1. A Short History: The Roman and Medieval Theater
Drama
A Short History: The Roman and Medieval Theater

2. III. Roman Theater: Origins
Emerged 3rd C. BC
By 146BC Rome had conquered Greece
As was their habit, the Romans “borrowed” ideas from parts of Europe as their empire expanded
Thus, absorbed all influences of Greek culture from art and lit to religion and theater.
Roman mobs demanded diversions for entertainment so early Roman theater consisted of religious festivals that featured
Acrobatics
Animals
Dance
Music
Prize fighting and sports
Dramatic acts
As time passed, empire expanded, more gods were added and new festivals were added to worship them
Festivals also celebrated war victories, funerals, weddings
By 35AD 100 days were devoted to theater productions and entertainment
Terence

3. Origins State financed and free to public
New entertainment constantly produced and people traveled far to view performances
Imitated Greek Drama
Traditional “Roman” tragedies and comedies based on Greek plays
Original Roman Drama
Comic representations of daily life
Focused on comic business rather than plot or character development
Plots focused on mistaken identity, clever servants, young lovers, old men with complaining wives---Early slapstick style

4. Origins Habits change into character. ~~Ovid
As Roman theater and culture expanded, it became more advanced than the Greeks
Major Roman contribution to drama--Eliminated chorus –added music
Did not limit number of actors
New thrills constantly introduced
Violence
Sex
Tragedies
Comedies
But plays mostly associated with religion
Later replace with gladiator fights, wild beast shows, chariot races
Habits change into character.
~~Ovid

5. Theater Structure
First theaters built around 55BC, about 200 yrs after it was introduced
Seated about 8,000-10,000 people
Eventually sat about 70,000 people
Theaters built in front of the temple for the god to whom that theater was dedicated
The first was to Venus, goddess of Beauty
As theater grew, became too expensive to build theaters to all the gods so began to honor each god with his/her own festival
Medieval manuscript of a play by Terence

6. Roman Amphitheater
What do you notice about the Roman Amphitheater?

7. What similarities and differences to the
Greek Amphitheater do you detect?

8. The Roman Theater of Pompey

10. The Colosseum
Amphitheaters soon became too small so they enlarged the area by building 2 amphitheaters back to back to create what we know as Colosseums
Most famous “amphitheater”— Colosseum (2 amphitheaters put together)
The Colosseum today— when you get to this page, wait to allow it to fully load.

11. Production Magistrates (think town council) governed the theater
Watched each play before it was performed for censorship purposes
Generals, leaders, or troupes of players bought plays and supplied music, props, costumes, etc.
Most plays performed in front of judges (usually the magistrates)
Prizes were given
Seats were reserved for emperors, senators, or other important people to have best viewing
Scenic backgrounds usually depicting street scenes or nature
Dialogue revealed location, purpose, etc
Curtain came up to allow some scene changes, much like today
Masks were used; some showed expressions, others blank expression
Made of linen
Became less common when new forms of theater, such as mimes, used face paint

12. Simple costumes, modeled on Greek fashion
Mimes would wear hooded cloaks
Actors were believed to have been slaves bought by managers and trained to perform
They would specialize in a genre: comedy, tragedy, or mime

13. Titus Maccius Plautus Roman comedian Helped develop stock character
Stereotypical character whose behavior, qualities, or beliefs conform to familiar dramatic conventions
He developed 7 stock characters:
An old miser.
A young man, often the miser's son, who rebels against authority.
Usually a pair of slaves. One smart, the other less smart-- source of most humor.
The parasite. Brother in law comes for a visit--stays forever.
The maid with bad reputation
The slave dealer. Unscrupulous
The braggart soldier. Talks big but runs at the first sign of conflict.
I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels are the give of fortune, while character comes from within.

14. With the fall of the Roman Empire, drama slowly disappeared.
Life is a play. It’s not its Length, but its performance that counts.
~~Seneca
Seneca
Beginning in 1st C. AD
Wrote closet drama
Plays meant to be READ rather than ACTED
With the fall of the Roman Empire, drama slowly disappeared.
A quick overview of Roman Drama
Why is the Roman theater important? Many of the changes that evolved in Roman theater find their way into the structure of our modern theater and literature.

