1. THEATRE HISTORY

2. MUSICAL THEATRE  First musical produciton

3. PRIMITIVE MAN -  aware of outside forces that control their existence  developed rituals to recognize these ‘forces’  Rituals – demonstrated a form of knowledge, educational, entertainment, or glorify Example: “Acting out” a successful hunt for the tribe, or sitting around a fire impersonating, re-telling real events or mythology

4. THE EGYPTIANS. 3500 – 3000 B.C. Deity System of belief Coronation Rituals, Plays Abydos Passion Play Death and Resurrection of Osiris Story involved Osiris, Isis and Set

5. THE GREEKS 8 AND 6 CENTURIES  534 B.C. – Festival and Contest at the City Dionysis  Thespis – winner – given credit for the invention of drama, First tragedy  Tragedy translates into “goat song” Came from dithyrambs, songs and dances

6. 1. Aeschylus - @499 BC  Out of 80 plays, 7 survived intact  Added the second actor The Orestia  “Agamemmnon”, “The Libation Bearers”, and “The Eumenides”  Origin of the concept of our justice system. GREEK TRAGEDY PLAYWRIGHTS

7. 2. Sophocles – 496-406  Out of 120 plays, 7 intact Used the 3 rd Actor, first use of scene painting Fixed the size of the chorus Oedipus Rex “Oedipus”, “Oedipus at Colonus”, “Antigone”

8. GREEK TRAGEDY PLAYWRIGHTS 3. Euripedes  Introduced subjects unsuited to the stage. Medea’s murder of her children Phaedra’s love of her stepson

9. GREEK COMEDY PLAYWRIGHTS Aristophanes – 448-380  40 plays written, 11 intact  Plays typically followed a pattern Opened with the Happy Idea (a theme or idea) Parabasis (debate of Happy Idea) Scenes (adaption of Happy Idea) Komos (reconcilation, feast, party)

10. GREEK COMEDY PLAYWRIGHTS Aristophanes – 448-380  The Frogs  The Birds  Lysistrata

12. ROMAN THEATRE  Heavily influenced by the Greeks  Comedy more popular  No more chorus  Added music accompaniment to dialogue  Tragedy – noble deeds, horror, vice, blood

13. ROMAN PLAYWRIGHT Seneca – teacher of Nero 54 A.D.  Adapted plays from Greek originals  Divided plays into five episodes  Elaborate speeches  Sensational deeds and insights into human condition, emotion Influenced Shakespeare!

14. ROMAN THEATRE Popular forms of Roman entertainment  Chariot Races  Gladiators  Wild Animal Fights  Mime, Pantomime  Naumachiae (sea battles)

15. MIDDLE AGES  1050 – 1300  Towns began forming, mostly for protection  Kings and Princes began to take control  Universities took the place of monasteries as places of learning  Plays only read in school, never performed.

16. MIDDLE AGES  Church realized public was uneducated  Started ‘acting out’ Biblical scenes Liturgical Drama – during services, in Latin Vernacular Drama – Common language, performed outside of church

17. MEDIEVAL THEATRE 1350 - 1550  Church gave up active participation in Theatre  Acting troupes travelled town to town, each actor supplied own costume  Cycle Plays – Wagons pull into town, park in a circle pattern, each wagon acts out a different episode of a play. Townspeople walk between wagons.

18. MEDIEVAL THEATRE 1350 - 1550 Types of Medieval Plays Morality Play – Taught a moral lesson worried about man’s after life, lectured about seven deadly sins Miracle Play – Portrayed the lives of the church’s saints and martyrs. Mystery Play – Acted out episodes from the Bible.

19. RENAISSANCE Revival of all things Greek and Roman  Neoclassicism 1. Verisimilitude – appearance of truth, real life, no fantasy, no supernatural 2. Teach a moral lesson 3. Three unities – Action, Time, Place one plot, one hour, one place

20. RENAISSANCE Commedia dell’Arte  Traveling troupe, 10 – 15 actors  Improvisation and Stock Characters  Stock Character - the same characteristics, same type of person, performing in a different situation each time

21. RENAISSANCE  Young Lovers – straight characters, dressed in white  Zanni – servants or best friends, silly, offbeat  Capitano – braggart, coward, likes to boast  Pantalone – merchant, mask with large hooked nose  Dottore – academic, uses Latin phrases wrong  Harlequin – mischief maker, diamond costume, black mask, carried a slapstick

22. RENAISSANCE Court Masques – think Cinderella going to the ball Usually lasted a several days or a week Short plays, singing, dancing, eating Usually to honor one person or one event

23. AMERICA Brought Theatre to the Colonies - Opera, Ballad Opera, Comedy and Drama  1782 – Old American Company  1791 – Chestnut Street Theatre First permanent theatre structure, based in Philadelphia  War of 1812 – Westward Expansion

24. AMERICA  1836 – Showboats appeared  1850 to 1870 – The Minstrel Show Most popular form of entertainment in America Performers sat in a semi-circle “Tambo” and “Bones” – masters of ceremony Set up like a variety show  Uncle Tom’s Cabin – most popular play

25. REALISM  1860 – 1900’s  Moscow Arts Theater  Konstantin Stanislavsky – 1936 - An Actor Prepares  “The Method” – a school of acting training

26. REALISM Stanislavsky –  An actor’s body should be trained for all demands.  Actors should be schooled in all stage techniques.  An actor should be an observer of reality.  Inner Justification and Emotional Recall