By Margaret Foland AET 541 Dawn R. Tittle

1. Classical Theatre History A Journey Through Time The Middle Ages and The Renaissance – Italy and Spain By Margaret Foland AET 541 Dawn R. Tittle

2. Introduction to the Dark Ages and the Renaissance • Week 4 will discuss the following: • The Middle Ages (also known as the Dark Ages) and it history • The Renaissance – The age of Enlightenment, and how it helped to bring about a new age in Theatre and of course the it’s History. • Biblical Theatre – its rebirth • Renaissance Theatre – Comediá del arté. • It will include the countries of Italy, France and England – as it will be broken up into weeks 5 and 6.

3. The Dark Ages • Dueling • Feudalism • Crusades 1 and 2 • Plague • Church • Hierarchism • Royalty • St. Joan of Arc • Mongol Invasion • Barbarians from Northern Europe • Knights Templar • Eastern Chaos • Order of the Horse • Chivalry • Arthur • Celtic – Celts • Norsemen (Noorsman) • Anglo, Norman, Saxon, Jutes, invasion • Martin Luther • Chaucer • Minstrel song – Jougleus, balds • Gothic Architecture • Notre Dame • Passion Plays – morality plays, miracle plays, mystery plays • Universities • Schism in the Church – Church/State • Inquisition • Monasticism, saints • Warfare techniques • Michelle de Martan - Michael of the Mountain • Printing press, Johan and Gutenberg – Printing press inventors • Ad Majorem Dei Gloria

4. The Medieval World • The Medieval World, 416-1450 • Latin is the language of the church and the educated • Political background • Religious, landed and legal power rested in the church; later segregated to feudal lords and guilds. • Theatre closed by church • Tertullian, DE Spectaculis 196 – 212 • Theatre had already declined and audience interest was waning • Theatre returned to respectability at 950 C.E. • Church brings Theatre back • Major Influences • Wide spread famine and plague Hierarchism • Feudalism, the church, grab a hold of astrology and numerology, calendar for the church and year, and liturgical size • Quem Queritis

5. Discussion Questions • What do you think it was like to live in the Medieval World? • Who was in control of the Middle world? • Who is Joan of Arc and what did she do? • Who invented the printing press? • When did universities open? • Where the people illiterate or were they learning how to read?

6. Biblical Drama • Patterns of the plays • Series (cycle) of 15 – 20 minutes long • Written in vernacular • Presented in sequence • Performed on trestle stage or series of stages • Some stages on wheels (pageant wagons) • Some stages were stationary • “The Second Shepherds Play” • York Cycle Plays • Bishop Ethelwald • Pageant wagons • A trope, or interruptions, in the mass • The church developed • Liturgical drama • Mystery (Mystere)/ Cycle plays • Also called miracle or morality plays • Pageants and secrets • Episodic plots begin • 1240 – 1576 guilds became producers • municipal governments and private organizations • Purpose of Cycle Plays • Glorify God, the Bible, and the Church • Instruct the illiterate in the faith • Advertise for guilds • Compete with spring festivals • People move back to the cities • Men and boys only allowed to act in England • Women and Men Act in Cycle plays in • Spain • France • Italy

7. Discussion Questions • What is a Cycle Play? • Who was allowed to act in Biblical Drama in Britain, Spain, France, and Italy? • Who was Bishop Ethelwald? • What is the graphic picture on this page a representative of?

8. The Age of EnlightenmentThe Renaissance Italy and Spain • The Italian Renaissance • A matter of • Perspective • Stenography • stage craft • The Renaissance Mind – Humanism • Royallance idea of governance • Bringing back Greek and Roman Philosophy • People are getting educated • University open • Art is at its high • Gothic Architecture • Plague ends – Pregnant form pictures like the one on the title page • Biblical Drama dies off – plays are brought back from • Ancient Greece • Ancient Rome • The finding of Pompeii • Martin Luther • The Protestant Reformation • The Church Reformation happens – bring people back to the Catholic Church • 3 graphics on questions page mean • Triangulation • Pawn • Spotlight – lime light

9. The Renaissance cont’d • The Spanish Golden Age • It was part of the Roman Empire until 711 • Moors from Northern Africa invaded the country in 711 C.E. • Moors controlled most of Spain • Lasing effect, the Moorish had, even after the Catholic Church retook the country • Spain – Roman Catholic Monarchies • King Fernando and Isabel took control over all Spain, after their marriage in 1469 • Their heirs became the monarch of Casitle and León • 1492 – Columbus sailed under the Spanish Flag discovers American – North, South and Central for Spain • Became a world power under King Fernando and Isabel • Successful with trade, conquest, commerce, and arts • Came to be known as the Spanish Golden Age • In 1588, the Aramada was defeated by England • End of unquestioned dominance for Spain – as a sea power and continued to be a major factor in Europe for much of the 16th century • Drama flourished too

10. Discussion Questions • What happened in Italy during the Renaissance? • What happed to the Church? • What do the symbols below have to do with the Italian Renaissance? • What happen to reunite Spain? • Who is Christopher Columbus?

