History of Drama Final Exam Review

Hebrew/Egyptian Drama

Egyptian drama dates back to 3000 B.C.Drama means “to do” or “to act”Egyptian Drama revolved around religion

5 Types of Plays

Medicinal Play-play about healingThe Heb Sed was a play celebrating the

pharaoh's 30th year on the throneCoronation Festival celebrated the crowning of a

pharaoh Isis, Osiris, and Set were the main characters in

the Abydos Passion PlayPyramid Plays-done to ensure safe passage into

afterlife.

Hebrew Drama

Job and Song of Songs both have dramatic structure

God and the devil are the first speakers in the book of Job.

No reference to definite theatre in Bible

Staging

Blocking—the director’s planned movement for the actors

Stage Directions—usually included in the script, the entrances, exits, and some movements or expressions for the characters

Staging: Body Positions

Greek Drama

Golden Age of Greek Drama: 500-400 B.C.Drama was sacred and religious in Greek culture.Tragedy literally means “goat song”Hubris is defined as excessive amounts of pride or

arroganceDeus ex machina is a machine used to fly in a god

to “save the day”Winners of the Dionysus festival won an ivy wreath

Costuming

RobesRaised BootsWigsMasks

Greek Chorus

Sang in unisonWore masksChanged in number depending on

the playwrightWere constantly on stage

Greek gods

Dionysus-god of wine, drama, and fertility

Zeus-king of the gods

Greek Playwrights

Sophocles wrote OedipusAeschylus-the Father of Greek

TragedyEuripides is known as “The Great

Humanizer” Aristotle-wrote rules of drama

called The Three Unities

Theatron “Seeing Place”

AudienceOrchestraAltarParaskenionSkene

Roman Drama-Terms

Acted on a raised stage called a pulpitum

Closet dramas were too graphic to be shown on stage.

A claque was a person paid to influence the audience

Romans focused on comedy in their plays.

Roman Playwrights

Terence-first black playwrightSeneca-only major tragedianPlautus-used Greek plays

Roman Theatre’s Decline

Spectacles in the Coliseum and the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. lead to the fall of Roman Drama.

Theatres were banned

Hindu Drama

Golden Age 500-300 B.C.Plays written in SanskritFirst culture to promote women

actorsAlways ended happily

Chinese Drama

Themes of ancestor worship, military glory, faithfulness to husband

Women were forbidden to act until the 18th century

Costume colors signified a meaning

Propaganda Period

Propaganda period began after WWII

Plays were used to promote government policy and Communism

Japanese Drama: Noh

FormalCharacterized by sedate postures

expressing an attitudePolished floor with jars

underneath for a unique sound

Japanese Drama:Kubuki

Common man’s dramaBegan in 1600 A.D.Every movement has a meaning

Kabuki Theatre

Trap DoorRevolving StageExtravagant SceneryA “flowerway” for actors to enter

Kabuki Costumes

Silk CostumesThick MakeupHeavy Wigs

Medieval Drama

Also called Dark Ages because of the lack of culture and growth after the fall of Rome

Medieval Terms

Trope-short dramas turned into masses by the church

Hell’s Mouth was a stage device—a dragon jaw that would open with smoke and flames

Passion Play—Started in Oberammergau—depicted the life of Christ

Commedia dell’ Arte-professional improv

Pageant Wagon

Plays performed in “cycles”Double-DeckerBottom used for costume changesSimilar to parade floatsAction on upper stage and on the

street

The M’s

MummingsMystery Morality (Everyman)MiracleManners

Elizabethan Theatres

Famous Theatres: Globe, The Rose, The Swan—nicknamed “Wooden O’s”

Elizabethan Staging

Balcony (for love scenes)Tiring House (for exits)Discovery Space (Small interior settings)Platform surrounded by audience on

three-sidesOpen air for light—no artificial lighting

used

Groundlings

“Cheap Seats”People stood in the space right in

front of the stageFor everyday citizens (all were

welcome to the theatre)

Famous Playwrights

Christopher Marlowe—killed in a bar brawl at 29

Ben Johnson—gifted in SatireWilliam Shakespeare—coined

thousands of words and phrases; born in Stratford-on-Avon; had a wife and three kids; loved by Queen Elizabeth; 38 plays attributed to him