Theatre of The Renaissance

1. Theatre of The Renaissance (1400-1650)

2. Renaissance= meaning “rebirth”

3. Renaissance in Italy • Not the best playwriting. • Mostly influenced by Greek Theatre

4. Intermezzi and Pastorals • Intermezzi • Short plays depicting mythological tales. • Presented between acts of full-length plays • Usually comedies. • Thematically related to the full length play they accompanied. • Developed out of popular court entertainments. • Often more popular than their accompanied plays. • Disappeared in the 1600s.

5. Intermezzi and Pastorals • Pastorals • Imitated Greek satyr plays • Subject matter: Romance • Characters: Shepherds and mythological creatures who inhabit the forests and countryside. • Unlike satyr plays, pastorals were not as perverted and bawdy in style. • Usually deal with lovers being threatened and often at odds with each other. • Although the action is serious, always a happy ending.

6. Opera • Quite dramatic • Could be considered a form of drama, but is usually studied as a form of music. • Completely sung. • Spoken text of opera is called the libretto. • Secondary to music • Stories of opera moved from myth to history to contemporary fiction.

7. Commedia dell’arte • Italian for, “play of professional artists”. • Usually consisted of ten performers • Seven men • Three women • Primarily staged comedies • Thrived between 1550 to 1750 • Lasted longer than Renaissance period. • No written script. • All improvised dialogue

8. Commedia dell’arte • Scenarios provided plot outlines • Over 1000 still survive. • Commedia actors played the same stock characters most of their careers. • Costuming also facilitated improvisation • Commedia characters all wore traditional costumes • Harlequin’s patchwork jacket • Dottore’s academic robes • This helped audiences recognize characters

9. Renaissance in England • Under Henry VII and Henry VIII, interludes were present at court or house of nobility. • Interludes- brief dramatic entertainments written and staged by professionals. • School Drama became popular • Plays written and presented at schools and colleges. • Not for the general public • Reflect Greek and Roman influence • Later cited for development of boys’ acting companies.

10. Play wrights who provided boys’ companies with scripts were members of a group called University Wits. • Members included: • Christopher Marlowe • Thomas Kyd • John Lyly • Robert Greene

11. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) • Son of a Canterbury shoemaker • Attended Corpus Christi College • By the time he graduated as an undergrad he was already a secret agent • First drama he wrote alone: Tamburlaine the Great (1587) • Queen’s council ordered to arrest Marlowe • Charged with atheism • Was stabbed to death before arrest • In a brawl with Ingram Frizer

12. Marlowe’s writing • Focused on dramatic poetry • Used iambic pentameter • Has 5 beats • 2 syllables to each beat • Accent on the second beat

13. Acting Companies • Three categories of personnel • Shareholders • Hired men or Hirelings • Apprentices

14. Shareholders • The elite members of the companies • Bought a percentage of ownership in the company • Received a percentage of the profits • Were the main actors of the companies.

15. Hirelings • Contracted for a specific period of time and for a specific salary • Played mainly small roles

16. Apprentices • Young performers training for the profession • Were assigned shareholders • Received room, board, training and experience in hopes of becoming a shareholder. • Often young boy apprentices were used to play women • Made them more significant to the company than hired men.

17. Women Actors • Not allowed • Debate over reasons • Most believe it was a continuation of the religious attitude of the Medieval period. • Actresses were little better than prostitutes • However, women actors were allowed in Italy for commedia dell’arte