Early Theatre

Historians believe began through religious ritual.

Rituals celebrated religion and commemorated great events.

Stories passed down through these rituals helped preserve a communities heritage.

Storytellers preserved a cultures history.The rituals of these early cultures often

involved ceremonial clothing, which later developed into costumes.

The religious leaders in these early ceremonies were the first actors.

Designated areas for ceremonial performances were the first stages.

Greek TheatreGreeks invented theatre as modern

civilization knows it.Large facilities were built to house festivals &

playsGreeks transitioned theatre from ritual to

performance art. Those that worshiped Dionysus celebrated the god

with a “choral hymn”. This performance was accompanied by movement, music, and stories about the god’s life.

B 600 BCE theatre evolve and become more formalized.

Drama competition began around 534 BCEGovernment agencies were formed to find

competitors and find wealthy patrons (choregos) to fund performances.

Supposedly choregos were able to avoid by taxes by funding drama festivals

Much of todays theatre terminology is owed to the Greeks.Amphitheaters were built on hillsides to house

performances.Orchestra pits (okestra) were the areas

betweenthe staged and the audience.Theatron (“Seeing place”) was the designated

area where the audience satProskenionwas the large frame around the stageSkene was the scenery or backdrop

Poet Aron is thought to have turned the dithyrambs into well-meaning songs performed by a chours.

Actor/poet Thespis became the first actor to step out from the chorus and recite lines.This is why another name for actors is

Thespians

Playwright Aeschylus later created a second character to step out from the chorus.

Sophocles created a third

Three types of plays were performed at these Dionysian festivals: tragedies, comidies and satyr plays.

Satyr plays were low-brow comedies.Comedies were funny and entertaining.

These plays often lampooned (made fun of) ideas and people.Tragedies sad plays in which a noble character has a fall from grace with disastrous consequences

The Greek TragedyProtagonist is a noble or one that has much

to loose.Bad choices made by protagonist lead to

mounting fear and tension in the audience.Audience must be able to identify with the

character(fear, compassion, sadness)At climax the hero must realize his mistakeHero has no chance at redemtption

The Greek TragedyAt the end, the audience should experience a

catharsis (emotional release). They feel sorry for the character but are glad it this didn’t happen to them.

Greek ComedyDerived from the word “komos” which mean

parade of rejoicersSatyr, another type of comedy, has derived

into what we know today as satire.

ComedyGreek comedy did not use makeup, instead

actors would wear masks.The masks had an added bonus of amplifying

the actor’s voiceComstumes were made up of long drapping

robes.

It is believed that during the 490s BCE that the Greeks began using special effects to represent the gods and goddesses. This use of props was known as deus ex machina (god from the machine)

4 Big Greek PlaywrightsAeschylus: The Oresteia, AgamemnonSophocles: Oedipus Rex, AntigoneEuripides: Medea, The Trojan WomenAristophanes: Lysistrata, The Birds

Roman TheatreCopycat of Greek theatreLess idealistic (remember the Greeks were

big on humanism and idealism)Actors were known as histriones, not

thespians

Roman theatre introduced lewd comedy, wild dancing, juggling and farce. The introductions are noted by some as a

decline in theatre quality.

The DifferencesRoman theatre was more interested in

spectacle and lower forms of entertainment (juggling, dancing, lewd humor).

Greek theatre was concerned with philosophy, politics, and art.

Due to geographic conditions, Romans built large theatre buildings that were several stories tall, Greeks built amphitheaters on hillsides

Japanese TheatreKabuki is ancient Japanese theatre that

began in the early 1600s.Kabuki was originally performed by an all

female cast, however due to the attention of male followers and fans, the Japanese government banned women from performing

Men took over the female Kabuki roles and the art flourished.

Kabuki performers are required to act, sing, dance, and play musical instruments

The makeup used by Kabuki performed is used to convey character and mood

Noh TheatrePredates Kabuki, formed around the late 14th

century.Unlike Kabuki, Noh actors wore masks made

from cedar.Noh theatre does not contain a plot, it is

usually made up of slow dancing or poetic movements.