1. A Brief History of Theatre

2. Theatre History
The first theatre was performed by Abu Unk, the caveman, who, unable to communicate verbally, used a form of dance to tell his fellow cavemen where the hunt was the best.

3. The first recorded theatre
Egyptian theatre was the first, but the first that held influence was Greek theatre.
The patron god of theatre is Dionysus who is also the god of wine.
Theatre came from the Greek word theatron which mean seeing place.
The first actor was Thespis this is the reason we call actors thespians.

4. Greek Theatre The reason we have masks as the symbol for theatre…
The Greeks used them to denote emotion because the audience was too far away from the action, and couldn’t see facial expression.

5. The Romans They added the curtain
They were actually more interested in watching gladiators battle viscous animals and other men to the death, which is a kind of theatre, in which an actor only performs once… 

6. Flash forward to the glory days of theatre… Elizabethan times
Performed in theatres referred to as “Wooden O”s.
Famous theaters – The Rose, the Curtain, and the Globe.
Famous playwrights of the time
William Shakespeare – Hamlet
Christopher Marlowe – Dr. Faustus
Ben Johnson – The Alchemist

7. Across the pond…American Theatre
Vaudeville, Follies and Melodrama
Realism
Absurdist
Revolutionary
American Tragedy
Musicals
Rock Opera

8. Vaudeville, Follies and Melodrama
Variety shows
Dancing girls
Over exaggerated movements and expressions

9. Realism
Acting and scenery (infact all technical elements) are all like real life, but dramatized.
The first realistic playwright was Henrik Ibsen and his most famous play was “A Doll’s House”.

10. Absurdist The typical setting is nowhere Famous absurdists
Jean Paul Sarte – “No Exit”
Samuel Beckett – “Endgame”, “Waiting for Godot”
Eugene Ionesco – “The Bald Soprano”, “The Lesson”, “The Chairs”
Harold Pinter – “The Dumbwaiter”
Edward Albee – “The Sandbox”

11. Revolutionary
The most famous play from the period of revolutionary theatre that deals with the continuing cycle of racism is “The Dutchman”.

12. American Tragedy Famous American Tragedians
Eugene O’Neill – “Long Day’s Journey into Night”
Thorton Wilder – “Our Town”
Tennessee Williams – “Glass Menagerie”, “Streetcar Named Desire”, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”
Arthur Miller – “Death of a Salesman” and “The Crucible”

13. Musicals Famous musical playwrights
Famous musical playwrights
Rodgers and Hammerstien – “Oklahoma”, “The King and I”, “Carousel”
Lerner and Lowe – “Brigadoon”, “My Fair Lady”
Andrew Lloyd Webber – “Phantom of the Opera”, “Cats”, “Evita”
Stephen Sondheim – “Into the Woods”, “Gypsy”, “Sweeny Todd”

14. Rock Opera Hair Rent Tommy Jesus Christ Superstar Godspell
Rocky Horror Picture Show

15. Theatre Superstition Never say Macbeth in a theatre.
You should say “Break a leg” to wish an actor good luck.
Never whistle on stage unless you want something to drop on your head.
The difference between theatre and theater.
-re – genre
-er - building

16. The End