15. IV. Medieval Drama
The Christian (Catholic) Church revived drama in Western World
Europe and England from 5th C.- 13/14th C. AD
Began with decline of Roman Empire
Ended with Renaissance

16. Other styles of drama existed (mimes), but they were Pagan
(those who worshiped old gods)
Church drama meant to keep people from watching other non-Christian influences.
Began as springtime religious observance-- Easter
Arranged around religious holidays
Stories from Old/New Testaments
Performance was meant to
Help church members (most illiterate) understand and relate to Bible
Show consequences of human behavior
Entertain
The Fall of Angels
Mystery Play
York, England

17. In Europe, performed in Churches (the Cathedrals themselves told stories) about 200 yrs
Series of small platforms called mansions
Arranged around perimeter inside the church
Audience moved from one to another to see action
Eventually moved outside circa 13th C.
Performances more elaborate, difficult to do in church
Some scenes considered inappropriate for inside church
Once outdoors, mansions were lined up horizontally; create a larger “stage”
Once outdoors, performed in the vernacular.

18. In England, often performed on pageant wagons
A structure like a modern day float
Moved from town to town
Crowds gathered in streets to watch
Stopped in front of homes of dignitaries
Usually had 2 levels—Heaven, Hell
Costumes and some props (had to be minimal)

20. Not always on pageant wagons or fancy ones
Especially smaller towns and small monasteries
Could be performed on any elevated surface
Plain flatbed wagon/cart
A raised platform in the town square
The steps of the church
Etc.
Larger cities who had cathedrals could afford the fancy wagons

21. Who was the cast? Monks Priests, choirboys, and nuns Church members
Later, clergy less involved in performing
Secular drama companies associated with church— but plays must be approved by Church
Secular drama companies sponsored by nobility

22. Towns began to sponsor and finance religious festivals
Producers oversaw everything
They got choirs
Nobles loaned costumes
Meals were prepared and lodging was provided
Laborers built the staging
Almost entire community helped
The Village Festival
Brughel 1627

23. Guilds
Certain guilds would sponsor certain plays that told various Bible stories:
Noah and the Flood (Shipbuilder’s Guild) (The painting to the right)
The Journey of Magi to see Baby Jesus (Goldsmith’s Guild)
Jonah and the Whale (the Fisherman and Fishmonger Guilds)
The Procession of the Prophets (the Dressmaker’s Guild)
Joseph and His Coat (the Weaver’s Guild)
The Garden of Eden (Farmer’s Guild)
The Last Supper (The Baker's Guild)

24. Playwriting Originally clergy wrote plays Later, dialogue expanded
Not very elaborate
Later, dialogue expanded
Became more elaborate, more playwrights were recruited
Opened door for professional playwrights
Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim
10th C nun, poet, chronicler
First Female Playwright

25. Types of Early Medieval Plays
Liturgical Plays
Q & A song performed by monks on Easter
Sung in Latin
Later included priests, choirboys, and nuns
Later translated into the vernacular
Later performed on Christmas and other religious holidays.
Some of the music gave rise to some of our modern day Christmas songs
Abraham and Isaac

26. Miracle plays or Saint’s Plays
Based on legends of the saints and their lives
(one could not be designated a saint without having performed 3 miracles that were witnessed by others)
Performed in the vernacular
Began to be performed outside the Church
Mystery Plays
Based on Biblical history
Depicted things that are mysteries to believers
For example: The Passion Play; addresses the last week of Christ’s life. (The next performance at Oberammergau will be you can still get tickets.)

27. An overview of Morality Plays
Allegory—characters or events represent abstract ideas or segments of society. Makes statements about life and the human condition.
“The Masque of the Red Death”
Prince Prospero=the wealthy
Prosperous means one who is well off
Dealt with right and wrong
Usually devil and God battling for souls
Presented by Church outside of the Church
Not associated with a specific holiday celebration
An overview of Morality Plays

28. An Overview

29. The Decline of the Medieval Theater
A number of factors are responsible for the decline of Mystery, Morality and Miracle dramas. Within Continental Europe and in England, the rise of the Protestant Reformation meant that drama and other entertainments were targeted and edited and even banned. The popularity of Mystery plays and the changing and format also added to the decline. By the early 15th Century, interludes (often comic in form) appeared between parts of the cycles of Mystery and Miracle plays. These interludes became increasingly popular until sometimes the length of some comic interludes exceeded the actual religious plays themselves. Some of these interludes started to borrow off other secular forms such as the Mummers (seasonal performances or parades or festivities where people go from one place to another dressed and masked as characters normally speaking in rhyme) and Masques (pageants, pantomimes, mimes or dumbshows where people dress up as characters and act out scenes).
More liberal attitudes towards the performances of Ancient Greek and Roman plays also saw a decline in religious drama. This also saw a rise in popularity for new secular dramatic forms such as the Commedia del arte and Humanist dramas (some translations of Greek and Roman histories) such as those created in France by Jodelle with Cléopâtre Captive (1553) and Grevin with Jules César (1560). This, along with the building of purpose built theatres, meant the end of Medieval Drama in Europe and the beginning of a European Renaissance Theatre.
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