Roman Theatre and Comedy: Design, Traditions, and Influence in History

1. Roman Theatre LVV-4U1 If you have problems viewing the PowerPoint in Google Classroom, there is another copy located on the class website.

2. In Rome, the authorities were concerned that the Roman people might be corrupted by  Greek influences.  • As a compromise, drama continued to presented at various religious festivals, but the theaters were all temporary structures, put up just before the peformances and taken down afterwards.  • There were two abortive attempts to build permanent stone theaters in 179 and 174 BC, but they were never completed.  • In 154 BC a third attempt was made to build a permanent stone theater, but the consul, P. Scipio Nasica, caused the unfinished structure to be torn down as "undesirable" and "harmful to public morals" (Livy, Periochae 48.68).  Temple of Venus In 55 BC Pompey erected the first permanent stone theater at Rome. There must, however,  have still been some opposition, for the theater was constructed in such a way that it could be seen as serving a religious purpose rather than for mere entertainment.   A temple of Venus was placed at the top of the seating area so that the rows of seats appeared to be steps leading up to the temple.

3. Pompey’s Permanent Theater

4. Roman Theater/ Comedy The Romans copied theater from Greece, and the best actors of Roman plays were usually Greek. Stage shows were first put on as part of religious festivals, and were later paid for by the wealthy to gain popularity.  Tickets were free-if you could get them.

5. Greek theaters were typically built into natural hillsides to provide better acoustics, as this theater in Epidaurus or this one in Delphi

6. -built on level ground

10. Theatre of Marcellus (drawing)

11. Roman Theatre Design General Characteristics • Stage raised to five feet • Stages were large – 20- 40 ft deep 100-300 ft long

12. Roman Theatre Design General Characteristics • Theatre could seat 10-15,000 people • dressing rooms in side wings • stage was covered with a roof

13. Portico

14. Roman Theatre Design General Characteristics • trap doors were common • cooling system – air blowing over streams of water • Awning (vellum) over the audience to protect them from the sun

15. Roman Theatre Design Scaena • “stage house” • joined with audience to form one architectural unit

16. Roman Theatre Design Scaena frons • front/façade of the stage house • was painted and had columns, niches, porticoes, statues scaena frons

18. Roman Theatre Design Orchestra • becomes half-circle • if entertainment permitted, people were sat here • could be used for musicians The original Greek orchestra was a full circle.

19. Roman Theatre Design Vomitoria • corridors under the seats that lead onto the orchestra

21. Roman Theatre Design Pulpitum • the stage Cavea • the auditorium

22. Features of a Roman Theater • canvas awning • women spectators not allowed in front rows • front seats reserved for senators • all parts played by men • masks to indicate stock characters • 3 doors for actors to enter and exit by • ½ circle “orchestra”

24. The classic symbol of theater: tragic and comic masks .  Since women could appear only in mimes, all roles were acted by men wearing masks representing the types of characters - young and old, male and female, gods and heroes. 

25. This ancient carving of theatrical masks show the enlarged mouth openings that helped amplify the actor’s voice

26. A TROUPE OF PLAYERS - This mosaic shows a group of actors in costumes and masks.  The piper is dressed as a woman and will be wearing the white mask of a female character. Another actor is being helped into his costume

27. Comedy: The Italian Tradition Horace: “Captive Greece captivated its captors” • The art of comedy was passed to Rome • As Athens was declining, the Romans had already picked up the comic tradition • According to Livy, they first appeared in 364 B.C.E. • Dramatic rituals were intended to appease the gods who had sent a plague

28. The Strands of the Italian Tradition • The pieces that the actors performed were primitive and coarse • Improvisation was common to all comedy, but it fell into disrepute with the rise of the actor • Actors / Improvisors wore ill-fitting tights, padding, masks, and a huge leather phallus • The last strand involved cheating and trickery (rustic and obscene and general tom foolery – particularly in the Italian countryside). Its most interesting feature for our purposes was its use of Stock Character: the braggart, the fool / the clown, the gorgeous young lover, the foolish old man, the resourceful and cunning swindler, etc.

