1. The Enlightenment 1700sEurope

2. Many changes in Europe  Less stable governments  Revolutions  Exploration  Colonization

3. England  Sentimental Comedy –More merchants attending plays –Less bawdy comedy from Restoration –More sensible and sentimental plays –Rejected verbal wit and obvious satire –Focused on middle and upper class characters

4. …More England…  The Ballad Opera became popular –The Beggar’s Opera (1728) John Gay

5. … still more England…  Physical Theatre Structure –Several new theatres built –Seating capacity was increased –Architectural structure of side boxes simplified –Shift from Baroque style scenery to “Landscape Style” moonshine, fires, volcanoes, cut-outs

6. France  Stagnant period after death of Moliere  The Comedie-Francaise slipped into sentimental and melodramatic tragedies and comedies

7. …More France…  Voltaire – Francois- Marie Arouet de Voltaire(1694- 1778) –Most dominant personality in French theatre –Returned to Classic Greek principles – less romantic

8. …and again, France…  Pierre de Beaumarchais –The Barber of Seville (1775) –The Marriage of Figaro (1784)  French Revolution at end of Century turned attention away from Arts.

9. … and Finally - Germany  Determined attempt to develop a significant national theatre even tho the political concept of Germany had not solidified – lack of stable boundaries and capital cities

10. Writers in Germany  Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781)  Very influential, first dramaturg  Hamburg National Theatre  Followed Classical models of Sophocles and Shakespeare

11.  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749- 1832)  Faust –Classic German legend –Protagonist makes a deal with the devil for magical powers

12. The End Copyright 2012 Ms. Amy Birtcher Introduction to Theatre