11. Italian Theatre • Intermezzi and Pastorals • 2 popular dramatic forms • Developed in the Renaissance • Influenced by classical subject matter and dramatic techniques • Intermezzi • Pastorals • Opera – reflects classic subject matters • Pastorals – imitation of Greek Satyr plays – romance not sexual connotation • Commedia Dell’Arte • A popular theatrical form • Type of pure theatre • Commedia dell’arte – Italian for play for professional artists • Companies consisted of 10 performers – 7 male and 3 female • Some may have been traveling troupes possible the successors of Greek and Roman mimes • Associated with comedy • Thrived in Italy from 1550-1750 • Consisted of Improv presentations • Scenarios • Short scripts without dialogue written by a company member • Scripts proved an outline for a plot • Performers had no set text but invented the words and actions as they went along • Actions moved along through improv • Most popular figures • Were lecherous, misery old Venetian, Pantalone • A foolish pedant who was always involved in his neighbors affairs, Dottore • A cowardly, braggart soldier, Capitano • Servants – zanni • Who were sometimes sly, Arlecchino • Who were sometimes foolish, Harlequin

12. Italian Stage Design • Sebastian Serlio 1475-1554 • Architettura - 1545 • 3 universal sets • Tragic, comic, and satyric • Laid out identically • Street CS3 “houses” SL & SR • Backdrop • Inspired by Teatro Olimpico 1580-1584 • The Teatro Olimpico is the oldest surviving Renaissance playhouse combination of a Palladian – design • Scaenae frons and perspective vistas designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi 1552-1616 • The Teatro Franese 1616 or 1618 • First permanent proscenium arch theatre, capacity 3000 audience members • Completed by Giovanni Aleotti • Perspective scenery • Racked stage • Wings, borders and backdrops • Stenography • Italian scene changing • Periaktoi • Wings and groove system – Giambattista Aleotti • Chariot and Pole system – Giacomo Tovelli • The Glories • Severe rake • Limited lighting • Scene – changing in view of the audience • Abast ye, IATSE boy! – The first stage hands were sailors • Floor – deck • Pipe – batten • Gid rid of – strike • Elaborate knot system • Rope – line

13. Spanish Theatre • Religious drama: Autos Sacramentales • Originally produced inside churches and cathedrals • Part of the church service • Written for Corpus Christi, festive held in late May or June, usually two months after Easter • Came to be known as Autos Sacramental, name given to any play presented at Corpus Christi • Combined elements of medieval morality and mystery plays • Based on secular/religious ideas • Underscore church teachings • Finest dramas written by Calderón, 1647-1681 • Prohibited in 1765 • Secular / professional theatre flourished • Playwrights created dramatic works for both theatres • 2 were equally professional without regard to other aspects • acting • production • Trace it through the career of Lope de Rueda

14. Spanish Theatre cont’d • The Corrales • Corrales – public theatres • constructed in existing courtyards • Open –air spaces with galleries and boxes protected by a roof • 2 of the most famous in Madrid • - Corral de la Cruz 1579 • - Corral del Principe 1583 • The stage • platform erected opposite the entrance to the courtyard • also several other entrances ways for other seating areas • The yard • primarily an area for standing • Groundlings were known as mosqueteros or musketeers • A corral held 2,000 • 1,000 for men • 350 for women • And the rest reserved boxes and other accommodations for govt. officials and clergy • Proscenium – arch theatre/stage only used at court • First proscenium – arch theatre in Spain • Coliseo at the King’s Palace • The Buen Retiro in Madrid • Designed by Italian Cosme Lotti (d. 1643) and completed in 1640 • Influenced by the Italian opera and intermezzi • Zarzuela – a stylized musical drama with a story based on mythology and ornate scenic art/effects

15. Scenery, the stage and Costumes • Similar conventions in Spain to those in England • Basic scene elements • 2 or 3 story stage house constructed behind the platform stage • A curtain, props, and flats might be used in conjunction with the façade of the stage house • 3 openings for entrances, exists and reveals and one or two upper playhouses • The façade served the same function as the Elizabethan tiring house • “Spoken door” – dialogue indicating locale • The stage • Platform raised above the patio • Separated dressing rooms were behind a central curtain that led into the stage house • Doorway or each side of the curtain • Most famous Celos Aun del Aire Matan 1660 • Costuming • Similar to England’s Renaissance • Playwrights • Lope de Rueda • Secular drama – comedies • 2 best known • Lope de Vega • Calderón de la Borca • Many others include: • Guillén de Castro 1569 – 1631 • His play The Cid is a source for a famous French Play • Juan Ruiz de Alarcón y Mendoza – 1580 – 1639 • Born in Mexico, wrote plays in Madrid • Tirso de Molina 1584 – 1648 • Said to have written 400 plays • He wrote the 1st known play about Don Juan • Often compared to Lope de Calderón

16. Discussion Questions • What did the theatre of Italy look like? • What did the theatre of Spain look like? • When did Biblical drama end in Spain? • What is Commedia Dell’Arte? • Who is Lope de Rueda? • Who is the first playwright to write about Don Juan?

17. References • 1700spanish. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.costumes.org/history/17thcent/womensfashplates/new/1700spanish.jpg • Classroom without walls. (2011). Retrieved from http://classroomwowalls.pbworks.com/w/page/35366145/Maeve%20Jackson • CorralAlmagro. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://people.uleth.ca/~brent.devos/Webpage%20images/corralAlmagro.jpg • Medieval English Religious Drama. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://department.monm.edu/theatre/Rankin/Classes/THEA171/Lectures/medieval%20mansions.htm • Middle Ages . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sphtc.org/timeline/middleages1.jpg • Wilson, E., & Goldfarb, A. (2008). History of the Theatre: Living Theatre (5th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw Hill.