1 / 30

History of Drama

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 healing

ruana
Download Presentation

History of Drama

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. History of Drama Final Exam Review

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

  3. 5 Types of Plays • Medicinal Play-play about healing • The Heb Sedwas a play celebrating the pharaoh's 30th year on the throne • Coronation Festival celebrated the crowning of a pharaoh • Isis, Osiris, and Set were the main characters in the Abydos Passion Play • Pyramid Plays-done to ensure safe passage into afterlife.

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Staging: Body Positions

  7. 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 arrogance • Deus ex machina is a machine used to fly in a god to “save the day” • Winners of the Dionysus festival won an ivy wreath

  8. Costuming • Robes • Raised Boots • Wigs • Masks

  9. Greek Chorus • Sang in unison • Wore masks • Changed in number depending on the playwright • Were constantly on stage

  10. Greek gods • Dionysus-god of wine, drama, and fertility • Zeus-king of the gods

  11. Greek Playwrights • Sophocles wrote Oedipus • Aeschylus-the Father of Greek Tragedy • Euripides is known as “The Great Humanizer” • Aristotle-wrote rules of drama called The Three Unities

  12. Theatron “Seeing Place” • Audience • Orchestra • Altar • Paraskenion • Skene

  13. 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.

  14. Roman Playwrights • Terence-first black playwright • Seneca-only major tragedian • Plautus-used Greek plays

  15. 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

  16. Hindu Drama • Golden Age 500-300 B.C. • Plays written in Sanskrit • First culture to promote women actors • Always ended happily

  17. 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

  18. Propaganda Period • Propaganda period began after WWII • Plays were used to promote government policy and Communism

  19. Japanese Drama: Noh • Formal • Characterized by sedate postures expressing an attitude • Polished floor with jars underneath for a unique sound

  20. Japanese Drama:Kubuki • Common man’s drama • Began in 1600 A.D. • Every movement has a meaning

  21. Kabuki Theatre • Trap Door • Revolving Stage • Extravagant Scenery • A “flowerway” for actors to enter

  22. Kabuki Costumes • Silk Costumes • Thick Makeup • Heavy Wigs

  23. Medieval Drama • Also called Dark Ages because of the lack of culture and growth after the fall of Rome

  24. 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

  25. Pageant Wagon • Plays performed in “cycles” • Double-Decker • Bottom used for costume changes • Similar to parade floats • Action on upper stage and on the street

  26. The M’s • Mummings • Mystery • Morality (Everyman) • Miracle • Manners

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

  28. Elizabethan Staging • Balcony (for love scenes) • Tiring House (for exits) • Discovery Space (Small interior settings) • Platform surrounded by audience on three-sides • Open air for light—no artificial lighting used

  29. Groundlings • “Cheap Seats” • People stood in the space right in front of the stage • For everyday citizens (all were welcome to the theatre)

  30. Famous Playwrights • Christopher Marlowe—killed in a bar brawl at 29 • Ben Johnson—gifted in Satire • William 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

More Related