29. Roman Comedy … • Roman comedy concerned itself with man at his most human • What the theatre gained was a HUMAN being on stage – speaking in a recognizable human voice • Like all Classical Comedies: • The plays ended happily • The men played women’s roles • All actors wore masks • Actors travelled from town to town, playing at festivals, on makeshift stages

30. Tradition has it that it was an actor, renowned for playing the part of a clown, “MACCUS,” who was to become the greatest of playwrights • It is believed that his middle name – MACCUS – was given to him because of his skill in playing the part of a clown

31. Titus Maccius Plautusca. 250 – 184 B.C.E. • He made a fortune in acting; • he invested his money and lost it (traditional story – not proven) • Copied from Greek New Comedy, but used Roman improvisation and comic invention • He was interested not only in plot, but in stock characters (made human beings out of them) • Plautus had wonderful theatrical instincts • He requires a comic actor who has instinct for judging the audience’s reactions

32. Terence(195-159 B.C.E.) • Was born a slave in North Africa • Elegant and stylish playwright • Was 11 years old when Plautus died • He was handsome, intelligent, and sensitive to criticism • He moved in aristocratic circles • He travelled to Greece to find new plays • Was relatively young when he died (died of grief b/c his baggage full of new plays was lost) • Most of his plays were failures – he realized that times were changing • Terence was shown scant respect because the audience wanted acrobats, jugglers, gladiators, etc. --- Spectacle! • Many of his plays were appreciated after his death

33. Comedies: The comedies were about wealthy people being kidnapped, or foolish old men and clever slaves, but they  usually had a happy ending.  • Plautus' comedies revolve mostly around daily life and average people • Characters are often stereo-types and greatly exaggerated

34. Avoid Censors! The Romans called these adaptations of Greek comedies fabulaepalliatae('plays in a Greek cloak').  The fabulaepalliataehad characters with Greek names in Greek settings, but the audience understood  that the characters were essentially Roman.  This practice allowed the playwright to turn Roman mores upside down without upsetting the audience or undermining Roman morality. 

35. The Father in Roman Society In real Roman society, the father's power (patria potestas) was legally undisputed. A father had the power of life and death over his family and his household (especially slaves). 

36. “Dumb Dad” Character Perhaps the most common inversion of Roman values in Roman comedy is the mockery of the father. He is sometimes displayed as conservative and serious In comedy the son, often with the help of a brash slave regularly outwits the father and makes a fool of him.

37. Senex (Old Man / Father) either too strict or too soft; either one he does out of love for his son. As the lover he embarrasses his son, his slave, and his wife. He tends to be passionately in love with the same woman as his son, who is much too young for the senex. He never gets the girl and is often dragged off by his irate wife. sometimes carries a staff.

38. Adulescens The adulescens was the hero, who is young, rich, love-struck and none too brave. He tends to bemoan his fate and requires backup. Another character often has to take action on his behalf

39. The young man is often a typical young, lover • Minimal role • Role of master/slave relationship is reversed (slave gives the orders)

40. Leno (Pimp) The leno runs the brothel. The love interest of the adulescens may be owned by the leno and work at his brothel so the adulescens is often forced to deal with him. He is unabashedly amoral and is only interested in money. He dresses in a tunic and mantel and is often bald with a moneybag.

41. Miles Gloriosus (Bragging Soldier) He loves himself more than anything else and sees himself as handsome and brave, while in reality he is very stupid, cowardly, and gullible. He may be interested in the same girl as the adulescens'.

42. In Roman times, soldiers were revered; they enjoyed seeing figures of importance being mocked on stage (essential to Roman comedy) • Audience likes to see the soldier being cheated • “blocking figure” – stops a love affair between a young master and prostitute

43. Servus servus callidus or clever slave is always talkative, but his other traits vary. Most of the time he is loyal, more so to the adulescens than the senex. He brings tricks and comedy and tends to drive the plot. He is often the one who finds the truth out at the end of the play. “Free”

44. Upheaval of real life = comic effect • Often has co-conspirators • If slaves really behaved the way they did in a play, Romans would be outrages • Slave violence was hilarious to Romans (popular during the time of Plautus) • Romans use “slave violence” to show their power

45. Ancilla (maid or nurse) Can be of any age She is a minor character used to move the plot by presenting information or helping to develop another character. She is a tool of her mistress and may be used as a messenger.

46. Virgo (Young maiden) The virgo (young maiden) is the love interest of the adulescens, usually does not get much stage time. She is beautiful and virtuous with little personality. She is treated as a prize

47. Additional Comedy Notes: • Coincidence: typical occurrence • Asides: a character talks to the audience and the other characters don’t hear • Ending: happy; wrong-doers are punished; lovers are reunited; bad are occasionally punished; the slave wins his freedom • Mistaken Identity: intended or accidental

48. Mimes: The Romans loved them • Jokes: “potty” humour; jokes about bodily excretions; sex; and, drunkenness • Eavesdropping: occurred frequently • Prologue: interludes of retelling the plot • Surprise: opposite of real Roman reality (i.e., slave orders free born citizen around; shy character or lover will do a minor heroic deed for his beloved; mother (Domina) will hold more power than the father (Senex) – yet Senex’s character is rare

49. Inscription Pompeii

50. Theater in Pompeii