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Origins of Theatre. Tribal Oral Tradition Storytelling through dance. Greek Theatre. Purpose of Greek Theatre …. …to explain the divine approach to favor and disfavor. Festival of Dionysus. Began with dytharam (chorus) Performed in the orkestra (dancing place). Festival of Dionysus.
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Origins of Theatre Tribal Oral Tradition Storytelling through dance
Purpose of Greek Theatre… …to explain the divine approach to favor and disfavor
Festival of Dionysus Began with dytharam (chorus) Performed in the orkestra (dancing place)
Festival of Dionysus Began with dytharam (chorus) Performed in the orkestra (dancing place) 532 BC first actor stepped out of the chorus Thespus won first best actor award Used masks to distinguish between different characters
Festival of Dionysus Began with dytharam (chorus) Performed in the orkestra (dancing place) 532 BC first actor stepped out of the chorus Thespus won first best actor award Used masks to distinguish between different characters Patrons paid for playwright to do nothing but write plays to win competitions
Greek Playwrights Tragedy writers Aeschylus – added a second actor Euripedes – wrote over 700 plays in his lifetime Sophocles – added a third actor Comedy writers Aristophanes – Old Comedy Menander – New Comedy
Greek Tragedy Most important because it completely fulfilled the purpose of Greek theatre Festival would consist of one or two days of dytharam then three to five days of tragedies Most often written in trilogies Chorus always represented the voice of reason and the voice of the community Judges based decision for winner on how well the play followed the tragedy rules
Rules for Greek Tragedy Hero must be of noble birth Hero must suffer from HUBRIS (fatal flaw) Hero must be at mercy of MOIRA(fate) Story must comply with unity of time, space and plot Story must end badly for hero; either death or exile Play must bring about CATHARSIS (emotional release)
Greek Comedy Only one performance of a comedy play at the very end of the festival Must end well for hero Old comedy – physical and base humor, very sexual, lots of slapstick, farce Examples: Saturday Night Live, Three Stooges, Dumb and Dumber New comedy – More relationship based, children vs. parents Examples: Sit-coms, romantic comedy movies