1. MEDIEVAL, COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE,ELIZABETHAN THEATRE HISTORY

2. MEDIEVAL THEATRE  Medieval period was from about __________to __________.  Christians used theatre to worship and __________ the gospel.  Performances began as simple __________ by priests but gradually became more elaborate.  They were called __________ and __________ plays.  Miracle and Mystery plays are based on saints’ lives and Bible __________.

3. MORE ON MEDIEVAL…  __________ plays are based on the last week in the life of Christ.  __________ plays are more concerned with the __________ taught by Christianity rather than Bible stories.  Despite the religious content, there was still __________ and horseplay (Tower of Babel!)  Audiences also loved the __________ elements.  Trap doors, __________ to fly in angels, and __________ which took 17 men to operate, were all huge hits.

4. RENAISSANCE THEATRE  The __________(rebirth) began early in the 14 th century.  Most famous contribution of the Renaissance was the ___________________________.  It had a basic __________, subplot and stock characters.  The rest was __________.  It incorporated dancing, __________, acrobatics, mime, and juggling. Actors had to be skilled AND intelligent and talented.

5. COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE  Plays were performed by __________ companies with portable stages.  Actors played __________ characters—they were always the same character and were identified by their masks and elaborate costumes.  Young __________ were usually the main plot. The heroine was the inamorata and her hero was the inamorato (beautiful clothes, no masks.  __________—fontesca. Giggly and a flirt. Often one bright, one clumsy. All the servants played a role.  __________—heroine’s father. Overbearing and sneaky.  __________—braggart soldier who was actually a coward.

6. ELIZABETHAN THEATRE  __________ was the center of the Renaissance theatre explosion.  Three playwrights stand out: Marlowe, Jonson, and __________.  Theatre companies were supported by __________ noblemen.  __________ were not permitted to act—it was considered unladylike and unsuitable for women.  Young __________ played women’s parts.

7. MORE ELIZABETHAN THEATRE  __________ plays were bawdy. Later plays were more intellectual.  Civil War eventually broke out in 1642, and theatre was __________ by the Puritans.  Elizabethan playhouses were __________ with scenery and a partial roof.  Christopher __________—introduced blank verse. Rival of Shakespeare. Stabbed just before his 30 th b-day in a tavern brawl.  Ben __________—1 st real English comic. Lack of higher education. Bitter. Imprisoned several times.  William __________—greatest playwright ever. Wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. All plays published after his death.