17 th & 18 th Century Theatre

1. 17th & 18th Century Theatre

2. Ideas influencing theatre… • Europe’s developing nationalism (less focus on allegiance to the Pope) • Puritans in England behead King Charles I and ban theatre • Industrialization & the steam engine bring more wealth to the cities • Age of Enlightenment and the idea of “sensationalism” arrive with a new focus on nature

3. English Theatre • 1603: Elizabeth I dies… James I continues her practices • 1625: Charles I becomes king • 1642: Puritans, led by Oliver Cromwell, take control of the English Government & ban theatre (it’s sinful & heretical!) English theatre is back to its medieval state • 1649: Puritans execute King Charles I • 1660: Puritans are defeated, Charles II is restored to the throne & he lifts the ban on theatre… RESTORATION THEATRE gets its name here

4. English Restoration Theatre • Masques(allegories using elaborate costume & staging that told stories of well-known people/events) are popular • Women are allowed on stage! Nell Gwynne (King Charles II’s mistress) becomes famous!! • Stages are still following Italian trends… with proscenium arches, and now proscenium doors (our wings) as well • Theatres are enclosed, using candlelight & gaslight • With industrialization, the middle class grows & has the income to attend the theatre – audiences grow

5. English Restoration Theatre…………………………………………….Satire - using comic techniques to show the (sometimes) foolish behavior of human beings • Was often applied to the aristocracy • Required political savvy • Decorum – character behavior on stage should behave in a manner suiting their station in life • Verisimilitude – “true to life,” things that weren’t in real life shouldn’t be on stage (e.g.: ghosts) • Poetic justice – the rewarding of virtue & punishment of vice (often in an ironic way)

6. English Restoration Theatreforms of satire… • Comedy of manners is the new popular dramatic form (satirizes social customs of the time) • pictures the carefree, immoral world of the aristocracy. • brilliant, witty comedies. • "virtue" comes form succeeding in catching a lover or cuckolding a husband without getting caught • "honor" comes from reputation, not integrity. • Resolution? HAPPINESS • influenced by the comedies of Moliere in France • COSTUMES: clothes of the day that fit the character • SET & PROPS: minimal • EFFECTS: abilities & use are growing as new developments are made in science & industry

7. English Restoration Theatreother theatrical forms… The Sentimental Comedy Then: Now: She Stoops to Conquer “Modern Family” TV series by Oliver Goldsmith • plays in which middle-class protagonists triumphantly overcome a series of moral trials • aimed at producing tears rather than laughter • reflected contemporary philosophical conceptions of humans as inherently good but capable of being led astray through bad example

8. English Restoration Theatreother theatrical forms… The Heroic Tragedy .. Closely associated with playwright/poet John Dryden • heroes and heroines faced exaggerated conflicts between love and honor. • characters expressed noble ideals in speeches written in rhyming couplets • Should be written about kings and nobles. • Resolution? DEATH • example: Dryden’s, All for Love (based on Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra)

9. English Restoration Theatreother theatrical forms… The Burlesque Farce • This form parodied (made fun of) other dramas of the day • Example: Henry Fielding's The Tragedy of Tragedies, or the Life and Death of Tom Thumb the Great Pantomime • Italian in origin • Features dance & mimicry to music • Plays were both comedic and tragic • Used elaborate scenery & effects

10. English Restoration TheatreDavid Garrick • 1717 – 1779 • Actor, playwright, director, theatre manager • Introduced a natural style of acting • Introduced the idea of the director supervising and guiding the actors during rehearsals (before him, the actors or playwright ran rehearsals) • Introduced reform in production matters, bringing an over-arching consistency to productions that included set design, costumes & even special effects • He ushers in a movement towards realism

11. French Theatre Cardinal Richelieu • comes to power in 1625 under Louis XIII • Looks to Italy as a model for improving France • 1629 – establishes the Académie française, which regulates all things pertaining to the french language (playwriting!!) ~ Pierre Corneille & Jean Racine are both from the Adcademie • 1641 – builds a theatre in the Palais Cardinal (later, the Palais Royale)

12. French Theatre ~ Moliere Jean Baptiste Poquelin • Begins (in late 17th C) the trend that will develop into traditional “neo-classic” theatre • Starts as a choreographer for Louis XIV • Later becomes actor & playwright • His work shows characters whose folly, vices, and pretensions are exposed through witty dialogue, clever language, and physical gags (influenced by Italian Commedia dell’arte). • Used stock characters and characters VERY closely based on his contemporaries • Allowed much latitude in his satire because of the support of Louis XIV

13. German Theatre • Poor country at this time… theatre is limited to travelling acting companies using over-the-top action and violence • Their works have a strong sense of Romanticism (emphasis on personal freedom from the bonds of society & a return to man’s basic emotions) • By the end of the 18th C, other countries are just trying Romanticism but it’s well-established in Germany • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) • Wrote Faust – the ultimate example of romanticism