees humans as naturally imitative (mimesis)
Humans have a gift for fantasy that may be used to reshape reality. Theatre is one tool whereby people define and understand their world or escape from unpleasant realities.

7. Existence of a stable society permited theatre to develop
People allowed to examine human problems rather than be seriously threatened by them
Presence of a group of people skilled at performance

8. Chronology Major Egyptian Ritual/Drama 2500–550 BCE
Greek plays being written 534 BCE–150 CE
Roman plays 240 BCE–65 CE
Sanskrit plays 100 CE–1000 CE
Kutiyattam 900 CE to present
Western liturgical drama 975 CE–1500 CE
Outdoor religious drama 1200 CE–1600 CE
Yuan plays 13th century CE
Noh 14th century CE to present
Kathakali from 17th century CE to present

9. Aeschylus 525–455 BCE Wrote 90 plays Only 7 extant
Of all the surviving plays of ancient Greece his Oresteia is the only trilogy to survive (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides)
The real creator of tragedy and first to associate tragedy with moral and religious problems. Created the tragic style.
Added a second actor; increased dialogue and reduced the importance of the chorus

10. Sophocles 497–405 BCE Wrote 125 plays but only 8 have survived
Won 24 prizes for his tragedies
Active in Athenian social and political life; held several priesthoods; imperial treasurer in 443 BCE, and a army general in 440 BCE
Added a 3rd actor; increased dialogue; decreased the importance of the chorus; fixed number of chorus at 15; invented painted scenery; made each play of the trilogy an organic unit; plays in trilogy no longer deal with one unified theme.

11. Euripides 480–406 BCE
Wrote some 90 plays and won few victories in dramatic contests. 18 of his plays have survived.
Most modern of the 3 great Athenian tragedians (“the Ibsen of the Greeks”)
Least popular among his contemporaries but most appreciated by later generations.